Back from Colorado.
The weekend was not too terribly eventful. UNF won at Stetson, and Mercer took Belmont to overtime before falling. The three strata in the conference are pretty well defined now. Jacksonville, Belmont, and ETSU are all 3 games clear of 4th place and within one game of each other. One game separates the other four tournament-eligible teams. Gulf Coast is the class of the transition schools, with the other three pretty even.
Player of the Week is a five-way race this week, with Ben Smith, Mike Smith, Alex Renfroe, Lehman Colbert, and Kevin Tiggs all having solid weekends. Take your pick; I would have no quibble with any of them.
The current week is one of the longest of the season, running Wednesday through Monday. The biggest game of the weekend is tonight -- ETSU @ Jacksonville for first place.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Back In Town
We're home from Colorado. The girls are on their way back from Nashville.
Northern Kentucky and southern Illinois got hammered by the snow and ice. The guy on the radio this morning said there was no food, fuel, or power from around Carbondale, Illinois to Cadiz, Kentucky.
Thoughts and prayers to all those affected.
When we got home, the trees were straining a bit under the weight of the ice. We lost a couple of branches off the big pine tree, and a few smaller branches were on the roof, but no major damage.
Northern Kentucky and southern Illinois got hammered by the snow and ice. The guy on the radio this morning said there was no food, fuel, or power from around Carbondale, Illinois to Cadiz, Kentucky.
Thoughts and prayers to all those affected.
When we got home, the trees were straining a bit under the weight of the ice. We lost a couple of branches off the big pine tree, and a few smaller branches were on the roof, but no major damage.
Monday, January 26, 2009
What I'm Up To
Quick check-in from the road.
I'm in Loveland, Colorado right now, just trying to breathe. When it's this high up and this cold and you've got a wire in your chest, oxygen is something you learn not to take for granted.
I'm here for my grandmother's funeral. She passed away last Thursday in Oklahoma and will be buried next to Grandpa on Tuesday.
Yes, I will have a part in the funeral. What that entails remains to be seen.
I'll be back here when I get home.
I'm in Loveland, Colorado right now, just trying to breathe. When it's this high up and this cold and you've got a wire in your chest, oxygen is something you learn not to take for granted.
I'm here for my grandmother's funeral. She passed away last Thursday in Oklahoma and will be buried next to Grandpa on Tuesday.
Yes, I will have a part in the funeral. What that entails remains to be seen.
I'll be back here when I get home.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
"Nashville" is A-Sun-ese for "Uh Oh."
Rough weekend for the Nashvile schools. Lipscomb drops to 2-6, losing at ETSU and at Upstate (???). Belmont squeezes by the Spartans, but gets run out of Johnson City.
Best Game of the Weekend -- Tough to choose. Six of the eleven games were decided by less than 5 points. 2 went to overtime:
ETSU 85, Lipscomb 82 (OT). Lipscomb jumped out to a 13-2 lead at lead by as much as 17 early in the second half. ETSU came back after the first TV timeout of the second half, going on a 15-2 run to cut the lead to 2. From then on, it was a seesaw. Courtney Pigram scored with one second left to force overtime, and Michael Lusk missed a potential tying 3-ball at the buzzer in OT to give ETSU the win.
Mercer 101, Stetson 98 (OT). Mercer had a working margin most of the first half, the lead fluctuating between 6 and 12. They couldn't quite put Stetson away in the second half, however, and Stetson pulled yet another rabbit out of a second-half hat, hitting 8 of 13 shots and 7 of 8 free throws in the last 6 minutes to erase a 12-point lead. They even had a shot to win after a James Florence turnover with 4 seconds left, but couldn't get the shot away. OT was more of the same, only this time with Mercer hitting everything in sight. The Bears hit all 3 FG attempts in OT plus 9 of their last 10 FTs to win by 3.
Player of the Weekend -- Calvin Henry, Mercer. 36 PEG (17 points, 12 boards, 9 blocks) in the win over Gulf Coast. 25 PEG (16 & 12 with 3 blocks) in the OT win over Stetson.
Honorable Mention PEG Scores -- Adnan Hozdic, Lipscomb (30 against ETSU). James Florence, Mercer (28 against Stetson). Ben Smith, Jacksonville (26 against Campbell). Bobby Davis, Upstate (26 vs. Lipscomb). Marcus Allen, Jacksonville (25 against Campbell). Jonathan Rodriguez, Campbell (24 against Jacksonville, 21 vs. UNF). Daniel Emerson, Mercer (23 vs. FGCU). Adam Solazzo, ETSU (23 vs. Lipscomb). Eric Diaz, Stetson (23 vs. Mercer). Kevin Tiggs, ETSU (23 vs. Belmont). Garfield Blair, Stetson (22 against Mercer, 21 vs. Kennesaw). Sheldon Oliver, Stetson (20 vs. Kennesaw). Ayron Hardy, Jacksonville (20 against Campbell). Courtney Pigram, ETSU (20 vs. Lipscomb).
Game Snippets
Jacksonville over North Florida -- Round 1 of the River City Rumble goes to the Dolphins. Never in doubt. JU went up 9 early, led by 24 before halftime, and won by 40.
Mercer over Gulf Coast -- Welcome home, Bears. Brian Mills and E. J. Kuysner brought solid efforts. Mercer got up 10 early, pushed it to 18 by halftime, winning by 25.
Stetson over Kennesaw -- Better game than the final score looked. The Owls led most of the first half, and were even up 8 90 seconds into the second half. Whatever Derek Waugh said worked, however, as the Hatters went on a 22-2 run to take control.
Belmont over Upstate -- The Spartans led by 12 with 3 minutes to go in the first half. Belmont cut it to 2 near halftime, but Upstate was back up 5 with 6 minutes to go. But Belmont got hot -- 4 of 7 shooting and 9 of 12 FTs in the last 6 minutes to get the lead and win by 4. Possible explanation about why this game was close: Belmont only got 41 minutes out of their bench players. Henry Harris did not play all weekend. No word as to why.
Jacksonville over Campbell -- Big road win for the Dolphins. 3 players post 20+ PEGs. 3 keys for Jacksonville here -- rebounding, rebounding, and rebounding. The Dolphins had a 21-13 board edge on their own misses. Plus they shot well on the road, which helps.
Kennesaw over Gulf Coast -- Wouldn't you know it. As soon as I start singing the Eagles' praises, they drop two straight. This one is particularly painful, as they led 16-3 at one point. Credit KSU for hanging tough, chipping away at the lead until finally pulling ahead. More credit for only committing 8 turnovers.
Upstate over Lipscomb -- Ouch. After playing so well at ETSU, to come out and lay an absolute egg at Upstate has to sting. Lipscomb came out flat, down as much as 10 in the first half, and this without Bobby Davis on the floor for the Spartans. The Bisons rallied, leading by 5 with 4 1/2 minutes left, but Upstate clamped down on defense, denying the Bisons a field goal the rest of the way. 4 Lipscomb turnovers later, Upstate is up 1 and a weird timeout/inadvertent whistle call sets the stage for one last defensive stand.
ETSU over Belmont -- Speaking of eggs. Belmont got par-boiled at ETSU Monday night. Nothign went right for the Bruins, shooting 28% from the field and only 20% (!!!) from 3-point range. ETSU didn't exactly set the world on fire offensively (sub 30% 3-point shooting, under 70% from the line, 15 turnovers), but the way things were going for the Bruins they didn't have to. A 16-2 first half run put them up 17. Once they hit the canvas, the Bruins simply never got up.
Campbell over North Florida -- Welcome back to the blog, Junard Hartley. UNF kept it close, leading in the second half and pulling within 2 in the last 3 minutes. But then, J-Rod goes J-Rod (offensive board, lay-up, block) ad Hartley sticks the dagger in with a 3-ball in he final minute to put the Camels up 7. Campbell did a good job taking care of the ball, committing a conference-weekend-low 6 turnovers.
ETSU and Jacksonville are tied at 7-1. Belmont is third at 6-2. Stetson, Mercer, and Campbell are all flirting with .500. Lipscomb is cruising toward a 7-seed in March, sitting 2-6 in a pack with the 4 transition schools.
See you next week.
Best Game of the Weekend -- Tough to choose. Six of the eleven games were decided by less than 5 points. 2 went to overtime:
ETSU 85, Lipscomb 82 (OT). Lipscomb jumped out to a 13-2 lead at lead by as much as 17 early in the second half. ETSU came back after the first TV timeout of the second half, going on a 15-2 run to cut the lead to 2. From then on, it was a seesaw. Courtney Pigram scored with one second left to force overtime, and Michael Lusk missed a potential tying 3-ball at the buzzer in OT to give ETSU the win.
Mercer 101, Stetson 98 (OT). Mercer had a working margin most of the first half, the lead fluctuating between 6 and 12. They couldn't quite put Stetson away in the second half, however, and Stetson pulled yet another rabbit out of a second-half hat, hitting 8 of 13 shots and 7 of 8 free throws in the last 6 minutes to erase a 12-point lead. They even had a shot to win after a James Florence turnover with 4 seconds left, but couldn't get the shot away. OT was more of the same, only this time with Mercer hitting everything in sight. The Bears hit all 3 FG attempts in OT plus 9 of their last 10 FTs to win by 3.
Player of the Weekend -- Calvin Henry, Mercer. 36 PEG (17 points, 12 boards, 9 blocks) in the win over Gulf Coast. 25 PEG (16 & 12 with 3 blocks) in the OT win over Stetson.
Honorable Mention PEG Scores -- Adnan Hozdic, Lipscomb (30 against ETSU). James Florence, Mercer (28 against Stetson). Ben Smith, Jacksonville (26 against Campbell). Bobby Davis, Upstate (26 vs. Lipscomb). Marcus Allen, Jacksonville (25 against Campbell). Jonathan Rodriguez, Campbell (24 against Jacksonville, 21 vs. UNF). Daniel Emerson, Mercer (23 vs. FGCU). Adam Solazzo, ETSU (23 vs. Lipscomb). Eric Diaz, Stetson (23 vs. Mercer). Kevin Tiggs, ETSU (23 vs. Belmont). Garfield Blair, Stetson (22 against Mercer, 21 vs. Kennesaw). Sheldon Oliver, Stetson (20 vs. Kennesaw). Ayron Hardy, Jacksonville (20 against Campbell). Courtney Pigram, ETSU (20 vs. Lipscomb).
Game Snippets
Jacksonville over North Florida -- Round 1 of the River City Rumble goes to the Dolphins. Never in doubt. JU went up 9 early, led by 24 before halftime, and won by 40.
Mercer over Gulf Coast -- Welcome home, Bears. Brian Mills and E. J. Kuysner brought solid efforts. Mercer got up 10 early, pushed it to 18 by halftime, winning by 25.
Stetson over Kennesaw -- Better game than the final score looked. The Owls led most of the first half, and were even up 8 90 seconds into the second half. Whatever Derek Waugh said worked, however, as the Hatters went on a 22-2 run to take control.
Belmont over Upstate -- The Spartans led by 12 with 3 minutes to go in the first half. Belmont cut it to 2 near halftime, but Upstate was back up 5 with 6 minutes to go. But Belmont got hot -- 4 of 7 shooting and 9 of 12 FTs in the last 6 minutes to get the lead and win by 4. Possible explanation about why this game was close: Belmont only got 41 minutes out of their bench players. Henry Harris did not play all weekend. No word as to why.
Jacksonville over Campbell -- Big road win for the Dolphins. 3 players post 20+ PEGs. 3 keys for Jacksonville here -- rebounding, rebounding, and rebounding. The Dolphins had a 21-13 board edge on their own misses. Plus they shot well on the road, which helps.
Kennesaw over Gulf Coast -- Wouldn't you know it. As soon as I start singing the Eagles' praises, they drop two straight. This one is particularly painful, as they led 16-3 at one point. Credit KSU for hanging tough, chipping away at the lead until finally pulling ahead. More credit for only committing 8 turnovers.
Upstate over Lipscomb -- Ouch. After playing so well at ETSU, to come out and lay an absolute egg at Upstate has to sting. Lipscomb came out flat, down as much as 10 in the first half, and this without Bobby Davis on the floor for the Spartans. The Bisons rallied, leading by 5 with 4 1/2 minutes left, but Upstate clamped down on defense, denying the Bisons a field goal the rest of the way. 4 Lipscomb turnovers later, Upstate is up 1 and a weird timeout/inadvertent whistle call sets the stage for one last defensive stand.
ETSU over Belmont -- Speaking of eggs. Belmont got par-boiled at ETSU Monday night. Nothign went right for the Bruins, shooting 28% from the field and only 20% (!!!) from 3-point range. ETSU didn't exactly set the world on fire offensively (sub 30% 3-point shooting, under 70% from the line, 15 turnovers), but the way things were going for the Bruins they didn't have to. A 16-2 first half run put them up 17. Once they hit the canvas, the Bruins simply never got up.
Campbell over North Florida -- Welcome back to the blog, Junard Hartley. UNF kept it close, leading in the second half and pulling within 2 in the last 3 minutes. But then, J-Rod goes J-Rod (offensive board, lay-up, block) ad Hartley sticks the dagger in with a 3-ball in he final minute to put the Camels up 7. Campbell did a good job taking care of the ball, committing a conference-weekend-low 6 turnovers.
ETSU and Jacksonville are tied at 7-1. Belmont is third at 6-2. Stetson, Mercer, and Campbell are all flirting with .500. Lipscomb is cruising toward a 7-seed in March, sitting 2-6 in a pack with the 4 transition schools.
See you next week.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
This Weekend in the A-Sun
Strep throat. Thanks for asking.
12 games to look at, so here we go:
Best Game of the weekend -- Campbell 69, Lipscomb 68. Back and forth all night, capped by a Junard Hartley buzzer-beater 3 -- his only points of the night -- for the win. Lipscomb did what they had to do defensively, limiting Jonathan Rodriguez to 4 points and 1 rebound for a season-low PEG of 6 and shutting out Kyle Vejraska completely, but the supporting cast stepped up big-time for an impressive road win.
Runner-up for Best Game -- FGCU 64, ETSU 61. The Bucs had a single-digit lead most of the way, but could never get separation. The Eagles bided their time, then struck late. Down 4 with 90 seconds left, Gulf Coast hit 2 FTs to cut the deficit in half. Then Reggie Chambers makes a huge steal, picking Courtney Pigram's pocket and going coast-to-coast, hitting the lay-up and drawing the foul. The free throw put Gulf Coast up 1 for the first time since the 17 minute park of the first half. ETSu held for the last shot, but Isiah Brown's jumper drew back iron and Gulf Coast got the board, icing the win with 2 more FTs. Big-time but overlooked stat: Gulf Coast had 16 steals on the night.
Player of the Weekend -- Garfield Blair (STET). His team went 1-2, but his play in the second half against Upstate may have saved the season. Blair posted PEGs of 26 and 22 in the losses and 23 in the win.
Best Players of the Weekend -- Calvin Henry (MER) 35 PEG on 11-12 FTs and 11 rebounds against UNF. Ayron Hardy (JAX) 26 PEG in beating Mercer. Alex Renfroe (BEL) 25 PEG against Campbell. Andy Wicke (BEL) 25 PEG against Lipscomb. Ben Smith (JAX) 24 PEG vs. Mercer. Kevin Tiggs (ETSU) 23 vs. Stetson; this is a recording. James Florence (MER) 22 PEG against UNF. Jon-Michale Nickerson (KENN) 22 PEG in the loss to Jacksonville.
Weird weekend for some big-name guys. Courtney Pigram had a PEG shutout against Stetson, and J-Rod was held to 4 at Lipscomb. Yet both teams won, and on the road at that.
Look out world, here come the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles. 4-3 in conference with weekend wins over Upstate, Stetson (!) and ETSU (!!!). Watch out especially if you're up early; that's right where they want you.
Game Snippets:
Gulf Coast over Statson. A 21-4 first half run by the Eagles erased an early deficit, and a 21-6 spurt in the second half put it out of reach. Stetson was game late, valiently closing a 22-point gap, but ran out of time, losing by 9.
UNF over Kennesaw. The Owls shoot 3-for-27 in the first 17 minutes of the second half, and the Ospreys win going away.
Jacksonville over Mercer. The Dolphins are starting to shoot the ball a little bit. 3 straight games with better than 50% FG shooting. Memo to Mercer: If last year wasn't proof enough that depth matters, this game should clinch it. The Big 3 were OK, but the rest of the team was never in the game. Jacksonville also rebounded almost half of their missed shots. To win on the road, you need depth, rebounding, defense, and good FT shooting. Mercer went 1-for-4.
ETSU over Stetson. Solid road win for the Bucs, with good production from role players. Oh, and Kevin Tiggs.
Gulf Coast over Upstate. Down 6 early, the Eagles mount runs of 16-2 and 11-0, then cruise home.
Belmont over Campbell. I think we made it angry. After an even first ten minutes, Belmont went on an 11-0 run to build a working margin. Then, up 12 in the second half, the Bruins went off. Belmont hit five straight 3-pointers and forced 4 turnovers and 10 straight Campbell misses in a 25-1 run that put the issue to bed. As for Campbell? A Nashville split is OK, but one would like to have seen them put up more than token resistance against Belmont.
Mercer over UNF. Calvin Henry returns to form. James Florence makes a lot of shots, but he takes a lot of shots. This is a recording. UNF put up a valiant fight into the second half, but Mercer made their FTs all night (gasp!) to keep the Ospreys at bay.
Jacksonville over Kennesaw. Rebounding, rebounding rebounding. Jacksonville pulled down 22 offensive boards on the night, compared to only 16 defensive rebounds by the Owls. Jacksonville also only committed 7 turnovers. Kennesaw hung tough, taking good care of the ball (9 turnovers), but the Dolphins on the boards were too much. 11 Jacksonville players played at least 10 minutes, and all 11 had at least 2 rebounds.
Stetson over Upstate: Season-saver. Stetson was coming off 2 losses, 3-3 in conference, and down 10 at home to Upstate in the second half (after being up 13 early) before rallying to win by 6.
Belmont over Lipscomb (Battle of the Boulevard I): Every bit of a battle. Belmont led the whole way, but Lipscomb would not fold. the Bruins had a couple of chances to put the game away, but came up empty. Lipscomb would rally, and Belmont would get some more distance. Sort of like a heavyweight fight everybody knows is going to the judges as soon as the fighters step into the ring. By the way, kudos to Hope Hines and Channel 5 for their coverage.
12 games to look at, so here we go:
Best Game of the weekend -- Campbell 69, Lipscomb 68. Back and forth all night, capped by a Junard Hartley buzzer-beater 3 -- his only points of the night -- for the win. Lipscomb did what they had to do defensively, limiting Jonathan Rodriguez to 4 points and 1 rebound for a season-low PEG of 6 and shutting out Kyle Vejraska completely, but the supporting cast stepped up big-time for an impressive road win.
Runner-up for Best Game -- FGCU 64, ETSU 61. The Bucs had a single-digit lead most of the way, but could never get separation. The Eagles bided their time, then struck late. Down 4 with 90 seconds left, Gulf Coast hit 2 FTs to cut the deficit in half. Then Reggie Chambers makes a huge steal, picking Courtney Pigram's pocket and going coast-to-coast, hitting the lay-up and drawing the foul. The free throw put Gulf Coast up 1 for the first time since the 17 minute park of the first half. ETSu held for the last shot, but Isiah Brown's jumper drew back iron and Gulf Coast got the board, icing the win with 2 more FTs. Big-time but overlooked stat: Gulf Coast had 16 steals on the night.
Player of the Weekend -- Garfield Blair (STET). His team went 1-2, but his play in the second half against Upstate may have saved the season. Blair posted PEGs of 26 and 22 in the losses and 23 in the win.
Best Players of the Weekend -- Calvin Henry (MER) 35 PEG on 11-12 FTs and 11 rebounds against UNF. Ayron Hardy (JAX) 26 PEG in beating Mercer. Alex Renfroe (BEL) 25 PEG against Campbell. Andy Wicke (BEL) 25 PEG against Lipscomb. Ben Smith (JAX) 24 PEG vs. Mercer. Kevin Tiggs (ETSU) 23 vs. Stetson; this is a recording. James Florence (MER) 22 PEG against UNF. Jon-Michale Nickerson (KENN) 22 PEG in the loss to Jacksonville.
Weird weekend for some big-name guys. Courtney Pigram had a PEG shutout against Stetson, and J-Rod was held to 4 at Lipscomb. Yet both teams won, and on the road at that.
Look out world, here come the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles. 4-3 in conference with weekend wins over Upstate, Stetson (!) and ETSU (!!!). Watch out especially if you're up early; that's right where they want you.
Game Snippets:
Gulf Coast over Statson. A 21-4 first half run by the Eagles erased an early deficit, and a 21-6 spurt in the second half put it out of reach. Stetson was game late, valiently closing a 22-point gap, but ran out of time, losing by 9.
UNF over Kennesaw. The Owls shoot 3-for-27 in the first 17 minutes of the second half, and the Ospreys win going away.
Jacksonville over Mercer. The Dolphins are starting to shoot the ball a little bit. 3 straight games with better than 50% FG shooting. Memo to Mercer: If last year wasn't proof enough that depth matters, this game should clinch it. The Big 3 were OK, but the rest of the team was never in the game. Jacksonville also rebounded almost half of their missed shots. To win on the road, you need depth, rebounding, defense, and good FT shooting. Mercer went 1-for-4.
ETSU over Stetson. Solid road win for the Bucs, with good production from role players. Oh, and Kevin Tiggs.
Gulf Coast over Upstate. Down 6 early, the Eagles mount runs of 16-2 and 11-0, then cruise home.
Belmont over Campbell. I think we made it angry. After an even first ten minutes, Belmont went on an 11-0 run to build a working margin. Then, up 12 in the second half, the Bruins went off. Belmont hit five straight 3-pointers and forced 4 turnovers and 10 straight Campbell misses in a 25-1 run that put the issue to bed. As for Campbell? A Nashville split is OK, but one would like to have seen them put up more than token resistance against Belmont.
Mercer over UNF. Calvin Henry returns to form. James Florence makes a lot of shots, but he takes a lot of shots. This is a recording. UNF put up a valiant fight into the second half, but Mercer made their FTs all night (gasp!) to keep the Ospreys at bay.
Jacksonville over Kennesaw. Rebounding, rebounding rebounding. Jacksonville pulled down 22 offensive boards on the night, compared to only 16 defensive rebounds by the Owls. Jacksonville also only committed 7 turnovers. Kennesaw hung tough, taking good care of the ball (9 turnovers), but the Dolphins on the boards were too much. 11 Jacksonville players played at least 10 minutes, and all 11 had at least 2 rebounds.
Stetson over Upstate: Season-saver. Stetson was coming off 2 losses, 3-3 in conference, and down 10 at home to Upstate in the second half (after being up 13 early) before rallying to win by 6.
Belmont over Lipscomb (Battle of the Boulevard I): Every bit of a battle. Belmont led the whole way, but Lipscomb would not fold. the Bruins had a couple of chances to put the game away, but came up empty. Lipscomb would rally, and Belmont would get some more distance. Sort of like a heavyweight fight everybody knows is going to the judges as soon as the fighters step into the ring. By the way, kudos to Hope Hines and Channel 5 for their coverage.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
First Weekend Recap
Best Game of the Weekend: ETSU 84, Jacksonville 82. Courtney Pigram goes for 39, Mike Smith hits a floater in the last 5 seconds, and it still almost isn't enough, as Travis Cohn misses a 3-ball at the buzzer that would have won it for the Dolphins.
Worst Game of the Weekend: Gulf Coast at Beloved Alma Mater. Teams combined for 100 missed shots, 57 fouls, and 41 turnovers. Zooks.
Player of the Weekend: Pigram. A PEG of 39 against Jacksonville, followed by 21 (24 points on 9-14 shooting) against Gulf Coast.
Other Notable Performances: Bobby Davis (USCU). 24 points and 16 boards against UNF. Daniel Emerson's 20 (!) rebounds at Campbell. Jonathan Rodriguez goes double-double against Mercer. Adnan Hozdic (BAM) posts 26 and 9 against FGCU.
Welcome to the Blog: Matt Gwynne of Campbell put up 17 and 9 against Kennesaw while missing only 2 shots. Reggie Chambers (FGCU) -- 20 points off the bench at Belmont.
Other Fun Stats: Home teams were 8-2 on the weekend. Tournament-eligible teams are 11-1 against transition teams in conference so far.
Stating the Obvious: Road team radio crews REALLY like to gripe about refs. It may be part of the job description since most of the people listening are fans of the school you represent, and granted refs called an average of 4 more fouls on visitors than home teams (up from the nationwide median of 2.2), and granted home teams shot 9 more free throws per game that road teams this weekend, but still. Have some dignity. You're not there to yell at the refs, you're there to call the game.
Worst Game of the Weekend: Gulf Coast at Beloved Alma Mater. Teams combined for 100 missed shots, 57 fouls, and 41 turnovers. Zooks.
Player of the Weekend: Pigram. A PEG of 39 against Jacksonville, followed by 21 (24 points on 9-14 shooting) against Gulf Coast.
Other Notable Performances: Bobby Davis (USCU). 24 points and 16 boards against UNF. Daniel Emerson's 20 (!) rebounds at Campbell. Jonathan Rodriguez goes double-double against Mercer. Adnan Hozdic (BAM) posts 26 and 9 against FGCU.
Welcome to the Blog: Matt Gwynne of Campbell put up 17 and 9 against Kennesaw while missing only 2 shots. Reggie Chambers (FGCU) -- 20 points off the bench at Belmont.
Other Fun Stats: Home teams were 8-2 on the weekend. Tournament-eligible teams are 11-1 against transition teams in conference so far.
Stating the Obvious: Road team radio crews REALLY like to gripe about refs. It may be part of the job description since most of the people listening are fans of the school you represent, and granted refs called an average of 4 more fouls on visitors than home teams (up from the nationwide median of 2.2), and granted home teams shot 9 more free throws per game that road teams this weekend, but still. Have some dignity. You're not there to yell at the refs, you're there to call the game.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Where Things Stand, Part 2
Gulf Coast -- 3-point shooting and FT shooting are in the top 3 in the conference, but they average close to 20 turnovers per game, resulting in a 9th-best PEP of 0.90. This is, however, against a decent schedule. Gulf Coast has run with some pretty big dogs this year (Michigan, Florida, Kansas), so as they play with teams their own size the numbers should improve. Derrick O'Neil has been the star (14.6 PEG), and Delvin Franklin and Reed Baker providing solid support. Weird: FGCU's opponents have taken 100 more 3-pointers than they have in 13 games, and only make 29.6% of them.
Conference Record Projection: 10-10
Jacksonville -- Speaking of strength of schedule. Georgetown, Florida State, Baylor, Ohio State, and Georgia Tech. No Transylvania moments, but the Dolphins are better for having played the games. More to the point, they're better than they look. Which is a good thing, because the numbers look a bit bleak. Jacksonville's opponents have made 48.5% of their FGs and 41% of their 3's, both last in the conference. Thus far, Ben Smith has been the leader, with decent help from Marcus Allen. But for Jacksonville to be as good as we thought they would be in the preseason, some other guys need to step up. Travis Cohn, Ayron Hardy, Evan Jefferson, and Lehman Colbert all have better game than the numbers have shown so far. The Dolphins will need that game if they want to make noise in the conference.
Conference Record Projection: 11-9
Kennesaw State -- Probably the opposite scheduling philosophy from Jacksonville and Gulf Coast, which makes apples-to-apples comparisons difficult. Kennesaw is shooting the ball well and doing a passable job defensively. Jon-Michael Nickerson has been the Owls' best player so far, with solid support from Kelvin McConnell. The problem is the rest of the guys haven't really done much. This does not bode well for conference play. J. D. Pollock's knee injury is a major hit. Very few point guards in this league take care of the basketball as well as he does.
Conference Record Projection: 11-9
Lipscomb -- Who knows, really. They can lose at home to Tennessee Tech and on the road at Elon, but then win in Assembly Hall. Exactly the sort of up-and-down season you might expect from a team that starts 5 sophomores. The numbers look promising, but inconsistent. 2-point and FT shooting are the best in the conference, but 3-pointers are second-worst. Lipscomb may actually look better than they really are, as opponent FT% is only 56.5%. The conference as a whole shoots 68% from the foul line. If Lipscomb can keep making their free throws, limit the amount of shots they take from beyond the arc, and most importantly play consistent defense, they could be pretty good. This team reminds me a lot of Belmont last year in terms of balance; Adnan Hozdic and Brandon Brown are as close as they have to all-conference type players, but seven other guys are making significant contributions. That said, they're young. We'll see if they can keep it up.
Conference Record Projection: 14-6
Last four later . . .
Conference Record Projection: 10-10
Jacksonville -- Speaking of strength of schedule. Georgetown, Florida State, Baylor, Ohio State, and Georgia Tech. No Transylvania moments, but the Dolphins are better for having played the games. More to the point, they're better than they look. Which is a good thing, because the numbers look a bit bleak. Jacksonville's opponents have made 48.5% of their FGs and 41% of their 3's, both last in the conference. Thus far, Ben Smith has been the leader, with decent help from Marcus Allen. But for Jacksonville to be as good as we thought they would be in the preseason, some other guys need to step up. Travis Cohn, Ayron Hardy, Evan Jefferson, and Lehman Colbert all have better game than the numbers have shown so far. The Dolphins will need that game if they want to make noise in the conference.
Conference Record Projection: 11-9
Kennesaw State -- Probably the opposite scheduling philosophy from Jacksonville and Gulf Coast, which makes apples-to-apples comparisons difficult. Kennesaw is shooting the ball well and doing a passable job defensively. Jon-Michael Nickerson has been the Owls' best player so far, with solid support from Kelvin McConnell. The problem is the rest of the guys haven't really done much. This does not bode well for conference play. J. D. Pollock's knee injury is a major hit. Very few point guards in this league take care of the basketball as well as he does.
Conference Record Projection: 11-9
Lipscomb -- Who knows, really. They can lose at home to Tennessee Tech and on the road at Elon, but then win in Assembly Hall. Exactly the sort of up-and-down season you might expect from a team that starts 5 sophomores. The numbers look promising, but inconsistent. 2-point and FT shooting are the best in the conference, but 3-pointers are second-worst. Lipscomb may actually look better than they really are, as opponent FT% is only 56.5%. The conference as a whole shoots 68% from the foul line. If Lipscomb can keep making their free throws, limit the amount of shots they take from beyond the arc, and most importantly play consistent defense, they could be pretty good. This team reminds me a lot of Belmont last year in terms of balance; Adnan Hozdic and Brandon Brown are as close as they have to all-conference type players, but seven other guys are making significant contributions. That said, they're young. We'll see if they can keep it up.
Conference Record Projection: 14-6
Last four later . . .
Friday, January 2, 2009
Where Things Stand
Conference play begins in earnest tomorrow, so here's where things sit going in:
Belmont -- Still the best 3-point shooting team in the league. FT shooting is down. Backcourt numbers look good, but inside play needs work. Defense is a bit worrisome (1.14 PEP, 9th in the conference). Won at Austin Peay and at home against MTSU, lost a close one at Tennessee. Andy Wicke and Alex Renfroe have averaged double-digit PEGs.
Conference Record Projection: 12-8
Campbell -- Second-best shooting team in the conference. By far the fastest pace (76.3 P/40). Can they keep running that speed? We'll see. They must take better care of the basketball. Rebounding has been good. Campbell is still pretty much a one-man show, with Jonathan Rodriguez averaging a PEG north of 19 and nobody else within 10. Lorne Merthe has been OK, but the Camels simply need more production from Kyle Vejraska and Junard Hartley if they're going to be a factor.
Conference Record Projection: 10-10
ETSU -- Top shooting percentage in the conference. Extra good inside the arc. Scary-good defensively. Only conference team to hold it's pre-conference schedule under 40% from the floor. Opponents averaged four more turnovers than assists per game. Won five of six in December, including two conference wins and a win at Marshall. Courtney Pigram and Kevin Tiggs are in the conversation for league MVP, and Mike Smith is contributing nicely.
Conference Record Projection: 16-4
More to come . . .
Belmont -- Still the best 3-point shooting team in the league. FT shooting is down. Backcourt numbers look good, but inside play needs work. Defense is a bit worrisome (1.14 PEP, 9th in the conference). Won at Austin Peay and at home against MTSU, lost a close one at Tennessee. Andy Wicke and Alex Renfroe have averaged double-digit PEGs.
Conference Record Projection: 12-8
Campbell -- Second-best shooting team in the conference. By far the fastest pace (76.3 P/40). Can they keep running that speed? We'll see. They must take better care of the basketball. Rebounding has been good. Campbell is still pretty much a one-man show, with Jonathan Rodriguez averaging a PEG north of 19 and nobody else within 10. Lorne Merthe has been OK, but the Camels simply need more production from Kyle Vejraska and Junard Hartley if they're going to be a factor.
Conference Record Projection: 10-10
ETSU -- Top shooting percentage in the conference. Extra good inside the arc. Scary-good defensively. Only conference team to hold it's pre-conference schedule under 40% from the floor. Opponents averaged four more turnovers than assists per game. Won five of six in December, including two conference wins and a win at Marshall. Courtney Pigram and Kevin Tiggs are in the conversation for league MVP, and Mike Smith is contributing nicely.
Conference Record Projection: 16-4
More to come . . .
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