I had really hoped the Gophers would manage to snag one win out of this brutal four game stretch, and here it is - so now I hope they can get two. Sure, this win loses a little bit of luster since it was Ohio State's third straight loss, but they're going to be fine and this will still end up as a big time signature win at the end of the year.
Once again, 10 things I liked and didn't like about the game:
1. I never thought I'd type this sentence this season, but the Gophers dominated the inside. How good was Eliason yesterday? No, his footwork is never going to make you think of Olajuwon, but he's managed to harness his post up game into something good enough to at least make defenses pay attention to him, and his rebounding and defense have been absolutely top notch this year to the point where he has a legitimate case as Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year if they hadn't already decided to give it to Aaron Craft before the season started. Also have to mention Mo Walker last night, who did more good for this team in a 60 second span than he has the rest of his career combined. I knew Ohio State had some issues in the paint but Amir Williams is Rickert-soft, and the Gophers bigs made the Buckeyes pay.
2. The half-court offense was top notch. I said the Gophers would need to take advantage in transition if they were going to try to compete, but once again it shows why I'm not a coach and instead just write about basketball while drunk. I was concerned the Gophers would do that thing where they rely on the 3-ball in the half court and with OSU's perimeter defense that was never going to work. Well it didn't work as they made just 3, but they didn't rely on it either, shooting only 14. Instead they worked the ball around, were more patient than I can remember this team being - ever - and found good shots to where they shot 64% on two-point shots. 64%!!!! That's insane. Great game.
3. I don't think I'll ever feel comfortable with the power forward spot. Oto had a decent game, and I do like that he seems to have become the
dude on the team who won't take any shit from anybody (something about
having an Eastern Europeaner as the "enforcer" feels right), but it
seems just about impossible for me to feel comfortable when he's in the
game. What's worse, is that I actually audibly groan when he's taken
out because King is even worse. I guess what I'm saying is, screw you
NCAA for not giving us our Buckles (averaging 13 and 9 for FIU).
4. The defensive game plan was solid too. The pressure was soft with little to no trapping, which is a good plan against Craft and Shannon Scott if you're going to insist on pressing at all (and we know Pitino does) and half court was strictly zone, forcing the Buckeyes to beat you from the outside. I mentioned in my preview that this was a good plan, and it worked well with solid rotations in most cases and good overall fundamental defense. Their was a bit of an issue with LaQuinton Ross getting the ball at the free throw line and being able to score from there (he had 22) but they didn't let Craft or Scott beat them with penetration for the most part and the rebounded very well. Excellent game on both ends, both in planning and execution.
5. Craft and Scott are as good as advertised defensively. For all the hype I still came away impressed. Very quick feet, fundamentally sound, and both have about the quickest hands I can remember seeing. They also both have the basketball smarts to "jump routes" for lack of a better term, and each did it with success last night. I was also impressed with Craft's ability to go over a screen but slip between his man and the screener so he doesn't give up any ground. One other thing I noticed was that when the man they're guarding picks up the ball to pass sometimes rather than jump at him they'll jump back to try to get into the passing lane from close up, not every time, but it's not something I can recall seeing many guards do.
6. Daquein McNeil has clearly jumped Maverick in the rotation. Once again McNeil got the playing time that could have gone to Ahanmisi, and it's clear at this point that Pitino prefers the freshman. Could simply be he knows neither of them is great now, but McNeil figures into his future plans while Mav is gone after this season. McNeil certainly looks every bit the part of a freshman playing in the Big Ten for the first time, but to be fair most of the time so does Maverick. All I know is Dawger thinks it should be Mav, which pretty much tells me that going with McNeil in those spots is the absolute right move.
7. I have no idea what's going on with Austin Hollins. He did
finally seem to snap out of his funk or whatever when he got his own
rebound off a missed free throw and put it back in, later making a
couple more FTs and getting a key steal, but he just looked lost out
there for much of this game and really outside of the Purdue game hasn't
been much of a factor in Big Ten play - or at least not a positive
factor. At this point he seems to be having trouble with basic skills
like dribbling and catching, and it's really weird. I don't know if
it's a confidence issue or what, but given that Pitino seems to have
raised the confidence level of pretty much every other player that seems
unlikely. I'm going to chalk it up to he's pressing a bit given it's
his senior year, and assume at some point the real Austin Hollins comes
back. That would be helpful.
8. Did you ever think a late signing, 5-9 Juco point guard would be this good? I know I didn't, but thank god for the Honey Gopher who has clearly taken the point guard position over and allowed Dre Hollins to move to the #2, a move that helps the team immensely. There was a string there in the second half when it looked like Ohio State might be making a move, but Mathieu hit a couple of short jumpers in order to keep the Gophers ahead - as big as Mo's big stretch was, Mathieu's might have been even bigger. His assist to Dre to hit that monster three towards the end of the game was a thing of beauty, and a sign of a perfect match of player to coach as, in reality, the best move may have been to slow things down and run clock, but Mathieu has the freedom to run and create, and it worked to perfection. He's one of the most fun players to watch I can remember in a while. If you ever hear anyone say that Honey Gopher needs to slow down or play more in control I'm going to need you to hit them in the face with a shovel. Please. I don't ask you for much.
9. Turnovers remain an issue. 18 turnovers and a 29% turnover rate is absolutely horrendous, and pulling out a win despite those numbers just shows how well every other facet of the game went for the Gophers last night. In their five Big Ten games the Gophers are turning the ball over 21.8% of the time, dead last in the conference. This might be skewed a bit because the Gophers have already played the top two defenses in the conference in Michigan State and Ohio State, but no doubt this is a major concern.
10. An NCAA bid now becomes a very reasonable goal. The Gophers are now 14-4 and 3-2 in conference play, with an RPI of 26 and SoS of 13 (per ESPN), and two wins already over RPI Top 25 teams (Ohio State, Florida State) - those are some pretty awesome numbers, and based on the fact that the SoS will probably go up rather than down and the RPI is so good right now, I'll say nine Big Ten wins gets the Gophers in. Simple math says that means six more victories. These games are there for the taking: @Nebraska, Northwestern, @Northwestern, Illinois, Indiana, and Penn State. Those games will likely see the Gophers favored, and those are your six wins right there. There is also Purdue on the road which is certainly winnable. If the Gophers win all those they're in. If they lose one and win at Purdue they're in. And if they manage to win any of the other games, any at all, any other major upset, and it would take a pretty bad collapse to keep them out.
So, you know. Let's not do that.
Showing posts with label Aaron Craft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aaron Craft. Show all posts
Friday, January 17, 2014
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Game Preview: Gophers vs. Ohio State
The Buckeyes are reeling, having lost two straight - on the road at Michigan State and at home to Iowa. With some coaches/teams you might say that this is a great time to play them, when they might not be sure what's going on with them and perhaps their confidence is shot. But this is Ohio State and Thad Matta, a team that's 15-2 and has won at least 29 games each of the last four seasons, and a team made up mostly of upperclassmen. They're going to be mighty pissed.
Iowa managed to score 84 points against Ohio State, which is pretty incredible considering how good Ohio State is when it comes to defense, ranking 7th in overall defensive efficiency. That's the first time the Buckeyes have given up that many points in almost two full seasons, and Iowa's 1.14 points per possession would rank Ohio State as a bottom 20 defense in the entire NCAA if that was a full season number. Iowa was able to turn a Buckeye team over quite, a feat considering Ohio State takes pretty good care of the basketball, and convert a lot of those turnovers into points. They also got into the paint and attacked the rim, shooting 55% from two (Ohio State allows just 43% shooting from two on the year). The Gophers have a chance at replicating the turnovers, but Ohio State's incredible perimeter defense has me concerned that they won't be able to score enough points to keep up with the Buckeyes.
Ohio State absolutely shuts down the three-point line, both by limiting looks overall and by playing tough enough defense that opponents only make 26.9% of their attempts (7th in the country). IOwa doesn't rely on the three and didn't against Ohio State, shredding them at the rim instead. The Gophers, as we know, are heavily reliant on the three pointer. Basically their offense matches up horribly against Ohio State. Additionally, the Gopher offense is heavily predicated on the guards making things happen with their three highest usage players (Draustin Hollins and the Honey Gopher) creating off penetration. Once again, Ohio State's defense is set up perfectly to defend against this with Aaron Craft (not overrated, despite how often you have to hear about him) and Shannon Scott (nearly as good as Craft, if not as fundamentally sound) guarding a team's main ballhandlers and Sam Thompson and Amir Williams in the middle to block shots. The Gophers are going to need to get transition opportunities and take advantage of them in order to score.
They should be able to get them, because offensively Ohio State is good but not great. They're very efficient on two pointers (54%), but struggle a bit from three (34%) despite taking a big percentage of their shots from behind the arc (36%, 91st in NCAA). If the Gophers play mainly zone, and I expect they will and they probably should, the hope would be the Buckeyes get into chucker mode and don't get hot. If so, the Gophers need to run and run fast on every miss, because that will be their best opportunity for transition offense and the Buckeyes don't hit the offensive glass all that well. Turnovers will likely be limited since Minnesota relies on steals quite a bit and Ohio State is the #1 team in the country at avoiding steals.
Personnel wise Ohio State is loaded with former high ranking recruits, and although none of them have become an offensive star they have seven guys who score between 7 and 13.6 points per game, and they play more like an NBA team when they have the ball, eschewing 2-point jump shots and either taking 3s or getting the ball to the rim. 6-8 swingman LaQuinton Ross is the closest thing they have to a go-to #1 option (leading scorer at 13.6ppg and only player with a real high shot %), and he's also the most likely to get lured into taking bad shots so hopefully that happens. 6-4 shooting guard Lenzelle Smith Jr. is the only other double digit scorer (12.2ppg) and he's one of the most efficient players in the conference because he avoids those two point jumpers (just 13% of his shots) choosing instead to shoot 3s (37% accuracy) or drive (61% on twos). Despite only hitting 20 points once this year, he's probably the guy who scares me the most.
The rest of the team kind of takes their offense where they can get it. Craft generally only shoots when he has either a wide open 3-pointer or can take it to the basket (9.1ppg), which he does often. Scott (8.3ppg) is really fast, and although he's more likely to force up an outside shot he also excels at getting to the rim. Amir Williams (9.6ppg) is pretty much the team's only post player and pretty much scores in the post and on offensive putbacks. He's also the team's best rebounder (6.7rpg) although Ohio State really rebounds by committee with all 6 players who play 20 or more minutes averaging 3+ boards per game. Sam Thompson (7.6ppg) will spend time in the paint as well, he's a Rodney Williams-like athlete with a better mid-range game. 6-7 freshman Marc Loving looks like he could be the next DeShaun Thomas with 7.0ppg in just 13 minutes per, and Amedeo Della Valle plays limited minutes (13mpg) but he's the closest thing Ohio State has to a shooter (37% from three, 68% of attempts from there) and against the Gophers zone we're certain to see him come in.
Vegas will likely have Ohio State as a 3-point favorite, and that seems about right to me. Iowa showed that Ohio State is beatable and the Gophers the ability to beat them. Run, attack the rim, hit the three when it's there, and limit dribble penetration by the Buckeyes and force them to become a jump shooting team. Maybe easier said than done, but Iowa was able to do these things and come away with a huge win, and the Gophers have shown against Syracuse and Michigan State that they can compete with some of the nation's best. Unfortunately, they've also shown against Syracuse and Michigan State that they can't close, and until they do I can't quite believe in them against a top tier opponent.
Ohio State 68, Minnesota 64
Iowa managed to score 84 points against Ohio State, which is pretty incredible considering how good Ohio State is when it comes to defense, ranking 7th in overall defensive efficiency. That's the first time the Buckeyes have given up that many points in almost two full seasons, and Iowa's 1.14 points per possession would rank Ohio State as a bottom 20 defense in the entire NCAA if that was a full season number. Iowa was able to turn a Buckeye team over quite, a feat considering Ohio State takes pretty good care of the basketball, and convert a lot of those turnovers into points. They also got into the paint and attacked the rim, shooting 55% from two (Ohio State allows just 43% shooting from two on the year). The Gophers have a chance at replicating the turnovers, but Ohio State's incredible perimeter defense has me concerned that they won't be able to score enough points to keep up with the Buckeyes.
Ohio State absolutely shuts down the three-point line, both by limiting looks overall and by playing tough enough defense that opponents only make 26.9% of their attempts (7th in the country). IOwa doesn't rely on the three and didn't against Ohio State, shredding them at the rim instead. The Gophers, as we know, are heavily reliant on the three pointer. Basically their offense matches up horribly against Ohio State. Additionally, the Gopher offense is heavily predicated on the guards making things happen with their three highest usage players (Draustin Hollins and the Honey Gopher) creating off penetration. Once again, Ohio State's defense is set up perfectly to defend against this with Aaron Craft (not overrated, despite how often you have to hear about him) and Shannon Scott (nearly as good as Craft, if not as fundamentally sound) guarding a team's main ballhandlers and Sam Thompson and Amir Williams in the middle to block shots. The Gophers are going to need to get transition opportunities and take advantage of them in order to score.
They should be able to get them, because offensively Ohio State is good but not great. They're very efficient on two pointers (54%), but struggle a bit from three (34%) despite taking a big percentage of their shots from behind the arc (36%, 91st in NCAA). If the Gophers play mainly zone, and I expect they will and they probably should, the hope would be the Buckeyes get into chucker mode and don't get hot. If so, the Gophers need to run and run fast on every miss, because that will be their best opportunity for transition offense and the Buckeyes don't hit the offensive glass all that well. Turnovers will likely be limited since Minnesota relies on steals quite a bit and Ohio State is the #1 team in the country at avoiding steals.
Personnel wise Ohio State is loaded with former high ranking recruits, and although none of them have become an offensive star they have seven guys who score between 7 and 13.6 points per game, and they play more like an NBA team when they have the ball, eschewing 2-point jump shots and either taking 3s or getting the ball to the rim. 6-8 swingman LaQuinton Ross is the closest thing they have to a go-to #1 option (leading scorer at 13.6ppg and only player with a real high shot %), and he's also the most likely to get lured into taking bad shots so hopefully that happens. 6-4 shooting guard Lenzelle Smith Jr. is the only other double digit scorer (12.2ppg) and he's one of the most efficient players in the conference because he avoids those two point jumpers (just 13% of his shots) choosing instead to shoot 3s (37% accuracy) or drive (61% on twos). Despite only hitting 20 points once this year, he's probably the guy who scares me the most.
The rest of the team kind of takes their offense where they can get it. Craft generally only shoots when he has either a wide open 3-pointer or can take it to the basket (9.1ppg), which he does often. Scott (8.3ppg) is really fast, and although he's more likely to force up an outside shot he also excels at getting to the rim. Amir Williams (9.6ppg) is pretty much the team's only post player and pretty much scores in the post and on offensive putbacks. He's also the team's best rebounder (6.7rpg) although Ohio State really rebounds by committee with all 6 players who play 20 or more minutes averaging 3+ boards per game. Sam Thompson (7.6ppg) will spend time in the paint as well, he's a Rodney Williams-like athlete with a better mid-range game. 6-7 freshman Marc Loving looks like he could be the next DeShaun Thomas with 7.0ppg in just 13 minutes per, and Amedeo Della Valle plays limited minutes (13mpg) but he's the closest thing Ohio State has to a shooter (37% from three, 68% of attempts from there) and against the Gophers zone we're certain to see him come in.
Vegas will likely have Ohio State as a 3-point favorite, and that seems about right to me. Iowa showed that Ohio State is beatable and the Gophers the ability to beat them. Run, attack the rim, hit the three when it's there, and limit dribble penetration by the Buckeyes and force them to become a jump shooting team. Maybe easier said than done, but Iowa was able to do these things and come away with a huge win, and the Gophers have shown against Syracuse and Michigan State that they can compete with some of the nation's best. Unfortunately, they've also shown against Syracuse and Michigan State that they can't close, and until they do I can't quite believe in them against a top tier opponent.
Ohio State 68, Minnesota 64
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Game Preview: Gophers vs. Buckeyes
Well that Iowa game was certainly demoralizing. I think anybody who was holding out hope, like I have to admit I was, that that rough stretch was simply that - a rough stretch - can now stop holding out hope, whatever that means. After looking like world beaters to begin the year, the Gophers are now 3-7 in their last ten with those three wins all coming at home versus a terrible Nebraska team, a last second miracle win over Iowa, and a lucky OT win versus Wisconsin. Gross. The weaknesses (turnovers, outside shooting) have continued to be weaknesses while one of the team's biggest strengths (defense) has disappeared. Combine that with the team's continued inability to generate offense versus a zone (seriously, have you ever seen anything worse than that last Iowa game) and the Gophers have turned from a sleeper Final Four candidate to a team that will crawl into the NCAA Tournament based on strong computer numbers and a hot start. I cannot wait to bet against them in the first round. BOATLOADS. And it's too bad too, because Ohio State is a vulnerable team.
There's nothing bad here in Ohio State's record. Their only home losses have been to Indiana and Kansas and they do have a nice home win over Michigan that they almost blew, but over their last 8 games they only thing resembling a good win is at home over Wisconsin, and they're coming off an absolutely embarrassing blowout loss in Madison. If they were facing a good team that played good defense, this could be a good spot for an upset. Alas.
The reason I think the Buckeyes are a vulnerable team is that their offense is basically DeShaun Thomas. They play great defense (believe it or not Aaron Craft is actually not overrated) but if a team could find a way to limit Thomas (and good luck because the only times he's scored less than 16 in a game this year were blowout wins for OSU) they'd have a shot because nobody else is a reliable scorer. Ohio State has a ton of great athletes, but none are very effective scorers and there is nobody who can score on the block as Evan Ravenel, Trey McDonald, and Amir Williams are more defense and rebounding at this point (well, Ravenel is a senior so I guess this is as good as it gets for him) so neither would require any doubling. LaQuinton Ross and Lenzelle Smith are big and athletic but are pretty raw wing players, while Aaron Craft can't shoot, Sam Thompson is an athlete more than a scorer (think Rodney), and Shannon Scott is a very good guard but not a scorer.
The way to beat OSU is actually pretty simple - have a dominant inside presence with good wing defense and you'll be in the game (at least on the defensive side of the ball). The Gophers should have that. Mbakwe, Williams, and Elliason shouldn't require any help when the Buckeye big guys get the ball down low, so the perimeter defense shouldn't have to scramble to cover open shooters (and Thomas, Scott, Ross, and Smith can all hit the three). There should be zero doubling at all, and at absolutely no time should Austin Hollins (or Williams) leave Thomas - EVER. Unfortunately we've seen this play out too many times, and somehow the Gophers will still manage to leave shooters open time after time.
And, as much as there is a good blueprint on taking down Ohio State, there's an even easier one for beating Minnesota - play zone, which the Buckeyes will early and often.
Ohio State 70, Minnesota 51
There's nothing bad here in Ohio State's record. Their only home losses have been to Indiana and Kansas and they do have a nice home win over Michigan that they almost blew, but over their last 8 games they only thing resembling a good win is at home over Wisconsin, and they're coming off an absolutely embarrassing blowout loss in Madison. If they were facing a good team that played good defense, this could be a good spot for an upset. Alas.
The reason I think the Buckeyes are a vulnerable team is that their offense is basically DeShaun Thomas. They play great defense (believe it or not Aaron Craft is actually not overrated) but if a team could find a way to limit Thomas (and good luck because the only times he's scored less than 16 in a game this year were blowout wins for OSU) they'd have a shot because nobody else is a reliable scorer. Ohio State has a ton of great athletes, but none are very effective scorers and there is nobody who can score on the block as Evan Ravenel, Trey McDonald, and Amir Williams are more defense and rebounding at this point (well, Ravenel is a senior so I guess this is as good as it gets for him) so neither would require any doubling. LaQuinton Ross and Lenzelle Smith are big and athletic but are pretty raw wing players, while Aaron Craft can't shoot, Sam Thompson is an athlete more than a scorer (think Rodney), and Shannon Scott is a very good guard but not a scorer.
The way to beat OSU is actually pretty simple - have a dominant inside presence with good wing defense and you'll be in the game (at least on the defensive side of the ball). The Gophers should have that. Mbakwe, Williams, and Elliason shouldn't require any help when the Buckeye big guys get the ball down low, so the perimeter defense shouldn't have to scramble to cover open shooters (and Thomas, Scott, Ross, and Smith can all hit the three). There should be zero doubling at all, and at absolutely no time should Austin Hollins (or Williams) leave Thomas - EVER. Unfortunately we've seen this play out too many times, and somehow the Gophers will still manage to leave shooters open time after time.
And, as much as there is a good blueprint on taking down Ohio State, there's an even easier one for beating Minnesota - play zone, which the Buckeyes will early and often.
Ohio State 70, Minnesota 51
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
DWG College Basketball Preview: Teams #11-7
Apparently the lastest news, apart from some kind of election or something that is going on, is that the Twins are apparently interested in trading for James Shields of the Rays. I'm not sure I'm buying that this team would do such a drastic move but that would be pretty sweet. If they trade for Shields and sign someone like Brandon McCarthy or Edwin Jackson suddenly everything looks a whole lot better. Then your rotation is Shields/McCarthy or Jackson/Diamond/Baker and then that whole mess of young dorks. I feel pretty good about throwing all those guys into a competition for the fifth starter, especially as compared to needed three of them to be in the rotation as we stand now.
And what would it take to get Shields? Denard Span at a minimum, but with the Rays needed to shed Shields salary and Span's contract is so team friendly through 2015 they might be willing to do it for just him, especially since they're expecting B.J. Upton to sign elsewhere so they'll need a CF. I'm willing to give up Span as much as I like him just because Ben Revere's skill set is so close to his so losing Span doesn't really hurt that much. The other rumor is they might want either Parmelee or Morneau as well to fill that black hole at first that is Carlos Pena, and I'd be fine giving up either to get Shields. I'd be a little bit surprised if they want Morneau because of his salary, but if they can talk the Twins into picking up a chunk of his money then it could happen. Either way making that trade significantly upgrades the rotation without hurting the lineup too much, so it's got to happen. Which means it won't.
On to the stuff:
11. Ohio State Buckeyes. I don't really get the high ranking for Ohio State in all the polls. To be honest, I think 11 is a little bit high but I don't want to look like too big of an idiot and have them at 20 or something. I know DeShaun Thomas is a scoring machine and I know Aaron Craft is a very, very good on ball defender, but beyond that everything is a mystery. Can Craft excel when he has to be more the focal point of the offense? Will that make his defense suffer? Can Lenzelle Smith stop shooting bricks and become the scorer and shooter the Buckeyes need? Sam Thompson and Amir Williams certainly have the pedigree to become stars or at least quality starters, but will they? They're about to go from benchwarmer minutes to starters. There's a shit load of other guys here too who have really impressive high school stats and good rankings when they came out, but they haven't proven anything. Maybe Ohio State will be really good and be a Final Four contender yet again, but there are just way too many questions for me to have them in my top 10, let alone top 5. Ask Jonathan Bender, Charles Rogers, and Brien Taylor about potential.
10. Missouri Tigers. I just read a thing on ESPN where they said the Tigers have the best back court in America and you know how much I love guards. Mizzou would normally be in tough straights losing four starters off of last year's squad, but for whatever reason they've become a transfer haven lately and should be a getting a massive boost. They will once again be mainly perimeter oriented, but Alex Oriakhi is in from UCONN and Laurence Bowers is back after an ACL injury that caused him to miss all of last season and those two alone are some considerable talent up front. They have maybe the most fun PG to watch in the country (outside Andre Hollins of course) back in Phil Pressey as well as last year's sixth man Michael Dixon and add a whole mess of talented wing guys from Oregon, Auburn, and Pepperdine. That, my friends, is a well built, well balanced team who is also going to run the hell out of you. So much fun to watch. There's a reason why I have a Missouri sweatshirt. Mainly because it was $7 at Barry & Steve's. RIP.
9. Florida Gators. The Gators are similar to Missouri in that they are perimeter oriented and I own or once owned a $7 sweatshirt from Barry & Steve's of them, but while Missouri probably has more questions the Gators might be looking at the biggest question: who replaces Erving Walker? Yeah, Bradley Beal is gone to the NBA and he was a bigger scorer than Walker, but Mike Rosario (former Rutgers dude and a big-time recruit) should be just fine stepping in, while Walker has been the team's starting PG for the last four years and there's no obvious replacement. Kenny Boynton could slide over but he really, really loves to shoot (although in fairness so did Walker). The other choices are a freshman (#7 PG frosh in the country by ESPN but still) or a junior who averaged just 15 minutes and 2.6 ppg last season. As long as they figure that out they'll be a Final Four candidate because they're loaded with talent, and since Billy Donovan is a disciple of college basketball coaching jesus I'm sure the Gators will be just fine. I really wish I knew what I did with that damn sweatshirt. I want to wear it when they make the Final Four.
8. Duke Blue Devils. More like Puke, am I right? I think I made that joke last year, but I, like the majority of America, just really dislike these guys. Partially it's the overall douchbaggery, partially it's the entitlement, partially it's the reverence the national media bestows upon them, partially it's the constant whining of their rat-faced coach, and partially it's that they have a little floor-slapping weiner named Wojo as their big man coach. Oh, you weren't aware? Yes, Floppy McDiveonfloor himself is Duke's big man coach. Suddenly it seems less of a wonder that they haven't had a good big man since Elton Brand when the guy who is supposed to be developing all this front line talent (and they still get the talent, it just never develops) is busy teaching them how to draw charges and miss three pointers. Hopefully that never changes. In conclusion, Duke will be pretty good all year and then lose in the first or second round of the tournament and America will once again rejoice amen.
7. Kentucky Wildcats. How exactly do you write about a team that has turned over it's entire roster? Oh yeah, Kyle Wiltjer is back and is supposed to be pretty good and stuff. Ryan Harrow will be the starting PG this year and I remember him from his NC State days, he was pretty good. And the rest is transfers, guys who didn't play last year, and freshmen. And yes, once again they're a really good group of recruits and next year is shaping up to be even stronger. Say what you will about Calipari, like that if he and an orange were having a coaching battle I'd take Cal but I'd have to think about it, but he figured the game out before anyone else. While most coaches were fighting the one-and-done culture and trying to figure out how to get kids to stay he embraced it and made it part of his team's model to the point where he can nearly pick and choose his recruits knowing that Calipari and Kentucky will embrace the fact that he'll only be there for a single season. That, as well as Calipari's record with getting the most from his kids in that single year and getting them drafted, is awfully attractive for that very top tier talent. He's made it work, he beat everyone else to it, and now he's got a dynasty on his hands and there's no reason to think it's going to stop any time soon. You've got to give him credit for that. I will now go wander into rush hour traffic.
Previous:
Teams #68-60
Teams #59-53
Teams #52-47
Teams #46-39
Teams #38-34
Teams #33-26
Teams #25-20
Team #19 (GOPHERS)
Teams #18-12
And what would it take to get Shields? Denard Span at a minimum, but with the Rays needed to shed Shields salary and Span's contract is so team friendly through 2015 they might be willing to do it for just him, especially since they're expecting B.J. Upton to sign elsewhere so they'll need a CF. I'm willing to give up Span as much as I like him just because Ben Revere's skill set is so close to his so losing Span doesn't really hurt that much. The other rumor is they might want either Parmelee or Morneau as well to fill that black hole at first that is Carlos Pena, and I'd be fine giving up either to get Shields. I'd be a little bit surprised if they want Morneau because of his salary, but if they can talk the Twins into picking up a chunk of his money then it could happen. Either way making that trade significantly upgrades the rotation without hurting the lineup too much, so it's got to happen. Which means it won't.
On to the stuff:
Previous:
Teams #68-60
Teams #59-53
Teams #52-47
Teams #46-39
Teams #38-34
Teams #33-26
Teams #25-20
Team #19 (GOPHERS)
Teams #18-12
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Mini-Preview: Gophers vs. Buckeyes
I suppose I should write a preview here. Can't imagine why, so it'll be short.
Ohio State is one of the best teams in college ball, but as long as William Buford keeps playing with his head up his rectum and continues to not bring his jump shot to the games they are vulnerable. The problem is they aren't exactly vulnerable to a team like the Gophers. Even if Buford fell off the bus getting to the arena and broke his face off and couldn't play they'd still be a prohibitive favorite. They are one of the best defensive teams in the country, and for an offensively challenged Gopher squad every point is going to be a struggle. I did read somewhere yesterday that Ohio State's guards and big men struggle with ball screens (I think it was on Grantland.com), but unfortunately the Gophers don't really have the guards to take advantage of that. Something to keep an eye on, because if the Gophers manage to stay in this one it's going to take having at least one guard (Dre Westbrook?) and at least one forward/center (Rodney?) running the pick-and-roll to near perfection.
Offensively there is also a tiny bit of good news. The Gophers biggest weakness, as we all know for years and years, has been giving up too many open 3-pointers and Ohio State is a terrible shooting three-point team, especially with Buford apparently shooting left-handed or something. But that's it for good news. I have no idea how they're going to handle Sullinger with one guy who is too passive and one guy who is too clumsy and slow. I fully expect we'll see a large dose of Andre Ingram tonight because Ralph and/or Elliason will be on the shelf with foul trouble. I do hope Rodney Williams matches straight up with DeShaun Thomas, because I would actually love to see that matchup and see how Rodney fares.
So if the Gophers figure out a way to limit Sullinger, get some offense out of Ralph, Rodney can slow Thomas, and they can use ball screens to get in the lane and get good shots, they can hang. I'm not expecting any of those things to happen. I expect to see Aaron Craft and company be all over the Gopher guards in the half-court, causing a turnover-fest, and I expect them to feed Sullinger the ball where he will either score or find an open teammate for a shot when they double him. Whether or not those shots go down will decide if this is an easy Ohio State win or a complete blow-out.
Ohio State 68, Minnesota 52
Ohio State is one of the best teams in college ball, but as long as William Buford keeps playing with his head up his rectum and continues to not bring his jump shot to the games they are vulnerable. The problem is they aren't exactly vulnerable to a team like the Gophers. Even if Buford fell off the bus getting to the arena and broke his face off and couldn't play they'd still be a prohibitive favorite. They are one of the best defensive teams in the country, and for an offensively challenged Gopher squad every point is going to be a struggle. I did read somewhere yesterday that Ohio State's guards and big men struggle with ball screens (I think it was on Grantland.com), but unfortunately the Gophers don't really have the guards to take advantage of that. Something to keep an eye on, because if the Gophers manage to stay in this one it's going to take having at least one guard (Dre Westbrook?) and at least one forward/center (Rodney?) running the pick-and-roll to near perfection.
Offensively there is also a tiny bit of good news. The Gophers biggest weakness, as we all know for years and years, has been giving up too many open 3-pointers and Ohio State is a terrible shooting three-point team, especially with Buford apparently shooting left-handed or something. But that's it for good news. I have no idea how they're going to handle Sullinger with one guy who is too passive and one guy who is too clumsy and slow. I fully expect we'll see a large dose of Andre Ingram tonight because Ralph and/or Elliason will be on the shelf with foul trouble. I do hope Rodney Williams matches straight up with DeShaun Thomas, because I would actually love to see that matchup and see how Rodney fares.
So if the Gophers figure out a way to limit Sullinger, get some offense out of Ralph, Rodney can slow Thomas, and they can use ball screens to get in the lane and get good shots, they can hang. I'm not expecting any of those things to happen. I expect to see Aaron Craft and company be all over the Gopher guards in the half-court, causing a turnover-fest, and I expect them to feed Sullinger the ball where he will either score or find an open teammate for a shot when they double him. Whether or not those shots go down will decide if this is an easy Ohio State win or a complete blow-out.
Ohio State 68, Minnesota 52
Friday, February 4, 2011
Game Preview: Minnesota Gophers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
Not much has changed for Ohio State since my last preview. They've still got 0 losses, they still have a variety of weapons they can use to kill you, and Jared Sullinger is still a beast. Maybe the biggest change is their little PG, Aaron Craft, has gone from after-throught to bonafide stud on both ends of the court. So they're probably even better this time around. Joy.
There is hope, however, because they just seem ripe to be upset. For whatever reason they generally don't blow teams out, and let teams that are inferior to them hang around most of the game. It hasn't hurt them yet, but it's been close. Add in their close, down-to-wire wins they've had on the road, including games against Northwestern (without Shurna), Illinois, Iowa, and Michigan, and this game could be had by a good Gopher team.
But are they good? Frankly, I don't know. It's hard to get a handle on them post-Nolen, whether they're the team that looked so good and fluid against Michigan and Northwestern, or the team that struggled to run an offense against Purdue and Indiana. Personally, I think it's closer to the latter, and Ohio State not only has a variety of defenders they can put on Hoffarber and force the offense to start too far out, too far on the wing, and with the wrong person, but they also have the size to negate the 3-big attack Minnesota can trot out, and that's even assuming someone can get them the ball.
No, this one's not going to be close. The Gophers just need to concentrate on winning their remaining home games and beating one of Penn State, Iowa, or Northwestern on the road. Do that, and they're comfortably in the tournament no matter what happens in the Big Ten tourney. Lose all your road games or drop a home game, and things are more interesting, by which I mean less interesting and more painful.
Lastly, word out of North Carolina is Larry Drew II has left the Heels, and I say Tubby goes and gets him. Yes, he'd have to sit out a year and yes, he'd only have one year of eligibility left and yes, he was a bit of a disappointment at UNC, but this ain't North Carolina and I don't see anything resembling a point guard coming on the horizon. Two reasons to believe it's possible and they're both the same: his dad is the coach of the Atlanta Hawks. NBA connection to Tubby. Atlanta connection to Tubby. Believe it.
And don't worry about Sunday's game. It won't be close.
Ohio State 107, Gophers 54.
There is hope, however, because they just seem ripe to be upset. For whatever reason they generally don't blow teams out, and let teams that are inferior to them hang around most of the game. It hasn't hurt them yet, but it's been close. Add in their close, down-to-wire wins they've had on the road, including games against Northwestern (without Shurna), Illinois, Iowa, and Michigan, and this game could be had by a good Gopher team.
But are they good? Frankly, I don't know. It's hard to get a handle on them post-Nolen, whether they're the team that looked so good and fluid against Michigan and Northwestern, or the team that struggled to run an offense against Purdue and Indiana. Personally, I think it's closer to the latter, and Ohio State not only has a variety of defenders they can put on Hoffarber and force the offense to start too far out, too far on the wing, and with the wrong person, but they also have the size to negate the 3-big attack Minnesota can trot out, and that's even assuming someone can get them the ball.
No, this one's not going to be close. The Gophers just need to concentrate on winning their remaining home games and beating one of Penn State, Iowa, or Northwestern on the road. Do that, and they're comfortably in the tournament no matter what happens in the Big Ten tourney. Lose all your road games or drop a home game, and things are more interesting, by which I mean less interesting and more painful.
Lastly, word out of North Carolina is Larry Drew II has left the Heels, and I say Tubby goes and gets him. Yes, he'd have to sit out a year and yes, he'd only have one year of eligibility left and yes, he was a bit of a disappointment at UNC, but this ain't North Carolina and I don't see anything resembling a point guard coming on the horizon. Two reasons to believe it's possible and they're both the same: his dad is the coach of the Atlanta Hawks. NBA connection to Tubby. Atlanta connection to Tubby. Believe it.
And don't worry about Sunday's game. It won't be close.
Ohio State 107, Gophers 54.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Game Preview: Minnesota Gophers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
As a famous computer programmer once said, "Hold on to your butts."
Of course, he also got eaten by a velociraptor, and that's probably a good metaphor for what is likely to happen to the Gophers on Sunday in Columbus, because these guys have stomped on basically everybody, and the Gophers haven't lookedgood competent since Puerto Rico. I mean, really. They have no weaknesses.
Stats wise (via kenpom.com) they are scary. They are the #2 team in the country (behind Duke). They have the 3rd most efficient offense (behind Duke and Pitt), and the 2nd most efficient defense (behind Kansas). They don't turn the ball over (11th) while turning you over constantly (2nd). They don't let you get to the line (1st), grab a ton of offensive rebounds (24th), while never letting you get an offensive rebound (24th). They shoot very well (5th in effective FG%), both from 2 (56.2% - 8th) and three (39.9% - 22nd) and share the ball well (54th). The only weakness you can find in the stats is that they don't get to the line much (269th), and are only slightly above average at shooting free-throws (69.2%). They aren't the best at defending the three pointer (allow 33.1%, slightly better than the national average), but against a team like the Gophers will only one shooter, that doesn't matter?
So statswise things look bleak for the Gophers, but how about the eye test? Inside they have the size to deal with the Gophers' big men with Dallas Lauderdale and Jared Sullinger, with Lauderdale bringing the defense, Sullinger the offense, and both grabbing a shit-ton of rebounds. Lauderdale on his own would give them fits, but Sullinger is just so unbelievably good he could swing the balance of a game on his own. His stats are very similar to our own Trevor Mbakwe's, and they're built similarly, but the big difference between the two is footwork and technique. While Mbake's game is almost solely built around his strength and athletic ability, Sullinger has that plus great footwork, which leads to a lot of drop-steps into layups, and the ability to hit a jumper once in a while. I fully, fully expect this to be Mbakwe's worst statistical game this year, because I expect Sullinger to get him in foul trouble early and keep him there.
If that's not enough, their three wings - William Buford, David Lighty, and Jon Diebler - are offensive weapons as well. Diebler is the best shooter in the Big Ten, not only does he hit a high percentage (51% this year) but he also shoots at a high volume, and because of his height and athleticism (which still isn't great but is better than Hoffarber) he can get open more often, not to mention with all the attentions his teammates take away from him he has more chances to spot up. Meanwhile Lighty and Buford are essentially two mini-Evan Turners and clones of each other - they do it all. They can both handle the ball, both can drive, both can score inside, both can shoot from both three and mid-range, and both play excellent defense. Any team would be lucky to have one of these guys, and the Buckeyes have both.
And just in case you were hoping that their one question mark coming into the season (point guard play) might have developed into a weakness you can forget it. Freshman Aaron Craft has acclimated himself quickly, ranking third in the Big Ten in assists (4.9 per game) with a 2.5-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and shoots better than 50% from the floor. Yeah, they're just fine.
And if you're thinking they don't go very deep and only play seven guys so maybe getting somebody into foul trouble would help, you're wrong. First, as mentioned before, they don't really commit fouls. Only Buford and Craft have fouled out for OSU this year (once each), and neither Sullinger or Lauderdale have been in foul trouble much if at all. Second, even if somebody fouls out, they still have all those offensive weapons I mentioned above who can just step in. Third, I haven't even mentioned DeShaun Thomas, a highly regarded freshman who is averaging 11 points per game in just seventeen minutes and is looking like another Turner/Lighty/Buford type, so him playing more minutes probably isn't necessarily a good thing.
Lastly, if you're hoping simply to catch the Buckeyes napping and not giving a full effort, Iowa already did that in their last game, leading into the second half, and Ohio State pulled out the win so I wouldn't expect them to come out slowly again, especially since this time they are playing at home.
If this all makes it sound hopeless that's because it is. The Gopher defense isn't good enough to handle all Ohio State can throw at them, and I can't figure out how the Gophers are going to score any points against one of the toughest defenses in college ball, especially one whose only weakness is three-point shooting, something Minnesota can't exploit. The first unit may hang in there, but the second unit is going to get absolutely destroyed.
Ohio State 84, Minnesota 58.
Of course, he also got eaten by a velociraptor, and that's probably a good metaphor for what is likely to happen to the Gophers on Sunday in Columbus, because these guys have stomped on basically everybody, and the Gophers haven't looked
Stats wise (via kenpom.com) they are scary. They are the #2 team in the country (behind Duke). They have the 3rd most efficient offense (behind Duke and Pitt), and the 2nd most efficient defense (behind Kansas). They don't turn the ball over (11th) while turning you over constantly (2nd). They don't let you get to the line (1st), grab a ton of offensive rebounds (24th), while never letting you get an offensive rebound (24th). They shoot very well (5th in effective FG%), both from 2 (56.2% - 8th) and three (39.9% - 22nd) and share the ball well (54th). The only weakness you can find in the stats is that they don't get to the line much (269th), and are only slightly above average at shooting free-throws (69.2%). They aren't the best at defending the three pointer (allow 33.1%, slightly better than the national average), but against a team like the Gophers will only one shooter, that doesn't matter?
So statswise things look bleak for the Gophers, but how about the eye test? Inside they have the size to deal with the Gophers' big men with Dallas Lauderdale and Jared Sullinger, with Lauderdale bringing the defense, Sullinger the offense, and both grabbing a shit-ton of rebounds. Lauderdale on his own would give them fits, but Sullinger is just so unbelievably good he could swing the balance of a game on his own. His stats are very similar to our own Trevor Mbakwe's, and they're built similarly, but the big difference between the two is footwork and technique. While Mbake's game is almost solely built around his strength and athletic ability, Sullinger has that plus great footwork, which leads to a lot of drop-steps into layups, and the ability to hit a jumper once in a while. I fully, fully expect this to be Mbakwe's worst statistical game this year, because I expect Sullinger to get him in foul trouble early and keep him there.
If that's not enough, their three wings - William Buford, David Lighty, and Jon Diebler - are offensive weapons as well. Diebler is the best shooter in the Big Ten, not only does he hit a high percentage (51% this year) but he also shoots at a high volume, and because of his height and athleticism (which still isn't great but is better than Hoffarber) he can get open more often, not to mention with all the attentions his teammates take away from him he has more chances to spot up. Meanwhile Lighty and Buford are essentially two mini-Evan Turners and clones of each other - they do it all. They can both handle the ball, both can drive, both can score inside, both can shoot from both three and mid-range, and both play excellent defense. Any team would be lucky to have one of these guys, and the Buckeyes have both.
And just in case you were hoping that their one question mark coming into the season (point guard play) might have developed into a weakness you can forget it. Freshman Aaron Craft has acclimated himself quickly, ranking third in the Big Ten in assists (4.9 per game) with a 2.5-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and shoots better than 50% from the floor. Yeah, they're just fine.
And if you're thinking they don't go very deep and only play seven guys so maybe getting somebody into foul trouble would help, you're wrong. First, as mentioned before, they don't really commit fouls. Only Buford and Craft have fouled out for OSU this year (once each), and neither Sullinger or Lauderdale have been in foul trouble much if at all. Second, even if somebody fouls out, they still have all those offensive weapons I mentioned above who can just step in. Third, I haven't even mentioned DeShaun Thomas, a highly regarded freshman who is averaging 11 points per game in just seventeen minutes and is looking like another Turner/Lighty/Buford type, so him playing more minutes probably isn't necessarily a good thing.
Lastly, if you're hoping simply to catch the Buckeyes napping and not giving a full effort, Iowa already did that in their last game, leading into the second half, and Ohio State pulled out the win so I wouldn't expect them to come out slowly again, especially since this time they are playing at home.
If this all makes it sound hopeless that's because it is. The Gopher defense isn't good enough to handle all Ohio State can throw at them, and I can't figure out how the Gophers are going to score any points against one of the toughest defenses in college ball, especially one whose only weakness is three-point shooting, something Minnesota can't exploit. The first unit may hang in there, but the second unit is going to get absolutely destroyed.
Ohio State 84, Minnesota 58.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Big Ten Wrap-up, 11/8/2010
Last week the rest of the Big Ten team's kicked off their exhibition slates (Illinois started the week before) and every team in the conference played a game. Surprise! They went 11-0, with only Illinois struggling in their game (and Michigan, but they suck). It doesn't really tell us much as far as beating up on this level of competition but we can find some player trends that can be interesting. You can find my thoughts on your beloved Gopher hoopsters here, but there were some interesting developments from other teams:
Finally, here are the futures bets I've got for the season. If you can still get any of these teams at anywhere near these odds I would highly recommend jumping on them, although most of them have come considerably down. Because I'm a genius.
TO WIN NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP:
Washington 60-1
Minnesota 150-1
Virginia Tech 200-1
San Diego State 100-1
NC State 200-1
Arizona 100-1
Baylor 30-1
TO WIN CONFERENCE REGULAR SEASON TITLE:
Minnesota 12-1 (BIG TEN)
St. Johns 12-1 (BIG EAST)
Missouri 6-1 (BIG 12)
I also kind of like NC State in the ACC at 8-1, but Duke is so loaded this year it's basically throwing money away betting against them.
- Illinois turned the ball over 20 and 23 times in their two exhibition games, leading to smaller than expected winning margins (10 and 9 points). I expect this to be their achilles heel throughout the year, since they haven't had an actual point guard since Chester Frazier graduated. And yes, I'm aware Demetri McCamey led the Big Ten in assists last year. I don't care. You will never convince me he's an actual point guard.
- Maurice Creek scored 16 points in 20 minutes during Indiana's win over Franklin College. It's not so much the dominating inferior competition, as it is coming back from a big time knee injury to take a team-high 14 shots in only 20 minutes that tells me he's being aggressive, which likely means there are no lingering issues.
- I was wondering if Purdue would end up with a third scorer emerging or if it would be a collective Robbie Hummel pick-me-up, and the first game was a collective effort with six guys scoring between six and nine points in their game against Indianapolis (Moore and Johnson led with 11 and 13), including talented freshmen Terone and Anthony Johnson.
- Draymond Green has added the three-point shot to his repertoire. Last year Green shot just 16 three-pointers all year, making two. Last week in Michigan State's game against Saginaw Valley State he shot three, making two. Interesting. Also if he and Maurice Walker ever guard each other in a game that floor is caving in.
- Jershon Cobb is going to make an impact for Northwestern after starting and scoring 12 points in 21 minutes. He's a top 150 recruit in the country, I'm assuming the first for the Wildcats, and they're looking to him immediately, which makes me think he's probably as good as advertised. Adding a fourth scorer makes Northwestern far more dangerous and far more relevant.
- Tim Hardaway, Jr. is certainly not afraid to shoot, and I'm guessing he's going to kill the Wolverines more than once this year. Despite shooting 1-7 from three and 2-10 overall he led the team in shot attempts and three-point attempts.
- John Gasser might be the non-descript, non-heraled white freshman who makes the biggest splash for the Badgers this year. He led Wisconsin freshmen in minutes (20) and points (9), and fun fact: he's from Port Washington, Wisconsin, which is where the hit TV show Step-by-Step took place. I always loved Al. Once she got old enough, I mean.
- Talor Battle is still not getting any help from his front court. Their senior starting trio tallied just a combined 18 points against a severly undersized East Stroudsberg team with nobody over 6-6 on the roster. If Penn State is going to make a surprising run to an NCAA bid, Battle's going to need somebody to help out in the paint. This doesn't bode well.
- I mentioned in my Big Ten preview that the one big weakness for the Buckeyes could be a point guard, but it perhaps freshman Aaron Craft is up for the task because he notched 8 assists to go along with 12 points in the Ohio State rout of Walsh. It's also tough to get a true gauge on somebody's value when their team wins 102-56, and Adam Boone once looked like the next Magic in an exhibition game, but this certainly isn't a bad sign for OSU.
- Iowa is still terrible, even if they did manage to win by 45. And Eric May will probably have to carry the team. Have fun with that.
COMING UP THIS WEEK
Illinois gets things rolling in the 2k Sports Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, playing UC-Irvine tonight and Toledo on Wednesday as the 2010-2011 College Basketball season gets officially rolling. Other Big Ten teams play their final exhibition tune-ups during the week before getting things started for real over the weekend, mainly versus cupcake city. The only two games that could be remotely competitive are the Gophers vs. Wofford and Northwestern vs. Northern Illinois. Wofford won the Southern Conference last year, almost upset Wisconsin in round 1 of the NCAA Tournament, and return four starters including conference POY (and Minnesota boy) Noah Dahlman. It should be a good test to see exactly where the Gophers stand this year. Northwestern vs. NIU is only interesting because it's rare a Big Ten team opens on the road, but the Wildcats should be able to handle them without issue.
AROUND THE NATION
Still no real games, just a bunch of exhibitions that nobody really reports on unless it's Duke, so no real comments here. Of note though is the play of Harrison Barnes, a preseason All-American as a freshman. Let's just say he didn't exactly live up to the hype in his first exhibition game, tallying just .
Coming up, the season gets started for Pitt, Texas, and Maryland early as they join Illinois in the Coaches vs. Cancer tourney and tip-off Monday, with Pitt facing a good tester right out of the box in Rhode Island. Then everybody gets going over the weekend, with the best games probably Seton Hall @ Temple, Georgetown @ Old Dominion, and Northern Iowa @ Syracuse on Friday, San Diego State @ Long Beach State and Weber State @ Utah State on Saturday, and South Dakota State @ Iowa on Sunday (LOL, at least it should be competitive).
Coming up, the season gets started for Pitt, Texas, and Maryland early as they join Illinois in the Coaches vs. Cancer tourney and tip-off Monday, with Pitt facing a good tester right out of the box in Rhode Island. Then everybody gets going over the weekend, with the best games probably Seton Hall @ Temple, Georgetown @ Old Dominion, and Northern Iowa @ Syracuse on Friday, San Diego State @ Long Beach State and Weber State @ Utah State on Saturday, and South Dakota State @ Iowa on Sunday (LOL, at least it should be competitive).
College hoops is here. It's finally here.
Finally, here are the futures bets I've got for the season. If you can still get any of these teams at anywhere near these odds I would highly recommend jumping on them, although most of them have come considerably down. Because I'm a genius.
TO WIN NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP:
Washington 60-1
Minnesota 150-1
Virginia Tech 200-1
San Diego State 100-1
NC State 200-1
Arizona 100-1
Baylor 30-1
TO WIN CONFERENCE REGULAR SEASON TITLE:
Minnesota 12-1 (BIG TEN)
St. Johns 12-1 (BIG EAST)
Missouri 6-1 (BIG 12)
I also kind of like NC State in the ACC at 8-1, but Duke is so loaded this year it's basically throwing money away betting against them.
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