The rankings are out and the "damage" is worse than I thought in the AP Poll. The Coaches Poll is about right. And by about right, I mean that I figured they would be 12 or 13. I happen to think they are better than that but there's a chance that I'm biased. Of course in my defense I have seen pretty much all of the "good" teams play at least once already this season.
The Coaches Poll has the Hoyas checking in at #13 today. They were #10 last week.
The AP has the Hoyas at #15 . They were #9 last week.
I just did a quick check of how the voters in the AP voted this week and I must say that I think it's ridiculous that 2 voters didn't include the Hoyas on their ballots. That's a bit harsh. They have quality road wins, the sixth best strength of schedule, and their lone loss is on the road to a quality team. Whatever.
Oh and they are #2 in the RPI. Of course that changes on a nightly basis.
Rest of the Big East: There are 7 BE schools ranked in both the AP and Coaches Polls this week.
AP: Conn #4, Syracuse #5, Pitt #8, Nova #10, HOYAS #15, Louisville #20, ND, #24
Coaches: Conn #4, Syracuse #5, Pitt #8, Nova #11, HOYAS #13, Louisville #21, ND, #23
The only thing that stands out to me is that Connecticut is too high. It's as if voters have failed to see how those Kentucky and Michigan State wins aren't nearly as impressive anymore.
I'm ready for the Big East season long grind to start.
Ok I just did more research on the two voters who failed to rank the Hoyas.
Scott Reid of the Orange County Register had them 15 last week and Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News also had them at 15. So they lost a road game at Temple that came down to the last possession and it was worth a drop of more than 10 spots? Sure.
Ok I'm out.
Peace brah
Monday, December 13, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Sunday Dec 12
So I never got a chance to post anything on here yesterday. I want to send my sincerest apologies to the dozen or so people that are actually aware that this blog exists.
Most of my day was spent in DC yesterday between a soccer tournament and the post game "celebration". We didn't win the tournament but we definitely came away victorious at Duffy's. Our chances of advancing out of the group pretty much went out the window when we lost Stratton to what looked like a serious knee injury early in the 2nd game with a lead. We started the day with one guy sub and ended it by playing a man down.
We didn't have much to play for in the 3rd game but I thought it was the best of our 3 games. I thought I played alright but obviously I didn't do enough to help us advance. What I can't do is play 3 games in one day without a sub. Walking to the bar after it was all over was way more challenging than it should have been. Maybe I need to start taking yoga again. My back is jacked up.
Ok so how about the Redskins?
I've been on the "get rid of Gano" bandwagon for a long time now. Today was a perfect example of why I think the guy is garbage. I just don't get why he has had so many chances.
In 1998 the Redskins had David Akers for one game. He missed two long field goals and they cut him. The next year the Eagles picked him up and he's been there ever since. He's probably been one of the best kickers in the last decade. Cut Gano. The sample size is large enough to make a determination that he sucks.
Speaking of the Eagles, they beat the 'Skins 59-28 a month ago. Washington has failed to score 59 points in the next 4 games. Combined.
When the Redskins got rid of Marty Schotttenheimer a lot fans were ok it with because he "hadn't won a lot of playoff games". You know what? That's true. But you know what else Marty doesn't do? He never sucked for 10 years either. 2 losing seasons in 21 years.
Hell Norv freakin' Turner has won 3 playoff games since Snyder fired him. The 'Skins have one playoff win to their credit during that time.
I really want to have something positive to say about the Redskins but I don't right now. When Snyder got control of the Redskins he wanted to have the trade for Brad Johnson reversed. I thought that was insane and have never liked the guy. I really don't think they will ever sustain winning as long as he is involved. It's a bummer because he's going to be involved for decades to come.
This game was designed to hurt. I'm out.
Peace brah
Most of my day was spent in DC yesterday between a soccer tournament and the post game "celebration". We didn't win the tournament but we definitely came away victorious at Duffy's. Our chances of advancing out of the group pretty much went out the window when we lost Stratton to what looked like a serious knee injury early in the 2nd game with a lead. We started the day with one guy sub and ended it by playing a man down.
We didn't have much to play for in the 3rd game but I thought it was the best of our 3 games. I thought I played alright but obviously I didn't do enough to help us advance. What I can't do is play 3 games in one day without a sub. Walking to the bar after it was all over was way more challenging than it should have been. Maybe I need to start taking yoga again. My back is jacked up.
Ok so how about the Redskins?
I've been on the "get rid of Gano" bandwagon for a long time now. Today was a perfect example of why I think the guy is garbage. I just don't get why he has had so many chances.
In 1998 the Redskins had David Akers for one game. He missed two long field goals and they cut him. The next year the Eagles picked him up and he's been there ever since. He's probably been one of the best kickers in the last decade. Cut Gano. The sample size is large enough to make a determination that he sucks.
Speaking of the Eagles, they beat the 'Skins 59-28 a month ago. Washington has failed to score 59 points in the next 4 games. Combined.
When the Redskins got rid of Marty Schotttenheimer a lot fans were ok it with because he "hadn't won a lot of playoff games". You know what? That's true. But you know what else Marty doesn't do? He never sucked for 10 years either. 2 losing seasons in 21 years.
Hell Norv freakin' Turner has won 3 playoff games since Snyder fired him. The 'Skins have one playoff win to their credit during that time.
I really want to have something positive to say about the Redskins but I don't right now. When Snyder got control of the Redskins he wanted to have the trade for Brad Johnson reversed. I thought that was insane and have never liked the guy. I really don't think they will ever sustain winning as long as he is involved. It's a bummer because he's going to be involved for decades to come.
This game was designed to hurt. I'm out.
Peace brah
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Friday Dec 10
Well its been 24 hours and the sky didn't fall. After 9 games the Hoyas probably deserve to have one loss. They had no business beating ODU and they did everything possible to give away the Missouri game. The bummer about losing a close game is that at some point a game or two will get away from you. It makes those close loses that much more painful to swallow. When you get hammered, you just take it as a loss. When you can look back to one or two plays that went wrong, it sucks even more if that makes sense.
3 treated the first half like an open tryout with some of the weirdest lineups I've seen all season. That's cool for later in the season but it sucked yesterday. They never really got in sync but it still took some crazy circumstances to beat them. At the end of the day they had the ball with a chance to take the lead on the last possession. That's all you can really ask for - a chance.
I bet if they are in the same situation again, 3 will call a timeout. I understand that if you call timeout you give the defense a chance to set up but I think it's obvious that they need to talk about how they can get the ball to either Austin or Jason. Hollis isn't the guy that needs to be shooting that last shot. Ok I'm over it
So my neighbor across the street keeps making me pumpkin bread. I think these are advance payments for me shoveling her out in a few weeks when the blizzards start again.
I played two games tonight and I'm not really in good enough shape to do that. The men's league game was pretty fun. I don't play men's league that often - usually it's co-ed. I'd like to get in a full time men's league. It would make me better.
I had a to play a bunch of goalie in the co-ed game tonight. I thought I played well in the first half. The 2nd half - not so much. I probably don't do as well as I should in cutting down angles on shots. Oh well. The good news is that my shoulder doesn't really restrict me from making saves anymore. I can notice a difference from a few months ago. So there's that.
So there's a tournament tomorrow at Cardazo High School in DC. I should probaby go to bed soon. The first game isn't until 1030 but I bet that comes quicker than you think. I really hope it's a little bit warmer tomorrow than it has been recently. The older I get the more the cold gets to me. I'd really like to avoid playing keeper tomorrow but I will play here and there if I have to. I just won't be super excited about it.
OMG is it Sunday yet? I need to get that bad taste out of my mouth. I want to see what Moses can add to the squad.
Peace brah
3 treated the first half like an open tryout with some of the weirdest lineups I've seen all season. That's cool for later in the season but it sucked yesterday. They never really got in sync but it still took some crazy circumstances to beat them. At the end of the day they had the ball with a chance to take the lead on the last possession. That's all you can really ask for - a chance.
I bet if they are in the same situation again, 3 will call a timeout. I understand that if you call timeout you give the defense a chance to set up but I think it's obvious that they need to talk about how they can get the ball to either Austin or Jason. Hollis isn't the guy that needs to be shooting that last shot. Ok I'm over it
So my neighbor across the street keeps making me pumpkin bread. I think these are advance payments for me shoveling her out in a few weeks when the blizzards start again.
I played two games tonight and I'm not really in good enough shape to do that. The men's league game was pretty fun. I don't play men's league that often - usually it's co-ed. I'd like to get in a full time men's league. It would make me better.
I had a to play a bunch of goalie in the co-ed game tonight. I thought I played well in the first half. The 2nd half - not so much. I probably don't do as well as I should in cutting down angles on shots. Oh well. The good news is that my shoulder doesn't really restrict me from making saves anymore. I can notice a difference from a few months ago. So there's that.
So there's a tournament tomorrow at Cardazo High School in DC. I should probaby go to bed soon. The first game isn't until 1030 but I bet that comes quicker than you think. I really hope it's a little bit warmer tomorrow than it has been recently. The older I get the more the cold gets to me. I'd really like to avoid playing keeper tomorrow but I will play here and there if I have to. I just won't be super excited about it.
OMG is it Sunday yet? I need to get that bad taste out of my mouth. I want to see what Moses can add to the squad.
Peace brah
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Well that's what losing taste like...
So when the game is in the balance you can't give Hollis Thompson the ball. He took a horrible 3 against Missouri and then there was that drive tonight. He has proven to be a complete liability at the end of games.
I was screaming for 3 to call a timeout. Hollis drives it to the hoop, OK that's fine. The problem is that he is never looking to pass. Vaughn was wide open. Freeman was wide open. It's very bad basketball for Freeman to not get a touch on that possession.
What else sucked?
Freeman's missed free throw towards the end of the game was pretty big. So were all of Vaughn's misses around the rim. Not to mention his turnovers. How about the time he let a guy on the ground strip the ball?
How about letting Moore go off for a career high. Why was Benimon defending him for awhile? Why wasn't it Sanford? What does Sanford have to get more time?
What about the dude on Temple that shoots 31% from the line going 5 for 6 tonight? Reminds me of Mazzulla at the BET Final last year.
How about the ridiculous lineups in the first half? It's like they were holding a tryout.
Good Vibes
The good news is that they didn't play very well against a good team on the road and it came down to the final possession. I'll end this on a good note. That's all I got.
Look they were never going to go undefeated. A loss was coming. Hopefully there is something to be learned from tonight.
I'm also really glad that I'm not walking to my truck and about to drive home from Philly right now. That would suck and I've had more than my fair share of bad drives home.
See you on Sunday
Peace brah
I was screaming for 3 to call a timeout. Hollis drives it to the hoop, OK that's fine. The problem is that he is never looking to pass. Vaughn was wide open. Freeman was wide open. It's very bad basketball for Freeman to not get a touch on that possession.
What else sucked?
Freeman's missed free throw towards the end of the game was pretty big. So were all of Vaughn's misses around the rim. Not to mention his turnovers. How about the time he let a guy on the ground strip the ball?
How about letting Moore go off for a career high. Why was Benimon defending him for awhile? Why wasn't it Sanford? What does Sanford have to get more time?
What about the dude on Temple that shoots 31% from the line going 5 for 6 tonight? Reminds me of Mazzulla at the BET Final last year.
How about the ridiculous lineups in the first half? It's like they were holding a tryout.
Good Vibes
The good news is that they didn't play very well against a good team on the road and it came down to the final possession. I'll end this on a good note. That's all I got.
Look they were never going to go undefeated. A loss was coming. Hopefully there is something to be learned from tonight.
I'm also really glad that I'm not walking to my truck and about to drive home from Philly right now. That would suck and I've had more than my fair share of bad drives home.
See you on Sunday
Peace brah
Game 9: Hoyas v Owls
Georgetown is at Temple tonight in a game that I hope turns into a street fight. The Hoyas have passed every test so far this season as their record stands at 8-0. Tonight will be different. Tonight will be the exact opposite of the Missouri game. It will be just as difficult, just a different kind of difficult. I can't wait to see how this group reacts to a a low scoring slug fest against a quality team with some decent size on the road.
My Advice: Press. Press. Press. Push. Push. Push. Defensively I love when the Hoyas apply pressure. I know they like to pick their spots but I'd like to see them pick more spots. Offensively they need to try and get good shots in transition. Temple is pretty stingy in the half court so any points you can get when they aren't set will be important.
Hedge: I will hedge a little bit about the press. Temple doesn't have a great offense so if they are getting good looks by virtue of beating the press, scrap it. JT3 can coach so I know he will adjust.
KenPom: I love the stuff available at KenPom. I can make 2 hours seems like 5 minutes on that site. Looking at the tempo-free stats, Temple will be the best defense the Hoyas have played so far. Conversely Georgetown will be by far the best offense that the Owls have faced. Nice little match-up there.
Keys: As always it will be very important to limit the Owls to just one shot per possession. It would be nice if Vaughn would stay out of foul trouble. Same goes with Henry. Offensively it's very simple. Take good shots. It doesn't matter if they are 3's or 2's. A good shot is a good shot, especially with this team of shooters.
The Numbers: Well we are about a 1/4 of the way through the season, depending on how many post season games you play, and we can finally make a little sense of some of the statistical numbers. The early season schedule has paid off so far as the Hoyas find themselves with the #1 RPI and #1 SOS.
Top Ten: The Hoyas moved into the Top Ten in both polls this week. It doesn't really matter but it does. I really like seeing them on the bottom scroll when the new poll comes out. I bet recruits like seeing that as well.
Flashback: Last year these two teams got together on opening night for ESPN's 24 hours of College Basketball and played one of the worst games of the season. Monroe hit a late shot to push the combined total just north of 90. The Hoyas won 46-45 in a most forgettable contest.
Moses: The Temple game is the last game until the Hoya Saxa Death Star is complete. Moses Ayegba was ruled ineligible for the first 9 games of the season by the NCAA. The NCAA ruled that his airline ticket was paid for by somebody outside of his immediate family.
I think it's fitting that Moses will be able to play his first game on a Sunday. They haven't really missed him so far but it will be nice to have his big body and 5 fouls available from now on.
Celebration Ale: Tonight's game will again be sponsored by Celebration Ale at Welcome to Rick's. We like to celebrate just how fun it is to watch this year's team, especially the guards. Austin Freeman is ridiculous, Chris Wright is letting the game come to him, and Jason Clark is a freak.
Don't forget to Hollar for Hollis.
Peace brah
My Advice: Press. Press. Press. Push. Push. Push. Defensively I love when the Hoyas apply pressure. I know they like to pick their spots but I'd like to see them pick more spots. Offensively they need to try and get good shots in transition. Temple is pretty stingy in the half court so any points you can get when they aren't set will be important.
Hedge: I will hedge a little bit about the press. Temple doesn't have a great offense so if they are getting good looks by virtue of beating the press, scrap it. JT3 can coach so I know he will adjust.
KenPom: I love the stuff available at KenPom. I can make 2 hours seems like 5 minutes on that site. Looking at the tempo-free stats, Temple will be the best defense the Hoyas have played so far. Conversely Georgetown will be by far the best offense that the Owls have faced. Nice little match-up there.
Keys: As always it will be very important to limit the Owls to just one shot per possession. It would be nice if Vaughn would stay out of foul trouble. Same goes with Henry. Offensively it's very simple. Take good shots. It doesn't matter if they are 3's or 2's. A good shot is a good shot, especially with this team of shooters.
The Numbers: Well we are about a 1/4 of the way through the season, depending on how many post season games you play, and we can finally make a little sense of some of the statistical numbers. The early season schedule has paid off so far as the Hoyas find themselves with the #1 RPI and #1 SOS.
Top Ten: The Hoyas moved into the Top Ten in both polls this week. It doesn't really matter but it does. I really like seeing them on the bottom scroll when the new poll comes out. I bet recruits like seeing that as well.
Flashback: Last year these two teams got together on opening night for ESPN's 24 hours of College Basketball and played one of the worst games of the season. Monroe hit a late shot to push the combined total just north of 90. The Hoyas won 46-45 in a most forgettable contest.
Moses: The Temple game is the last game until the Hoya Saxa Death Star is complete. Moses Ayegba was ruled ineligible for the first 9 games of the season by the NCAA. The NCAA ruled that his airline ticket was paid for by somebody outside of his immediate family.
I think it's fitting that Moses will be able to play his first game on a Sunday. They haven't really missed him so far but it will be nice to have his big body and 5 fouls available from now on.
Celebration Ale: Tonight's game will again be sponsored by Celebration Ale at Welcome to Rick's. We like to celebrate just how fun it is to watch this year's team, especially the guards. Austin Freeman is ridiculous, Chris Wright is letting the game come to him, and Jason Clark is a freak.
Don't forget to Hollar for Hollis.
Peace brah
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
College Basketball 12-8
**Illinois beat Oakland tonight. That's not that big of a deal. They used a women's ball for the first 7 minutes because nobody noticed. That is a big deal.
**Missouri is playing Vanderbilt in a match-up of schools with the exact same color scheme. This game is kind of crazy but I get the feeling that you could say that about any game that Mizzou is involved in. The Tigers aren't the best team in the country but they are somebody you want to avoid because you never know what might happen. LB Grad Hubert Davis is doing the color commentary and he's pretty solid. Go Bruins.
**Jimmy Dykes is doing color for the ND - UK game. He always comes up with some arbitrary ranking system. Tonight he is ranking different spots on the floor for shooters. Last time he had some 5 point scale to determine if a guy would play in the pros.
**It looks as if some of the oldest women in the planet are sitting behind the Vanderbilt bench. God Bless them.
**Mizzou forced OT but they don't deserve to win. They take the worst shots of all time. They just keep up this insane pace that forces the other team into mistakes.
**I used to root for other Big East schools when they played out of conference. Yeah I don't do that anymore. That is something that you do when the team that you root for is middle of the pack or in the bottom. You don't need to do that when your team is legit. To hell with everybody else. Unless they playing Maryland of course.
**Speaking of the Big East, I think they should start kicking out schools. I think it's time that DePaul goes away. They got blown out by the Sycamores of Indiana State tonight. Last time I checked Larry Bird doesn't play for them anymore.
**Notre Dame gets more rebounds than you would think. That's something to worry about for JT3. If JT3 is worried about, I'm worried about it.
**Jones for UK is a stud. That being said, I don't think the strategy of throwing a bunch of 1-and-done freshmen on the team every year will win a national championship.
**It's good for Georgetown's RPI, SOS, and all that numbers junk, but I really don't think that Mizzou "deserved" that win tonight. But, hey, that's what good teams have to do. They have to get wins when they don't play all that well. Anybody can win when you play well.
Peace brah
**Missouri is playing Vanderbilt in a match-up of schools with the exact same color scheme. This game is kind of crazy but I get the feeling that you could say that about any game that Mizzou is involved in. The Tigers aren't the best team in the country but they are somebody you want to avoid because you never know what might happen. LB Grad Hubert Davis is doing the color commentary and he's pretty solid. Go Bruins.
**Jimmy Dykes is doing color for the ND - UK game. He always comes up with some arbitrary ranking system. Tonight he is ranking different spots on the floor for shooters. Last time he had some 5 point scale to determine if a guy would play in the pros.
**It looks as if some of the oldest women in the planet are sitting behind the Vanderbilt bench. God Bless them.
**Mizzou forced OT but they don't deserve to win. They take the worst shots of all time. They just keep up this insane pace that forces the other team into mistakes.
**I used to root for other Big East schools when they played out of conference. Yeah I don't do that anymore. That is something that you do when the team that you root for is middle of the pack or in the bottom. You don't need to do that when your team is legit. To hell with everybody else. Unless they playing Maryland of course.
**Speaking of the Big East, I think they should start kicking out schools. I think it's time that DePaul goes away. They got blown out by the Sycamores of Indiana State tonight. Last time I checked Larry Bird doesn't play for them anymore.
**Notre Dame gets more rebounds than you would think. That's something to worry about for JT3. If JT3 is worried about, I'm worried about it.
**Jones for UK is a stud. That being said, I don't think the strategy of throwing a bunch of 1-and-done freshmen on the team every year will win a national championship.
**It's good for Georgetown's RPI, SOS, and all that numbers junk, but I really don't think that Mizzou "deserved" that win tonight. But, hey, that's what good teams have to do. They have to get wins when they don't play all that well. Anybody can win when you play well.
Peace brah
Wednesday Dec 8
For some reason I keep hoping against hope that the temperature gets around the 50 degree mark. Everyday Mother Nature lets me down. I'm going to have to switch to the treadmill soon.
So I was buying some stuff (read: candy) at CVS and I accidentally hit the "Donate to St. Jude's Hospital" button on the screen that you touch when you are paying with a credit card. I really didn't plan on making that donation but I felt it was in really poor taste to tell the 17 year old working behind the counter that I wanted to take my donation back to what I'm sure is a worthy cause. Especially during the Holidays. Charity 1 - Bob 0.
How mad is Jenn Sterger that the Vikings suck this year? She wants so much attention and most people have forgotten about her.
You know how there are a bunch of movies that, if they are on, you just have to watch? Well Road House is definitely on that list. I came home and I could hear it playing in the basement. Dalton and Wade Garrett are so bad ass. I'd love to go to the Double Deuce one day.
Rocky had this new way of laying on the couch where his front legs are almost completely off the couch. It looks uncomfortable but he keeps doing it. I don't know what to say really.
Since ESPNU is such a low budget channel they have a slew of low budget commercials. The kinds of commercials that look as if I could have produced them. Well one of them is for the Hair Club for Men. This one guy keeps saying how 80% of feeling good is looking good. I want to know where he got those numbers and why I should believe them. I have a sneaking suspicion that he made that number up.
So I need some frames for some stuff I want to put up at WTR's but unfortunately everything I have comes in an awkward size. Which of course means that the generic frames don't fit. Damn you AC Moore. You too Michael's.
Arsenal won today and I got a post card from The Emirates. I don't think that's a coincidence. Now I just need somebody to send me a postcard before every game. I nominate Emmanuel Eboue. I hope he's up for the job.
Urban Meyer is quitting again. I called this after watching some of their early season wins. This guy has tasted the spotlight and he can't get enough of it. Look for him to take a year off and end up coaching the Cowboys in the 2012 Season. It will be a mistake but he will get paid.
Peace brah
So I was buying some stuff (read: candy) at CVS and I accidentally hit the "Donate to St. Jude's Hospital" button on the screen that you touch when you are paying with a credit card. I really didn't plan on making that donation but I felt it was in really poor taste to tell the 17 year old working behind the counter that I wanted to take my donation back to what I'm sure is a worthy cause. Especially during the Holidays. Charity 1 - Bob 0.
How mad is Jenn Sterger that the Vikings suck this year? She wants so much attention and most people have forgotten about her.
You know how there are a bunch of movies that, if they are on, you just have to watch? Well Road House is definitely on that list. I came home and I could hear it playing in the basement. Dalton and Wade Garrett are so bad ass. I'd love to go to the Double Deuce one day.
Rocky had this new way of laying on the couch where his front legs are almost completely off the couch. It looks uncomfortable but he keeps doing it. I don't know what to say really.
Since ESPNU is such a low budget channel they have a slew of low budget commercials. The kinds of commercials that look as if I could have produced them. Well one of them is for the Hair Club for Men. This one guy keeps saying how 80% of feeling good is looking good. I want to know where he got those numbers and why I should believe them. I have a sneaking suspicion that he made that number up.
So I need some frames for some stuff I want to put up at WTR's but unfortunately everything I have comes in an awkward size. Which of course means that the generic frames don't fit. Damn you AC Moore. You too Michael's.
Arsenal won today and I got a post card from The Emirates. I don't think that's a coincidence. Now I just need somebody to send me a postcard before every game. I nominate Emmanuel Eboue. I hope he's up for the job.
Urban Meyer is quitting again. I called this after watching some of their early season wins. This guy has tasted the spotlight and he can't get enough of it. Look for him to take a year off and end up coaching the Cowboys in the 2012 Season. It will be a mistake but he will get paid.
Peace brah
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)