Official 2007-08 College Basketball Thread

[whitesoxfan99]

Tisdale, even with his stupid decisions, has a sweet 12-15 foot shot and really has good hands for a big man.

 

I look forward to 2009-2011 when we're back on top of the league and competing for final four spots.

 

It is conditioning with Tisdale. Once he gets stronger and more conditioned you won't see those type of plays. And he usually does have very good hands which is why I was shocked when he dropped a couple of passes yesterday.

[thedoctor]

at the least i think the young guys have shown something this year. now, there's no question they are not top-notch freshmen and i don't expect any of them to be leaving early.

 

but, i think they are the types of kids a program needs--kids who stick around and provide the consistency and continuity you need. the best part is that when the real good recruits start arriving in 09, they'll be joining a team that doesn't need them to be saviors. they'll be joining and experienced and seasoned group that has a lot of big ten basketball under its belt. experience and outstanding talent is a great combination.

[RockRaines]

at the least i think the young guys have shown something this year. now, there's no question they are not top-notch freshmen and i don't expect any of them to be leaving early.

 

but, i think they are the types of kids a program needs--kids who stick around and provide the consistency and continuity you need. the best part is that when the real good recruits start arriving in 09, they'll be joining a team that doesn't need them to be saviors. they'll be joining and experienced and seasoned group that has a lot of big ten basketball under its belt. experience and outstanding talent is a great combination.

I was actually having this debate the other day. Is it better for your program to stay away from the top talent guys that leave after a year and focus more on building and developing a system with a team instead of having to regroup every year because your lineup goes pro?

 

I have specifically looked at my team of course, but I wonder about other programs.

[whitesoxfan99]

I was actually having this debate the other day. Is it better for your program to stay away from the top talent guys that leave after a year and focus more on building and developing a system with a team instead of having to regroup every year because your lineup goes pro?

 

I have specifically looked at my team of course, but I wonder about other programs.

 

You want both. A perfect scenario is to have a mix of very good 3 and 4 year players while bringing in the top talent to supplement them.

[thedoctor]

I was actually having this debate the other day. Is it better for your program to stay away from the top talent guys that leave after a year and focus more on building and developing a system with a team instead of having to regroup every year because your lineup goes pro?

 

I have specifically looked at my team of course, but I wonder about other programs.

 

i think that you take the most talented players you can get every year and worry about the rest later.

[Palehosefan]

Like 99 said, balance in the key. You build programs with the 4 year talents, and you win championships by adding elite talent to the core 4 year guys.

 

UNC follows up a 4 year type class of say Jawad Williams, Jackie Manual, Melvin Scott or a Bobby Frasor, Marcus Ginyard, Danny Green, Tyler Hansbrough with an early exit type class with Ray Felton, Sean May, Rashad McCants or a Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, Brandan Wright type class.

 

Still, you can take a program from annonymity to a national title contender with one or two elite recruits like Kansas State.

 

If push came to shove, I would rather be a Kansas State this year than say a Butler.

[He_Gawn]

This really has been the worst span of days ever for me. IU loses to Uconn.... Lose all my valuables in the Indiana State Dorm fire of the 11th floor.... Speeding ticket today.... now IU losing to a bunch of white guys... what the f*** god

[AssHatSoxFan]

from Jay Bilas' blog on ESPN

 

Illinois shrinks: Is anyone else puzzled at how Illinois could possibly be 2-7 in the Big Ten and 10-12 overall? I saw this team practice and play in Maui in November, and while I certainly did not mistake it for the 2005 Illini, I thought they would be pretty good. The numbers the team puts up are not totally out of whack, but the Illini have not been able to finish games, and there has been some inconsistency. Bruce Weber is pulling out all of the stops to figure it out, bringing in a free-throw specialist and a noted sports psychologist to work with the team. Weber is not alone in the sports psychology realm. A couple of years ago, Tubby Smith brought in a sports psychologist to work with his Kentucky team when the Cats were having a tough time from the free-throw line. If you were a sports psychologist AND a free-throw specialist, imagine how much work you could get in today's game.

[Soxbadger]

Big 10 is tough. It has no super powers, but the top 5-7 teams can all give anyone a good game on any given night. Especially at home, Big 10 teams are rough.

 

And Wisconsin handled Indiana last night, pretty much sleep walked through the entire game until Indiana got it to 7 in the closing minutes.

 

Hard to imagine Wisconsin shooting much worse (34.5% over all) and 3-20 from 3, so it was nice that they still were able to control the the entire game. Bohannon, Hughes, and Flowers went 1-15 from behind the arc, and all 3 have shot over 30% for the season so it was just a really bad shooting night for the guards.

 

Big game against Minnesota on Sunday before the Super Bowl, then to Iowa, and then revenge at home against Purdue.

 

 

[whitesoxfan101]

IU might have some problems the rest of the year. They can lie about it and deny it all they want, but Gordon has a hairline fracture in his left wrist and it's going to limit his driving ability and thus, ability to get to the free throw line for the rest of the season, and that's a big part of IU's game.

Edited February 1, 2008 by whitesoxfan101

[Heads22]

Continuing my 2008 Big 12 Magical Mystery Tour, tomorrow I will be in Lincoln.

[He_Gawn]

IU might have some problems the rest of the year. They can lie about it and deny it all they want, but Gordon has a hairline fracture in his left wrist and it's going to limit his driving ability and thus, ability to get to the free throw line for the rest of the season, and that's a big part of IU's game.

 

Oh no doubt. I don't think any fan will lie about it. He normally gets to the line at will with his penetration and it just was not there last night. We will see what comes of this as the season goes on.

[ZoomSlowik]

i think that you take the most talented players you can get every year and worry about the rest later.

 

I would lean towards that, not only because elite players win championships but because not every elite player leaves after one year. I haven't kept track and don't feel like researching it now, but I would guess that generally like 4 freshmen tops are good enough to go pro. The freshman classes these last two years have just turned out to be absurdly good.

[whitesoxfan99]

I would lean towards that, not only because elite players win championships but because not every elite player leaves after one year. I haven't kept track and don't feel like researching it now, but I would guess that generally like 4 freshmen tops are good enough to go pro. The freshman classes these last two years have just turned out to be absurdly good.

 

Now that guys can't leave out of high school I would bet more than 4 will be going pro just about every year.

[thedoctor]

I would lean towards that, not only because elite players win championships but because not every elite player leaves after one year. I haven't kept track and don't feel like researching it now, but I would guess that generally like 4 freshmen tops are good enough to go pro. The freshman classes these last two years have just turned out to be absurdly good.

 

no doubt. i guess my general point is that you can't really predict what is going to happen with kids once they get on campus. a kid may be highly rated, but there's no guarantee that he's gone after one, or even two years. one and done guys are really rare and i don't think you can recruit speculating on how long they are going to stay. this goes for every kid. can you recruit kids thinking, "this kid will be here four years, this kid three, but this other kid is definitely one and done." i don't think any coach is that smart.

 

so, with that removed, you just take the best you can get then figure it out. i do agree that the best teams are ones that blend veteran leadership and really special talented players. it's just that the great majority of the time you don't know who those kids are when you are recruiting. so you take the best.

[Rex Hudler]

Oh no doubt. I don't think any fan will lie about it. He normally gets to the line at will with his penetration and it just was not there last night. We will see what comes of this as the season goes on.

 

Gordon hasn't attempted more than five FT's in a game since the Illinois game. He's averaging 5 FT's a game since the Big Ten season started and that # is skewed by two games, 10 (Illinois) and 11 (Iowa on Jan. 2).

 

His injury has nothing to do with that part of his game dropping off.

 

 

[Felix]

Got back from Michigan last night for our annual student section road trip, it was well worth the bus ride. We were louder than Michigan fans in their own stadium, despite having the nose bleed seats.

 

Brian at MGoBlog:

This latest was perhaps the most depressing sporting event I can remember. Michigan quickly fell behind by double-digits in a half-empty arena. The loudest group of people in the place were a hundred or so Minnesota students who had bizarrely decided to crash Crisler en masse on a Thursday night. At some point during the second half they chanted "our house" over and over; all I could think is "how goddamn far away is Minneapolis? Is it Thursday? What day is this?"

 

It was indeed Thursday; according to Google Maps, Minneapolis is 648 miles from Ann Arbor, 10 and a half hours by car. Seriously... what the hell? I can understand invasions from East Lansing or Columbus or, I dunno, Toronto or something, but Minneapolis? Don't you have better things to do than spend either 20 hours or hundreds of dollars to see your kinda-crappy basketball team beat up on Michigan's very crappy basketball team? Evidently not.

[Jimbo's Drinker]

Got back from Michigan last night for our annual student section road trip, it was well worth the bus ride. We were louder than Michigan fans in their own stadium, despite having the nose bleed seats.

 

Brian at MGoBlog:

 

 

Would you cheer for Mich bball if you attended that school?? They suck right now.

[Felix]

Would you cheer for Mich bball if you attended that school?? They suck right now.

I cheered for our basketball last year when we went 9-22, and I cheered for our football this year when we were 1-11. So yes, I would.

[bmags]

I am in disbelief we beat Kstate. I was fed up with Anderson after that Hannah incident, but his response with suspensions and how his team has responded has boosted him up quite a bit in my book.

[Jimbo's Drinker]

I am in disbelief we beat Kstate. I was fed up with Anderson after that Hannah incident, but his response with suspensions and how his team has responded has boosted him up quite a bit in my book.

 

Good win!

[Rowand44]

Is Beasley ok? I saw he had to leave the game and then I left to go play some ball myself, so I didn't see if he came back or not.

Edited February 2, 2008 by Rowand44

[Jenksismyhero]

Illinois scores 75 pts!

 

 

 

 

but gives up 83

[danman31]

Is Beasley ok? I saw he had to leave the game and then I left to go play some ball myself, so I didn't see if he came back or not.

He came back maybe 5 minutes later. Only had 17 and 10, but didn't play very well by his standards. The talent was evident as his finishing near the basket was ridiculous, but he had the quietest double-double.

[Jimbo's Drinker]

He came back maybe 5 minutes later. Only had 17 and 10, but didn't play very well by his standards. The talent was evident as his finishing near the basket was ridiculous, but he had the quietest double-double.

 

 

In his mind he was still draining 3's against my jayhawks.