Did you see that 6-0 scoreline against Honduras the other day? That was all I needed to confirm that USA has plenty of good players and Coach Klinsmann was holding us back. Yeah, that's a bit bold, still a long way to go in the hex, still only a pipe dream to win a World Cup in my lifetime, but USA has a steadily growing talent pool that Klinsmann never knew what to do with. I fully expect USA to qualify and get out of group come 2018. And I'm sure Arena will drive our boys full throttle until we're in. We're going in the right direction again, finally.
Sunday, March 26, 2017
NCAA Final Four
South Carolina-Gonzaga
I was right on both of these two. I thought South Carolina would keep the momentum against another team favored against them; hey, South Carolina beat Duke and Baylor to get the Elite Eight while Florida beat an overrated Virginia and a Wisconsin team that was overachieving. I'm still impressed with South Carolina's moxie, their steady hand down the stretch and Sindarius Thornwell stepping up before the draft. Gonzaga, on the other hand, is just plain good and as plucky as Xavier was, I figured the Zags would make short work of them.
South Carolina has bested superior foes again and again in this tourney, seems like if anyone can roll with Gonzaga this is the team. Gonzaga is maybe the best team in the nation this year and though they haven't been tested too much, that doesn't feel like a drawback, it feels more like they're playing the way they've played all year long and no one else can keep up. I like what the Gamecocks have been doing but I think this is the end of the line for them. Gonzaga is too good, too consistent, too deep. South Carolina would have to shoot the lights out, never turn the ball over and get lucky to get a hold on this game.
Oregon-North Carolina
I missed both of these. I thought Kansas would make short work of the over matched Oregon (uh, nope, Oregon controlled Kansas from beginning to end) and I thought Kentucky's scoring would wear down UNC (foul trouble for Fox and a sluggish performance from Monk doomed the Wildcats). I'm still not exactly sure what Oregon brings to this matchup, a gutsy will to win kinda thing I reckon. UNC has depth and they're getting solid performances from their supporting cast but I got my doubts about their PG play. My gut feeling was that the UNC-UK winner would take the crown but I think UNC may have been exposed. If Oregon's guards bring their A-game, I think Oregon can do what Kentucky wasn't able to: outscore the Tarheels. I'll take Oregon.
In the Final, I'll go with Gonzaga over Oregon. As good as Oregon has been (and will have to continue to be), I just think Gonzaga is too complete for anyone to mess with.
I was right on both of these two. I thought South Carolina would keep the momentum against another team favored against them; hey, South Carolina beat Duke and Baylor to get the Elite Eight while Florida beat an overrated Virginia and a Wisconsin team that was overachieving. I'm still impressed with South Carolina's moxie, their steady hand down the stretch and Sindarius Thornwell stepping up before the draft. Gonzaga, on the other hand, is just plain good and as plucky as Xavier was, I figured the Zags would make short work of them.
South Carolina has bested superior foes again and again in this tourney, seems like if anyone can roll with Gonzaga this is the team. Gonzaga is maybe the best team in the nation this year and though they haven't been tested too much, that doesn't feel like a drawback, it feels more like they're playing the way they've played all year long and no one else can keep up. I like what the Gamecocks have been doing but I think this is the end of the line for them. Gonzaga is too good, too consistent, too deep. South Carolina would have to shoot the lights out, never turn the ball over and get lucky to get a hold on this game.
Oregon-North Carolina
I missed both of these. I thought Kansas would make short work of the over matched Oregon (uh, nope, Oregon controlled Kansas from beginning to end) and I thought Kentucky's scoring would wear down UNC (foul trouble for Fox and a sluggish performance from Monk doomed the Wildcats). I'm still not exactly sure what Oregon brings to this matchup, a gutsy will to win kinda thing I reckon. UNC has depth and they're getting solid performances from their supporting cast but I got my doubts about their PG play. My gut feeling was that the UNC-UK winner would take the crown but I think UNC may have been exposed. If Oregon's guards bring their A-game, I think Oregon can do what Kentucky wasn't able to: outscore the Tarheels. I'll take Oregon.
In the Final, I'll go with Gonzaga over Oregon. As good as Oregon has been (and will have to continue to be), I just think Gonzaga is too complete for anyone to mess with.
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
NCAA Sweet Sixteen
Coming into this tourney I thought there was a clear top tier in college basketball (with their pre-season rankings): Gonzaga (#14), Kansas (#3), Villanova (#4), Duke (#1), North Carolina (#6), UCLA (#16), Kentucky (#2), Louisville (#13). And a clear 2nd tier: Baylor (NR), Arizona (#10), Florida State (#28), Oregon (#5), Purdue (#15), Butler (#33), West Virginia (#20), Florida (#37). (How was Baylor not ranked in the pre-season top 50?)
I thought going in that the opening weekend would be pretty mellow on upsets but then the Sweet Sixteen on would be an all-time classic demolition derby. I was kinda close: Villanova, Duke, Louisville and Florida State forgot to make the trip but all the rest are here. And on any given day, any one of those teams above can win it all (or get run out of the gym). Of the interlopers: Wisconsin (#9) and Michigan (#42) just met in the Big 10 Championship, South Carolina (NR) bounced in and out of the top 25 all year long and Xavier (#7) was a pre-season top 10 squad that suffered some untimely injuries but played a tough schedule. So none of the 'Cinderellas' are particularly out of left field.
Who comes out alive? I filled out two brackets and ended up with two entirely different Final Fours, so the difference between the remaining teams is minimal, man. I think all eight games are interesting match-ups.
Wisconsin-Florida: Wisconsin played grind it out defense, Florida plays crank it up offense. If Florida is hot I think they'll win but if they can't get going Wisconsin will swallow them up. I suspect Florida is the better team.
Baylor-South Carolina: Baylor is not terribly flashy but they're a consistent team, they're gonna grind their way through this game the way they do every other game and they should be better than South Carolina. I loved the way Carolina finished off Duke: they stepped up and made their free throws. Every coach needs to whip out the last 10 minutes of that game to show the importance of fundamental basketball. If South Carolina can score as efficiently as they did against Duke, then they can sneak past Baylor, who has a solid average but probably won't hit home runs. I'll take Baylor.
Gonzaga-West Virginia: Gonzaga is arguably the best team in the nation this season: reliable down low, explosive on the perimeter, they have veteran smarts and good athletes. But West Virginia plays a tricky irritating defense that catches even the steadiest squads off guard. I think Gonzaga is the better team and should win the game but a West Virginia upset would not surprise me.
Xavier-Arizona: I don't really know either of these teams, haven't watched Xavier at all. I watched Arizona over St. Mary's and for the most part I was impressed with St. Mary's but they ran out of gas near the end, so I know Arizona is deep enough to hang with a good team and come out the other side. But I also would've thought that about Florida State...and Xavier just dropkicked them. Xavier is the house money-est of all these teams, I'll stick with them to throw Arizona for a loop.
Kansas-Purdue: Caleb Swanigan has really impressed me so far in this tournament, looking forward to see him in the NBA next year (reminds me of Marc Gasol, Chris Webber and...yeah, I'll say it....Arvydas Sabonis, the ultimate white whale of pro basketball). He's got size, skill and poise...unfortunately I can't say that I've been terribly impressed with anyone else in a Purdue uniform. My gut is Swanigan will bring it and really shine out but Kansas will be the better team and move on. Coming in I thought Kansas was...not the most likely to win but the least likely to not win...that make sense? They're a veteran squad that does what they need to do to win the game and my pick to win it all (well, my non-Kentucky pick, obviously). As much as I love Swanigan's game, he can't do it himself against a top flight squad like Kansas.
Oregon-Michigan: Oregon wasn't at their best coming into the tourney while Michigan had just finished an improbable run through the Big Ten tournament after a so-so regular season. Michigan is rising, Oregon is treading water, which makes them about even. This game is a total toss-up and I don't know either of them well enough to have a sense of how they match-up. I'll take...Michigan?
Butler-North Carolina: I thought UNC got lucky against Arkansas, a coupla bad breaks (and questionable calls) doomed Arkansas. UNC has the talent and the depth but (*ahem*) those ACC teams play a little loose for my tastes. Butler is gonna play their game the right way and leave it on the court, whereas UNC may shine out or they may have their minds on other things. The average favors Butler, the high/low favors/dooms UNC. I'll take the average, I think Butler wins this game.
UCLA-Kentucky: This is the one everyone's waiting for. Kentucky has the sloppy habit of getting down early and digging their way out; they've been able to pull that off many times this year but UCLA is one of this season's opponents where they were not able to pull off the comeback. UCLA didn't blow out UK in that game but they held the lead throughout. *hater talk* I don't like this UCLA team as much as most people do. Ball can be great but he can throw it away too and as good as their outside shooting is, it can dry up. UK plays tenacious D and has an explosive offense. I dunno, I am a homer, but I'll take UK in the re-match.
Thornwell (South Carolina) and Swanigan (Purdue) are probably my two favorite players so far. We'll see who comes up big from here.
I thought going in that the opening weekend would be pretty mellow on upsets but then the Sweet Sixteen on would be an all-time classic demolition derby. I was kinda close: Villanova, Duke, Louisville and Florida State forgot to make the trip but all the rest are here. And on any given day, any one of those teams above can win it all (or get run out of the gym). Of the interlopers: Wisconsin (#9) and Michigan (#42) just met in the Big 10 Championship, South Carolina (NR) bounced in and out of the top 25 all year long and Xavier (#7) was a pre-season top 10 squad that suffered some untimely injuries but played a tough schedule. So none of the 'Cinderellas' are particularly out of left field.
Who comes out alive? I filled out two brackets and ended up with two entirely different Final Fours, so the difference between the remaining teams is minimal, man. I think all eight games are interesting match-ups.
Wisconsin-Florida: Wisconsin played grind it out defense, Florida plays crank it up offense. If Florida is hot I think they'll win but if they can't get going Wisconsin will swallow them up. I suspect Florida is the better team.
Baylor-South Carolina: Baylor is not terribly flashy but they're a consistent team, they're gonna grind their way through this game the way they do every other game and they should be better than South Carolina. I loved the way Carolina finished off Duke: they stepped up and made their free throws. Every coach needs to whip out the last 10 minutes of that game to show the importance of fundamental basketball. If South Carolina can score as efficiently as they did against Duke, then they can sneak past Baylor, who has a solid average but probably won't hit home runs. I'll take Baylor.
Gonzaga-West Virginia: Gonzaga is arguably the best team in the nation this season: reliable down low, explosive on the perimeter, they have veteran smarts and good athletes. But West Virginia plays a tricky irritating defense that catches even the steadiest squads off guard. I think Gonzaga is the better team and should win the game but a West Virginia upset would not surprise me.
Xavier-Arizona: I don't really know either of these teams, haven't watched Xavier at all. I watched Arizona over St. Mary's and for the most part I was impressed with St. Mary's but they ran out of gas near the end, so I know Arizona is deep enough to hang with a good team and come out the other side. But I also would've thought that about Florida State...and Xavier just dropkicked them. Xavier is the house money-est of all these teams, I'll stick with them to throw Arizona for a loop.
Kansas-Purdue: Caleb Swanigan has really impressed me so far in this tournament, looking forward to see him in the NBA next year (reminds me of Marc Gasol, Chris Webber and...yeah, I'll say it....Arvydas Sabonis, the ultimate white whale of pro basketball). He's got size, skill and poise...unfortunately I can't say that I've been terribly impressed with anyone else in a Purdue uniform. My gut is Swanigan will bring it and really shine out but Kansas will be the better team and move on. Coming in I thought Kansas was...not the most likely to win but the least likely to not win...that make sense? They're a veteran squad that does what they need to do to win the game and my pick to win it all (well, my non-Kentucky pick, obviously). As much as I love Swanigan's game, he can't do it himself against a top flight squad like Kansas.
Oregon-Michigan: Oregon wasn't at their best coming into the tourney while Michigan had just finished an improbable run through the Big Ten tournament after a so-so regular season. Michigan is rising, Oregon is treading water, which makes them about even. This game is a total toss-up and I don't know either of them well enough to have a sense of how they match-up. I'll take...Michigan?
Butler-North Carolina: I thought UNC got lucky against Arkansas, a coupla bad breaks (and questionable calls) doomed Arkansas. UNC has the talent and the depth but (*ahem*) those ACC teams play a little loose for my tastes. Butler is gonna play their game the right way and leave it on the court, whereas UNC may shine out or they may have their minds on other things. The average favors Butler, the high/low favors/dooms UNC. I'll take the average, I think Butler wins this game.
UCLA-Kentucky: This is the one everyone's waiting for. Kentucky has the sloppy habit of getting down early and digging their way out; they've been able to pull that off many times this year but UCLA is one of this season's opponents where they were not able to pull off the comeback. UCLA didn't blow out UK in that game but they held the lead throughout. *hater talk* I don't like this UCLA team as much as most people do. Ball can be great but he can throw it away too and as good as their outside shooting is, it can dry up. UK plays tenacious D and has an explosive offense. I dunno, I am a homer, but I'll take UK in the re-match.
Thornwell (South Carolina) and Swanigan (Purdue) are probably my two favorite players so far. We'll see who comes up big from here.
Thursday, March 2, 2017
NCAA B-Ball
With pro sports I watch all the teams, each game interests me. But with college basketball I pretty much only watch Kentucky until the tournament. So this is just a basic sketch of what I've noticed about basketball as we had into the conference tournaments.
I think there are a lot of deeply talented teams that can play too loose for their own good on any given night. That's definitely what I would say about Kentucky but that seems to be true of Duke, UCLA, North Carolina, Louisville, Arizona and Baylor too. On any given night any of those teams can blast past their opponent and the next game they can stumble around and look like a bunch of leftovers.
Right now I gotta say Kansas is the best all around squad. Not that they have the most talent, I don't think they do, but I think they are solid at every position and they don't play stupid. They're used to working for their wins, they don't panic, they keep control when times get tough. Let me rephrase that: they're not the best team, they are the team most likely to be there at the end. I suspect Villanova might be 2nd for similar reasons.
Duke has the deepest team but this is not a cohesive squad, UCLA is fun to watch and talented but I'm not convinced they're winning squad, North Carolina has plenty of good players but they've got a soft underbelly, Louisville and Arizona both have talent and luck but neither have the consistency needed to get hot in the tourney. Baylor matches well with some teams but could get run out of the gym to others. Kentucky, the team I've watched a lot this year, has explosive scoring and active defense but they lose focus and sputter at times; if you've been watching them all year long you can see how they're going to lose: getting down 10 early on is fine against a weak opponent but it also shows a lack of maturity that will doom them deep in the tournament (flip side: if they win it all, it'll be an amazingly exciting tourney!).
I haven't seen Gonzaga or Butler, I haven't been terribly impressed by Oregon or Florida. I have no sense of who the out-of-nowhere- teams will be largely because I've enjoyed all the classic programs rising to the top with the talent. But all that talent is green. I think the veteran squads have the best chance this season. We'll see, tournament time is right around the corner.
I think there are a lot of deeply talented teams that can play too loose for their own good on any given night. That's definitely what I would say about Kentucky but that seems to be true of Duke, UCLA, North Carolina, Louisville, Arizona and Baylor too. On any given night any of those teams can blast past their opponent and the next game they can stumble around and look like a bunch of leftovers.
Right now I gotta say Kansas is the best all around squad. Not that they have the most talent, I don't think they do, but I think they are solid at every position and they don't play stupid. They're used to working for their wins, they don't panic, they keep control when times get tough. Let me rephrase that: they're not the best team, they are the team most likely to be there at the end. I suspect Villanova might be 2nd for similar reasons.
Duke has the deepest team but this is not a cohesive squad, UCLA is fun to watch and talented but I'm not convinced they're winning squad, North Carolina has plenty of good players but they've got a soft underbelly, Louisville and Arizona both have talent and luck but neither have the consistency needed to get hot in the tourney. Baylor matches well with some teams but could get run out of the gym to others. Kentucky, the team I've watched a lot this year, has explosive scoring and active defense but they lose focus and sputter at times; if you've been watching them all year long you can see how they're going to lose: getting down 10 early on is fine against a weak opponent but it also shows a lack of maturity that will doom them deep in the tournament (flip side: if they win it all, it'll be an amazingly exciting tourney!).
I haven't seen Gonzaga or Butler, I haven't been terribly impressed by Oregon or Florida. I have no sense of who the out-of-nowhere- teams will be largely because I've enjoyed all the classic programs rising to the top with the talent. But all that talent is green. I think the veteran squads have the best chance this season. We'll see, tournament time is right around the corner.
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