KU - Texas A&M CC Game Notes

First Half

The Jayhawks started rather lethargic over the first 5 minutes, the zone defense that the Islanders were in caused some fits for KU. Coming out of the under 16 minute TV timeout Texas A&M switched into man-to-man defense and this allowed the Jayhawks to run; resulting in a 42-17 halftime score. Outside the first 5 minutes the Hawks looked dominant especially on defense (7 steals / 3 blocks).

Markieff Morris - 7 pts / 5 reb / 1 blk

Tyshawn Taylor - 4 pts / 7 ast / 2 stl

Second half

Another slow start for KU; 6 points in the first 6 minutes. (The one knock I have for Bill Self teams is that they get complacent with large leads. They lose that edge, which sometimes ends up biting them when a team does come back and they cannot switch the intensity back on.) Coming out of the timeout at 12:25 KU got back into the grove. The chemisty of this team is great and they are working as one unit. Outside the first 6 minutes the Jayhawks played a great half.

Stars of the Game

1. Thomas Robinson - 15 pts / 5 reb / 1 blk / 1 stl

2. Tyshawn Taylor - 7 pts / 9 ast / 2 stl

3. Markieff Morris - 9 pts / 10 reb / 1 blk / 1 stl

Saturday's Slate of Games

 

#9 OSU @ #20 Iowa

The buckeyes (-3) travel to Iowa City in a show down of top 20 teams. Iowa is coming off a two game stretch where they struggled. Last week they lost a close one to Northwestern and two weeks ago escaped Bloomington with a win against a terrible Indiana squad. The difference in today's game will be Terrelle Pryor. The Bucks have a very balanced offense, averaging 245 through the air and 222 on the ground. Iowa has been stingy with on the run only giving up on average 86 yards a game. Don't expect Iowa to contain Pryor. Ohio State covers

#10 Ok. St. @ KU

The Jayhawks (+24) host one of the most potent offenses in the Big XII when the Cowboys come to Lawrence. The Pokes win and win big. If the Jayhawks only lose by 24 it will be a miracle.
Oklahoma St. cover

                                                  

  #13 Arkansas @ # 22 Miss. St.

The Bulldogs (+4) are 1-4 against ranked teams and the one win came at the Swamp when the survived in a 10-7 win over Florida. The Arkansas passing game is averaging 353 yards/game. I don't see Mississippi State fairing any better. Arkansas Covers

Other Games

Illinois (-7.5) vs Northwester @ Wrigley Field - Northwestern wins

Wisconsin (-4) @ Michigan - Wisconsin's last hurdle for the Rose Bowl. Badgers Cover

Notre Dame (-8) vs. Army @ Yankee Stadium - Turn back the clock, is Ike running for a second term? ND Covers

Va Tech (-2.5)@ Miami - What could have been a good game had Jacory Harris been healthy, but unfortunately for the Canes he is not. Virgina Tech covers

Florida St. (-4) @ Maryland - Chris Ponder is supposed to be back in the line up for the Noles. FSU covers

KU - North Texas Game Notes

First Half
Markeiff Morris was a beast. He had 9 of KU's first 11 points and added 3 rebounds all before the under 16 timeout. Marcus Morris continues to be a man among boys. The Jayhawks looked dominant the first 8 to 10 minutes but then they took their foot off the throat of the mean green. Tyshawn Taylor looks solid running the point. The KU backcourt at times had trouble staying on their man on the perimeter. Elijah Johnson had a couple moments in his first appearance for the Hawks this year, but on the flip side he was out of control at other times. Jeff Withey continues to be a presence in the paint on the defensive side, but is still lacking on the offensive side. KU finished the first half strong after a rough stretch towards the end of half. Hopefully they can carry the momentum into the second half and really blow this one open

Second Half
The Jayhawks started. the second half up only 9 and half way through the second half KU was up 26. Offensively this looks like the bizaro Hawks. The Morris twins are draining all the long range shots; while Reed and Morningstar are scoring all their points in the pain. Withey is finally starting to position himself well in the offensive paint, but he is not going up quick enough with his shot.

I have been really impressed with KU's positioning on rebounds, which is why they are out rebounding the Mean Green 28-16 with 3+ minutes to go.

1:20 mark, ROCKCHALK is chanted throughout Allen Field House . . .Game Over.

Jayhawks extend their winning streak at the Field House to 62, which ties a KU record.

Stars of the Game
1. Marcus Morris - 20 pts. / 3 rebs. / 2-2 beyond the arc.
2. Markieff Morris - 13 pts. / 7 rebs. / 1-1 beyond the arc.
3. Thomas Robinson - 8 pts. / 10 rebs. / 2 ast. / 2 stl. / 1 blk

Big XII Breakdown

Parity might make an appearance this year in the Big XII, but not if the reigning champ Kansas Jayhawks have anything to say about it. This year should be a fight to the end where the league champ could finish with 3 to 4 loses. Here is how I think the conference will shape up this year.

1. Kansas State: After last year's Elite 8 run, Frank Martin has his team poised to go farther in this year's tournament. K-State will continue with what they did last year, play physical on both sides of the ball and come at you with a balanced offense that can bang away on the inside and drain the bomb from the outside. The Wildcats did lose a couple of key guys, Denis Clemente and Luis Colon, that will deplete some of there depth and didn't replace them with any top recruits. However they do return a solid core of Jacob Pullen (G), Curtis Kelly (F) and Jamar Samuels (F). K-State will need sophomore and former McDonald's All-American Wally Judge to live up to his hype if they expect to win the conference this year.

  

2. Texas:

The Longhorns should rebound well after they imploded underneath last year's expectations. After losing 4-Year Letterman Damion James and Freshman phenom Avery Bradley, Rick Barnes reloaded with two Top 20 recruits, forward Tristian Thompson (17 overall and 6 @ his position) and point-guard Cory Joseph (8 overall and 4 @ his position). However, in order for Texas to compete, Gary Johnson will need to fill the void James left, Dogus Balbay will need to cut down on the turnovers and sophomores Jordan Hamilton and J'Covan Brown will need to mature into leaders.

  

3. Kansas

I give KU this ranking under the assumption that Josh Selby will not be eligible. If he plays the Jayhawks are a clear-cut #1. Last years run away favorite is now this years biggest question mark. There is a giant void in leadership after Jayhawk great Sherron Collins graduate; look for Marcus Morris and Tyshawn Taylor to step up. Without Selby the Jayhawks will not be very deep in the backcourt. Tyshawn Taylor will need to revert back to his Team USA U-19 performances and Tyrel Reed and Brady Morningstar will need to start hitting clutch shots during conference play. Elijah Johnson is an athletic freak but he still struggles to crack to rotation. The biggest question mark will be KU's production from the #3 spot. Last year both Mario Little (former JUCO player of the year) and Travis Releford red-shirted to allow top 5 recruit Xavier Henry play, but now will the be able to produce? Moreover for Little, can he stay healthy? The Morris twins will be studs this year and expect Thomas Robinson to begin to make a name for himself in the Big XII. If Jeff Withey can get up to speed the Jayhawks will have the best and deepest frontcourt in the conference.

4. Baylor

Just like the Jayhawks, this ranking is based on the unavailability of LaceDarius Dunn. With Dunn, the Bears are probably the first or second best team, without him they are on the fringe of the top tier. Dunn's range will open up the post play, especially for Top 10 recruit power forward Perry Jones (9 overall and 3 @ his position). Baylor's starting 5 can go toe-to-toe with about anyone, but I question their depth. Get them winded or in foul trouble and that could spell trouble for the boys from Waco.

5. Mizzou
Where Mizzou lacks talent they make up with heart and grit. They may not always look pretty out on the floor, but their high octane game plan always proves to be problematic. The tigers lost leaders JT Tiller and Zaire Taylor. Mike Anderson brings in a talented recruiting class, but the jewel to be, Tony Mitchell is not enrolled yet due to eligibility issues.MU will need Kim English and Justin Safford will need to lead the way. Mizzou will beat the teams not ready for their pressing style, but the games they lose will be to teams with superior coaching and talent.

6. Texas A&M
Donald Sloan and Bryan Davis are gone and Mark Turgeon brought in a couple top 150 recruits. The Aggies don't have the talent to compete with the top teams in the conference but superior coaching will allow them to rack up wins against the bottom half of the conference. College Station is still a tough place to play and they will pick off a couple top 25 teams at home this year.

7. Oklahoma State
James Anderson will be tough to replace. Travis Ford has a Juco heavy recruiting class since the roster was experience depleted. The Pokes will still be able to play inside-out on offense with Marshall Moses banging in the paint and Keiton Page who can drain it from anywhere on the offensive side of the floor. Stop those two and the Cowboys don't stand much of a chance.

8. Texas Tech
The good thing for Raiders fans is that they are returning several core guys and the talent they lost is not irreplaceable. The bad thing is that the recruiting class is nothing special. Texas Tech looks like they will not have a deep bench if opponents wear them down over the course of the game or get them into foul trouble it could be a long night in Lubbock. Fortunately for the Tech the Big XII South will be down this year with the exception of Texas (and Baylor if they get Dunn back). If Pat Knight's team continues with this streak of mediocrity, I anticipate grumblings to come up for a new coach.




9. Iowa State
Iowa State will be a bit of an unknown. Talent wise they are clearly in the bottom half of the league especially after losing Craig Brackins and Marquis Gilstrap. However, Iowa State begins the 2010-2011 campaign with a new coach, Fed Hoiberg, after Greg McDermott realized he wasn't going to make it in the Big XII and bolted back to the MVC when the Creighton job became available. The Cyclones will be a .500 team at best and a sub .500 team in conference play.



10. Oklahoma
Jeff Capel who once appeared to be the next great young coach has hit a rough spot. After finishing 11th last year, look for OU to be about the same. The Sooners lost 4 starters which made up 72% of their scoring, 60% of their rebounds and 89% of their assist. In order to bridge the gap, their recruiting class was similar to OSU's, full of JUCO guys that hopefully can step in immediately. Cade Davis will need to be a superstar this year if OU does anything this year. Expect the Sooners to struggle again and don't be surprised if Jeff Capel's seat starts to heat up.

 11. Colorado
CU improved last year however coach Jeff Bzdelik left after last season to take the reigns at Wake Forest. My expectation is the Buffs will revert to form and be near the basement all season long. Even with that said, the fans still need to get out and check Alec Burks. The 6'6" sophomore from Grandview Missouri is projected to be a first round (if not a lottery pick) in next year's draft. Colorado fans usually don't have much to get excited about, but he will be worth the price of admission.

12. Nebraska
Husker basketball will probably accomplish one thing this year; give the people of Nebraska something to do between the Cornhusker's bowl game and spring practice. Doc Sadler's squad will play hard each night, however the disparity between their talent and the other team;s talent will be too much to overcome.






Big XII Player of the Year - Marcus Morris

Big XII Newcomer of the Year - Perry Jones

Big XII Coach of the Year - Scottt Drew

All Big XII team
G - Jacob Pullen
G - Alec Burks
F - Kim English
F - Marcus Morris
F - Curtis Kelly

Random Thoughts from NCAA Hoops Marathon

1. Let me introduce you to Ian Clark. This kid can flat out shoot. Last year as among the freshman he was 5th in 3-Pointers made (74) and FT% (78%) and 8th in PPG (14.9). This was a freshman class that included John Wall, Xavier Henry, Demarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe among others. If Belmont makes it into the Big Dance come March, don't be surprised if this kid hits a last minute shot to upset a BCS school in the first round.

2. Bruce Pearl is a schmuck. Here is a guy that turned Illinois in for recruiting violations and now he is working without a contract at Tennessee because of recruiting violations. This occurred before the marathon, but since I am watching Belmont play Tennessee, I feel the need to whine about Bruce.

3. Does momentum shift back to the Blue Bloods? #15 Butler gets smoked by an unranked Louisville St. 88-73. Don't be surprised if there is more of this to come.

4. Create a Title IX like legislation for women's basketball. Until there is parity, I declare, which is already obvious to many, that women's basketball is irrelevant. Essentially it is UConn kicking the crap out of everyone else and then they get a trophy at the end. I am done with Geno Auriemma. Hey coach, you want to impress me? Coach in a league that actually has competition. When you start winning in that league then we can tell you how great you are.

5. If any conference will put 2 teams in the Final 4 this year, my money is on the Big 10 (or are they the Big 12 now?). Sparty returns practically everyone from last year's Final 4 team. Moreover, Tom Izzo has coached Michigan State to 6 Final Fours in the last eleven years. Come tournament time he may be one of if not the best active post season coaches. Watch out for Ohio State as well. The loss of Evan Turner will be hard to overcome; however they bring in one of the top prospects from last years recruiting class, Jared Sullinger. Thad Matta will have his guys tough this year and it will be a dog fight for the Big 10 title.

When Will the NCAA Stop the Charade?

Seriously NCAA, when will you act like you have the "Student-Athlete's" interest truly at heart? One of your "core values", an inclusive culture, is rather laughable. Why is it November 16th and one of the top recruits from the 2010 class is still ineligible? He is not the only. It wasn't until November 2009 that John Wall was cleared by the NCAA. The list can go on and on.

If this were a business were to have roadblocks introducing a new product, the following questions would need to be answered in an expeditious manner.

• What are the bottlenecks?
• Who is responsible?
• What are the solutions?

When will the NCAA step up and do what is best for the kids? They are taking their time, just in case something comes up later. This is same argument that is being made for the upcoming Heisman vote.

Anyone with a brain in their head can see that Cam Newton is clearly the best player in college football this year. Here are a couple of stats. Through Nov. 16th, 2048 passing yards, 1297 rushing yards, 117 rushing yards per game, 17 rushing touchdowns and 21 passing touchdowns. He is tied for first in rushing touchdowns and he is a QUARTERBACK.

He is head and shoulders above everyone else, yet many voters have come out and said they will not vote for Cam because he and his father may have asked for money. The testimony is damning, however it is in the court of public opinion rather than under oath in a court of law. Nevertheless, what happened to innocent until proven guilty.

In the end the NCAA just doesn't want to take ownership, they figure if they ignore it long enough it will just go away. Which leads me to the last part of my rant. When will the NCAA move from the BCS to a playoff. A minimum of 4 teams to a maximum of 8 will be sufficient. If Auburn runs the table like expected. We could have a potential champion that could vacate the title in the future. What happens to the non-automatic qualifier teams that could be left out only to see the title vacated later.

Remember 2004? OU and USC played for the BCS title. USC wins the game with starting running back Reggie Bush. Now technically there is no champion for that season. How many people remember that there were 3 undefeated teams at the end of that season USC, OU and ironically Auburn. I am sure Auburn would have like a chance to play for the title that year.

Moreover, One can make the argument that some of the BCS conferences (Big East, ACC some years) are less deserving than others, such as the Mountain West.

Let's review some of those "core values" of the NCAA.

• The highest levels of integrity and sportsmanship
• The pursuit of excellence in both academics and athletics
• An inclusive culture

They definitely do not pursue excellence in athletics. If they did, the NCAA would have a playoff where the championship is decided on the field, not by computers. They clearly lack the integrity to acknowledge the problem and address it. Inclusive? The NCAA still believes the legal precedent established by Plessy v. Ferguson is still on the books. I can tell you the BCS clearly segregates but it is not equal.

It Has Begun

It is only appropriate that my first post on a blog about college sports begins on the same day as the college basketball marathon. Since I believe that many of the experts, pundits & talking heads are full of hot air, I felt it was necessary to throw my two cents our there (not like my thoughts will be any worse than many on ESPN). As an avid college basketball and football fan, I plan to share my observations, opinions and analysis.