Well Thanksgiving is next week which means that all across the country preseason tournaments are in full swing. With that in mind here is a look at some of tonight's most intriguing match ups.
Illinois-Chicago vs. Winthrop
I love mid-major basketball, and this pairing of the Big South against the Horizon League should make for a great game. Winthrop has had a strangle hold on their conference for years, and are led by a trio of seniors, including tiny guard Chris Gaynor who put up 17 points in the Eagles season opening win over Queens NC.
Illinois-Chicago is going to be fun to watch this season due in large part to another guard, Josh Mayo. The 5'10" senior has averages of 23.5 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists in his first two games. His 34 point performance on 11-17 shooting against Bradley was very impressive as the Flames won their season opener.
#18 Arkansas vs. Providence
The Razorbacks have had a an easy time to start the season, winning their first two games over Wofford and the College of Charleston by 22 and 27 points respectively. Dynamic sophomore guard Patrick Beverley has picked up where he left off last season, posting averages of 15.5 points and 6 rebounds in his first two games. Senior Steven Hill has not been seeing much time in the post after many thought he would make the leap from role player to impact player this season.
The Friars escaped with a 66-64 win over Temple yesterday, and without a ton of talented size, they will likely struggle with Arkansas.
Gardner-Webb vs. Oklahoma
Could the Runnin' Bulldogs pick up another win against a BCS conference team? Don't count out the possibility. Despite dropping their first game of the season to UConn last night 78-66, Gardner-Webb has still be getting great production out of their top players. Sophomore Grayson Flittner has impressed, putting up 18 points per game in his first four contests, while undersized senior forward Thomas Sanders has been a monster, averaging 18 points and nearly 12 rebounds thus far.
The Sooners however did look solid in a 10 point loss to Memphis last night. If Oklahoma can slow down the pace of the game they should be able to hold off the 'Dogs.
#3 Memphis vs. UConn
This is the marquee game for Friday night. The Tigers have looked every bit a national title contender thus far thanks to stellar play by freshman phenom Derrick Rose and backcourt running mate Chris Douglas-Roberts. Of course the fact that Joey Dorsey has been a man possessed on the boards doesn't hurt matters either.
After struggling with Morgan State on opening night, the Huskies have picked up their play in their next two games. Jerome Dyson and A.J. Price have been pacing UConn in the backcourt, while junior Jeff Adrien has been averaging close to a double-double inside. A big key in this one will be the play of 7'3" Hasheem Thabeet who certainly has the capability of slowing down Memphis's frontcourt, but it wont be easy.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Opening Week Wrap Up
Rejoice, the college basketball season is officially underway. The first week was highlighted by a couple of big upsets and the arrival of several heralded freshman. Here's a look at some of the big stories from the season's opening.
Gardner-Webb Who?
New Kentucky head coach Billy Gillispie certainly didn't anticipate his second career game in blue to pan out like this. Unranked Gardner-Webb out of the Atlantic Sun Conference shocked the 22nd ranked Wildcats 84-68 in front of a sold out crowd of Kentucky faithful. Despite a solid 12-point 12-rebound performance from blue chip freshman forward Patrick Patterson, Kentucky shot a paltry 35.5% from the floor and were outrebounded 36-28. The Runnin' Bulldogs however had no trouble finding the basket, shooting 53% from the field, and seeing four starters reach double figures in scoring.
This by no means sinks Kentucky, it just was an unexpected upset, and not a solid way for Gillispie to begin his coaching career in the bluegrass state. For Gardner-Webb though this is the kind of win that can make a season. Now this isn't to say that they are going to run away with their conference and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in March; of course the chances of them making the tournament as an at-large bid is small too. At the end of the season though, having a signature win like Kentucky on your resume is never a bad thing for a mid-major team.
Other Early Season Upsets of Note
O.J. Mayo had his college debut spoiled by Mercer who shocked #18 USC in the Trojans season opener. The Bears could not have been hotter, hitting on nearly 60% of their shots, and were led by sophomore guard James Florence who poured in 30 points, despite shooting just 2-9 from beyond the arc. This loss drops USC coach Tim Floyd's opening game record with USC to 0-3.
A couple of lesser upsets were UNC-Greensboro's 83-74 win on the road at Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets obviously lost a lot with the early departures of Thaddeus Young and Javaris Crittenton, but the team still has a decent amount of talent, including guard Anthony Morrow who put up a 23-point performance in the loss. Greensboro's senior forward Kyle Hines was by far the best player on the court though. The 6'6" bruiser posted 25 points and 9 rebounds in leading all players in scoring.
Freshman Make Early Statements
Entering the season there were those who though this year's crop of freshman could be deeper and more talented than last years group which produced Greg Oden and Kevin Durant. Well, so far so good. Here's a look at the stat lines thus far of some of the most heralded freshman in the country.
Kevin Love (UCLA) - 22 points, 13 rebounds vs. Portland St
Michael Beasley (Kansas St) - 32 points, 24 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks vs. Sacramento St
Derrick Rose (Memphis) - 2 game averages: 19 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3 assists
O.J. Mayo (USC) - 32 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists vs. Mercer
Nick Calathes (Florida) - 21 points, 3 assists vs. North Dakota St
Gardner-Webb Who?
New Kentucky head coach Billy Gillispie certainly didn't anticipate his second career game in blue to pan out like this. Unranked Gardner-Webb out of the Atlantic Sun Conference shocked the 22nd ranked Wildcats 84-68 in front of a sold out crowd of Kentucky faithful. Despite a solid 12-point 12-rebound performance from blue chip freshman forward Patrick Patterson, Kentucky shot a paltry 35.5% from the floor and were outrebounded 36-28. The Runnin' Bulldogs however had no trouble finding the basket, shooting 53% from the field, and seeing four starters reach double figures in scoring.
This by no means sinks Kentucky, it just was an unexpected upset, and not a solid way for Gillispie to begin his coaching career in the bluegrass state. For Gardner-Webb though this is the kind of win that can make a season. Now this isn't to say that they are going to run away with their conference and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in March; of course the chances of them making the tournament as an at-large bid is small too. At the end of the season though, having a signature win like Kentucky on your resume is never a bad thing for a mid-major team.
Other Early Season Upsets of Note
O.J. Mayo had his college debut spoiled by Mercer who shocked #18 USC in the Trojans season opener. The Bears could not have been hotter, hitting on nearly 60% of their shots, and were led by sophomore guard James Florence who poured in 30 points, despite shooting just 2-9 from beyond the arc. This loss drops USC coach Tim Floyd's opening game record with USC to 0-3.
A couple of lesser upsets were UNC-Greensboro's 83-74 win on the road at Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets obviously lost a lot with the early departures of Thaddeus Young and Javaris Crittenton, but the team still has a decent amount of talent, including guard Anthony Morrow who put up a 23-point performance in the loss. Greensboro's senior forward Kyle Hines was by far the best player on the court though. The 6'6" bruiser posted 25 points and 9 rebounds in leading all players in scoring.
Freshman Make Early Statements
Entering the season there were those who though this year's crop of freshman could be deeper and more talented than last years group which produced Greg Oden and Kevin Durant. Well, so far so good. Here's a look at the stat lines thus far of some of the most heralded freshman in the country.
Kevin Love (UCLA) - 22 points, 13 rebounds vs. Portland St
Michael Beasley (Kansas St) - 32 points, 24 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks vs. Sacramento St
Derrick Rose (Memphis) - 2 game averages: 19 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3 assists
O.J. Mayo (USC) - 32 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists vs. Mercer
Nick Calathes (Florida) - 21 points, 3 assists vs. North Dakota St
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