SB Nation - Jacksonville Dolphins

CBKWitness - at least we're not ucla

CBKWit — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:00:16 -0000

First thing's first: BIG, big props to CaliforniaCMB for his great work above. If you want to submit a (mens or womens) Cal bball photoshop/MS Paint to be featured in this space, email us at goldenblogs@gmail.com. A couple of football notes before we get to bball:

TwistNHook had the line of the night about the Neuheisel/Carroll D-bag competition: "dude, I bet Neuheezy is happy, because you know that dude bet the fucking over." Well put, Twist

I turned on the Stanford/Notre Dame game just in time to see Condi Rice administer the coin flip as this week's Stanfurd honorary captain. I'm hoping they drag out Donny Rumsfeld for the Emerald Bowl

And to basketball: About 40 minutes into one of our podcasts (so nobody heard it), Ragnarok predicted that Jamal Boykin would have a 20 point game sometime this season. I was skeptical, because I didn't think there'd be enough points to go around with Randle, Christopher, and Robertson. On Sunday, Roberston was not in the lineup due to his mysterious foot injury and Christopher continued his uneven play, chipping in only 5 points. It was the perfect opportunity for Boykin to contribute, and he matched his career high with 22 points. Ragnarok 1, CBKWit 0.

I saw only one Cal game last week, owing to Thanksgiving in the great state of Washington. The women's game against Ohio State was broadcast on Big10 TV, but sadly CBKParents didn't spring for channel 412 in their cable package.

So Cal versus Jacksonville at Haas last Tuesday was it, and there isn't too much to say about this one. Cal jumped out to a big lead early and dominated the game, winning it by 32. It was the biggest crowd by far this year but not noticeably louder than prior games; the crowd was relaxed with a four day weekend on the horizon and a blowout on the floor.

Patrick Christopher had has best game of the year, going for 23 points. He didn't have much in the first half and struggled as he has for much of the year, missing two three pointers and scoring only a few points (though he did have a spectacular two-handed put-back jam, getting up way above the rim). Then, early in the second half, he came up with a steal and breakaway for an easy bucket. He was lights out after that, hitting four threes on four attempts from the left arc. The performance was yet another indicator that Christopher's play is, for better or for worse, influenced by his mental state. He wasn't much of a factor in the first half; once he came up with the steal and breakaway, perhaps boosting his confidence, he was the most dominant player on the floor.

via cdn2.sbnation.com

Omondi Amoke continued his strong play with 15 points and 8 boards. He's a good leaper and persistent on the offensive glass, though he isn't a great finisher around the rim. He is going to play a huge role for the Bears this year, with the not too surprising news that Harper Kamp will likely redshirt and with Theo still out with his foot injury. I wouldn't be surprised if Amoke plays 20 minutes a game at the 3 and 4.

Bak Bak had two block blocks.

Yes, that's all I remember from this game.

via cdn3.sbnation.com

WSU won the Great Alaska Shootout over the weekend, which, amazingly, is not a harbinger of greatness. Cal won it three years ago with the DeVon Hardin/Ryan Anderson/Ayinde Ubaka team, propelling the bears to an 8th place, 6-12 finish in the Pac-10. WSU looks to finish, at least, in the middle of the conference this year. Klay Thompson, a 6-6 sophomore guard, is my pick for conference player of the year. He's an incredible shooter and is going to score a ton of points this year (he set the Great Alaska Shootout single game scoring record with 43 in the final; Glenn Big Dog Robinson had the previous record, 41).

To end on a happy note, ucla lost all three of its games in the 76 Classic, held in ANAHEIM. Yes, the bruins went 0-3 in a tournament held an hour from their campus. Butler is #10 in the country and the bruins almost pulled it out in the end, but losing to Long Beach State by 10 in the 7th place game? Portland has also beaten Minnesota and Oregon, but they didn't win those games by 27, as they did against ucla. To make matters worse for the small ________ bears, their starting forward Drew Gordon has left the team and is transferring out. Ben Braun went after him hard (Gordon is from San Jose), but I believe there's a two year penalty for transferring within the conference so I doubt we'll see him end up at Cal. Not that we need him with Max Zhang patrolling the paint. So yes, we are almost definitely without Harper for the year, Theo's already missed four games, and we lost big, twice, on national TV. But it could have been three times, in Oakland, to lesser teams, with Boykin leaving the team, and with the entire Stanfurd football team mocking us as they run up the score in the last minute. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: at least we're not ucla.

Your No. 13 (or 17) Florida Gators Basketball Team

mlmintampa — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:50:17 -0000

More photos » by Tim Larsen - AP

Browse more photos »

They say only the strong survive New Jersey, so maybe the Gators are legit after defeating then No. 2 Michigan State and Rutgers this weekend in Atlantic City. The wins vaulted UF (6-0) into the top-25; 13th in the AP poll and 17th in the Coaches. The Gators have three games in the first 10 days of December, beginning with Florida A&M tomorrow night, Jacksonville (in Jacksonville) on Dec. 4th, and Syracuse on Dec. 10 in Tampa in the made-for-ESPN SEC/Big East Invitational.

With Syracuse (6-0; 8th in the AP, 7th in the Coaches) getting Colgate and Maine before the Gators, it is entirely possible that we see a matchup of top-10 teams next Thursday. Following that it is a break for exams and coasting through mid and low majors before a road trip to start January at NC State and Vanderbilt. We're projecting pretty far here, but unless the injury or flu bug hits the Gators, they will be very competitive come SEC play. That has not always been true the last two seasons.

Cal Men's BBall 11.24.09 Jacksonville Open Thread

TwistNHook — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:30:12 -0000

More photos » by Marcio Jose Sanchez - AP

Shane, do you think it's too early to celebrate Cal men's basketball's potential upcoming victory over Jacksonville? Because if so, we should probably just head to the locker-room right now!

Browse more photos »

Cal men's BBall looks to get back on track after a rough weekend in Madison Square Garden. They face the Jacksonville Dolphins. Which means a)hopefully Cal can win and b)people will make a wide variety of painfully unfunny Ragnarok-Dolphin jokes. I'm looking at you, Royrules.

Regarding a), the game is currently set as follows:

California Golden Bears (2-2) vs. Jacksonville Dolphins (0-1)
Tuesday, Nov. 24, 7:30 p.m. (PT), Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, Calif.
Radio: KFRC 1550 AM TV: None

There does not appear to be any TV, but you can watch it online here. The Jacksonville Dolphins official site breaks down the matchup here:

And they have some game notes (Caution: PDF) here. Keep an eye on Ben Smith, who was a pre-season Atlantic Sun Conference "Player Of The Year." He also writes for Politico.com, so hopefully he will be tired out from that. Use this as your Open Thread for the game. GO BEARS!

Regarding b), just stop it. Those jokes are so played.

BtB 2009-10 Atlantic Sun Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:45:05 -0000

Before they left the conference for the greener pastures of Division I-A and Conference USA, Central Florida won the 2004 and 2005 Atlantic Sun titles and scared the bejeezus out of two Big East opponents in the first round. With UCF's departure, the league's power center shifted north to Tennessee, where Belmont claimed three consecutive tourney bids, almost knocking Duke out in their 2008 appearance, before East Tennessee State made it last season. The Bucs gave Pittsburgh, the team UCF gave a game in '04, a substantial scare before bowing out at the first hurdle.

Now the power of the league again looks like it will shift to the Sunshine State. Jacksonville, last season's regular season champions who have lost in the A-Sun final two straight times, is the odds on favorite this time around. The league's Tennessee powers will again provide the bulk of the challenge for the Dolphins, though Lipscomb should better neighboring Belmont's performance this time around. But JU will also be challenged by two long moribund programs, Mercer and Campbell.

This offseason, the Camels actually announced that they'll be leaving the conference to return to the Big South, effective with the 2011-12 academic year. Barring any further changes, that means that the league will feature 10 tournament-eligible teams that year. Kennesaw State, the 2004 Division II National Champion, and North Florida are postseason eligible for the first time this season. However, Florida Gulf Coast and South Carolina Upstate have two more years left in their transition period.

More on the conference's teams, both postseason eligible and ineligible, after the jump.

Before we look at 2009-10, here's a look at how the Atlantic Sun standings looked at the end of the 2008-09 regular season.

Atlantic Sun Conference Standings

(updated 3.24.2009 at 12:09 AM EDT)

	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Jacksonville Dolphins	15	5	18	14
East Tennessee St. Buccaneers	14	6	23	11
Belmont Bruins	14	6	20	13
Lipscomb Bisons	12	8	17	14
Mercer Bears	11	9	17	15
Campbell Fighting Camels	11	9	14	16
Stetson Hatters	9	11	13	17
North Florida Ospreys	6	14	8	22
Kennesaw St. Owls	3	17	7	22

Now here are my picks for the upcoming season, presented in reverse order. However, I'll start with the two A-Sun teams are ineligible for the postseason.

Florida Gulf Coast (last NCAA: None) Dave Balza's team continues its trip through transitional purgatory with four returning starters, led by 6-1 guard Reed Baker (13.4 ppg).

South Carolina Upstate (last NCAA: None) Even though the Spartans remain ineligible for the A-Sun crown, they could play spoiler, as they won 8 league contests last season. The task for Eddie Payne's squad will be made more difficult with the departure of leading scorer Bobby Davis (14.8 ppg). The Spartans two best returnees are the Mutt and Jeff of the conference, 7-3 center Nick Schneiders (9.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg) and 5-9 guard Josh Chavis (8.3 ppg).

North Florida (last NCAA: None) Matthew Driscoll takes over an Osprey program that was absolutely dreadful under previous coach Matt Kilcullen. In their final transitional year, UNF managed to win two road games (Furman and Stetson). Those represent those only road success the Ospreys had tasted in four seasons. (They had only 14 Division I wins in that span.) Progress will be slow for North Florida, who have four returning starters (a theme in this league this season), led by guards Eni Cuka (13.2 ppg) and Stan Januska (8.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg).

Stetson (last NCAA: None) Derek Waugh's squad lost three starters from a team that should've performed much better last season. Instead of building on their third place finish in 2007-'08, the Hatters slipped to seventh last time around. It's hard to see how Stetson will improve after guard Garfield Blair (17.3 ppg, 7.7 rpg) graduated. However, point guard A.J. Smith (12.6 ppg, 3.8 apg) is back, as is 6-5 forward Sheldon Oliver (5.6 ppg, 5 rpg). Waugh will have to get a lot out of his newcomers, as guard Mark Lohuis was the only returning reserve who managed more than 2 ppg last year (5.0 ppg). It looks like it will be another long season in DeLand.

Kennesaw State (last NCAA: None) Tony Ingle's team is finally postseason eligible and they could spring some surprises, as the Owls bring back all five starters, three of whom were double-figure performers a year ago--G Kelvin McConnell (11.9 ppg), 6-6 F Jon-Michael Nickerson (10.1 ppg, along with 5.5 rpg), and 6-3 G Kurtis Woods (10.5 ppg). PG Spencer Dixon (7.4 ppg, 2.7 apg) will run the offense, while 6-7 F Jonathan Whipple, another returning starter (4.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg), 6-6 bench performer Zadrian Gibson (4 ppg, 4.1 rpg) and 6-9 Auburn transfer Matt Heramb will be expected to improve KSU's inside play.

Belmont (last NCAA: 2008) The Bruins are looking for their fourth title in five seasons, but they'll have to do it without four starters who averaged in double-figures last season: guards Alex Renfroe (16.2 ppg) and Andy Wicke (11.7 ppg), forward Matthew Dotson (12.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg), and swingman Shane Dansby (10.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg). In fact, Rick Byrd's team only returns two players who averaged more than 3.5 points per contest last year, G/F Jon House (8.3 ppg) and forward Keaton Belcher (7.1 ppg). The good news for Belmont is that 6-5 F Jordan Campbell returns after missing most of last year with an injury. He led the Bruins in steals and blocks and was second in rebounding during the 2007-08 championship campaign.

Campbell (last NCAA: 1992) The Camels hope to be a thorn in the side of the A-Sun during their last two years in the league. They have an excellent shot to contend this year, as they return all five starters and their key reserves from the team that earned the program's first winning conference mark since the turn of the century. 6-5 forward Jonathan Rodriguez is a threat for league honors this year after a year where he averaged nearly 16 points and over 8 boards a game. Six others averaged more than 5 points per contest, led by guard Lorne Merthie (9.5 ppg), last year's conference Freshman of the Year. Campbell will have to pack more scoring punch to truly contend, however.

East Tennessee State (last NCAA: 2009) Murry Bartow's Bucs will sorely miss Kevin Tiggs, who averaged over 21 points per contest last year, Courtney Pigram (17.6 ppg), and Greg Hamlin (5 ppg, 5 rpg), but senior Mike Smith (15.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg) and sophomore Isiah Brown (4.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg) do return from last year's auto bid winners. The reserves, none of whom averaged more than 4.4 points per contest, will have to step up for the team to repeat. The schedule will be a challenge as the Bucs visit Arkansas and Louisville as part of the Hall of Fame Classic, UAB, and Tennessee. They also face Southern Conference finalists Chattanooga and College of Charleston and OVC favorites Morehead State and Murray State.

Mercer (last NCAA: 1985) Like just about everyone else in the A-Sun, head coach Bob Hoffman returns a solid core of players. The Bears bring back four starters from last year, as they attempt to have back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in 15 years. Mercer's chances begin and end with 6-1 senior guard James Florence, who is the only active player in the country to average 20 or more points per game in conference play over each of the last three seasons. He's joined in the backcourt by E.J. Kusnyer, who averaged 10.5 points per game last year. Inside, 6-8 senior Daniel Emerson averaged a double-double last year, scoring nearly 14 a game while grabbing nearly 11 boards. Hoffman also gains the services of 6-2 guard Jeff Smith and 6-6 forward Brandon Moore, two junior college transfers who were teammates at Wallace State Community College in Alabama.

Lipscomb (last NCAA: None) Scott Sanderson's squad, which always seems to be in the conversation in the A-Sun, looks to break through for their first NCAA bid this time around. However, next year could really be the Bison's year, as their four returning starters are all juniors. 6-9 Adnan Hodzic is the best post player in the conference (17.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg) and Brandon Brown is another force inside (9.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg). In the backcourt, Sanderson lost Michael Lusk (8.6 ppg), but picks up George Washington transfer Johnny Lee. He graduated in three years and decided to head back to Nashville to conclude his career. Lee will join the talented Josh Slater (11 ppg, 4.7 rpg) and Michael Teller (8.3 ppg, 5 rpg) to form a formidable unit that will give the rest of the conference fits.

Jacksonville (last NCAA: 1986) The Dolphins return four starters from the team that won last year's regular season crown by a game over ETSU and Belmont, but got blasted by the Bucs in the game that really mattered. 6-7 forward Marcus Allen (10 ppg, 6.7 rpg) will be missed, but senior Lehmon Colbert (11.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg) and junior Ayron Hardy (10.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg) are two formidable frontcourt players. Ben Smith, another senior, will lead the team in the backcourt. Smith averaged almost 17 points a game while dishing out 4 assists and forcing 2 steals per game. The schedule will be tough, as the Dolphins "host" Florida at the Veterans Memorial Arena this season, while they travel to South Carolina, Florida State, and California.

So, I expect the Dolphins to break through and claim the Atlantic Sun's auto bid this season. They'll appear in my 2009-10 Final Preseason Bracket, which I will release on November 9.

To wrap up this preview, here is my preseason All-Atlantic Sun team, featuring the best returning players from last season.

Preseason All-Atlantic Sun Team

Player of the Year: James Florence, 6-1 G, Sr. (Mercer)

Remainder of the Team
Adnan Hodzic, 6-9 C, Jr. (Lipscomb)
Jonathan Rodriguez, 6-5 F, Sr. (Campbell)
Ben Smith, 5-10 G, Sr. (Jacksonville)
Mike Smith, 6-6 G, Sr. (East Tennessee State)

Poll

Who is your pick to win the Atlantic Sun this season? (Note that Florida Gulf Coast and South Carolina Upstate aren't listed as they're ineligible.)

Belmont

0 votes

Campbell

1 votes

East Tennessee State

1 votes

Jacksonville

3 votes

Kennesaw State

0 votes

Lipscomb

1 votes

Mercer

2 votes

North Florida

2 votes

Stetson

4 votes

14 votes | Poll has closed

A Game a Night: February-March 2010

Chris Dobbertean — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 22:00:40 -0000

by Mark J. Terrill - AP

Jim Calhoun's UConn Huskies start February with a visit to Louisville. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

View full size photo »

After you make it through November, December, and January, soon the calendar turns over to February, and you realize the season is rapidly moving towards its conclusion. Considering that there's only a week's worth of regular season games in March, I've lumped these days in with February. (Not that I didn't sneak a few Championship Week entrants in here too.) Conference play dominates the last five weeks of the season, but there are a couple of interesting (and rare for this stage of the season) non-conference tilts that are featured in this list.

My nightly pick for February/early March picks are after the jump. Further TV information, as always, can be found at MattSarzSports.com.

Monday, February 1
Connecticut at Louisville (ESPN, 7 ET)
The Huskies finished a game behind the Cards in the Big East standings last year, despite the fact that UConn won their only meeting by 17 at Freedom Hall. The teams didn't meet again, as Syracuse upset the Huskies in the Big East quarterfinals (more on this shortly), preventing a rematch in the conference championship game.

Tuesday, February 2
Michigan at Northwestern (Big Ten, 7 ET)
The Wolverines swept the Wildcats last year, with the 60-57 overtime result in Evanston being particularly damaging to NU's tournament chances.

Wednesday, February 3
Texas A&M at Missouri (ESPNU, 9 ET)
In this year's Big 12, these two NCAA entrants could find themselves scrambling to build a resume, making this one crucial.

Thursday, February 4
Arizona at Washington (FSN, 10:30 ET)
The Wildcats last won in Seattle in 2007. They may need to break that streak to boost their chances for a bid.

Friday, February 5
Jacksonville at Belmont (CSS, 7 ET)
The Dolphins, the preseason pick of many for the A-Sun crown, have to visit Nashville to take on the 2006-2008 champion Bruins, who should be in the thick of the race again this year.

Saturday, February 6
Xavier at Dayton (ESPN2, 12 ET)
These two teams are close and favored in the A-10, with the Musketeers being the powerhouse in a slight rebuilding phase and the Flyers the loaded opposition ready to knock them off their perch.. I don't think I need to say much more.

Sunday, February 7
North Carolina at Maryland (FSN, 2 ET)
Ignore all of the Super Bowl pregame and watch this one instead. Last year, the Terps' 88-85 overtime win over the Tar Heels served as a major boost to their tourney hopes.

Monday, February 8
Kansas at Texas (ESPN, 9 ET)
The battle of Big 12 favorites earns the odd over the meeting of Big East favorites, Villanova at West Virginia in the early Big Monday slot.

Tuesday, February 9
Purdue at Michigan State (ESPN, 9 ET)
The two Big Ten preseason favorites will meet twice in the month, with the first game taking place at the Breslin Center, where the Spartans won by 11 last season.

Wednesday, February 10
Connecticut at Syracuse (ESPN, 7 ET)
Sure, I could've gone with the easy choice, Duke at North Carolina, but you can't ignore the rematch of one of the greatest games ever played, even if the cast of characters will be slightly different.

Thursday, February 11
Washington at California (ESPN or ESPN2, 9 ET)
It's just another big Thursday night at the top of the Pac-10

Friday, February 12
West Virginia at Pittsburgh (ESPN, 9 ET)
The Backyard Brawl unseats the Horizon League and Atlantic Sun from their usual Friday night spot. (I'll probably be watching the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics live, however, leaving this one for the DVR.)

Saturday, February 13
Xavier at Florida (ESPN, 6 ET)
Valentine's Eve is a late date for a non-conference game. But the Gators and Musketeers apparently feel that getting a potential resume boosting win is a better use of a conference bye than resting.

Sunday, February 14
Louisville at Syracuse (ESPN, 1 ET)
It's the first of two meetings this season between the two teams who met in the Big East final last March.

Monday, February 15
Connecticut at Villanova (ESPN, 7 ET)
The two Big East Final Four teams meet. Maybe they can award the winner a third place trophy...

Tuesday, February 16
Creighton at Northern Iowa (FS Midwest, 8 ET)
It is the Valley, so things could very well change by mid-February, but this one could very well determine the conference's regular season title.

Wednesday, February 17
UNLV at Utah (the mtn., 10 ET)
These two split last season, with each winning at home. Both programs are allegedly rebuilding, but I'm not sure that word exists in either of Lon Kruger or Jim Boylen's vocabularies.

Thursday, February 18
California at Oregon State (FSN, 10:30 ET)
If the Beavers are going to challenge for a bid, they'll need to at least repeat their 11 point home win over the Golden Bears. (OSU did earn the sweep last year.) I will be at Syracuse at Georgetown, while somehow paying attention to Auburn at Florida.

Friday, February 19
ETSU at Campbell (CSS, 7 ET)
After a rare Friday appearance from the Big East, the A-Sun returns to its rightful Friday spotlight.

Saturday, February 20
Kentucky at Vanderbilt (SEC, 6 ET)
I suspect that John Calipari will probably remind his team that UK hasn't won in Memorial Gym since 2005.

Sunday, February 21
Dayton at Duquesne (ESPN2, 1 ET)
The trip to the Palumbo Center could be a tricky one for the Flyers.

Monday, February 22
Oklahoma at Kansas (ESPN, 9 ET)
The other half of Big Monday, West Virginia at Connecticut, is also an appetizing matchup, but the Big 12 deserves some attention too. While the Sooners won't quite be as strong as they were last season, they'll still be a good challenge for the Jayhawks.

Tuesday, February 23
Tennessee at Florida (ESPN, 9 ET)
I wonder if Lane Kiffin will be making the trip to Gainesville to support the Vols in this one. UT has actually won two straight at UF. One thing I know for sure, since the Gators aren't one of the Vols' "big rivals" in hoops, fans at the O'Dome will be spared the sight of Bruce Pearl's hideous orange blazer.

Wednesday, February 24
Pittsburgh at Notre Dame (ESPN2, 7 ET)
This should be an important for seeding in the Big East Tournament, as both teams could be fighting for at least a single bye.

Thursday, February 25
Tulsa at Duke (ESPN or ESPN2, 7 ET)
A win at Cameron at this late stage could really put the Golden Hurricane on the map.

Friday, February 26
Butler at Valparaiso (ESPNU, 9 ET)
The Bulldogs head to Northern Indiana to take on a Crusader team that's still trying to find its way in the Horizon League.

Saturday, February 27
Kentucky at Tennessee (ESPN, 12 ET)
Bruce Pearl's orange blazer will make an appearance in this one. I wonder if John Calipari will have a royal blue one to counter.

Sunday, February 28
Northwestern at Penn State (Big Ten, 12 ET)
In a year when both were on the bubble, these two teams only met once, with the Nittany Lions winning by 4 in Happy Valley (in front of about 10 people, as it was New Year's Eve). As both could be on the bubble again this year, the later date is a smart move by the Big Ten.

Monday, March 1
Oklahoma at Texas (ESPN, 9 ET)
The second hoops installment of the Red River Rivalry could have significant bearing on who finishes second in the Big 12, if Kansas indeed takes the top spot.

Tuesday, March 2
Vanderbilt at Florida (ESPN, 7 ET)
The Commodores have had some good teams recently, but they don't win in Gainesville that often. This year, they have an excellent chance.

Wednesday, March 3
Duke at Maryland (ESPN, 9 ET)
To give you an understanding of how disliked the Blue Devils are in the DC area, they'll often flash a Duke logo on the Jumbotron at Wizards games to get fans to boo.

Thursday, March 4
UCLA at Arizona (potential FSN game, 10:30 ET)
We're now getting to the point of the season where networks will put "Wild Card" games in as placeholders, just so they have some wiggle room to put the most timely and impactful matchups on TV. If the newcomers on these two teams mesh, I expect the Bruins visit to Tucson to be the game to watch for the last Thursday of the regular season.

Friday, March 5
Missouri Valley Quarterfinals (FS Midwest, 1 ET and 7 ET)
Trust me, you'll want to take the day off and watch all four of these games, if you can. Arch Madness is one of the most unique and competitive conference tournaments out there.

Saturday, March 6
Atlantic Sun Final (ESPN2, TBA)
It's finally time for bids to be handed out. Depending on what happens in the Ivy League (and if any other conference tournament games are scheduled earlier in the day, I'm looking at you, Big South.), the A-Sun Champ may be the first team officially in the field of 65. For a regular season game, let's go with a battle between two of the projected top teams in the Big East, West Virginia at Villanova (CBS, 12 ET).

Sunday, March 7
Missouri Valley Championship Game (CBS, 2 ET) and West Coast Semifinals (ESPN2, 8:30 ET)
These are three games that could help determine whether these leagues receive mutliple bids this season. My final regular season pick is Florida at Kentucky (CBS, 12 ET). Will the Gators need a win at Rupp to boost their chances for a bid? Will the Wildcats be fighting for an NCAA top seed?

That wraps up my "Game a Night" feature. Keep in mind that this is just the start, as I'll have a full preview column for just about every night of the regular season.

Grading The '09-'10 Cal Basketball Schedule

ragnarok — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:00:13 -0000

Last week, Cal released their 2009-10 men's basketball schedule. My initial reaction? I'm actually quite excited. While still flawed, especially the lackluster non-conference home schedule, the overall level of both the competition and the opportunities for exposure is a big step up from previous schedules. Last year, I gave the non-conference schedule a disappointing 'C+' grade; this year's slate is a significant upgrade.

Before we get to the grading, I'll recap my own personal scheduling preferences, which inform my grading rubric:

As a fan, I have certain scheduling preferences, which may or may not agree with the philosophy of the coach actually doing the scheduling. I of course like home games, but I like them against interesting opponents. Nationally-recognized opponents are of course great, but local mid-majors are also fun to have on the schedule. Tournaments are great, especially when they lead to some nationally-televised games on ESPN. I like to see a challenging (though not brutal) non-conference slate, something that will prepare our team for the rigors of the Pac-10. I don't like playing terrible teams just to get a guaranteed win, and I'm not interested in seeing Cal beat up on a team I've never heard of. A quick rule of thumb: if I don't know what state a team is from, I'm probably not interested in seeing Cal play them.

Now, on with the judging!

*all Ratings listed here come from Ken Pomeroy .

Nov. 9 - Murray State Racers (19-12 last year, 13-5 in the Ohio Valley Conference (2nd); PomRating last year : 137; Avg. PomRating last 4 years : 160)
Nov. 11 - Detroit Titans (7-23 last year, 2-16 in the Horizon League (10th); PomRating last year : 279; Avg. PomRating last 4 years : 213)

The Cal Bears open their season at home with a couple games that open the Coaches v. Cancer Classic. These games, however, are hardly likely to be classic. The Bears open against a school that you very well may never have heard of. The first red flag that went off for me? "Murray" is not a State (unlike Kentucky, where the school is actually located). Then, two days later, they take on Detroit, whose team is about as bad as the rest of the news coming out of Detroit lately. We're entering Chump City, folks.

Actually, the Murray State Racers' record last year was actually pretty decent (and they lost @ Missouri by just 11, a far better showing that the Bears put up), so it might be a mistake to overlook these guys, almost all of whom are coming back this year. If Cal is truly ready to contend for the Pac-10 title, Murray State shouldn't present an overwhelming challenge, but if the Bears aren't careful...well, it'd be a disastrous way to start the season. Other than the fact that I've never really heard of these guys, this seems like a good mid-level opponent to start off the season, and since this game comes as part of the Coaches v. Cancer package, I'm even more in support of it.

The Detroit game? Not so much. The Titans are almost certain to be anywhere from bad to awful next season, and I'm anticipating a lot of playing time for the Bears' bench in the second half. But rather than bore you with talk about this team, I'll use this space to rant about how shady it is that this tournament includes a number of teams that have absolutely no chance to win this event -- not only that, but they're not even mentioned anywhere on the event's website! From the official site:

New Format

- The 2009 tournament will include a 12-team field with games at four regional sites (Syracuse, North Carolina, Ohio State and Cal) between November 9-13. Championship Round games will be played on November 19 & 20.

- The four regional hosts will play two games at home and then automatically advance to the Championship Rounds in New York City, regardless of the regional results.

- All other participants will automatically advance to play a round-robin series at one of two other sub-regional sites. Thus, every participating team will be guaranteed four games.

- Thus, every participating team will be guaranteed four games, regardless of the regional results.

Lame!! Anyway, to get the good games with the exposure in New York City, you gotta accept a couple of chumps beforehand. Oh well, I guess I can live with it. My grade might be higher if Detroit didn't suck so much, but they do, so... Grade: B+

Nov. 19-20 - Coaches vs. Cancer Classic - North Carolina Tar Heels (34-4 last year, 13-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference (1st); PomRating last year : 1; Avg. PomRating last 4 years : 3) -- or -- Syracuse Orange (28-10 last year, 11-7 in the Big East Conference (6th); PomRating last year : 15; Avg. PomRating last 4 years : 35) -- or -- Ohio State Buckeyes (22-11 last year, 10-8 in the Big Ten Conference (4th); PomRating last year : 37; Avg. PomRating last 4 years : 22)

I absolutely love these games; there's basically no downside. Big-time exposure in New York and on TV, quality, big-name opposition...even if the Bears don't win a game, as long as they don't embarrass themselves in front of a national audience, nobody will hold it against them.

And on the upside? If the Bears can win this tournament, they could solidify a Top 10 ranking and mark the coming-out party of a national basketball power. It won't be easy -- North Carolina may not repeat as national champions, but they're hardly going to fade into obscurity, and both Syracuse and Ohio State will be tough matchups as well. Regardless of the outcome, this tournament is exactly the kind of thing that past Golden Bear schedules have lacked, and exactly the kind of non-conference preparation that a team picked to contend for the Pac-10 title will need. Grade: A+

Nov. 24 - Jacksonville Dolphins (18-14 last year, 15-5 in the Atlantic Sun Conference (1st); PomRating last year : 127; Avg. PomRating last 4 years : 233)

Competition-wise, Jacksonville is a decent opponent (other than their leading rebounder, they return basically everyone from a team that won the Atlantic Sun last year), but in terms of fan interest, it could really hardly be lower. I wouldn't necessarily say I'm the most knowledgable college basketball fan out there, but if I've never heard of Jacksonville University, I'd be willing to bet most other Cal fans haven't either. Just as the Coaches vs. Cancer games in New York offer the Bears nothing to lose, a game like this offers them virtually nothing to gain. A win, and nobody is surprised (or even notices, really), whereas a loss looks poorly on their record. Assuming the Bears win without too much trouble, this game offers a chance to get a bunch of players some work, but don't expect too many fans to show up. Grade: C+

Nov. 29 - Princeton Tigers (13-14 last year, 8-6 in the Ivy League (2nd); PomRating last year : 260; Avg. PomRating last 4 years : 270)

I can't help but think that Cal's frustrating inability to defeat the less-talented Oregon State Beavers and their Princeton offense last season led Coach Mike Montgomery to schedule a practice game against the original article, the Princeton Tigers. Princeton hasn't been very good these last few years, but perhaps returning nearly everyone from last year's team will allow them to master a complicated offense. This game should draw at least some mild fan interest, though I don't know if the level of competition will match it. However, if the practice helps the Bears to finally beat the Beavers, it will have been more than worth it. Grade: B-

Dec. 2 - at New Mexico Lobos (22-12 last year, 12-4 in the Mountain West Conference (1st); PomRating last year : 39; Avg. PomRating last 4 years : 79)

Playing at "The Pit" is never an easy proposition, even moreso when the defending Mountain West champs are playing well. While New Mexico does lose a number of important seniors, and so will be rather young next year, this still won't be an easy road game. I like this game, as it not only should be a good test for our Bears, but it gets Cal a return home game for the 2010-11 season. Grade: A-

Dec. 5 - Iowa State Cyclones (15-17 last year, 4-12 in the Big Twelve Conference (10th); PomRating last year : 112; Avg. PomRating last 4 years : 102)

I'm a big fan of the Big XII / Pac-10 Hardwood Challenge, as it gets schools from both conferences home-and-home series with tough BCS conference schools. However, whoever scheduled this series has done a disservice to both Cal and Iowa State, creating the biggest mismatch of the series. Cal, widely picked to finish either first or second in the Pac-10, gets and Iowa State squad that won just 4 conference games last year, and will struggle to crack the top half of the conference. Overall, I like the series, but am disappointed in this particular opponent. What's more disappointing? This is probably the best home game the Bears will get this year before the conference season begins. Grade: B

Dec. 9 - at Pacific Tigers (21-13 last year, 10-6 in the Big West Conference (2nd); PomRating last year : 113; Avg. PomRating last 4 years : 135)

Last year, Pacific gave the Bears a bit of a test before losing by 12 to open the season. This year, the Bears return the game to Stockton, though they'll face a Tigers squad that has lost a number of important seniors, including players who scored 34 of the 56 points Pacific scored in losing at Haas last year. Not a great game, by any means, though it should be another decent road test for the Bears in front of what I can only assume will be a pretty amped-up crowd in Stockton, one that ought to contain at least a fair number of Cal fans. If the Bears are going to play mid-majors, I'd much prefer they be local ones that garner at least some interest within the Bay Area. Grade: B

Dec. 22 - at Kansas Jayhawks (27-8 last year, 14-2 in the Big Twelve Conference (1st); PomRating last year : 10; Avg. PomRating last 4 years : 5)

Fresh off of final exams, the Bears will travel to Lawrence, Kansas to face a much bigger test: a road game against the consensus preseason favorite to win it all next year. I expect some good TV expsoure for this game, and win or lose, the experience should pay dividends down the road. As a added bonus, the Bears get a return visit to Haas from Kansas in 2010. Grade: A+

Dec. 28-29 - Golden Bear Classic - Furman Paladins (6-24 last year, 4-12 in the Southern Conference (11th); PomRating last year : 325; Avg. PomRating last 4 years : 263) -- and -- UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (16-15 last year, 8-8 in the Big West Conference (4th); PomRating last year : 169; Avg. PomRating last 4 years : 158) -- or -- Utah Valley Wolverines (17-11 last year; PomRating last year : 159)

Finally, the Bears wrap up the non-conference season with the annual Golden Bear Classic, and just like the last however many years, I once again struggle to care. UC Santa Barbara is at least somewhat local and not completely awful (though they did lose their best player to graduation), but Utah Valley is both miscelaneous and new to Division I, and until TwistNHook told me, I didn't even know what state Furman was in! (South Carolina, in case you were interested.) Furman (whom I'm assuming will be Cal's opening round opponent) is also one of those teams that is so bad (one of the 20 worst teams in Division I last year) that just by playing them, the Bears will do harm to their RPI.

I've railed about the uselessness of this tournament before, but it obviously hasn't improved anything. At best, this tournament gives these kids a chance to play two games in two days; at worst, they'll lose a game, drawing embarassment and damage to their NCAA tournament résumé. Coming after the Kansas game, these games will be both a letdown in competition and a poor tune-up for Pac-10 competition. Meh. Grade: C-

Overall, it's a big improvement over last season's schedule, but there's still some weak spots. Specifically, the home non-conference slate is pretty much devoid of interesting games (Iowa State and Princeton are the headliners, and neither game is inducing this fence-sitter to finally pony-up for season tickets), and the Golden Bear Classic once again fails to be worth of the name "Classic". But the road/neutral schedule offers plenty of challenges, and I expect this team to be battle-tested (with a decent RPI to boot) come the beginning of Pac-10 play, hosting Stanford on January 2, 2010. Though the non-conference schedule was close to earning a B+, I'm giving it a final mark (go ahead, add up the GPA!) of a solid Grade: B

Poll

How would you grade next year's basketball schedule?

A

48 votes

B

76 votes

C

16 votes

D

5 votes

F

3 votes

148 votes | Poll has closed

The 10 Best UK Squads to not win a National Championship/Open Thread

Ken Howlett — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 01:13:08 -0000

I was not planning on posting this evening, but our fearless leader is on a 24 hour road trip, so I thought an Open Thread (with a twist) was called for.

Something that me and my UK friends discuss from time to time are the best teams in Kentucky history that didn't win a National Championship. It makes for some lively and fun debate, so I thought, considering UK isn't going to win the NCAA National Title this year, what better way to jump start an Open Thread.

Actually, discuss what you want, but I'll start off with my list of the best UK teams to not achieve the ultimate in college basketball success (not including the 1946 NIT Champions).

1. 1954 -- 25-0, 14-0 in the SEC. This team was led in scoring by All-America's Cliff Hagan (24.0 ppg), and Frank Ramsey (19.6).

UK and LSU tied for the league title after not meeting in the regular season due to a conflict between the two schools about where to play the game. They did meet in a "playoff game" at the end of the regular season, with UK winning 63-56 (the game was played in Nashville). The NCAA then declared UK seniors Cliff Hagan, Frank Ramsey, and Lou Tsioropoulos ineligible for the NCAA Tournament, because they were graduate students (very bo-guuuus!). Adolph Rupp denied the ensuing bid to play in the Tournament, minus his three star players.

2. 1970 -- 26-2, 17-1 in the SEC. They were led in scoring by UK's all-time leading scorer Dan Issel (33.9), Mike Pratt (19.3), and Tom Parker (10.4). They won the SEC Championship.

This UK team lost to an Artis Gilmore-led Jacksonville team,106-100, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

3. 1997 -- 35-5, 13-3 in the SEC. These 'Cats were led by All-America Ron Mercer (18.1). Derek Anderson, who played in only the first 19 games of the season, averaged 17.7, followed by Scott Padgett (9.6). Kentucky was the SEC Regular season champion, as well at the SEC Tournament Champion.

UK lost to Arizona in the National Championship game, in overtime, 84-79.

4. 1966 -- 27-2, 15-1 in the SEC. Rupp's Runts were led in scoring by All-America's Pat Riley (21.9), and Louie Dampier (21.1). Thad Jaracz (13.2) and Larry Conley (11.5) were also major contributors to this team's success. The Runts won the SEC Championship.

UK lost to Texas Western in the National Championship game 72-65.

5. 1947 -- 34-3, 11-0 in the SEC. This group was led by future Fabulous Five members and All-Americas Ralph Beard (10.9), and Lou Groza (10.6). They won the SEC regular season title and the SEC Tournament Championship.

These 'Cats lost to Utah 49-45 in the NIT Championship game.

6. 1975 -- 26-5, 15-3 in the SEC. UK was led by All-America Kevin Grevey (23.6), Jimmy Dan Connor (12.4), and freshman Rick Robey (10.4). They were co-champions of the SEC.

Kentucky lost to UCLA in John Wooden's final game, 92-85.

7. 1986 -- 32-4, 17-1 in the SEC. These 'Cats were led by All-America Kenny "Sky" Walker (20.0), Winston Bennett (12.7), and Ed Davender (11.5). They were the SEC regular season and Tournament champions.

UK lost to LSU in the Elite 8 (59-57), after beating the Tigers three times during the season.

8. 1984 -- 29-5, 14-4 in the SEC. UK was led by All-America's Melvin Turpin (15.2), and Sam Bowie (10.5), as well as future All-America , sophomore Kenny Walker (12.4). The 'Cats won both the SEC regular season and Tournament championships.

UK lost to Georgetown in the Final Four, 53-40, after shooting a negative percentage in the second half ... I kid, of course.

9. 2003 -- 32-4, 16-0 in the SEC. The 'Cats were led by All-America Keith Bogans (15.7), Gerald Fitch (12.3), and Marquis Estill (11.6). They won the SEC regular season and Tournament championships.

This team lost to Marquette in the Elite 8, 83-69, after Bogans suffered a high ankle sprain only two days prior.

10a. 1962 -- 23-3, 13-1 in the SEC. Kentucky was led by All-America Cotton Nash (23.4), Larry Pursiful (19.1), Carroll Burchett (11.2), and Scotty Baesler (10.9). They were co-champions of the SEC.

This group lost to Ohio State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, 74-64.

So there you have it, my 10 best UK teams to not win the National Title.

Discuss, or treat as an Open Thread.

For those concerned: Mike Casey underwent surgery today. He did very well according to his daughter, Laura.

The NIT Will Not Be Televised

mlmintampa — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 04:15:08 -0000

The Gators will face Jacksonville in the first round of the NIT. The Gator Ticket Office would like you to know if you want to watch the game, you need to be in the O'Dome.

There will be no live television for the first round NIT game between Florida and Jacksonville.

If a basketball game is not televised, does it really happen? At least the game is Wednesday night. Had it been Tuesday, St. Patrick's Day, you could have seen empty student sections. You know, because students are really into Irish culture and the Saints and they'd rather celebrate that.

Now the Nerves Start - Recapping Saturday's Action

Chris Dobbertean — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 15:07:46 -0000

Even though my evening/life was ruined by this news, (Seriously, first the Cubs sign Milton Bradley, now this? It's a good thing the Leafs didn't beat the Rangers to Sean Avery on waivers.) it's March, so all is right with the world.

Well, all is right for certain fanbases. For others, the next week is going to be extremely nerve-racking.

For starters, let's congratulate the three teams who will appear in bold in Tuesday's bracket, thanks to their conference championship wins last night. (As always, score recaps are from Basketball State.)

Radford became the second team in after they defeated VMI, 108-94, in the Big South final. The Highlanders beat the Keydets at their own game. The Highlanders have a balanced attack and the Belarussian Behemoth, C Artsiom Parakhouski.
East Tennessee State took their first Atlantic Sun championship and first NCAA bid since 2004 (when they were in the SoCon) by easily beating regular-season champ, Jacksonville, 85-68. Watch out for the Bucs, who have three guys who can really put up points, guards Kevin Tiggs (21.5 ppg) and Courtney Pigram (17.6 ppg) and forward Mike Smith (15.5 ppg).
In the game of the night, Morehead State defeated Austin Peay State, 67-65 in double OT, to win the Ohio Valley crown. I finally got to see the highlights on ESPNews when I got back from Richmond. Unbelievable! All-OVC first-teamers Leon Buchanan and Kenneth Faried (also the first-ever OVC Def. POY) are players to watch on the Eagles.

In Richmond, things went according to plan in the first three games, though all three higher seeds (VCU, Old Dominion. and George Mason) got real games. The Monarchs game with Hofstra going right to the buzzer. The fourth game, however, saw 11 seed Towson win their second straight game, 58-54 over third-seeded Northeastern. VCU faces ODU and GMU takes on Towson in the semifinals this afternoon.

While all that excitement was going on, there were a ton of resume-related games I was tracking on the BracketBerry.

Creighton's at-large candidacy is very much on life support, as Illinois State demolished them by 24 in the Bizarro Valley semifinals. Osiris Eldridge had 21, including 4 treys and at least one SportsCenter-worthy dunk. The Redbirds face Northern Iowa today at 2 EDT (CBS) for the Valley crown.
Maryland's case took a major hit, after the Terps fell at Virginia, 68-63. Are wins over North Carolina and Michigan State going to be enough? It depends on how many games the Terps can win in the ACC tournament and who the opponents are.
Think Penn State is safe? Maybe not, now that they lost to Iowa, 75-67 in double OT.
Rhode Island may have put themselves out with a 72-71 headscratcher at the hands of UMass.
Florida helped their case and pretty much doomed Kentucky to the NIT with their 60-53 win.
Michigan got by Minnesota,. 67-64 win, meaning all three teams in the Big Ten bubble round-robin finished 1-1.
Texas A&M got a nice bookend win by beating Missouri, 96-86.
Miami won at NC State, 72-64, to finish at 7-9 in the ACC. If Maryland's on the bubble still, the Canes have to go back on it too.
Speaking of bubble newcomers, Auburn beat LSU, 69-53. The Bayou Bengals had a chance to finish 15-1 in the SEC, but are 13-3 after two straight losses. The Tigers, meanwhile, are 10-6 in the league. However, they went 8-2 against the weaker SEC West and 2-4 against the somewhat stronger East.
Dayton recovered nicely from their loss to Xavier Thursday, defeating Duquesne, 74-61.

Good news for bubble teams everywhere, Davidson, Siena, and Butler all won in their conference tournaments yesterday. The Bulldogs face Cleveland State at Hinkle Tuesday night for the Horizon championship.

The Mountain West has tri-champions this morning. BYU will be the one seed, Utah the two, and New Mexico the three. San Diego State defeated UNLV, 57-46, at the Thomas & Mack Center, and the two meet again in the quarterfinals on Thursday. The Runnin' Rebels are now 9-7 in the league. Earlier wins over Arizona and Louisville will give the Committee a lot to discuss next week.

Speaking of the Cardinals, Louisville laid claim to a one seed by beating West Virginia, 62-59. That win gave the Cardinals the outright Big East title. Pitt did the same with a 70-60 win over UConn that gives them the two seed in the Big East tournament. The Huskies will be seeded third. Memphis is also in the running. The Tigers closed out another regular season of C-USA perfection with a 74-47 win over Tulane. And don't count out Oklahoma, 82-78 winners over Oklahoma State.

It's just about time to head down to Richmond for the CAA semis. I apologize for not being all that responsive to e-mail yesterday evening, as my phone was dying at the end of the quadrupleheader. Today should be better in that respect. Updates to my site links and blogroll are forthcoming, probably tomorrow, as it's likely I won't be making the trip down to Richmond for the final.

But that just means I'll get to have a game or open thread here for the first time.

Happy hoops viewing!

Today...it starts

SFBE.NF — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 14:09:14 -0000

As far as we're concerned, March Madness starts today at Noon EST. No more BS or talk about what's to come. We're living it as ot now. There's a great slate of games today and tomorrow, and one bid leagues start punching tickets to the big dance.

Noon: Pittsburgh vs Connecticut - The best part of today? The best game is at high noon. Really, just bragging rights up for grabs here and a possible preview of the Big East finals at MSG (but aren't we treated to that every season?)
Noon: Georgia Tech vs Boston College Raycom - BC should be in, but a loss wouldn't help
Noon: NC St vs Miami (FL) - Miami is roaming around the realm of a 12 seed, I'd be weary.
2pm: Missouri vs Texas A&M - Missouri can amazingly win the Big 12 regular season crown today. The Aggies could really help their chances by preventing that today.
2pm: Penn St vs Iowa Big Ten Network - Here's to hoping Talor Battle & Co. don't come down from their natural high. This could be a fun team to wach in the Big Dance.
2pm: Kentucky vs Florida CBS - Kentucky is now out, according to Joe Lunardi. Much like Penn St., we'd love to see them get in simply at the prospect of Jodie Meeks going off on a national stage.
3:30pm: Oklahoma St vs Oklahoma ABC - Since Blake Griffin's quasi concussion, the Sooners are 1-3. Seeding could be at stake here, as this team should be a lock for a #1 seed, but now it's in doubt.
4pm Texas vs Kansas CBS - The Jayhawks are in position for they're 5th consecutive Big 12 regular season title. An amazing coaching job done by Bill Self this year
9pm West Virginia vs Louisville ESPN - These are the types of games Louisville loses, and West Virginia wins. Look for the Mountaineers to really come out playing hard. They always seem to surprise us.

Tickets punched:

Atlantic Sun Conference: #2 East Tennessee State vs. #1 Jacksonville
Big South Conference: #2 VMI vs #1 Radford
Ohio Valley: #4 Morehead State vs #2 Austin Peay

We'll be here all day.