Preview: Gophers vs. Sparty

Last night, a floundering team who had NCAA at-large aspirations at one point had a gigantic home game against an opponent ranked in the top 10, the type of game that can take a so-so tournament resume, or even a weakish one, and suddenly vault the team towards the top of the bubble.  That team would be Seton Hall, who came out on fire and smoked Georgetown by 18, shooting a blistering 61% against a very good defensive Hoya team and showing that this is a team that gets it, and wants in.

Elsewhere, Colorado State, who was barely clinging to the bubble and whose only chance of getting in was grabbing some marquee wins as the season winds down, jumped up at home and took down one of the hottest teams in the entire NCAA by beating New Mexico behind inspired play by a back-up forced into heavy action due to injury, who responded with a double-double.  Virginia won at rival Virginia Tech to lock-up their bid.  Kansas State put up one of the best wins of any team this year by winning at Missouri to put them in great shape.  So it is possible for a team to respond positively in these situations, despite what us Gopher fans have seen year-after-year.

Of course, there are also teams who go the other way.  Northwestern lost what was pretty much a must-win home game (blowing the advantage gained after beating Minnesota, which I predicted on my twitter account), NC State couldn't handle UNC in a game they had to have, Xavier lost at UMass to end their at-large hopes, and Mississippi State came up just short of upsetting Kentucky in a game that would have put them into position for a bid.  So it can go either way.  So what about the Gophers against Michigan State tonight?

Sadly, I have a feeling they're going the wrong way.  Michigan State is an elite team both offensively and defensively.  They've won five straight, 7 of the last 8, and recently beat both Ohio State and Purdue on the road.  Draymond Green is an elite big 10 star, despite some argument in the comments section of one of my posts a few days ago, and when you watch him you'll see a guy who completely controls the game.  He's basically their point forward to start the offense, but gets involved in the paint once the ball starts moving.  He's had 8+ boards in 13 straight games and notched a double-double in four of the last five. Unlike a lot of players who become the main guy for their team, he's actually having a better shooting year than last year, including career highs in 3-point and free throw percentage.  He's a stud, and he's got plenty of help.

Keith Appling has settled into his combo guard role, scoring in double figures in 12 of the last 15 games (although it's worth noting he's 3-29 from 3-point land in the last 10 games).  Freshman Branden Dawson has gone from slow-starter to supremely confident inside scorer, hitting 10+ points in 6 of the last 8 and he demolished Purdue.  Adreian Payne and Derrick Nix are a terrific center combination, and Payne's defense is a difference maker now that he's figured out what the hell he's doing.  And, along with Green, they have three other shooters in Brandon Wood (36% from 3), Travis Trice (41%), and Austin Thornton (42% and also he looks just like Bogart, FYI) who should all have a field day.

Simply put, this team is too big, too disciplined, too strong, and too athletic.  They have enough talent to make the Final Four and, like usual with Izzo's teams, they're peaking at the right time and the Gophers are in their way.  In order to pull this off, the Gophers will have to play a near flawless game with something approaching the 60% shooting Seton Hall threw up last night, and looking at this roster I just don't see how this can possibly happen here.

Michigan State 74, Minnesota 57.

Week in Review - 12/12/2011

There's no Gopher talk below because meh.  I'm sorry, they blew out St. Peter's which is exactly what they're supposed to do.  I just don't care.  I could probably break down all the players' shit or whatever but again, it was against St. Peter's so it's all basically meaningless.  Well not totally meaningless, I mean it's nice to see them work over a shitbox team they way they should so that's encouraging.  And I know this is a Gopher blog and I should write up every single game but in my defense fuck that shit.


WHO WAS AWESOME

1.  Anaheim Angels.  Ok so yeah, the Pujols' contract is probably too long and the C.J. Wilson contract is probably a little much for somebody who hasn't shown he can be a true ace, but the Angels just grabbed the best hitter and best pitcher on the market.  As someone who thinks a team should spend as much as they can and as much as they want to win and doesn't get all revved up about big market vs. small market discrepancies (I don't hate the Yankees and Red Sox because they have more money, I hate them because they're assholes), I think it's an awesome move to say "Yeah, this is probably more than these guys are worth, but we can afford it and it makes us better."  Pretty sweet week to be an Angel fan, and with Pujols, Kendry Morales assuming he's ok, and Mark Trumbo now on board they have a pretty sweet trade chip which, if they're lucky, they can use to also persuade somebody to take Torii Hunter or Vernon Wells' contract.  And now they have Wilson, Dan Haren, and Jered Weaver at the front of the rotation.  Yeah, nice.  I'd say this makes up for the Napoli thing.


2.  Indiana Hoosiers.  Well that was a pretty awesome game.  Huge win for the Hoosiers, and they're definitely on the way back but I'm not convinced they're good.  I mean really they shouldn't even have won that game but John Calipari was too busy counting his illegal monies to actually coach.  Do you realize Indiana was down 2 with 6 seconds left and Kentucky had TWO fouls to give.  So you wait until the guy catches the ball in the back court, let him get 2-3 dribbles down and foul.  Then, when they take it out on the side, you waste another second and foul again, and at this point Indiana has like one second left and the ball out of bounds on the side at mid-court.  Boom.  You can choose to blame Calipari or you can choose to blame his players instead, but I contend that Calipari coached those players so IN YOUR FACE.   

3.  Michigan State Spartans.  Pretty good weekend for the B1G 10 (outside of Ohio State) and Michigan State's win over Gonzaga in Spokane (or wherever the hell Gonzaga is) was a very good one.  What I found most interesting was Draymond Green's line.  Usually he's all like, I'm gonna grab a bunch of boards and dish some assists and score some points and just kind of facilitate the offense, but in this one he just took the hell over and scored 34 of their 75 points (no other Spartan hit double figures) and really didn't do anything else (2 rebs, 3 asst) and was like a completely different person than usual.  I don't know if that's good or bad.  Like one time I had this friend who was a huge drunk and he was hilarious but he drank like all the time and then he stopped drinking and we were like good for you that will make you so much healthier but then he wasn't funny any more and was kind of lame and I haven't talked to him in a long time.


4.  Devoe Joseph.  Royce White is probably the best player in the Big 12 (FACT!!), Justin Cobbs is a valuable member of Cal's almost certainly NCAA Tournament squad, and now Devoe makes his debut for Oregon and leads them in scoring with 18, throwing in 4 assists (to 1 TO) to boot.  That's always fun.  I'm fucking pissed at Devoe.  I liked him too much for him to just turn his back on me like this, then show up with some west coast hippie dude looking sexier than ever.  That was a metaphor.  Also, because I don't know where else to put this and I can't remember my twitter password, I just want to mention that I'm alone in my basement and I'm choosing to watch The Next Iron Chef rather than football.  Does that make me gay?

5.  Rob Gronkowski.  Do you remember how when you used to play Tecmo Super Bowl sometimes Christian Okoye would be in "excellent" condition and then when you'd run with him you'd actively look for defensive players to just run over and bounce them right the fuck out of the screen?  That's like Gronky, he's just sick.  Completely untackleable.  It doesn't even matter if it's some pussy ass little safety or some big fat defensive lineman, nobody can bring this dude down.  And he's not just some big bruiser, he's got hands that are baby soft.  I once saw Randy Johnson whip an egg at his head at 98 mph and he just cradled it in and the thing didn't even break.  Then he humped a porn star and when he was done she was all like "you're the best I've ever had" and he was all like "yeah don't call me."  True story.


WHO SUCKED


1.   Joe Webb Fans.  Are you people serious?  After a very nice day at the bar with Dawger and Bear (ps suck it $nake), I happened to be listening to the after game call-in show or whatever for the Vikings and I'm pretty sure people are completely out of their damn minds.  Hosts and callers both, because there was apparently a for real debate about whether Webb or Ponder should be the Viking QB of the future.  Guess what geniuses, Joe Webb sucks at throwing a football.  Did you even watch the game?  He was missing open receivers by five freaking yards and I'm not exaggerating.  He's not Mike Vick bad or even Terrelle Pryor bad, he makes them look like me playing bar league football - dead on balls accurate.  Yes he's fast.  Fun.  But Ponder might be an actual real life QB, even if that throw across the body crap was the worst throw in the history of football.  Webb is a bit and you're dumb.  You know damn well you love him, don't lie to me.

2.  Creighton Blue Jays.  Could be the return of the curse of DWG, or could just be that Creighton sucks balls because after getting out to a blistering start that actually had me complimenting a Missouri Valley team, Creighton sucked big-time this weekend getting rolled by St. Joseph's.  Creighton allowed St. Joe's to shoot 49%, sent them to the line 29 times and got there just 9 themselves, and was out-rebounded 37-24.  They also allowed someone named Carl Jones to score 29 points.  I don't really have else to add since I don't really know that much about either team or care, but I did bet a decent amount on Creighton to win this one so I'm a little peeved.

3.  Memphis Tigers.  Speaking of betting oh my god I suck at betting so much when it's not props.  How the hell could Memphis possibly lose to Murray State at home?  Murray State isn't even good.  They're not even mediocre, and that's why Memphis was an 11 point favorite but instead of winning by eleven they just flat out lost.  Which made sense because I got raped like an Egyptian geisha this weekend.  But really, could Pastnor have learned from Calipari any better?  Recruit great athletes, stress defense, refuse to run anything remotely resembling a real offense and just hope your players can outplay your opponent - exactly like Kentucky these days.  Too bad Murray State is boring and disciplined.  I hate that shit.

4.  Manchester United.  Wow.  Just wow.  How do you lose to Basel, and how do you get knocked out in the Group Stage in Champions League?  This is the first time since 2005 Man U hasn't made it to the knockout round.  Also I told the swamp donkey to sock it before I gave her a trunky in the tradesman's entrance and had her lick my yarbles.

5.  The Xavier/Cincy Fight.  As someone who continually rips hockey because most of the "fans" of the "sport" care more about the fighting than the game I need to weight in here and say that the fight was stupid and dumb and stupid.  But you know what's even more stupid?  The people who are trying to blow this thing out of proportion and act like programs should be shut down and players should be kicked off teams.  Yes, punching some ugly white dude in the head isn't a good thing and stomping on some guy who's already on the ground is probably not a resume builder, but this is the ugliest rivalry in college hoops and has been for years.  The whole game (and pre-game really) was chippy and bitchy and you could see this shit coming when the refs didn't step in like asap.  Yes, it's a black mark on the game but it's not like somebody was engaging in a little horseplay in the showers here so let's settle down.  Also those people who are condemning Holloway for his "gangster" comment need to fucking relax.  He's not saying they're Crips for christ's sake, it's called his vernacular.  Relax, whitey.


By the way, this Tebow shit is ridiculous.  Every week it's the same thing - suck badly and embarrassingly for 3.5 quarters and then tear shit up in the last 6 minutes.  Once again it happened this week.  When I left the bar the Broncos were down 10-0, the offense had done nothing, and Tebow had 45 yards passing.  When I got home it turned out the Broncos won and Tebow threw for over 200 yards.  I mean how does this shit happen every single week?  It's crazy, and I gotta tell ya I think I've gone from Tebow hater to semi-on the bandwagon.  Seriously if he wasn't silly religious I'd probably be all aboard, but who am I to question god?  And if I was going to I'd probably start with the platypus anyway, then move on to general human misery and/or specific events like the holocaust or that tidal wave thing, and then eventually get to Tebow.  That sentence kind of got away from me.  Anyway, has there ever been such a lock for #2 in MVP voting?  Every single writer is going to go Rodgers #1 and Tebow #2.  And if they pick somebody other than Rodgers they're going to go that guy #1 and Tebow #2.  He's going to finish in second with zero #1 votes.  Right?  Because nobody would voluntarily vote him #1, right?  RIGHT?

Also I have $2 on Tebow to win MVP which would get me $200 so I'm on board.  Choo choo.

Notes from a Marathon

24 hours of basketball, and nobody with a real job or who lives in a real adult world or who has any kind of life could possibly watch it all.  I tried to watch as much as I could, which mainly consisted of sneaking peaks at ESPN3 while at work, and here is everything I noticed, read, or had someone tell me:

-  Memphis looked very good dismantling Belmont 97-81 in a game they controlled from the start.  Being that this is the same Belmont team that took Duke down to the wire earlier this week makes the Tigers win that much more impressive.  Memphis's guards were able to penetrate at will (just like when I went out with your sister that one time) and made Belmont look like the low major it is.  I don't think they're a very good shooting team and the 50% from 3 and 59% from the floor won't happen very often, but this is the same team that held Duke to just 43%, so who knows.  They're going to run away with the C-USA title.

-  Kent State scored an upset for the MAC, defeating West Virginia 70-60 in West Virginia.  This is the second big win for the league this week after Akron defeated Mississippi State.  I don't know if the rest of the league will be good enough to boost the league's overall RPI enough to get an at-large bid, but both Kent State and Akron not only look worthy of a bid so far, but look like they could score an upset in March.

-  Despite losing almost everyone from last year, Texas's offense is going to be just fine as they dropped a hunny on Rhode Island.  J'Covan Brown answered questions if he can be the main guy for the Longhorns by putting up 35 and that's good because other than Myck Kabongo I haven't heard of anybody else on this team (except Jonathan Holmes but I'm guessing that's a different guy).  Of course, not having guys like Tristan Thompson and Dexter Pittman around doesn't exactly help your interior defense because Rhode Island scored 90 in the loss.  Looks like Texas will be fun to watch and then get bounced early in the tournament.  So that's totally new.

-  Baylor's Quincy Miller is the best freshman I've seen so far this year, and that includes Austin Rivers.  Rivers might end up being better (he still kind of seems to be adjusting to either college ball, Duke, or both), but right now Miller is better because he is just straight ready to go.  Super athletic at 6-9, he can play inside or outside equally well, which is a big key because once Perry Jones comes off his suspension Baylor will need him to move out to the perimeter more often since they have Quincy Acy as well.  I'm guessing he can handle it.

-   The Spartans managed to make it look like a competitive game, clawing back against Duke from what was at one point an 18-point second half deficit to finish losing by just five (and covering the spread, woo-hoo!).  It was basically a one-man show with Keith Appling scoring 14 points in the final six minutes.  Two other things I learned from this game:  Draymond Green is much better as a distributor/facilitator rather than a first option, and Adreian Payne is going to be a defensive monster.  As far as getting a read on the Spartans your guess is as good as mine - so far they've played North Carolina on a freaking battleship and Duke when Andre Dawkins was unconscious.  So I dunno.

-  Ohio State, however, defended the honor of the B1G by beating Florida 81-74.  Of course they were at home and are ranked higher, so they're expected to win but since it's a Big 10 team you never know.  One interesting wrinkle was that in the first half the Buckeyes had troubling keeping Florida's guards out of the lane despite having Aaron Craft who might end up going down as the best white defensive guard in history.  Of course it's kind of tough to judge because Florida's guards (Erving Walker, Kenny Boynton, Mike Rosario, and Brad Beals) might be the best group in the entire country.  And obviously something changed in the second half that I'd love to tell but can't because in a related story I didn't watch the second half because we were watching Harry Potter and I sort of forgot to pull the game up on the computer.

-  I did remember to turn on the UK/KU game, so I can tell you Kentucky is easily the most talented, the most athletic, and the most exciting team to watch in college hoops this year.  They simply have the most ability and they play a Washington-esque brand of circus ball - it's truly exhilarating.  They are also a complete train wreck.  I don't know if I've ever seen anything like it.  Marquis Teague, Michael Gilchrist, Terrence Jones, and Anthony Davis all have a legitimate claim as the most talented player at their position in college ball, which is why they stomped the crap out of Kansas.  Of course, Kansas is going to have a big time down year (this #11 in the country crap is bullshit, I really wish you could bet on over/under season wins for college teams) so that makes this less impressive, as does the myriad of just simple mistakes they made on both sides of the floor, which again is kind of expected when you have a bunch of freshman and also when your coach couldn't game coach his way out of a whorehouse.  This paragraph is pretty disjointed, isn't it?  Well that's because this team is as confusing as a vagina.  They're either going to win the National Championship or become the first #1 seed to lose to a #16.  No in between.

-  Not part of the marathon, but Iowa State lost to crap-ass Drake, which means the dream of them becoming a sleeper National Title Contender is probably dead, unless of course this is what they want you to think in order to lower spreads and come in under the radar.  That's probably it since Royce White was awesome again (21 & 14) and everyone knows he just does the opposite of what he's supposed to.  Oh my god that's it.  Hoiberg is a genius.  Luckily he has some good soldiers who agree to be terrible like Chris Allen and Melvin Ejim, who combined to shoot 3-20 and 0-9 from three.  Good job guys!  Nobody will see you us coming now!  And we can build this dream together, standing strong together, nothing's gonna stop us now!

And if this world runs out of lovers, we'll still have each other, nothing's gonna stop us now

- The last game of the thing was Stanford/Colorado State. Here are my thoughts.

Week in Review - 10/31/2011

You know you've missed it. 

WHO WAS AWESOME


1.  Gopher football.  Awesome is probably a bit strong, but when the team is looking, convincingly, like they're unlikely to win another football game all year and there's no reason to root for them to lose because, it turns out, there's no draft picks in college football, this win is a bit of a relief, and the fact that it comes against Iowa, even in a down year for them, makes it all the sweeter.  I thought the storming of the field was a bit much and kind of embarrassing, but I'm probably not the right person to make that judgement (full disclosure:  I watched maybe 10 minutes of the game).  For those sickos that live and die with the Gopher football squadron, perhaps this was a "storm the field" worthy event.  Too each is own, even the weird psychos.

2.  Case Keenum.   You know the drill with Houston QBs by now - or at least you should - and Keenum is the latest big numbers Cougar QB, and Thursday against Rice might have been his magnum opus as he threw for 534 yards and 9, yes 9, touchdowns, an NCAA record, all while setting the all-time record for career TD passes.  So yeah, he puts up huge numbers, no doubt.  But there's a reason Andre Ware and David Klingler flamed out in the NFL and Kevin Kolb seems to be heading in that direction.  There's a reason Timmy Change and Colt Brennan and Graham Harrell aren't playing on Sundays and Ty Detmer was a career back-up.  Gimmicky offenses can put up big numbers and even win games when you aren't playing great teams, but NFL success is certainly not tied to it - and may even be inversely proportional.  That being said, Houston has perfected this system and used it for years, and it's god damn fun to watch. 

3.  Justin Blackmon.  Oklahoma State has a big-time offense.  They're third in the NCAA in total offense, fourth in passing offense, and second in points scored.  So yeah, they're putting up big numbers.  That's why when one player accounts for over half the team's catches and more than 62% of their passing yards, which Blackmon did with his 13 catch-172 yard-2 TD game in a 59-24 win over Baylor, it's worth mentioning.  Of course, it's not like this is out of the ordinary for Blackmon, who is top-3 in the Big 12 in catches, yards, and touchdowns and is 4th, 14th, and 2nd in all of NCAA D-I.  He's an interesting case because he clearly is in a class above college d-backs, but scouts say he lacks the true speed that a top flight NFL receiver needs and the stats bare that out - his ypc of 11.3 is 28th in the B12 and 275th in D-I.   He could end up an NFL star, a possession receiver, or even a complete washout and I wouldn't be surprised at this point.  If I had to bet I'd lean star, but those ypc and 4-time measurements are a concern.  For now though, he's nearly unstoppable.


4.  Cam Newton.  It's not often that I admit I'm wrong - mainly because it hardly ever happens - but I missed the boat on Newton big-time.  I thought Auburn tailored their offense to fit his talents so much that he wouldn't have a shot at transitioning to an NFL scheme because you actually have to make more than one read.  Even after he burst on the scene with that 400 yard passing game I figured it was just fluky, and still was in that camp when he did it a second time.  All season he's put up good numbers and I've convinced myself it was fake somehow, but after watching him on Sunday there's no doubt in my mind that he's got a real shot to be a star, and at worst will be a quality NFL QB.  I suppose there's still a chance he ends up more Kordell Stewart than Randall Cunningham (because we can only compare black QBs to black QBs, you see), but he is already one hell of a QB.  

5. Steven Jackson.  The Rams picked up their first win of the season on Sunday and did it in pretty impressive fashion, taking out an awfully good Saints team 31-21 and doing it with A.J. Feeley playing quarterback.  Of course the reason they were able to pull it off had very little to do with Feeley, and mainly happened because Jackson pulled a Kirby Puckett moment and put the whole team on his back.  Jackson rushed for 159 yards and 2 TDs and added 32 more yards receiving, all of which means he ended up accounting for over half the Rams yards in the game.  I don't really have anything interesting to add, just thought it was notable because I've had Jackson on a couple of my fantasy teams and he's been pissing me off all year.  Nice to see him do something.  Jerk.


WHO SUCKED

1.   Ron Washington.  I don't know how else to say it, but this guy is a terrible game manager, more married to old school ways than even Ron Gardenhire, which is extra funny because he was actually a coach on those Oakland A's teams when Moneyball was written.  And even if you forget all about his constant infatuation with sacrifice bunts and stealing bases/hit and runs, he made some just horrible calls.  After the rainout he could have saved Derek Holland and pitched him in Game 7 - following up his nearly complete game shutout in Game 4 - but instead used him in relief (instead of Mike Adams or Mike Gonzalez, relief specialists they traded for at the deadline) and used a shaky Matt Harrison in Game 7 instead.  Then there's the constant use of Alexi Ogando out of the pen despite the clear evidence that he was gassed, Esteban German being used as a pinch-hitter more than Mitch Moreland, and Mike Adams pitching fewer innings than Darren Oliver.  I wouldn't blame him for the Rangers losing, after all they have to play the games and it's not like he can run for Ian Kinsler or tie a rope around his waist to keep him from getting picked off like those weird parents who put their kids on leashes and they make them all cute like a monkey backpack but we all know it's a leash you weirdo, but he sure didn't help.

2. Wisconsin.  It's so sweet.  The dirty dirtball Badgers, looking by all rights to be a legit contender to make the BCS National Championship game (where they would have no doubt gotten embarrassed) just straight blew everything to hell.  Two weeks ago they lost at Michigan State on that hail mary which was sweet as your mom's ass and knocked them pretty much out of national title contention, and just to make sure this season goes down as a complete disaster in Sconnietown they lost on Saturday against a super crappy Ohio State team.  That, of course, gives them two losses and essentially knocks them completely out of any kind of BCS bowl contention.  All that has to happen now is Green Bay to not win the Super Bowl and the Badger hoop team to miss the tournament and you gotta call it a pretty good year.  Yes, apparently it's come to this.

3. Kevin Kolb.  Oh my god this guy is terrible.  I mean, he's just awful.  I got to see a little bit of the Zona/Baltimore game and he holds the ball too long and then makes terrible decisions/throws when he does finally get rid of it.  Even worse, when Peyton went down I needed a QB for my keeper league team and after getting snaked on Stafford I ended up going for Kolb as my "QB of the future."  Christ on a cracker that isn't working out.  I've since traded for Sam Bradford but since he's been in a walking boot (I don't even know what that means - as Nancy Sinatra said all boots are made for walkin') for two weeks I've actually started Christian Ponder over Kolb.  And now, after finally getting to watch him, he's about to be cut and we're going to roll with Ponder until Bradford gets unhurt.  WHAT A GREAT DRAFT PICK BY ME THAT WAS! 

4.  Tony Romo.  Is it just me, or does Romo play well against crappy teams and then always fall on his dick whenever he's playing anybody good or in a big game?  This goes all the way back to the time he dropped that snap in the playoff game, but he might have saved his best for tonight against the Eagles, a prime time that was supposed to be a big chance for Dallas to make a statement - and I suppose they did.  He was just garbage.  Other than a bunch of late, garbage-time yards and a fluky 70-yard touchdown he did nothing, and he's killing Dez Bryant, maybe the most talented receiver in the game.  I almost hope they somehow manage to make the playoffs just so we can watch Romo destroy all Cowboy fans' hopes and dreams.  Because that's always fun.

5.  Tim Tebow.  This experiment can't go on for too much longer, can it?  He's just terrible.  I get the allure, both from a skills standpoint as well as a PR/publicity/marketing standpoint and there are an enormous amount of people out there (and Jesus) who desperately want him to succeed.  But it's just not going to happen.  He's terrible.  He's what I thought Cam Newton was going to be.  His accuracy on his throws is far below Michael freaking Vick, and I'm pretty sure if he and Terrelle Pryor had an "accuracy-off" Pryor would actually win, probably the only person in America he could beat.  There's basically no chance the Broncos win another game if they stick with him.  


And I will always be thankful to sports jesus, who makes sure that just as the World Series is ending and you feel all sad about it, you don't have long to feel bad because the only other sport that matters, college basketball, is already here.  Yeah, that's right.  You might not even be aware of it, but both Michigan State and Missouri played (and won) exhibition games on Sunday heralding the beginning of the college hoops season.  (NOTE:  I'm sure other teams played too, these are just the two I am aware of).  Of Note:  MSU's freshman power forward Branden Dawson had a nice debut, leading the team with 15 points and 9 rebounds (and 14 field goal attempts) while Draymond Green seems already settled in the dude they run the offense through, going for 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists, which shouldn't really be a surprise because he's awfully damn good.  Seriously, we're gonna see at least a couple triple-doubles out of him this year.  With no real point guard he's going to basically run that team.  You could do a lot worse.



Finally, because I haven't talked nearly enough cooking lately and with college hoops firing up I probably won't, here's a pretty stellar Jamaican Jerk rub I used over the weekend:

1 T Coriander
1 T Brown Sugar
1 T Ginger
1/2 T Onion Powder
1/2 T Garlic Powder
1/2 T Salt
1/2 T Cayenne Pepper
1 t Black Pepper
1 t Thyme
1/2 t Cinnamon
1/2 t allspice
1/2 t cloves

Combine, throw it in a baggie/bowl with some wings or drumsticks and coat, then toss in a crockpot on low for 3-5 hours.  The ginger smells really strongly and you'll end up worrying you're making ginger wings, but they end up just fine.  Give 'her a shot.


Also Happy Halloween, jerks!  I hope at least one of you gets hit by a truck.

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:

• 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.

So, you see, there are a few nuggets we can take from these games.  Some may be indicators of the future, while some may not, but what the hell, we're just here chat anyway.

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).

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.

More Conference Tournaments - 3/5

If you pay attention to my fantasy college hoops team and/or the comments when I sometimes write them, you know that I'm in a huge battle for the the world championship of fantasy college hoops and I needed Draymond Green to score 33 points last night to even the score with my opponent with ten games to go each.  Well, he picked up exactly 33 (14 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal), so we are tied with exactly ten games left to go.  Barn freaking burner here folks.  Saturday is going to be a huge day.  Eight of my ten remaining games are Saturday, but he has only five of his dudes going, so I need to have a huge, huge Saturday.  Root for me folks.  You owe me that much. 

In real basketball news, Seton Hall kept their dream alive with a win over Rutgers on the road, while Dayton couldn't do the same thing despite leading Richmond the whole game until there were five minutes left.  The Hall still has work to do, while Dayton can now kick back and wait to see if they get a a one or a two seed in the NIT.  Ole Miss also kept the dream alive, and with a quickly weakening bubble they are looking better by the day, as is Washington who knocked off Oregon on the road and is starting to look like they will give the Pac-10 two teams instead of just one.

In conference tournament news, Drake began their March towards a MVC tournament crown and surprise NCAA bid by knocking off Southern Illinois, and today will probably beat Northern Iowa and put them back on the bubble.  And speaking of conference tournaments, these tournaments kick-off either today or this weekend:

COLONIAL: Similar to the Missouri Valley, the Colonial was the mid-major darling not long ago, highlighted by George Mason's improbable Final Four run, but has fallen off a bit.  Also similar to the Missouri Valley the CAA has just one team in play for an at-large - Old Dominion.  
FAVORITE: Old Dominion.  The Monarchs are a legitimate threat thanks to their stingy defense (21st in D-efficiency), deliberate pace (299th in tempo), and balanced attack (six guys average between 7 and 15 ppg).  They have already beaten Georgetown and Charlotte this year and hung right with Richmond and Missouri.
SLEEPER: William & Mary.  There are a lot of good, not great, teams to choose from here, and VCU is probably better overall, but W&M is the type of team that is extremely dangerous if they get hot.  The rely on the three a ton (5th most reliant on it in the NCAA) and if they get hot they can put teams down in a hurry, just ask Wake and Richmond who they beat this year.
W's PICK: Old Dominion.  They are the best team, but it wouldn't surprise me to see them, W&M, VCU, or George Mason win this.  The one upper division team you don't have to worry about is Northeastern - they're terrible.

MID-ATLANTIC:  The real MAAC hasn't been as fun since Luis Flores graduated, but they do always seem to have one pretty good team whether it's been Manhattan, Niagara, or Siena over the past years.  This year it is Siena once again, but this time the Saints haven't done enough for at-large consideration and will need to win the tournament if they're going to notch a first-round upset for the third season in a row.
FAVORITE: Siena.  The Saints ran through the conference at 17-1 and with four scorers averaging 14-16 points per game to go with national assist leader Ronald Moore (7.7pg), this team is legit.
SLEEPER:  Fairfield.  The Stags weren't the team to give Siena their only MAAC loss (that was Niagara), but they were the only team to lose by less than 10 in both meetings with the Saints.  That's pretty much the only positive I can find. 
W's PICK: Siena.  If they had shown they can beat a good team this year, I'd be thinking Sweet 16 for these guys.  As it stands they were 0-4 this year against the RPI Top 50, which is why they need to win this thing to get to the dance as well as a pretty good reason to doubt them.

WEST COAST CONFERENCE: Blah blah blah Gonzaga blah blah blah.
FAVORITE: Gonzaga.  Again.  I loved their team last year and thought they had enough juice to knock out North Carolina, which they clearly didn't.  I don't like them as much this year, but this is still a Sweet 16 type team.
SLEEPER:  St. Marys.  I don't know how much of a sleeper they are since I think everyone who falls college hoops to this level of detail is aware that they have been the Saliere to Gonzaga's Mozart for like fifty years.  Of course, this year Gonzaga beat them in both matchups by an average of 15, so I don't know if they're really a threat.
W's PICK:  Gonzaga.  Outside of St. Mary's there isn't anyone else here who can even challenge them, and I don't think the Gaels pose much of a challenge.  More like a puff of wind, really.

SUN BELT:  Remember when South Alabama and Western Kentucky were both awesome?  Well Courtney Lee and Taco Hawk have both graduated, so you can forget all about it.
FAVORITE:  Troy.  The Trojans grabbed the number one seed despite a tie atop the conference standings with North Texas and Middle Tennessee.  I also don't know jack crap about them.  They did beat Auburn earlier and their leading scorer, Brandon Hazzard, has a pretty cool name.
SLEEPER:  Western Kentucky.  It's not like the fell completely off the face of the earth, finishing fourth behind those other three clowns, and A.J. Slaughter is still here and was part of the Hilltopper teams that won three NCAA Tournament games the past two years.  And his name is even cooler than Hazzard.
W's PICK:  Western Kentucky.  It just won't quite feel like an NCAA Tournament without the Hilltoppers.  Plus they beat Vanderbilt earlier this year, so why not?

SUMMIT LEAGUE:  Thankfully all those white little weiners from North Dakota State graduated so we don't have to hear about them as a sleeper and read 8 billion stories and be told we should root for them since they reside next door to Minnesota.  The downside of course, is that I know almost nothing about the Summit League.
FAVORITE: Oakland.  About the only thing I do know is that Oakland is good, and they have a pretty good player and probable future NBAer in junior center Keith Benson who is averaging a double/double this season.  Although I really don't like how this Oakland is in Michigan.  Too confusing.
SLEEPER: IUPUI.  The second place team and only Summit team to beat Oakland this year. 
W's PICK:  South Dakota State.  They finished fourth, hung with Oakland in both games, and the tournament is in South Dakota this year.  The main reason to expect them to win, however, is because the media in Minnesota would pick up on it and beat it to death, thus killing my soul once again.

SOUTHERN:  Davidson has fallen back into obscurity now that your favorite overrated player has graduated, but there's still a little intrigue here - just no at-large possibility or supremely overrated guard. 
FAVORITE:  Wofford.  Not just because they have Minnesota boy and better brother Noah Dahlman.  They are actually a pretty decent team who went 13-3 in the SoCon and beat both Georgia and South Carolina, and held their own against Michigan State and Pitt.
SLEEPER:  College of Charleston.  They snagged the headlines with their win over North Carolina, although that's looking less impressive by the day, and finished just a game back of Wofford.  Plus they still have Bobby Cremins as coach so you can never count them out.
W's PICK:  Wofford.  They are battle tested after taking on some pretty good teams outside of conference play, they've won ten straight, and actually have an RPI just one spot behind your beloved Gophers.  Kill me.

MID-AMERICAN:  Doesn't it seem like the MAC should be better?  I remember Kent State was pretty good a few years back, and Akron was a good team for the last few years, but when is the last time the MAC snagged an at-large bid?
FAVORITE: Kent State/Akron.  Whichever team gets the number one seed would be the favorite since it's up for grabs.  That's because these two teams play tonight and are tied atop the standings.  The top seeds don't play until next Thursday, even though the opening rounds get going on Sunday.
SLEEPER:  Western Michigan.  The loser of tonight's game would be your most likely winner if it's not the favorite, but I'm going to give the Sleeper nod to WMU.  They have David Kool, who not only has an awesome name but has also led the MAC in scoring for each of the past two years and was 4th the year before that.  Sure, they were just 8-8 and they lost to both Akron and Kent State, but they hung tough in both those games, and they're just such a Kool team.
W's PICK:  Akron.  No matter what happens tonight, I'm picking the Zips.  They got hosed big-time back in the Dru Joyce III/Romeo Travis days when they should have snagged at least one at-large bid, and then finally made it last season only to lose to Gonzaga.  Four starters are back from that team, and I have a good feeling about this team.  Because I know so much about them.  Not making that up at all.

BIG SKY:  I've always been a fan of the Big Sky, mainly because most of Mama W's family went to that school (as did she for a semester) and because I've been to a game at their arena.  I also like this group because of Northern Colorado, because it's fun to say NoCo and also because one time in Chicago me, Bogart, Snake, and Dawger met some guy who played safety for them and he told us about how Colt Brennan shredded them for like 600 yards.  Cool story, brah.
FAVORITE:   Weber State.  For what seems like the 20th year in a row the Wildcats won the regular season crown, which means if they lose in this tournament they get an auto-bid in the NIT, setting up a potential Minnesota vs. Weber State matchup.  WORLD'S ARE COLLIDING!!
SLEEPER: NoCo.  And not just for the reasons laid out above.  The Bears finished one game behind Weber, beat them once, and also took out some mid-tier teams in San Jose State and TCU, and lost to Oklahoma by just one.
W's PICK:  Weber.  They are actually a pretty decent team who knocked off Utah and has an RPI in the top 100.  Good a reason as any, I suppose.


In site news, I am starting a new job on Monday.  What that means is that I have to give this laptop back and the end of the day, and I won't be getting my new one until Tuesday when I'm in California, so I won't be posting again until probably Tuesday evening.  That also means you won't get a game recap from me for the Iowa/Gopher game.  But you probably wouldn't get one anyway because I can't really come up with a reason to watch it.  And if you really want a preview here it is:

These teams both suck.  Prediction:  Gophers 33, Iowa 14.

Almost Gophers

I've been meaning to do this since like, midseason, but never got around to it. Since I'm bored, I'm going to give it a shot right now.

Here is a look at the various first year division I players this year who were linked to the Gophers at one point, either through getting an offer, or rumored interest on one side or the other, alphabetically because I don't know how else to do it. (NOTE: The "Bummer?" category assumes the Gophers could sign the player without giving up anybody else from the 2008 class - not realistic but makes more sense to do it that way).


ORLANDO ALLEN
From: Paris, TX
Position: Center
Size: 6-11, 267
Credentials: #55 on Rivals list of top JuCo players (he's a sophomore), 2 stars from scout
Gophers level of interest: Offered
Signed with: Oklahoma (had originally signed with Seton Hall before attending Juco)
Minutes per game: 5.5
Highlights: 2.5 points, 1.0 rebs per game...Season highs 10 points and 5 boards against UM-Eastern Shore
Would have been: No better than third on the center depth chart
Bummer?: Minorly, maybe.

ARMOND BATTLE
From: Plymouth, MN
Position: Small Forward
Size: 6-7, 185
Credentials: 2 stars from Scout, 3 from Rivals
Gophers level of interest: Minimal
Signed with: Tulsa
Minutes per game: 0.0
Highlights: Looking like a redshirt
Would have been: Probably better than Travis Busch
Bummer?: Not at all

JARED BERGGREN
From: Princeton, MN
Position: Center
Size: 6-10, 235
Credentials: #74 on Rivals150, #15 center on Scout
Gophers level of interest: Offered
Signed with: Wisconsin
Minutes per game: 0.0
Highlights: Looking like a redshirt
Would have been: Likely a clone of Colt Iverson
Bummer?: A little, but not much

ANDREW BROMMER
From: Rosemount, MN
Position: Power Forward/Center
Size: 6-9, 235
Credentials: 2 stars from Rivals, #38 center on Scout
Gophers level of interest: Not much
Signed with: Iowa
Minutes per game: 9.0
Highlights: 1.2 points, 1.2 rebs per game...career high of five points against West Virginia...5-22 on free throws this season
Would have been: Bench fodder
Bummer?: Not in the least, dude sucks

JOSH CRITTLE
From: Chicago, IL
Position: Power Forward/Center
Size: 6-8, 260
Credentials: #38 PF on Rivals, #30 Center on Scout
Gophers level of interest: Offered
Signed with: Oregon
Minutes per game: 14.7
Highlights: 3.1 points, 3.0 rebs per game...10 points vs. Oregon State...8 pts & 9 rebs vs. Wash State
Would have been: Probably in the mix somewhere, ahead of Busch if nothing else
Bummer?: Kind of

MARCUS DENMON
From: Kansas City, MO
Position: Shooting Guard
Size: 6-3, 185
Credentials: #150 on Rivals150, #33 SG on Scout
Gophers level of interest: Minimal
Signed with: Missouri
Minutes per game: 17.5
Highlights: 7.3 points, 2.4 rebs per game...Double digit points 9 times...career high 16 vs. Iowa State
Would have been: A definite contributor
Bummer?: With the difficulty the Gophers have had on offense, most definitely

AUSTIN DUFAULT
From: Killdeer, ND
Position: Power Forward
Size: 6-8, 210
Credentials: #35 PF on Scout, 3-stars on Rivals
Gophers level of interest: Offered
Signed with: Colorado
Minutes per game: 32.0
Highlights: 9.2 points, 4.0 rebs per game...Double digit points 12 times...career high 21 points vs. UL-Monroe...played 42 minutes in OT loss to Texas
Would have been: In the mix with Carter, Bostick, and Busch
Bummer?: Numbers a bit inflated by playing so many minutes for a bad team, but he's a versatile scorer who will only get better. Definite bummer.

KRYS FABER
From: Palmdale, CA
Position: Center
Size: 6-11, 265
Credentials: #22 center on Rivals, #36 center on Scout
Gophers level of interest: Offered
Signed with: DePaul
Minutes per game: 8.4
Highlights: 1.9 points, 1.8 rebs per game...Career high 11 points against Providence...appeared in all but three games this season
Would have been: The third big man
Bummer?: Maybe a little, but if can't be a big contributor for a crap team like DePaul, it's unlikely he could do much for the Gophers

COURTNEY FORTSON
From: Montgomery, AL
Position: Point Guard
Size: 5-10, 175
Credentials: #60 on Rivals150, #9 PG on Scout
Gophers level of interest: High (but never offered)
Signed with: Arkansas
Minutes per game: 32.5
Highlights: 14.6 points, 5.5 rebs, 6.2 assists per game...Second in the SEC in assists...Good chance to be SEC newcomer of the year...Triple double (20/10/11) against NC Central...double figure points in all but three games
Would have been: Might be a starter, given Westbrook and Nolen's recent troubles
Bummer?: More than I can possibly articulate

NATHEN GARTH
From: Memphis, TN
Position: Point Guard
Size: 6-3, 180
Credentials: Three stars on Rivals, 2 on Scout
Gophers level of interest: Originally signed with Gophers before Tubby changed his mind
Signed with: New Mexico
Minutes per game: 18.9
Highlights: 4.7 points, 3.5 assists per game...12 points vs. VCU...10 assists vs. Ole Miss...1.7-1.0 assist/turnover ratio
Would have been: Probable backup point guard (with Devoe moving to backup SG full-time)
Bummer?: Yes, would take a lot of worry away from hoping Justin Cobbs is good next year

STEPHEN GOINS
From: Chicago, IL
Position: Center
Size: 6-10, 250
Credentials: #27 center on Rivals, not ranked on Scout
Gophers level of interest: Medium (no offer)
Signed with: Maryland
Minutes per game: 3.0
Highlights: 0.5 points, 1.0 rebs per game...career highs are 1 point and 2 rebounds...played in only four games...career best 6 minutes played vs. Youngstown
Would have been: Behind Jon Williams on the depth chart
Bummer?: Not one bit

DRAYMOND GREEN
From: Saginaw, MI
Position: Power Forward
Size: 6-6, 235
Credentials: #122 on Rivals150, #26 PF on Scout
Gophers level of interest: Offered
Signed with: Michigan State
Minutes per game: 9.2
Highlights: 2.4 points, 2.8 rebs per game...15 points and 12 rebounds vs. Indiana...10 points and 7 rebounds vs. Alcorn State...53% field goal shooter
Would have been: Good chance at starting
Bummer?: Absolutely

SCOTTIE HARALSON
From: Jackson, MS
Position: Shooting Guard
Size: 6-4, 215
Credentials: #38 SG on Scout, 3 stars on Rivals
Gophers level of interest: Offered
Signed with: UCONN
Minutes per game: 3.9
Highlights: 0.9 points per game...played in just 10 games...scored 6 points vs. Delaware State
Would have been: Hard to say, but probably competing for Shamala's minutes
Bummer?: He's supposedly a shooter, and the Gophers could use more of them, but not really

VERDELL JONES
From: Champaign, IL
Position: Point Guard
Size: 6-5, 176
Credentials: #126 on Rivals150, #32 PG on Scout
Gophers level of interest: Offered
Signed with: Indiana
Minutes per game: 27.6
Highlights: 9.8 points, 3.4 assists per game...started 20 games...18 points and 7 assists vs. Minnesota...13 pts, 7 rebs, 6 assists vs. Michigan
Would have been: Likely backup point guard (again, moving Devoe to full-time backup SG)
Bummer?: Turns the ball over too much, but would definitely help when Nolen and Westbrook struggle. I'll say a reluctant yes.

TRAVIS LESLIE
From: Decatur, GA
Position: Small Forward
Size: 6-4, 195
Credentials: #116 on Rivals150, #23 SF on Scout
Gophers level of interest: Medium (never offered)
Signed with: Georgia
Minutes per game: 14.3
Highlights: 6.3 points, 3.9 rebs per game...scored 23 points vs. Loyola-Chicago...19 points and 8 rebounds vs. Tex A&M-CC
Would have been: Likely behind Bostick
Bummer?: Not really.

LUKE LOUCKS
From: Clearwater, FL
Position: Point Guard
Size: 6-5, 205
Credentials: #86 on Rivals150, #22 PG on Scout
Gophers level of interest: Medium (never offered)
Signed with: Florida State
Minutes per game: 19.0
Highlights: 3.7 points, 2.3 assists per game...14 points and 6 assists vs. Coastal Carolina...played in every FSU game this season
Would have been: Another backup PG candidate
Bummer?: A 6-5 point guard contributing nightly on a NCAA tournament bound team? Oh yeah, most definitely a bummer.

STAN SIMPSON
From: Chicago, IL
Position: Power Forward/Center
Size: 6-9, 220
Credentials: #22 Center on Scout, 3-stars on Rivals
Gophers level of interest: Offered
Signed with: Illinois
Minutes per game: 0.0
Highlights: Redshirting
Would have been: Tough to say with no minutes under his belt this year
Bummer?: Minimally

JORDAN TAYLOR
From: St. Louis Park, MN
Position: Point Guard
Size: 6-1, 190
Credentials: #124 on Rivals150, #30 PG on Scout
Gophers level of interest: Offered
Signed with: Wisconsin
Minutes per game: 12.7
Highlights: 1.6 points, 1.0 assists per game...10 points scored vs. Iowa...25% shooting, 15% from three
Would have been: Behind Devoe
Bummer?: I hate his game, so not at all for me, despite the need for better guard play on the team

STEVEN TOYLOY
From: Miami, FL
Position: Power Forward
Size: 6-8, 255
Credentials: #16 on Rivals JuCo rating, 3 stars on Scout
Gophers level of interest: Offered
Signed with: Cincinnati
Minutes per game: 16.3
Highlights: 4.0 points, 3.9 rebounds per game...14 points and 9 rebounds vs. Ark-Pine Bluff...57% shooter from the floor
Would have been: Ahead of J-Will
Bummer?: Wouldn't have been more than a backup, so not really

ANTHONY TUCKER
From: Minnetonka, MN
Position: Point Guard
Size: 6-4, 200
Credentials: #33 PG on Scout, 3 stars on Rivals
Gophers level of interest: Minimal
Signed with: Iowa
Minutes per game: 21.1
Highlights: 10.4 points, 3.0 rebounds per game...24 points vs. West Virginia...43% from three...multiple suspensions, including the entire second semester
Would have been: Arrested or, more likely, suspended
Bummer?: On the court yes. Off the court no. Overall, no.

ELOY VARGAS
From: Plantation, FL
Position: Power Forward
Size: 6-10, 215
Credentials: #26 on Rivals150, #12 PF on Scout
Gophers level of interest: High (never offered)
Signed with: FLorida
Minutes per game: 3.1
Highlights: 0.7 points, 0.7 rebounds per game...played in just 7 games with a high of 8 minutes...0-8 on Field Goals this year
Would have been: No clue. Turned out to be a total project.
Bummer?: Initially, yes. After this season, not so much

MARTEZ WALKER
From: Aston, PA
Position: Small Forward
Size: 6-6, 225
Credentials: 3 stars on Rivals, 2 on scout
Gophers level of interest: Medium (never offered)
Signed with: No where (signed with Louisville as a HS freshman, then de-committed and never ended up landing anywhere - I can't find any info on why)
Minutes per game: 0.0
Highlights: I have no god damn idea
Would have been: Probably better than Shamala
Bummer?: Impossible to say

OTHERS WITH MINOR LINKS: Juco PF Keith Ramsey is in the rotation for Missouri, PG Jorge Gutierrez is doing a good job as backup PG for Cal, SG Kendall Durant never ended up enrolling at Virginia Tech and has disappeared, PF Jarrod Jones is starring for Ball State, and SG Shaquille Johnson is starting for Marshall.


So there you have it. Really, the only guy I really wish was here is Fortson, but I'm not sure I'd trade any of the five guys Tubby brought in for him. Maybe Bostick, just because there really aren't minutes available for him where as Fortson could contribute immediately, but overall: Bravo Tubby, bravo.

Big Ten/ACC notes from Whore-lando

Yep, back again for Whore-lando part III while I watch the rest of the Big Ten/ACC games, currently watching Penn State look really, really good. Not Colton Iverson good, but like, Devoe Joseph good without the potential to be a rock star. Had a nice dinner with only two drinks (Oceanaire - they have one here too; Blackened Grouper with creamed corn and a cup of clam chowder, all really freaking good). Hit the hotel bar for a couple of cranberry vodkas, possibly my new drink, and might have stayed longer if not for the absolutely terrifying female bartender. She looked like a biker chick, but not the good kind or even the interesting kind. More like the kind who is probably the next Aileen Wuornos. She gave me a look at one point that almost made me pee my pants before I figured out it was her version of a smile. Then, when I left, she asked if I was going to join the people at the karaoke bar in another area of the resort. I said no and she said if I did she would sing me a song. I think I ran the rest of the way back to my room, I mean Villa. Luckily, the fridge is still stocked. So sit back, take it slow, and let the good times roll.

- Am I drunk or has the Big Ten looked really good this year, at least comparatively? Penn State is up 9 right now at Georgia Tech with just five minutes left, Michigan hung tough with the same Maryland team who just beat Michigan State but looks like they're gonna fold now, Ohio State won at Miami, Iowa was right there with BC, and Illinois was right with Clemson before giving it up at home. Like your mom. It looks like it will be 5-4 ACC after the early games finish, but it seems like the Big Ten took a nice step into competitiveness this year. Kind of like a fifteen year old against a full grown adult in hoops compared to the 8 year old they've been the past however many years.

- Did you see that Tyler Smith had a triple double tonight against UNC-Asheville with 12/10/10? That's pretty good. I'm going to go ahead and file him away in my 'WHO WAS AWESOME' possibilities mental folder along with the unicycle lady.

- Michigan State embarrassing themselves with their defense right now, just letting Danny Green shoot and score every time UNC has the ball. They're playing defense like Snacks controlling Michigan State on Coach K, still the best college basketball video game of all-time. Any game that has Ricky Price and Charlie Miller as two of the best players on the game clearly knows what it's doing. Or maybe I was just that good.

- So, wait? Kevin and Pat Williams still get to play? How does this work? Is like when Travis Henry got busted for smoking the pot for like the twelfth time but still managed to play all of last season? Is it just fancy legal maneuvering? I need a lawyer to explain, and not an intellectual property lawyer, I mean a real lawyer.

- Draymond Green just got schooled by Ed Davis. He's no Ralph Sampson.

- Ty Lawson is the next Jacque Vaughn. Or TJ Ford. Or whoever. You know the type, college point guards who play the position well but can't shoot. Like Limar Wilson without the point guard skills.

- Hansbrough is just like Travis Busch, everytime he gets the ball in a scoring area he puts it up. Never passes ever. They're practically the same player.

- UNC leads 53-39 at half, and I'm pretty sure the Heels are shooting 101% from the floor. Northwestern hanging with the Seminoles for now, down just 1 with six minutes to go in the half. It's 17-16 though. Not exactly UNC/MSU here.

- Man, the Wolves played the Magic here in Orlando tonight, I'm totally bummed I didn't go, I love the NBA. I also think I read somewhere that Corey Brewer is out for the year for the Wolves. That sucks. How is he going to prove me right that he would be the best player in his draft class not named Durant or Oden? I guess we'll have to put that on hold for the year, and this might affect his entire career. It's only fair that we no longer count that prediction as valid. Sorry, I don't make the rules.

- Northwestern just missed three shots at the end of the half, all from 8 feet or closer. If you could some up the entirety of the history of the Northwestern program in 10 seconds, that was it.

- You know what the Gophers should do each year? Have like, a midwest challenge tournament, whether official or unofficial. I think the Iowa schools all play each other each year, I'm not sure if it's officially a tournament or not but I'm pretty sure they do. You could get Minnesota, Iowa State, Marquette, and Nebraska or Missouri as your big conference schools. Since you can't do Northern Iowa or Drake because I think they play ISU every year, or Creighton because they play Nebraska, you could go with someone else from the Missouri Valley - anybody would do but Southern Illinois would be great. Then grab UW-GB, UW-Milwaukee, or UI-Chicago from the Horizon, NDSU from the Summit (and kill the regular game each year), and a MAC team, maybe a directional Michigan school. You could rotate some of the teams each year from the minor conferences, or just keep it the same each year. This way you have no conference conflicts or anything, and you could do an 8 team tournament each year. Is this something that could happen? I don't really know the rules on this, but it sounds pretty freaking awesome.

- Jesus these games are boring. Michigan State is getting blown away, and the FSU/Northwestern game is quite the comedy of errors. That's the kind of comedy that isn't funny. And I'm kind of tired. Might have to call it a night.

- Sigh. This is what drives me crazy. Dickie V, the announcer for this UNC game, just commented on how good Tar Heel freshman Ed Davis has looked. He then said, "he's not a big name or a high level recruit, he's just a good kid who Roy Williams really liked, and he's rewarded him thus far." I knew that I knew about Ed Davis long before he signed, and sure enough, a quick check of the Rivals Top 150 has Davis as the 15th best recruit this season. He's also the top rated Carolina recruit. So pretty much the opposite of "not a big time recruit." It's like listening to Joe Morgan over here.

- I hate that firejoemorgan.com decided to quit.

- Did I mention that we were named one of the top 100 college sports blogs?

No Draymond for Gophers

It's official. Draymond Green has committed to Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans for 2008.

Green, who originally committed to Kentucky, is the #21 PF according to Scout.com, and 78th overall according to Rivals. Green backed out of his commitment to Kentucky after Tubby Smith left for the Gophers. After reopening his recruitment, Minnesota was in the mix up until Green narrowed to three teams - Michigan, Michigan St, and Indiana.

This is a bummer, but to be honest, I don't expect to get recruits in the top 100 just yet. Even though we have Tubby Smith now instead of Monson, we are still Minnesota. The Gophers aren't even on the radar for a lot of kids right now, and Tubby can't change that in three months. I fully believe he will turn it around within a few years, and we'll have a better shot at this caliber of player.

Offers are still out to Devoe Joseph, who's ranked #100 and Verdell Jones, who's ranked #101, as well as Ralph Sampson, who is unranked, but is shooting up the charts.

Gophers Offer Another 2008 Point Guard

Even with Nathen Garth already committed to the Gophers for 2008, Tubby Smith has offered a scholarship to 2008 PG Verdell Jones III out of Illinois.

Jones is a 6-4, 160 lbs point guard, ranked as a three-star recruit by both Rivals and Scout. He is ranked as the 16th or 17th best point guard in the class, depending on which site you check.

With that height to weight ratio, as you can guess one of his listed weakness is his strength. Scout says his strengths are his ball-handling, ability to create, and passing, with perimeter shooting and decision making joining strength as his weaknesses. Contradicting Scout, MidStateHoops.com says he has an excellent jump shot, and can slide over to the 2 if needed.

A poster at Gopherhole.com, combes, has more information and a first hand opinion here.


It's also been reported that Draymond Green has narrowed his list to Michigan, Michigan State, and Indiana.

2008 Prospects

As mentioned earlier, it looks pretty likely the Gophers will have four scholarships available for the class of 2008. Looking at scout.com, it doesn't look like a pretty picture, but seeing as Tubby has just started recruiting for Minnesota instead of Awesome Dan Monson, hopefully some of the players who weren't interested in the Gophers will change their minds.

The top two instate players are already gone (Thanks Dan!), both Jordan Taylor of Benilde and Jared Berggren of Princeton have signed with Wisconsin. So that sucks. There really isn't much other talent of note in the state, and the Gophers already signed two star center Andrew Brommer of Rosemount, who probably sucks since he was signed by Monson.

There are two three-star players who are listed as having interest in Minnesota right now, SF Klay Thompson from California, and PF Draymond Green from Michigan. Thompson is not likely, as every other school on his list is on the west coast, and it seems unlikely he would sign with the Gophers.

Green is a very interesting possibility, as he had originally signed with Kentucky and pulled out when Tubby left. What is also interesting about this, is that Tubby still has to hire to assistant coaches to round out his staff. According to Jeff Shelman, one person he's considering is Saginaw High School's head coach Lou Dawkins, which just so happens to be the school Draymond Green is attending.

Even more interesting, is that this doesn't look like it would be a simple hire just to get Green to sign. Dawkins played under Smith when he was at Tulsa, and has been very successful at Saginaw, going 78-7 in his three years there and winning the state title this year. Hiring him would not only get a good, up and coming assistant, but would also increase the chances of Draymond Green signing with the Gophers. So hurry up and do it already.

UPDATE: So Draymond Green is from Michigan, and I found a blog written by Joe Rexrode for the Lansing State Journal. He says that he talked to Green about Michigan State, and Green said '"Ever since I was a child, MSU was my dream school. Even this year I wanted to go there, but then Tubby Smith came and presented his program to me. I didn't have an offer from Michigan State and I can't just constantly wait, so I committed to him."
And if MSU came after him now? "I don't know what I would do right now," he said.'

So basically he wants to go to Michigan State, he just hasn't been offered (he's been offered by Minnesota, Clemson, Boston College, and DePaul.) The Spartans have signed just two players for 2008, and I have no idea what their scholarship situation is, but I think it would be nice to just hurry up and get him signed already.