Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Getting ready for the postseason

Let's wrap up things a bit as we get ready for the postseason of college basketball--the most wonderful time of the year (contrary to the same lyrics that go with a well-known Christmas carol.)

Turnover:  Shame on Kansas State coach Bruce Weber if he truly did joke that he had hoped to celebrate a Big 12 championship a week earlier on Senior Day, but poor officiating--referencing Kansas's overtime victory at Iowa State--"got in the way."  I've yet to have anyone bring up the 34 foul shots ISU received in that game, even though they jacked up 41 three-point shots, or the horrible charge call on Jeff Withey in the first half that negated a KU basket.  Once again, let's make the point--an official's questionable call in the first minute of a game equals the same questionable call in the last minute of the game.

Assist:  Speaking of Weber, he is the clear-cut choice for Big 12 Coach of the Year.  The current players on KSU's roster were recruited by Frank Martin but the team bought into Weber's motion offense and now is a load to guard for a full possession on the shot clock.

Slam Dunk:  Grantland.com has a bracket titled "The Most Hated College Basketball Players of the Last 30 Years."  Not surprisingly, Duke has its own portion of the bracket with Christian Laettner, Greg Paulus, Steve Wojciechowski, Shane Battier, Danny Ferry, Austin Rivers, J.J. Redick and Bobby Hurley all in the 32-name "tournament."  The other player are grouped by decade--the only Big 12 player making the list is Kansas' Kirk Hinrich.  North Carolina has three players on the list--Rick Fox, Eric Montross and Tyler Hansbrough.

Charge:  Indiana coach Tom Crean has become a YouTube sensation given his blow-up with Michigan assistant coach Jeff Meyer after IU's thrilling victory Sunday in Ann Arbor.  The stupid grin that Crean had walking off the floor makes me wonder if that verbal exchange was a bit more premeditated that perhaps the Hoosier coach let on?

Block:  Can someone please explain Baylor's mens basketball team to me, please?  The Bears looked unbeatable on Saturday against Kansas, with Cory Jefferson and Pierre Jackson combining to go 22 of 26 (53 points.)  Yet, this same squad did not beat any conference team in the upper half of the league.  In addition to the Kansas home win, the only other victory of note was back on December 1 at Kentucky.  Baylor will have to beat Oklahoma State on Thursday if it has any chance of making the NCAA Tournament.

Timeout:  Kansas was once again reminded that it's a mediocre team if it does not play with energy and defend.  The loss to Baylor was KU's first since the infamous three-game losing streak to Oklahoma State, TCU and Oklahoma.  The more optimistic KU fans are suggesting that the defeat was actually a good thing--that the Jayhawks now are poised to go 9-0 with a romp through the Big 12 Tournament, and then the NCAA Tournament.  I'm not so sure--this team is too mercurial offensively and has horrid shot-making ability coming off of the bench.

Last-second shot:  CBS Sports' documentary, The Miracles, on the 1988 Kansas national championship team is a wonderful glimpse back at a program that was trying to rebound from high expectations and a disappointing 1987-88 season.  It's also a reminder of the sensational talent of Danny Manning and the coaching ability of Larry Brown.  That national championship, combined with the Final Four appearance in 1986, was the beginning of Kansas' current, unprecedented run as the winningest program in college hoops.


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