I know that a lot of the people reading this blog are current students so I will not disappoint and will aptly name this the Midterm Edition of Game-Planning. Yeah, I know all of you nerds (shout out to chrono) are exempt but I don't want to hear it. After you're done reading this blog, you should go hit the books. Admit it, you are amidst the wonderful procrastination stage of your studying for exams. Anyways, I don't want to get in the way of the process so I'll just start the part of the blog people like to read.
1st Quarter- NC State at North Carolina
Winner: North Carolina
Why They'll Win: The favorite will win this game, but not by as big a margin as many are predicting. This will be a very close game. The Wolfpack are 11-3 currently and are led by freshman J.J. Hickson (17 pts, 8 reb), senior Gavin Grant (14 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast), and sophomore Brandon Costner (11 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast). They defeated a tough Villanova team on the road and took down mid-major Davidson by one point at home. Embarrassing are their losses to New Orleans and East Carolina. NC State shoots a below average 30% from deep, 71% from the charity stripe, and 46% from the field. Being led by a freshman to go up against the #1 team in the country doesn't sound all that good to me, which is why I chose UNC to win this one. The Tar Heels are an undefeated 16-0 (coincidence with the Patriots record, I swear) and are #1 in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today polls. They're led by Tyler Hansbrough (22 pts, 10 reb), Wayne Ellington (18 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast), and Ty Lawson (14 pts, 3 reb, 6 ast). Sadly (or joyously for Duke fans), they've been stumbling as of late. After leaving the state of South Carolina with a not-so-convincing victory over Clemson, UNC proceeded to defeat North Carolina-Asheville...by only twelve points.
When To Watch: Saturday, January 12th on ESPN at noon eastern time.
2nd Quarter- Washington St. at UCLA
Winner: UCLA
Why They'll Win: Washington State, in my opinion, is the most overrated team in the top ten and this game will prove that. I'm saying the Bruins will take this game by a minimum of 12 points. The Cougars are led by Derrick Low (13 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast), Kyle Weaver (12 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast), and Aron Baynes (12 pts, 7 reb). Their "big" notable win? That would be their win over Gonzaga. They've had close games with Air Force, Baylor, and Washington. Washington State shoots 34% from long range, 77% from the free throw line, and 50% from the field. UCLA, however, is one of the better teams in the country and is poised to make a deep run come tourney time. They're led by freshman sensation Kevin Love (17 pts, 10 reb, 2 ast), Josh Shipp (15 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast), and Darren Collison (12 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast). They have impressive wins over Stanford, Davidson, Michigan State, and Maryland. Their only loss came at the hands of Texas on a last second lay-up.
When To Watch: Saturday, January 12th on FSN at 2:30pm eastern time.
Halftime Thoughts-
In the new power rankings by Luke Winn of SI.com, he put Memphis first, North Carolina second, and Kansas third. For RIGHT NOW, there couldn't be a more perfect top three. He definitely hit the nail on the head. However, I do think he has Tennessee a bit too high at number four, but I digress...
CollegeHoops.net's Hot Topic of the Week: The top fifteen in the nation is what has this particular message board buzzing as if it's a bee's nest in the summer. The person who posted had Kansas first, UCLA second, Memphis third, and UNC fourth. Some other interesting choices were Xavier at 9 and West Virginia at 15, both of which I think are too high for them as of now. I would like to hear your opinion on it.
My next topic of discussion has absolutely nothing to do with today's college basketball. Instead, we're going back a few years to talk about the greatest in history. (Author's Note: Special thanks to Andy Katz for helping me with this topic.) I will attempt to countdown the top three. This is very tough to try and put these in any order but here goes:
3. Lew Alcindor, UCLA, 66-67; 29 ppg on way to 30-0 record.
2. Pete Maravich, LSU, 69-70; 44.5 ppg while shattering scoring record.
1. Oscar Robertson, Cincy, 57-58; 35.1 ppg and 15.2 rpg made this year remarkable.
3rd Quarter- Georgetown at Pitt
Winner: Georgetown
Why They'll Win: You may know me to be not the biggest fan of the Hoyas this season if you've read any of my previous posts. However, they're facing a Pitt team that has lost two of their last four games after losing players to injuries. G'Town is 12-1 right now and are led by Roy Hibbert (12 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast), DaJuan Summers (12 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast), and Jonathan Wallace (11 pts, 2 reb, 3 ast). The Hoyas do not have really a big win on their schedule (in fact, they don't have a win against an opponent that is currently ranked) and this is their best opportunity. The Panthers shoot 35% from deep, 71% from the line, and 47% from the field. They're led by Sam Young (18 pts, 7 reb) and DaJuan Blair (12 pts, 10 reb), and they've lost Levance Fields and Mike Cook to injuries. Prior to that though, they had an impressive win over the Duke Blue Devils. Nonetheless, I don't see Georgetown losing this game.
When To Watch: Monday, January 14th at 7pm eastern time on ESPN.
4th Quarter- Ohio State at Michigan State
Winner: Michigan State
Why They'll Win: Both teams are undefeated in conference play, yet I'm definitely giving the edge to the Spartans in this one. They rely on the play of Raymar Morgan (18 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast) and Drew Neitzel (13 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast). Their only loss to date is their 5-point defeat at the hands of UCLA. Michigan State has posted wins over NC State, BYU, and Texas. They shoot 36% from behind the three-point line, 75% from the stripe, and 50% from the field. If you stop the inside-outside tandem of Neitzel and Morgan, you stop this team. However, it's easier said than done. The 12-3 Buckeyes will have their hands full in this one and will make it interesting. The fabulous freshman, Kosta Koufos, leads the frontcourt with his 15 points and 7 rebounds per game. Jamar Butler (14 pts, 4 reb, 6 ast) has also been vital for this young Ohio State team. They have six players averaging 22+ minutes per game. Their three losses came to Texas A&M, North Carolina, and Butler (all ranked), but they can boast their wins over Syracuse and Florida.
When To Watch: Tuesday, January 15th at 7pm eastern time on ESPN.
Yes, I know this post is coming a little late so I decided to give you a link to recaps of the past games on Thursday night that you may have missed if you've been living under a rock.
A) West Virginia at Louisville
B) Illinois at Wisconsin
C) Washington State at USC
And here's a video for the road. It's the top ten NBA plays of the year 2007. Enjoy.
That ends this edition of Game-Planning. I hope you liked it, but don't spend too much time in front of the tube this weekend. You need to study!
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Showing posts with label NC State. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NC State. Show all posts
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Friday, November 23, 2007
Game-Planning 2
Well, for the second edition of Game-Planning I will be doing individual games which should be the norm for a while.
1st Quarter- Arizona at Kansas
Winner: Kansas
Why They'll Win: The Jayhawks look great this year. They are poised to take the Big 12 crown this year and early season tests such as Arizona are good for them. However, I still don't think Arizona will win. They've got Chase Budinger and Jerryd Bayless back but not much else. Kansas has everything and everyone back except Julian Wright. They're 4-0 right now and haven't scored less than 85 points in a game. Sherron Collins is scoring 16 points a game while adding a team-high 5 assists. Four other players are also averaging double-figures. Now, the Wildcats are sitting at 3-1. They suffered their first loss to Virginia by three points. Since then they've been killing their opponents but I guess that doesn't mean much when they've only played UMKC and Adams State in that time. Bayless (18 pts, 5 reb, 6 ast) and Budinger (17 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast) are the lead men for this team. Knowing this, I got Kansas.
When To Watch: Sunday, November 25th at 8pm eastern time on ESPN.
2nd Quarter- Wisconsin at Duke
Winner: Duke
Why They'll Win: The Blue Devils are 5-0 and fresh off a Maui Invitational championship. They're looking great out there and Wisconsin shouldn't be much of a problem. The freshman sensation Kyle Singler is averaging 16 points and 7 rebounds. Six players are averaging 20+ minutes per game. Now, the Badgers are 4-0 and, to me, seem underrated. Yes, they lost Alando Tucker, but that doesn't mean they're a bad team. Trevon Hughes is scoring 20 points while grabbing 5 boards and dishing out 3 assists. Down low, Brian Butch is putting up 16 points while grabbing a team-high 10 rebounds per contest. Also, don't discount Derrick Rose's high school and AAU teammate, Michael Flowers. He's averaging 7 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists as a freshman. In the end though, Wisconsin just doesn't stack up against the big bad Blue Devils.
When To Watch: Tuesday, November 27th on ESPN at 9pm eastern time.
Halftime Thoughts-
Michael Beasley. I honestly can't believe it. It seems we have this year's Kevin Durant. Beasley is averaging 30 points and 18 rebounds while leading his team to a 3-1 start. My only gripe? His shooting 69% from the line. Of course, I guess he makes up for it by 63% from the field and 44% from deep.
The Tennessee Volunteers are 4-0 right now and Chris Lofton ISN'T the main reason. He's averaging a paltry 12 points per game and hasn't taken more than 13 in a game. This tells me a couple of things. First, Lofton isn't forcing shots because most defenses are keying in on him. Second, his teammates must be stepping up somewhat to make up for his struggles. Now I wondered, "who is that teammate(s) stepping up?" Well, JaJuan Smith is scoring 17 points a game. The other two Smiths are both averaging 12 per contest. I guess for Coach Pearl it doesn't really matter who's scoring just as long as someone putting the ball in the hoop.
Gonzaga will be facing their first real test of the season tonight against Texas Tech. The Bulldogs are ranked 14th with a record of 4-0 thanks in large part to Austin Daye (16 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast), Jeremy Pargo (14 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast), and Matt Bouldin (12 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast). They have impressed me so far and will need to keep up with other improving mid-majors such as Davidson and George Mason.
3rd Quarter- NC State at Michigan St.
Winner: Michigan St.
Why They'll Win: I know this isn't what you'd call a "marquee" matchup but the early season isn't very good and this will have to do. Anyways, NC State, fresh off a win over South Carolina, is somewhat strong this year. They are predicted by some to finish as high as third in the ACC. But let's not forget how they surprised everyone late in the season last year. They'll probably give MSU a game (within 10 points) but they won't be able to pull it off. Tom Izzo knows how to get his team to play hard out there and win when the going gets tough. They are a top two team in the Big Ten and are led by senior Drew Neitzel who's putting up a solid 15 points and 4 rebounds.
When To Watch: Wednesday, November 28th at 7pm eastern time on ESPN.
4th Quarter- North Carolina at Ohio State
Winner: North Carolina
Why They'll Win: This game doesn't really bode well for the Buckeyes. I mean, Tyler Hansbrough (22 pts, 10 reb) will match up well with Kosta Koufos (20 pts, 8 reb) and I really haven't seen Koufos go up against a really good big man yet--although I will tonight. Also, Jamar Butler (16 pts, 6 ast) is overmatched by Ty Lawson (10 pts, 6 ast) at the point. Then you have to consider the Tar Heels' depth and how great it is. They have eight players logging 15 minutes or more each game. But one guy UNC must watch out for is Jon Diebler. He's a freshman and has a beautiful tough from deep. He's had a rough start to the season but should pick it up eventually. As a side note, he was Ohio's Mr. Basketball last year.
When To Watch: Wednesday, November 28th at 9pm eastern time on ESPN.
Overtime- Oregon at Kansas State
Winner: Kansas State
Why They'll Win: To me, this game is very, very intriguing. The Ducks are a top team with a lot of experience and Kansas State is completely led by freshman. As I mentioned earlier, Michael Beasley is averaging 30 points and 18 rebounds. However, another freshman by the name of Bill Walker is no slouch either. He's contributing a solid 12 points and 5 rebounds for the Wildcats. But after those two there really isn't anyone that will hurt the Ducks (trust me, it's enough). Now, Oregon is still regrouping from their disappointing loss to St. Mary's...who? They are led by Malik Hairston (20 pts, 5 reb) and Maarty Leunen (16 pts, 11 reb). As a team they are shooting 51% from the field and are averaging 90 points a game. It will be interesting to see how this game plays out.
When To Watch: Thursday, November 29th on ESPN2 at 9pm eastern time.
In addition, I think you should check out this video about the most exciting team in the entire nation, the Memphis Tigers.
1st Quarter- Arizona at Kansas
Winner: Kansas
Why They'll Win: The Jayhawks look great this year. They are poised to take the Big 12 crown this year and early season tests such as Arizona are good for them. However, I still don't think Arizona will win. They've got Chase Budinger and Jerryd Bayless back but not much else. Kansas has everything and everyone back except Julian Wright. They're 4-0 right now and haven't scored less than 85 points in a game. Sherron Collins is scoring 16 points a game while adding a team-high 5 assists. Four other players are also averaging double-figures. Now, the Wildcats are sitting at 3-1. They suffered their first loss to Virginia by three points. Since then they've been killing their opponents but I guess that doesn't mean much when they've only played UMKC and Adams State in that time. Bayless (18 pts, 5 reb, 6 ast) and Budinger (17 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast) are the lead men for this team. Knowing this, I got Kansas.
When To Watch: Sunday, November 25th at 8pm eastern time on ESPN.
2nd Quarter- Wisconsin at Duke
Winner: Duke
Why They'll Win: The Blue Devils are 5-0 and fresh off a Maui Invitational championship. They're looking great out there and Wisconsin shouldn't be much of a problem. The freshman sensation Kyle Singler is averaging 16 points and 7 rebounds. Six players are averaging 20+ minutes per game. Now, the Badgers are 4-0 and, to me, seem underrated. Yes, they lost Alando Tucker, but that doesn't mean they're a bad team. Trevon Hughes is scoring 20 points while grabbing 5 boards and dishing out 3 assists. Down low, Brian Butch is putting up 16 points while grabbing a team-high 10 rebounds per contest. Also, don't discount Derrick Rose's high school and AAU teammate, Michael Flowers. He's averaging 7 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists as a freshman. In the end though, Wisconsin just doesn't stack up against the big bad Blue Devils.
When To Watch: Tuesday, November 27th on ESPN at 9pm eastern time.
Halftime Thoughts-
Michael Beasley. I honestly can't believe it. It seems we have this year's Kevin Durant. Beasley is averaging 30 points and 18 rebounds while leading his team to a 3-1 start. My only gripe? His shooting 69% from the line. Of course, I guess he makes up for it by 63% from the field and 44% from deep.
The Tennessee Volunteers are 4-0 right now and Chris Lofton ISN'T the main reason. He's averaging a paltry 12 points per game and hasn't taken more than 13 in a game. This tells me a couple of things. First, Lofton isn't forcing shots because most defenses are keying in on him. Second, his teammates must be stepping up somewhat to make up for his struggles. Now I wondered, "who is that teammate(s) stepping up?" Well, JaJuan Smith is scoring 17 points a game. The other two Smiths are both averaging 12 per contest. I guess for Coach Pearl it doesn't really matter who's scoring just as long as someone putting the ball in the hoop.
Gonzaga will be facing their first real test of the season tonight against Texas Tech. The Bulldogs are ranked 14th with a record of 4-0 thanks in large part to Austin Daye (16 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast), Jeremy Pargo (14 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast), and Matt Bouldin (12 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast). They have impressed me so far and will need to keep up with other improving mid-majors such as Davidson and George Mason.
3rd Quarter- NC State at Michigan St.
Winner: Michigan St.
Why They'll Win: I know this isn't what you'd call a "marquee" matchup but the early season isn't very good and this will have to do. Anyways, NC State, fresh off a win over South Carolina, is somewhat strong this year. They are predicted by some to finish as high as third in the ACC. But let's not forget how they surprised everyone late in the season last year. They'll probably give MSU a game (within 10 points) but they won't be able to pull it off. Tom Izzo knows how to get his team to play hard out there and win when the going gets tough. They are a top two team in the Big Ten and are led by senior Drew Neitzel who's putting up a solid 15 points and 4 rebounds.
When To Watch: Wednesday, November 28th at 7pm eastern time on ESPN.
4th Quarter- North Carolina at Ohio State
Winner: North Carolina
Why They'll Win: This game doesn't really bode well for the Buckeyes. I mean, Tyler Hansbrough (22 pts, 10 reb) will match up well with Kosta Koufos (20 pts, 8 reb) and I really haven't seen Koufos go up against a really good big man yet--although I will tonight. Also, Jamar Butler (16 pts, 6 ast) is overmatched by Ty Lawson (10 pts, 6 ast) at the point. Then you have to consider the Tar Heels' depth and how great it is. They have eight players logging 15 minutes or more each game. But one guy UNC must watch out for is Jon Diebler. He's a freshman and has a beautiful tough from deep. He's had a rough start to the season but should pick it up eventually. As a side note, he was Ohio's Mr. Basketball last year.
When To Watch: Wednesday, November 28th at 9pm eastern time on ESPN.
Overtime- Oregon at Kansas State
Winner: Kansas State
Why They'll Win: To me, this game is very, very intriguing. The Ducks are a top team with a lot of experience and Kansas State is completely led by freshman. As I mentioned earlier, Michael Beasley is averaging 30 points and 18 rebounds. However, another freshman by the name of Bill Walker is no slouch either. He's contributing a solid 12 points and 5 rebounds for the Wildcats. But after those two there really isn't anyone that will hurt the Ducks (trust me, it's enough). Now, Oregon is still regrouping from their disappointing loss to St. Mary's...who? They are led by Malik Hairston (20 pts, 5 reb) and Maarty Leunen (16 pts, 11 reb). As a team they are shooting 51% from the field and are averaging 90 points a game. It will be interesting to see how this game plays out.
When To Watch: Thursday, November 29th on ESPN2 at 9pm eastern time.
In addition, I think you should check out this video about the most exciting team in the entire nation, the Memphis Tigers.
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