SB Nation

John Wall Needs A Nickname

Dan Shanoff took a stab at nicknaming John Wall this morning over at The Sporting Blog. It did not go well:

Maybe he is one of those players that is so good, he doesn’t need a nickname. But I’m going to try, in honor of the pop star of the moment: “Ga-Ga.”

Because that’s what people go when they watch Wall play.

Cringe.

And it’s “Gaga,” not “Ga-Ga,” assuming he is naming Wall after the eccentric female pop music superstar.

So yeah, we need something better. Something befitting of a player who is so dominating, they gave him the No. 1 … twice. Hmm … No. 11 … 11 … Spinal Tap comes to mind. Yes. Spinal Tap. We could name him after one of their songs from the “Smell the Glove” album.

Sex Farm? Cups and Cakes? Ohh … how about The Love Pump? Yeah, I like Love Pump.

Or, you know, John Wall works too. Just don’t call him Ga-Ga, please.

5 comments

by Chris Mottram • Dec 10, 2009 10:29 AM EST

Is John Wall Bad For College Basketball?

What, you say? The same John Wall that electrified the Madison Square Garden crowd in a thrilling win for Kentucky last night?

That’s what SB Nation’s college hoops blog Searching For Billy Edelin writes.

Tonight Wall put up 25 points along with six steals in a fantastic win over UCONN, all part of an electrifying atmosphere at MSG. The problem here is Wall has come in to poop on his peers for one season, all with the intent of peacing to the pros come springtime, forgetting that college basketball even exists.
[…]
We’re relying on 17- and 18-year-old players to generate the majority of excitement and hype for this great sport. You know there was another explosive point guard on the floor tonight? His name was Kemba Walker, a sophomore. Nobody seemed to care. After being ignored by his teammates for the first 25 minute of the game, Patrick Patterson showed he’s one of the country’s best big men. But he’s a junior, which is so “out” this season. Why aren’t we looking to market the players we know are in this relationship for the long run?

A little curmudgeon-y, but certainly understandable. We’re talking about a college basketball fan that would rather see college basketball players there longer. I get that.

But here’s the problem: there is no “long run” in college basketball. Even a four-year senior stays for just four years. College hoops has always been a stepping stone for the game’s best, whether they stay one year or four.

So let’s sit back and enjoy the great basketball players play and develop in their formative years. One year of John Wall or Kevin Durant in college basketball is better than zero.

5 comments

by Mike Prada • Dec 10, 2009 10:09 AM EST

ESPN Struggles To Broadcast Kentucky-UConn Game

Currently, No. 4 Kentucky and No. 14 UConn are battling each other in an entertaining game -- a game with John Wall prominently involved -- at Madison Square Garden, no less. It's a great matchup of two college basketball powerhouses, playing in prime-time, and did I mention John Wall? Sounds like a fun game, doesn't it? Want to tune in and watch? Great! Just turn to ESPN ... oh, wait ... signal seems to be out. Again.

Yes, in one of this young season's better matchups, the Worldwide Leader has already dropped the video feed twice, leaving Dan Shulman and Dick Vitale to essentially act like they're calling the game on the radio. And fans ain't happy.

Our own Chris Dobbertean: Oh goody...this broadcast has become "Theatre of the Mind."

apayne1170: Is this espn or CBS college sports? Come on

sethkjolly: Dear ESPN, please don't give me Dickie V as the radio guy if you're going to give me technical difficulties with the picture.

The weather in New York City is fine tonight, and, ya know, it's New York City, media capital of the world. So what could possibly be the reason for this?

Tuned into ESPN to watch a little Kentucky-Connecticut. John Wall is apparently so amazing that he causes the cameras to malfunction.

Makes sense to me.

2 comments

by Ryan Hudson • Dec 9, 2009 11:11 PM EST

Harvard Beats Boston College For Second Straight Season: Two Ivy Bids A Possibility?

Every BC fan's worst nightmare came true Wednesday night when the Eagles lost to Harvard at home for the second straight season, this time by a 74-67 score. Jeremy Lin, the guy responsible for the shot of the year, once again was a thorn in BC's side, scoring 25 on the night (to go with the 27 he hung on the Eagles last season). 

But I'm not here to talk about the Eagles. The boys over at BC Interruption do a fine enough job on that front.  I'm here to bring up the crazy notion that maybe, just maybe the Ivy League could put two teams into this year's field of 65.

Last season, the Crimson's win came when they were 7-6, and smack in the middle of a campaign that ended up 14-14, with a losing mark in the Ivy. This season, the Crimson are 7-2, with the two setbacks coming in a close game at UConn Sunday, and a three-point defeat at the hands of a much-improved Army squad back on Nov. 23. They have to be considered a threat to claim the Ivy regular season crown, and the Dance ticket that goes with it.

As for preseason favorite Cornell, all they've done so far this season is match the Crimson's 7-2 record, with wins over the SEC (at Alabama), Atlantic 10 (at Massachusetts, at home to St. Joseph's), and CAA (at Drexel).

It should indeed be an interesting season in the Ancient Eight, a league that has never had two teams make the Tournament in the same season.

0 comments

by Chris Dobbertean • Dec 9, 2009 9:36 PM EST

Is Butler Getting Undue Respect?

I'm all for mid-majors crashing the national picture in college basketball.  It's one thing that makes the game so great, and what decent person doesn't root for the little guy at least a little bit?

But I'm also for teams earning their spot on the national landscape, because nobody likes it when someone is given something they don't deserve.  So I ask this - does Butler really deserve all the respect it's getting in the polls?

Butler's been ranked pretty much the entire season, despite now having three losses after last night's loss to Georgetown and only one good win (at Northwestern). As Jay Williams points out on Twitter, Butler hasn't exactly gotten it done against signature competition recently.

Butler is really struggling against elite competition. After Tuesday’s loss, the Bulldogs are just 1-7 against top 25 opponents.

In light of that, why is Butler essentially being treated as "the mid-major program that has ARRIVED," like Gonzaga?  Gonzaga actually beats other ranked teams regularly.  Butler doesn't.  No shame in that, but maybe it's time to slow down the hype machine.

(Butler fans, take solace.  At least you aren't a flash in the pan like Portland).

0 comments

by Mike Prada • Dec 9, 2009 2:01 PM EST

Sometimes, The Rules Shouldn't Matter

Sure, Miami’s player had his feet set, had good position, and you could argue this was a charge.

But when a player— a college player, no less — does something so unabashedly badass, you’ve got to let that count, right? Especially when it’s as close a call as that was. Like, “tie goes to the runner,” here. Or maybe “tie goes to the guy that just destroyed his opponent’s self-worth.”

On the playground, they wouldn’t call a foul, they’d just stop the game:

Wait wait wait… he got him like that? Pshh… That’s the winner. Game over.

Thankfully, though, BC wound up winning the game, 61-60. Consider justice served.

(HT: BC Interruption)

0 comments

by Andrew Sharp • Dec 8, 2009 2:06 PM EST

A 96-Team NCAA Field Would Be Tough To Bracket

Mike DeCourcy writes over at The Sporting News that the NCAA is talking about expanding the men's basketball tournament again.

Oh goody.

Honestly, the real discussion should be about dropping the odious Opening Round game to get the field back to an even 64, not to add spots that will likely be filled by mediocre power conference teams who can't even earn a .500 record in their leagues. What is this? Bowl season?

The current format works perfectly. In essence, the champion has to win three four-team tournaments, of varying levels of difficulty, over three consecutive weekends, to claim the title. Adding in 32 more teams means that the big boys would get the advantage of sitting until the second round, significantly hampering the underdog factor that draws people to the event year in and year out.

It seems the motivation may very well be money. It turns out that after the Final Four in April, the NCAA can opt out of the final three years of that monstrously big TV contract they signed with CBS back in 1999. That could open the door for ESPN, who already dominates college basketball coverage (see Ryan Hudson's commentary on early season tournaments). The cable giant will already take football's BCS off the broadcast airwaves next season, and March Madness is a property Bristol has long wanted in its portfolio. You can bet they'll pay significantly more than CBS to do so.

So, if tournament expansion is in the cards, when do we get a football playoff? 

3 comments

by Chris Dobbertean • Dec 8, 2009 12:00 PM EST

Portland's Top 25 Pit Stop Is Officially Over

Thanks for playing the Top 25 game, Portland. Now please report back to college basketball obscurity.

The No. 25 Pilots lost to Idaho by 20 points last night, after losing at home to crosstown rival Portland State on Wednesday. The Slipper Still Fits, the SB Nation blog for Portland's conference rival Gonzaga, says it best.

If you want to see a blueprint for how to become irrelevant in one week, just look at what the Portland Pilots have done. After finally securing a top 25 ranking for the first time in 50 years, the Pilots choked away a comfortable lead against Portland St, and then followed that up by laying an egg in Moscow. While the Idaho loss is galling because of the final score, the Portland St. loss at home is the most stunning. You just can't simply lose games like that if you want to be in the hunt for an at-large bid come March.

I know channeling Jim Mora is totally cliche, but I can't help it.  At-Large Bid?  We're talking about an At-Large bid?  You kidding me?  At-large bid?  I just hope we can not lose a game by 20 points to a team that lost to Texas Southern. 

0 comments

by Mike Prada • Dec 7, 2009 11:06 AM EST

UK Phenom John Wall Leaves Game With Injury

Kentucky leads North Carolina in the second half, but Wildcat fans are more than a little nervous right now because their star freshman -- the impossibly gifted John Wall -- just left the game and headed to the locker room. Wall came off the court limping, but CBS hasn't reported anything yet and it's difficult to say whether Wall was suffering from a cramp or something more serious like a knee injury.

Expect a prayer vigil over at SBN UK blog A Sea Of Blue until we know more.

UPDATE: You can come down off that ledge now, Kentucky fans: It was indeed just cramping. Wall returned to the game, although did appear to still be gimpy.

0 comments

by Peter Bean • Dec 5, 2009 2:00 PM EST

Did Texas Tech Just Win The National Championship, Or Did They Beat The No. 12 Team In Early December?

Mute the computer and pretend you have no idea what date it is or what happened in college hoops last night, then watch this:

OK, fine, that little experiment is flawed. But seriously, Texas Tech stormed the court after beating the 12th-ranked team in the nation last night. I know there is no hard-and-fast rule when it comes to court-storming, but I’m pretty sure a December 3rd win, regardless of opponent, doesn’t justify it.

Although, granted, this is the biggest non-conference win of the Pat Knight Era and I'm probably just a bitter old man. So go crazy, Red Raiders. PEW PEW PEW!

1 comment

by Chris Mottram • Dec 4, 2009 9:17 AM EST

Dereck Whittenburg Fired By Fordham During Jimmy V Week

As Eamonn Brennan mentioned here in the From Our Editors section on Wednesday, it's Jimmy V Week on the ESPN family of networks.  To commemorate this now annual event that shows how there are some things in life that are bigger than basketball, Fordham fired their head basketball coach, Dereck Whittenburg.

You know, Dereck Whittenburg, the player whose miss led to the most famous moment of Jim Valvano's coaching career. Warning: Billy Packer is the color commentator.

Sure, the Rams started the season with one win in five games, and they only won three times all of last season. And just yesterday, Fordham's brightest young player, sophomore guard Jio Fontan, announced that he was leaving the program. And while all the signs pointed to further struggles in Whittenberg's sixth season at the school (and the Rams did struggle, winning only 69 games in the coach's tenure), would it have hurt to hold off on this decision for another week?

The schedule gives a clue as to why Fordham moved when it did. The Rams have home games Bowling Green on Saturday and Stony Brook on Tuesday. Better to fire the coach when a new hire can provide some buzz that may lead to ticket sales. Assistant Jared Grasso will take over at Rose Hill, and it will be up to him to breathe new life into the program for the rest of the season.

0 comments

by Chris Dobbertean • Dec 3, 2009 8:14 PM EST

Thou Shalt Not Heckle The No. 1 Team In The Country

... especially if you are 0-9 in the SWAC and are pocketing $75k for one of those early-season guarantee games.

According to the Lawrence Journal-World, during a ho-hum early-season cupcake game for No. 1 Kansas against Alcorn State, an Alcorn State assistant coach decided to taunt Kansas' preseason all-American Sherron Collins.  Alcorn State was actually leading 4-3 at the time and maybe thought they had a shot of getting to within 30 points of Kansas by the end of the game, so they were fired up.  I dunno. 

Either way, it didn't work.

The 5-foot-11 Collins, who was knocked to the floor under the south goal, was being helped up by an Alcorn State player when Collins said he heard something shocking from an ASU coach.

“When I was on the way up, the assistant coach was like, ‘Don’t help him up,’’’ Collins said.

“I was like, ‘What?’

“I didn’t go over there (to confront the unnamed coach). I just told him, ‘This is our house.’ Then I shot a shot from the sideline and heard him say, ‘You got nothin’.’ I looked back and said, ‘All right, it’s time.’’’

Time to get rolling.

The Jayhawks completed a 36-0 run — one point shy of the NCAA record for most consecutive points in a game, which was 37 by Utah State in a game against Idaho in 2006.

Kansas eventually won the game 98-31.  Nicely done, coach. 

It's easy to blame the coach for thinking that, as the assistant coach of an 0-9 team in a terrible conference, it was the appropriate time and place to taunt the best player on the best team in the country.  But I'll choose to blame testosterone instead.  What can I say, it makes you do some weird stuff sometimes.

0 comments

by Mike Prada • Dec 3, 2009 5:17 PM EST