Player of the Year as Close as It Gets!

Posted on March 1, 2012 by christoph131

Just as I did the past few months, I am going to ask the tough question. Who should be crowned College Basketball Player of the Year? A few of the big preseason names have fallen off in the past few months. Therefore, the race is basically down to two people: Anthony Davis (See team preview here) and Thomas Robinson (See team preview here). Head to head, this pick is going to be a tough one. In fact, some ballots will be conducted next week on this subject, but we still won’t find out for a while. Here are some stats for ya:

Anthony Davis                 Freshman            Kentucky Wildcats          Team Rank: 1/1
PPG: 14.3                             SPG: 1.5               FG%: .658
APG: 0.9                               BPG: 4.8               FT%: .717
RPG: 9.8                               TPG: 0.9               MPG: 31.4

Thomas Robinson            Junior                   Kansas Jayhawks              Team Rank: 3/4
PPG: 17.8                             SPG: 1.1               FG%: .531
APG: 1.8                               BPG: 1.1               FT%: .695
RPG: 11.8                             TPG: 2.7               MPG: 31.4

They average the same exact minutes per game and their stats are very close. Even in the ballots conducted every week, they are within 3 points of each other (Davis is ahead). I feel like Anthony Davis has a better team around him but at the same time, that should make it even tougher to put up numbers like he has since they have more than one or two stars on their team. What do you guys think?

Sorry for the Jinx Michigan State

Posted on February 29, 2012 by christoph131

So, since I decided to make a big deal about how I thought #5 Michigan State should be a #1 seed during March Madness in yesterday’s post, they decided to lose their game against #20 Indiana. They didn’t just lose, they got killed. Although Draymond Green scored 29 points on 10 of 17 shooting from the field (3 for 6 three-pointers), he could not help the Spartans out of this one. He also grabbed 8 rebounds. However, he did commit 6 turnovers that turned out to be quite costly. Unfortunately, no one else on his team was able to score more than 8 points.

The Hoosiers were able to pull this one off led by stand-out freshman forward Cody Zeller (to the right). Zeller only committed 1 turnover and scored 18 points. Junior forward Christian Watford was able to record a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds during a team high 33 minutes of floor time.

New #5

Posted on February 28, 2012 by christoph131

Kentucky | Syracuse | Missouri | Kansas | Duke

Even though I did the top 5 march madness predictions last week, there is a new #5 team due to Mizzou losing twice. Today we will look at:

#5 Michigan State

Remaining Opponents: #20 Indiana, #11 Ohio State

Prediction: The Spartans have had a tough schedule all year. They had back to back losses to start the season. However, these losses were to UNC and Duke. No doubt about it, they have a tough line up for the next two weeks. If they can get past both of those teams they will have a good shot at a #1 seed due to their strength of schedule. Plus, someone could lose in that time frame.

Draymont Green is a 6’7 Senior forward who averages a double-double. He works hard in 32.9 minutes per night to put in 15.6 PPG and 10.3 RPG. He also helps with 3.6 Assists which is second most on the team. That is a good amount for a big man.

Keith Appl ing is a Sophomore guard from Detroit who accounts for 11.7 PPG while putting in a team-high 3.8 assists per game.

Branden Dawson is a 6’6 Freshman guard who accounts for 8.7 PPG while grabbing 4.7 boards per contest. He also shoots a team-high 58% from the field.

Senior Brandon Wood is a 6’2 guard that contributes 8.2 points of his own per game. He also isn’t too bad at the helpers (2.9 RPG, 2.2 APG).

College Weekend Recap

Posted on February 27, 2012 by christoph131

On Friday night, Marquette’s coach Buzz Williams decided to bench 3 of his starters due to “undisclosed team violations”. However, #10 Marquette was able to erase a 15 point, 4^th quarter, deficit and came back to beat Big East rival West Virginia, 61-60. One of the few starters that played for the Golden Eagles was Senior Jae Crowder. Crowder scored 26 points on 9 for 17 shooting in 40 minutes of play.

On Saturday, #1 Kentucky was able to capture the SEC Conference Title by beating Vanderbilt 83-74. Star forward Anthony Davis was able to connect on 10 of his 11 shots and 8 of his 9 free throws to score a game-high 28 points. He also had 11 rebounds to reach the double-double platform. He is a one-of-a-kind player who also put in 6 blocks for the Wildcats.

Somehow, #5 Kansas was able to come back from 19 points down against #3 Missouri in overtime. This was one of the better games this season in my opinion. Possible player of the year, Thomas Robinson, scored yet another double-double with 12 rebounds and 28 points. Tyshawn Taylor was able to pitch in 24 points of his own on 44 minutes of play. I think the Jayhawks should be considered as one of the best teams in the country, despite their 5 losses.

#2 Syracuse somehow only beat struggling UConn by 2 points. Kris Joseph nabbed three 3-pointers while scoring 21 points for the Orange. With the victory, Syracuse captured the Big East title. Despite the loss, the entire Husky starting line-up was able to score in double digits, with the exception of Lowell native Alex Oriakhi. Unfortunately, not one player off the bench was able to score a single point, and that includes Shabazz Napier.

#4 Duke was able to hold off Virginia Tech in yet another Saturday overtime game. The final score was 70-65. Austin Rivers put in 23 points with the help of 17 free throw attempts. Seth Curry was able to add 19 points of his own for the Blue Devils.

#7 North Carolina was barely able to slip by unranked Virginia in an ACC battle, by only 3 points. Forward Tyler Zeller scored 20 points while fellow Tar Heel John Henson was able to contribute a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. I was really hoping they lost…

On Sunday, #15 Wisconsin handed #9 Ohio State their 6^th loss of the season. Star forward Jared Sullinger only connected on four of his shots, and missed all three free throws. He finished the game with a mere 8 points and 6 rebounds.

Notable Upsets:
Georgia 76                          #11 Florida 62
Purdue 75                           #13 Michigan 61
St. Johns 61                        #18 Notre Dame 58
TCU 83                                  #21 New Mexico 64
Saint Joseph’s 82             #22 Temple 83
Miami 78                             #16 Florida State 62

March Madness Preview Day 5

Posted on February 24, 2012 by christoph131

Kentucky | Syracuse | Missouri | Kansas | Duke

#5 Duke

Remaining Opponents: Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, North Carolina

Prediction: UNC is a toss-up, anyone can win that game. Other than that, they should beat V-Tech (15-13) & will most likely run over Wake Forest (12-15). I would be surprised if they are not a number 1 seed.

Austin Rivers is a freshman who we have all heard of. Son of Doc Rivers. He averages 15 PPG, 3.2 RPG, & 2.1 APG. Most Blue Devils graduate, but if his dad is okay with it, he may be leaving after this season. But I don’t see that happening.

Seth Curry is a 6’2 Junior who averages 13.6 PPG, 2.7 RPG, & 2.5 APG. He also shoots 88% from the line. As far as I know, he will most likely be back for his senior year.

Junior Ryan Kelly is a 6’11 forward who puts in 11.9 PPG and 5.4 rebounds per contest.

Mason Plumlee is a Junior who is 6’10. He contributes nearly a double-double with 11.2 PPG and 9.7 RPG on 56% shooting from the field.

Andre Dawkins is also a Junior, who is a 6’4 guard. He is able to score 9.4 PPG on only 24.1 minutes per night.

Duke is always a tough opponent to play in the tourney. They have enough veteran leadership with the perfect amount of young stars on their team. They also have strength off the bench and one of the best coaches to ever live.

March Madness Preview Day 4

Posted on February 23, 2012 by christoph131

Kentucky | Syracuse | Missouri | Kansas

#4 Kansas

Remaining Opponents: #3 Missouri, Oklahoma State, Texas

Prediction: Their remaining schedule is no cake walk. Missouri has already beat them once, by 3 points, even though they lost the other night. Oklahoma State is the only team with a losing record that they play, but even they have beaten Missouri. I think it will be tough but they will most likely receive the #1 seed if they can continue to win. They have lost against teams that they should not have lost against.

Thomas Robinson is one of the best players in the league in my opinion, if not the best. He is a 6’10 Junior and will most likely be a top 3 draft pick. He plays 31.1 minutes per night and averages a double-double (17.7 PPG & 11.8 RPG) He shoots almost 55% from the field and puts in 1.8 APG, which is a decent amount for a big man.

Senior Tyshawn Taylor is a great #2 on the team behind Robinson. He scores 16.6 PPG, while averaging 5.1 Assists. He will be a first round draft pick, but most likely a lower one.

Junior Jeff Withey is the surprise this season. He is a 7-footer who puts in 9.5 PPG while grabbing 6.6 boards. He also has high FG% at 56%. If an NBA team really needs a center that they don’t mind working with, he would not be a bad choice. He dropped 25 points against Baylor.

Travis Releford is another Junior guard who is 6’6. He plays nearly 31 minutes per game, and puts in 9.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 2 APG. He also shoots over 50% like two of his teammates.

Elijah Johnson is yet another Junior guard for the Jayhawks. He is only 6’4 but contributes his share of points (8.6) and assists (3.7). He also leads the team in steals with 1.6 per game.

March Madness Preview Day 3

Posted on February 22, 2012 by christoph131

With Selection Sunday less than 3 weeks away, I thought it would be a good idea to look into the top teams to try to figure out who will be rewarded the #1 seeds in each bracket. So each day this week, I will be putting up a short summary of each team’s top players, remaining schedule, and other projections.

Kentucky | Syracuse | Missouri

#3 Missouri

Remaining Opponents: #5 Kansas, Iowa State, Texas Tech

Prediction: Missouri has had a great season so far. They have only lost three games. Unfortunately, two of those losses were to Kansas State, and a fluke loss to sub-.500 team Oklahoma State by 7 points. Other than that they have been flawless, winning many games by double figures. They beat Kansas once before a few weeks ago, by 3 points, and will face them again on Saturday. This is going to be a close game but they are away. I do not think they will win this game. Since they already have three losses, I do not think they will be a #1 seed come March 11^th.

Marcus Denmon is a 6’3 Senior who, in my opinion, is one of the top players in the Big 12. He averages 17.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG, in 33.9 Minutes a night. He has scored over 20 points in 9 games this season. Denmon shoots almost 90% from the free throw line.

Senior Kim English is their #2 scorer with 14.2 PPG, and 4.1 RPG. He also shoots over 50% from the field. He is barely behind Denmon with 32.9 Minutes per game.

Ricardo Ratliffe is the third senior in this line up. He is a 6’8 forward who averages 13.7 PPG on 73% shooting from the field. He also grabs 7 rebounds per contest.

Junior Michael Dixon is a 6’1 guard who puts in 12.6 points of his own, while assisting 3.1. He also shoots almost 90% from the foul line.

Flip Pressey is the young gun on the team. He is merely a sophomore and scores 10 PPG on 31.4 minutes per game. He also grabs 3.2 boards per game, and 2.1 steals per game.

Mizzou is a veteran team which will hurt them in the future. However, we are just looking at this season and if they can win the Big 12 (assuming they can beat Kansas) then I think they can get the #1 seed. I just think Kansas is a better team overall, even though their record does not show it. They are both 12-2 in the conference.

Mardi Gras Upsets

Posted on February 22, 2012 by christoph131

#3 Missouri was upset by unranked Kansas State for the second time this season. This will make my blog about Mizzou a little more difficult later on. They lost 78-68. Rodney McGruder dropped 24 points against the Tigers. Michael Dixon was able to put in 21 points off the bench, and star Marcus Denmon added 19 of his own in the losing effort. Ricardo Ratliffe had 14 rebounds but missed the double-double by 1 point.

#8 Georgetown was also upset, but they lost against unranked Seton Hall who they should beat every day. Senior Jordan Theodore scored 29 points for the Pirates. He shot a perfect 5-for-5 from behind the arc. Not one player on the Hoyas scored in double digits in any column (points, assists, rebounds). Seton Hall 61% from the field, 61.5% from 3-point range, and 78.9% from the free throw line. Georgetown only recorded 9 assists as a team.

Newly ranked #21 New Mexico was upset by rival Colorado State 71-63. Key players for the Rams were Pierce Hornung (13 pts, 5 rebs) & Dorian Green (17 pts, 8-8 ft). New Mexico’s Kendall Williams (16 pts) & Demetrius Walker (14 pts) each had good games.

March Madness Preview Day 2

Posted on February 21, 2012 by christoph131

Kentucky | Syracuse |

#2 Syracuse

Remaining opponents: South Florida, UConn, #17 Louisville

Prediction: They should be able to handle the first two with ease, just as they have throughout the season. They already beat the Huskies by 18 points a few weeks back. Their toughest competition is going to be Louisville, who they beat by 1 point last week, and could have easily lost if Louisville didn’t turn the ball over with 2 seconds left. However, this time, the Orange are home. Marquette is 2^nd in the Big East, sitting two games behind Syracuse so they should have a number one seed when playoff time comes around.

Senior Kris Joseph (from Canada?) is averaging exactly 14.0 PPG and 4.8 RPG. He is 6”7 and uses his length to his advantage. He also averages 30.9 minutes per game which is the most on the team by far. The next closes is C.J. Fair at 26.9.

Sophomore Dion Waiters throws in 12.0 PPG himself, and adds 2.2 RPG and 2.7 APG to go along with it. Plus, he only plays 23.6 minutes per game.

Junior Brandon Triche is a 6”4 Guard who scores 9.4 PPG and shoots 86% from the free throw line.

Sophomore C.J. Fair is a 6”8 Forward from Baltimore that puts in 9.2 PPG, 5.5 RPG and is second in minutes per game with 26.9.

Senior Scoop Jardine adds 8.7 PPG and 5 assists per game.

Fab Melo, the 7 footer from Brazil, adds 7.9 PPG and 5.5 RPG to the Orange’s artillery.

They are a strong team that knows how to win games. I see them as a sure-fire #1 seed when Selection Sunday comes. Their only loss came against Notre Dame, exactly a month ago today. Notre Dame has also beaten teams such as Marquette and Louisville.

March Madness Preview Day 1

Posted on February 20, 2012 by christoph131

#1 Kentucky

Remaining opponents: Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Georgia, #11 Florida

Prediction: Barring some fluke, I do not see the Wildcats losing another game this season. They beat Florida by 20 points two weeks ago, and Anthony Davis and company should be able to win their conference with ease. In fact, the only one close to them in the standings is Florida, and they are 3 games behind.

Super star Freshman Anthony Davis is averaging just shy of 14 PPG, 9.7 RPG, and a huge number of blocks per game at 4.9. He is clearly the best player on this star-studded line up.

Doron Lamb is a Sophomore Guard for the Wildcats. He is averaging 13.8 points and 3.2 rebounds but is a defensive presence on the floor. He has dropped over 20 points in 3 games this season.

Sophomore Terrence Jones is averaging 12.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and shoots 50% from the field. He is 6”9 and is a force when he gets in the paint.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is a freshman from Jersey who is also very long at 6”7. He is averaging 12 PPG, grabbing 7.7 boards per game and 2.1 assists per game.

Darius Miller is the senior presence on the floor, averaging 9.9 PPG and 2.1 APG, but does so in only 25.2 minutes per game. That is less than any of the other stars on the team.

Freshman Marquis Teague is the last person who will be mentioned. He is a 6”2 Point Guard who puts up 9.6 PPG and dishes out 4.8 APG.

There are not too many teams who will have 6 people that can do what these Wildcats have done. They have lost only one game this season. That was to Indiana, by 1 point, in December. They are surely going to be a #1 seed come March 11^th. But knowing the history of Kentucky, most of these players will not be back next season.

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