Weekend Fun: Today we spell redemption R-O-Y (Hibbert)

March 30th, 2007 | Posted by PostmanE

This year, I tried a different strategy. Instead of filling out a bunch of different brackets - usually randomly - I spent all my time researching teams, examining position match ups, and then filling out one master bracket. There were to be no variations from this grand plan; my genius would see me through, and I would surely win every pool I was in.

You can imagine how that ended up. Kansas flamed out (stupid pick), my Elite Eight surprise Louisville caught a tough break with Texas A&M, Pittsburgh didn’t take down UCLA, and my forays into the Sweet 16 (Georgia Tech and Creighton) … well, let’s just file those under “ill-advised.”

This was the worst bracket performance I’ve had i years. I mean, really bad. Middle of the pack in every pool, unremarkable in every way. I actually think my girlfriend outpicked me, which is embarrassing because women don’t know anything about sports. (Kidding!)

That is, but for one pool that I somehow randomly threw together, where I tried to hedge my bets against my original bracket. I forgot about filling this sheet out almost as soon as I finished it so as to devote more time fawning over my original picks. Instead, I ended up with the right Final Four, seven of the Elite Eight, and so on and so forth. And I’m the only person in the top end of the bracket with Georgetown winning it all.

And just like that, I’ve changed my picks. OSU is out, Georgetown is in. Go Hoyas!

In the other game, I’ve still got Florida, though UCLA’s defense will keep the game far closer than last year’s championship. But yeah: totally arbitrary and biased change of picks. Everyone’s cool with that, right?

Be back tomorrow or Sunday for some tourney stuff. Till then, head here for actual, you know, basketball discussion.

Case of the Mondays: Arriving, finally, at four

March 26th, 2007 | Posted by PostmanE

Continuing its direct departure from last year’s tournament, the Final Four this year is everyone’s guess: two No. 1 seeds and the two No. 2’s most people saw as potential Final Four teams. Whodathunkit?

Fortunately, the lack of surprise in the outcomes hasn’t held back the level of play, which (and this is a completely subjective appraisal, I know) has been much better than last year. Last year’s UConn-George Mason heartwarmer aside, this year’s Elite Eight was far better, including yesterday’s Georgetown-UNC game, a battle right up until Ty Lawson decided to stop penetrating and the Tar Heels decided to stop crashing the offensive glass.

Florida took care of business rather easily, but Oregon showed they belonged at that level, which is a victory in and of itself. No moral victories, sure, but considering this Florida team they ran into, they can be happy with that showing. (On that note, our Hoosiers’ loss to UCLA is starting to look all the more relevant. If UCLA takes this thing home, who’ll remember their near loss? I will, that’s who.)

So, it’s Florida, UCLA, Georgetown and OSU. And as much as I’d like to revise my picks and take Georgetown to win the whole thing, I’ll stick with OSU. But if there’s anyone that can negate the influence of Greg Oden, it’s Roy Hibbert. We’ll see.

(Oh, and by the way, let’s not forget Georgetown shouldn’t even be here. In case you still agree with Billy Packer [commenter law, I’m looking at you], here’s the link.)

NBA: Kobe got close to his fifth in a row, but didn’t quite get there, scoring 43 in a 115-113 win over the Warriors. Hyperbole aside, if Kobe can translate this points = wins formula into one or maybe even two playoff series victories this postseason, I will be ready to throw him into the top ten scorers of all time. I’d say that’s fair, huh?

In other NBA news, Denver pulled away from Cleveland late (a thoroughly entertaining game, by the way), and our boy Ben Gordon took it home at the last minute over the Pacers.

Golf: Tiger took home yet another tournament yesterday, but made it interesting at the end. If you didn’t see it, Tiger laid up twice - even hitting the shortest drive of the tournament on 18 by about 30 yards - before hitting a brilliant putt from the same spot that been destroying people all day. It won’t make the all-time Tiger Woods highlight reel, but it was a small bit of genius that showcases just how good the dude is day in, day out.

Weekend NCAA update: On the move like Jeff Green

March 24th, 2007 | Posted by PostmanE

Since it’s the veritable halfway point of this weekend’s action, let’s take a look at some of what we’ve learned:

– Jeff Green really, really traveled. I mean, this isn’t even close, people. Sure, as the only non-No. 1 seed in my completely unimaginative Final Four, I cheered when the shot went in … but that doesn’t change the fact that Jeff Green took an entire extra step visibly and unabashedly, and that Vanderbilt was eliminated because of an obvious blown call.

– Billy Packer does not see the same things we see. He isn’t even watching the same game sometimes. For example, after the 800th replay CBS showed off Green’s travel, Packer decided to make the dubious argument that the refs couldn’t have called the travel then, since it was toward the end of the game and a travel call would have effectively ended Georgetown’s chances. This is, of course, a dumb argument; it doesn’t matter when a travel takes place, if it gains an opponent’s advantage, you call it. Pretty simple stuff.

Anyway, Packer went on for a bit before Nantz hopped in and said (I’m paraphrasing):

Nantz: “Well, Billy, it certainly looked like he picked up his pivot foot slightly there.”

Packer: “I don’t know if he did, Jim. I don’t think it was a travel.”

Nantz: (Quietly incredulous) … “Well … that right foot certainly is moving around.”

Packer: “I don’t think it was a travel, Jim. I’d have to see it again. We might have to talk to (our producer; head of officials; some dude whose name I can’t remember) to see it again.”

To review: not only did Packer argue that if it was a travel, the refs should not have called it, but he didn’t actually believe Green’s hopstep cha-cha heave was a travel, even after cameras repeatedly showed it was, and blatantly so. Packer was somehow wrong, like, six times in the matter of 30 seconds. Unbelievable.

– There seem to be two schools of thought on Ohio State right now. One: their close wins are sure to catch up with them soon, perhaps tonight vs. Memphis. Two: with close wins under their belt, they’re looking more and more like the proverbial “team of destiny.”

I’m with the former. I think Memphis outruns OSU tonight and displaces Oden just enough to keep him on his heels … and Memphis wins and moves on. (Also, Calipari for Kentucky? Derrick Rose to Indiana? Hey, it could happen …)

– The rest of the picks: Kansas, who withstood So. Ill’s absolute best shot, beats UCLA, who haven’t really taken anyone’s best shot yet … Florida, easy, over Oregon … Georgetown takes down UNC in a close, close game. Hopefully Jeff Green watches his feet this time, because the refs obviously won’t do it for him.

Case of the Mondays: College basketball fiesta

February 26th, 2007 | Posted by PostmanE

Quite a weekend for college hoops, huh?

So our Hoosiers suffered a massive meltdown in Lansing - so what? We didn’t expect them to win anyway, and those Spartans are a dangerous, dangerous squad, provided they don’t turn the ball over. Oh well, right?

No, the main action to be seen was elsewhere in the Big Ten, as I mentioned Friday. That game didn’t disappoint one bit, as the Badgers put up a great second half fight even after they lost criminally underrated center Brian Butch. The big man’s bum elbow will definitely damage the Badgers’ chances of overtaking Ohio State in the Big Ten tourney, or of making a huge NCAA push … but if any team can weather an injury, it’s Wisconsin. They’ll be imperfect, but tough nonetheless.

Elsewhere, we can shake our heads dismissively at Florida today. Luke Winn’s question from Saturday’s letdown to undermanned LSU rings true: Are the Gators good enough to flip the proverbial switch whenever necessary? Are they the Shaq-and-Kobe-era Lakers, capable of huge regular season relaxation periods as well as playoff success? We’ll see in the next few weeks.

Also partially interesting: Maryland takes down UNC in College Park. Are the Terps making a surge here or what? That’s five in a row for a suddenly dangerous tournament team.

Georgetown tops Pittsburgh. Speaking of surging, the Hoyas are playing as well as anyone in the country right now. They’re certainly playing better than Florida and UNC, and even maybe better than Wisconsin.