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May 20, 2010 at 12:44 pm · by bteitelbaum · Filed under NBA
Yesterday I was playing a game of pickup at my local gym, guarded by a friendly acquaintance named Ray. Early on, I pulled up for a mid-range jumper against his lax defense, and upon release of the ball he yelled “NOPE” with smug assurance that I would miss.
As often happens when I shoot the J, the ball splashed the net and I trotted downcourt happily hollering, “Who said no? Who said no?” Ray just shook his head and smiled in mild embarrassment. He had made a fool of himself.
In a rather unserious game of pickup, the consequences of making a fool of yourself are minimal: a few good-natured jibes, some mocking high fives, and one frustrated overcompetitive guy.
In the NBA, on the other hand, the fallout is potentially enormous, involving millions of dollars and the fates of several franchises. These playoffs have exposed several stars as fools, which will no doubt fundamentally alter the course of this momentous offseason.
After the Phoenix Suns got eviscerated by the Lakers in Game 1, Amare Stoudemire decided it was the right time to talk some trash. He called Lamar Odom’s huge performance a “lucky game” and recalled his “total domination” of Pau Gasol several postseasons ago.
Flash forward to Game 2. Pau goes for 29 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists, Odom drops 17 and 11, and Amare’s rather underwhelming 18 points and 6 boards (accompanied by 5 turnovers) were not enough to prevent the Suns from losing 124-112. Not to mention that much of Pau and Lamar’s damage came when being defended directly by Stoudemire.
If you’re gonna talk, you better back it up, and Amare simply made himself look like a fool. He firmly turned the spotlight on himself, especially on the defensive end, and he threw up a clunker. Not only was he abused time and again, but he barely looked interested in trying to play any defense. Add to that his inability or unwillingness to consistently rebound and he suddenly does not seem like a superstar at all.
This summer Stoudemire has an opt-out option in his contract, whereby he could become an unrestricted free agent. I cannot see any way a General Manager would be willing to give him a maximum deal, particularly after this extremely exposed recent performance. He just isn’t a complete enough player to be a team’s cornerstone. Since he is going to make $17. 69 million next year if he stays with the Suns, it seems likely that he will not opt out and instead wait til the summer of 2011 to become a free agent. One less big name on the market. A little less hope for the bottom feeders with huge cap space.
Let’s talk about another fool: Joe Johnson. After five straight years of averaging about 20, 5, and 5, the Armadillo Cowboy had established himself as one of the premier perimeter players in the game. With free agency looming this summer, it was time for the Atlanta Hawks’ star to lead them on an inspired playoff run.
Instead, Atlanta almost faltered in Round 1 against an overmatched Milwaukee Bucks team and then played possum to the Orlando Magic’s big rig in the most lopsided playoff sweep in league history. Johnson was ineffective offensively, but maybe even more worrisome was his lack of leadership.
After Game 3 he was understandable frustrated, but he made the mistake of saying, “We could care less if [fans] showed up.” Disparaging the fans when you’re already disappointing them just isn’t the right move.
Furthermore, Johnson was quoted as claiming, “You almost have to play a perfect game to beat them… it’s tough to beat.” While that may have been true, you can’t say that as a team leader. Inspire your guys. Insist that you’re tough to beat. Be confident. Johnson’s leadership abilities were put to the test this postseason, and he practically failed.
So what are the implications for this summer? I don’t think Johnson can now be considered a top tier superstar, a player you can build a team around, which means he probably won’t receive max money. While unfortunate for Smooth Joe, this may be beneficial for a team looking to add a couple of new players through free agency. Could New York add LeBron, Chris Bosh, and Johnson? Perhaps.
We’ve taken a look at a couple of fools who have significantly hurt their stock this postseason, but as my college friends used to say, there’s a flip side to that coin.
Take Dwyane Wade for example. Cursed with by far the worst surrounding talent of any playoff team, Flash played his butt off this entire season, never complained, and somehow kept the Heat competitive all year long. Behavior like that is what makes Wade one of the indisputably best players in the league, completely deserving of the many millions of dollars that await him this summer.
I pity the fool. But not really. They should be smarter than that.
April 22, 2010 at 2:27 pm · by Andrew Stein · Filed under College Hoops
The NCAA is always looking for ways to expand it’s cash cow– the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. After all, over 95% of the total revenue for the organization’s governing body comes from the broadcast rights to this exciting tournament. It’s hard to blame them for trying to get every last nickel out of it if they can.
As a huge college basketball fan, I am in favor of expanding the field, but under two conditions:
- If there are more play-in games, the bubble teams have to play in those games. I expect to see the middle-ranked teams from major conferences playing each other rather than two smaller conference champions fighting it out. Just because your name is UNC doesn’t mean you get to pass that play-in round if you wouldn’t have even made the tournament had it not been for the expansion.
- The NCAA doesn’t get too carried away and expand the field out of greed when in fact there are not 128 qualified teams that should be making it every year. Out of close to 350 teams, I could image upwards of 96 fun teams to watch, but beyond that, I think it is important for someone to draw the line.
That all said, I’m excited that for the first time ever all games will be shown live starting next year thanks to CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV.
April 17, 2010 at 11:12 am · by bteitelbaum · Filed under Playoffs
Eastern Conference
Cavaliers vs Bulls: Cavs in 4. Not much to be said.
Magic vs Bobcats: Magic in 5. Charlotte is very tough at home, so I don’t think they’ll be swept. But they really have no answer for Dwight.
Hawks vs Bucks: Hawks in 5. This would have been interesting had Andrew Bogut not gotten injured. Milwaukee was very hot for a stretch in the second half of the season. But now they just don’t have enough offensive balance or options, and they won’t be able to hang with Atlanta on the boards.
Celtics vs Heat: Heat in 7. I know that Miami has very little going on outside of Dwyane Wade, but Boston is in a bad place right now. My gut tells me the Heat will somehow pull out a closely fought series.
Western Conference
Lakers vs Thunder: Lakers in 6. Oklahoma City, and Kevin Durant in particular, creates matchup problems for LA. But the Lakers just have too much.
Mavericks vs Spurs: Mavericks in 7. This is going to be one hell of a series. San Antonio is still trying to work Tony Parker back into the rotation, though, and I think they haven’t exactly figured out how much he can give them.
Suns vs Trail Blazers: Suns in 4. Without Roy, expect Portland to be blown out by a scorching Phoenix squad.
Nuggets vs Jazz: Nuggets in 7. What has happened to Denver? Was Kenyon Martin really that important to them? But Carlos Boozer is just day-to-day, which would bode poorly for Utah’s chances.
April 5, 2010 at 1:12 am · by bteitelbaum · Filed under College Hoops
Everyone either loves or hates Duke – there just can’t be neutrality – and there has been considerable talk this week concerning the reasons for both.
I am a Duke hater for my own personal set of reasons, and I feel like making them known to the world.
- Duke beat, or should I say embarrassed, Columbia during my junior year. I think they stomped us by 46. I was studying abroad in London, listening to the game on radio with a couple Dukies, and I was completely humiliated. I had spent the previous month talking up my school and it’s rising basketball program, only to see us go down with barely a whimper.
- Duke is very efficient offensively. But not really in a way that makes you nod appreciatively and say “Wow, they’re really efficient.” Instead, they’re efficient in a way a blender is efficient: a blender gets the job done, can even do so in multiple ways, but life is less pleasant while waiting for the blender to finish, with all that noise and awkward waiting. Duke makes me feel kinda like that.
- My friend Mike, a Duke graduate, talks a lot of smack about his Blue Devils. Very annoying smack.
- My friend Matt, a Duke graduate, does not talk a lot of smack about his Blue Devils. But you can sense that he’s thinking smack, which might even be worse.
- I hadn’t consciously realized it before my friend Josh pointed it out last night, but Duke is a rather ugly team. Not basketball ugly, but facially ugly. As a heterosexual male, I agree with Josh that they are less agreeable to look at than some other teams. (I could go into individual detail if asked.) Maybe this subconsciously increased my Duke hate prior to my being aware of it.
- I absolutely loved my four years at college and wouldn’t trade them for anything, but part of me sometimes wonders what it would have been like to go to a school with big time athletics, especially a basketball team that I could always root for in March. Instead, I try to get excited for a mid-February 3 point win against Dartmouth. So yeah, I guess I’m saying sometimes I’m jealous of the Duke guys.
- I hate Brian Zoubek. It’s hard for me to really explain why, but he just rubs me the wrong way. In fact, the only basketball player I dislike more might be Kendrick Perkins. Zoubek lumbers around the court, banging into people right and left and showing almost no skill whatsoever, and somehow routinely helps his team. Some people might appreciate that, but it just bothers me. Maybe it’s because I’m thinking, “Why couldn’t I just be 7 feet tall. I could have no talent and still be a key contributor on a Final Four team.” There goes jealousy again. Hmm. I need to be less emotionally involved.
I really hope they lose tomorrow.
April 3, 2010 at 4:54 pm · by bteitelbaum · Filed under College Hoops
Here are the 4 factors that will decide the winner of the WVU-Duke game, in order of importance:
- X Factor: Both Duke and West Virginia rely on the same guys night in night out to produce on the offensive end. For the Blue Devils, it’s the Big Three of Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler, and Nolan Smith. For the Mountaineers, it’s Da’Sean Butler, Kevin Jones, and Devin Ebanks. Tonight, though, someone else is going to need to step up. Will Joe Mazzulla repeat his performance in the Elite 8? Will Andre Dawkins hit another couple 3s?
- West Virginia’s ball security: The Mountaineers can be a little loose with the rock, especially when Mazzulla is out of the game. They’re not the best ball handling team and sometimes they force things. Duke likes to extend their defense and pressure ball handlers. WVU will need to be poised, focused, and steady with the ball.
- Duke’s three point shooting: The Blue Devils were 11-23 from downtown in their win over Baylor. West Virginia plays a 1-3-1 zone that takes opponents out of their rhythm, as you saw against Kentucky. The Wildcats took a lot of contested threes and missed almost all of them. If Duke can move the ball and be patient, they’ll be able to get open looks. They’ve gotta knock them down.
- Rebounding: These are two of the best rebounding teams in the country, and they both really hit the offensive glass. This game should be incredibly physical down low, and whoever wins the battle of the boards will have the inside track to winning the game.
April 3, 2010 at 1:56 pm · by bteitelbaum · Filed under College Hoops
Here are the 4 factors that will decide the winner of the Butler-Michigan State game, in order of importance:
- Matt Howard: In little over 12 months, Butler’s center has gone from Horizon League Player of the Year to someone who struggles to stay on the court due to foul trouble, is no longer the focal point of the offense, and has not reached 10 points in his last three games. Great defense, Gordon Hayward’s emergence, and solid bench production have compensated for Howard’s vanishing act, but a good game from Howard would really be a huge boost for the Bulldogs. While they don’t absolutely need him to win, it would sure make things a whole lot easier.
- Michigan State’s fast break points: Anything easy the Spartans can get will be an enormous plus considering how hard Butler will make them work in the half court. Michigan State loves to push the ball, and they need to try to get themselves in as many transition situations as possible. Because the Bulldogs are a little smaller, the Spartans may not have to worry about the defensive backboards as much, which may benefit their running game.
- Raymar Morgan: His inconsistency was one of the biggest storylines entering last year’s Final Four. Due to the focus on Draymond Green this time around, his performance has not been scrutinized nearly as closely. However, it remains just as important. Morgan has been in double figures in 3 of the Spartans’ 4 tournament games and put up 17 huge points (to go along with 9 boards) in the thrilling win over Maryland. He better get there again if Michigan State is to have a chance against Butler’s stifling defense.
- Ronald Nored and Willie Veasley’s perimeter D: The headline from the Bulldogs’ victory over Kansas State was the lockdown (especially in the first half) of star guards Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente by Butler’s starting backcourt. Nored and Veasley hounded the Wildcat pair into bad shots and turnovers, and they’re going to continue that effort. Durrell Summers has had a breakout tournament, leading Michigan State in scoring this tournament and shooting 14-22 from 3 point range in his last three games, and Korie Lucious has been a more than capable replacement for injured star point man Kalin Lucas. If Nored and Veasley shut down Summers and Lucious, the Spartans just don’t have enough other scoring punch.
March 19, 2010 at 7:24 am · by bteitelbaum · Filed under College Hoops
Yesterday may have been the best day in the history of the NCAA Tournament. Real talk, I’m not exaggerating.
There were 4 last second shots to win (Murray State, Northern Iowa, Washington, and Wake Forest), 3 overtime games (BYU, Villanova, and Wake Forest), a 15 seed coming oh so close to beating a 2 (Robert Morris vs. Villanova), a 13 seed just clipping a 4 (Murray State vs. Vanderbilt), and a slew of other extremely exciting games.
Lastly there was that 14 seed dismantling a 3. Everybody and their mother believed that Georgetown was the only 3 seed “lock” to advance, and it wasn’t even supposed to be close. Come on! Ohio was 7-9 in the MAC! But yesterday the Bobcats were the mack, confidently nailing threes from all over the court – they finished 13 for 23 – and playing with phenomenal swagger.
It’s clear why many sportswriters are unusually wary to pick tourney outcomes and especially point spreads. The Big Dance is kind of like a crazy girlfriend. Sometimes it loves you and tries to treat you well; sometimes it hates you and rips out both your heart and wallet. It’s just that unpredictable.
According to my friend Pauly, you could have won a lot of money by betting against ballershorts’ picks. But I actually finished the day with more correct winners than professional bracketologist Joe Lunardi, who according to my friend Sanjay knows more about college basketball than God.
Therefore, I enter today fully confident in my abilities to predict these March Madness games (at least as well as those getting paid to do it). Here are my thoughts for Friday’s games, starting with the morning session:
15 Morgan State vs. 2 West Virginia: In Reggie Holmes, the Bears have a guy who can get hot in hurry. He dropped 34 on Arkansas earlier this year and averages almost 22 per game. But the Mountaineers are just too balanced and physical. Maybe, just maybe, Bob Huggins won’t have to yell for all 40 minutes of this one. WVU by 15.
11 Minnesota vs. 6 Xavier: Which Golden Gopher team is going to show up? The one that held Purdue to 11 first half points or the one that lost by 30 to Ohio State? I think this game is a toss up, but I like Musketeer point guard Terrell Holloway, who runs the team like a seasoned veteran even though he’s just a sophomore, to turn the tide in Xavier’s favor. Xavier by 5.
12 Cornell vs. 5 Temple: As I mentioned a couple days ago, this game has been hotly debated since the moment the brackets were unveiled. Both teams seem underseeded and capable of making a run to the Sweet 16. So for this one I’m trusting my heart and pulling for the Ivy League to come through. They’re gonna need to hit their threes though. Cornell by 2.
13 Siena vs. 4 Purdue: Unlike most other pundits, I’m not counting the Boilermakers out just because of Robbie Hummel’s injury. That being said, Siena’s very good and has been there before. Saints by 4.
10 Missouri vs. 7 Clemson: Both Tigers teams stink on the road so have no shot at winning a second round game. Mizzou made a run last year with most of the same backcourt, Zaire Taylor and JT Tiller, so I see this mini-upset going down. Missouri by 7.
14 Oakland vs. 3 Pittsburgh: Oakland breezed through the Summit League, but they lost by a zillion points to all the big time teams they played in the nonconference schedule. Pittsburgh doesn’t really blow teams out, though, so this one might be a little interesting. Panthers by 8.
13 Wofford vs. 4 Wisconsin: I wouldn’t be surprised if Wofford pulled off this upset (and I’m actually rooting for the Terriers because I hate Wisconsin), but I’m not going to call it. The Badgers have been so consistent all season and they really get after it on the defensive end. Wisconsin by 5.
12 Utah State vs. 5 Texas A&M: This battle of the Aggies should be very hard fought. A&M have a leader in Donald Sloan who will carry them to victory. Texas A&M by 8.
9 Florida State vs. 8 Gonzaga: The Zags are a great offensive team who sometimes have defensive breakdowns. The Seminoles are a great defensive team who struggle on offense. Gonzaga has enough weapons, though, to still play their game, and FSU won’t be able to hang. Gonzaga by 12.
10 Georgia Tech vs. 7 Oklahoma St: I’m pretty down on these mediocre ACC teams, especially the ones that have been inconsistent. James Anderson, on the other hand, is a dominant scorer. If his teammates just do enough, the Cowboys will be ok. I think they’ll do enough. OK St by 6.
12 New Mexico State vs. 5 Michigan State: I’m going with the conventional wisdom here: Despite the Spartans’ recent woes, Tom Izzo will have his team prepared very well for this matchup. Izzo is great come tournament time, and his teams almost never underperform. Michigan St. by 9.
16 Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. 1 Duke: ARPB could keep this game close. I don’t think they will. Duke by 20.
16 Vermont vs. 1 Syracuse: Ditto. Syracuse by 27.
15 UCSB vs. 2 Ohio State: The Gauchos will probably hang for a half, and then the Buckeyes’ superior talent will get the best of them. If you haven’t seen Evan Turner yet, start watching now. His game reminds me of Brandon Roy or Joe Johnson. He’s a big guard who’s so smooth, always under control, and seems to easily get what he wants on the court. Ohio St by 16
13 Houston vs. 4 Maryland: Houston’s Aubrey Coleman and Maryland’s Greivis Vasquez are two of the best players in the tournament. Both can really light up the scoreboard, but Vasquez can also get his teammates involved. Jordan Williams inside should be the difference. Maryland by 3.
9 Louisville vs. 8 California: I predict both senior point guards, Jerome Randle and Edgar Sosa, to perform excellently. If Jamal Boykin does a solid job on Samardo Samuels, swingmen Patrick Christopher and Theo Robertson should provide enough punch to get the Bears a win. Cal by 6.
March 18, 2010 at 8:24 am · by bteitelbaum · Filed under College Hoops
10 Florida vs. 7 BYU: The Cougars have sustained excellence throughout the season, both at home and on the road, whereas the Gators have been very inconsistent. They’ve been more down than up over the past month, and BYU’s offensive efficiency will continue that trend. BYU by 11.
11 Old Dominion vs. 6 Notre Dame: The Monarchs are good, but not good enough to mess up Notre Dame’s roll. The Fighting Irish won 6 straight (4 coming against tournament teams) before losing a heartbreaker to West Virginia in the Big East semifinals. ND by 8.
15 Robert Morris vs. 2 Villanova: Though the Wildcats have struggled of late, the Colonials should not offer much resistance. The question is this: Can ‘Nova use this game to rediscover its mojo? It will be necessary just to get out of this weekend. Villanova by 17.
13 Murray State vs. 4 Vanderbilt: Vandy has flown under the radar the entire season, putting together a fine body of work without much recognition. Maybe I’m also not giving them their due, but the Racers are just too hot. They’ve been blowing teams out all year, and while this one won’t be a cakewalk, I see Murray State’s continuity on both ends of the floor prevailing. Murray State by 4.
15 North Texas vs. 2 Kansas State: The Wildcats have a lot of players, especially in the frontcourt, unfamiliar with tournament action. Fortunately, they’ll be able to shake off their jitters without a serious challenge. Kansas State by 23.
14 Sam Houston State vs. 3 Baylor: Spoiler alert: I’ve got the Bears going to the Final Four. (That’s not exactly shocking news, but I want credit for jumping on their bandwagon a while ago.) Meanwhile, I’ve got the Bearkats going meekly. Baylor by 18.
10 Saint Mary’s vs. 7 Richmond: This should be a fantastic game, and both teams could actually make runs in the tournament. I think the Spiders are just a little tougher, especially at the guard position, after the way they finished in the Atlantic 10. Richmond by 5.
12 UTEP vs. 5 Butler: A lot of people think the Miners are very dangerous, and I don’t disagree. But I respect what Butler’s done too much to have them losing to a team that isn’t significantly more talented. Butler by 3.
9 Northern Iowa vs. 8 UNLV: It’s the same song that most sports journalists are singing: The Panthers just lock you up on D. This will definitely be a close one, but a couple key defensive stops should go Northern Iowa’s way. UNI by 4.
16 ETSU vs. Kentucky: If Kentucky doesn’t play sloppy, this could be a blowout from the beginning. But the young, confident Cats just might let ETSU stick around. Kentucky by 16.
11 Washington vs. 6 Marquette: This is a matchup of two very different teams. The Huskies are explosive but mercurial. The Golden Eagles, meanwhile, are always solid and under control. Consistency wins here. Marquette by 6.
14 Ohio vs. 3 Georgetown: The Hoyas have been really good recently, and Ohio has no answer for Greg Monroe in the middle. Fortunately for G’Town, this game shouldn’t come down to whether Chris Wright is hitting shots or not. Georgetown by 13.
16 Lehigh vs. 1 Kansas: I suspect there won’t be much drama with the tournament’s overall #1 seed. Kansas by 27.
9 Wake Forest vs. 8 Texas: Both teams are talented but playing terribly. There is no cohesion on either squad. The Longhorns are a little more talented though. Texas by 5.
11 San Diego State vs. 6 Tennessee: Another popular upset pick due to SDSU’s run in the Mountain West tournament and Tennessee’s inconsistency. However, after this season of turmoil, the Volunteers aren’t gonna go down in the first round. They just play so hard for Coach Bruce Pearl. Tennessee by 7.
14 Montana vs. 3 New Mexico: Let’s see how New Mexico responds to the hype. I believe they’ll do ok despite a scrappy Grizzlies team. Expect Darington Hobson to go off. New Mexico by 9.
March 17, 2010 at 12:35 am · by bteitelbaum · Filed under College Hoops
There are two especially great perks of not having a full time job: 1) You can go to bed early not because you have to, but because you want to. 2) You can read as many sports articles/watch as much sports TV as you can possibly stand (which for me means as much as I can cram in before 10 pm).
With the start of the NCAA Tournament a mere two days away – sorry play-in game members; you unfortunately don’t really count to the tourney committee – I am well versed in this year’s hot topics and the pundits’ general opinions. For example, Cornell was underseeded and is definitely going to upset Temple. Wait, some of you think Cornell is way overrated because of one close loss to Kansas and will go down with barely a whimper? This single matchup has been debated for what seems like forever, along with subjects such as Kentucky’s draw, Virginia Tech’s exclusion, Purdue’s seed, and Buzz Williams’ emotional state.
I know that some of you out would like to know my opinions on these pressing issues (Kentucky should stop complaining, as everyone has to beat a lot of good teams to win it all. Virginia Tech shouldn’t have lost to Miami twice, but maybe should’ve still been in. Purdue’s seed will not determine how far the Boilermakers will go. And Buzz Williams reminds me of Violet Beauregarde from Willy Wonka, perennially in danger of blowing up into a blueberry.) but I’d rather discuss some things that no one else is mentioning. Thus, here are my 2010 NCAA Tournament underthought thoughts:
- John Wall vs. Avery Bradley: Everyone has been talking about the potential second round matchup between Kentucky and Texas, two teams that were both ranked #1 at some point this season, but no one is looking at this possible individual battle. Remember, Bradley was as heralded an incoming freshman as Wall, and he was known as a defensive stopper. While Wall has become a megastar, Bradley has been all but forgotten as his Longhorns have fallen apart. You don’t think Avery would have something to prove, especially guarding Kentucky’s electric point?
- West Virginia could be one Da’Sean Butler miss away from an early exit: Everyone is extremely high on the Mountaineers right now. They’re deep, they’re long, they’re talented, and they go after the ball as if it were made of $100 bills. Oh, and they just won the Big East tournament. But did you know that they won their last four games by a total of 9 points?! Not much room for error. Da’Sean Butler has been bailing WVU out all season long. Most people look at this and say “They know how to win close games” or “They’ve got one of the best finishers in the game.” But what if this time around he misses?
- California could upset Duke: Everyone has essentially written off Cal against Louisville in Round 1. Should they survive that test, though, they could be dangerous to the Blue Devils. I know that the Golden Bears haven’t really beaten anyone of note, but the matchup is rather favorable. Cal has frontcourt issues and struggles guarding teams with size. Though Duke does have physical size in Brian Zoubek and the Plumlees, Coach K gets almost all his scoring from three perimeter players, Scheyer, Smith, and Singler. Cal has three seniors who match up nicely: Jerome Randle, Patrick Christopher, and Theo Robertson are experienced, effective, and talented enough to challenge Duke’s Big 3 and make them defend. If Randle’s deep threes are falling and Jamal Boykin holds his own inside, you never know.
- Could someone please pick a “breakout player no one knows about” that actually no one knows about: Everyone is predicting various breakout stars such as New Mexico’s Darington Hobson, Oklahoma State’s James Anderson, or Houston’s Aubrey Coleman, claiming that they are “the best player you’ve never heard of.” Problem is, I’ve heard of them. And so have most people that pay good attention to college basketball. Your Average Joe may not know them, but then again your Average Joe probably thinks Greg Monroe is a former president and Sherron Collins is a cocktail. Those of us who don’t use team mascots to fill out our brackets want to know who could be the actual surprise stars, a la Harold “The Show” Arceneaux from Weber State. What about New Mexico State’s Jahmar Young or Morgan State’s Reggie Holmes, both of whom averaged over 2o points/game this season.
- Watching Wisconsin is awful: Everyone respects Bo Ryan’s Badgers soooo much. I get it, I really do. They impose their style and pace on whomever they play and always outperform expectations. There has even been significant talk about them upsetting Kentucky in the Sweet 16. But let’s be honest with ourselves: Watching Wisconsin is more boring than watching paint dry. It’s more painful than a trip to the dentist, more frustratingly slow than constipation. (Thought I was just going with the standard sayings, didn’t you.) Enough with the respect already. March Madness is about excitement and fun, and Wisconsin provides neither. So let’s send them some bad cosmic energy and hope they lose early.
Though there’s obviously too much March Madness info to digest, chew on those ideas for a little while. They might taste good.
March 4, 2010 at 11:25 am · by bteitelbaum · Filed under College Hoops
This past weekend I had the privilege of visiting my little sister at UC Berkeley, known in the sports world as Cal. The trip was alternately fun, delicious, stressful, and gratifying, and one major aspect was my immersion in the school’s basketball culture. I spent Thursday evening in the front row of the Haas Pavilion student section, yelling my head off as the Golden Bears blew out the Arizona Wildcats and practically running my fingers through Steve Lavin’s greasy hair. We unfortunately couldn’t get tickets to Saturday’s showdown against Arizona State, which clinched for Cal at least a share of the Pac-10 regular season title, so we instead watched the action from a local bar.
Pac-10 hoops have been a mess all year. For example, USC is 7-1 against the top 5 teams in the conference but only 1-7 against the bottom 4. You may have even thought these teams were allergic to dancing by the way they have routinely killed their chances to make the NCAA Tournament.
At this point, Cal is the only program with any shot at an at-large tourney bid. If they win the conference tournament, then the distinguished Pac-10 will only be a single bid league. Compare that to 6 potential teams from the Atlantic 10! It’s like if Taylor Swift suddenly broke out with terrible acne, came down with bronchitis, and then fell down a flight of stairs.
But enough lamenting/lambasting the Pac-10. Let’s turn our focus back to the Golden Bears, who are atop the conference for the first time in 50 years. Though I had already seen them play on TV several times this year, watching a team in person can highlight completely different facets of that squad. From my experience this past weekend, I learned one major, rather surprising thing: Jamal Boykin might be the most important player on Cal.
There is no doubt that Jerome Randle is the team’s leader. He is one of the toughest, most fearless competitors in the country, willing and able to put the team on his back, hit the big shot, and demoralize opponents.
Patrick Christopher and Theo Robertson are the team’s rocks. They are solid, versatile, perimeter players who score in a variety of ways, rebound well, and commit to defense night in and night out.
But Jamal Boykin seems like Cal’s heart and Cal’s glue. Mark my words, the slightly undersized starting center will be the key to whether the Bears make a run in the Big Dance. Boykin plays with unbridled energy, passion, and hustle, and his uncomfortably scary game face is a clear indicator of his extreme intensity. He is always the first to congratulate teammates for their effort, and they all appear especially psyched up when he makes a big play. He is like Mark Madsen (without the bad funky dancing stuff) or Ronny Turiaf.
Boykin started his career at Duke, where he received little playing time and was viewed as a bit of a novelty. According to Blue Devils fans, he was all excitement and no effectiveness, a turnover- and foul-machine who occasionally got a dunk in a blowout. In fact, the student section had a chant for him, set to the tune of the Baha Men: “Who let Jamal out? Who, who, who, who!”
After transferring to Cal, Boykin bottled that energy, first turning into a reliable hustle guy. Now, he has expanded his offensive game and actually become an important threat. On a Cal team that is very thin up front, he the is only consistent post option, in addition to being an essential rebounder and defender. If he struggles or gets in foul trouble, the Golden Bears become too unbalanced and perimeter-oriented to be successful.
The statistics strongly support my observations. Cal is 12-5 in the Pac-10. In the wins Boykin averages 31 minutes, 13.5 points, and 7.3 the rebounds. In the losses his numbers drop to 24.8 minutes, 6.4 points, and 3.6 boards, and he hasn’t once hit double digits in scoring or rebounding.
Coincidence? I think not.
Some people say that success in the NCAA tournament is predicated on guard play. Others cite depth, free throw shooting, experience, and defensive prowess. In my opinion, the most important feature is balance; teams need inside-outside offensive options to keep defenses honest and make adjustments. For example, if you look at the previous five championship teams – UNC, Kansas, Florida (twice), and UNC again – they all had outstanding balance. If Cal is going to have any shot at advancing in the NCAA tournament, Boykin is going to need to stay on the court and play well.
Cal fans are definitely not asking who let Jamal out. They’re mainly hoping that he doesn’t get reigned in.
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