SB Nation User Blog: Nuss

Thompson shines as USA cruises out of prelims

Nuss — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:43:13 -0000

When last basketball season ended, I was all set to write this big post about how awesome Klay Thompson is. They say familiarity breeds contempt, and as a guy who started from the moment he stepped on campus, I felt like far too often we took his play for granted -- always wanting more from a guy who already was exceeding every reasonable expectation anyone could have had for him.

Alas, time got away from me, and it never got written. But if there was still any question about Thompson's awesomeness, they should be answered at this point, as he's quietly putting together an excellent FIBA U19 tournament.

Team USA cruised out of preliminary play by putting a 112-55 whupping on Egypt. And while Pitt point guard Ashton Gibbs will get a lot press for his impressive 18 points in 18 minutes -- with six assists to boot -- Thompson quietly put together one heck of a game: 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting with 7 rebounds, one assist and one steal in 18 minutes.

While I don't have the time to crunch a bunch of rate stats, I can tell you that his overall eFG% for the tournament is 57.5, tied for third on the team but first among guards. And, naturally, he's first among guards in rebounds and fourth in assists. And if you're curious, no, he's still not getting to the line at all -- just three FT attempts. But I'm guessing he wasn't put on this team for his ability to get into the lane, so I wouldn't read too much into that. He's also turned the ball over five times in two games, but that's pretty skewed by the three he committed in the first game.

DeAngelo Casto has also been solid in his minutes. Guess who's leading the team in eFG? Casto has been as efficient as can be, converting eight of his 11 shots, although his rebounding has lagged behind what you would expect -- just eight in three games to go along with three blocks. It could be why he's lagging behind most of the other bigs in minutes.

Australia also cruised through preliminaries, and there's no other way to put this -- Brock Motum has been an absolute monster. He's first in points and tied for second in rebounds for the Aussies, who clinched first in their group by beating the snot out of Syria.

Both teams move on the next round, in which the top two teams from each preliminary group move on to form new groups. After that group play comes the medal round. Team USA plays next tomorrow at 4 p.m. PDT against Greece. Australia next plays tomorrow at 10 p.m. PDT against Kazakhstan.

There is one other Coug playing internationally this summer as well -- Nikola Koprivica is playing with Serbia, opening the tournament with six points and six rebounds in a win over Greece. Koprivica and the Serbians are playing Australia in their second game of pool play as I write this.

It doesn't look like there's any broadcast available of any of these games, but I'll let you know if I run across anything.

As an aside, if you've been wondering where I've been, my beautiful wife and I welcomed our second son into the world on June 22. Trystian Jeffrey Nusser was 5 pounds, 15 ounces and 20 inches ... and five weeks early. Because babies that are five weeks early aren't really ready to live on their own, he spent a week in the hospital. The last week has been spent acclimating to having two children at home. If you have two or more kids, you know what I'm talking about. Hence, the reason for my absence. But all should be back on track now.

Thanks to Larry Stone. This is nuts.

Nuss — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 06:46:59 -0000

Thanks to Larry Stone. This is nuts.

THE MORNING PAPER: Unless you're a student, plan on traveling to watch the Cougs

Nuss — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:45:39 -0000

So this is the price of being one of the worst teams in NCAA football history.

The Pac-10 released its television schedule yesterday, and the Cougars are on it ... once. One time. Uno.

Now, games will be added down the road; we'll get to that in a second. But as of right now, the only game you're guaranteed to see on TV is the Halloween matchup with Notre Dame in San Antonio on NBC.

Here's the way it looks to me:

Every team in the conference is guaranteed a minimum number of television appearances through its contracts with FSN and ABC. I'm not able to find the exact number, but I believe it is three. The first game that will be picked up -- guaranteed -- is the Sept. 26 game against USC. That means you'll see two other games, but you won't know which ones until a week or two before the game.
The flex games don't start until Sept. 26, so it's guaranteed you won't see the first three games of the year unless you're in attendance.
The Apple Cup looks curious to me right now. There's only one flex game on Nov. 28 -- a 12:30 p.m. slot on ABC. Notre Dame/Stanford and UCLA/USC are already on the dockett, leaving ABC to choose between the Apple Cup and Arizona/ASU. My guess is if ABC desides on Arizona/ASU, the Apple Cup would be made available on a regional broadcast on FSN, something they've done in the past.

The lessons?

The Pac-10's TV contract still sucks. It's insane to think that in 2009 a major conference can't figure out how to get all of its games on TV.
If you really want to see the Cougs play a particular opponent, I suggest buying a ticket and driving.
Start winning more games and we wont have to worry about this.

Moving on ...

Art Thiel has a great column on Ryan Leaf, taking umbrage with those that would try to paint WSU with a large brush because of Leaf, saying that would be akin to doing the same thing with UW because of Jerramy Stevens. (I guess he forgot to mention Jeremiah Pharms and Curtis Williams, too, but I digress.) Unfortunately, he correctly notes that Leaf pretty much used up all of his good will.

We all need slack sometime. And Leaf at least has a plausible need for slack -- the drugs in question were painkillers. Anyone who suffers from chronic, long-term pain that can be relieved at least temporarily by oxycodone and other prescription narcotics will testify that that the ordeal can make for some crazy behavior.

But Leaf has irritated, aggravated and disappointed so many for such a long time that almost no one wants to hear anything from him that sounds like an excuse. His personal capital is as low as his TD/interception ratio in the NFL.

Elsewhere:

The WSU Football Blog continues with its awesome Spring Fishwrap previews, taking a look at Oregon State.
One national blogger agrees with me on my assessment of Cal as the Pac-10 basketball favorite, but says it's a little premature to crown them yet.

Thompson, Casto picked for U-19 national team

Nuss — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:10:08 -0000

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

Why is Jamie Dixon smiling? Because he gets the pleasure of coaching Klay Thompson and DeAngelo Casto for the next three weeks or so. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Browse more photos »

Updated at 4:10 p.m.

The official word is in -- Klay Thompson and DeAngelo Casto will be representing the United States at the FIBA U19 tournament in New Zealand from July 2-12.

It's clear from the roster that Pitt coach Jamie Dixon and the selection committee, led by Jim Boeheim, were looking for long, versatile players who can shoot the ball -- generally accepted as the way to win games in international competition. (Look what happened once the Redeem Teamers gave in to that idea.)

"We'll be able to score the ball well on the wing,'' Dixon said. "We can shoot. We will be able to put four guys on the floor who can shoot the ball."

People around the country will probably raise their eyebrows in surprise at Thompson and Casto making the team, but I won't be one of them. We know how good Thompson is, and while his offense gets most of the attention, he is an excellent defender and defensive rebounder -- two facts that likely weren't lost on Dixon, Boeheim and the rest of the selection committee. And Casto is an asset as a guy who is an exceptional rebounder and defender around the rim. Here's to hoping he can stay out of foul trouble.

It also shows that the selection committee is interested in putting together the best team, not necessarily the greatest collection of names (again, it worked pretty well for the Redeem Team).

This is nothing but fantastic news for WSU. Having Thompson make the team is great, but having Casto on the squad even better. Any experience he can get under the tutelege of excellent coaches such as Dixon and Purdue's Matt Painter -- both of whom have coached superlative post players -- will help for this upcoming season. If this team is going to be any good this year, Casto is a guy who's going to have to step up in a big way. And this helps.

EDIT, 4:10 P.M.: Here are some comments from Thompson and Casto courtesy of the WSU SID. (It also has a photo of each at the tryouts. Is it just me or does it look like Casto hit the weights?)

Thompson

"It feels great to make the team, it's an honor especially playing at a national level against high level competition. It was tough competition throughout the trials, and I'm thankful for this opportunity to represent my country."

Casto

"It means everything to make the team. It was kind of emotional for me, a little hard for me a little bit too. Having been through so much, I got to a spot where basketball has been my outlet. So it means the world to make the team and it's an honor to be able to put that jersey on with USA on your chest."

One other thing I forgot to mention earlier -- Brock Motum will play for Australia in the tournament.

Here's the full roster:

2009 USA Basketball Men's U19 World Championship Team Roster
NAME	POS	HGT	WGT	DOB	YOG	SCHOOL	HOMETOWN
DeAngelo Casto	F	6-8	229	02/17/90	2012	Washington St.	Spokane, WA
Seth Curry	G	6-3	180	08/23/90	2012	Duke	Charlotte, NC
Ashton Gibbs	G	6-2	190	01/19/90	2012	Pittsburgh	Scotch Plains, NJ
Gordon Hayward	F	6-8	200	03/23/88	2012	Butler	Brownsburg, IN
Shelvin Mack	G	6-3	214	04/22/90	2012	Butler	Lexington, KY
Darius Miller	F	6-7	223	03/21/90	2012	Kentucky	Maysville, KY
Arnett Moultrie	C	6-11	225	11/18/90	2012	UTEP	Memphis, TN
John Shurna	F	6-8	210	04/30/90	2012	Northwestern	Glen Ellyn, IL
Tyshawn Taylor	G	6-3	180	04/12/90	2012	Kansas	Jersery City, NJ
Howard Thompkins	F	6-9	247	05/29/90	2012	Georgia	Lithonia, GA
Klay Thompson	G	6-6	187	02/08/90	2012	Washington St.	Ladera Ranch, CA
Terrico White	G	6-5	211	03/07/90	2012	Mississippi	Memphis, TN

Leaf picked up at the border

Nuss — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:33:14 -0000

Leaf picked up at the border

The headline pretty much says it all.

THE MORNING PAPER: College budgets, some advice, and more

Nuss — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:35:08 -0000

A hodgepodge of news out there this morning to pass along to you.

In continuing to look at the state of college athletics in Washington, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times investigates the respective athletics budgets of UW and WSU and finds that like a lot of businesses, how you run your books has a lot to do with things.

Take the University of Washington, for example. AD Scott Woodward told anyone who would listen during the last legislative session that the Huskies were completely self-sufficient as an athletic department. That's mostly true. But the University of Washington receives the same tuition waivers for female athletes -- which come from the state -- that WSU does. Woodward says the UW "didn't ask for them," takes them because they're available, and that it doesn't invalidate the larger claim.

Accurate? Depends on your perspective. If you're a Husky, you say, "Absolutely!" As a Coug, you say, "Disingenuous at best."

Now, take Washington State University. Husky fans would tell anyone who would listen that the state has to "subsidize" WSU athletics for it to be viable. They largely hang that claim on two things: 1) The same tuition waivers UW receives, and 2) The money WSU sometimes receives from the general fund to balance the books. AD Jim Sterk says that second money allocation comes from money generated from auxilliary enterprises such as publications -- not from the general operating budget. Sterk also notes that athletics are a "net gain" for the university because of the money the department pays the school for tuition, housing, meals and books.

Accurate? Again, sort of. If you're a Coug, you say, "Absolutely!" If you're a Husky, you say, "That some funny books you got there where you're taking money out of your left pocket and putting it in your right ..."

And when you look at other schools, the story is much the same. Oregon says it's self-sufficient, but receives lottery money; Arizona says it's self-sufficient, but receives 315 tuition waivers; on and on and on.

"It's different institutions with different systems," Sterk said. "And that's why the NCAA has had a tough time trying to compare apples and apples. Those of us in the business know it's done differently at different places, that you get different ways of accounting for expenses and revenues and where charges start and stop. It's very, very difficult [to compare]."

I think the lesson here is plain and simple, which it should have been before: Take everything everyone says when posturing for political gain with a grain of salt. It's like when the Mariners say they had an operating loss of $XX millions in a year. It might be true for that fiscal year, but that doesn't really take into account the money that was made in previous years, or the money the investors figure to gain from the sale of the franchise at some point in the future.

My advice? When considering proposals, evaluate them on their own merits. Is it a good idea to use public money to renovate Husky Stadium? Really, if it's a worthwhile investment of public funds, that should be independent of the athletic department's financial state. If it's worth $50 million, $150 million, $300 million to the state, then that's what it's worth. If it's not, then it's not. Ignore the rhetoric.

By the way, don't think this is the end of the budget talk. President Floyd is slated to announce the school's budget later today, and some of the details have already been leaked. Ouch.

Moving on.

Cougfan.com reported this news earlier in the week, but the Contra Costa Times comes in with the local angle on the football team's most recent commit, defensive back Damante Horton. How big of a get this is for the Cougs obviously won't be known for some time, but the WSU staff sure seems to think highly of him:

"(Washington State) is very excited about him playing DB," his coach, Desmond Gumbs, said. "He was No. 1 on their board. He's a great find for them."

Goodness knows we need as much help as possible in that secondary. Is it too late for him to graduate early and come to school?
You might have seen that the Texas district attorney is talking tough with Ryan Leaf. TNT columnist John McGrath has some great advice for him.
Howie Stalwick gives a few more details on the basketball game in Kennewick, and also catches up with the WSU baseball players beginning their pro careers. Jared Prince and Matt Way are already off and running.
Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News weighs in with his thoughts on how the Pac-10 could realign its bowls to be a better lineup. It's realistic, which is depressing as crap -- the current lineup is so bad, it's going to take a lot of time to move to more favorable matchups.
And, lastly, the next in a long line of Tom Hansen farewell pieces -- this one from the LA Times.

Sometimes a headline says it all

Nuss — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 07:30:35 -0000

Sometimes a headline says it all

"Two-hole is Branyan's comfort zone."

Clearly, that headline writer did not graduate from the Edward R. Murrow School/College of Communication.

DA: Leaf has until Thursday

Nuss — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 07:18:03 -0000

DA: Leaf has until Thursday

A dragnet? Really? This whole thing is starting to smack of the same small-town crap that stupid sheriff out in South Carolina tried to pull with Michael Phelps.

Yes, there is a warrant for Leaf's arrest. But I'm wondering if they threaten dragnets for all wanted burglary suspects who are out of their jurisdiction, or just former NFL quarterbacks.

Declaration day: Pac-10's losers and winners

Nuss — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:31:09 -0000

More photos » by Reed Saxon - AP

That constipated look on Ben Howland's face? He's wondering just who the heck is going to play point for his team next year now that Jrue Holiday is officially gone. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

Browse more photos »

The deadline for underclassmen to announce their final intentions for the NBA Draft came and went yesterday. Here's a quick look and the losers and winners, from biggest to smallest, along with my way-too-early Pac-10 power rankings for next season.

LOSERS

USC: A couple of months ago, this pretty clearly would have been Arizona. Not anymore. Tim Floyd has resigned in disgrace and DeMar DeRozan, Taj Gibson and Daniel Hackett (!) are gone. I think it's become obvious that the program is in need of some serious house cleaning -- beyond these players leaving, there were some serious fractures on that team last year. The recruiting cupboard is all but bare, and there are likely sanctions on the way. Not a good day to be a Trojan. (But I guess we could say that about any day, right?)
Arizona State: James Harden is gone, and anyone who watched the Sun Devils play when he wasn't on the floor the last two years -- or when his legs finally gave out from inexcusable overuse -- know what that means. Herb Sendek has what appears to be a good recruiting class coming in, but let's be frank: None of them are game changers like Harden. He was a special kind of player that made Sendek look like a darn good coach. Let's see what he can do now that he doesn't have Harden around to ride like Secretariat.
Arizona: Boy, have the Wildcats pulled one heck of a magic act. In November, they were in complete disarray. Lute Olson was retiring just before the start of the season and their first choice for interim coach didn't want the job. Then, the season was mediocre by their standards, recruiting was at a standstill and it looked like their Big Three was bolting for the NBA. Now, they've got a fantastic coach in Sean Miller (after serendipitously being spurned by Tim Floyd), an unbelievable recruiting class considering the wreck this program was just a couple of months ago, and they're only losing Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill -- Nic Wise returns. Still not a great day for Arizona, but holy cow could it have been a lot worse.
UCLA: Had UCLA successfully recruited a point guard for this draft class, I suppose it would be debatable whether UCLA even belonged in the loser category, even with the loss of Jrue Holiday, who was never as good in LA as he was supposed to be. But with Darren Collison graduating and Holiday staying in the draft, the Bruins have a ton of question marks at the lead spot. Their leading returning assist men? Nikola Dragovic and Michael Roll. Yeah.

WINNERS

Cal: While traditional powers such as Arizona and UCLA got worse, Cal didn't have even one of its talented underclassmen test the draft waters. That means Jerome Randle, Patrick Christopher, Jamal Boykin and the rest of the Bears' roster will return. No team will be poised to take advantage of other teams' losses more than Cal, which will be a top 10 team heading into next season. The scary part is that they've got a coach who's used to his teams having to live up to high expectations. Watch out.
Washington: At the end of the year, people actually said with a straight face that Isaiah Thomas might declare for the draft. He didn't, and neither did Quincy Pondexter. With a fantastic recruiting class coming in led by Abdul Gaddy, the only thing keeping the Huskies from being a winner on Cal's level is the enormous question mark in the frontcourt where Jon Brockman used to be.
Washington State, Oregon State, Oregon, Stanford: This is a great time to be a program on the rise in the conference. After having some of the best teams in the country in 2007-08 and being unbelievably balanced last season, this figures to be a good time to be heading north, what with the traditional powers being down. There's room to move, and each of these programs have hope for the upcoming season that they can make that move.

Way-Too-Early Pac-10 Power Rankings

Cal - New version of WSU 2007-08 ... but with more talent. Scary.
Washington - Could easily repeat as Pac-10 champs if even one of their big men steps up inside. None of this foo-foo face up stuff; who will get dirty?
UCLA - I'm betting Ben Howland can figure out an adequate solution at PG.
Arizona - This shows just how fast it drops off after top 3. Depth still will be a major issue, but the combo of Wise and Fogg will make for a formidable backcourt.
Oregon State - This is a tough one: Does the Pac-10 stop being fooled by the Princeton offense, or does OSU get even better after another year in the system?
Arizona State - Still lots of experience here. Derek Glasser is underrated -- I understand, it's tough to take that chest hair seriously -- and Ty Abbott could be the breakout player of the year in the conference out of Harden's shadow.
Washington State - My heart wants to rank the Cougs higher, but with a new coach and still loads of inexperienced players ...
Oregon - Lots of talent. However, Ernie Kent doesn't exactly have a track record of coaching guys up to dramatic improvements between their first and second year. Look for the Ducks to be better in 2010-11. If Kent can hang on that long.
Stanford - Big losses (Goods, Hill, Johnson) and a solid-but-unspectacular recruiting class don't scream "mover and shaker."
USC - Until they get a coach and one or two of the as-yet-unsigned recruits, this is a team staring at the bottom of the conference.

Don't laugh - this is SERIOUS science!

Nuss — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:38:22 -0000

Don't laugh - this is SERIOUS science!

May I introduce you to the newest species of mushroom ... Phallus drewesii.