1.) I normally don't end up enjoying hyped players too much. In general, other forms of media usually overexpose athletes (think Tyler Hansborogh and Tim Tebow) so much that most people get really sick of them really quickly. Even if they're good, the majority of people wind up hating them, counting the minutes until they leave just so we don't have to hear about them anymore. However, I have to say that after watching John Wall play in the last week or so, I don't think it will be very easy for me to take my eyes off him.
This kid is incredible. He's fast, he plays hard, he has some great moves around the basket--I could go on and on. The other thing that strikes me is that in addition to his talent, he seems to be pretty unselfish as well. He has no problem drawing the defense and dishing at the last second and he always looks up the court to see who's there. Most likely he'll only be around for one year, which is too bad, but I personally am going to enjoy it while it lasts.
2.) One thing I did notice about Wall (and Kentucky in general) is that for as talented as they are, their youth has a tendency to show through. In both the UNC and UConn games, I've noticed that they come out swinging, grab a big lead and then seem to flip on the cruise control. They get really sloppy, make bad passes, throw the ball away and have poor shot selection, allowing teams to turn it on and close the gap. Granted, the fact that UNC and UConn have extremely talented and experienced teams and coaches probably contributes to that fact the Kentucky didn't win going away, but regardless of those facts, controlling lazy play is in their hands. If they have an Achilles' heel, it appears that their inexperience is it. That will most likely change as the season goes on, but it may also cost them in close games or come tournament time.
3.) Sorry to be offensive, but I am pretty sick and tired of hearing about how amazing Kansas is. There. I said it. I'm not saying they aren't talented--they are. I'm not saying they don't deserve to be #1--I don't necessarily think they do, but they have provided no reason not to be. But you know what? They have one of the softest schedules EVER. Look at it. Ok, they played Memphis. Wow...a club that is somewhat rebuilding and adjusting to a new coach...not the Memphis of old. Yeah, they played UCLA....a GUTTED UCLA team who is struggling more than they have in years. Their first RANKED OPPONENT isn't until mid-January, when they take on Tennessee. Thus far? Their schedule boasts such powerhouses as Radford, Alcorn State and LaSalle. There are a few decent teams in there, like Michigan, Belmont and Temple--but where is the challenge? Where are the multiple ranked opponents? I mean, I get that these schedules are often made years in advance and you can't always tell who will be strong or not, but come on. PLAY SOMEONE. GO SOMEWHERE. Everyone has their cupcakes and it IS possible (though unlikely) that those so-called "cupcakes" can take out the giants. But frankly, Kansas' schedule is full of baked goods. Say what you will about other schools, but even places like North Carolina, Kentucky, Duke, Michigan State, Texas, Syracuse, etc. take on some tough competition (usually each other) in the preseason.
So you know what? Kansas may be a great team--but they won't have my respect until they play with the big boys.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
Maybe We Can Beat UNC Before the End of the Century...
...but it isn't looking good. Due to travel for work, I wasn't able to watch this game. However, my good friend Sarah took notes during the game and passed me her thoughts. I would like to share them with you, since I did enjoy them so much (though I did NOT enjoy the outcome).
"Thoughts on UNC-MSU"
by Sarah G., guest blogger
~UNC was scoring lights out ridiculous, so that sucked a lot. It was like they had Hansbrough pixie dust on them and could not be stopped, so that was a rather large factor.
~MSU did battle back from a 19-point deficit, so I was proud that they didn't just roll over. But it was just really not their night--or it was just really UNC's night, like they made a ridiculous 3 pointer at the first half buzzer and EVERYTHING was falling in.
~In the 2nd half, Morgan got an awesome steal....and then ran into Lucas...wah wah...and then both Roe and Green fouled out.
~Draymond Green was amazing. I love him. He is just such a good all-around player. Making great passes, grabbing rebounds, totally tough and committed to the game. And at the end, after he fouled out, he gathered everyone up and gave them a mini-pep talk or something. SO CUTE. And he made all his free throws.
~Chris Allen started off well. He was actually playing defense and grabbing rebounds and then he did his weird Allen disappearing act.
~Raymar Morgan had a great game and Durrell Summers remembered how to score 3s again.
~Sherman seemed to be trying his best, but....he's got a ways to go to be a true defensive threat.
So that's it!! Please feel free to share your thoughts on the game!!
"Thoughts on UNC-MSU"
by Sarah G., guest blogger
~UNC was scoring lights out ridiculous, so that sucked a lot. It was like they had Hansbrough pixie dust on them and could not be stopped, so that was a rather large factor.
~MSU did battle back from a 19-point deficit, so I was proud that they didn't just roll over. But it was just really not their night--or it was just really UNC's night, like they made a ridiculous 3 pointer at the first half buzzer and EVERYTHING was falling in.
~In the 2nd half, Morgan got an awesome steal....and then ran into Lucas...wah wah...and then both Roe and Green fouled out.
~Draymond Green was amazing. I love him. He is just such a good all-around player. Making great passes, grabbing rebounds, totally tough and committed to the game. And at the end, after he fouled out, he gathered everyone up and gave them a mini-pep talk or something. SO CUTE. And he made all his free throws.
~Chris Allen started off well. He was actually playing defense and grabbing rebounds and then he did his weird Allen disappearing act.
~Raymar Morgan had a great game and Durrell Summers remembered how to score 3s again.
~Sherman seemed to be trying his best, but....he's got a ways to go to be a true defensive threat.
So that's it!! Please feel free to share your thoughts on the game!!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Big Game, Big Win
And we are....right back into college basketball season with some great games on throughout the day Tuesday. I had these lovely visions of coming home from work, settling in on the couch with a beer and flipping between various games on different channels....Sadly, that never happened. I actually ended up at work until 9:15 pm, crouched in front of my computer, focused on watching my Spartans take on the Bulldogs of Gonzaga (God bless ESPN360.com). I REALLY wanted to watch Memphis-Kansas and do a little writing about that, but unfortunately that wasn't an option....So guess what? MSU it is (I know, you're shocked).
As I sat and watched, I wasn't super-pleased with the opening effort. Down as many as 13 points in the first half, the Spartans were out-rebounded, out-hustled and out-manned down low. It seemed like they really struggled to find any kind of offensive rhythm--on the other side, Gonzaga came ready to play and went at MSU hard. To be frank, I didn't pay much attention to Gonzaga this preseason. I always kind of assume they are going to be good and felt as though this would be a tough game regardless. Based on those assumptions, I figured I would just watch the game and see what they looked like...and had several observations...
1.) Gonzaga has SIZE. I didn't realize how large these guys actually are. They have a 7 footer and a kid that is SEVEN FOOT FIVE. I mean, seriously!?!? SEVEN FOOT FIVE!?!?!? How do you even GET to be that big? They also have 2 freshmen that are 6'10 and 6'11. Their best shooter, Matt Bouldin, stands at 6'5. Freshman 7'0 Robert Sacre had a great game, especially dominanting in the first half--he showed some great potential for his future with the Bulldogs.
2.) The Zags are CLEARLY underrated and will be in the top 25 very shortly. People questioned whether Mark Few was rebuilding or reloading. I think last night gave us our answer.
3.) Delvon Roe had a BAD game. Fouling out with about 9:30 left in the game, no points, very little contribution. It's still early in the season and he's definitely not 100% from his concussion, so I'm not TOO worried, but he HAS to contribute in order for the Spartans to do well. It is a must.
4.) Freshman Derrick Nix missed FOUR consecutive free throws. FOUR. Unacceptable. He's young and new and adjusting to being a college player in a high-pressure atmosphere, so I'm willing to cut him a LITTLE slack, but let's not make that a habit, okay?
5.) Durrell Summers is incredible--what else can I say!??! He got his first career double-double, hitting shots from all over the floor (including an off-balance, fadeaway while falling down...AMAZING) and basically carried the Spartans on his back, stepping up when others struggled.
6.) Other props go to Raymar Morgan, who despite a lackluster first half and minor ankle injury, came out strong in the second half and helped lift the Spartans back into the game before fouling out. During his time on the bench, he transistioned into a role as cheerleader and the alternating looks of concern and excitement on his face were just so endearing. He just CARES so much.
I had several non-MSU fans make comments during the game that I must be freaking out or that MSU can't win a national championship playing like this...to which I replied, CALM DOWN! IT IS NOVEMBER. Yes, there were multiple things that they need to work on...but every team has multiple things to work on...Kansas, Kentucky, etc. etc. There is sloppiness and some questionable shooting on every team...that's okay. Typically, how it works is that teams GET BETTER as the year goes by. RELAX. If I can watch a game like last night without completely freaking out, I think everyone can.
HAPPY BASKETBALL SEASON!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As I sat and watched, I wasn't super-pleased with the opening effort. Down as many as 13 points in the first half, the Spartans were out-rebounded, out-hustled and out-manned down low. It seemed like they really struggled to find any kind of offensive rhythm--on the other side, Gonzaga came ready to play and went at MSU hard. To be frank, I didn't pay much attention to Gonzaga this preseason. I always kind of assume they are going to be good and felt as though this would be a tough game regardless. Based on those assumptions, I figured I would just watch the game and see what they looked like...and had several observations...
1.) Gonzaga has SIZE. I didn't realize how large these guys actually are. They have a 7 footer and a kid that is SEVEN FOOT FIVE. I mean, seriously!?!? SEVEN FOOT FIVE!?!?!? How do you even GET to be that big? They also have 2 freshmen that are 6'10 and 6'11. Their best shooter, Matt Bouldin, stands at 6'5. Freshman 7'0 Robert Sacre had a great game, especially dominanting in the first half--he showed some great potential for his future with the Bulldogs.
2.) The Zags are CLEARLY underrated and will be in the top 25 very shortly. People questioned whether Mark Few was rebuilding or reloading. I think last night gave us our answer.
3.) Delvon Roe had a BAD game. Fouling out with about 9:30 left in the game, no points, very little contribution. It's still early in the season and he's definitely not 100% from his concussion, so I'm not TOO worried, but he HAS to contribute in order for the Spartans to do well. It is a must.
4.) Freshman Derrick Nix missed FOUR consecutive free throws. FOUR. Unacceptable. He's young and new and adjusting to being a college player in a high-pressure atmosphere, so I'm willing to cut him a LITTLE slack, but let's not make that a habit, okay?
5.) Durrell Summers is incredible--what else can I say!??! He got his first career double-double, hitting shots from all over the floor (including an off-balance, fadeaway while falling down...AMAZING) and basically carried the Spartans on his back, stepping up when others struggled.
6.) Other props go to Raymar Morgan, who despite a lackluster first half and minor ankle injury, came out strong in the second half and helped lift the Spartans back into the game before fouling out. During his time on the bench, he transistioned into a role as cheerleader and the alternating looks of concern and excitement on his face were just so endearing. He just CARES so much.
I had several non-MSU fans make comments during the game that I must be freaking out or that MSU can't win a national championship playing like this...to which I replied, CALM DOWN! IT IS NOVEMBER. Yes, there were multiple things that they need to work on...but every team has multiple things to work on...Kansas, Kentucky, etc. etc. There is sloppiness and some questionable shooting on every team...that's okay. Typically, how it works is that teams GET BETTER as the year goes by. RELAX. If I can watch a game like last night without completely freaking out, I think everyone can.
HAPPY BASKETBALL SEASON!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Let the Worrying Begin...
Note to all college basketball fans: It's NOVEMBER. The season just began. Try to keep the Final Four judgements in check.
Why do I write this you ask? Because it's only November and I'm currently reading an article about how one writer is backing off his earlier prediction of how good UNC is (I'm talking about Jeff Goodman of Fox Sports--who ranked the Heels at #5 in his poll). I enjoy Goodman's writing--he writes about a lot of different teams and seems to know his stuff. I don't have any argument with his writing, it's more his topic choice that struck a chord...it reminds me how silly all of us who have opinions about sports can often be.
Remember last year at this time? Everyone was singing UNC's praises. They were the team to beat. They alone had the national championships in their sights--everyone else was just a speedbump to run over along the way. Then *gasp* the Tar Heels LOST. Suddenly, no one had any confidence in them any more. They would crumble. We were duped--maybe they weren't REALLY that good. But as the season progressed, things changed and by April 6th, there they were holding up a trophy.
Perhaps UNC isn't as good as they were last year--they lost a LOT of talent and it remains to be seen how some of their relatively unknown players will fare, how the team will gel. But to write them off this early in the year? It seems a little extreme.
There is a long way to go from now until March. There are dozens of games to be played, thousands of headlines to be written, predictions to be made, analysis to share. Maybe UNC WON'T get back to the Final Four. Maybe they will. Who knows? I do know this: wherever they are now, they will get better. They will grow. Roy Williams is too good of a coach and the caliber of athletes at North Carolina is too high to suggest otherwise.
But we have a lot of time to see what happens. Let's just sit back and watch for awhile.
Why do I write this you ask? Because it's only November and I'm currently reading an article about how one writer is backing off his earlier prediction of how good UNC is (I'm talking about Jeff Goodman of Fox Sports--who ranked the Heels at #5 in his poll). I enjoy Goodman's writing--he writes about a lot of different teams and seems to know his stuff. I don't have any argument with his writing, it's more his topic choice that struck a chord...it reminds me how silly all of us who have opinions about sports can often be.
Remember last year at this time? Everyone was singing UNC's praises. They were the team to beat. They alone had the national championships in their sights--everyone else was just a speedbump to run over along the way. Then *gasp* the Tar Heels LOST. Suddenly, no one had any confidence in them any more. They would crumble. We were duped--maybe they weren't REALLY that good. But as the season progressed, things changed and by April 6th, there they were holding up a trophy.
Perhaps UNC isn't as good as they were last year--they lost a LOT of talent and it remains to be seen how some of their relatively unknown players will fare, how the team will gel. But to write them off this early in the year? It seems a little extreme.
There is a long way to go from now until March. There are dozens of games to be played, thousands of headlines to be written, predictions to be made, analysis to share. Maybe UNC WON'T get back to the Final Four. Maybe they will. Who knows? I do know this: wherever they are now, they will get better. They will grow. Roy Williams is too good of a coach and the caliber of athletes at North Carolina is too high to suggest otherwise.
But we have a lot of time to see what happens. Let's just sit back and watch for awhile.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Amazing...
You have to check this out from Villanova's Midnight Madness...The entire team and dance team doing Michael Jackson's "Thriller."
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDcupLLIbbw
I love it when athletes aren't afraid to be goofy, let their personalities show and make fools of themselves....great!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDcupLLIbbw
I love it when athletes aren't afraid to be goofy, let their personalities show and make fools of themselves....great!
Friday, November 6, 2009
I am completely jealous of Andy Katz....
The article is great, but the video is even better! Take a tour of Tom Izzo's basement and check out his Spartan memoribilia...I thought I was building a pretty good collection, but I'm pretty sure it will never come close to his...
Katz: Izzo, Spartans want to take one more step in
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Katz: Izzo, Spartans want to take one more step in
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Thursday, November 5, 2009
An Open Letter to the Spartans
Dear Spartans,
You know I love you. Every day since April 6th, I've counted down the days until Oct. 16, when Midnight Madness hits and you can once again unleash your basketball greatness to the world.
That time is now upon us. I can't pretend I don't have high expectations for you this season. You made it all the way to the championship last year and while I was proud, I think this is your time to take it all. I know you can do it. No matter what, I will always expect you to play hard. You may lose a game or two this season and that will be okay--which I am putting in writing because I'm sure I might have some anger about it later. I know it's early and there's a long way to go, but I'd like to take this time to address a few concerns.
Every November, the season starts and the injuries begin. This year is no different. It appears that several of you are having some issues. Delvon Roe: Concussion. Korie Lucious: Sprained Ankle. Chris Allen: Groin. Raymar Morgan: Sprained Ankle. Here is my plea: Get it all out now. Take the bumps and bruises, come down with swine flu, roll an ankle, whatever. Do it early and then STOP. Stay healthy. Be strong. In order to make it all the way, WE NEED ALL OF YOU AT 100% and not on the surgery table or sitting on the bench with a fever. I'm sure you will all be fine, but I'm just feeling some stress.
I would like to specifically address you, Raymar Morgan. You are an incredible asset to the team. We all love you. When you're on, you're unstoppable. You showed us in the UConn game and we were all so proud. This season, with Suton gone, we need that Raymar EVERY GAME. We need your leadership, strength, rebounding and most importantly, your offense. Please step it up and deliver. I know you can.
Here's to a great season, Spartans...I'll be watching!
GO GREEN,
Wigs
You know I love you. Every day since April 6th, I've counted down the days until Oct. 16, when Midnight Madness hits and you can once again unleash your basketball greatness to the world.
That time is now upon us. I can't pretend I don't have high expectations for you this season. You made it all the way to the championship last year and while I was proud, I think this is your time to take it all. I know you can do it. No matter what, I will always expect you to play hard. You may lose a game or two this season and that will be okay--which I am putting in writing because I'm sure I might have some anger about it later. I know it's early and there's a long way to go, but I'd like to take this time to address a few concerns.
Every November, the season starts and the injuries begin. This year is no different. It appears that several of you are having some issues. Delvon Roe: Concussion. Korie Lucious: Sprained Ankle. Chris Allen: Groin. Raymar Morgan: Sprained Ankle. Here is my plea: Get it all out now. Take the bumps and bruises, come down with swine flu, roll an ankle, whatever. Do it early and then STOP. Stay healthy. Be strong. In order to make it all the way, WE NEED ALL OF YOU AT 100% and not on the surgery table or sitting on the bench with a fever. I'm sure you will all be fine, but I'm just feeling some stress.
I would like to specifically address you, Raymar Morgan. You are an incredible asset to the team. We all love you. When you're on, you're unstoppable. You showed us in the UConn game and we were all so proud. This season, with Suton gone, we need that Raymar EVERY GAME. We need your leadership, strength, rebounding and most importantly, your offense. Please step it up and deliver. I know you can.
Here's to a great season, Spartans...I'll be watching!
GO GREEN,
Wigs
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