This could be Billy Donovan on Monday night

March 29th, 2007 | Posted by PostmanR

Let’s go back to 2003. You remember, right? Roy Williams and his Kansas squad had just faltered against mighty ‘Melo and Syracuse in the National Title game. Rumors swirled before the game that Williams might jump ship to North Carolina. Observe this amazingly awkward interview between a peeved Roy and a just-doing-my-job Bonnie Bernstein postgame:

Now, I know the latest news is that Billy Donovan is telling recruits he’s staying at Florida and not going after the Kentucky job, but, to me, it’s still quite within the realm of possibility. I mean, what’s left for him at Florida? If they win it all again this weekend, how do you top two national titles in a row?

You don’t. Why not try it all over again somewhere else and get paid a ballsload in the process?

Ballsload. I like that word. I think I just made it up.

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.

Revisiting Hansbrough-gate

March 5th, 2007 | Posted by PostmanE

At the risk of posting yet another video on this already pixel-bloated front page, here’s the somewhat brutal footage of Tyler Hansbrough taking a major facial from Gerald Henderson in the closing minutes of yesterday’s UNC win, courtesy of Loser with Socks.

Besides Billy Packer’s denialist nonsense, what most impressed me about the whole thing is how much Hansbrough would have destroyed three or four Duke players given the chance. I know that seems childish, but that dude is a haus, and he looked about as mad as anyone’s ever seen him.

Anyway, as for the “intentional or not question,” I think it’s pretty clear Henderson didn’t try to do exactly what he did. That’s convoluted; what I mean is that the guy didn’t necessarily intend to clock Psycho T in the nose, but he did try to foul the guy really hard, probably harder than he needed to, and this is what happened. In that case, the ejection is probably fair.

My favorite part of the whole last few minutes, though, was this: Roy Williams and Mike Kryzewski huddled by the sideline, both waiting to hear the referee’s verdict. It seemed clear that Williams was doing all of the talking, and Coach K was just standing there, looking furious, thinking he should say something but not wanting to escalate a shouting match with a guy in a tweed suit. Funny stuff. Anyway, he fired his shot after the game:

“The game was over before that,” he said. “I mean the outcome of the game, let’s put it that way. That’s unfortunate, too, that those people were in the game in that play. Maybe this wouldn’t have happened.”

The rivalry game slogan on ESPN should now read: Duke-UNC - Even more fun when Duke’s losing!

UPDATE: Apparently Hansbrough’s nose is broken. Considering the Carrie-esque fountain of blood, that seems about right.

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.

Bob Knight is really enjoying himself: A look at last night’s college hoops

February 14th, 2007 | Posted by PostmanE

Yahoo! Sports’ resident Bob Knight apologist had a fantastic opportunity to flex some RMK love today: Knight’s Texas Tech squad took a win away from No. 6 Texas A&M at A&M. (In case you didn’t see the highlights, Tech won on a full-court-navigating last second shot from the continually underrated Jarrius Jackson.)

Of course, Knight used his postgame to take a quick shot at the gathered media, who were more likely there to write a coronation of Billy Gillespie’s impressive Aggies.

Bob Knight had a floppy hat on his head and a look of satisfaction on his face, a bit of joy even.

Not so much because his Texas Tech team had finally figured out how to finish, ending a five game losing streak – one of the longest of his long career. But because he had ruined things for a bunch of national media who had descended here to hype up white-hot Texas A&M.

“You came here to write a big story about A&M and we just (expletive) you,” smiled Knight outside the Tech locker room as he prepared to head for the team bus.

Ah, a feeling of joy. Not because his team won, mind you, but because he got to stick it to the national media. Really showed them, Bobby. (I wonder what it’s like to live in such a joyless, angry and yes, brilliant mind.)

A&M’s unlikely loss wasn’t the only one of the night. In a (arguably) eerie coincidence, and perhaps an even bigger upset, No. 25 Virginia Tech knocked off No. 4 North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Apparently, it was “Lose to mediocre technical school” promotional night for UNC and A&M.

The question, as Dan Shanoff poses this morning in his Quickie: What do you make of the top-ranked squads after these losses? What do you make of both Techs getting the tough road wins?

First, Texas Tech. It’s easy to try to apply a win like this to the NCAA tournament, but that discussion might be irrevelant; the Red Raiders are still only 5-6 in the conference and 16-10 overall. If they pull it together and get in the tourney, I’d be deathly afraid to see them as a 10 or 11 seed. That could get ugly for whoever is in their side of the bracket. Or they could flame out again. That was a long way of saying: who knows?

UNC is UNC; no worries there. Roy Williams might need to step in and coach close games more tightly, but they’ll be fine. Still a Final Four team, I think.

Same with A&M. No worries. Still a sweet 16 team, as long as they’re shooting well.

Virginia Tech is perhaps the most interesting of the four, yeah? I mean, this team has wins at Duke (which, I suppose, don’t mean as much this year) and two over UNC, including last night’s in Chapel Hill. Talk about being afraid of a team in the tournament. Every game I see Va. Tech play, they look more and more appealing as that lower-seed Elite Eight team that always emerges. If you don’t have the horses to match up, stay away from those ultra-athletic Hokies. They will jump you into submission. Don’t believe me? Ask Greg Paulus.

One more college hoops note: I’ve just bought John Feinstein’s Last Dance: Behind the Scenes at the Final Four. Needless to say, I’m excited, and will report back with a full, ahem, report, sometime in the near future. (See my review of Blind Side to see what you’ll be breathlessly awaiting.)

College athletics taketh away, and college athletics giveth

February 7th, 2007 | Posted by PostmanE

So I celebrated signing day by completely decrying the collegiate recruitment process and the particularly murky aspects of those players’ careers once they arrive at their campus of choice. It might be a bit ironic then - or at least contradictory - that I’ll settle under the warm glow of the HDTV tonight for a night full of collegiate athletics at their finest. Hey, I never said I didn’t like college hoops, I just don’t like the way they’re made. If I was into giving simple concepts presumptuous capitalized titles (or if I was Bill Simmons), I might call it the Sausage Theory.

Anyway, one game obviously jumps up at the viewer tonight: North Carolina at Duke, traditionally the most overhyped of all sports contests. By now it’s an old complaint, but the number of camera angles - nay, channels - dedicated to a regular season college basketball contest is truly something to behold. Even national championships don’t get the subsidiary treatment. And a camera trained on the fans - really? As someone who’s been inside Cameron Indoor Stadium, the last thing you really ought to focus on is the incredibly nerdy, cranky Crazies, especially when there is quality basketball being played on the floor in front of you. (Quick story: when Indiana played at Cameron for the Big Ten/ACC earlier in the season, every time the Hoosiers would set up their mini benches on the Duke floor, three female Crazies would give themselves absolute coronaries screaming “GET OFF OUR FLOOR!!! DISRESPECTFUL!!! THAT’S SO DISRESPECTFUL!!! GET OFF OUR FLOOR!!!” Finally someone on media row told them that it was something IU did every game, and that it was probably not meant as disrespect. Blue-faced [from the shout-induced asphyxiation, not the face paint], the Harpies just glared at the poor guy. Crazy, indeed.)

But alas, as in most other years, at least one of these teams is very good and the other is slightly above average, making the game worthwhile viewing even for impartial college basketball fans. And as cynical as I might be - it wouldn’t surprise me if the NCAA arranged this scheduling so everyone could immediately forget how icky signing day is - it’s hard to thumb your nose at college basketball’s aesthetic finest. That what it’s all about, after all; the sheer joy of the game might not completely trump my qualms with the NCAA, but it certainly helps the balance.

For the record, that photo was taken immediately after Roy Williams was asked if he thought a “Crazies Cam” was the least bit necessary. “OH GOD NO!! NO!!!!”