The Pinkie's Official “Sports” Page
Cal Ends Cards Season 77-62
By: Miller | March 19th, 2010 | Category: Cards
The Cards saw their season come to an end at the hands of a team with no inside game, but experienced guards who played like experienced guards. Cal rode a combination of good shooting and poor Louisville defense to advance to the second round of the Big Dance. Cal’s Jerome Randle and Theo Robertson each scored 21 points to led the Golden Bears to their win and chance at top seeded Duke on Sunday.
The lone, and I mean, lone bright spot for the Cards was the play of freshman Rakeem Buckles. The man we call ‘the Dream’ played a spectacular game and was the one Louisville player who without question left everything he had on the floor. Rakeem finished with 20 points, on 10-11 shooting, and 9 rebounds. He attacked the glass, rather than wait for the ball to bounce his way, which resulted in 4 offensive rebounds. Once this kid develops a mid-range game, he could really become a special player.
For me, the story of this night, once again highlighted an ongoing problem this Louisville team has had all year: senior guards playing like freshmen. Jerry Smith and Edgar Sosa too often make plays that cause a person to want to bang their head against a brick wall. Jerry has apparently not only lost his shooting stroke, but the ability to dribble as well. His attempted drive late in the game with the Cards down by ten was a prime example.
Jerry got around a defender on the perimeter, then bounced the ball off his leg, then swiped it out of bounds. While the sequence was atrocious, it could ultimately be forgiven if it were just an isolated incident. However, Jerry has been doing that all season and in crunch time, those types of things cannot occur.
Edgar Sosa had a good senior season. The stats bear it out and watching the games intently bear it out as well. Unfortunately, Edgar does not consistently make good decisions or free throws. A senior point guard who shoots only 66% from the foul line is absolutely unacceptable and in my opinion, enough of a reason to be taken off the floor late in close games.
Edgar also is not adept at making correct decisions on a regular basis. Against Cal, the Cards had the deficit down to a manageable seven points. After the ball was inbounded, Edgar brought the ball up the floor and launched a three from three feet behind the line. This was an especially poor decision because the Cards had momentum in their favor and were getting good shots off some good ball movement. Instead, the Cards’ senior point guard did not recognize the situation and put up a shot.
Keep in mind, I do not think Edgar is a selfish player. I believe his mindset is, “we could use a three here and cut this lead to four, I can make this shot.” I don’t think there’s the thought of padding stats, I think it’s simply a matter of making an incorrect decision and failure of recognition.
That’s it for now, it’s 1:30 am and I’m beat. I’ll have a season recap and off-season preview in the coming days, but for now, the Cards end their season at 20-13 and a 1st round exit.
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Has CBS Ever Covered the NCAA Tournament Before?
By: Guy | March 19th, 2010 | Category: Cards - Cats - SportsCBS has been getting pretty roundly criticized for their coverage of the NCAA Tournament over the past 48 hours. It’s really not that difficult to switch between two close games in the last two minutes, but CBS has butchered that pretty badly. It’s also not that hard to send the appropriate feed to your Louisville, KENTUCKY affiliate for the KENTUCKY-East Tennessee State game, but CBS decided showing the first five minutes of the UK was not a priority.
Now it appears CBS has forgotten that the two seed plays the 15 seed in the first round.
Yeah, I know this is a mistake that can be pretty easily made by a slip on the keyboard, but let me have a little bit of joy in criticizing CBS for being really stupid.
The Pinkie Previews: #9 Louisville (20-12) vs #8 California (23-10)
By: Biscuit | March 19th, 2010 | Category: Cards
NCAA South Region First Round
#9 Louisville Cardinals vs #8 California Golden Bears
Jacksonville, FL
Date: Friday March 19, 2010
Time: 9:45 pm EST
T.V.: CBS (Jim Nantz and Clark Kellog)
Radio: WHAS 840 AM
The University of Louisville men’s basketball team will be the last team to open up March Madness play when they take on the University of California Golden Bears tonight at 9:45 pm EST. Louisville earned their trip to the Big Dance with a convincing home win over #1 Syracuse two weeks ago to close out Freedom Hall. But the Cards come into NCAA play with many question marks. A poor showing against Cincinnati in the first round of the Big East Tournament has many people questioning if the Cards belong in the field of 64 and if they are capable of hanging with the Pac 10 champion Bears. Rick Pitino usually finds a way to have his team ready to play in March, and I expect the Cards to bring it tonight.
The California Golden Bears found their way into the tournament as an at-large selection from the Pac-10 conference. Cal was the Pac-10 regular season champion and was upset by Washington in the conference tournament championship game. The Bears enter the game against the Cards on a bit of a hot streak as they were winners in nine of their last 11 games. With a 23-10 overall record, including 13-5 in conference, Cal was by far the superior team in what is being labeled as a weak Pac-10. But let me assure you, there is nothing weak about the Bears. Cal is making their 11th appearance in the tournament and their sixth in the last 10 years.
This is the first meeting in school history between the Cards and the Bears. Louisville has not faired well historically against the Pac-10 conference, going 19-21. But things have been good for the Cards lately, especially in March when Louisville has defeated Stanford, Arizona, and Washington all within the last five years.
Meet the Golden Bears
Cal is a team built on senior leadership and experience. The Bears start four seniors, all of which average double figures in points. The Bears are undersized in their lineup and rely heavily on stellar guard play and three point shooting. In fact, Cal is so good from behind the arc that three of their starters are in the top eight in school history for three’s made.
Offensively, the Bears like to push the pace and run. They average 78.0 points per game which is a pretty high number. Cal doesn’t waste time in looking for their shots and will pull from about anywhere on the court, which is something the Cards need to be aware of. Point guard Jerome Randle does a great job of protecting the ball and running an efficient offense. Although he stands just 5′10 he is not afraid to drive the lane, and is excellent at creating off the bounce for a pull up jumper or dish to the wing. The Bears will start three guards against the Cards so they will have speed all over the court. This type of team has presented problems for Louisville in the past and Rick Pitino says Cal plays a similar style as Marquette.
As a team, Cal does an excellent job at protecting the ball. They average only 12 turnovers per game while dishing out 14.5 assists. They are not easily affected by pressure which is something that the Louisville defense relies on. As I mentioned earlier, the Bears do an excellent job of penetrating the lane and kicking to waiting shooters.
Size is the only problem for Cal. With the suspension of starting forward Omondi Amoke, the Bears will be even more undersized. They are an average rebounding team at best and aren’t very good defensively in the post. This should work to the Cards advantage. If Louisville look inside early and often, Samardo Samuels should be able to get on track and have a big day.
Team Comparisson
Statistical Comparison
Cal Uof L
Record ………………… 23-10 20-12
Scoring Average …….. 78.0 76.3
Points Allowed ……….. 68.4 66.6
Scoring Margin ……….. +9.6 +6.8
FG Percentage ……….. .477 .447
Opp. FG Percentage .. .433 .426
3-Pt. Percentage …….. .373 .339
FT Percentage ……….. .757 .703
Rebound Margin …….. +3.9 +1.6
Turnover Margin ……… +0.9 +1.7
Players to Watch
#3 Jerome Randle- This little 5′10 guard is absolutely amazing. He was named the Pac-10 Player of the Year and leads Cal in both scoring (18.7) and assists (4.5). He is the all-time leading scorer in Cal’s history, totaling 1,802 points in his four year career. As I stated earlier, this kid is quick and fearless. He isn’t afraid to get in the lane amongst the big men and challenge them at the rim. He does an excellent job off the bounce and likes to hit the pull up mid range jumper. What makes Randle even more dangerous is his three-point shooting ability. He is Cal’s all-time leader in three’s made with 248 and is sixth on the list in three-point percentage. When he isn’t scoring, Randle is dishing. He currently is tied for second on the school’s all-time assists list with 521. This kid can beat teams in so many ways it’s scary. Edgar Sosa, Peyton Siva, and Preston Knowles are going to have an extremely tough time trying to keep up him. If the Cards switch to zone to stop his penetration, he will knock down the long distance shot. This is a match up that really worries me.
# 23 Patrick Christopher- Christopher is a little bit of a taller guard than Randle but is just as effective. Like his back court mate, Christopher was also named to the All-Pac 10 First Team. He is second on the team in both scoring (16.0) and rebounding (5.4) and is a player that can also stroke it from deep. Christopher ranks sixth in school history for three’s made (153) and is fourth on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,681 points. This is another potential match up problem for the Cards when facing Christopher. He is an athletic shooting guard that can knock down the three, but also attacks the rim and goes after rebounds. At 6′5, Christopher is a good three to four inches taller than the Cardinal shooting guards. I expect him to use his size advantage to shoot over Louisville defenders and try to muscle his way to the rim.
Keys to Victory
1) Contain Jermone Randle. This is a lot easier to say than it is to do. Cardinal guards must stay in his face all over the court and pressure him out on the perimeter. He can’t be allowed to get off good looks at three because he will drain them. If he penetrates, the Cards need to do a good job of rotating on defense and having the big man step up and contest the shot. The Louisville defense will be on their heels a lot in this game, so they must be quick and recover in time to contest Cal’s shots.
2) Guard the perimeter. Cal loves to shoot the three and can make them at a high rate. Louisville must pressure Cal outside the arc and force them to look inside. If the Cards can force the Bears into tough shots and turnovers, I like their chances.
3) Get the ball inside. The lack of size for the Golden Bears is something Louisville needs to take advantage of. Samardo Samuels should have no problems posting up and could have a monster day. The Louisville guards need to find him early and often and let the big man go to work. It’s up to Samardo to finish.
4) Louisville must score. Cal is not a very good defensive team so the Cards will have plenty of opportunities to put the ball in the basket. Louisville can’t go on their usual six minute droughts or the game will get out of hand. The Cards need to stay poised, move the ball, and hit the open jumpers. Edgar Sosa and Samuels need to limit their turnovers and take good shots. If the Louisville offense plays to their potential tonight, they will win the game.
The Pinkie Previews: #1 Kentucky (33-2) vs. #9 Wake Forest (20-10)
By: nickev | March 19th, 2010 | Category: CatsThat was fun, wasn’t it? A cake walk through the first round. The ‘Cats haven’t blitzed a first round opponent like that since 2003 when they handled IUPUI with a crushing performance, 95-64 in the opener. Scary thing is that Kentucky could have scored anytime they wanted underneath and they didn’t even have to. This team is crazy talented and they share the basketball. That’s a good combination.
Now it’s on to the No. 9 seeded Wake Forest Demon Deacons and you can expect a lot more blue to be in the crowd than there was on Thursday night.
The Deacons entered postseason play reeling, losers of five of their last six, including a first round loss to Miami in the ACC Tournament. At 19-10, and 9-7 in the ACC, they had reason to be nervous about even getting into the NCAA tournament. But, apparently early wins over both Gonzaga and Xavier were enough to earn them entrance into the dance.
Then in the first round they faced a Texas team that was in even more of a downward spiral. It took overtime, but Wake Forest downed the Longhorns, 81-80, to earn their first NCAA Tournament victory since 2005. It also marked head coach Dino Gaudio’s first ever tournament victory. Prior to Thursday night’s win he had yet to even record a victory in the ACC Tournament.
According to Guadio, energy levels and a lack of emotion can be attributed to their recent lack of success. But, they are coming off a tourney win and they have the size underneath and the guard play that could foreseeably give the Wildcats issues.
With 6-9 Al-Farouq Aminu, 7-0 Chas McFarland and 6-11 David Weaver all in the starting lineup, Wake Forest was forced to insert a clearance sign simply for their starting lineup introductions. They also have 6-11 Tony Woods coming off the bench. Clearly the Deacons have plenty of guys that have the size to bang with Kentucky’s bigs. Something that UK is not accustomed to.
AP Photo/Lynn Hey
Aminu, just a sophomore, is the best of the bunch as he leads the team in scoring (15.8 ppg) and rebounding (10.8 rpg) and has recorded a double-double in all but 11 games this season. He struggled during their recent stretch of bad play but was good on Thursday night, finishing with 20 points and 15 rebounds. He did however shoot just 6-for-18 from the field.
Senior Chas McFarland averaged 8.4 and 5.8 as a sophomore and his numbers the last two seasons have been kind of stagnant. He enters Saturday’s contest, averaging 7.2 points and 7.1 rebounds. Still, if he can stay out of foul trouble against UK’s bigs, he provides Wake Forest with another competent body underneath. That, however, is a big “if”, as he has been called for at least three fouls in 11 consecutive games and has fouled out in two of their last three.
Senior guard Ishmael Smith leads the charge for the Deacons and he could have the quickness necessary to have some success against Kentucky’s backcourt. In UK’s first round crushing of the Bucs, one area where they struggled defensively was keeping Micah Williams out of the lane. So Smith could be a concern.
He is averaging 13.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game, so he does a little bit of everything for the Deacons. He has scored in double figures in all but five games this season. In those five games, Wake Forest is 4-1, their lone loss was at Duke. However, he is not that great of shooter and is prone to turn the ball over. He is shooting just 22-percent from beyond the arc and he stuggles at the line as well, shooting just 50-percent.
For Wake Forest to have success, they need Smith to be “that guy” and he was “that guy” against Texas. In 44 minutes of action he finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. He also had eight turnovers.
Aside from Smith, Wake Forest’s backcourt becomes inexperienced if senior L.D. Williams struggles from the field and he has really been struggling of late. He is averaging 8.8 points on the season, but since his 9-for-11 performance against Virginia Tech on February 16, he is shooting just 14-for-51 from the field.
Like ETSU, the Deacons just do not have anyone who scares you from deep. On the season they are shooting just 31-percent and have connected on just 132 three-pointers. Their best shooters are C.J. Harris and Ari Stewart, but neither one of those guys really scare you. Harris is shooting 33-percent from deep and has connected on 34 threes, while Stewart is shooting 38-percent and has made 42.
Kentucky has not seen a frontline that matches up with theirs size-wise all season long and Wake Forest presents that. However, their bigs are nowhere near as talented as UK’s. Still, expect Wake to be physical with the ‘Cats underneath because they have the bodies necessary to attack and not worry about foul trouble.
If Smith can get into the lane and Williams, Harris and Stewart can make some shots, the Deacons could potentially stay in the game. I just don’t see it happening.
It is tough to turn it off and turn it on and the Deacons entered the tournament with it off. They just ran into a team in the first round that lost all power two months ago. This Kentucky team is on a mission and I don’t believe Wake has the talent necessary to derail them.
Kentucky 82, Wake Forest 68
The Pinkie Maps Out Louisville’s Path to the Final Four
By: Miller | March 19th, 2010 | Category: Cards
The Cards enter the 2010 NCAA Tournament a 9 seed and perhaps, the most inconsistent team in the entire tournament. This Louisville squad is as schizophrenic as John Nash (main character from A Beautiful Mind) and are just as likely to win by 20 points as they are to lose by 20 points, regardless of the level of competition. With their pair of wins over Syracuse, playing 2 seeded West Virginia to a last second shot in Morgantown, and tough play against some team called Kentucky in Rupp Arena, the Cards have shown the capability to play with or defeat some of the top teams in the country. For that reason, I believe the Cards could make a run to the Final Four.
Keep in mind, I said ‘could’, not should, likely, or will. For every game in which Louisville has played with or beat a top team, they have also been defeated by a lesser team and in a few cases, by wide margins. Before I get into the potential match-ups the Cards could face, let me first explain the main reason why I think it is a possibility the Cards make a run. We often call him the Slickster, others refer to him as “that rat bastard”, but the biggest reason why the Cards have a chance to reach Naptown is Rick Pitino.
Rick Pitino has a career 38-13 record in NCAA Tournament play, good for a .745 winning percentage. Only twice in his college coaching career has Pitino lost in the 1st round of the NCAA Tournament, or any postseason tournament for that matter. During his time at Louisville, Pitino is 12-6 in the Big Dance, including a 5-1 record in the opening round of NCAA Tournament play. If we factor in NIT appearances, Pitino is 7-1 in opening round play of postseason tournaments at Louisville. What does this all mean?
It means if Pitino gets time to prepare for a team, he more often than not beats them. Rick Pitino’s greatest strength, in my eyes, is his ability to scout and break down an opponent. The man can put together a scouting report so detailed it can make your head spin. I once asked a former UofL player who played under Pitino what the scouting reports are like and he instantly responded with, “it all but had the opposing teams middle school report cards on it.
Rick Pitino is also undefeated in the Sweet Sixteen, not only at Louisville, but during his entire career. Not only as Pitino won every time in the Sweet Sixteen, he has put together some impressive performances. Here are the scores of Sweet Sixteen games the Cards have played under Pitino:
2005: vs. 1) Washington 93-79
2008: vs. 2) Tennessee 79-60
2009: vs. 12) Arizona 103-64
Pitino had equally impressive performances in the Sweet Sixteen while at Kentucky, including multiple 20+ point blowouts. Basically, if Pitino gets into the Sweet Sixteen, he wins and will probably win big. I believe that is because of the same reason Pitino wins in the opening round: he has a lot of time to prepare. Having said all that, let’s now look at the match-ups the Cards could face during this NCAA Tournament.
First Round
California Golden Bears (8)
Led by former Stanford head coach Mike Montgomery, Cal comes into the tournament having won the Pac-1o regular season championship and reached their conference tournament final. Our preview specialist, Biscuit, will be here on Friday with a full preview, but here are some things to know about Cal.
The Golden Bears depend heavily on their senior guard play. Led by Jerome Randle, the Pac-1o player of the year and Cal’s all-time leading scorer, and Patrick Christopher, an all Pac-10 selection. Randle averages 18.7 points per game and 4.4 assists per game. He also is automatic from the foul line as he shoots 93.5%. Patrick Christopher averages 14.5 points per game and shoots 36% from the three-point range, which is a strength of California.
However, Cal is not very big and struggles in the post. They will also be down a starter as 6-7 forward Omondi Amoke has been suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules. If the Cards take advantage of their size and play any defense, I believe they win this game.
Second Round
Duke Blue Devils (1)
Barring the biggest upset in NCAA Tournament history, the Cards would face the universally hated Duke Blue Devils. Duke, 29-5 and ranked third in the country, is led by their trio of Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith, and Jon Scheyer, all of whom average over 17 points per game. The Dukies won a share of the ACC regular season, but won the conference tournament. While they are very good, particularly on the defensive end, they do have some areas the Cards could exploit.
First, Duke is not the most athletic team. While I would not characterize them as slow, I would say they would not be on the top level in terms of athletic teams the Cards have faced. Second, Duke does not have a dominating big man. Brian Zoubek is big at 7-1 and 260 lbs, but he is not very athletic. He averages 5.3 points per game and 7.3 rebounds per game. He is definitely someone the Cards’ big men, Samardo Samuels and Terrence Jennings, could beat up and down the floor and defend one on one.
Duke also does not have much depth and their starters have logged a lot of minutes this year. The Cards would definitely press them and take advantage of the lack of depth. The Cards struggle with small, quick teams, but Duke does not fit into that category and while they are very good, it’s not the worst match-up for Louisville.
Sweet Sixteen
Purdue (4)
In my opinion, the Boilermakers will not make it this far. They have looked extremely marginal, especially on the offensive end, after the loss of Robbie Hummel. They scored 11 points in the first half against a very mediocre Minnesota team in the Big Ten Tournament last week. If they were to make it this far, I would bet all my money on Louisville. Purdue is not highly athletic and quite frankly, if they had to play without Hummel the entire season, they would not make the field of 65.
Texas A&M (5)
This is a very dangerous team. Coached by Mark Turgeon, the Aggies are 23-9 and finished 11-5 in the Big XII, good for a second place finish. They play mostly man-to-man defense and rely heavily on their guard play. While they lost their second leading scorer, Derrick Roland, to a season ending injury back in December, the Aggies have regrouped and are playing well.
However, A&M turns the ball over frequently. For the season, they barely have more assists than turnovers. They also do not have a very deep bench and seem to have a large drop-off when forced to go to their bench for extended minutes. The Cards could utilize their pressure to force the Aggies into turnovers, as well as wear them down.
Siena Saints (13)
Fran McCaffrey brings back nearly his entire team which almost took out the Cards in the second round last year. This is an experienced, well coached team, that executes very well and plays solid defense as they have held twelve opponents to under 60 points. Only twice have they allowed a team to score 80 points. In a year which their are many flawed teams, an experienced team can make a run.
The more I look at it, the more I think the Saints could be a bad match-up for the Cards. They took a better Louisville team down to the wire last year in front of a pro-Louisville crowd in Dayton. Siena would no doubt love another shot at the team that eliminated them last year.
Elite Eight
Villanova Wildcats (2)
It is well established I love Jay Wright and he has himself a good squad this year. However, the Wildcats have limped into the tournament having lost five of their last seven games. The strength of their squad is guard play, led by Scottie Reynolds. The Cards lost to them earlier this year after having a 17 point lead in the first half. They are a guard heavy team, which could give the Cards fits.
However, ‘Nova does not have much balance offensively and the Cards definitely have an edge in the paint. These two teams are very familiar with each other and when teams who know each other face off in the tournament, a close game usually follows.
Baylor Bears (3)
The Bears possess one of the most dynamic players in the country in LaceDarius Dunn, a 6-4 junior guard. He scores just under 20 points per game and shoots 42% from deep. His backcout mate, guard Tweety Carter, also shoots over 40% from deep and averages over 6 assists per game. In the paint, they have Ekpe Udoh, the Big XII’s single season leader in blocked shots. Their three frontcourt players check in at 7-0, 6-10, and 6-10. This is a very good squad that likes to get up and down the floor. They do turn the ball over and do not have many ball handlers, outside of Carter.
UK Hammers ETSU in Tourney Debut
By: Guy | March 18th, 2010 | Category: Cats
Andy Lyons - Getty Images
What a first day of the NCAA Tournament, huh? Lots of close games, lots of upsets, and a big ‘Cats victory.
It’s been a long time since UK had a laugher in a first round NCAA Tournament game. Even in 2005, when UK was a two seed, it was a tight one. I have to say, it’s nice to issue a round one beatdown again, and a beatdown it was. UK poured in threes from all directions and when Eric Bledsoe wasn’t breaking the all time UK tourney record for treys, the ‘Cats were tossing alley oops and dunking all over the badly overmatched Buccaneers.
Really the only hope ETSU had in this one was to keep it close by hitting deep balls and forcing UK into missing their threes. The complete opposite happened. Kentucky was 15-33 from deep (including 8-9 for Bledsoe) and ETSU was 4-17.
The Wildcat backcourt absolutely sliced and diced the defense all game, especially John Wall. Wall had 17 points and 11 assists, and while he didn’t have some of the highlight reel plays we have become accustomed to, he ran the team very effectively. Wall realized right away that the opponent was overmatched and that it was an opportunity to get his teammates very involved. Bledsoe and Patrick Patterson jumped at the chance, scoring 15 points apiece in the first half and 29 and 22 overall.
The Bucs set out to take DeMarcus Cousins out of the game, limiting his touches and doubling when he did get the ball. Cousins had a pretty quiet 5 point and 8 rebounds in just 24 minutes, but handled himself well and was a major defensive factor, blocking 5 shots. He also had a handful of dimes, notching 4 assists. UK has way too many weapons to be affected when an opponent takes one player away, especially when shots are falling like they did today.
There were a couple minor flies in the ointment, the first of which was UK’s performance at the foul line. UK was less than focused at the line, hitting just 23 of 34, and it seemed much worse than that. Also, late in the game, Daniel Orton went up to contest a shot, but had his legs taken out from under him. He went down HARD right on his backside and did not immediately get up. One of his teammates tried to pick him up, and with the CBS camera capturing the whole thing, Orton dropped possibly the most audible F-bomb in the history of live television. The good news was that Orton stayed on the bench when he was helped to the sideline and looked none the worse for the wear. Thankfully so, because UK is going to need him in a potentially tough second round matchup against a team with a beefy front court in Texas.
All in all, it was exactly the kind of performance you wanted to see out of the ‘Cats. It was focused and business-like. UK didn’t mess around and did not have to over exert themselves and tire themselves for Saturday. Now, they get to sit back, relax, watch, and find out who they will play next. Hmm, that sounds an awful lot like what I’m going to do.
Headin’ to Happy Hour Football Update
By: Aaron | March 18th, 2010 | Category: Cats
Basketball is King for the next couple of weeks, however some schools have already started spring football practice. Also, more and more football recruits are taking visits to spring practices and making their college decisions earlier than normal. Look for both UK and Louisville to host football recruits during spring practice and push for early commitments. Both UK and Louisville are recruiting Shamir Jeffrey (link below) from South Carolina. Based on feedback, UK is offering Jeffrey an opportunity to play Quarterback, while Louisville is recruiting him as an athlete. Personally, I feel he ends up a Gamecock.
The most exciting news for UK Football Fans should be the Coaches Clinic (link below) being held at the Nutter Training Facility. Joker Phillips has key high school coaches speaking at the event which is HUGE! It allows UK to show off their facilities and help the relationship building process as well. Below are some links back to my blog (Aaron’s UK Football Blog0 for some football insight and recruiting news.
Remember to follow AaronsUKFBBlog on Twitter for the most up to date football information!
UK, who has the most to prove?
Aaron Lynch (2011-DE) recruit update
2010 Recruiting Rewind- Dale Trimble
K.J. Brent (2011-WR) recruit update
Cody Robinson (2011-OT/DL) recruit udpate
Shamir Jeffrey (2011-QB/ATH) recruit update
Peters and Smith Draft Stock Rising
Pre Season All-Conference Teams
Some Afternoon NCAA Thoughts
By: Miller | March 18th, 2010 | Category: Sports
Three games are in the books and all came down to the wire. Notre Dame finished the regular season with a flurry to gain an absurd six seed, but promptly gave it away as they fell to Old Dominion 51-50. Florida had two chances to win at the buzzer, but could not convert and exited with a 99-92 loss to BYU in double overtime. And Jay Wright’s boys just completed their second strait opening round scare as they finally put away Robert Morris 73-70 in overtime. Here are some quick thoughts after watching these games:
-Is calling a set play at the end of games against the rules? Today’s games featured some of the worst end of game execution I can remember. Florida, in particular, ran two of the worst sets I have ever seen.
The first resulted in a Chandler Parsons fade-away, which is obviously the shot you want in that situation. The second apparently called for Kenny Boynton to dribble without purpose and launch a two handed heave from thirty feet. Remember, they came out of a timeout to run that…amazing.
-How did Billy Donovan win back to back national titles? I never thought it was possible to fluke back to back titles, but he may have just done that.
-We are sad to see the career end of Pinkie favorite Luke Harangody, or as we call him, Norm (as in Norm Peterson from Cheers). He didn’t have a stellar day, only 4 points and 7 rebounds, but look on the bright side Luke, you can now look forward to sitting at a bar, drinking beer all day at a bar in Boston with Cliff Clavin. I’m actually envious.
-I’m 3-3 so far in my main brackets. Absolutely no chance that holds.
-Robert Morris put up a great fight against my boy Jay Wright. Unfortunately, you cannot put ‘Nova on the line or they will kill you. Scottie Reynolds is a prime example, he went 2-15 from the floor, but hit 15-16 from the line to keep his squad in the tournament.
-There is no better announcing duo during the NCAA Tournament than Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery. Between Verne mispronouncing players’ names and Bill yelling out ‘Onions!’ after a crucial shot, it doesn’t get any better. During the ‘Nova-Robert Morris game, Verne and Bill had this exchange:
Verne: Robert Morris was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence
Bill: You knew him didn’t you Verne?
Verne: Yeah, but I called him Bob
-I cannot wait to hear Gus Johnson scream.
That’s it for now, we’ll have some more ponderances as more games conclude.
The Pinkie Interviews East Tennessee State Play-by-Play Man, Jay Santos
By: nickev | March 18th, 2010 | Category: CatsNormally I do a preview of the team that Kentucky is playing and try to act like I know what I’m talking about. Well, today we are going to things a little differently. On St. Patrick’s Day night I sat down and spoke with East Tennessee State Play-by-Play man, Jay Santos. Santos is in his eighth season with the Buccaneers.
ETSU enters the NCAA Tournament with a 20-14 overall record, they were 13-7 in Atlantic Sun play, but they have won six strait and nine of 11. ESPN Bracket Nerd, Joe Lunardi, calls them the best of the five No. 16 seeds.
Murray Bartow, the son of coaching legend Gene Bartow, is in his seventh season with the Bucs. In those seven seasons, he has compiled a 241-168 record and this is his third trip to the NCAA Tournament. They also made the dance in 2004, and in 2009 they gave Pittsburgh a scare in the first round.
They are led by Tommy Hubbard, a 6-4, 210-pound senior, who despite his size bangs underneath. He leads the team in scoring and rebounding with 14.1 and 8.3, respectively. Guards Micah Williams (12.5 ppg) and Justin Tubbs (12.0 ppg) also average double figures for the Bucs.
The streets of New Orleans were loud as everyone around Santos was celebrating by drinking some green beer, but we fought through it. Below is the interview.
nickev: You enter the NCAA tournament hot, winning six strait and nine of your last 11 ball games. What has been the difference of late?
Jay Santos: There are a couple of differences. The first is bench play. Simply put, the bench struggled the first half of season. Too often during the first three-quarters of the season the starters did all of the scoring. Coach Bartow seems to finally have his rotation down. During the last 12 games he has stuck with an eight man rotation and guys like Adam Sollazzo, J.C. Ward, and Sheldon Cooley are really starting to contribute off the bench. So the bench is the big thing, but they have also picked it up defensively. In our 20 wins we have allowed 60 points per game. In our losses we are giving up 75 points.
nickev: The Atlantic Sun Tournament was an interesting one. You entered as the 5-seed, yet the highest seed you beat to win the championship was No. 4 Campbell in the first round. You then beat No. 8 Kennesaw State in the semis before defeating No. 6 Mercer, a team that beat you twice in the regular season, in the finals. Have you ever been a part of a tournament with so many upsets? What did you do differently to get the win against Mercer when it mattered most?
Jay Santos: No, I haven’t. But, it wasn’t just the tournament. The regular season was quite odd, as well. Sure, we were the 5th seed in the tournament, but there was a four-way tie for first and we were only one game out. In the past the Atlantic Sun has had a team separate and run away with everything. This year there was no dominant team. The tournament was just so interesting the way it all broke down and then in the finals we played Mercer, a team that handed it to us the previous two games. The outcome was different the third time because we held Mercer’s seniors down. They are a senior-laden team, but they aren’t too deep. We were able to get their guys into foul trouble. We also got off to a quick start. Our wings hit some threes and we grabbed an early lead, which was huge because in the first two games we trailed the entire 40 minutes. We also held them under 70 points. They put up huge scoring outputs in both our losses in the regular season, scoring 83 and 82 points.
nickev: This is the Buccaneers second consecutive trip to the Big Dance. Last year you were also No. 16 and gave Pittsburgh quite a scare, trailing by three with under three minutes to go before losing 72-62. Did Murray Bartow employ any type of gimmick strategy to hang with the heavily favored Panthers, or did they play them straight up?
Jay Santos: Last year’s ETSU team was totally different than this one. They thrived in full-court and forced a lot of turnovers. Pitt wasn’t a very good three-point shooting team but they had guys like Sam Young who could seemingly get to rim to the rim whenever they wanted. A lot of teams played them by packing it in and forcing them to shoot three’s. We didn’t change anything against them. We played four guards, pressed full-court and forced them into turnovers. In that game we forced Pitt into 18 turnovers while only turning it over nine times ourselves. We also hit some big shots which kept us in the game. Bartow is not a big gimmick guy. He won’t box-and-one you or run a triangle-and-two. So, no they really didn’t do anything like that to Pittsburgh last year.
nickev: Try to explain what this ETSU squad is all about.
Jay Santos: Murray Bartow’s squads have always been about forcing turnovers, getting into transition and scoring. This year has been a rarity because they have struggled to score. Truth be told, this team has gone through a lot of adversity. Prior to the season, 6-10 junior Seth Coy died in a one-car accident. Then we lost our best returning player Mike Smith to a medical redshirt after just four games. It took a long time for someone to step up. At one point in the season, no one would take the big shot. It’s been an odd run and kind of an all-out up-and-down year. They have no margin for error. All season long they have had to play a flawless games to compete, that is especially true against Kentucky. Heck, in our win at Arkansas we hit the most threes we’ve hit all season, we out-rebounded them and forced them into more turnovers. It was kind of a perfect storm.
nickev: Despite a lack of size, the Bucanneers have outrebounded their opponents this season. Tommy Hubbard, at just 6′4″, leads the team in rebounding with 8.3 per game. How have they had so such success on the glass despite a disadvantage size-wise?
Jay Santos: They beefed up the schedule this season and played teams with size. They played at Louisville, at Tennessee and then won at Arkansas. They scheduled four NCAA tournament teams from a year ago. They also try to force quick outside shots because they can’t matchup with a lot of teams underneath. It is going to be a really tough match-up against Kentucky underneath. If the ETSU defense can force UK into jump shots, they will have opportunities to chase balls down.
nickev: Not only is Hubbard a good rebounder, he is also a great scorer underneath. What does he do that makes him so effective around the basket?
AP Photo/Al Behrman
Jay Santos: His days of boxing and he played middle linebacker in high school. He has that football mentality. Coming out of high school he had more offers in football than he had in basketball. He is wired to play football, but he has a love for the game of basketball. He is by far our best defender and no one plays harder than he does. I know it sounds cliche but he plays every second of every play and leaves it all on the line. During broadcasts I often refer to him as “Tommy Hustle” because he simply out-hustles everyone. In big games he often goes the distance, too. He played all 40 minutes in our win over Arkansas and in the A-Sun Championship Game.
nickev: One of Kentucky’s weaknesses, especially early on, has been defending the three-point shot. Micah Williams and Justin Tubbs are decent threats from deep, but overall the Bucs are not what you would consider a great perimeter shooting team. They have only connected on 173 threes on the season and are shooting just 31-percent. In contrast, so-called analysts are calling the three-point shot Kentucky’s achilles heel and they have knocked down 203 while shooting 34-percent. Do you expect them to rely on the three more against the Wildcats or to continue to look for scoring opportunities in the 2-point area?
Jay Santos: That would be the million dollar question if you had to break down this game. Like you mentioned, ETSU really only has two guys who can stand out there and shoot it. In past seasons they have had those guys, this year they don’t. I expect them to continue to try and get into that 15-foot range. Question is can they get there? I don’t know. But, I know Bartow would like for his team to stay around 12 to 13 three-point attempts in this one.
nickev: Recently, the majority of teams have implemented some variation of the 2-3 zone against the Wildcats. Do you expect Bartow to stick to this strategy?
Jay Santos: On defense they might play some 1-1-3 against kentucky. The 1-1-3 is very similar to the 2-3, but the opposite guard goes out and pressures. They will show full court in spurts, because that is what they do, but don’t look for them to press against UK. The ‘Cats are just too deep and to be honest the press has actually hurt them at times throughout the season.
nickev: What do the Bucanneers have to do to hang with the Wildcats and have a chance at the end, much like they did last year against Pitt?
Jay Santos: To stay with the ‘Cats, it will have to be similar to what happened against Pitt. Number one, they can’t get killed on glass. They will try to force UK into jumpshots, but when Kentucky gets the ball deep they can’t allow them offensive putbacks and extra positions. Just like last year against Pitt, the turnover margin will also have to again be in ETSU’s favor. Both, UK and ETSU are not afraid to give the ball up, so that could be something that keeps the Bucs in the game. They also need to make their 12 to 13 three-point attempts count. Last, they will need a little luck on their side.
nickev: Despite all of the adversity that your team has gone through this season, you still find yourself in the NCAA Tournament for the second strait season. Congratulations on that and good luck tomorrow. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your hectic schedule to do this.
2010 NCAA Tournament Round One Viewer’s Guide
By: Guy | March 18th, 2010 | Category: Cards - Cats - Sports
If there’s anything I’ve learned over the past 23 years, it’s how to watch first round games in the NCAA Tournament. The next two days are literally among my favorite of the entire year, so I’ve come to understand how to make the most out of the first 32 games of the Tournament.
I think I owe it to the readers of the Pinkie to try to impart some of that knowledge for their own viewing enjoyment for the Thursday games. Let’s take a look at the games of the day and how you should approach watching them if you get to sit on your couch all day and watch basketball.
Early Games (Game to be shown in Louisville in bold)
Florida (10) vs. BYU (7) – 12:20 pm
Old Dominion (11) vs. Notre Dame (6) – 12:25 pm
Robert Morris (15) vs. Villanova (2) – 12:30
OK, two pretty watchable games here. We’ll be stuck with just live look-ins of the ND/ODU and RM/’Nova games and watching the Florida game all the way through. I think there’s a chance BYU turns their game into a laugher, which would send us to the Notre Dame game, which I anticipate being close.
The Play
Get your lunch situation squared away before tip-off, tune in to CBS and get your computer up and running with March Madness on Demand with the Notre Dame-BYU game. Keep an eye on the ‘Nova game in case the Wildcats don’t show up, but there shouldn’t be much to watch there.
If you have to work, I recommend getting close to a TV if possible or getting MMOD on the Florida game. Then, take your lunch at halftime so you can head to a place with a good TV set up to see the finishes of all three games.
Afternoon Session
Murray State (13) vs. Vanderbilt (4) – 2:30 pm
North Texas (15) vs. Kansas State (2) – 2:40 pm
Sam Houston St. (14) vs. Baylor (3) – 2:45 pm
St. Mary’s (10) vs. Richmond (7) – 2:50 pm
This time slot is where the best games seem to always happen and these games set up for that. We are lucky enough to get the Murray/Vandy game in our area, because I think this is the best game of the bunch.
The spacing also will be good here, because the Vandy game will start at 2:30 exactly since it’s the first game at its site. The other games are the second game at their sites, so will likely start a little later than the scheduled time. This means that we will get to watch the entire Vandy/Murray game, then a good chunk of the end of the closest of the other three games.
The Play
This one’s not too tough. Tune into the Vandy/Murray game on TV and enjoy. You can turn on MMOD as well, but I just don’t think it will be worth distracting yourself. Keep an eye on the scores of the other games and adjust if necessary.
If you’re working, go with MMOD and head home as early as possible because you might have a chance of making it home in time for the end of one of these games.
Mid-Afternoon
UTEP (12) vs. Butler (5)
This is a bit unfortunate, because this West Coast game is typically a high seed versus a low seed. This year, a pretty good game will be going on out west while we are in the dark back east.
The Play
The only choice here, unless you have Direct TV, is MMOD. If the game is still going on at 7 when CBS resumes coverage, they might break in and show the game.
Evening Session
Northern Iowa (9) vs. UNLV (8) – 7:10 pm
East Tennessee St. (16) vs. Kentucky (1) – 7:15 pm
Washington (11) vs. Marquette (6) – 7:20 pm
Ohio (14) vs. Georgetown (3) – 7:25 pm
Things change a bit for me when my ‘Cats are on. The other games become pretty insignificant until the outcome is decided.
The Play
Non-’Cats fans are trapped watching UK all the way through, but I obviously would have it no other way. I’m hoping UK can handle ETSU so I can start to think about potential good games between Marquette and Washington and UNLV and Northern Iowa.
Late Session
Lehigh (16) vs. Kansas (1) – 9:30 pm
Wake Forest (9) vs. Texas (8) – 9:35 pm
Montana (14) vs. New Mexico (3) – 9:40 pm
San Diego St. (11) vs. Tennessee (6) – 9:45 pm
Another case of good luck for Louisville viewers. I think Tennessee/SDSU is the best matchup and it’s the game we get to watch.
The Play
Tune in to the Tennessee/SDSU game on CBS and get the Wake/Texas game going on MMOD. CBS will break in with coverage if the Wake/Texas game is close late, they will interrupt Tennessee/SDSU coverage and return just in time for hopefully another close finish.
What a day it’s going to be tomorrow. Enjoy it, because there are no two days like Thursday and Friday.
