March to a Title, Game 2

I'm coming in late to the game, because the wife and I had to watch the last hour or so of Boogie Nights. Now she's off to bed, and it's time to drink beer and watch the march to a title continue. Now, I'm a bit nervous here, because I told Snacks I was going to be watching the game on Tivo, yet he texted me that the first ten minutes of the game are great and the Gophers look really good in the beginning. Knowing that I was going to be watching on tivo, and knowing how his brain works, I'm expecting the Gophers to be down 20-2 at the 12 minute time out. Let's see.

Oh, and by the way, Illinois beating Purdue just opens the door a little wider for the Gophers' miracle run. Remember, you heard it here first.

19:51 - Did I just see Jon Williams starting? I guess Spencer must be really hurt. This is not a good sign. Not the Spencer hurt part, that's not really a big deal, but Williams starting scares the beejesus out of me.

19:09 - DJ just hit a three?

18:37 - Did you know Johnson averages exactly one three point attempt per game? Seems high. As in, he should probably never shoot that shot.

18:21 - Minnesota 1-0 all-time versus Indiana in the Big Ten tournament. I'm sensing a trend.

18:06 - DJ makes two free throws, which is a statistical improbability, and he has all five Gopher points. Never thought I'd type that.

17:22 - And Dan Coleman is playing tough down low. This is not the Gopher team I recognize. March to the Title: activated.

17:18 - Spencer Tollackson's career rebounding average: 3.7 per game. 3.7. Three point seven.

16:18 - DJ with a Rico Tucker like jam. Dominating. DJ White who?

16:00 - And that's the second foul on Eric Gordon. Eat it, Sidler.

14:54 - Stemler, the asshole who hit the big three to sink the Gophers at Williams, just airballed a three. The announcers want us to know he's 0 for his last twelve. Couldn't miss the one in Minneapolis though, could you, ass?

13:42 - McKenzie hits a three to make it 14-5 and I actually jump pumped my fist like Theory playing Golden Tee. I'm a little embarrassed, but also pretty excited here.

13:29 - Although I don't know why I'm excited, this is what the Gophers do. Second half will be full of nothing but dumb plays and bad defense as they piss away a lead.

12:22 - 19-5, as Shamala hits an 18 footer. Why he didn't just end his cut a little further and behind the 3-pt line, I don't know. God help me, I'm starting to believe.

11:24 - Eric Gordon throws one of the worst passes ever. Whoever drafts him is going to be in for a looooooooong year. Please don't let it be the Wolves.

11:24 - So they throw up a graphic showing the Big Ten Assist leaders. Three Spartans, a Buckeye, and a Wildcat. But we're watching Gophers/Hoosiers. What was the point? I swear they just hit random buttons up there sometimes.

10:27 - Eric Gordon never closes his mouth. It's creepy.

9:51 - I'm starting to develop a crush on Hoffbauer. I'm kind of afraid it's ASSWIP Syndrome.

8:39 - I hate to agree with announcers, because most of them are dumber than you are, but DJ White should be touching the ball every time down. As he proves with a bucket and the foul. And misses the free throw.

6:17 - 7-0 run by Indiana to make it 24-15. Gophers starting to get killed on the O-boards. This a major concern and I don't like it. Gordon gets an o-board and a putback as I type this.

4:52 - Jesus Christ. Apparently somebody pointed out to the Gophers that they were leading. As they've completely changed their style of play. Tentative on offense, lazy with the ball, poor defense and no rebounding, and it's now 26-20. Still Gopher lead, but things have changed dramatically. How bad is it? Tubby put in Travis "Hair Pie" Busch.

1:11 - Jordan Crawford can't take Busch off the dribble, how sad.

0:00 - Good news: Gophers lead 34-27, and Coleman sat out most of the first half. Bad news: They were up 16, and the last Hoosier possession of the half showed, beyond a doubt, that Minnesota doesn't have anybody who can even come close to checking DJ White.

19:27 - Holy crap Deandre Thomas is a fatass.

19:00 - Exhibit 10 billion why this is a dumb team and Dan Coleman is the worst offender. Coleman takes a three and misses, Indiana rebound. Coleman rushes in at the guy who got the board, leaving DJ White open streaking towards the other end.

17:59 - Danny boy Coleman picks up his fourth foul. Fourth. In two minutes this team has made eight just inexcusably dumb plays. It's over. Gophers still lead 34-32, but it's over.

17:35 - I'm going to throw something.

16:01 - This half, Gophers have 0 points, 5 turnovers. And it's now tied at 34.

15:28 - 30 second timeout and Tubby is hot. I don't know at who, specifically, but I assume it's the whole team. Who then turns it over after the TO. This is sad people, sad like cancer.

12:48 - Westbrook with an excellent basket. He seems to be a second half player, maybe time to take over? He's Philadelphia Eagle Brian Westbrook's cousin, you know.

11:48 - I just got texts from Snacks and Sidler within 20 seconds of each other. I'm going to assume something awesome happens at some point.

11:08 - Sweet, Busch is in again. Only good things can come of this.

10:28 - And Bogart just sent me a text. I am officially very curious.

9:43 - I can't take it. Fast forwarding a bit.

3:52 - Started watching again here, Gophers up 50-48 holy carp westbrook for three 53-48 Gophers.

2:44 - Another Theoryesque fist pump from me, as DJ puts one back to make it 55-50 Minnesota. I believe (tm).

1:55 - Minnesota up five. Another text comes in, but I'm not even going to pick it up. If this comes down to free throws, I'm very nervous.

0:55 - Nolen airballs the biggest three of his life. Nice shot, rook.

0:43 - DJ fouls out. That is not excellent.

0:10.6 - Dan Coleman is a weak homo, and gives the ball away. Indiana ball, 57-55 Minnesota. Oh, and another text comes in. Still ignoring.

0:03.4 - Gordon fouled and will go to the line. Based on all the text messages, I'm going to assume he makes both and we go to overtime.

0:03.4 - Holy shit he missed the first one. The Gophers are going to win this game unless they're idiots, which they are, so I'm still very, very nervous.

0:03.1 - You have to be fucking kidding me. No. fucking. way. No fucking way.

0:01.5 - What? What? Oh my god. I can't believe this shit. I have no words. I feel sick.

oh my god holy shit.

un fucking real. hell yes. I told all you people the Gophers were going to take it all. Now they just run the f over the illini and we're on our way baby, we're on our way.

Oh, and Erin Andrews interviews Blake, and asks, "What was going through your mind before you hit that shot" and Blake says to her, he says, "I just knew I had to get it off." Yeah, baby.

Hey Illini. Make your time.

Oh, and here's a message to all Indiana fans, but only from 16-18 seconds. ignore everything else.



Although, if you want to watch the rest it's very similar to how the Gophers are going to treat Illinois tomorrow. March to the Title^TM Minnesota 66, Illinois 56.

I just watched it again on on espn and it moved. and then they showed the same god damn shot from his ass again.

Gophers vs. Hoosiers (taped)

So I already know what happened in the Gopher game, they lost by like 15, but I had to kind of sort of watch it at the bar since I was busy drinking and sucking at Golden Tee. Luckily, the Big Ten network was kind enough to replay the game at 11 tonight, and since I have more beers and don't feel like sleepy time, I'm going to watch it and write things that may or may not be interesting.

I seriously can't believe the whole "forget Royce White" attitude. I really can't. I honestly can't relate to the "let's stop recruiting him because he cheated" group. It's such a minor offense, I don't understand why we'd need to write him off. Congratulations all of you who feel this way, because even if Tubby would take him (and he should) I would be willing to bet he won't come here now. Good work. And people call me negative.

Pregame - So Dan Coleman is 33 points away from 1,000 in his career. What do you play, around 30 games a year? So in four years, that's a less than 10 point per game average to get to 1,000. Congratulations?

18:58 - McKenzie called for a carry. For the one hundredth time this year. You'd think he'd figure that out.

17:49 - Excellent turnaround for Coleman. He really could be so much better than he is. All the tools are there.

17:05 - Another McKenzie turnover. If he wasn't the only offensive option on this team, I'd say bench him.

15:24 - Had one of our biggest traffic days ever today (about a PJS average day). I guess this whole Royce White thing is a pretty big deal.

14:24 - DJ White just destroys Spencer to get an offensive rebound and a put back. It's just not fair.

13:49 - I'm ok with McKenzie taking a shot from anywhere at any time. We tried the whole "distributor thing." It didn't work

13:38 - Holy crap - great block by Coleman on White. That makes it White 277, Coleman 2 over the last four years.

12:54 - This would be alot more fun if I didn't know what was going to happen. Also, I happened to catch some of the Twins/yankees preseason game this afternoon. Kevin Slowey started and gave up 3 runs in 2 innings. Also, Brendan Harris, our new second baseman (or Brandon, not sure) had two ground balls he dove for, one to the left and one to the right, and didn't get a glove on either of them. And Carlos Gomez misplayed a flyball which he turned into a double, and then tried to throw home for a play at the plate and threw it into the dugout. They don't look good.

11:48 - Tonights trivia question "which former hoosier holds the big ten freshman scoring record?" I'm gonna go with Calbert Cheaney.

10:32- If nothing else, they're making them work for shots. Also, if the Wolves end up with Eric Gordon I'll kill myself. Not really, but that would suck.

8:42 - Jon Williams scores with a very nice move on the block. Is there hope? I kind of doubt it, but every so often he shows some glimpses. Plus anybody who can swat the ball Antoine Broxsie style is ok in my book.

8:01 - Blake Hoffbauer: 182 field goals attempted, 138 from three. Jesus Christ, Rickert, it's ok to step inside the line once in a while.

7:09 - Seriously, Eric Gordon is just not very smart with the basketball. The Gophers (who are very good at this) turned him over 7 times last game, and he has several already this game.

6:18 - 48.4% of Butlers field goal attempts this year are from three. Wow. Just amazing. They are either ripe for an upset or are ready to rip through the tournament.

5:40 - J Williams just airballed a free throw.

4:25 - Eric Gordon averages 2.5 assists per game. 2.5. 2 point five. You know who averages more than that in the Big Ten? Everybody. That's god awful for a point guard, especially an "All-American" type.

3:52 - Dan Coleman is the 233rd biggest ball hog in the country, taking 27.4% of the team's shots when he's on the court. The biggest? Charron Fisher of Niagara, at 38.9%. Interestingness? Stephen Curry of Davidson at 35.4%, OJ Mayo at 34.7%, and Luke Harangody at 34.9%. Biggest ballhog in the Big Ten is Kosta Koufos at 31.8%. I was shocked too.

1:40 - Dan Coleman knocks down a three, making him 3-18 on the year. I don't know why Tubby made him stop shooting the three. He shot 34%, 35%, and 28% the last three years. Not great, but I don't know that it's "stop shooting" territory. It's not like it's Rickert.

0:00 - I still can't believe DJ White hit that shot. What a dick. Also, the fact that it's his first career three pointer does not bode well for his NBA career. Currently projected as the 21st pick in the first round, if you're curious. Over a full round earlier than Rick Rickert.

0:00 - My new favorite stat is Assist Rate. This is the percentage of possessions a player gets an assist when a team scores when he is on the floor. Darrell Jenkins of East Carolina leads the country, as 47.8% of his teams field goals come from an assist from him if he's on the court. That's sick. Jamar Butler leads the Big Ten at 34.6%. Leading Gopher is Al Nolen at 28%.

18:20 - three hoosier offensive rebounds to start the half. Awesome. I can't wait to pick against Indiana in the first round, by the way.

17:22 - Dan Coleman hits another three. See, I told you. Stupid Tubby.

15:09 - That is a horrible, horrible charge called on Coleman. And I'm pretty much the last one to mention bad calls.

14:35 - Out of beer. Switching to scotch. NOTE: This is not a good idea.

12:48 - I somehow manages to get my best tie (dry clean only) into the wash and it is now ruined. This sucks more than I can even begin to tell you.

10:38 - Jesus does Al Nolen show some really, really solid flashes sometimes. I have to admit, I'm very excited to see what he does the next few years. No Whammies.

8:50 - McKenzie drains threes on two possessions and I've now decided I'm blaming this season on him and his "trying to be a point guard to show the NBA people 'see, I can be a point guard' when in reality he's a shooting guard with a CBA future."

8:18 - We have a 47-46 Minnesota lead. I believe it's somewhere around here the wheels come off.

0:00 - Wow, what a god damned surprise. The Gophers hang with a superior team for about 33 minutes, and then get their doors completely blown off. I can hardly believe it.

Go Indiana!

Oops, sorry. Wrong Indiana team (by the way, if you want to know what The Sidler looks like, just picture that kid, aged about 5 years, with glasses).

Anyway, big game for the Hoosiers against UCONN today. Even though UCONN suspended a starting guard and his backup for the game, this still means a lot to Indiana, the Big Ten, and, by extension, the Gophers. The Hoosiers are ranked number 7 in the country, and really have gotten there more by not losing than by beating anybody. The only really good team they've played is Xavier, and they lost by 15. Their best wins are at home versus Kentucky and Georgia Tech - not exactly impressive. And while a win against UCONN wouldn't exactly be tip top quality, a loss would be devastating, and a blowout win would validate the team, and the conference.

Today's Card:
UCLA -16.5 @ Oregon State
San Fran +9 vs. St. Mary's
Temple +1 vs. St Joe's (P)
Cal +1 vs. Stanford
Minnesota +8 @ Ohio State
Purdue -1 vs. Wisconsin (W)
Memphis -12.5 vs. Gonzaga (L)
Villanova -2 vs. Notre Dame (L)
Texas A&M -1.5 @ Oklahoma State (W)
Washington +8.5 @ Arizona (L)
Indiana -9 vs. UCONN (L)

Yesterday: 2-1
Season: 252-230

I'll be back with thoughts on afternoon games as I watch them.

and I'm back:

- Memphis up 10-0 on Gonzaga with just 2 and a half minutes gone. Memphis super athletic, fast, and attacking. Gonzaga slow, white, unprepared. I'm sure they'll settle a bit and make a game of it, but right now this isn't even as close as 10-0.

- I haven't seen enough of Kansas to put them in here, but Memphis is a lot better than North Carolina, UCLA, Duke, Tennessee, or anybody else you want to throw in here.

- Derrick Rose is sick. Please, please let the Wolves get Rose.

- Wow. Give Gonzaga credit, as they just took the lead with two minutes left in the first half. I still think Memphis is the best team in the NCAA though, they seemed to lose interest a bit.

- Indiana looking good on the offensive boards, despite being very undersized to UCONN. That was the biggest concern for them I thought, and they're getting it done. DJ White is so much the man.

- Eric Gordon definitely knows he's on national TV. He's trying to do WAAAAAAAAAAY too much. He's no Derrick Rose.

- Here's why I hate myself sometimes. All year, and before the year even started, I said Villanova sucked. So today they were at home against Notre Dame, a team who has sucked on the road, in a game they really, really need, so I go ahead and take Nova -2. Well, ten minutes left and Notre Dame is up by 16. I need to stop overthinking.

- Gordon can't stop A.J. Price on the dribble. Didn't expect that.

- Girl scout just stopped by to sell cookies. I did not ask if they were made from real Girl Scouts. Pregnant wife commanded I order 8 boxes of thin mints, seems excessive. I also just realized that having a girl, which we are, means selling girl scout cookies. Which means walking around, talking to people, in the cold. Super.

- Indiana shooting 25% with four to go in the first half, after starting 3-3. If they don't turn it around in a hurry, expect a whole lot of "The Big Ten is Overrated", "The Big Ten Sucks", and "Should the Big Ten be a Mid-Major" stuff coming up.

- Indiana looks like absolute garbage. Down 29-24 at half, shooting less than 25%, falling into going one-on-one instead of running an offense, and getting killed on the boards. Embarrassing.

- Memphis pretty much has this one locked up, but they aren't going to cover, giving me a nice 0-2 start, and likely 0-3. I've gone deathly cold.

- I'm officially worried about Memphis in March due to their 58% free throw shooting as a team.

- Indiana down nine with fifteen to go. Let's see, they've stopped driving to the basket, they don't bother to pass into the paint, they don't really run an offense. They sit around passing around the perimeter and then chuck up a three or try a one-on-one move and shoot a fade away. I have money on them and care about the Big Ten and I'm pissed, I can't imagine how I'd feel if I was an actual Indiana fan. This is brutal.

- None of Indiana's guards can stop any of UCONN's guards, and UCONN is missing two of their top four guys. This is depressing.

- Absolutely, without question, the worst game I've seen played by anybody this year, as Indiana loses to UCONN 68-63, in a game that wasn't even that close. Complete and total embarrassment. I'd be shocked if Indiana even wins in the first round of the tournament this year. Be back later for Gophers game.

I made it!

I made it back for the game. The Superpit is not very impressive, and those teams suck. I would rank the Superpit as better than UIC's arena, DePaul's Dumpster Arena, and Weber State's arena, and that's it.

And, yeah, those teams aren't good. Guess how many points Bo McCalebb scored while I was there? Not a god damn one in the 16 minutes I was there for. This is the guy who's lowest scoring average in his four year career is 19 ppg, and the only reason I was at all excited about this game. Thanks Bo.

If you can't make out the picture, it's a man in his forties, wearing a full UNT uniform, with his long shaggy hair dyed green, as well as his fu manchu mustache, and a green sailor's cap to top it off. That guy said good bye to his dignity a long time ago.

If Vandy would just give up already, we could get to the game.

8:10 - Finally. And Minnesota leads 4-3 with 17:42 left.

8:11 - Gordon called for a charge, and it seems that's his second foul. That'll help. Barn sounds loud tonight.

8:12 - Three offensive rebounds with a Tollackson put back in the end. Energy is high. Will be interesting to see if they can sustain it all game.

8:12 - McKenzie attacking. I'm loving everything about this so far. I can't believe how fired up I am. I missed this. Thanks Monson, you jackass. I hope his house burns down.

8:16 - Oof. Williams should not try to attack DJ White. Talk about your all-time mismatches.

8:19 - This is brilliant. A high-pressure, attacking, man-to-man actually seems to be causing issues for Indiana. With all good guards, I would have guessed they'd eat it up. Nope, 7 Hoosier turnovers in 6 minutes. Hell, yes.

8:21 - Apparently Minnesota is concerned about Jamarcus Ellis' great length. I know it's immature, but it makes me giggle.

8:22 - Blake still hot. $nake thinks he's "hot" if you know what I mean. I'm not even making that up.

8:25 - Spencer shouldn't take it at White either. He's just swatting shots left and right. Spencer should also give up that jumping hip bump celebration thing or whatever that is.

8:29 - Gordon back on the floor and already making a difference. I hate that guy.

8:32 - One thing that makes me nervous, besides Eric Gordon and DJ White, is the fact that it seems every gambling person in the world is on the Gophers. That usually never works. Also, note to fans: just because a guy is on his back with the ball, it's not automatically a travel.

8:37 - They're making a Saw 4? I didn't even know they made third one. Isn't that about enough? The only series of movies that could sustain excellence throughout a run that long or longer were the Friday the 13ths - Jason X (in space) and Jason goes to hell not included. Also, Freddy Krueger was kind of a fairy.

8:41 - Foul number three on Gordon, and it's a dumb one. Way to not be coordinated Kevin Payton, you're a contributor now. Indiana is very different without him.

8:42 - Naturally, Payton misses the free throw

8:44 - White might be hurt. Do not want. Even though it would make this an easier win, obviously, nobody will care if the Gophers beat Indiana without White. That would be like beating the Hickory High team without Jimmy Chitwood.

8:49 - Indiana up 11 and I'm getting nervous. I'm afraid what I was afraid of might be happening (17-0 Indiana run) - That the Gophers are a tough team, and a good defensive team, but just don't have the players to keep up - even with White and Gordon on the bench.

8:56 - Halftime, Indiana up 40-32, mostly due to the 17-0 run by the Hoosiers led by Jordan Crawford, who the Gophers had zero answers for. Thoughts:

1. Keep up the energy, keep up the toughness. Yes, the Hoosiers have 40 points at the half, but the defensive pressure is making them make mistakes. I think the last stat I saw was 14 turnovers by Indiana. They're shooting 56% right now, and 58% from three. That won't last. Nobody stays that hot forever.

2. Keep hitting the boards, and keep running in transition. I don't have rebounding stats, but it seems like the Gophers are doing an excellent job, particularly on the offensive boards, this must continue. And keep running, whether off a turnover or a rebound, keep running.

3. More Blake? We haven't seen all that much of Hoffbauer or Shamala, but Hoff has seven points on four attempts. They aren't good defenders, but it's worked. Tubby has clearly identified Jamarcus Ellis (he of great length) as the offensive weak link of the Hoosiers as whenever either of the white shooters are in, they're matched up on Ellis. It's working, as he has zero points so far. Ellis averages 8.6 a game, and can put up double-digits in a hurry, but it might be worth seeing if instant offense Hoff can get a little something going.

4. McKenzie aggressiveness - Keep it up. Six shots at the half, and the Gophers are going to need him to have any shot to win this game. Unless White is hurt.

9:14 - Also, it's not good to go 3-10 from the line. At least McKenzie can make them. Five straight to start the half. Good start.

9:16 - Getting out and running after a missed free throw, and McKenzie has two attempts already in the half. I bet they read DWG at halftime of the games to figure out what to do. Hi Tubby!

9:17 - Pressure is also still working, as Indiana with three turnovers in the first two minutes. If Indiana was shooting at a normal percentage, or the Gophers were, Minnesota would be on top. One point game. Keep it up.

9:20 - Did you know the guy who played Clue Haywood in Major League was former big league pitcher Pete Vuckovich, AL Cy Young winner in 1982? Learn something new everyday.

9:22 - Here's what's going to happen: Minnesota will be down by 1-5 for the rest of the half until about 3-4 minutes left, when McKenzie gets hot, and the Gophers win by 5.

9:24 - Tollackson 0-6 on free throws tonight. That would make a pretty big difference. If I'm Tubby, I tell him to stop missing those.

9:29 - I'm probably a racist, but I really don't like female announcers. They should be on the sidelines and be hot like Erin Andrews.

9:32 - Coleman guarding White. Not sure I like this one bit.

9:33 - They go right to him. Turned it over on a double team from Damian Johnson (I REALLY like him), but the next time he abuses Coleman for an easy 2. TV Timeout. Hopefully they put in one of the fatter guys to guard him.

9:35 - Sportscenter after the game will be showing The Best of Brett Favre. Set your Tivo for the Pete Rose of football!

9:43 - 7:27 left and the Gophers take the lead. Tubby switched to a zone, and even though the Hoosiers are getting open shots, they've cooled off. The zone is also taking White away, can't remember the last time he attempted a shot. If Sampson's smart, he'll get White attacking from the high post instead of distributing.

9:47 - Back to man-to-man after the TV timeout. Tubby = genius.

9:48 - Coleman coming up huge with a three point play, and 15 on the game. I take back everything bad I ever said about him.

9:51 - Four fouls on White, over the back on a great rebound by Coleman. This is good stuff.

9:52 - Spencer misses ANOTHER free throw, making him 0-7. Indiana should just foul him everytime the Gophers have the ball.

9:54 - Nolen almost being too passive in not looking for a shot and just looking to dish.

9:56 - Final TV timeout, Gophers up 2 with Gordon going to the line. I'm going to assume he makes both. The Gophers NEED to score on the following possession.

9:58 - Indiana only has 14 points this half? Wow. The defensive change from Monson to Tubby is off the charts. I mean, we knew it would be, but still. Wow. F off Monson.

9:59 - Horrible, horrible turnover by McKenzie. I'm scared right now.

10:01 - Son of a whore. Indiana leads by 2.

10:02 - Idiotic foul by Great Length. McKenzie, not Tollackson at the line. Makes both. Tie game. Team just 11-21 from the line.

10:03 - Tollackson with the reverse for the lead on a great pass by Nolen. He loves that move, but as long as it keeps working, keep doing it. Also, the announcers mention The Barn is 80 years old for the 8 millionth time tonight.

10:06 - White guy wide open from three and buries it for a Hoosier lead with 1:10 left.

10:08 - They get no shot, coming out of a timeout with under a minute left. Completely unacceptable.

SON OF A BITCH

GOD DAMMIT

10:09 - McKenzie misses a wide open three pointer for the hundredth time tonight. Jesus fucking christ. What is wrong with him this year? This sucks. I hate basketball. I hate indiana. I hate all of you. I quit this blog.

The Colts are depressing me...let's talk college hoops

The Sidler is back and the Colts look awful on Sunday night. Injuries suck, but the pathetic depth at WR is inexcusable. The Chargers are a love/hate team for me. Their defense is completely annoying, with Roid Rage Merriman and everyone always running 20 yards and then celebrating after every good play...funny, don't remember that from last week. But their offense is on the other end of the spectrum.

What a first half--the Colts gave up a kick and punt return for a TD, Manning threw 4 INTs, the backup LT got hurt, the starting RT got hurt, and a missed FG. One more injury and Jim Sorgi gets to play O-line or WR.

On to college hoops--I have a few things.

1. Check out basketballprospectus.com , the latest addition to the growing ___ Prospectus analytical tree. John Gasaway, formerly bigtenwonk, wrote a fairly in-depth preview of each team that is worth reading.

2. Nice start for the Gophers. By the time I got to MN, Monson was already working his magic to turn The Barn into a morgue, so I'm hoping Tubby can reverse Dandy Dan's work.

3. I can't wait to watch Eric Gordon and the rest of IU play this season. Here's his highlight reel from last year's appearance on ESPN.



I also can't wait for the Wolves to draft him with the first pick of the NBA draft next year.

Top Big Ten Freshmen

It's probably a bit early, but I'm starting to feel the itch for the new college basketball season, and thought I'd kick it off by taking a look at the top Freshmen in the Big Ten this coming season:

1. Eric Gordon, SG, Indiana: The #1 ranked SG in the country by both Rivals and Scout, and Rivals has him as the #2 overall freshman. Would easily have been a lottery pick if High Schoolers were still eligible to come out, and likely would have gone top 5, possibly as high as #3. Is really an incredible, game-changing type player. Struggled with his shot a bit in the McDonald's All-American game, but you could see how good he's going to be. Wouldn't surprise me to see him end up all-conference next season.

2. Kosta Koufos, C, Ohio State: The Buckeyes lose Oden and the rest, but pick up a very intriguing player in this seven-footer with Greek Heritage. Koufos really impressed me at the McDonald's game as well as the shooting contests before it. A big man who can play down-low, but also has a very nice touch from outside, extending all the way to the three-point line. Ranked #16 overall by Rivals.

3. Durrell Summers, SF, Michigan State: Summers is a player who really shot up the rankings his junior summer, much like Rodney Williams is this year. An incredible athlete, he's a slasher who can get to the basket with ease and joins that with a nice jumper from the perimeter.

4. Kalin Lucas, PG, Michigan State: Yes, another Spartan. He should be able to step in and handle the point to take some of the pressure of Drew Neitzel. He can really push the pace of the game, and is an excellent creator. Needs some work on shooting and scoring, but will have the Spartans running and gunning.

5. E'Twaun Moore, SG, Pudure: I know, Purdue with a top five incoming freshman in the Big Ten? It's weird, but it's true - Moore is ranked as the #35 prospect by Rivals. Is already a terrific defender, and has improved his perimeter shot, which was weakness. Has a ton of potential, and could continue to get better.

HONORABLE MENTION: Chris Allen - Mich St, Corperryale Harris - Michigan, JaJuan Johnson - Purdue, Evan Turner - OSU, Jon Diebler, OSU, Demetri McCamey - Illinois, Robbie Hummell - Purdue, Scott Martin - Purdue, Jon Leuer - Wisconsin (Minnesota boy)