February 2014 College Basketball Thread

[mabrowndog]

More than halfway through the month. Never too late.
 
BC-Cuse in OT.
 
George Mason threatening to knock off St. Louis with 2:17 left.
 
Auburn giving Florida all it can handle, up 1 with 3:09 left.

 

[mabrowndog]

If the Billikens pull this out, it's because of the arc. They're now 10 for 22 on threes. The last one puts them up 72-69 with 45 secs left.

 

[Orel Miraculous]

I personally will be pretty pissed off is SLU blows this game.

 

[mabrowndog]

I personally will be pretty pissed off is SLU blows this game.

 
Two big missed FTs there. 

 

[Orel Miraculous]

SLU: the 2014 These Guys Aren't That Great, How Are They Beating Us? Champions

 

[mabrowndog]

HUGE three by Michael Frazier gives the Gators the 1-pt lead with 36 secs left. Auburn had held them under 40% shooting from the floor until that shot.

 

[mabrowndog]

Wow, foul called and Jenkins heads to the line for GMU with a chance to win it.

 

[mabrowndog]

Wow, clutch FTs. Mason by 1, 5.4 left.

 

[mabrowndog]

How the hell do they let Jett go coast to coast there? Easy foul call on Moore, he got killed.
 
EDIT - He makes 1 of 2, on to OT we go.

 

[Orel Miraculous]

That Jett don't crash!!!
 
Err...sorry.

 

[mabrowndog]

BC about to get screwed on a shitty call, claiming they deflected an errant Cuse pass out of bounds. 32 secs left, Eagles by 1.

 

[mabrowndog]

Young and Wilbekin each hit a crucial pair of FTs for Florida in the final seconds, and the Gators survive.

 

[mabrowndog]

Gigantic shots for Lonnie Jackson. BC by 3.
 
The refs are letting Cuse go over the back on every single follow of their missed shots.

 

[mabrowndog]

Wow. BC wins. Amazing. Suck it, Boeheim.

 

[mabrowndog]

Loe hits two straight from deep for SLU, and now Jett hits a jumper. Billikens up 2 with 2:08 left in OT.

 

[mabrowndog]

That Jett don't crash!!!
 
Err...sorry.

 
You're right. He don't. I love that kid's game.

 

[mabrowndog]

Mason falling apart down the stretch, down 6 with 40.2 left. No defense whatsoever, and they were discombobulated on offense as well in blowing some easy pick & rolls.

 

[mabrowndog]

Watching Creighton dismantle Marquette on FS1, and the Blue Jays have to be one of the best small-ish teams I can remember. They've destroyed Nova twice by a combined 51 pts, so I can't for the life of me figure out how they managed to lose to GW and Providence, two teams I've seen enough of to know aren't even close to Creighton's stratosphere.

 

[Orel Miraculous]

Watching Creighton dismantle Marquette on FS1, and the Blue Jays have to be one of the best small-ish teams I can remember. They've destroyed Nova twice by a combined 51 pts, so I can't for the life of me figure out how they managed to lose to GW and Providence, two teams I've seen enough of to know aren't even close to Creighton's stratosphere.

 
Armwood never let McDermott get more than six inches away from him at any point during the game and we held him to the lowest point total of his career. Of course other teams have surely had similarly talented and sized defenders as Armwood and they still haven't been able to contain him like that so. . . yeah, I don't really know how we beat them either.

 

[DukeSox]

Wow. BC wins. Amazing. Suck it, Boeheim.

Yes sir.

 

[mabrowndog]

SLU: the 2014 These Guys Aren't That Great, How Are They Beating Us? Champions

 
Tonight vs GW: They make just 3 of 16 threes, miss 10 free throws while their opponents hit 15 of 21, and get out-rebounded 42-36. But they still win by 7 and remain unbeaten in A-10 play.
 
How? By making 21 of 34 two-point shots (62%), and holding the Colonials to 20-of-60 shooting. Plus Maurice Creek had a miserable game for GW (2 for 12, 0/5 on threes, 1 R, 0 A, 4 fouls and 5 pts). 

 

[mabrowndog]

Colorado missed their first 14 FG, and didn't have a starter make one until the final seconds of the first half, trailing Arizona 19-5 midway through the period in Boulder. But they whittled the deficit down to just a half-dozen by the break, and Booker's layup just brought them to within 4.
 
EDIT - Well, so much for that. Since then, Wildcats are on a 29-10 run, up by 23 with 7:30 left. They've been impressive as hell.

 

[mabrowndog]

I really need to see a UNM game at The Pit before I die. The Lobos are destroying San Diego State right now, 47-26 with 12:50 left to play. No Aztec has scored more than 6 points tonight. New Mexico is on an 18-4 run this half, and the place is going absolutely berserk. It's on ESPN2.

 

[mabrowndog]

Memphis & Temple tied at 74 with 1.2 secs left. Following a jump ball possession arrow, the Tigers will inbound from the right sideline. It's on ESPNU.
 
EDIT-  They got a great look, with Austin Nichols the freshman launching a turnaround 17-foot jumper from just inside the arc, but it's off target. Heading to OT.
 
EDIT - The TIgers survive, 82-79. Nichols was a stud with 17 pts, 12 boards and 7 blocks. His game plays a lot bigger than his 6'8" white boy build would suggest.

 

[mabrowndog]

I really need to see a UNM game at The Pit before I die. The Lobos are destroying San Diego State right now, 47-26 with 12:50 left to play. No Aztec has scored more than 6 points tonight. New Mexico is on an 18-4 run this half, and the place is going absolutely berserk. It's on ESPN2.

 
It's a 58-44 final, with the Lobos holding SDSU to just 32.3% shooting (21-for-65) including Xavier Thames at a paltry 3-for-15 clip. 
 
Cameron Bairstow was an Aussie beast, with 11 boards & 26 pts on 11-of-18 shooting. 
 
Just nine free throws for both teams combined tonight.
 
New Mexico is finally fully healthy. They're deep and they play ridiculous defense, and could be a frightful draw for some unfortunate higher seed come March.

 

[mabrowndog]

Perspective, appreciation, and mad props to the Jayhawks.

@JayBilas
 
Only five teams in history have won ten straight league titles. UCLA, UConn, UNLV, Gonzaga, and now, Kansas. Amazing accomplishment.
 
@JayBilas
Three of KU's ten straight Big 12 titles were won without a single returning starter from the prior year. Wow.
 

 

 

[mabrowndog]

Big game in America East tonight with the top two teams, Vermont (20-8, 12-2 AE) & Stony Brook (19-9, 13-1), squaring off up in Burlington. It'll stream on ESPN3 at 7 pm with Ryen Rusillo on the call.
 
SBU won the first meeting (the Cats' only loss in 17 games since falling at Harvard 74-68 on Dec 21), but UVM is a game ahead in the standings. A Catamounts win clinches the regular season crown, while a Seawolves win gives them a season sweep and the tiebreaker with each team still having a game remaining this Sunday (UVM @ Binghamton, SBU vs Albany). Regular season winner gets home court for the championship game should they reach it (first two rounds are in Albany).

 

[RedOctober3829]

Wow Dog, I was about to write what you just did. Huge game tonight at Patrick Gym. It's Senior Night which makes it more emotional. They don't like us and we don't like them. Vermont is playing extremely well having beaten their opponents in the AE by an average of 22 ppg. We have struggled with inconsistency and injuries, but had the Cats down big at half down here.

Whoever gets the #1 seed might regret it, though. The tournament is on Albany's home floor again. Hartford and Albany are currently tied for 3rd, but Hartford finishes with home games with Binghamton and UMBC who are terrible. Albany finishes with UNH and Stony Brook. There's a good chance Albany loses to Stony Brook which would bump them to the #4 seed and bracketed with #1 seed. It's tough to play an opponent in a tournament on its home floor regardless of how good they might be.

 

[mabrowndog]

Wow Dog, I was about to write what you just did. Huge game tonight at Patrick Gym. It's Senior Night which makes it more emotional. 

 
Hat tip to SVP & Rusillo, who were talking it up on their show. I knew they were playing tonight, but didn't know it would be on ESPN3 or that Rusillo would be sitting in on the broadcast.
 
Voelkel didn't start, allowing one of the other six seniors (Josh Elbaum) to do so for the first time this season. Classy move.
 
A 14-0 run by the Catamounts and a 14-3 lead with 15:30 left in the half.
 
EDIT - It's 22-8 now, and the rout continues with 11:00 left.

 

[DukeSox]

Go Cats Go!

 

[mabrowndog]

Go Cats Go!

 
We see right through you and your selfish motives.

 

[mabrowndog]

Sweet reverse lay-in by Elbaum from the right sideline. The senior night start seems to have inspired him.
 
27-10, UVM

 

[DukeSox]

Big game in America East tonight with the top two teams, Vermont (20-8, 12-2 AE) & Stony Brook (19-9, 13-1), squaring off up in Burlington. It'll stream on ESPN3 at 7 pm with Ryen Rusillo on the call.
 
SBU won the first meeting (the Cats' only loss in 17 games since falling at Harvard 74-68 on Dec 21), but UVM is a game ahead in the standings. A Catamounts win clinches the regular season crown, while a Seawolves win gives them a season sweep and the tiebreaker with each team still having a game remaining this Sunday (UVM @ Binghamton, SBU vs Albany). Regular season winner gets home court for the championship game should they reach it (first two rounds are in Albany).

These AE records are reversed, VT is 13-1.

 

[DukeSox]

 
We see right through you and your selfish motives.

Are you referring to this?
 

 
SERIOUSLY THOUGH LOOK HOW DEEP THAT IS

 

[DukeSox]

Cooney couldn't hit that shot.

 

[mabrowndog]

It's a 16-point win for Vermont, but it wasn't nearly that close as SBU scored the last 8 points in garbage time over the final 2 minutes, including a 3 at the buzzer.
 
Meanwhile Arkansas is about to blow one at Kentucky, where they led by as many as a dozen in the first half and 9 in the 2nd. But the Wildcats are now up 3 with approaching 1:00 left, with the ball. I'd be fine with a UK win, since the SEC only deserves 2 teams in the NCAAs anyway.
 
EDIT - Heading to OT in Lexington. UK really screwed up their final possession, mismanaging the clock and allowing the Razorbacks a last-second heave.

 

[mabrowndog]

Penn State on the verge of a huge upset, up 64-63 on Ohio State with 15 seconds left. On ESPN2.
 
EDIT - OSU's jumper bounds off the rim and over the backboard. Lions ball, 10 secs left. 
 
EDIT - PSU gets fouled, but they only hit 1 of 2 at the line. Buckeyes have another chance.
 
EDIT - Smith gets a clean look, but rims it. Penn State sweeps the Buckeyes. Court swarm in progress.

 

[Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat]

OSU should have taken the ball to the hole in transition at the end instead of going for the 3

 

[mabrowndog]

OSU should have taken the ball to the hole in transition at the end instead of going for the 3

 
Completely agree. 

 

[mabrowndog]

Arkansas pulls it out with an impressive OT period at Rupp, 71-67. 
 
In those final 5 minutes: 7 boards (3 offensive), 3 steals, a blocked shot, and they made all 4 FTs down the stretch. After struggling the first 40 minutes, Coty Clarke was a beast.
 
That's a huge leg up on TN, MO, MS, GA & LSU for an NCAA bid.

 

[mabrowndog]

Another upset brewing as Duquesne leads St. Louis 59-52 with 3:49 to play.
 
Yes, you read that right. Duquesne. It's on NBCSN.
 
EDIT - A 5-pt game now with 1:00 left. SLU is 3 for 17 on threes on their home floor. 20-game winning streak in serious jeopardy.
 
EDIT - Ugly sequence as SLU gives up a breakaway layup. 6-pt game with :43 left.
 
EDIT - A pair of Dukes FTs make it 8 points, and a Jett layup at the other end gets it back to 6, but with only 34 seconds to go. 

 

[Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat]

The Billikens are fucked

 

[mabrowndog]

The Billikens are fucked

 
What a stupid strategy they used there. Down two possessions, you need to get the ball back ASAP, so you go into a trap instead of fouling? Sure enough, they beat it with ease and get the clinching slam.

 

[Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat]

Yup.  Crews is usually pretty good, but that wasn't his finest hour.

 

[mabrowndog]

Committee: "So, St. Louis, only three losses. Congrats! Very Impressive! Who'd you lose to?"
 
St. Louis: "Wisconsin."
 
Committee: "Whoa, no shame in that. Highest RPI in the Big Ten. Who else?"
 
St. Louis: "Wichita State."
 
Committee: "Seriously? As in the undefeated Shockers? I mean, that shouldn't even count as a loss. Who else?"
 
St. Louis: "Duquesne."
 
Committee: "Uhhh... Who??"
 
St. Louis: "Doo-Kane. At home."
 
Committee: <awkward pause>
 
Committee: "Oh."

 

[mabrowndog]

Three upsets tonight. Can we make it four?
 
Houston leads Memphis 36-33 at the half. It's on CBSSN.

 

[Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat]

Or 5?  Indiana leads Iowa by 2

 

[mabrowndog]

I'm floored by all the empty seats at Houston. I mean, holy shit. You're the 4th-largest city in America, you have an incredible college basketball legacy at that school, and you've got the #21 team in the nation in your building. Instead, just vast expanses of empty red fabric as far as the eye can see. Way to support the team, morons.
 
Anyway, Cougars lead by 2 with under 3:00 left.

 

[mabrowndog]

Or 5?  Indiana leads Iowa by 2

 
Hoosiers getting some separation, up 6 with 5 & change left.

 

[mabrowndog]

Houston's going to pull it off, up 7 with 15.5 secs left. Nichols & Goodwin have fouled out. Ball game.
 
As for Memphis, they're screwed now as they finish up the regular season with Louisville, @ Cinci and SMU.