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Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2017 11:40 pm
by Shirley
How many of y’all watched that Wisconsin- Virginia masterpiece?

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2017 2:19 pm
by DSafetyGuy
wlu_lax6 wrote:Terps v. Cuse has been a fun game to start ACC -B1G challenge


Very happy to see Syracuse play a pretty poised game against a strong opponent. Really young team, but much better on defense and at rebounding on both ends than last season.

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2017 3:35 pm
by wlu_lax6
DSafetyGuy wrote:
wlu_lax6 wrote:Terps v. Cuse has been a fun game to start ACC -B1G challenge


Very happy to see Syracuse play a pretty poised game against a strong opponent. Really young team, but much better on defense and at rebounding on both ends than last season.


Cuse's 3-2 zone caused the terps problems. They knew to get the ball to the top of the key but were not quick enough on decision making to move the ball from their or go to the hoop. In transition the Terps killed the cuse, but settled ball went the other way.

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2017 3:46 pm
by tennbengal
Shirley wrote:How many of y’all watched that Wisconsin- Virginia masterpiece?


Holy hell. Just looked up the final. That's, um, very on brand for both schools.

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2017 1:46 pm
by Shirley
tennbengal wrote:
Shirley wrote:How many of y’all watched that Wisconsin- Virginia masterpiece?


Holy hell. Just looked up the final. That's, um, very on brand for both schools.


Indeed. Actually not as ugly as the 48-38 game between the same two programs a couple years ago.

And how about that ACC - Big Ten Challenge? It's like the old days - 11-2 ACC so far. One game left between Michigan State and Notre Dame.

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2017 1:48 pm
by brian
Big Ten is definitely in a down phase right now except for Michigan State.

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2017 1:57 pm
by Shirley
The thing is, I don't think the ACC is that great this year either. At least, probably not as good as the last 2-3 years. Duke excepted, maybe.

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2017 1:58 pm
by tennbengal
Maryland is 'aight. Indiana gave Duke a run. Michigan is usually someone no one wants to see in March. Big 10 should be fine, but it's definitely not looking like a powerhouse conference this year.

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2017 10:49 pm
by DSafetyGuy
Great humanitarian Mick Cronin was at it again today. Via CBS Sports:

The noxious nature of Xavier's rivalry with intra-city foe Cincinnati found a dense, myth-making new chapter Saturday when Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin made a move toward Xavier senior J.P. Macura after their game ended. Xavier landed an 89-76 victory on its home floor.

Cronin had to be restrained and was quickly ushered off the court and back to the locker room by two men, one of them being Lamar Simpson, one of three referees who officiated the game.

-- snip --

"I've never had a kid tell me to 'F off' three times before," Cronin said in his postgame presser. "During the game and after the game. You know who it was. Same guy it always is every game."

-- snip --

(Xavier coach Chris) Mack strode into the press room and, despite declaring that Cronin v. Macura "is not going to be the narrative" of the game, nonetheless said this: "There are two sides to the story. There was a reason their coach was issued a technical in the game. There's a reason for that. I know that reason because the official told me what happened. So I'm not going to have a narrative be anything be other than us playing better than Cincinnati and beating Cincinnati today."

A source told CBS Sports that Cronin was "profane" with Macura throughout the game. Cronin opted to not interact with Macura in the handshake line, and when that happened Macura chirped at Cronin -- who heel-turned and made his way toward the oft-bold senior, shouting at him as he approached.

In defending Macura's actions against Cronin, Mack made sure to reference an in-game encounter he had with former Cincinnati player Lance Stephenson, who was coached by Cronin.

"As far as 'He wouldn't ever play on my team,' I'm going to go back to 2009 and 2010 when I was the head coach and Lance Stephenson in front of me, right in front of me, called me the N-word three times and said 'F you,' " Mack said. "After the game, guess what I did? I shook his hand. I shook his hand.

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2017 11:54 am
by Shirley
Going to the Carolina - Tulane game today. Who knew that Mike Dunleavy was the coach of Tulane now? It's kind of weird for an old NBA guy to move to college like that, isn't it? Larry Brown is the other example I can think of, but he had coached college before.

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2017 3:53 pm
by A_B
Lavar pulls liangelo out of UCLA.

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2017 3:57 pm
by tennbengal
A_B wrote:Lavar pulls liangelo out of UCLA.


Is that the current Ball or the Ball still in high school?

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2017 3:58 pm
by Rex
That'll teach them.

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2017 4:19 pm
by wlu_lax6
So he will likely lose a year of eligibility and get stuck not playing next year due to transfer rules (well maybe he would be eligible in January which is why you pull him now) . The NCAA won't give him a redshirt for this reason. Or they will get UCLA to fire Alford....

oh and if decides to go overseas....guessing Europe not China

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2017 10:51 pm
by sancarlos
A couple funny comments in the Deadspin piece:

Headline: Lavar Takes Ball, Goes Home

And: Final stats. Zero games. One steal.

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2017 3:41 pm
by sancarlos
Shirley wrote:I think Lavar pulled him because the new coach wasn't terribly interested in being the de facto assistant coach to the star player's asshole father. So, he pushed back a bit and Lavar threw a tantrum, like he always does.

Next is going to be Lavar pulling LiAngelo from UCLA because he's not going to play that much.

Then, LaMelo will probably have little choice but to try to play pro in Europe or somewhere for a year after graduation, because no college coach is going to want to put up with that bullshit for one year of a 150-pound ball hog point guard with a messiah complex.

Dave, you called it. Two younger Ball kids going to Europe or Asia.

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2017 3:57 pm
by brian
Just saw Houston’s basketball team walking through Saint Louis airport. Presumably they have a game against SLU tomorrow.

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2017 6:50 pm
by Shirley
sancarlos wrote:
Shirley wrote:I think Lavar pulled him because the new coach wasn't terribly interested in being the de facto assistant coach to the star player's asshole father. So, he pushed back a bit and Lavar threw a tantrum, like he always does.

Next is going to be Lavar pulling LiAngelo from UCLA because he's not going to play that much.

Then, LaMelo will probably have little choice but to try to play pro in Europe or somewhere for a year after graduation, because no college coach is going to want to put up with that bullshit for one year of a 150-pound ball hog point guard with a messiah complex.

Dave, you called it. Two younger Ball kids going to Europe or Asia.


I guess I did. But that future was easily read, written out in two-story tall letters.

Next will be LaVar throwing a tantrum and pulling them from their pro team (or never getting on one) because he can't find a team willing to start his two boys.

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2017 9:24 am
by wlu_lax6
Shirley wrote:
sancarlos wrote:
Shirley wrote:I think Lavar pulled him because the new coach wasn't terribly interested in being the de facto assistant coach to the star player's asshole father. So, he pushed back a bit and Lavar threw a tantrum, like he always does.

Next is going to be Lavar pulling LiAngelo from UCLA because he's not going to play that much.

Then, LaMelo will probably have little choice but to try to play pro in Europe or somewhere for a year after graduation, because no college coach is going to want to put up with that bullshit for one year of a 150-pound ball hog point guard with a messiah complex.

Dave, you called it. Two younger Ball kids going to Europe or Asia.


I guess I did. But that future was easily read, written out in two-story tall letters.

Next will be LaVar throwing a tantrum and pulling them from their pro team (or never getting on one) because he can't find a team willing to start his two boys.


Those Euro contracts are weird. You see lots of U.S. players who go over there, play a handful of games and then are gone. I think it is a combination of the rules on limits to foreign players, U.S. players just not wanting it enough, not being pampered as much as in other leagues, and you hear stories of crazy owners not paying guys.

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2017 12:49 pm
by Shirley
Foreign teams tend not to like 1) young players and 2) cocky American players. Not likely to go well for the Ball boys. LiAngelo wouldn't have played much for UCLA. Hard to see any top pro teams drooling to sign him, knowing that if he doesn't play a lot, his dad will cause problems. The other kid is 16 and has played only one year of (poorly structured) high school basketball. If they had actual humility and a desire to work hard to improve, it could be a reasonable alternative to college ball, but I just don't see that happening here.

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2017 7:27 pm
by sancarlos
wlu_lax6 wrote:Those Euro contracts are weird. You see lots of U.S. players who go over there, play a handful of games and then are gone. I think it is a combination of the rules on limits to foreign players, U.S. players just not wanting it enough, not being pampered as much as in other leagues, and you hear stories of crazy owners not paying guys.

Shirley wrote:Foreign teams tend not to like 1) young players and 2) cocky American players. Not likely to go well for the Ball boys. LiAngelo wouldn't have played much for UCLA. Hard to see any top pro teams drooling to sign him, knowing that if he doesn't play a lot, his dad will cause problems. The other kid is 16 and has played only one year of (poorly structured) high school basketball. If they had actual humility and a desire to work hard to improve, it could be a reasonable alternative to college ball, but I just don't see that happening here.

Highly unlikely to work out too well for the Balls, but, sometimes it works out for an American in Europe.
wiki wrote:Casey Jacobsen is an American retired professional basketball player. He had an extensive European basketball career, mostly playing for Brose Baskets. There he won the German League Championship in 2007 and 2010 by receiving the German League Finals MVP Award and further Championships in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Also he the German Cup with Bamberg in the years 2010, 2011 and 2012. Following his retirement in 2014, Brose Baskets retired his jersey number 23.

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2017 9:15 am
by DSafetyGuy
sancarlos wrote:
wlu_lax6 wrote:Those Euro contracts are weird. You see lots of U.S. players who go over there, play a handful of games and then are gone. I think it is a combination of the rules on limits to foreign players, U.S. players just not wanting it enough, not being pampered as much as in other leagues, and you hear stories of crazy owners not paying guys.

Shirley wrote:Foreign teams tend not to like 1) young players and 2) cocky American players. Not likely to go well for the Ball boys. LiAngelo wouldn't have played much for UCLA. Hard to see any top pro teams drooling to sign him, knowing that if he doesn't play a lot, his dad will cause problems. The other kid is 16 and has played only one year of (poorly structured) high school basketball. If they had actual humility and a desire to work hard to improve, it could be a reasonable alternative to college ball, but I just don't see that happening here.

Highly unlikely to work out too well for the Balls, but, sometimes it works out for an American in Europe.
wiki wrote:Casey Jacobsen is an American retired professional basketball player. He had an extensive European basketball career, mostly playing for Brose Baskets. There he won the German League Championship in 2007 and 2010 by receiving the German League Finals MVP Award and further Championships in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Also he the German Cup with Bamberg in the years 2010, 2011 and 2012. Following his retirement in 2014, Brose Baskets retired his jersey number 23.


Many times, it does work out for Americans in Europe. The overwhelming majority of those times, it is a player who spent at least three years in college, not three weeks... or less.

ETA: And Casey Jacobsen was a top-20 recruit in high school, played four years at Stanford (including being a second-team and first team All-American), and was a first-round pick who spent four years in the NBA before accomplishing all of that, save the 2007 season.

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2017 10:15 am
by mister d
Sometimes you were a nice basketball player in college and graduate the year before me and carve out an approaching 20 year pro career overseas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%27zell_Wesson

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2017 12:01 pm
by sancarlos
mister d wrote:Sometimes you were a nice basketball player in college and graduate the year before me and carve out an approaching 20 year pro career overseas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%27zell_Wesson

He was a big-time traveller even before he went overseas, playing college ball at South Carolina State, College of Eastern Utah, and Lasalle.

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2017 10:39 am
by Shirley
There are hundreds of Americans who have nice careers playing overseas. Maybe thousands. But it's not easy and it takes patience and maturity. Not the Balls' strong suit. (Actually, I don't know about the kids. It's LaVar that's the problem.)

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2017 9:02 pm
by wlu_lax6
Ball Brothers sign with Prienu Vytautas.

Lithuanian Basketball ...THIS IS GOING TO BE FANTASTIC

[quote=ESPN"]Vytautas plays in the Lithuanian (LKL) league, but it is unlikely the Ball brothers would see significant playing time in that league. Vytautas also plays in the lesser competitive Baltic League, where the teenagers could see more playing time. The team has discussed a role of 20 to 25 minutes a game apiece in the Baltic League, a source told ESPN.

Prienu Vytautas, or BC Prienai as it's often called, is a low-level club from a small, non-English speaking village of roughly 10,000 people in southern Lithuania. The team has been grappling with financial issues and started the season losing eight of its first 12 games in the Lithuanian league.

The team is 4-1 in the Baltic League, its lone loss coming on a forfeiture. The game was abandoned with three minutes to go tied at 65 after the coach was ejected due to some questionable calls.

Vytautas has sparingly signed American players in the past decade, the only one being former Vanderbilt guard Brad Tinsley. He left the team after a month.

The club plays in a 1,700-seat arena; 500 of those seats are reserved for team sponsors and their friends. Tickets cost around 5 euros.

The team has no general manager and doesn't practice regularly due to the poor financial situation.

Currently, the team's best player is likely the coach's son, Edvinas Seskus, who was considered a huge prospect as a teenager but didn't develop as expected, partially due to injuries.

The coach's other son, Domantas, also played for the team for four years, but he left this season to sign in the French fourth division.[/quote]

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2017 12:38 am
by brian
I think LaVar Ball is playing 3D chess and everyone else is playing checkers.

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2017 1:19 am
by sancarlos
brian wrote:I think LaVar Ball is playing 3D chess and everyone else is playing checkers.

Not sure about that, but I do see his sons as pawns in his games.

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2017 2:32 am
by brian
I think there’s a non-zero chance LaVar Ball is president by 2024.

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2017 11:19 am
by sancarlos
brian wrote:I think there’s a non-zero chance LaVar Ball is president by 2024.

Hmm... I would have laughed at you for saying that about Trump in 2008, so...

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2017 5:19 pm
by brian
If the Balls haven't lined up some kind of reality TV show to go along with this trainwreck, I'm going to be disappointed. 2018 might finally be better than 2016 and 2017.

https://twitter.com/franfraschilla/stat ... 0001828865

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2017 11:14 pm
by brian
LOL. FU UNC.

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2017 4:26 pm
by Rex
The TV folks really need to work on not having Trae Young and Marvin Bagley on at the same time.

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2017 5:02 pm
by mister d
Figured this new post would be about La Salle opening up A-10 play by stomping St. Louis without our best player.

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2018 1:51 pm
by wlu_lax6
Terps getting hit by the injury bug. Justin Jackson torn labrum and out for the year announced a few days ago and today they learned Ivan Bender tore his meniscus (against UMBC). Bender had started about half the games.

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2018 6:14 pm
by Shirley
I thoroughly enjoyed UVA's domination of UNC today. The lead never got up to 15 or 20, but UVA was in control from start to finish. The Heels being held to under 50 really has the locals in a tizzy.

I was pretty confident UVA was going to be better this year than last and was surprised that the national media didn't see it. I guess folks are figuring it out now.

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2018 6:23 pm
by A_B
I watched a good portion of that game. Uva was solid for sure.

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2018 6:26 pm
by Shirley
A_B wrote:I watched a good portion of that game. Uva was solid for sure.


If they had just kept Carolina off the offensive glass better - something UVA is normally quite good at - it could have gotten ugly.

I know this is not a classic UNC team, but as someone who grew up when the ACC was constantly in Dean Smith's shadow, it's always great to beat the Heels.

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2018 9:44 pm
by Nonlinear FC
I thought I saw something in here about the MI-MSU game, but I guess I was wrong.

Only thing I wanted to say is MI is sneaky good this year. Very much under the radar. MSU will still be an elite 8 lock. MI will do what they did last year, which is shock teams in March.

Re: NCAA Basketball 2017/18

Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2018 9:04 pm
by Shirley
Clemson took a 23-16 lead on UVA tonight with 6:30 to go in the first half. The final score was UVA over Clemson 61-36.

UVA has a glorious D.