College Hoops Net Gopher Preview

Found this, the first preview I've seen for the Gophers this upcoming season on CollegeHoopsNet.com.

They are ranked #98 in the country, and #8 in the Big Ten. I think they're a little worse than #98, but it's tough to rank teams at that level. Whose to say which team is worse out of Minnesota, Cincinnati, and Wake Forest? They're all big conference teams that have had success but have fallen on hard times and aren't very good anymore.

The review is basically the same thing you'll read anywhere, the team is not very good, but with essentially the whole roster back for another year, and Tubby Smith in instead of Monson, they'll be better.

Well, they'd pretty much have to be after going 9-22 last year. I think .500 is a pretty good goal, maybe an NIT berth. The bottom of the Big Ten is not going to be very strong this season, so maybe 6th/7th in the Big Ten.

The author has a couple of inaccuracies in his review but overall not bad. Examples include saying the Gopher frontcourt has "plenty of talent" and that "Jonathan Williams, Damian Johnson, and Bryce Webster......will provide quality depth."

He also mentions that Blake Hoffarber is a lefty. I have no idea if that's true or not, but if it is that is freakin' sweet. There is nothing better than watching a left-handed jump shooter. Seriously, watch Delonte West here:



Sweet. Why Delonte West? Because I couldn't think of any left-handed shooters on the spot other than him and Ed O'Bannon, and there's a shocking lack of Ed O'Bannon highlight videos. Someone fix that.

Quick Thoughts

I finally have power back at my house, and here are a few thoughts from this weekend:

- The Twins suck. Their hitting is just horrible, I've never seen anything like it other than 2005. and 2004. and 2003. and.....

- I watched the first series of the Vikings Preseason game on Friday, and saw Jackson complete a few passes, run for about 10 yards, and Troy Williamson actually catch a pass. So I'd say it looks like an 11 or 12 win season for the Purple.

- When the hell did Purdue become relevant again? The job Matt Painter is doing recruiting there is just staggering. For the upcoming season, Purdue has freshman ranked #35, #41, #71, and #72 on the Rivals Top 150, and this past week they signed two freshman for 2008, Ryne Smith and Lewis Jackson, who are both on the list for 2008. In case you are wondering, the Gophers have zero players signed from the list for 2007 and zero signed for 2008.

- My golf picks for matchups in the PGA Championship went 6-1. I told you people I was an expert.

- Speaking of the PGA Championship, it looks like El Tigre is going to win a major this year. He's up 2 with 3 to play. Woody Austin and Ernie Els were making him a bit nervous, but he decided to birdie back-to-back holes because he's just that good.

Colts Suck

So I watched a good chunk of the Colts/Cowboys preseason game tonight, because when you are supposed to fly home from DC and they cancel your flight and make you stay in DC another night and you have nothing better to do than sit at the hotel bar, you don't have a lot of viewing options, and I have to say the Colts are terrible.

A mediocre Cowboys team destroyed them. The offense was out of sync, the run defense was weak, and the pass defense was like swiss cheese.

Sorry to my good buddy The Sidler, but your team is done. They should start trading players away and rebuild.

Also, note to the guy sitting next to me at the bar: It's ok to eat buffalo wings without being really loud and obnoxious. I promise.

William & Mary Update - A little Reggie Miller too.

I decided to do slightly more research on William & Mary than just listening to random drunk guy at hotel bar, and it turns out, they are awesome.

They were an awesome 15-15 last year, 8-10 in the tough Colonial Conference (yes, it's a decent mid-major, but still) with out-of-conference losses to such prestigious programs like Towson, Navy, and Holy Cross, with only win against a decent team (Drexel).

They are also losing their best player, a guy who led the team in scoring, rebounding, and steals.

They must have an awesome recruiting class.

I also just saw on sportscenter that Reggie Miller is considering coming out of retirement to play for the Celtics. So, my reaction is, Why and Why?

Why come out of retirement at this point? That didn't work so well for either Magic or Jordan, and he wasn't the most athletic of guys in his prime. Second, the Celtics? Really? The team with both Paul Pierce and Ray Allen? What the hell would Miller's role be on that team? Might as well sign Dale Ellis instead. You get a guy who could shoot his ass off in his prime, never won a ring (note: not sure if this is true or not and too lazy to look it up), and won't play a minute for your team.

Conclusion: Reggie Miller is dumb. Or is Danny Ainge? It's like chicken for morons.

EDIT TO ADD: Friday is a funny ass movie. What chain?

Congratulations?

I just, literally, seconds ago witnessed Barry Bonds break Hank Aaron's all-time home run record off some guy who I don't even know was pitching.

It's funny, because even though the San Fran fans seems to be pretty jazzed about it, his teammates don't seem to give a crap. Probably because he's completely turned this into an individual achievement, which I admit it is, but still. I haven't even seen him acknowledge a teammate.

And there's Willie "Hayes" Mays, and he's about to say some stuff now.

I honestly don't even know how to feel about this. It sucks that he is a cheater, and it sucks that he's an asshole. I truly wish it was different, and I truly wish I could be more excited about this, but I can't.

And there's Hank Aaron on the Jumbotron congratulating Barry. That's dumb. Either show up and be diplomatic about it, or take a stand and don't do anything. I thought he was all pissy and wasn't going to even acknowledge it, which I could at least respect. Now he just played it both ways and looks like a dummy. TAKE A STAND AND GO WITH IT. Support him or don't. Just like Bud Selig. This middle crap is stupid. UPDATE: I've since learned that perhaps Aaron wasn't as against Bonds as I thought. So I kind of sort of take it back a little.

Although, weirdly, it's kind of how I feel. Indifferent.

Although Bonds just thanked his Dad, pointed to the sky, and then looked like he was about to cry, which is kind of how the reaction of the guy who just broke the "most hallowed record in sports" should be.

I didn't even know Bobby Bonds was dead. That's too bad. From what I've seen he was a pretty good player, although he struck out a lot.

Maybe we can get on with a very good baseball season now, and let this not dominate it.

Also, that dude who got the ball is going to be rich. You should see it, it's a freakin' scrum.

This is a lot of words but shut up I'm drunk in Virginia. Thank God for auto spellcheck on this blogger machine.

Want to Bet on Golf?

Here's some matchups you could take advantage of:

Aug 09 707 S CINK [MU] -120 Toms really blew last week, and Cink has played well
9:25 AM 708 D TOMS [MU] -110

Aug 09 713 R GOOSEN [MU] -140 Goosen hasn't been great, but Immelman has just sucked lately
9:05 AM 714 T IMMELMAN [MU] +110

Aug 09 715 P CASEY [MU] -115 Cabrera really hasn't looked too good since his win, and I think Casey is due to contend
2:10 PM 716 A CABRERA [MU] -115

Aug 09 727 S STRICKER [MU] -130 Stricker seems to always be in contention lately, Stenson is really struggling
9:40 AM 728 H STENSON [MU] EV

Aug 09 729 Z JOHNSON [MU] -140
2:10 PM 730 A BADDELEY [MU] +110 Based on odds here I'd take Baddeley, I consider them even.

Aug 09 731 R ALLENBY [MU] -110
2:45 PM 732 L GLOVER [MU] -120 Allenby hasn't contended since early in the season.

Aug 09 739 H STENSON [MU] -110
9:55 AM 740 P CASEY [MU] -120 same reasoning as above

I consider myself an expert because I'm winning my fantasy golf league. Eat it THEORY!

Watch Out for William & Mary

So, I'm out in Virginia for work and I'm stuck here so I'm at the hotel bar and some guy starts talking to me. I have nothing better to do, so I talk back, and then the conversation turns to college hoops because it's the only thing I can talk about intelligently.

He's a William & Mary grad, and he told me to watch out for them this year, they're gonna be good.

So consider yourself warned.

Good One Sabbatini!

Remember how a few months ago, Rory Sabbatini said that Tiger Woods was as beatable as ever, an pretty much was begging to be matched up with him on a Sunday?

Well, Today at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, he got his wish. The round started with Sabbatini one shot ahead of Tiger, and ended with Tiger Woods the champion, with Rory EIGHT shots back.

Paired up together in the final grouping, Sabbatini shot +4 and Woods shot -5. Like a champion. Sabbatini is an idiot, he talks about Tiger again and again, and is completely unable to back it up. He had the lead over Tiger earlier this year at the Wachovia and blew that one too.

Keep talking Rory, keep talking.

EDIT: To add this article, which includes the following awesomeness:

'Sabbatini even had a run-in with a spectator who, as Sabbatini left the ninth green, said to him, "Hey, Rory. Still think Tiger's beatable?" Sabbatini had police officers escort the fan off the course.'

Charley Walters is Dumber than I Thought

I haven't read any of the local columns in a while, due to being stuck in New Jersey for work which was not awesome, so I just saw Charley Walters reaction to the KG trade, which was this:

In exchange for Garnett, the Wolves will receive Al Jefferson, Sebastian Telfair, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff, Ryan Gomes and two first-round draft picks from the Celtics. If the Wolves got just Jefferson in return, they would have gotten the best of the deal.

That last part has to be a joke, right? Jefferson is a nice, young player who will probably be very good. KG is a top five player over his career, and is probably still top 10 right now. Maybe this is the beginning of the unfortunately inevitable bashing of Garnett that will take place to make idiots feel better about the fact that he's gone.

Or maybe Charley Walters is a stupidhead.

Recruiting Notes

- Team Breakdown was led by Kenny Boynton with 16 points, while Eloy Vargas added 8 points by the intermission. The Georgia Stars top gun was Al-Farouq Aminu who had 8 points. He got support from front court running mates 6-foot-10 bookends Ralph Sampson and Darius Morrow who added 6 points each.

- Eloy Vargas, the 6-foot-10 post from Team Breakdown, has Pittsburgh, Oklahoma, Florida, Miami (FL), Indiana, Minnesota, Clemson, Virginia, and South Florida among his favorites.

- L.A. Pomlee, the 6-foot-8 power forward from Martin Brothers Select, has really blown-up in Orlando now that he's healthy and back in shape. Schools like Indiana, Kentucky, Providence, Alabama, and Ohio State have joined Iowa State, Iowa, Minnesota, Miami (FL), and Bradley as teams with serious interest in the physical rebounder and shot blocker.

- Vargas, who hadn't scored much for Team Breakdown during the week, showed why a number of majors are hot in pursuit of his services. He hit a 17-footer, did a nifty spin move with a dunk finish and threw a missed shot down with a nasty dunk to get the crowd buzzing

- Klay Thompson, 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Rancho Santa Margarita (CA) Santa Margarita, shined in the recent adidas Super 64 tournament in Las Vegas and the Best of the Summer at Loyola Marymount. Thompson's father Mychal was a standout for the Gophers and was the top overall pick in 1978. The Gophers have offered Thompson a scholarship.

The only guy I haven't heard of in this group is Pomlee, but he's attracting interest from some good schools, so it can only be good to get into the mix.