Spartans Rule
Footballguy
An FFA tradition. Help other FBGs with their brackets by sharing your inside knowledge of your favorite team or others you've watched a lot.
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums
This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
2014 tell us about your NCAA tourney team thread (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Spartans Rule
- Start date
strykerpks
Footballguy
Wisconsin 26-7 (12-6)
TL;DR version - Better on offense and worse on defense than in years past.
I used to copy and paste the previous years writeup and just change the names and a few details but this Wisconsin team is different. It isn't a high flying, run-and-gun offense but this team can put up points, averaging 74ppg (where previous years were in the mid to upper 60s). They still run a deliberate swing offense but at times will look to get out and run in transition. That said, they still want to control the pace of the game and don't turn the ball over very often.
Offensively they are prone to 3-4 minutes or so stretches of bad shots, missed shots, hurried shots and all kinds of bad. There's usually 1-2 of these per game but if they're off, they're off, as evidenced in the 5 out of 6 losses in the middle of the season and the first half of the B1G semis. Free throws could be a minor issue.
Frank Kaminsky is Bo Ryan's prototypical big man that can get fed in the post or step out and hit a 3 (38% I believe). At 7' he can block shots but doesn't have the girth or quickness to be a really dominant inside presence. That said, he needs to touch the ball on the block if he can in nearly every possession, IMO unless Hayes is in.
Sam Dekker at 3 or 4, depending on the lineup, is a guy who has all the tools to play in the NBA but hasn't put it all together in his 2 years. He really should be averaging about 15-18ppg and 7-10rpg (I think he's around 12 and 5) but he has disappeared for stretches this season. He's a slasher and his long range jumper could use some work but he has a knack for getting to the rim. Locally he's called Slam Dekker. He's a bit slow on the defensive side of the ball.
They start 3 guards with Josh Gasser, Ben Brust and Traevon Jackson. Jackson has improved at the point this year but can be careless with the ball and at times tries to make too much out of nothing, much to Badger fans chagrin. He won't take over a game but if he is scoring in double figures, look out. Gasser and Brust are the typical white guys you don't want to leave open behind the arc (41.1% and 38.2% for their careers respectively). The swing offense also puts them in a position to post up once in a while which they can do very well with the right matchup.
Bo generally only rotates 3 guys off the bench. Nigel Hayes won the B1G 6th man of the year award. As a 6'7" 250# freshman, this kid will be a beast if we can keep him for 4 years. He has a really nice mid-range jumper and draws a lot of contact when he goes to the rim. Gotta work on those free throws though, son. When he figures it out, he will take over a game. Bronson Koenig and Duje Dukan are the heirs apparent (heir apparents?) at the guard position. They put in solid minutes off the bench and can hit some shots.
Defensively you normally think a Bo Ryan team is phenomenal. Well, this year they're not. Don't get me wrong they are still very solid, but if you attack the lane, they can have problems. In the midst of their losing streak they gave up 52 points in the paint to Indiana. Yes, that Indiana that couldn't make the NIT.
Overall I think I've painted a somewhat negative picture in trying to be objective but this is a good team, probably one of Bo Ryan's best. They have wins over the B1G champ, SEC champ, ACC champ, A10 champ and Horizon champ. They had stretches of 16-0, 1-6 and 9-2. Oregon could give them fits with their scoring and you can't count out McDermott and Creighton but I have confidence they should get past those two. I don't think they have the athletes to win it all but conservatively I'll put them in the final four in 3 or 4 of 10 brackets, winning one for ####s and giggles.
TL;DR version - Better on offense and worse on defense than in years past.
I used to copy and paste the previous years writeup and just change the names and a few details but this Wisconsin team is different. It isn't a high flying, run-and-gun offense but this team can put up points, averaging 74ppg (where previous years were in the mid to upper 60s). They still run a deliberate swing offense but at times will look to get out and run in transition. That said, they still want to control the pace of the game and don't turn the ball over very often.
Offensively they are prone to 3-4 minutes or so stretches of bad shots, missed shots, hurried shots and all kinds of bad. There's usually 1-2 of these per game but if they're off, they're off, as evidenced in the 5 out of 6 losses in the middle of the season and the first half of the B1G semis. Free throws could be a minor issue.
Frank Kaminsky is Bo Ryan's prototypical big man that can get fed in the post or step out and hit a 3 (38% I believe). At 7' he can block shots but doesn't have the girth or quickness to be a really dominant inside presence. That said, he needs to touch the ball on the block if he can in nearly every possession, IMO unless Hayes is in.
Sam Dekker at 3 or 4, depending on the lineup, is a guy who has all the tools to play in the NBA but hasn't put it all together in his 2 years. He really should be averaging about 15-18ppg and 7-10rpg (I think he's around 12 and 5) but he has disappeared for stretches this season. He's a slasher and his long range jumper could use some work but he has a knack for getting to the rim. Locally he's called Slam Dekker. He's a bit slow on the defensive side of the ball.
They start 3 guards with Josh Gasser, Ben Brust and Traevon Jackson. Jackson has improved at the point this year but can be careless with the ball and at times tries to make too much out of nothing, much to Badger fans chagrin. He won't take over a game but if he is scoring in double figures, look out. Gasser and Brust are the typical white guys you don't want to leave open behind the arc (41.1% and 38.2% for their careers respectively). The swing offense also puts them in a position to post up once in a while which they can do very well with the right matchup.
Bo generally only rotates 3 guys off the bench. Nigel Hayes won the B1G 6th man of the year award. As a 6'7" 250# freshman, this kid will be a beast if we can keep him for 4 years. He has a really nice mid-range jumper and draws a lot of contact when he goes to the rim. Gotta work on those free throws though, son. When he figures it out, he will take over a game. Bronson Koenig and Duje Dukan are the heirs apparent (heir apparents?) at the guard position. They put in solid minutes off the bench and can hit some shots.
Defensively you normally think a Bo Ryan team is phenomenal. Well, this year they're not. Don't get me wrong they are still very solid, but if you attack the lane, they can have problems. In the midst of their losing streak they gave up 52 points in the paint to Indiana. Yes, that Indiana that couldn't make the NIT.
Overall I think I've painted a somewhat negative picture in trying to be objective but this is a good team, probably one of Bo Ryan's best. They have wins over the B1G champ, SEC champ, ACC champ, A10 champ and Horizon champ. They had stretches of 16-0, 1-6 and 9-2. Oregon could give them fits with their scoring and you can't count out McDermott and Creighton but I have confidence they should get past those two. I don't think they have the athletes to win it all but conservatively I'll put them in the final four in 3 or 4 of 10 brackets, winning one for ####s and giggles.
Spartans Rule
Footballguy
MICHIGAN STATE
Starters
PG 6'1 SR Keith Appling - Really athletic point guard. Great defender. Was a big scorer, but is coming off a wrist injury and an awful stretch where he couldn't shoot at all. His wrist is healthier now, but he's still looking to pass more than shoot which may not be a bad thing given the overall talent on the team.
SG 6'4 SO Gary Harris - Future NBA player. Great defender. Really good scorer. He's best from the perimeter but can attack the basket too. Has had some shooting slumps this year, which may be due to injuries - his own ankle problems, and the offense not flowing as well when others were out.
SF 6'5 SO Denzel Valentine - Really versatile player who can play all 3 perimeter positions and has even played the 4 at times thanks to injuries. He can handle the ball, shoot, pass, rebound and defend. Great court vision. His big problem is he's not as good as he thinks he is, and at times he tries to do too much and makes really bad decisions.
PF 6'6 JR Branden Dawson - Excellent athlete, fast and strong with serious hops. Great rebounder for his size and he can defend lots of positions. Not exactly MENSA material - he broke his hand when he slammed it angrily on a table during a film session and missed a lot of the Big Ten season. Came back with a vengeance though and has been a more effective scorer in the post and from mid-range lately. Doesn't have any perimeter skills to speak of.
C 6'10 SR Adreian Payne - MSU's best player IMO, although some would say Harris. It was widely assumed he'd go pro after last season and he looks like a man among boys at times. A force in the post that most teams have to double, but he can also step outside and hit the 3. Great rebounder and interior defender. Fatigue has always been an issue with him, he has small lungs for his size, and he's battled plantar fasciitis this season which can't help his minutes either.
Bench
G 6'0 JR Travis Trice - Solid backup PG who can take care of the ball, defend, and stick the 3 when open.
C 6'9 SO Matt Costello - Big guy who understands his role and is a very physical rebounder and defender. Offense is a work in progress.
F 6'7 FR Kenny Kaminski - Really good 3-point shooter. Not really into things like defense, rebounding or going to class. A lot of upside but for this year he's just a guy who can stretch the defense.
F/C 6'9 FR Gavin Schilling - Another decent big body to throw in off the bench.
G 6'4 FR Alvin Ellis - Athletic two guard who has shown flashes of potential but not much consistency.
Strengths: A really athletic, well-rounded and experienced team. They play tenacious man-to-man defense, rebound well, are extremely dangerous in transition, can shoot from outside, have 5 starters who can score, and they have a reasonably deep bench. The coach is pretty good, too.
Weaknesses: Durability? Not many weaknesses when healthy. Halfcourt offense has been a problem at times, especially when opponents collapse on Payne. The starting lineup is a little small, and though there's depth inside it's not real skilled. There isn't really a natural leader on the team, which could be an issue in crunch time.
Outlook: MSU looked scary good in the Big Ten tournament, comfortably beating 2 seeds on back-to-back days. Obviously they're not your typical 4 seed, they're more like a 1 when healthy. That said, I just saw 4 guys on ESPN all pick them to win it all and that surprised me. We're only 2 weeks removed from them losing to Illinois at home with the full roster available. They certainly could win the tourney, but there's teams out there that have been playing at an elite level for more than 3 days that would be safer picks.
Starters
PG 6'1 SR Keith Appling - Really athletic point guard. Great defender. Was a big scorer, but is coming off a wrist injury and an awful stretch where he couldn't shoot at all. His wrist is healthier now, but he's still looking to pass more than shoot which may not be a bad thing given the overall talent on the team.
SG 6'4 SO Gary Harris - Future NBA player. Great defender. Really good scorer. He's best from the perimeter but can attack the basket too. Has had some shooting slumps this year, which may be due to injuries - his own ankle problems, and the offense not flowing as well when others were out.
SF 6'5 SO Denzel Valentine - Really versatile player who can play all 3 perimeter positions and has even played the 4 at times thanks to injuries. He can handle the ball, shoot, pass, rebound and defend. Great court vision. His big problem is he's not as good as he thinks he is, and at times he tries to do too much and makes really bad decisions.
PF 6'6 JR Branden Dawson - Excellent athlete, fast and strong with serious hops. Great rebounder for his size and he can defend lots of positions. Not exactly MENSA material - he broke his hand when he slammed it angrily on a table during a film session and missed a lot of the Big Ten season. Came back with a vengeance though and has been a more effective scorer in the post and from mid-range lately. Doesn't have any perimeter skills to speak of.
C 6'10 SR Adreian Payne - MSU's best player IMO, although some would say Harris. It was widely assumed he'd go pro after last season and he looks like a man among boys at times. A force in the post that most teams have to double, but he can also step outside and hit the 3. Great rebounder and interior defender. Fatigue has always been an issue with him, he has small lungs for his size, and he's battled plantar fasciitis this season which can't help his minutes either.
Bench
G 6'0 JR Travis Trice - Solid backup PG who can take care of the ball, defend, and stick the 3 when open.
C 6'9 SO Matt Costello - Big guy who understands his role and is a very physical rebounder and defender. Offense is a work in progress.
F 6'7 FR Kenny Kaminski - Really good 3-point shooter. Not really into things like defense, rebounding or going to class. A lot of upside but for this year he's just a guy who can stretch the defense.
F/C 6'9 FR Gavin Schilling - Another decent big body to throw in off the bench.
G 6'4 FR Alvin Ellis - Athletic two guard who has shown flashes of potential but not much consistency.
Strengths: A really athletic, well-rounded and experienced team. They play tenacious man-to-man defense, rebound well, are extremely dangerous in transition, can shoot from outside, have 5 starters who can score, and they have a reasonably deep bench. The coach is pretty good, too.
Weaknesses: Durability? Not many weaknesses when healthy. Halfcourt offense has been a problem at times, especially when opponents collapse on Payne. The starting lineup is a little small, and though there's depth inside it's not real skilled. There isn't really a natural leader on the team, which could be an issue in crunch time.
Outlook: MSU looked scary good in the Big Ten tournament, comfortably beating 2 seeds on back-to-back days. Obviously they're not your typical 4 seed, they're more like a 1 when healthy. That said, I just saw 4 guys on ESPN all pick them to win it all and that surprised me. We're only 2 weeks removed from them losing to Illinois at home with the full roster available. They certainly could win the tourney, but there's teams out there that have been playing at an elite level for more than 3 days that would be safer picks.
Last edited by a moderator:
Homer J Simpson
I don't push
If you guys know so much about basketball what are you doing at a Gas n' Sip on a Saturday night with, like, no tournament anywhere.Auburn University Tigers
Super ####ty again. Chose to not participate in the tournament for the 11th consecutive year.
BY CHOICE, MAN!
Homer J Simpson
I don't push
Somebody gimme a plucky mid-major with 4 starting upperclassmen, great guard play, and a nice draw.
Kthanxbai!
Kthanxbai!
tdoss
Footballguy
Duke
Everyone knows Duke's positives so I'll harp more on their negatives.
Point Guard is a weakness.
Has serious difficulty with zone defenses.
Can't seem to stop good point guards.
Teams are able to slice and cut to the basket too easily against Duke.
No real big man to speak of...Plumlee is just there to take up space and dig out rebounds.
Parker is a great offensive threat, jump shooting or driving...he'll get points...but he's a bit of a liability on the defensive end.
UNC
Stay away from this team.
Great defense and rebounding but cannot buy a bucket to save their lives.
I honestly don't know how they pulled off the wins that they did this year but I think the curtain has been pulled back to reveal the wizard.
Cannot shoot free throws either.
UVA
Even though #1 seed...they're very underrated. No one is picking them to win their bracket...mostly because Sparty is there.
Absolutely fantastic team defense...they man up on you but it feels like zone...fun to watch if you like grit, determination and effort.
They won the ACC regular season handily and won the ACC Tournament. They are for real.
Everyone knows Duke's positives so I'll harp more on their negatives.
Point Guard is a weakness.
Has serious difficulty with zone defenses.
Can't seem to stop good point guards.
Teams are able to slice and cut to the basket too easily against Duke.
No real big man to speak of...Plumlee is just there to take up space and dig out rebounds.
Parker is a great offensive threat, jump shooting or driving...he'll get points...but he's a bit of a liability on the defensive end.
UNC
Stay away from this team.
Great defense and rebounding but cannot buy a bucket to save their lives.
I honestly don't know how they pulled off the wins that they did this year but I think the curtain has been pulled back to reveal the wizard.
Cannot shoot free throws either.
UVA
Even though #1 seed...they're very underrated. No one is picking them to win their bracket...mostly because Sparty is there.
Absolutely fantastic team defense...they man up on you but it feels like zone...fun to watch if you like grit, determination and effort.
They won the ACC regular season handily and won the ACC Tournament. They are for real.
cheese
Footballguy
Will do my writeup for the Bearcats, but seeing the Sparty/Virginia posts reminds me that my initial reaction to the bracket was Sparty has 2 clone games b2b if they survive. Virginia is probably the most similar team to Cincinnati in whole bracket in terms of strengths/weaknesses/personnel.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Michigan Wolverines
PG: Derrick Walton 6-1 FR
When Trey Burke took over the starting PG role for Michigan, he was replacing the star of the team in Darrius Morris and many thought the team would take a big step back with the then freshman point guard. Two years later and Derrick Walton has found himself in the same situation that Burke once did. While Walton isn't nearly the player Trey was, he is as capable of a freshman point guard as you are going to find in the tourney. He protects the ball, can shoot the 3, drive and score and rebounds surprisingly well for his size. He is limited on defense due to his size and he isn't the drive and dish player Burke was. He isn't a game changer, but if teams think they are doing to take advantage of the first year point guard, they are mistaken.
SG: Nik Stauskas 6-6 SO
Last year, he was a stand in the corner and nail 3s guy. With the loss of the top 3 players from last years team, Stauskas has stepped up and become an all around scorer. He is lethal from beyond the arc. Whether it is catch and shoot, off the dribble, or step back, doesn't matter as he has unlimited range and can do it with hands in his face. He has greatly improved his dribble and drive skills. Guys can't press him too much because he can blow buy and finish at the rim. With his size, he easily shoots over smaller guards and can get the first step on larger defenders.
SG: Caris Levert 6-6 SO
He is the real surprise to the team and maybe the most improved player in the country. He is averaging 12 points, 4.5 boards, and 3 assists a game. He can shoot the 3, drive and score, is Michigan's best player off the dribble and their best 1:1 defender.
F: Glenn Robinson III 6-6 SO
The most athletic player for the Wolverines. He has NBA lottery type athleticism. He combines that with a good mid-range shot. His 3 point game hasn't been that good this year, but considering he plays the 4 spot, their aren't many 4s that can stretch the court like GR3. His weakness is his mentality. Despite his freakish gifts, he is often passive. He doesn't seem to want contact and can disappear for long stretches.
C: Jordan Morgan 6-8 SR
This is where UM is lacking. McGary was expected to the best player on the team, but without him, they have had to really rely on Morgan. He is smart and aggressive. He fights for boards and is great at setting screens for shooters. He has very little offensive game isn't a shot blocker.
C: Jon Horford 6-10 JR
A less athletic version of Morgan.
G/F: Zak Irvin 6-6 FR
A very good athlete, Mr. Basketball Indiana, played with Gary Harris in high school. He hasn't found a way to impact the team except for his 3 point shooting though. Irvin loves to shoot 3s (makes at 41%) and if he gets hot, he can knock a down a handful very quickly. If he isn't hitting the 3, he isn't able to make an impact.
PG: Spike Albrecht 5-11 SO
He is a safe consistent PG. He doesn't score much beyond the occasional 3 pointer (he is not the player we saw in last years title game). He can be man handled on the defensive end. His biggest asset is that he doesn't make mistakes. He takes smart shots (40% FG, 39% 3P%) and his assist to turnover ratio is outstanding (72 assists to 16 turnovers).
Michigan matches up best against teams that don't play tight physical man defense and want to get out and run.
Michigan matches up worst against teams that have the size and strength to push Michigan around on the perimeter and in the paint.
Their fate will be decided by the longball.
PG: Derrick Walton 6-1 FR
When Trey Burke took over the starting PG role for Michigan, he was replacing the star of the team in Darrius Morris and many thought the team would take a big step back with the then freshman point guard. Two years later and Derrick Walton has found himself in the same situation that Burke once did. While Walton isn't nearly the player Trey was, he is as capable of a freshman point guard as you are going to find in the tourney. He protects the ball, can shoot the 3, drive and score and rebounds surprisingly well for his size. He is limited on defense due to his size and he isn't the drive and dish player Burke was. He isn't a game changer, but if teams think they are doing to take advantage of the first year point guard, they are mistaken.
SG: Nik Stauskas 6-6 SO
Last year, he was a stand in the corner and nail 3s guy. With the loss of the top 3 players from last years team, Stauskas has stepped up and become an all around scorer. He is lethal from beyond the arc. Whether it is catch and shoot, off the dribble, or step back, doesn't matter as he has unlimited range and can do it with hands in his face. He has greatly improved his dribble and drive skills. Guys can't press him too much because he can blow buy and finish at the rim. With his size, he easily shoots over smaller guards and can get the first step on larger defenders.
SG: Caris Levert 6-6 SO
He is the real surprise to the team and maybe the most improved player in the country. He is averaging 12 points, 4.5 boards, and 3 assists a game. He can shoot the 3, drive and score, is Michigan's best player off the dribble and their best 1:1 defender.
F: Glenn Robinson III 6-6 SO
The most athletic player for the Wolverines. He has NBA lottery type athleticism. He combines that with a good mid-range shot. His 3 point game hasn't been that good this year, but considering he plays the 4 spot, their aren't many 4s that can stretch the court like GR3. His weakness is his mentality. Despite his freakish gifts, he is often passive. He doesn't seem to want contact and can disappear for long stretches.
C: Jordan Morgan 6-8 SR
This is where UM is lacking. McGary was expected to the best player on the team, but without him, they have had to really rely on Morgan. He is smart and aggressive. He fights for boards and is great at setting screens for shooters. He has very little offensive game isn't a shot blocker.
C: Jon Horford 6-10 JR
A less athletic version of Morgan.
G/F: Zak Irvin 6-6 FR
A very good athlete, Mr. Basketball Indiana, played with Gary Harris in high school. He hasn't found a way to impact the team except for his 3 point shooting though. Irvin loves to shoot 3s (makes at 41%) and if he gets hot, he can knock a down a handful very quickly. If he isn't hitting the 3, he isn't able to make an impact.
PG: Spike Albrecht 5-11 SO
He is a safe consistent PG. He doesn't score much beyond the occasional 3 pointer (he is not the player we saw in last years title game). He can be man handled on the defensive end. His biggest asset is that he doesn't make mistakes. He takes smart shots (40% FG, 39% 3P%) and his assist to turnover ratio is outstanding (72 assists to 16 turnovers).
Michigan matches up best against teams that don't play tight physical man defense and want to get out and run.
Michigan matches up worst against teams that have the size and strength to push Michigan around on the perimeter and in the paint.
Their fate will be decided by the longball.
Last edited by a moderator:
Premier
Footballguy
cheese
Footballguy
[SIZE=medium]Cincinnati Bearcats[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Overall (tldr version) – Bearcats have a nasty defense and play as hard from start to finish as anybody out there. Their versatility and understanding of team defense makes them consistent on that end every game. They are limited offensively to basically whatever Kilpatrick can do except for a few times a game when JJackson makes an unguardable move. They team rebound very well, but when Jackson leaves with foul trouble they feel it in all areas. They are a very veteran team that has played together a lot.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Offense- Generally, UC spends 30 seconds running offense looking for layups or an open 3 for SK. If it doesn’t happen, they give the ball to SK to bail them out. His usage percentage is unreal for a reason, but he still finds a way to be fairly efficient with this. Part of the reason is he draws a ton of contact. He faces some form of box and 1 or face guarding (no help off him) every single game. The guy guarding him will spend his day running into some of the most physical screens (read: should be illegal most the time) you will ever face. When Jackson can stay on the floor, they like him to catch high and run cutters straight through his man to the basket. This creates some confusion and Jackson is a good passer. It also works as sort of illegal screen that he makes a move off of driving to basket. If your 5 is slow, he’s toast on this, but Jackson will probably only take advantage in spurts. The offense runs a modified pinch post offense a lot if you really know offenses. We start 2 guys basically entirely for defense, rebounding, floor game, that can’t really shoot. This is especially true of Rubles. Everyone knows it and tries to sag off them and bait them into shots. Sometimes it works, but even when it doesn’t it limits their ability to drive. If either Shaq or Rubles gets near the rim they’re finishing though. Don’t bother fouling, it’s just an and1. Second change points are a big part of the offense, but we also get a lot of fouls going for ORBs. Good in transition off steals, but who isn't.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Problem areas: Really only 1 shooter, maybe 2 when bench guys play or Guyn is actually shooting. If SK struggles, we have to win entirely with defense. Jackson spends half the game every game in foul trouble and our offense completely changes (read: sucks) when he leaves.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Defense- Versatility. Switch everything, extreme help defense. Every guy on our team can guard 1-5. PG is tough enough to bang with your center and Jackson can guard your PG off the dribble. A lot of times our D looks like chaos, but it’s a veteran group and they have it down to a science. Can get a lot of deflections and steals, but have picked on weaker teams in this area. If you have a good big man, he may be able to neutralize Jackson by making him play straight up post D. If Jackson is allowed to roam, he will wreck everything for all 5 offensive guys. Luckily for UC, there just aren’t that many good 5s in NCAA anymore. If you are a good offensive team because you can create layups and execute to get guys open, you will hate this matchup because it won’t happen. If you’re a good offense because you have great shooters that can make contested shots, you will probably score points.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Problem areas: When Jackson goes out (fouls, he will play 40 minutes if no fouls) the defense really has no backup. They were playing a 7 footer and switching to a zone early in the year, but lately they have scrapped that and just played WAY undersized. If it wasn’t obvious, we foul a lot. This isn’t a complaint about calls. We just play a really physical defense and get called all the time for it. Sometimes our pace saves us by limiting possessions, but if you can speed it up the odds of you getting in bonus and some of our best players off the floor is pretty high.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]More thoughts- [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Don’t press. Our half-court offense is limited and we have a ton of athletes that would rather be in the open floor. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]You are going to yell at the refs… a lot. It will feel like you’re getting fouled on every drive and that our offense is initiating all the contact on the other end. Different refs handle it differently. It can be mentally draining for some teams to deal with.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Instinct for a lot of coaches is to play zone because we only have 1 shooter, but it’s just too hard to keep Kilpatrick from taking all the shots in a conventional zone. That is why we face so much junk D.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Tempo is really slow to limit possessions. It really helps to have 1 goto scorer against us that can create something late in shot clock.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Overall (tldr version) – Bearcats have a nasty defense and play as hard from start to finish as anybody out there. Their versatility and understanding of team defense makes them consistent on that end every game. They are limited offensively to basically whatever Kilpatrick can do except for a few times a game when JJackson makes an unguardable move. They team rebound very well, but when Jackson leaves with foul trouble they feel it in all areas. They are a very veteran team that has played together a lot.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Offense- Generally, UC spends 30 seconds running offense looking for layups or an open 3 for SK. If it doesn’t happen, they give the ball to SK to bail them out. His usage percentage is unreal for a reason, but he still finds a way to be fairly efficient with this. Part of the reason is he draws a ton of contact. He faces some form of box and 1 or face guarding (no help off him) every single game. The guy guarding him will spend his day running into some of the most physical screens (read: should be illegal most the time) you will ever face. When Jackson can stay on the floor, they like him to catch high and run cutters straight through his man to the basket. This creates some confusion and Jackson is a good passer. It also works as sort of illegal screen that he makes a move off of driving to basket. If your 5 is slow, he’s toast on this, but Jackson will probably only take advantage in spurts. The offense runs a modified pinch post offense a lot if you really know offenses. We start 2 guys basically entirely for defense, rebounding, floor game, that can’t really shoot. This is especially true of Rubles. Everyone knows it and tries to sag off them and bait them into shots. Sometimes it works, but even when it doesn’t it limits their ability to drive. If either Shaq or Rubles gets near the rim they’re finishing though. Don’t bother fouling, it’s just an and1. Second change points are a big part of the offense, but we also get a lot of fouls going for ORBs. Good in transition off steals, but who isn't.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Problem areas: Really only 1 shooter, maybe 2 when bench guys play or Guyn is actually shooting. If SK struggles, we have to win entirely with defense. Jackson spends half the game every game in foul trouble and our offense completely changes (read: sucks) when he leaves.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Defense- Versatility. Switch everything, extreme help defense. Every guy on our team can guard 1-5. PG is tough enough to bang with your center and Jackson can guard your PG off the dribble. A lot of times our D looks like chaos, but it’s a veteran group and they have it down to a science. Can get a lot of deflections and steals, but have picked on weaker teams in this area. If you have a good big man, he may be able to neutralize Jackson by making him play straight up post D. If Jackson is allowed to roam, he will wreck everything for all 5 offensive guys. Luckily for UC, there just aren’t that many good 5s in NCAA anymore. If you are a good offensive team because you can create layups and execute to get guys open, you will hate this matchup because it won’t happen. If you’re a good offense because you have great shooters that can make contested shots, you will probably score points.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Problem areas: When Jackson goes out (fouls, he will play 40 minutes if no fouls) the defense really has no backup. They were playing a 7 footer and switching to a zone early in the year, but lately they have scrapped that and just played WAY undersized. If it wasn’t obvious, we foul a lot. This isn’t a complaint about calls. We just play a really physical defense and get called all the time for it. Sometimes our pace saves us by limiting possessions, but if you can speed it up the odds of you getting in bonus and some of our best players off the floor is pretty high.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]More thoughts- [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Don’t press. Our half-court offense is limited and we have a ton of athletes that would rather be in the open floor. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]You are going to yell at the refs… a lot. It will feel like you’re getting fouled on every drive and that our offense is initiating all the contact on the other end. Different refs handle it differently. It can be mentally draining for some teams to deal with.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Instinct for a lot of coaches is to play zone because we only have 1 shooter, but it’s just too hard to keep Kilpatrick from taking all the shots in a conventional zone. That is why we face so much junk D.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Tempo is really slow to limit possessions. It really helps to have 1 goto scorer against us that can create something late in shot clock.[/SIZE]
Don Quixote
Footballguy
George Washington Colonials
I have season tickets to GW, so I can guess I can talk about them. First time in the tourney since 2007. They have not been playing their best ball in the past month or two, but they started getting back on track the past couple of weeks with wins against St. Joe's and UMass. They had wins earlier this season against Creighton (on neutral court, holding McDermott to 7 points) and VCU. They are a well-coached team without a surefire star, but a lot of competent players all around in the starting lineup. The bench has been a bit of an issue.
Schemes:
They play a lot of 1-3-1 on defense, with Garino at the top. The 1-3-1 has worked well, but has had some lapses. Their offense involves a lot of ball movement trying to either find an open 3, or getting it in low to Armwood or Larsen. They have been missing Kethan Savage on offense, who is their best dribble-drive player and has been out since January (he played a minute or two against VCU, but was limping on the court, so not sure he'll be back for the tournament).
Starters:
PG Joe McDonald (So.): He's a pretty competent PG and does not make many mistakes. He's been struggling with a hip injury, but been playing through it. With Savage out, GW has nobody deserving of minutes behind him at point, so he's been playing a lot of minutes.
SG Maurice Creek (Sr): Senior transfer from Indiana. He's GW's leading scorer. He can get on fire from three, and has hit some clutch shots. He's been somewhat turnover prone and can make some bad decisions though.
G/F Patricio Garino (So): I think he's GW's best NBA prospect. Great defender. He gets a lot of his points scoring in transition, and going to the basket (he's all right hand). He can shoot well, but does not take a lot of jumpers.
F Kevin Larsen (So): GW's next best prospect. He's been GW's most improved player this year. He can be tough to match up with when both him and Armwood are on the court because of his size. He's also a pretty good ball handler for a guy his size.
F Zeek Armwood (Sr): Transfer from Villanova. Another good defender, and gets a lot of blocks.
Bench
F Nemanja Mikic (Sr): All he does is shoot 3's.
F John Kopriva (Jr): He's a solid rebounder, but does not do much else well, except pick up fouls.
G Kethan Savage (So): It would be huge if he can come back for the tourney. GW's second leading scorer, and, as I mentioned, the best dribble drive guy on the roster, and can really open up the offense. Also, he can handle the point and help give McDonald a breather.
(riffraff)
F Skyler White (Fr): He's a nobody, but I just wanted to point out that we have a player named Skyler White on our team. :heisenberg:
I have season tickets to GW, so I can guess I can talk about them. First time in the tourney since 2007. They have not been playing their best ball in the past month or two, but they started getting back on track the past couple of weeks with wins against St. Joe's and UMass. They had wins earlier this season against Creighton (on neutral court, holding McDermott to 7 points) and VCU. They are a well-coached team without a surefire star, but a lot of competent players all around in the starting lineup. The bench has been a bit of an issue.
Schemes:
They play a lot of 1-3-1 on defense, with Garino at the top. The 1-3-1 has worked well, but has had some lapses. Their offense involves a lot of ball movement trying to either find an open 3, or getting it in low to Armwood or Larsen. They have been missing Kethan Savage on offense, who is their best dribble-drive player and has been out since January (he played a minute or two against VCU, but was limping on the court, so not sure he'll be back for the tournament).
Starters:
PG Joe McDonald (So.): He's a pretty competent PG and does not make many mistakes. He's been struggling with a hip injury, but been playing through it. With Savage out, GW has nobody deserving of minutes behind him at point, so he's been playing a lot of minutes.
SG Maurice Creek (Sr): Senior transfer from Indiana. He's GW's leading scorer. He can get on fire from three, and has hit some clutch shots. He's been somewhat turnover prone and can make some bad decisions though.
G/F Patricio Garino (So): I think he's GW's best NBA prospect. Great defender. He gets a lot of his points scoring in transition, and going to the basket (he's all right hand). He can shoot well, but does not take a lot of jumpers.
F Kevin Larsen (So): GW's next best prospect. He's been GW's most improved player this year. He can be tough to match up with when both him and Armwood are on the court because of his size. He's also a pretty good ball handler for a guy his size.
F Zeek Armwood (Sr): Transfer from Villanova. Another good defender, and gets a lot of blocks.
Bench
F Nemanja Mikic (Sr): All he does is shoot 3's.
F John Kopriva (Jr): He's a solid rebounder, but does not do much else well, except pick up fouls.
G Kethan Savage (So): It would be huge if he can come back for the tourney. GW's second leading scorer, and, as I mentioned, the best dribble drive guy on the roster, and can really open up the offense. Also, he can handle the point and help give McDonald a breather.
(riffraff)
F Skyler White (Fr): He's a nobody, but I just wanted to point out that we have a player named Skyler White on our team. :heisenberg:
Last edited by a moderator:
Keerock
Footballguy
PrinceofDarkness
Footballguy
Dayton Flyers (11 seed South)
Synopsis: When playing well, Archie Miller's ball-movement predicated offense seems nearly unstoppable. The Flyers will go 10 deep and have a balanced squad. The Flyers have a bevy of experienced wing players who can drive and shoot threes with no identifiied go-to player (four players average between 9.9 and 12.7 ppg). The Flyers have three starters shooting over 40% from 3 point range. The Flyer's defense can be had by guards who can penatrate, as the the Flyers have no strong inside presence on either end of the floor. The Flyers play man-to-man exclusively. The Flyers ended the season on a 10-2 streak in the tough A-10 conference.
Strengths:
Starters:
Khari Price (So) PG - Price is a quality defender and steady leader. He had an unconventional shot from the outside, but knocks it down at a 41% clip. He will not manufacture his own shots, but is the recipient of kick outs from other players driving into the defense and hits a lot of wide open jumpers.
Jordan Sibert (Jr) SG - A top 50 recruit who transfered from Ohio State, and thus has major motivation against the Buckeyes in the first round. Shoots 44% from 3, and is the leading scorer and most likely player to carry the team. Not a very good defensive player.
Dyshawn Pierre (So) SF - A Canadian who averages 11 points and can score inside and out. He has an advanced low-post game for a 6'7" player and shoots 38% from deep.
Devin Oliver (Sr) PF - The heart and soul of the team. Best defender, best rebounder, and best distributor. Averages 12-8-2 and shoots 39% from deep.
Matt Kavanaugh (Sr) C - A big oaf who has 5 fouls. Can be productive offensively if he gets in a rhythm, but more likely to get in foul trouble. Offers very little shot blocking for a 6'10" senior.
Reserves
Vee Sanford (Sr) G - A pure scorer from the bench. Averages 9.9 ppg and is a more efficient shooter than his 3FG% - 31.1% - indicates.
Scoochie Smith (Fr) PG - A push-the-tempo guard who can take it 94 feet quickly. Still makes freshman mistakes that can lead to turnovers. Not a great shooter.
Devon Scott/Jalen Robinson (So) PF/C - Both big men play as part of a three-man rotation. Scott brings toughness and rebounding. Scott is a polished offensive player, but rather soft inside.
Synopsis: When playing well, Archie Miller's ball-movement predicated offense seems nearly unstoppable. The Flyers will go 10 deep and have a balanced squad. The Flyers have a bevy of experienced wing players who can drive and shoot threes with no identifiied go-to player (four players average between 9.9 and 12.7 ppg). The Flyers have three starters shooting over 40% from 3 point range. The Flyer's defense can be had by guards who can penatrate, as the the Flyers have no strong inside presence on either end of the floor. The Flyers play man-to-man exclusively. The Flyers ended the season on a 10-2 streak in the tough A-10 conference.
Strengths:
- Balanced, deep scoring
- Quick tempo
- Offensively efficient
- Motivation (Archie Miller was an assistant for Ohio State and Jordan Sibert was a transfer from OSU)
- Defense, especially on penetration
- Inexperienced, last NCAA game in 2009
- Overall strength
Starters:
Khari Price (So) PG - Price is a quality defender and steady leader. He had an unconventional shot from the outside, but knocks it down at a 41% clip. He will not manufacture his own shots, but is the recipient of kick outs from other players driving into the defense and hits a lot of wide open jumpers.
Jordan Sibert (Jr) SG - A top 50 recruit who transfered from Ohio State, and thus has major motivation against the Buckeyes in the first round. Shoots 44% from 3, and is the leading scorer and most likely player to carry the team. Not a very good defensive player.
Dyshawn Pierre (So) SF - A Canadian who averages 11 points and can score inside and out. He has an advanced low-post game for a 6'7" player and shoots 38% from deep.
Devin Oliver (Sr) PF - The heart and soul of the team. Best defender, best rebounder, and best distributor. Averages 12-8-2 and shoots 39% from deep.
Matt Kavanaugh (Sr) C - A big oaf who has 5 fouls. Can be productive offensively if he gets in a rhythm, but more likely to get in foul trouble. Offers very little shot blocking for a 6'10" senior.
Reserves
Vee Sanford (Sr) G - A pure scorer from the bench. Averages 9.9 ppg and is a more efficient shooter than his 3FG% - 31.1% - indicates.
Scoochie Smith (Fr) PG - A push-the-tempo guard who can take it 94 feet quickly. Still makes freshman mistakes that can lead to turnovers. Not a great shooter.
Devon Scott/Jalen Robinson (So) PF/C - Both big men play as part of a three-man rotation. Scott brings toughness and rebounding. Scott is a polished offensive player, but rather soft inside.
Jackstraw
Footballguy
Wichita State.
Watched them all year.
Fred Van Vleet - Knock on him is he's not going to be able to match up with more athletic guards. He's 5'11" and not overly fast. Does EVERYTHING right. Everything. Shows excellent judgement. Knows when to push, knows when to settle it down. Can penetrate. Can make the three. Almost comically underated. Leadership abilities. This guy is the real deal. Textbbok "floor general". He will almost single handedly ensure the Shockers won't panic down the stretch. The Shockers might get beat but almost no way they choke. The likely second round matchup with Kentucky will be an almost picture perfect case study of smarts and discipline vs all world talent. I have a feeling when Kentucky gets punched int he mouth they panic but that could be some homerism. If Kentucky gets out early then they could be alright.
Ron Baker - 6'3" shooting guard. Handles the ball in the rare instances when Van Vleeet is out of the game. Pretty phyisical, can penetrate and is great from the three. Both Van Vleet and Baker are solid in the open court. Guard play is strong point for the shockers. There's more athletic back courts but decision making and almost all other aspects will lean to the Shockers in the great majority of Matchups.
Tekelle Cotton - 6'2" Guard - WSU's best perimeter defender and one of the better defenders in the country and will be covering the other teams best guard without a doubt. Teams laid off of him early in his career due to low percentage from 3 point line. He has greatly improved this year and seems to be the guy to hit a three when we really need one. Almost always open when the other two guards penetrate and kick. If he's on shooting the shocks will be an incredibly tough out. Can jump out of the gym. Has had numerous thunderous highlight reel jams this year.
Cleanthony Early - 6'8" forward. Cleanthony is the lone Shocker that will likely log time in the NBA. Getting a little All American love. Big physical kid, can get out on the break, defend, rebound and finish. Cleanthony was intrumental in the Shocks run to the final four last year so he likely won't shrink under the bright lights. Will crash the boards and get put backs on the offensive end. Gets to the line a good amount.
Chadrack Lufile/Darius Carter/Kadeem Colby - Three headed monsters at the power forward/post. Lufile starts but they shuttle in oand out. Should not be a problem if foul trouble presents itself as they are mostly interchngeable. Not one goes over six nine but play very physical. Lufile is a liability at the line shooting around 50%. WSU has enjoyed a superior rebounding advantage all season over admittedly inferior competition.
Nick Wiggins - 6'6" First guard off the bench and brother of younger superstar Andrew Wiggins at KU. Senior with good leadership and good all around game. WSU does not fall off much with him in the game at shooting guard.
Evan Wessel - 6'5" Guard. All floor burn team. Can play small forward/shooting guard. Eats up minutes, does the dirty work rebounding, diving for loose balls. Does not score much but doesn't make many mistakes.
Strengths - Will not turn the ball over a lot, Strong rebounding team especially given the lack of size across the front line, excellent from the free throw line, well coached, plays well together, decent from the three point line, three to four players that can get to the rim on a regular basis. Has good senior leadership and two extremely mature sophomore guards that have both made a run in the tournament. Strong minded, stong willled and not prone to panic of any sort. Tend to be a stong second half team.
Weaknesses - With the exception of Cleanthony Early and Tekelle Cotton they are not going to be as athletic as many of the teams they face and will not be as big as some of the front lines they will face. They are athletic across the front line and have fouls to give. They have not faced the competition that most of the tournament teams have but they have been focused enough all year to not suffer any mental letdowns. They have been drilling the competition they do have rather than playing down to them.
This team may get beat but they will not be an easy out for any team in the tournament. They are getting discounted more because of the name across their jerseys and the quality of their competition than the quality of their team.
YOU DON"T WANT TO GO TO WAR WITH THE SHOCKERS!!!!
Watched them all year.
Fred Van Vleet - Knock on him is he's not going to be able to match up with more athletic guards. He's 5'11" and not overly fast. Does EVERYTHING right. Everything. Shows excellent judgement. Knows when to push, knows when to settle it down. Can penetrate. Can make the three. Almost comically underated. Leadership abilities. This guy is the real deal. Textbbok "floor general". He will almost single handedly ensure the Shockers won't panic down the stretch. The Shockers might get beat but almost no way they choke. The likely second round matchup with Kentucky will be an almost picture perfect case study of smarts and discipline vs all world talent. I have a feeling when Kentucky gets punched int he mouth they panic but that could be some homerism. If Kentucky gets out early then they could be alright.
Ron Baker - 6'3" shooting guard. Handles the ball in the rare instances when Van Vleeet is out of the game. Pretty phyisical, can penetrate and is great from the three. Both Van Vleet and Baker are solid in the open court. Guard play is strong point for the shockers. There's more athletic back courts but decision making and almost all other aspects will lean to the Shockers in the great majority of Matchups.
Tekelle Cotton - 6'2" Guard - WSU's best perimeter defender and one of the better defenders in the country and will be covering the other teams best guard without a doubt. Teams laid off of him early in his career due to low percentage from 3 point line. He has greatly improved this year and seems to be the guy to hit a three when we really need one. Almost always open when the other two guards penetrate and kick. If he's on shooting the shocks will be an incredibly tough out. Can jump out of the gym. Has had numerous thunderous highlight reel jams this year.
Cleanthony Early - 6'8" forward. Cleanthony is the lone Shocker that will likely log time in the NBA. Getting a little All American love. Big physical kid, can get out on the break, defend, rebound and finish. Cleanthony was intrumental in the Shocks run to the final four last year so he likely won't shrink under the bright lights. Will crash the boards and get put backs on the offensive end. Gets to the line a good amount.
Chadrack Lufile/Darius Carter/Kadeem Colby - Three headed monsters at the power forward/post. Lufile starts but they shuttle in oand out. Should not be a problem if foul trouble presents itself as they are mostly interchngeable. Not one goes over six nine but play very physical. Lufile is a liability at the line shooting around 50%. WSU has enjoyed a superior rebounding advantage all season over admittedly inferior competition.
Nick Wiggins - 6'6" First guard off the bench and brother of younger superstar Andrew Wiggins at KU. Senior with good leadership and good all around game. WSU does not fall off much with him in the game at shooting guard.
Evan Wessel - 6'5" Guard. All floor burn team. Can play small forward/shooting guard. Eats up minutes, does the dirty work rebounding, diving for loose balls. Does not score much but doesn't make many mistakes.
Strengths - Will not turn the ball over a lot, Strong rebounding team especially given the lack of size across the front line, excellent from the free throw line, well coached, plays well together, decent from the three point line, three to four players that can get to the rim on a regular basis. Has good senior leadership and two extremely mature sophomore guards that have both made a run in the tournament. Strong minded, stong willled and not prone to panic of any sort. Tend to be a stong second half team.
Weaknesses - With the exception of Cleanthony Early and Tekelle Cotton they are not going to be as athletic as many of the teams they face and will not be as big as some of the front lines they will face. They are athletic across the front line and have fouls to give. They have not faced the competition that most of the tournament teams have but they have been focused enough all year to not suffer any mental letdowns. They have been drilling the competition they do have rather than playing down to them.
This team may get beat but they will not be an easy out for any team in the tournament. They are getting discounted more because of the name across their jerseys and the quality of their competition than the quality of their team.
YOU DON"T WANT TO GO TO WAR WITH THE SHOCKERS!!!!
Bruce Dickinson
Footballguy
Kansas Jayhawks
TL;DR : Athletic, talented team that can shut down the lane on defense and create easy shots on offense. Immune to pace, as content playing fast side-to-side to wear opponents out as playing up-and-down to increase possession rate. The teams that beat them this season force turnovers on defense, spread the floor on offense, and can draw fouls at both ends. Coach says Joel Embiid is going to play at regionals, others aren't so sure.
Profile: similar to most teams Bill Self has brought to the tournament in the last five years. High-low flex offense designed to keep the ball and players moving, always looking for dunks and layups first, followed by creating open threes, bigs have permission to shoot from out top, guards asked to recognize mismatches and drive on them to get to the rim and draw fouls. Pro-style halfcourt man-to-man defense 90% of the time where everyone is responsible for stopping layups and athletic wings expected to cover a lot of ground helping out in the lane and closing out on shooters. Self is quick to forgive on offense but has no patience for defensive mistakes, so don't expect offense-first dynamic playmakers out top. This has been a bigger problem this year than others because of the team's relative lack of experience - the roster is full of team-first guys who want to share the ball on offense and help each other out on defense, but they just throw the damn ball way too damn much. Teams that run 3/4 court presses and halfcourt traps gave KU a lot of trouble all season, and hybrid zones were a problem early in the year. Zone trap teams like Florida and VIllanova beat them. Teams that could change defenses seemlessly like Iowa State, Kansas State, and West Virginia gave them trouble when KU visited their home courts. Teams with sloppy defensive approaches like Oklahoma, Baylor, and Duke were road/neutral wins for the Jayhawks.
So if you're looking for a team that will knock KU out of the bracket, look for teams that force a lot of turnovers, draw a lot of fouls, and/or have unusual offensive profiles. Does the PG get all his points at the rim? Can the C step out and shoot threes? Aggressive defenses and unconventional offenses are what to look for.
Perimeter: PG Naadir Tharpe (junior, first-year starter, second-year contributor) is a SG trapped in a PG's body and the team's weak link. Streaky at knocking down threes, reliable FT shooter, prone to dribbling into traffic and throwing the ball away. Decent off-ball defender, gets crossed over a lot when his man has the ball. KU will switch him to the SG if the opposing PG is the best perimeter player, like Marcus Smart.
SG Frank Selden (freshman) looks like a future lottery pick when he gets going early offensively, and a D-Leaguer when he doesn't. His shooting form is a little weird, making him prone to streaks and slumps. Good passer, dribbler, rebounder for a two and excellent size for the position, improved on-ball defender and good help defense. Big fan favorite for how well he handled the sudden switch from crown jewel of recruiting class to glue guy when Andrew Wiggins committed late and Joel Embiid broke out. Seems to be the team leader off the court.
SF Andrew Wiggins (freshman) might be the fastest player for his height I've ever seen. Can jump out of the gym, too. Lockdown perimeter defender, excellent help defense support, very good rebounder. Devastating in transition, can lose his man in halfcourt for lob dunks and open threes. So why hasn't he lived up to the hype? He can't dribble. OK, that's a little unfair. His off-hand dribble is very weak for a college wing, and he loses the handle on drives in ways you would not expect a lottery-bound SF to do. Off the bounce, he can spin guys out or hit the brakes and watch them slide out of position, but he has an uncanny knack for missing 3-footers after clearing out open space. Against zone defense, he's very quick to surrender the ball at the first sign of a double-team. It's like he's so scared of taking a bad shot or being perceived as a ball hog, he overcorrects to make the correct basketball play even if the "selfish" route is also +EV. Had some foul trouble early in the season but has improved in that area.
Backup PG Frank Mason (freshman) is an undersized waterbug who is great at breaking down his man and getting into the lane on offense, and is a pest on defense. Self will play Mason and Tharpe together to pick up the pace, fun to watch but turnover-prone. Mason isn't much of a passer other than dropping off to a big at the block after drawing a double-team in the paint, and at 5'10" can get overwhelmed by bigger guards unfazed by Mason's quickness.
Those are the four perimeter guys who consistently get minutes. If there's foul trouble, SF Brannen Greene (freshman) will play a few minutes - outstanding shooter with long arms and a quick release, but lousy defensive fundamentals. Combo Connor Frankamp (freshman) is a three-point specialist who might be deployed against zone defenses, but there are very few D-I players he can guard.
Interior: PF Perry Ellis (sophomore, first-year starter, second-year contributor) is an very good scorer in the lane with strong fundamentals and a moveset that makes up for a lack of leaping ability. When the team hasn't scored in a couple possessions, they try to set Ellis up for a layup, and he's creative enough to get open position against bigger, stronger players to get a shot or draw a foul. Decent position defender, but since he's not much of a jumper he's not much of a shotblocker, and he doesn't get a lot of rebounds that don't come straight at him. TBH is best defensive contributions come from getting good scoring bigs into foul trouble at the other end. Good shooter for a big.
C Joel Embiid (freshman) is the breakout star and currently nursing a stress fracture in his back. Most of KU's conference losses came when Embiid either sat out the game or had limited minutes to rest his back. He is reported out for this weekend's games, but Head Coach Bill Self says he's optimistic Embiid will play in the regionals round next week if KU advances. Watching Embiid play this season was like watching the Peace Corps scene from Airplane! - it was astounding how much he improved game-to-game, week-to-week. Game-changing help defense and shot-blocking, very good rebounder, picked up some post moves, developed reliable elbow jumper, FT shooting improved as the season progressed If he's 90% healthy by next week, KU is a Final Four threat. Emeka Okafor recovered from the same injury in 2004 on a similar schedule and led UConn to the national championship. However, there are reliable rumblings within the program that Embiid's family is ready to shut Joel down for the season to protect his long-term health, which went unannounced to protect KU's seed assignment.
C Tarik Black (graduate student, first year with program, immediate-eligibility graduate transfer) started the season as the starting center after three seasons at Memphis, but was relegated to the bench when Embiid broke out. Big upper body, rugged rebounder who can establish position for layups or putbacks and can clear out space, but a bit of a foul magnet. Oddly, he struggled as a starter because he got into foul trouble, but as a bench player less concerned about fouls, he was a lot more effective. Thrust back into the starting role with Embiid out, he's no longer a luxury bench player but an average starter because of fouls.
PF Jamari Traylor (redshirt sophomore, first-year contributor) is an energy guy who can jump over the pile for rebounds and run down guards to block shots at the rim. Not much shooting range or passing ability on offense, can overrun plays and get caught out of position on defense. Excellent change-of-pace guy for short stretches, difficult to rely on if he has to play starter minutes.
If there's foul trouble or another injury, you might see C Landen Lucas (redshirt freshman) on the court. He's got a ways to go. He will look good against Eastern Kentucky, but if KU advances to play Syracuse or Florida, he will look lost out there.
Outlook: after seeing the bracket, I don't think Embiid's absence will affect what happens to KU in the tournament. They will blow out Eastern Kentucky, they blew out New Mexico in December at a semi-neutral site during a stretch when the team wasn't playing well, and Stanford is unremarkable at forcing turnovers or drawing fouls. IMO KU can beat the Syracuse we've seen in the last month even without Embiid - KU's man offense runs through the high post, which is exactly where you want to attack Cuse's zone, and Cuse's slow offensive pace wont faze the Jayhawks. There's also the non-zero chance Cuse is upset opening weekend.
With or without Embiid, Florida is better than KU, Florida proved it when they played in December, and confirmed it with how they played all season. The Gators are an excellent team that creates matchup problems for KU. So if you are putting KU in the Final Four in your bracket, be sure someone else knocks Florida out before the regional finals. KU would have had a puncher's chance against Arizona, would have given UVA a great game, and with a healthy Embiid would be favored against Wichita State, but Florida is kryptonite to them.
TL;DR : Athletic, talented team that can shut down the lane on defense and create easy shots on offense. Immune to pace, as content playing fast side-to-side to wear opponents out as playing up-and-down to increase possession rate. The teams that beat them this season force turnovers on defense, spread the floor on offense, and can draw fouls at both ends. Coach says Joel Embiid is going to play at regionals, others aren't so sure.
Profile: similar to most teams Bill Self has brought to the tournament in the last five years. High-low flex offense designed to keep the ball and players moving, always looking for dunks and layups first, followed by creating open threes, bigs have permission to shoot from out top, guards asked to recognize mismatches and drive on them to get to the rim and draw fouls. Pro-style halfcourt man-to-man defense 90% of the time where everyone is responsible for stopping layups and athletic wings expected to cover a lot of ground helping out in the lane and closing out on shooters. Self is quick to forgive on offense but has no patience for defensive mistakes, so don't expect offense-first dynamic playmakers out top. This has been a bigger problem this year than others because of the team's relative lack of experience - the roster is full of team-first guys who want to share the ball on offense and help each other out on defense, but they just throw the damn ball way too damn much. Teams that run 3/4 court presses and halfcourt traps gave KU a lot of trouble all season, and hybrid zones were a problem early in the year. Zone trap teams like Florida and VIllanova beat them. Teams that could change defenses seemlessly like Iowa State, Kansas State, and West Virginia gave them trouble when KU visited their home courts. Teams with sloppy defensive approaches like Oklahoma, Baylor, and Duke were road/neutral wins for the Jayhawks.
So if you're looking for a team that will knock KU out of the bracket, look for teams that force a lot of turnovers, draw a lot of fouls, and/or have unusual offensive profiles. Does the PG get all his points at the rim? Can the C step out and shoot threes? Aggressive defenses and unconventional offenses are what to look for.
Perimeter: PG Naadir Tharpe (junior, first-year starter, second-year contributor) is a SG trapped in a PG's body and the team's weak link. Streaky at knocking down threes, reliable FT shooter, prone to dribbling into traffic and throwing the ball away. Decent off-ball defender, gets crossed over a lot when his man has the ball. KU will switch him to the SG if the opposing PG is the best perimeter player, like Marcus Smart.
SG Frank Selden (freshman) looks like a future lottery pick when he gets going early offensively, and a D-Leaguer when he doesn't. His shooting form is a little weird, making him prone to streaks and slumps. Good passer, dribbler, rebounder for a two and excellent size for the position, improved on-ball defender and good help defense. Big fan favorite for how well he handled the sudden switch from crown jewel of recruiting class to glue guy when Andrew Wiggins committed late and Joel Embiid broke out. Seems to be the team leader off the court.
SF Andrew Wiggins (freshman) might be the fastest player for his height I've ever seen. Can jump out of the gym, too. Lockdown perimeter defender, excellent help defense support, very good rebounder. Devastating in transition, can lose his man in halfcourt for lob dunks and open threes. So why hasn't he lived up to the hype? He can't dribble. OK, that's a little unfair. His off-hand dribble is very weak for a college wing, and he loses the handle on drives in ways you would not expect a lottery-bound SF to do. Off the bounce, he can spin guys out or hit the brakes and watch them slide out of position, but he has an uncanny knack for missing 3-footers after clearing out open space. Against zone defense, he's very quick to surrender the ball at the first sign of a double-team. It's like he's so scared of taking a bad shot or being perceived as a ball hog, he overcorrects to make the correct basketball play even if the "selfish" route is also +EV. Had some foul trouble early in the season but has improved in that area.
Backup PG Frank Mason (freshman) is an undersized waterbug who is great at breaking down his man and getting into the lane on offense, and is a pest on defense. Self will play Mason and Tharpe together to pick up the pace, fun to watch but turnover-prone. Mason isn't much of a passer other than dropping off to a big at the block after drawing a double-team in the paint, and at 5'10" can get overwhelmed by bigger guards unfazed by Mason's quickness.
Those are the four perimeter guys who consistently get minutes. If there's foul trouble, SF Brannen Greene (freshman) will play a few minutes - outstanding shooter with long arms and a quick release, but lousy defensive fundamentals. Combo Connor Frankamp (freshman) is a three-point specialist who might be deployed against zone defenses, but there are very few D-I players he can guard.
Interior: PF Perry Ellis (sophomore, first-year starter, second-year contributor) is an very good scorer in the lane with strong fundamentals and a moveset that makes up for a lack of leaping ability. When the team hasn't scored in a couple possessions, they try to set Ellis up for a layup, and he's creative enough to get open position against bigger, stronger players to get a shot or draw a foul. Decent position defender, but since he's not much of a jumper he's not much of a shotblocker, and he doesn't get a lot of rebounds that don't come straight at him. TBH is best defensive contributions come from getting good scoring bigs into foul trouble at the other end. Good shooter for a big.
C Joel Embiid (freshman) is the breakout star and currently nursing a stress fracture in his back. Most of KU's conference losses came when Embiid either sat out the game or had limited minutes to rest his back. He is reported out for this weekend's games, but Head Coach Bill Self says he's optimistic Embiid will play in the regionals round next week if KU advances. Watching Embiid play this season was like watching the Peace Corps scene from Airplane! - it was astounding how much he improved game-to-game, week-to-week. Game-changing help defense and shot-blocking, very good rebounder, picked up some post moves, developed reliable elbow jumper, FT shooting improved as the season progressed If he's 90% healthy by next week, KU is a Final Four threat. Emeka Okafor recovered from the same injury in 2004 on a similar schedule and led UConn to the national championship. However, there are reliable rumblings within the program that Embiid's family is ready to shut Joel down for the season to protect his long-term health, which went unannounced to protect KU's seed assignment.
C Tarik Black (graduate student, first year with program, immediate-eligibility graduate transfer) started the season as the starting center after three seasons at Memphis, but was relegated to the bench when Embiid broke out. Big upper body, rugged rebounder who can establish position for layups or putbacks and can clear out space, but a bit of a foul magnet. Oddly, he struggled as a starter because he got into foul trouble, but as a bench player less concerned about fouls, he was a lot more effective. Thrust back into the starting role with Embiid out, he's no longer a luxury bench player but an average starter because of fouls.
PF Jamari Traylor (redshirt sophomore, first-year contributor) is an energy guy who can jump over the pile for rebounds and run down guards to block shots at the rim. Not much shooting range or passing ability on offense, can overrun plays and get caught out of position on defense. Excellent change-of-pace guy for short stretches, difficult to rely on if he has to play starter minutes.
If there's foul trouble or another injury, you might see C Landen Lucas (redshirt freshman) on the court. He's got a ways to go. He will look good against Eastern Kentucky, but if KU advances to play Syracuse or Florida, he will look lost out there.
Outlook: after seeing the bracket, I don't think Embiid's absence will affect what happens to KU in the tournament. They will blow out Eastern Kentucky, they blew out New Mexico in December at a semi-neutral site during a stretch when the team wasn't playing well, and Stanford is unremarkable at forcing turnovers or drawing fouls. IMO KU can beat the Syracuse we've seen in the last month even without Embiid - KU's man offense runs through the high post, which is exactly where you want to attack Cuse's zone, and Cuse's slow offensive pace wont faze the Jayhawks. There's also the non-zero chance Cuse is upset opening weekend.
With or without Embiid, Florida is better than KU, Florida proved it when they played in December, and confirmed it with how they played all season. The Gators are an excellent team that creates matchup problems for KU. So if you are putting KU in the Final Four in your bracket, be sure someone else knocks Florida out before the regional finals. KU would have had a puncher's chance against Arizona, would have given UVA a great game, and with a healthy Embiid would be favored against Wichita State, but Florida is kryptonite to them.
Last edited by a moderator:
wadegarrett
FFA Legend™
Ohio State Buckeyes
They might beat Dayton. They won't make the Sweet 16.
They might beat Dayton. They won't make the Sweet 16.
Spartans Rule
Footballguy
Good write up. Some thoughts on them vs. MSU:cheese said:
[SIZE=medium]Unluckily for UC, Michigan State has one of them in Adreian Payne.[/SIZE]
Michigan State is pretty physical too, so hopefully the refs will just let them play.
If they don't it could be a 3-hour game with 97 free throw attempts.Tom Izzo doesn't play zone or junk d, so it will be interesting to see how MSU deals with Kilpatrick.
Teams that can slow it down have had some success against MSU this year. If you're efficient on offense and can limit transition opportunities going the other way, you'll have a chance to win.
Overall it sounds like it will be a fun game. I like MSU to win but Cincy is certainly not a team to look past.
Bruce Dickinson
Footballguy
That's another reason why I don't think we will see an upset in STL. KU fans anticipated an STL pod assignment since the start of the season and started buying up tickets. It's relatively short travel for Wichita State and K-State, and Kentucky travels well, but KU got a head start on the ticket buy and has a decent alumni network in the area.Some KU fans were concerned about pod history with K-State also there. When KU got knocked out by Northern Iowa a few years ago, the crowd noise was so loud for UNI because of K-State fans showing up early for their game to root against KU. I think it's a little different with the shorter travel and built-in fanbase at STL versus OKC.
At regionals... Memphis is about 200 miles closer to Lawrence than it is to Gainesville, so that helps. However, it's still 7-8 hour drive from Lawrence (6-7 from KC), so getting there is a commitment. And we're talking a 10-11 hour drive from Gainesville and even farther from the big cities in Florida.
Good Posting Judge
Footballguy
Ryan Boatright is a bum, and they can't beat the zone.
Other than that, pretty solid.
Other than that, pretty solid.
Dickie Dunn
Footballguy
UMASS Minutemen
No. 6 seed in Midwest, 24-7 overall, 10-6 in Atlantic 10 (No. 6 seed by tiebreaker, beat Rhode Island in first round, lost to GW in quarterfinals)
This is UMass' first trip to the NCAAs since 1998, just two years removed from the Calipari era and the Final Four run of 1996. The coach is Derek Kellogg, who was the point guard for Cal from 1992-95 (four consecutive league titles, NCAA berths) and is in his sixth season.
Team stats: 76.1 PPG (opp. 70.8); 38.6 RPG (opp. 35.5); .460 FG (.421); .347 3-PT (.313); .682 FT (.671); .15.2 APG (14.1)
STARTERS
C -- Cady Lalanne, Jr. (6-10, 253 ... 11.4 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 70 blocks): Lalanne got off to a great start to the season and was turning into a double-double machine, but it you looked a little closer, you saw that he was playing volleyball a lot with the backboard, missing easy shots but fortunate enough to grab the boards (sometimes 2-3 times) before finally scoring. Despite his size, he does tend to get blocked a lot more than he probably should and has been called a bit "soft" by some. He has really regressed in the second half as teams get more tape/scouting on him, and he has a particularly tough time handling double teams.
F -- Raphiael Putney, Sr. (6-9, 185 ... 9.1 PPG, 5.5RPG, 39 blocks, .326 3-PT): Putney is a true enigma on this team. He has highlight-reel potential, but his skinny frame makes him pretty much a non-factor inside. He spends more time hanging around the perimeter, which is where he is not afraid at all to shoot the 3. If he hits the first one, he tends to get hot, but he is wildly inconsistent and doesn't have great form. Tends to make poor decisions and gets in foul trouble often. Like Lalanne, he has really struggled down the stretch.
F -- Sampson Carter, Sr. (6-8, 220 ... 10.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG, .337 3-PT): Another player who got off to a great start to the season. Like Putney, he is not afraid to shoot from the outside and is a little more consistent there, but not a huge threat. Likes to drive to the hoop, but isn't a particularly great finisher and tends to get himself in trouble close to the hoop. Defensively is a pretty solid rebounder.
G -- Derrick Gordon, So. (6-3, 205 ... 9.3 PPG, .479 FG, 48 steals): Transfer from Western Kentucky, and despite being a 2 guard, does not shoot from the outside. At all. However, he is excellent at driving the lane and is highly effective on little runners and getting to the hoop. Fundamentally strange to watch, but he has been scoring much more consistently lately. Also was a poor free throw shooter, but that has started to turn around. Perhaps his biggest contribution is on the defensive end, where he often is tasked with guarding the opponent's top outside threat and is very strong. Plays hard.
G -- Chaz Williams, Sr. (5-9. 175 ... 15.8 PPG, 7.0 APG, .399 FG, .368 3-PT, 50 steals): If you know anything about UMass, you certainly have heard of Chaz. Not nearly as "tall" as he is listed, he has been credited with much of the success of the team. It's true to some regard, but the danger is in making this out to be a one-player team. Which Chaz himself sometimes tries to do, particularly lately. Williams really pushes the team's fast pace and is great at forcing turnovers, though he does have a tendency to gamble, which can get him in foul trouble. Offensively he will drill the 3 and absolutely is not afraid to drive to the hoop, but at times he plays a little too fast and tends to try to make the highlight play when a more cautious approach is needed. Undisputed emotional leader of the team.
BENCH
F -- Maxie Esho, Jr, (6-8, 215 ... 8.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 32 steals, .585 FG): There has been a cry for much of the season for Esho to join the starting lineup, mostly at the expense of Putney. But Esho is a true energy guy off the bench (UMass has used the same starting 5 in every game so far), shoots the mid-range jumper reasonably well, is explosive to the hoop and great in transition. Defensively solid, decent rebounder and shot blocker, but also has the tendency to get in foul trouble. While he doesn't start, he usually is on the floor at the end.
G -- Trey Davis, So. (6-0, 185 ... 92 PPG, .378 3-PT): While Chaz is the highlight film, Davis is the steady guard who can play either the point or the 2. Probably the team's best 3-point shooter, even though he has a funky release point, so he needs space to get it off (doesn't usually create his own outside shot). Also the team's best FT shooter. Like Esho, he usually is on the floor at the end of the game.
F/C -- Tyler Bergantino, So. (6-9, 250): The true definition of a body with five fouls. Usually only plays for brief spells in the first half. Doesn't do anything particularly well, but allows Kellogg to extend the bench just a bit.
...
UMass has a tendency to start slowly, often falling behind by the first TV timeout. It's usually not much of a surprise that things start to settle into place once Esho and/or Davis make their first appearance. But one thing about this team is that it is never fazed by any situation. No deficit seems too big or situation too hopeless, even late in games. They've pulled off miracles on more than one occasion this season, because once they get the game into a street fight down to the finish, it is completely to their advantage. They probably would be better off pressing a lot more earlier in the game, but they haven't had the horses to do it for long stretches ... Kellogg has seemed hesitant to go to his freshmen, and (evidenced by never changing his starting lineup) continues to ride what has worked most of the season.
Sites like KenPom, Sagarin, the ESPN BPI, etc. "hate" the Minutemen because they never blow anyone out, even inferior opponents. Most of their best wins have been non-conference, no surprise since they started the season 16-1 and reached as high as No. 13 in the AP poll. They win ugly, but they do win.
One thing in their favor is that they seem to perform much better against teams that haven't seen them before and don't have much time to prepare for them. Either Iowa or Tennessee is going to have to face them at 2:45 p.m. Friday in Raleigh after playing until at least 11 p.m. Wednesday night in Dayton. They like to extend defensively, and are not particularly great rebounding as a team. On offense, they don't run a lot of sets, but tend to be more of a helter-skelter team. Zones have given them trouble, although Esho and Gordon have been effective at beating teams from the soft spots.
Most analysts scoff at their 6 seed, and even many UMass fans are surprised they got that high. They haven't exactly passed the "eye test" of late, but they were great in many of the metrics the NCAA holds dear. They are 7-4 against the RPI top 50 with wins against New Mexico (by 16 on a neutral court), BYU, Nebraska, and Providence, as well as fellow A-10 NCAA teams Saint Joe's, VCU and GW. 13-4 vs. RPI top 100, 13-6 in road/neutral games.
If the UMass team from the first half of the season shows up, they can play with anyone. The length and athleticism of Lalanne, Putney, Esho and Carter, plus the speed and tenacity of Williams/Gordon/Davis, can cause some real matchup problems for opponents. They need Williams to play more in control, as well as some kind of consistent contributions from the likes of Lalanne, Putney and/or Carter. If they play as they have in recent weeks, all bets are off.
However, don't change the channel, because it will be entertaining right to the end, no matter what happens.
No. 6 seed in Midwest, 24-7 overall, 10-6 in Atlantic 10 (No. 6 seed by tiebreaker, beat Rhode Island in first round, lost to GW in quarterfinals)
This is UMass' first trip to the NCAAs since 1998, just two years removed from the Calipari era and the Final Four run of 1996. The coach is Derek Kellogg, who was the point guard for Cal from 1992-95 (four consecutive league titles, NCAA berths) and is in his sixth season.
Team stats: 76.1 PPG (opp. 70.8); 38.6 RPG (opp. 35.5); .460 FG (.421); .347 3-PT (.313); .682 FT (.671); .15.2 APG (14.1)
STARTERS
C -- Cady Lalanne, Jr. (6-10, 253 ... 11.4 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 70 blocks): Lalanne got off to a great start to the season and was turning into a double-double machine, but it you looked a little closer, you saw that he was playing volleyball a lot with the backboard, missing easy shots but fortunate enough to grab the boards (sometimes 2-3 times) before finally scoring. Despite his size, he does tend to get blocked a lot more than he probably should and has been called a bit "soft" by some. He has really regressed in the second half as teams get more tape/scouting on him, and he has a particularly tough time handling double teams.
F -- Raphiael Putney, Sr. (6-9, 185 ... 9.1 PPG, 5.5RPG, 39 blocks, .326 3-PT): Putney is a true enigma on this team. He has highlight-reel potential, but his skinny frame makes him pretty much a non-factor inside. He spends more time hanging around the perimeter, which is where he is not afraid at all to shoot the 3. If he hits the first one, he tends to get hot, but he is wildly inconsistent and doesn't have great form. Tends to make poor decisions and gets in foul trouble often. Like Lalanne, he has really struggled down the stretch.
F -- Sampson Carter, Sr. (6-8, 220 ... 10.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG, .337 3-PT): Another player who got off to a great start to the season. Like Putney, he is not afraid to shoot from the outside and is a little more consistent there, but not a huge threat. Likes to drive to the hoop, but isn't a particularly great finisher and tends to get himself in trouble close to the hoop. Defensively is a pretty solid rebounder.
G -- Derrick Gordon, So. (6-3, 205 ... 9.3 PPG, .479 FG, 48 steals): Transfer from Western Kentucky, and despite being a 2 guard, does not shoot from the outside. At all. However, he is excellent at driving the lane and is highly effective on little runners and getting to the hoop. Fundamentally strange to watch, but he has been scoring much more consistently lately. Also was a poor free throw shooter, but that has started to turn around. Perhaps his biggest contribution is on the defensive end, where he often is tasked with guarding the opponent's top outside threat and is very strong. Plays hard.
G -- Chaz Williams, Sr. (5-9. 175 ... 15.8 PPG, 7.0 APG, .399 FG, .368 3-PT, 50 steals): If you know anything about UMass, you certainly have heard of Chaz. Not nearly as "tall" as he is listed, he has been credited with much of the success of the team. It's true to some regard, but the danger is in making this out to be a one-player team. Which Chaz himself sometimes tries to do, particularly lately. Williams really pushes the team's fast pace and is great at forcing turnovers, though he does have a tendency to gamble, which can get him in foul trouble. Offensively he will drill the 3 and absolutely is not afraid to drive to the hoop, but at times he plays a little too fast and tends to try to make the highlight play when a more cautious approach is needed. Undisputed emotional leader of the team.
BENCH
F -- Maxie Esho, Jr, (6-8, 215 ... 8.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 32 steals, .585 FG): There has been a cry for much of the season for Esho to join the starting lineup, mostly at the expense of Putney. But Esho is a true energy guy off the bench (UMass has used the same starting 5 in every game so far), shoots the mid-range jumper reasonably well, is explosive to the hoop and great in transition. Defensively solid, decent rebounder and shot blocker, but also has the tendency to get in foul trouble. While he doesn't start, he usually is on the floor at the end.
G -- Trey Davis, So. (6-0, 185 ... 92 PPG, .378 3-PT): While Chaz is the highlight film, Davis is the steady guard who can play either the point or the 2. Probably the team's best 3-point shooter, even though he has a funky release point, so he needs space to get it off (doesn't usually create his own outside shot). Also the team's best FT shooter. Like Esho, he usually is on the floor at the end of the game.
F/C -- Tyler Bergantino, So. (6-9, 250): The true definition of a body with five fouls. Usually only plays for brief spells in the first half. Doesn't do anything particularly well, but allows Kellogg to extend the bench just a bit.
...
UMass has a tendency to start slowly, often falling behind by the first TV timeout. It's usually not much of a surprise that things start to settle into place once Esho and/or Davis make their first appearance. But one thing about this team is that it is never fazed by any situation. No deficit seems too big or situation too hopeless, even late in games. They've pulled off miracles on more than one occasion this season, because once they get the game into a street fight down to the finish, it is completely to their advantage. They probably would be better off pressing a lot more earlier in the game, but they haven't had the horses to do it for long stretches ... Kellogg has seemed hesitant to go to his freshmen, and (evidenced by never changing his starting lineup) continues to ride what has worked most of the season.
Sites like KenPom, Sagarin, the ESPN BPI, etc. "hate" the Minutemen because they never blow anyone out, even inferior opponents. Most of their best wins have been non-conference, no surprise since they started the season 16-1 and reached as high as No. 13 in the AP poll. They win ugly, but they do win.
One thing in their favor is that they seem to perform much better against teams that haven't seen them before and don't have much time to prepare for them. Either Iowa or Tennessee is going to have to face them at 2:45 p.m. Friday in Raleigh after playing until at least 11 p.m. Wednesday night in Dayton. They like to extend defensively, and are not particularly great rebounding as a team. On offense, they don't run a lot of sets, but tend to be more of a helter-skelter team. Zones have given them trouble, although Esho and Gordon have been effective at beating teams from the soft spots.
Most analysts scoff at their 6 seed, and even many UMass fans are surprised they got that high. They haven't exactly passed the "eye test" of late, but they were great in many of the metrics the NCAA holds dear. They are 7-4 against the RPI top 50 with wins against New Mexico (by 16 on a neutral court), BYU, Nebraska, and Providence, as well as fellow A-10 NCAA teams Saint Joe's, VCU and GW. 13-4 vs. RPI top 100, 13-6 in road/neutral games.
If the UMass team from the first half of the season shows up, they can play with anyone. The length and athleticism of Lalanne, Putney, Esho and Carter, plus the speed and tenacity of Williams/Gordon/Davis, can cause some real matchup problems for opponents. They need Williams to play more in control, as well as some kind of consistent contributions from the likes of Lalanne, Putney and/or Carter. If they play as they have in recent weeks, all bets are off.
However, don't change the channel, because it will be entertaining right to the end, no matter what happens.
Brady Marino
Footballguy
St. Louis University Billikens
I was much more rah-rah about these guys last year, but I'm a lot less bullish on them this year. After winning 17 in a row, they have completely faceplanted. Ball control and free throw shooting have gone by the wayside in recent games, and they inexplicably allowed St. Bonaventure to KO them in the 1st round of the A10 tourney.
Team's trending down, so I won't bother with a full review. They may get by NC State/Xavier (and may offer decent gambling value there because of their diminished stock), but will get run over by Louisville.
I was much more rah-rah about these guys last year, but I'm a lot less bullish on them this year. After winning 17 in a row, they have completely faceplanted. Ball control and free throw shooting have gone by the wayside in recent games, and they inexplicably allowed St. Bonaventure to KO them in the 1st round of the A10 tourney.
Team's trending down, so I won't bother with a full review. They may get by NC State/Xavier (and may offer decent gambling value there because of their diminished stock), but will get run over by Louisville.
Dickie Dunn
Footballguy
Saint Louis' problem is that its slow, methodical style of play tends to keep everyone in the game, good or bad. Much like UMass, they pulled a couple of games out of the fire during their long win streak, and then the odds caught up to them. It didn't help that they had to run the A-10 gauntlet in the final couple of weeks of the season.
Also, some believe A-10 POY Jordair Jett isn't completely healthy (even though he looked fine blowing by UMass' matador attempt at defense for the winning hoop a week ago).
Brady Marino
Footballguy
If Jett's healthy, he's not right in the head for some reason. He's one of a few that have forgotten how to shoot free throws. I do agree that their style along with average post presence lends itself to comebacks and other tragedies, especially if they're turning the ball over all the time and the lid has gone shut on the other end.
I think SLU burned themselves out during the streak and are now on tired legs. Shame since this is really the last year for their core group (Jett, Evans, Loe, etc) and you would have hoped for a better ending than the one they're going to get.
sporthenry
Footballguy
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-sports-bog/wp/2014/03/17/georgetown-logo-shows-up-on-ncaa-tournament-t-shirt-instead-of-george-washington/
Should be some nice bulletin board material while continuing to piss off most Colonials.
bosoxs45
Footballguy
- Oregon Ducks - Uptempo offense, they love to shoot the 3 point shot and get in transition Oregon doesn't play much defense and they get killed on the glass.Mike Moser has been a beast of late (13.5 PPG) shoots 37.9 percent.
- Stanford Cardinal - Tough inside with Josh Huestis (11.4 PPG, 8.3 RPG) & 6-10 Dwight Powell (14.2 PPG, 6.9 RPG Chasson Randle is a superb guard leading the team with 18.7 PPGThey lack consistency on offense and depth
- Providence Friars - Led by senior guard Bryce Cotton. They'll need huge contribution from Cotton, Kadeem Batts and LaDontae Henton. I think Bryce Cotton is the kind of point guard who can put a team on his back for at least one game. The Friars don't have good depth and are an above average rebounding team.
- UCLA Bruins - Same style of offense as Oregon. UCLA's problem is a lack of focus. (huge WTF loss to Washington State this season) This squad has elite talent to make a final four run. Kyle Anderson is a triple-double threat, averaging 14.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game.
- Arizona State Sun Devils - Arizona State is talented team led by guard Jahii Carson who averages 18.6 points. In the paint, 7-2 senior Jordan Bachynski leads the nation in blocked shots with 4.1 per game, adding 11.1 points and 8.3 rebounds. They have enough inside and outside to cause matchup problems in the tournament. If ASU can return to the level of play they showed in mid-February when ASU knocked off Arizona in overtime it could be a tough out.
- Baylor Bears - The Baylor Bears are playing their best basketball of the season at just the right time. The Bears boast one of the nation's most efficient offenses. Kenny Chery has performed really well at point guard. Throw in 7-1 center Isaiah Austin (11.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 3.3 BPG) and 6-9 forward Cory Jefferson (13.5 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 1.3 BPG) this team could make a deep run.
Last edited by a moderator:
Good Posting Judge
Footballguy
WampusCat43
Footballguy
Kentucky Wildcats
Your guess is as good as mine.
Strengths: Overpowering rebounding; tallest team in the country. Randle is a beast. Block tons of shots. Extremely talented individually. Deep.
Weaknesses: Youth (all freshman starters). Very slow - there is such a thing as TOO big. Small guards run circles around them. Very poor FT shooting. Don't handle adversity (or the ball) well.
Outlook: Can beat anybody or lose to anybody. Should get by K State but can only hope to simply overpower Wichita; more likely to be completely outsmarted. If they hit 3-pointers, it opens up the inside and they roll. Otherwise, teams neutralize Randle and the other bigs and the offense dies completely.
Your guess is as good as mine.
Strengths: Overpowering rebounding; tallest team in the country. Randle is a beast. Block tons of shots. Extremely talented individually. Deep.
Weaknesses: Youth (all freshman starters). Very slow - there is such a thing as TOO big. Small guards run circles around them. Very poor FT shooting. Don't handle adversity (or the ball) well.
Outlook: Can beat anybody or lose to anybody. Should get by K State but can only hope to simply overpower Wichita; more likely to be completely outsmarted. If they hit 3-pointers, it opens up the inside and they roll. Otherwise, teams neutralize Randle and the other bigs and the offense dies completely.
17seconds
root of all aliai
Arizona Wildcats
Your guess is as good as mine.
Strengths: Fantastic defense, rebounding, and athleticism. Best team in school history in those areas. They are a balanced team in terms of contribution and they just play good all around basketball. Any 1 of 4 guys can take over a game. Sean Miller is a top notch coach.
Weaknesses: Shooting and free throws. They don't have a great 3pt shooter. Gabe York was supposed to be that but he's just ok. They like to play to the level of their competition. A lot of games were won in the last 5 clock minutes. They also aren't very deep. When they lost Brandon Ashley they didn't really lose a specific piece, it just really hurt their depth. They went from an 8 man rotation to a 7 man rotation. Rodae Hollis-Jefferson has been given a bigger role and he's shown flashes but is pretty average. But I haven't seen them get tired due to lack of depth either.
Outlook: It really depends on the guards. Nick Johnson is key - it's almost impossible for them to lose if he has a good shooting night. TJ McConnell is a gritty kid who hustles and could be a huge factor in the tournament with assists and clutch plays. Aaron Gordon is Blake Griffin type so he can be really exciting but sometimes he also disappears. I can't see this team having an early exit like some historic UofA teams and their bracket looks pretty good. 50% chance of final 4
Your guess is as good as mine.
Strengths: Fantastic defense, rebounding, and athleticism. Best team in school history in those areas. They are a balanced team in terms of contribution and they just play good all around basketball. Any 1 of 4 guys can take over a game. Sean Miller is a top notch coach.
Weaknesses: Shooting and free throws. They don't have a great 3pt shooter. Gabe York was supposed to be that but he's just ok. They like to play to the level of their competition. A lot of games were won in the last 5 clock minutes. They also aren't very deep. When they lost Brandon Ashley they didn't really lose a specific piece, it just really hurt their depth. They went from an 8 man rotation to a 7 man rotation. Rodae Hollis-Jefferson has been given a bigger role and he's shown flashes but is pretty average. But I haven't seen them get tired due to lack of depth either.
Outlook: It really depends on the guards. Nick Johnson is key - it's almost impossible for them to lose if he has a good shooting night. TJ McConnell is a gritty kid who hustles and could be a huge factor in the tournament with assists and clutch plays. Aaron Gordon is Blake Griffin type so he can be really exciting but sometimes he also disappears. I can't see this team having an early exit like some historic UofA teams and their bracket looks pretty good. 50% chance of final 4
Last edited by a moderator:
oso diablo
Footballguy
Baylor Bears, 6 seed
Summary:
Well-constructed team with a quick PG with a decent shot (juco transfer Kenny Chery), dead-eye 3-pt gunner at the 2G (senior Brady Heslip), and two highly skilled big men (soph 7-0 Isaiah Austin & senior 6-9 Cory Jefferson). Top-tier talent level, but hasn't gelled as a team until last few weeks. Were ranked in the Top 10 in the nation coming into Big12 play, but went on a horrific skid, losing 8 of its first 9 conference games (with the only win against hapless TCU). Have gone 10-2 since then, with losses only at Texas and to Iowa State in the Big12 finals (essentially was a home game for the Cyclones).
Key wins:
Colorado (in Dallas), 72-60
Kentucky (Cowboys Stadium), 67-62
@ Oklahoma State, 76-70 (OSU had Smart)
Kansas State, 87-73 (2OT)
Iowa State, 74-61
@ Kansas State, 76-74
Oklahoma & Texas in the Big 12 tourney
Key losses:
good - Syracuse (in Maui), 67-74
bad - at home to West Virginia (though turned around and beat them in Morgantown)
bad - to Texas Tech in Lubbock
Of note: podded in San Antonio for this weekend, so could have a decided Baylor (located just a few hours away in Waco) skew in the crowd.
Summary:
Well-constructed team with a quick PG with a decent shot (juco transfer Kenny Chery), dead-eye 3-pt gunner at the 2G (senior Brady Heslip), and two highly skilled big men (soph 7-0 Isaiah Austin & senior 6-9 Cory Jefferson). Top-tier talent level, but hasn't gelled as a team until last few weeks. Were ranked in the Top 10 in the nation coming into Big12 play, but went on a horrific skid, losing 8 of its first 9 conference games (with the only win against hapless TCU). Have gone 10-2 since then, with losses only at Texas and to Iowa State in the Big12 finals (essentially was a home game for the Cyclones).
Key wins:
Colorado (in Dallas), 72-60
Kentucky (Cowboys Stadium), 67-62
@ Oklahoma State, 76-70 (OSU had Smart)
Kansas State, 87-73 (2OT)
Iowa State, 74-61
@ Kansas State, 76-74
Oklahoma & Texas in the Big 12 tourney
Key losses:
good - Syracuse (in Maui), 67-74
bad - at home to West Virginia (though turned around and beat them in Morgantown)
bad - to Texas Tech in Lubbock
Of note: podded in San Antonio for this weekend, so could have a decided Baylor (located just a few hours away in Waco) skew in the crowd.
Last edited by a moderator:
Dickie Dunn
Footballguy
Makes them a good value bet. They're going to be playing Iowa or Tennessee, either of which will be favored after playing until after 11 p.m. Wednesday night and then will have to fly from Dayton to Raleigh for a 2:45 p.m. tipoff Friday.Fixed.
Good Posting Judge
Footballguy
It's a 3 hour flight.Makes them a good value bet. They're going to be playing Iowa or Tennessee, either of which will be favored after playing until after 11 p.m. Wednesday night and then will have to fly from Dayton to Raleigh for a 2:45 p.m. tipoff Friday.Fixed.
John Bender
Footballguy
UConn gets through St Joes and Nova with ease. After that, no opinion
rockaction
Footballguy
I don't think Boatright is a bum. I'll defer to Bender on the gambling/basketball thing. St. Joe's always scares me, though. I think we can beat Nova. I think the Big East is overrated, and that most of the best teams went to either the ACC or the AAC. I love the development of Brimah. He looked like the only guy who wasn't overmatched in the Louisville game.
John Bender
Footballguy
GPJ is also an alum. I just think their backcourt is really tough to handle between Napier and Boatwright. I also agree Boatwright isn't a bum. They have what it takes to make it through St Joes and Nova, as a UConn guy who now lives in Philly and has seen most of both Nova and St Joes games, I'm very happy with my brackets that have UConn appearing in week 2
rockaction
Footballguy
Nice. I kind of figured GPJ was an alum. He was dead right about the ###-whoopin' dealt out in the championship game. He had fifteen, and even though it was ten, it felt like fifteen. Line was -7.5 for Louisville, -4 at the half, and damn if I didn't want to bet that heavily.
John Bender
Footballguy
I graduated in 2004, I picked Georgia Tech and Uconn in the final. I lost my 7000 dollar pool because I picked Luke Schensher and GA Tech over Uconn in the final. I'm. Usually very cynical. I'm not this year.
rockaction
Footballguy
Wow. Argh. Didn't GA Tech beat UConn in the preseason NIT that year, though? Or something like that? (I just looked it up. They did. By a bunch.)
Personally, I went out-of-state undergrad, but grew up here and went to grad school at UConn. Philly is awesome. We visit every year. I have to admit to not following the team as much this year or last, but I've come on in the past month or so. Ready for a nice run.
Good Posting Judge
Footballguy
Okafor went out early in that first GATech game with a gimpy back, and they got mauled. Gave it back to him when it mattered though, they played a near flawless first half of basketball in the title game and put it away. GaTech whittled the lead down near the end, but they were always in control.
Boatright has skills, I just think he makes poor decisions. Exemplifies the worst of this team where they just pound the rock and don't move it.
Boatright has skills, I just think he makes poor decisions. Exemplifies the worst of this team where they just pound the rock and don't move it.
rockaction
Footballguy
I forgot that was an issue all year. I just remember Jarrett Jack and those guys were all over us in that NIT game.
We destroyed Tech in the final. 82-73 doesn't even begin to describe that whipping. I still remember them mouthing off in the press conference and Ben Gordon just laughing about it. The 2004 Alabama game might have been my favorite UConn game I ever watched, other than the 1999 Duke final or the '98/'99 Stanford game on the road. Or the '11 game against 'Zona.
Regardless, this is a "share your team" thing, so now I bow out of UConn memories, which are largely pleasant.
Good Posting Judge
Footballguy
I think UConn's playing Stanford "here" (the Bay Area) next year. Pretty psyched.
I've never been a conference honk a la LHUCKS, but I'm rooting for the rest of the AAC this year. Even soon-to-be-gone Louisville. #### the selection committee.
I've never been a conference honk a la LHUCKS, but I'm rooting for the rest of the AAC this year. Even soon-to-be-gone Louisville. #### the selection committee.
rockaction
Footballguy
I think if Cincy doesn't draw Harvard, 5.5 wins would be a lock.Good Posting Judge said:
Is the committee sending a message for next year? That's what I'm wondering.
Last edited by a moderator:
Good Posting Judge
Footballguy
I think it's simply because they didn't have the name. If UConn et. al. took the name with them (a lot of the schools in the AAC were going to join the BE), Louisville would be a 1, UConn a 5, etc.
strykerpks
Footballguy
2014 Tell us about UCONN tourney team thread
Good Posting Judge
Footballguy
strykerpks
Footballguy
TheAristocrat
Footballguy
Thanks to everyone contributing! I didn't watch any college basketball this year and needed this. Sorry I can't add anything about a #1 in the NIT.
Similar threads
