We'll start off strong with Chris Mortensen of ESPN and will have some Jags-Bolts talk with Matt Mosley. It's never early to talk about next season especially if you bleed teal, so let's talk about some potential coaching candidates for next season with Chris Mortensen:
"It's early and even difficult to tell whether there will be many (if any) coaching changes. Cowher is an obvious one, as is Marty Schottenheimer. I don't think Jason Garrett is going anywhere. Jim Mora Jr. could get another shot. Jags defensive coordinator Mike Smith and Miss. State coach Sylvester Croom - who was a very good NFL assistant for 17 years - may get a look, too. That's just off the top of my head."
Don't forget Mike Martz, but now let's get to the games.
-Who would have thought that the Browns would be road favorites in Baltimore, but the Ravens have been funkier than the bathroom after Thanksgiving dinner. I'll look for Cleveland to have another good first half to take the lead, but not blow it against an anemic Baltimore offense that's clumsier than your nosy mother-in-law who likes interfering with everything. Like your in-laws, it's a lose-lose for the Ravens. Cleveland by a healthy margin.
-The Chargers looked awful in their win over the Colts last week, and the Jaguars looked nice in a big win over Tennessee. Matt Mosley talks about the keys to this one:
"I think the Jaguars have spent a lot of time looking to see what the Vikings did against the Chargers. The Vikes are the most one-dimensional team in football, but Adrian Peterson still put up record numbers. I'm baffled by how poorly the Chargers offense is playing. Rivers has regressed even though Norv Turner has such a great reputation for working with quarterbacks. I think this offense will continue to be inconsistent, and that's an indictment of Turner."
Norv may have been indicted and blamed more often than a certain big-headed former SF Giant. But I think that the Jaguars will be able to run it well and control the clock, and ultimately the game against the Chargers.
-I think that the Dolphins will cover a 10 point spread in Philly. John Beck may be the QB, but it took a collapse by Washington for the Eagles to come away with a win, and I expect Miami to keep it close with a big day from Chatman. Phins cover!!
-Why have I liked the Raiders so much? I don't know, but I'm going with them in Daunte Culpepper's return to Minnesota, which has not garnered much publicity because both teams suck. But I think that 'Pepper will be motivated, and Da Raidaz will win over the AP-less Vikes.
-There has to be a reason why the Colts are favored by 2 TD's over a pretty good Chiefs team. Perhaps it's a combination of no Larry Johnson, and a QB desperate to shake off an embarrassing outing (and that QB isn't Brodie Croyle). So I'll go with Indy on this one, because they have to be favored by that much for a reason.
-The Panthers are in the official SOS Doghouse. And they're certainly not coming out of it this week against Favre and the Packers who will be able to control the run and force whatever helpless QB Carolina puts out there. Steve Smith will once again be frustrated, and the Panthers will be at Brett Favre's mercy, like your overweight aunt to mom's pumpkin pie. Green Bay by at least a dozen.
-If the Lions want to make a statement in the NFC, they have to at least give the run a chance or Jon Kitna will be on the ground like your alcoholic cousin who never knows his limits. I think that New York will get to Kitna often and Brandon Jacobs will do well enough for the Giatns to come out of Ford Field with the much needed victory.
-This is a trapper for the Bucs in Atlanta, but I think they'll barely squeeze out of it. Warrick Dunn is always amped against Tampa, but expect the Bucs to do just enough for the win plus the three.
-What New Orleans team will show up? Four straight wins, or the one who couldn't stop the Rams? Since I like Sean Payton, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and give this pick 'em game to the Brees-Colston connection and New Orleans. But expect a big day from Andre Johnson.
-The Bills' Obi Wan was Marshawn Lynch, and he's probably out for the Patriots game. So unless Brady pulls a Romo/Peyton on Sunday night, the Pats will take this one big, but It'll be close early.
-I like the way the Cardinals played last week against the Lions, and I'm enticed to take them at the Bengals and I will. Though they looked good against Baltimore last week, the Ravens are playing horrible football and I expect Arizona to take it in The Jungle.
-The Steelers are oozing with confidence, and I'll expect a classis Pittsburgh outing with lots of Willie Parker and lots of smiles in the end. PGH over NYJ big.
-I think the Rams are better than the Niners, and I don't even think it's close. That's a statement considering that St Louis was winless before last week. But Frisco has nothing, and the Rams will take the game and cause further insult to a once proud franchise.
-The Redskins are missing key members of their secondary including Sean Taylor, so expect Tony Romo and co to impose their will against Washington especially as the game goes by. Expect Clinton Portis to have a pretty good game, and expect the Skins to try to heave it over the top. But I expect Dallas to pull away late for a double digit win.
-Rexy returns! And so does the losing. Seattle will be up for this one in a playoffs rematch and expect the Seahawks to get the last laugh.
-Denver is never a good place to play at in a prime time game. Expect the Broncos' Selvin Young to be the star rather than former teammate Vince, and watch the Broncos get a big statement win over the Titans.
Stubhub
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Friday, November 16, 2007
Around The Majors- Friday
Barry Bonds talk with ESPN Page 2's Jonah Keri, news, and rumors for yet another baseball day on SOS.
-So Bonds will probably never play Major League Baseball again. Is this where I sob or climb up high to my soap box? I actually feel pretty indifferent on the subject and am pleased to see Barry go away from the baseball scene for a while, or maybe not. I follow the independent Long Island Ducks, and they had John Rocker on their roster a few years ago, and Jose Canseco and Rickey Henderson played for the Newark Bears of the Atlantic League. So why not Barroids?
"I like the way you think." Keri said. Gotta love flattery, right?
"It's funny, when the Bonds news came down the pike, here were my two immediate reactions, in order:
1) Really? The government has nothing better to do but to charge a baseball player with perjury? Iraq's a disaster, Pakistan is on the verge of becoming a disaster, health care's got problems, the education system is a joke in many states, we're on the verge of a theocracy in this country, and Barry Bonds is their #1 priority?!
2) Too bad, Bonds would've been the best free agent bargain of the winter, by a mile. A's could've parlayed him into a run at the AL West title."
The government always loves high profile cases that they can get their noses into. When Congress hosted all those players for the steroids season, they were giddier than John Madden at a Brett Favre convention. Bonds and Billy Beane would have been perfect fits together, because love it or hate it Bonds is an optimal Moneyball player. Gets on base more than anyone in a while, hits jacks, and rarely ever strikes out. But that's all for naught now.
-Derek Jeter may owe millions in income taxes, so he's not perfect. Wait, so he's not God?
-Mariano Rivera still wants that 4th year, but this may end up like the A-Rod thing. Nobody may offer him a 4th year, and he'll come to the team that has the overwhelmingly best offer. That is once again New York.
-I don't agree with the Yankees offering Mike Lowell 4 years and 50-55 million to play first base. He's in his 30's and they would put him out of position, which would be insane considering Lowell is a superb defender at the hot corner. Once again, Boston seems sensible as they're offering 3 years and 35-45 million. My hope is that the Phillies get him, but they're likely to go after pitching.
-The Braves are closing in on making a contract offer to Tom Glavine. Glavine has said that he'd take less money than he got last year from the Mets to pitch in Atlanta. He'd join Smoltz, Hudson, James, and Jurrjens to make a nice rotation.
-The Red Sox are adding 900 seats to Fenway Park for next season, and $25 standing room tickets. Now not being able to stand baseball will only cost 25 bucks. A bargain.
-Aaron Rowand could go to the Dodgers, according to the Riverside Press Enterprise.
-Jake Peavy may take a hometown discount on a contract extension, says the San Diego Union-Tribune.
-Lowell could decide as soon as this weekend, according to the Boston Herald.
-The Tigers are interested in Livan Hernandez, according to the Detroit Free Press.
-The White Sox want to deal Joe Crede, says tha Daily Herald.
-The New York Post reports that Paul Lo Duca could go to Florida or Colorado.
- Arizona is interested in Bartolo Colon and Matt Clement, according to the Arizona Republic. The team will not deal Conor Jackson.
-The Marlins, Padres, and Rockies have interest in Michael Barrett. (Palm Beach Post)
-Milwaukee may sign Jason Kendall to be their Catcher. (Brewers.com)
-Kenny Rogers wants to stay with the Tigers. (Detroittigers.com)
-The New York Daily News reports that the Yankees and Jose Molina have agreed on a 2 year extension worth 4 million.
-The Mets have interest in Octavio Dotel. (New York Times)
-So Bonds will probably never play Major League Baseball again. Is this where I sob or climb up high to my soap box? I actually feel pretty indifferent on the subject and am pleased to see Barry go away from the baseball scene for a while, or maybe not. I follow the independent Long Island Ducks, and they had John Rocker on their roster a few years ago, and Jose Canseco and Rickey Henderson played for the Newark Bears of the Atlantic League. So why not Barroids?
"I like the way you think." Keri said. Gotta love flattery, right?
"It's funny, when the Bonds news came down the pike, here were my two immediate reactions, in order:
1) Really? The government has nothing better to do but to charge a baseball player with perjury? Iraq's a disaster, Pakistan is on the verge of becoming a disaster, health care's got problems, the education system is a joke in many states, we're on the verge of a theocracy in this country, and Barry Bonds is their #1 priority?!
2) Too bad, Bonds would've been the best free agent bargain of the winter, by a mile. A's could've parlayed him into a run at the AL West title."
The government always loves high profile cases that they can get their noses into. When Congress hosted all those players for the steroids season, they were giddier than John Madden at a Brett Favre convention. Bonds and Billy Beane would have been perfect fits together, because love it or hate it Bonds is an optimal Moneyball player. Gets on base more than anyone in a while, hits jacks, and rarely ever strikes out. But that's all for naught now.
-Derek Jeter may owe millions in income taxes, so he's not perfect. Wait, so he's not God?
-Mariano Rivera still wants that 4th year, but this may end up like the A-Rod thing. Nobody may offer him a 4th year, and he'll come to the team that has the overwhelmingly best offer. That is once again New York.
-I don't agree with the Yankees offering Mike Lowell 4 years and 50-55 million to play first base. He's in his 30's and they would put him out of position, which would be insane considering Lowell is a superb defender at the hot corner. Once again, Boston seems sensible as they're offering 3 years and 35-45 million. My hope is that the Phillies get him, but they're likely to go after pitching.
-The Braves are closing in on making a contract offer to Tom Glavine. Glavine has said that he'd take less money than he got last year from the Mets to pitch in Atlanta. He'd join Smoltz, Hudson, James, and Jurrjens to make a nice rotation.
-The Red Sox are adding 900 seats to Fenway Park for next season, and $25 standing room tickets. Now not being able to stand baseball will only cost 25 bucks. A bargain.
-Aaron Rowand could go to the Dodgers, according to the Riverside Press Enterprise.
-Jake Peavy may take a hometown discount on a contract extension, says the San Diego Union-Tribune.
-Lowell could decide as soon as this weekend, according to the Boston Herald.
-The Tigers are interested in Livan Hernandez, according to the Detroit Free Press.
-The White Sox want to deal Joe Crede, says tha Daily Herald.
-The New York Post reports that Paul Lo Duca could go to Florida or Colorado.
- Arizona is interested in Bartolo Colon and Matt Clement, according to the Arizona Republic. The team will not deal Conor Jackson.
-The Marlins, Padres, and Rockies have interest in Michael Barrett. (Palm Beach Post)
-Milwaukee may sign Jason Kendall to be their Catcher. (Brewers.com)
-Kenny Rogers wants to stay with the Tigers. (Detroittigers.com)
-The New York Daily News reports that the Yankees and Jose Molina have agreed on a 2 year extension worth 4 million.
-The Mets have interest in Octavio Dotel. (New York Times)
Thursday, November 15, 2007
N.B.A. Today
Last night's scores, the upcoming schedule, and the latest news will be right here sprinkled with analysis from lead SOS analyst Cameron Berns and ESPN basketball guru Chad Ford.
Scores & Analysis
Atlanta got a much needed win over Charlotte last night 117-109 behind 34 points and 10 assists from Joe Johnson. Wallace and Richardson each had 27 in the loss. Despite a triple double from LeBron James, Orlando continued its early season run with a 117-116 OT win over the Cavaliers. Dwight Howard had 35 and 16 in the win. The struggling Wizards got a much needed 103-90 win over Indiana as Gilbert Arenas scored 30 with 11 assists. The Pacers have dropped five in a row and are playing like everyone expected them to. Utah has won 5 in a row as they won in Toronto 92-88. Carlos Boozer had 23 points and 14 rebounds in the win, and Andrei Kirilenko had 8 points, 9 boards, 11 assists, 5 steals, and 2 blocks. That's what I like to call a Swiss Army game. The Celtics manhandled the Nets 91-69 to go to 7-0, but Berns is worried that the Celts stars would burn out come playoff time at the rate they're going:
"Boston is playing its stars too many minutes which could come back to haunt them aroud playoff time."
Dwayne Wade returned from injury, but the Heat lost to the Sonics 104-95 as Durant and Seattle got their first win of the year. I can definitely see Miami having an awful season, so I asked Chad Ford if the Heat would be big sellers come February:
"What do they have to sell? Dwyane Wade? That's the one guy they want to keep. Ricky Davis may have some value because he's in the last year of his deal. Ditto for Jason Williams. But they don't have a lot of coveted players to move."
The Hornets are 7-2, and ranked #2 this week in John Hollinger's power rankings? They beat the Sixers 95-76 and I asked Ford if New Orleans were really that good:
"They're good. They have a great point guard (Chris Paul) and Tyson Chandler is coming into his own (don't the Bulls wish they had him instead of Ben Wallace right now). They've been smart about building the team. David West is good. Mo Peterson looks like a good pickup. Peja has been up and down, but he's a good veteran leader. I think they're a playoff team for sure. Not sure they're the second best team in the West. But they look like that proverbial team no one would want to meet in the first round. Of course this is November. Ask me again in March."
Michael Redd hit a late jumper in Milwaukee's 102-99 home win over Memphis. Redd had 31 and Andrew Bogut had 23 and 12 in the victory. Minnesota got their first win 108-103 over woeful Sacramento as Rashad McCants had 33 in the victory. The Kings blow. Denver keeps rolling as Carmelo Anthony scored 25 in a 110-93 triumph over Portland. The Lakers got a nice road win in Houston 93-90 and Berns had some choice words for the Rockets:
" Houston is the most overated team in the league.( If you don't believe me watch the first half of their loss to the Lakers last night)." Houston was pretty bad in the first half and couldn't come back in time for the win. Berns also believes that the Bulls and Cavs are just .500 teams. Detroit beat the Warriors, and the dysfunctional Knicks fell to the Clippers.
TV Schedule
Tonight on TNT, Tim Duncan and the Spurs head to Dallas in a rivalry match with Dirk and Dallas followed by the Bulls at Steve Nash and the Suns.
A Friday night ESPN twinbill has Yao and the Rockets visiting San Antonio followed by the Pistons facing Kobe and the Lakers.
NBATV has the Bulls at Clippers on Saturday night.
NBATV has a great matchup on Sunday night as the BIG 3 of Boston travel to Orlando to battle Dwight Howard and the Magic.
NBATV on Monday has Kevin Durant and the Sonics taking on Pau Gasol and Memphis.
NBATV Tuesday has the Spurs facing Joe Johnson and the Hawks.
Dallas plays at Houston Wednesday on ESPN.
The league is off on Thanksgiving.
Scores & Analysis
Atlanta got a much needed win over Charlotte last night 117-109 behind 34 points and 10 assists from Joe Johnson. Wallace and Richardson each had 27 in the loss. Despite a triple double from LeBron James, Orlando continued its early season run with a 117-116 OT win over the Cavaliers. Dwight Howard had 35 and 16 in the win. The struggling Wizards got a much needed 103-90 win over Indiana as Gilbert Arenas scored 30 with 11 assists. The Pacers have dropped five in a row and are playing like everyone expected them to. Utah has won 5 in a row as they won in Toronto 92-88. Carlos Boozer had 23 points and 14 rebounds in the win, and Andrei Kirilenko had 8 points, 9 boards, 11 assists, 5 steals, and 2 blocks. That's what I like to call a Swiss Army game. The Celtics manhandled the Nets 91-69 to go to 7-0, but Berns is worried that the Celts stars would burn out come playoff time at the rate they're going:
"Boston is playing its stars too many minutes which could come back to haunt them aroud playoff time."
Dwayne Wade returned from injury, but the Heat lost to the Sonics 104-95 as Durant and Seattle got their first win of the year. I can definitely see Miami having an awful season, so I asked Chad Ford if the Heat would be big sellers come February:
"What do they have to sell? Dwyane Wade? That's the one guy they want to keep. Ricky Davis may have some value because he's in the last year of his deal. Ditto for Jason Williams. But they don't have a lot of coveted players to move."
The Hornets are 7-2, and ranked #2 this week in John Hollinger's power rankings? They beat the Sixers 95-76 and I asked Ford if New Orleans were really that good:
"They're good. They have a great point guard (Chris Paul) and Tyson Chandler is coming into his own (don't the Bulls wish they had him instead of Ben Wallace right now). They've been smart about building the team. David West is good. Mo Peterson looks like a good pickup. Peja has been up and down, but he's a good veteran leader. I think they're a playoff team for sure. Not sure they're the second best team in the West. But they look like that proverbial team no one would want to meet in the first round. Of course this is November. Ask me again in March."
Michael Redd hit a late jumper in Milwaukee's 102-99 home win over Memphis. Redd had 31 and Andrew Bogut had 23 and 12 in the victory. Minnesota got their first win 108-103 over woeful Sacramento as Rashad McCants had 33 in the victory. The Kings blow. Denver keeps rolling as Carmelo Anthony scored 25 in a 110-93 triumph over Portland. The Lakers got a nice road win in Houston 93-90 and Berns had some choice words for the Rockets:
" Houston is the most overated team in the league.( If you don't believe me watch the first half of their loss to the Lakers last night)." Houston was pretty bad in the first half and couldn't come back in time for the win. Berns also believes that the Bulls and Cavs are just .500 teams. Detroit beat the Warriors, and the dysfunctional Knicks fell to the Clippers.
TV Schedule
Tonight on TNT, Tim Duncan and the Spurs head to Dallas in a rivalry match with Dirk and Dallas followed by the Bulls at Steve Nash and the Suns.
A Friday night ESPN twinbill has Yao and the Rockets visiting San Antonio followed by the Pistons facing Kobe and the Lakers.
NBATV has the Bulls at Clippers on Saturday night.
NBATV has a great matchup on Sunday night as the BIG 3 of Boston travel to Orlando to battle Dwight Howard and the Magic.
NBATV on Monday has Kevin Durant and the Sonics taking on Pau Gasol and Memphis.
NBATV Tuesday has the Spurs facing Joe Johnson and the Hawks.
Dallas plays at Houston Wednesday on ESPN.
The league is off on Thanksgiving.
Around The Majors- Thursday
SOS2 presents a special ATM today, because the hot stove is too smokin to ignore.
-A-Rod is negotiating basically by himself with Hank Steinbrenner for a new contract, and there are opinions from all angles on how this impacts and/or weakens Scott Boras' stranglehold on the industry. Buster Olney said today that Boras "overplayed the perfect hand" and that this will be a signifigcant red mark for Boras. Another intriguing stance came from Keith Law, who did not rule out the possibility of Boras purposely letting Rodriguez virtually negotiate by himself because that would maximize his chance for a bigger contract which could be as high as 290 million, according to a report this morning on MLB.com.
"Scott Boras really is smart." Law posted in his weekly chat on ESPN.com. "I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt any time there's a question about his strategy." If there isn't a question on his strategy now, I don't think there would ever be any doubt placed on Boras. This is obviously a very interesting story, and keep it here for the duration of this day for breaking news stories.
-Jake Peavy was the unanimous winner of the NL Cy Young Award after leading the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts, which is the pitchers' version of the triple crown. This is the 12th time in NL history that an award was given unanimously, and the first since 2002 when Randy Johnson took it. If this is any consolation for the Diamondbacks fans, Brandon Webb was nearly the unanimous 2nd place, getting 31 of the 32 2nd place votes. Brad Penny came in 3rd.
-A New York Mets plan to split time at Catcher between Ramon Castro and Yorvit Torrealba may come to fruition as soon as today. Torrealba's agent Mark Roman told ESPN Radio in New York (the official station of SOS)that he'll sign a 3 year deal with New York today which will be worth 14.4 million dollars according to Newsday. Both Catchers will provide power to the position.
-Bud Selig said that MLB took in 6.075 BILLION dollars in revenue this season which should probably mean that the small market teams likely took in enough green to have higher payrolls. That will never happen, but there may be a shortage in excuses right about now for those penny pinching owners. -Even as the Yankees appear to be on the verge of signing Rodriguez, they still have interest in World Series MVP Mike Lowell to play first base, according to the New York Post and the Newark Star Ledger. Lowell's agent Seth Levinson said that the two parties have engaged in conversation.
-According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, Mariano Rivera wants a 4th guaranteed year with the Yankees, which is why he has not yet accepted a 3 year, 45 million dollar offer. Whether another team like the Dodgers give him that 4th year is yet to be seen.
More reports and content will stream in as the afternoon and evening goes by right here on SprungOnSports2.
-A-Rod is negotiating basically by himself with Hank Steinbrenner for a new contract, and there are opinions from all angles on how this impacts and/or weakens Scott Boras' stranglehold on the industry. Buster Olney said today that Boras "overplayed the perfect hand" and that this will be a signifigcant red mark for Boras. Another intriguing stance came from Keith Law, who did not rule out the possibility of Boras purposely letting Rodriguez virtually negotiate by himself because that would maximize his chance for a bigger contract which could be as high as 290 million, according to a report this morning on MLB.com.
"Scott Boras really is smart." Law posted in his weekly chat on ESPN.com. "I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt any time there's a question about his strategy." If there isn't a question on his strategy now, I don't think there would ever be any doubt placed on Boras. This is obviously a very interesting story, and keep it here for the duration of this day for breaking news stories.
-Jake Peavy was the unanimous winner of the NL Cy Young Award after leading the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts, which is the pitchers' version of the triple crown. This is the 12th time in NL history that an award was given unanimously, and the first since 2002 when Randy Johnson took it. If this is any consolation for the Diamondbacks fans, Brandon Webb was nearly the unanimous 2nd place, getting 31 of the 32 2nd place votes. Brad Penny came in 3rd.
-A New York Mets plan to split time at Catcher between Ramon Castro and Yorvit Torrealba may come to fruition as soon as today. Torrealba's agent Mark Roman told ESPN Radio in New York (the official station of SOS)that he'll sign a 3 year deal with New York today which will be worth 14.4 million dollars according to Newsday. Both Catchers will provide power to the position.
-Bud Selig said that MLB took in 6.075 BILLION dollars in revenue this season which should probably mean that the small market teams likely took in enough green to have higher payrolls. That will never happen, but there may be a shortage in excuses right about now for those penny pinching owners. -Even as the Yankees appear to be on the verge of signing Rodriguez, they still have interest in World Series MVP Mike Lowell to play first base, according to the New York Post and the Newark Star Ledger. Lowell's agent Seth Levinson said that the two parties have engaged in conversation.
-According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, Mariano Rivera wants a 4th guaranteed year with the Yankees, which is why he has not yet accepted a 3 year, 45 million dollar offer. Whether another team like the Dodgers give him that 4th year is yet to be seen.
More reports and content will stream in as the afternoon and evening goes by right here on SprungOnSports2.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
College Hoops Wednesday
There were some great games yesterday and more awesome action today. I'll go inside Syracuse's dramatic win over St Joe's.
Tuesday Capper
Siena and UTEP recorded early wins. Michigan State is supposed to be a top 10 team led by Drew Neitzel, but nobody talked about Raymar Morgan who scored 25 and pulled 15 rebounds in an 86-52 rout of Chicago State. Neitzel had 12 points and 8 assists.
SOS2 Inside- Syracuse vs St Joe's
Freshman Jonny Flynn hit a top of the key three with 5 seconds left to lift the Orange to a 72-69 win over the Hawks at the Carrier Dome. St Joe's started off on a tear going out to a 12-0 lead but Syracuse put some good runs together to get a 33-30 halftime lead. The team is young and will have a lot of growing pains, but with Flynn and Donte Greene the team will have to take the inexplicable mistakes with the flashes of greatness. The Cuse built a double digit lead early in the 2nd, but Phil Martelli's club came back to keep it tight the rest of the way. The Hawks were 11-26 from 3 point range, and Darrin Govens hit 6 threes and finished with 22 points, as did senior forward Pat Calathes who had 22 points with 8 boards and 6 assists. Flynn only had 5 points, but he had 6 assists and his only field goal was hit when it mattered most. Greene had 18 points and 8 rebounds, and Paul Harris tore it up with 18 points to go with 14 rebounds and 6 helpers. The Orange has the firepower to succeed, but will have to overcome the mistakes that they'll inevitably make along the way. Keep it here for the best insight and analysis.
-Buffalo beat USF, George Mason defeated Cleveland State, and Shan Foster poured in 21 points with 8 rebounds in a good 77-70 win at Toledo. Holy Cross won at Fairfield, and Alabama got 28 points and 14 rebounds from Bakari Hendrix in a hard fought 90-83 win at Mercer. Auburn, UAB, UIC, and Missouri recorded wins. DeMarre Carroll had 16 and 8 in the Tigers 79-55 win over Fordham. Eniel Polynice had 28 and 7 as Ole Miss edged South Alabama, and Dan Geriot had 22, 10, and 5 in Richmond's OT win at East Carolina. Miami (OH) edged Xavier, and Utah, Gardner-Webb, Gonzaga, and UNLV were victorious. Derrick Low scored 26 as Wazzu beat Boise State, Kosta Koufos had 19 as Ohio State downed Columbia, TAMU beat Oral Roberts, and Kevin Love had 19 and 9 as UCLA routed San Bernardino. Chase Budinger had 26 points and 5 boards as Arizona beat Northern Arizona. Washington destroyed NJIT.
Wednesday Preview
Florida will host NC Central at 7pm on Full Court. Bucknell is at Towson, Michigan State hosts Louisiana-Monroe, and tonight's SOS featured game has Davidson and top ranked UNC doing battle in Charlotte at 7pm on ESPN. UW-Milwaukee is at Ball State, and BU will be at GW at 7:30. Iona is at Princeton, and St Francis (NY) will play at St John's at 7:30 on Full Court. At 8pm all on Full Court, Iowa State will be at Bradley, LSU will host McNeese State, OK State will be at North Texas, and Texas Tech will be at Sam Houston State. NIT Tip-Off is at 9pm on ESPNU as Texas A&M hosts UTEP in a really good matchup. Southern Miss will be at Cal at 10:30, and Washington will host Utah at 10:30 in the NIT on ESPN.
Tuesday Capper
Siena and UTEP recorded early wins. Michigan State is supposed to be a top 10 team led by Drew Neitzel, but nobody talked about Raymar Morgan who scored 25 and pulled 15 rebounds in an 86-52 rout of Chicago State. Neitzel had 12 points and 8 assists.
SOS2 Inside- Syracuse vs St Joe's
Freshman Jonny Flynn hit a top of the key three with 5 seconds left to lift the Orange to a 72-69 win over the Hawks at the Carrier Dome. St Joe's started off on a tear going out to a 12-0 lead but Syracuse put some good runs together to get a 33-30 halftime lead. The team is young and will have a lot of growing pains, but with Flynn and Donte Greene the team will have to take the inexplicable mistakes with the flashes of greatness. The Cuse built a double digit lead early in the 2nd, but Phil Martelli's club came back to keep it tight the rest of the way. The Hawks were 11-26 from 3 point range, and Darrin Govens hit 6 threes and finished with 22 points, as did senior forward Pat Calathes who had 22 points with 8 boards and 6 assists. Flynn only had 5 points, but he had 6 assists and his only field goal was hit when it mattered most. Greene had 18 points and 8 rebounds, and Paul Harris tore it up with 18 points to go with 14 rebounds and 6 helpers. The Orange has the firepower to succeed, but will have to overcome the mistakes that they'll inevitably make along the way. Keep it here for the best insight and analysis.
-Buffalo beat USF, George Mason defeated Cleveland State, and Shan Foster poured in 21 points with 8 rebounds in a good 77-70 win at Toledo. Holy Cross won at Fairfield, and Alabama got 28 points and 14 rebounds from Bakari Hendrix in a hard fought 90-83 win at Mercer. Auburn, UAB, UIC, and Missouri recorded wins. DeMarre Carroll had 16 and 8 in the Tigers 79-55 win over Fordham. Eniel Polynice had 28 and 7 as Ole Miss edged South Alabama, and Dan Geriot had 22, 10, and 5 in Richmond's OT win at East Carolina. Miami (OH) edged Xavier, and Utah, Gardner-Webb, Gonzaga, and UNLV were victorious. Derrick Low scored 26 as Wazzu beat Boise State, Kosta Koufos had 19 as Ohio State downed Columbia, TAMU beat Oral Roberts, and Kevin Love had 19 and 9 as UCLA routed San Bernardino. Chase Budinger had 26 points and 5 boards as Arizona beat Northern Arizona. Washington destroyed NJIT.
Wednesday Preview
Florida will host NC Central at 7pm on Full Court. Bucknell is at Towson, Michigan State hosts Louisiana-Monroe, and tonight's SOS featured game has Davidson and top ranked UNC doing battle in Charlotte at 7pm on ESPN. UW-Milwaukee is at Ball State, and BU will be at GW at 7:30. Iona is at Princeton, and St Francis (NY) will play at St John's at 7:30 on Full Court. At 8pm all on Full Court, Iowa State will be at Bradley, LSU will host McNeese State, OK State will be at North Texas, and Texas Tech will be at Sam Houston State. NIT Tip-Off is at 9pm on ESPNU as Texas A&M hosts UTEP in a really good matchup. Southern Miss will be at Cal at 10:30, and Washington will host Utah at 10:30 in the NIT on ESPN.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
NFL Daily Presents: Analytical Assault Week 10
Oh my, how the mighty have fallen. The great sink to new lows, streaks crumble, and one old geezer QB outlasts it all. And then, there's Baltimore........
Flash Forward
"Somewhere, Mel Brooks is smiling right now."
"If the Patriots are destiny's child, then Miami could be destiny's bastard child."
"Harder to figure out than Hillary Clinton's political views."
"Grab me a mirror, I look so good when I'm right."
-Brett Favre was like a hypnotist on Sunday. Minnesota bit his every fake, were fascinated by his every move. They were so in awe of him that they forgot that they're paid large craploads of cheddar to stop him. But King Cheesehead threw for over 350 and eclipsed the 60,000 yard mark and Dan Marino still pretends not to be jealous. They finally have a running game, while the Vikes still haven't found that QB guy, and will now be without Adrian Peterson for an extended period. When you hit so hard as a player, you're bound to get hurt. Favre completed passes to 10 different players, which is impressive considering that the Vikes barely had 10 completions on offense (16). Green Bay had it for over 40 minutes, and they're heads and shoulders (knees and toes) above Minnesota.
-What happens when you're strength turns into a weakness? You lose. The Titans found that out after their vaunted run defense got trampled by Freddy T and MJD. The Jags had 44 rushes and 23 passes, and controlled the pigskin for over 34 minutes. Vince Young threw 41 times which is a lot for someone who just isn't a good QB right now. You people have to stop being enamored with the "greatness" of VY and realize that he's not a very good passer. And when the overachieving running game went back to earth yesterday, Tennessee's chances were in Young's hands. And unlike State Farm, Young was not there, and he may not ever be there. The defense will have to carry the Titans if they want to reach the postseason. Because oh great Texas savior doesn't have your back.
-Running back reliance is very important in football (unless you're Favre). And when your top back is out, someone needs to step up and carry the load. Selvin Young did that for Denver in place of Travis Henry, Priest Holmes could not do that for an injured Larry Johnson. That was the difference, plain and simple. None of the QB's were very good, but the good offensive player from Texas came through when his team needed it, and Denver is back in the saddle again trying to go straight as piss to the promised land. Somewhere, Mel Brooks is smiling right now. I have now associated him with being a Broncos fan. That has nothing to do with this game, but Denver is definitely in this bad boy.
-If the Dolphins were gonna win a game this season, that might have been it. They owned a 10-2 lead over Buffalo, and everything looked good. But those scrappy Bills came back and won despite Miami having posession of the ball for almost 37 minutes. Jesse Chatman allowed the Phins to control the clock, and they played a very good game. But it looks like they could be a team of destiny. If the Patriots are destiny's child, then Miami could be destiny's bastard child. We'll see if Buffalo can keep this up against the Pats, of course Lynch will have to be back for them to have a chance. Miami will get there...one day.
-The Saints are harder to figure out than Hillary Clinton's political views (are they even there??). They reel off four straight wins and then get beat by a previously winless Rams team. St Louis had perfect run-pass balance and Steven Jackson and Antonio Pittman helped the Rams have ball possession for almost 40 minutes. Marc Bulger managed the game well, and Tory Holt had a very solid outing. New Orleans had an almost 4:1 pass to run ratio and that is clearly unacceptable. Drew Brees were picked off twice and will have to regain their momentum.
-The Steelers haven't hired too many head coaches in their history, and it looks like they've found another really good one in Mike Tomlin. Cleveland got great plays on defense and special teams in the first half, and connected on shots down the field led by Derek Anderson. But It may not be about the way the Browns played yesterday, It's probably about the way Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh defense adjusted in the second half. They closed off all the deep routes and forced Anderson to settle for check downs underneath. This strategy forces three and outs and allowed the Steelers to come back. Then you give the credit to Ben Roethlisberger for leading his team back, and to the Pittsburgh defense for shutting the Browns down in the 2nd half. The Steelers are an elite team, and played an superb 2nd half.
-The Redskins consistently fail to close out games. It's just not in their DNA, and the Eagles took advantage with a 20 point 4th quarter to save their season and reinvigorate a franchise that needed a jump start. Campbell, Thrash, and Portis did a great job of putting their team in a position to win. But Brian Westbrook was tremendous at the end of the game, and Washington helped the Eagle cause by committing more stupid penalties than a dyslexic accountant doing your taxes. It was a huge road win for Philly, as new life has been breathed into their season.
-Grab me a mirror, because I look so good when I'm right. I called the Falcons upset win over the Panthers, because the Panthers have fallen off the face of the earth. I wonder if Stephen Hawking ever looks at himself in the mirror and robotically types to himself "who's....the...man?" Well that's me right now without the science and with much more normal. Vinny Testaverde finally played like his age, and the running game was basically a nonfactor. Did you know that Vinny was college roommates with Thomas Jefferson? Atlanta didn't make any mistakes, and had a big drive late that ended with Joey Harrington coming through with a huge TD to Alge Crumpler. The last time Harrington and big drive late were said in the same sentence was Joey's tee shot on the 16th hole last winter. But I digress, good Falcons win, Panthers are underachieving more than the NYC Public School System.
-How pathetic are the Ravens? 6 turnovers again, and a loss to the Bengals who can barely get out of their own way. In fact, to make the players more comfortable with their surroundings, the coaches are now referred to as wardens, and locker rooms are holding cells. Steve McNair has hit the end of the road. He's fumbling more than Tiki Barber and Kerry Collins used to combined, and he isn't making good football decisions anymore. The defense can only do so much, I'm with Ray Lewis on this one. Brian Billick is once again under fire. Cincy scored their 21 points on 7 field goals. It's almost like they're allergic to the end zone, much like the Knicks who are allergic to making sense. I mean they break out in good decisions and wins, I mean who in their right mind would want that? Bottom line, both teams are awful but the Bengals are less terrible. The Ravens have some serious changing to do before they can show up on a consistent basis again.
-Rex to the rescue? It's been a wild ride for the Bears QB, but he came in for an injured Brian Griese and saved the Chicago season with a big win over Oakland. If Rex is actually successful getting the snap, he has the arm to hit the deep play and did so with Bernard Berrian. Josh McCown was brutal as usual, but Justin Fargas had a very solid day, but Chicago had that one quarter that saved their season (for now). We'll see if they can keep their momentum going.
-All the Cowboys had to do to beat the Giants and take a stranglehold of the NFC East was to stop making the critical mistakes. They made numerous penalties in the first half including just an insanely stupid taunting penalty. But the Giants evened it out with mistakes of their own, and the Cowboy talent prevailed late, as Tony Romo and Terrell Owens provided the fireworks in the win. What the Giants can't do is let this loss snowball, because they're still one of the best teams in the conference. They have a huge game at Detroit and need to be ready.
-Speaking of the Lions, I was shocked at the way them and the Cards played on Sunday. There were 9 combined turnovers, but Kurt Warner bounced back with a tremendous game, and they were able to control the clock for the win. The Arizona defense had 4 sacks and force a bunch of fumbles for the win. But the Lions rushed for negative 18 yards, and completely gave up on it. To win in this league, you have to be able to run the ball and the Lions won't be able to take it to the next level if they can't run the ball. Jon Kitna isn't mobile, and the defense can just go right after him if there's no remote threat of a running play. This was a terrible job by Detroit, and they have to regroup fast.
-We all know Peyton Manning had the worst game of his life, but they had a good chance to win because the Chargers defense was almost as dreadful. Darren Sproles and Antonio Cromartie were the main reasons that San Diego came up with the win, because Phil Rivers is just not a good QB this year. The Colts didn't deserve to win the game, but they came very close. But the Chargers offense needs to get into gear otherwise there's no way they can make the postseason. Maybe the AFC isn't as deep as we once thought. These were two of the best? Oy.
-I think Gardner-Webb could beat the 49ers in football. Alex Smith is terrible, but I put a lot of blame on Mike Nolan for not giving it to Frank Gore so much. He had 13 carries for 5.5 per rush, so why not give it to him more if your QB blows. The Seahawks were able to dominate with Alexander and Branch out, which shows how bad the Niners are.
Flash Forward
"Somewhere, Mel Brooks is smiling right now."
"If the Patriots are destiny's child, then Miami could be destiny's bastard child."
"Harder to figure out than Hillary Clinton's political views."
"Grab me a mirror, I look so good when I'm right."
-Brett Favre was like a hypnotist on Sunday. Minnesota bit his every fake, were fascinated by his every move. They were so in awe of him that they forgot that they're paid large craploads of cheddar to stop him. But King Cheesehead threw for over 350 and eclipsed the 60,000 yard mark and Dan Marino still pretends not to be jealous. They finally have a running game, while the Vikes still haven't found that QB guy, and will now be without Adrian Peterson for an extended period. When you hit so hard as a player, you're bound to get hurt. Favre completed passes to 10 different players, which is impressive considering that the Vikes barely had 10 completions on offense (16). Green Bay had it for over 40 minutes, and they're heads and shoulders (knees and toes) above Minnesota.
-What happens when you're strength turns into a weakness? You lose. The Titans found that out after their vaunted run defense got trampled by Freddy T and MJD. The Jags had 44 rushes and 23 passes, and controlled the pigskin for over 34 minutes. Vince Young threw 41 times which is a lot for someone who just isn't a good QB right now. You people have to stop being enamored with the "greatness" of VY and realize that he's not a very good passer. And when the overachieving running game went back to earth yesterday, Tennessee's chances were in Young's hands. And unlike State Farm, Young was not there, and he may not ever be there. The defense will have to carry the Titans if they want to reach the postseason. Because oh great Texas savior doesn't have your back.
-Running back reliance is very important in football (unless you're Favre). And when your top back is out, someone needs to step up and carry the load. Selvin Young did that for Denver in place of Travis Henry, Priest Holmes could not do that for an injured Larry Johnson. That was the difference, plain and simple. None of the QB's were very good, but the good offensive player from Texas came through when his team needed it, and Denver is back in the saddle again trying to go straight as piss to the promised land. Somewhere, Mel Brooks is smiling right now. I have now associated him with being a Broncos fan. That has nothing to do with this game, but Denver is definitely in this bad boy.
-If the Dolphins were gonna win a game this season, that might have been it. They owned a 10-2 lead over Buffalo, and everything looked good. But those scrappy Bills came back and won despite Miami having posession of the ball for almost 37 minutes. Jesse Chatman allowed the Phins to control the clock, and they played a very good game. But it looks like they could be a team of destiny. If the Patriots are destiny's child, then Miami could be destiny's bastard child. We'll see if Buffalo can keep this up against the Pats, of course Lynch will have to be back for them to have a chance. Miami will get there...one day.
-The Saints are harder to figure out than Hillary Clinton's political views (are they even there??). They reel off four straight wins and then get beat by a previously winless Rams team. St Louis had perfect run-pass balance and Steven Jackson and Antonio Pittman helped the Rams have ball possession for almost 40 minutes. Marc Bulger managed the game well, and Tory Holt had a very solid outing. New Orleans had an almost 4:1 pass to run ratio and that is clearly unacceptable. Drew Brees were picked off twice and will have to regain their momentum.
-The Steelers haven't hired too many head coaches in their history, and it looks like they've found another really good one in Mike Tomlin. Cleveland got great plays on defense and special teams in the first half, and connected on shots down the field led by Derek Anderson. But It may not be about the way the Browns played yesterday, It's probably about the way Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh defense adjusted in the second half. They closed off all the deep routes and forced Anderson to settle for check downs underneath. This strategy forces three and outs and allowed the Steelers to come back. Then you give the credit to Ben Roethlisberger for leading his team back, and to the Pittsburgh defense for shutting the Browns down in the 2nd half. The Steelers are an elite team, and played an superb 2nd half.
-The Redskins consistently fail to close out games. It's just not in their DNA, and the Eagles took advantage with a 20 point 4th quarter to save their season and reinvigorate a franchise that needed a jump start. Campbell, Thrash, and Portis did a great job of putting their team in a position to win. But Brian Westbrook was tremendous at the end of the game, and Washington helped the Eagle cause by committing more stupid penalties than a dyslexic accountant doing your taxes. It was a huge road win for Philly, as new life has been breathed into their season.
-Grab me a mirror, because I look so good when I'm right. I called the Falcons upset win over the Panthers, because the Panthers have fallen off the face of the earth. I wonder if Stephen Hawking ever looks at himself in the mirror and robotically types to himself "who's....the...man?" Well that's me right now without the science and with much more normal. Vinny Testaverde finally played like his age, and the running game was basically a nonfactor. Did you know that Vinny was college roommates with Thomas Jefferson? Atlanta didn't make any mistakes, and had a big drive late that ended with Joey Harrington coming through with a huge TD to Alge Crumpler. The last time Harrington and big drive late were said in the same sentence was Joey's tee shot on the 16th hole last winter. But I digress, good Falcons win, Panthers are underachieving more than the NYC Public School System.
-How pathetic are the Ravens? 6 turnovers again, and a loss to the Bengals who can barely get out of their own way. In fact, to make the players more comfortable with their surroundings, the coaches are now referred to as wardens, and locker rooms are holding cells. Steve McNair has hit the end of the road. He's fumbling more than Tiki Barber and Kerry Collins used to combined, and he isn't making good football decisions anymore. The defense can only do so much, I'm with Ray Lewis on this one. Brian Billick is once again under fire. Cincy scored their 21 points on 7 field goals. It's almost like they're allergic to the end zone, much like the Knicks who are allergic to making sense. I mean they break out in good decisions and wins, I mean who in their right mind would want that? Bottom line, both teams are awful but the Bengals are less terrible. The Ravens have some serious changing to do before they can show up on a consistent basis again.
-Rex to the rescue? It's been a wild ride for the Bears QB, but he came in for an injured Brian Griese and saved the Chicago season with a big win over Oakland. If Rex is actually successful getting the snap, he has the arm to hit the deep play and did so with Bernard Berrian. Josh McCown was brutal as usual, but Justin Fargas had a very solid day, but Chicago had that one quarter that saved their season (for now). We'll see if they can keep their momentum going.
-All the Cowboys had to do to beat the Giants and take a stranglehold of the NFC East was to stop making the critical mistakes. They made numerous penalties in the first half including just an insanely stupid taunting penalty. But the Giants evened it out with mistakes of their own, and the Cowboy talent prevailed late, as Tony Romo and Terrell Owens provided the fireworks in the win. What the Giants can't do is let this loss snowball, because they're still one of the best teams in the conference. They have a huge game at Detroit and need to be ready.
-Speaking of the Lions, I was shocked at the way them and the Cards played on Sunday. There were 9 combined turnovers, but Kurt Warner bounced back with a tremendous game, and they were able to control the clock for the win. The Arizona defense had 4 sacks and force a bunch of fumbles for the win. But the Lions rushed for negative 18 yards, and completely gave up on it. To win in this league, you have to be able to run the ball and the Lions won't be able to take it to the next level if they can't run the ball. Jon Kitna isn't mobile, and the defense can just go right after him if there's no remote threat of a running play. This was a terrible job by Detroit, and they have to regroup fast.
-We all know Peyton Manning had the worst game of his life, but they had a good chance to win because the Chargers defense was almost as dreadful. Darren Sproles and Antonio Cromartie were the main reasons that San Diego came up with the win, because Phil Rivers is just not a good QB this year. The Colts didn't deserve to win the game, but they came very close. But the Chargers offense needs to get into gear otherwise there's no way they can make the postseason. Maybe the AFC isn't as deep as we once thought. These were two of the best? Oy.
-I think Gardner-Webb could beat the 49ers in football. Alex Smith is terrible, but I put a lot of blame on Mike Nolan for not giving it to Frank Gore so much. He had 13 carries for 5.5 per rush, so why not give it to him more if your QB blows. The Seahawks were able to dominate with Alexander and Branch out, which shows how bad the Niners are.
College Hoops Tuesday
Last night's scores including an analysis of Duke's win over New Mexico State, and a preview of tonight's action.
Monday Scores
Fordham recorded a win at the CBE in Missouri, and Indiana overcame a 4 point halftime defecit to blow out Chattanooga by 20, 99-79. Freshman Eric Gordon had a game high 33 points and 6 rebounds for the Hoosiers. He'll be one to watch. BC also found themselves down at the half but came back to beat Florida Atlantic 68-62 behind 21 points and 9 assists from Tyrece Rice.
SOS2 Inside- Duke vs New Mexico State
The young Blue Devils found themselves down 6-4 early on, but had fairly smooth sailing throughout in their 86-61 rout of the Aggies at Cameron Indoor Stadium. You immediately saw the agility and balance that Duke has this year as several players came up with important turnovers and all ran the floor rather well. They may not have size, but they're lethal in transition. New Mexico State didn't force the issue enough early on, and settled for long jumpers. Once those jumpers missed long, Duke went on secondary breaks and built a 32-17 advantage. NMSU then played really sloppy ball, and ended up with 26 in the contest. John Scheyer hit a couple of threes on steals by freshman Kyle Singler to increase the lead, and the stingy Blue Devils defense led to a DeMarcus Nelson three to close the half with a 47-26 lead. They had numbers on the bench going 10 deep, and used their speed to create easy buckets. The Aggies committed more turnovers than hit field goals in the half. Duke went on a 14-4 run to open the half and led 61-30 and that was basically it from there. NMSU went on a mini run of their own after that, and were led by Justin Hawkins who had 16 points and 11 boards, and Fred Peete who ended with 11. Duke then cruised for the 86-61 win. Scheyer had 22 off the bench, and Nelson had 14 points and 7 boards. Singler had 10 points and 5 boards, and PG Greg Paulus had a very good overall game with 9 points, 8 assists, 4 boards, and 4 steals.
-St Bonaventure, Penn State, and Duquesne were winners. Syracuse didn't play much defense, but their offense was able to hold off a tough Siena team 97-89 in NIT action. Freshman Johnny Flynn hit all 6 of his 3 point attempts and scored 28 points to go along with 9 assists and 5 rebounds. Eric Devendorf had 19 points and 6 assists, and Paul Harris had 14 points and 15 rebounds. Nortre Dame got 19 and 10 from rob Kurz to beat Long Island 82-50, and Rutgers got 24 and 9 from Will Inman in their win over NC Central. Clemson, Charlotte, South Carolina, LSU, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Marquette, Pacific, Florida State, New Mexico, Ohio State, Maryland, St Joe's, and Oregon were all winners. UCLA got 21 points and 9 boards from Kevin Love as the Bruins blasted Youngstown State.
Tuesday Preview
The CBE continues as Michigan State hosts Chicago State in Lansing, game at 7 on ESPNU. Syracuse will host St Joe's at 7pm on ESPN in preseason NIT, that will be tomorrow's analyzed game. Buffalo will host USF, George Mason takes on Cleveland State, and Vandy will be at Toledo. Mercer beat USC last week, tonight they'll take on Alabama. Fordham takes on Missouri at 8pm, and Gonzaga will entertain Idaho. Some good matches tip off at 9 as Wazzu will be at Boise State, Columbia will be at Ohio State, and Texas A&M will host Oral Roberts on ESPNU. Arizona hosts Northern Arizona at 9:30, and FDU takes on Siena on ESPN. UCLA will host UC San Bernardino, and Washington hosts NJIT.
Monday Scores
Fordham recorded a win at the CBE in Missouri, and Indiana overcame a 4 point halftime defecit to blow out Chattanooga by 20, 99-79. Freshman Eric Gordon had a game high 33 points and 6 rebounds for the Hoosiers. He'll be one to watch. BC also found themselves down at the half but came back to beat Florida Atlantic 68-62 behind 21 points and 9 assists from Tyrece Rice.
SOS2 Inside- Duke vs New Mexico State
The young Blue Devils found themselves down 6-4 early on, but had fairly smooth sailing throughout in their 86-61 rout of the Aggies at Cameron Indoor Stadium. You immediately saw the agility and balance that Duke has this year as several players came up with important turnovers and all ran the floor rather well. They may not have size, but they're lethal in transition. New Mexico State didn't force the issue enough early on, and settled for long jumpers. Once those jumpers missed long, Duke went on secondary breaks and built a 32-17 advantage. NMSU then played really sloppy ball, and ended up with 26 in the contest. John Scheyer hit a couple of threes on steals by freshman Kyle Singler to increase the lead, and the stingy Blue Devils defense led to a DeMarcus Nelson three to close the half with a 47-26 lead. They had numbers on the bench going 10 deep, and used their speed to create easy buckets. The Aggies committed more turnovers than hit field goals in the half. Duke went on a 14-4 run to open the half and led 61-30 and that was basically it from there. NMSU went on a mini run of their own after that, and were led by Justin Hawkins who had 16 points and 11 boards, and Fred Peete who ended with 11. Duke then cruised for the 86-61 win. Scheyer had 22 off the bench, and Nelson had 14 points and 7 boards. Singler had 10 points and 5 boards, and PG Greg Paulus had a very good overall game with 9 points, 8 assists, 4 boards, and 4 steals.
-St Bonaventure, Penn State, and Duquesne were winners. Syracuse didn't play much defense, but their offense was able to hold off a tough Siena team 97-89 in NIT action. Freshman Johnny Flynn hit all 6 of his 3 point attempts and scored 28 points to go along with 9 assists and 5 rebounds. Eric Devendorf had 19 points and 6 assists, and Paul Harris had 14 points and 15 rebounds. Nortre Dame got 19 and 10 from rob Kurz to beat Long Island 82-50, and Rutgers got 24 and 9 from Will Inman in their win over NC Central. Clemson, Charlotte, South Carolina, LSU, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Marquette, Pacific, Florida State, New Mexico, Ohio State, Maryland, St Joe's, and Oregon were all winners. UCLA got 21 points and 9 boards from Kevin Love as the Bruins blasted Youngstown State.
Tuesday Preview
The CBE continues as Michigan State hosts Chicago State in Lansing, game at 7 on ESPNU. Syracuse will host St Joe's at 7pm on ESPN in preseason NIT, that will be tomorrow's analyzed game. Buffalo will host USF, George Mason takes on Cleveland State, and Vandy will be at Toledo. Mercer beat USC last week, tonight they'll take on Alabama. Fordham takes on Missouri at 8pm, and Gonzaga will entertain Idaho. Some good matches tip off at 9 as Wazzu will be at Boise State, Columbia will be at Ohio State, and Texas A&M will host Oral Roberts on ESPNU. Arizona hosts Northern Arizona at 9:30, and FDU takes on Siena on ESPN. UCLA will host UC San Bernardino, and Washington hosts NJIT.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Around The Majors- Monday
Awards, Detroit keeping up with the Jonses, a move that would change the free agent landscape, and much more today on ATM.
-Dustin Pedroia won the ALROY in a landslide win with 132 points. The Red Sox 2nd baseman batted .317 with a .380 OBP and was the catalyst in the postseason that allowed Boston to roll to a world title. Rays OF Delmon Young came in second, and surprise Royals starter Brian Bannister came in 3rd.
-Ryan Braun batted .324 with 34 jacks and 97 driven in, and that was all after May 25. Wow. He barely edged out Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki by 2 points to win the NLROY. Tulo set the rookie record for NL shorstops with 24 homers and also drove in 91. In any other year, Tulowitzki would have won it running away, but Braun had such amazing stats in such a short amount of time. The time may have been the determining factor, because Tulowitzki's fielding numbers were far superior.
-According to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, the Tigers and Cubs alleviated problems in the Outfield with a trade this afternoon. The Tigers needed an outfielder and acquired Jacque Jones from Chicago in exchange for utility player Omar Infante. Jones will likely start in Left Field instead of a possible platoon of Marcus Thams and Ryan Rayburn. The Cubbies had a logjam in the outfield, and Infante will be someone good off the bench in a similar role that Mark DeRosa had with the team. Infante is a contact hitter who can play 2nd, 3rd, short, and the outfield. The trade filled needs for both clubs.
-Speaking of filling needs, the Tigers did that in a big way when they resigned closer Todd Jones to a 1 year deal worth 7 million. Jones became even more of a priority for GM Dave Dombrowski when young setup man Joel Zumaya went down with a shoulder injury that will sideline him for at least the first half of the 2008 season. Along with Fernando Rodney, Jones was a must resign for this team.
-Jorge Posada will likely reup with the Yankees, which leaves other teams in search of a catcher with little to rummage through. The Mets may have to resign Paul Lo Duca, or could go after Colorado backstop Yorvit Torrealba or Pirates Catcher Ronny Paulino.
-"When I spoke to Omar, he told me, `Be prepared to be the third baseman in 2008. That's what I took from it and that's the way I'm going about it." David Wright's statement today will likely quell A-Rod rumors for the time being.
-The free agent frenzy will begin at midnight tonight, expect the best coverage here at the SOS family of blogs.
-Dustin Pedroia won the ALROY in a landslide win with 132 points. The Red Sox 2nd baseman batted .317 with a .380 OBP and was the catalyst in the postseason that allowed Boston to roll to a world title. Rays OF Delmon Young came in second, and surprise Royals starter Brian Bannister came in 3rd.
-Ryan Braun batted .324 with 34 jacks and 97 driven in, and that was all after May 25. Wow. He barely edged out Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki by 2 points to win the NLROY. Tulo set the rookie record for NL shorstops with 24 homers and also drove in 91. In any other year, Tulowitzki would have won it running away, but Braun had such amazing stats in such a short amount of time. The time may have been the determining factor, because Tulowitzki's fielding numbers were far superior.
-According to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, the Tigers and Cubs alleviated problems in the Outfield with a trade this afternoon. The Tigers needed an outfielder and acquired Jacque Jones from Chicago in exchange for utility player Omar Infante. Jones will likely start in Left Field instead of a possible platoon of Marcus Thams and Ryan Rayburn. The Cubbies had a logjam in the outfield, and Infante will be someone good off the bench in a similar role that Mark DeRosa had with the team. Infante is a contact hitter who can play 2nd, 3rd, short, and the outfield. The trade filled needs for both clubs.
-Speaking of filling needs, the Tigers did that in a big way when they resigned closer Todd Jones to a 1 year deal worth 7 million. Jones became even more of a priority for GM Dave Dombrowski when young setup man Joel Zumaya went down with a shoulder injury that will sideline him for at least the first half of the 2008 season. Along with Fernando Rodney, Jones was a must resign for this team.
-Jorge Posada will likely reup with the Yankees, which leaves other teams in search of a catcher with little to rummage through. The Mets may have to resign Paul Lo Duca, or could go after Colorado backstop Yorvit Torrealba or Pirates Catcher Ronny Paulino.
-"When I spoke to Omar, he told me, `Be prepared to be the third baseman in 2008. That's what I took from it and that's the way I'm going about it." David Wright's statement today will likely quell A-Rod rumors for the time being.
-The free agent frenzy will begin at midnight tonight, expect the best coverage here at the SOS family of blogs.
College Hoops Monday
Results yesterday from around the nation, including the game of the day in Newark as Seton Hall was given a big scare by Monmouth. Tonight's action includes a lot of good matchups and the beginning of the NIT Season Tip-Off.
Michigan and Rutgers were both winners to start off the day, but let's get into the Seton Hall-Monmouth game.
The Hawks were 0-30 against Big East teams all time going into yesterday's matinee at the Prudential Arena, and Monmouth was at one point down by 20 in the first half. But they didn't give up, outhustling the Pirates, driving for easy transition buckets and kicking out for big three pointers. Hawks Guard Jhamar Youngblood was the real big time player for Monmouth, scoring 27 points with 5 rebounds and was the main reason why this game went into OT. But when overtime started, the Pirates were able to control the tempo led by Eugene Harvey's 27 and consistenly got to the foul line. Seton Hall also got 18 from Brian Liang in a 89-81 OT triumph. But watch out for Monmouth this year.
Vermont is certainly playing a challanging schedule, but once again came up on the short end as they were bested by Virginia 90-72 as Singletary and Joseph each scored 19 for the Cavaliers. Illinois had some early trouble with Northeastern, but came up with the 61-55 win. Brian Randle scored 14, while Shaun Pruitt posted a double-double with 12 points and 17 boards for the Illini. Michael Jordan's son Jeffery played 3 minutes for Illinois and missed the only shot he took. Nevada was upset on the road at UCF, while the defending champion Florida Gators easily handled Tennessee Tech. Drexel got 24 points and 14 rebounds from senior center Frank Elgar in an 86-70 home win over Navy. Frosh forward Austin Daye put up 20 and 10 as Gonzaga won its opener 77-54 over Montana. Michael Beasley burst onto the scene yesterday in Manhatten as he scored 30 and grabbed 14 rebounds in a win over Pittsburg State. Bill Walker added 11 for the Wildcats. Marist won at home over Delaware, and Quinnapiac needed double OT to defeat Hartford. Belmont continues to impress in the Cincy tournament, and Hampton defeated Tulsa to kick off the CBE. Stanford, Pitt, Wisconsin, and Northern Iowa were winners; the Panthers posted an impressive win over UMass. Georgia Tech bounced back with a win over Tennessee State, and Maryland and Baylor also posted wins. Cincinatti went 1-2 in their own tournament as they again fell at home, this time 69-67 at the hands of Bowling Green. Chris Knight had 24 and 8 for the Falcons. Kansas and Oregon were also winners.
Tonight
A couple of early CBE games has Fordham playing Central Missouri State and Tulsa playing North Florida. Delaware State plays Columbia to kick off the NIT Tip Off. Indiana opens its season against Chattanooga at 7pm, you can watch that one on ESPN360. BC will host Florida Atlantic, and Duke will entertain New Mexico State at 7 on ESPN2, that's the game of the night which will be analyzed tomorrow. St Bonaventure will host Binghampton and Syracuse will host Sienne in the Preseason NIT at 7pm on ESPNU. Penn State, Notre Dame, and Rutgers will all be in action tonight. Clemson, Charlotte, South Carolina, and LSU will all be in action; the Tigers will be on Full Court as will Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, and Marquette. Pepperdine will play Pacific in Eugene, and Florida State, New Mexico, and Maryland will all be in action. At 9 on ESPN2, Ohio State will host Wisconsin-Green Bay in NIT action. In Syracuse at 9:30 St Joe's will play FDU. Full court will have Oregon hosting Western Michigan, and UCLA will host Youngstown State in CBE at 11pm on ESPN2. So watch out for the tripleheader tonight on the deuce, Syracuse on ESPNU, and many games on ESPN360.
Duke analysis tomorrow and more.
Michigan and Rutgers were both winners to start off the day, but let's get into the Seton Hall-Monmouth game.
The Hawks were 0-30 against Big East teams all time going into yesterday's matinee at the Prudential Arena, and Monmouth was at one point down by 20 in the first half. But they didn't give up, outhustling the Pirates, driving for easy transition buckets and kicking out for big three pointers. Hawks Guard Jhamar Youngblood was the real big time player for Monmouth, scoring 27 points with 5 rebounds and was the main reason why this game went into OT. But when overtime started, the Pirates were able to control the tempo led by Eugene Harvey's 27 and consistenly got to the foul line. Seton Hall also got 18 from Brian Liang in a 89-81 OT triumph. But watch out for Monmouth this year.
Vermont is certainly playing a challanging schedule, but once again came up on the short end as they were bested by Virginia 90-72 as Singletary and Joseph each scored 19 for the Cavaliers. Illinois had some early trouble with Northeastern, but came up with the 61-55 win. Brian Randle scored 14, while Shaun Pruitt posted a double-double with 12 points and 17 boards for the Illini. Michael Jordan's son Jeffery played 3 minutes for Illinois and missed the only shot he took. Nevada was upset on the road at UCF, while the defending champion Florida Gators easily handled Tennessee Tech. Drexel got 24 points and 14 rebounds from senior center Frank Elgar in an 86-70 home win over Navy. Frosh forward Austin Daye put up 20 and 10 as Gonzaga won its opener 77-54 over Montana. Michael Beasley burst onto the scene yesterday in Manhatten as he scored 30 and grabbed 14 rebounds in a win over Pittsburg State. Bill Walker added 11 for the Wildcats. Marist won at home over Delaware, and Quinnapiac needed double OT to defeat Hartford. Belmont continues to impress in the Cincy tournament, and Hampton defeated Tulsa to kick off the CBE. Stanford, Pitt, Wisconsin, and Northern Iowa were winners; the Panthers posted an impressive win over UMass. Georgia Tech bounced back with a win over Tennessee State, and Maryland and Baylor also posted wins. Cincinatti went 1-2 in their own tournament as they again fell at home, this time 69-67 at the hands of Bowling Green. Chris Knight had 24 and 8 for the Falcons. Kansas and Oregon were also winners.
Tonight
A couple of early CBE games has Fordham playing Central Missouri State and Tulsa playing North Florida. Delaware State plays Columbia to kick off the NIT Tip Off. Indiana opens its season against Chattanooga at 7pm, you can watch that one on ESPN360. BC will host Florida Atlantic, and Duke will entertain New Mexico State at 7 on ESPN2, that's the game of the night which will be analyzed tomorrow. St Bonaventure will host Binghampton and Syracuse will host Sienne in the Preseason NIT at 7pm on ESPNU. Penn State, Notre Dame, and Rutgers will all be in action tonight. Clemson, Charlotte, South Carolina, and LSU will all be in action; the Tigers will be on Full Court as will Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, and Marquette. Pepperdine will play Pacific in Eugene, and Florida State, New Mexico, and Maryland will all be in action. At 9 on ESPN2, Ohio State will host Wisconsin-Green Bay in NIT action. In Syracuse at 9:30 St Joe's will play FDU. Full court will have Oregon hosting Western Michigan, and UCLA will host Youngstown State in CBE at 11pm on ESPN2. So watch out for the tripleheader tonight on the deuce, Syracuse on ESPNU, and many games on ESPN360.
Duke analysis tomorrow and more.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
College Hoops Sunday
All the major results from Friday and Saturday including a big upset in the Los Angeles area. It's all here plus a preview of today's action on Veterans Day.
Friday Capper
In Iowa, UMass had 23 from Ricky Harris in a 90-64 win over Cal Poly. The Minutemen are expected to contend in the A-10. Saint Louis won by 11 in Rick Majerus' coaching debut for the Billikens, and BU got 28 and 6 from Corey Lowe in a 68-57 win over St Bonaventure. Western Carolina and San Francisco won their respective tournament games, and Georgia Tech was shocked at home 83-74 by UNC Greenboro. The Spartans got 25 and 9 from Kyle Hines in their huge win in Atlanta over the Yellow Jackets. Florida State disposed of Nicholls State, but USF loat at home 73-70 to the Vikings of Cleveland State. Michigan, Duke, and Wake were all big winners, and Drexel won in OT at Penn in a Philly rivalry match. Pitt, Villanova, VaTech, and Butler were all winners as well. In the match of the night, Senior forward Will Thomas scored 16 points to go with 17 rebounds as George Mason held off Vermont at home 60-53. Rutgers, Miami, Charlotte, VCU, and Florida were winners. In Knoxville, Chris Lofton was held to just 10 points on 1-8 shooting, but JaJuan Smith led 4 players in double figures as Tennessee tamed Temple 80-63. Oklahoma got 15 from Blake Griffin as they advanced to MSG with a 80-50 triumph over Denver. Texas A&M, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Alabama, and Davidson were all winners. In Cincinatti, Belmont proved that last year's NCAA appearance was indeed not a fluke as they went on the road and beat the Bearcats 86-75 behind 23 points and 7 assists for senior guard Justin Hare. Cincy had 4 in double figures but got upset. Kansas, Kansas State, South Carolina, Arkansas, and Oral Roberts were all winners. In Missouri, freshman guard P'Allen Stinnett scored 23 as the Blue Jays topped DePaul 74-62. New Mexico won at Colorado, and Georgia, Iowa State, Houston, Utah, Iowa, and UTEP were all winners. In New Orleans, Tulane pulled off a big home win over Auburn 77-62. Northern Iowa, OK State, Wazzu, Stanford, Air Force, UCLA, and UNLV were all winners as well.
Saturday Capper
Roy Hibbert had 23 points and 8 boards as Georgetown defeated William & Mary 68-53. GW, East Carolina, Dayton, Texas Tech, Minnesota, Ole Miss, and BC were winners. It was OJ Mayo's debut at USC and he didn't disappoint. He had 32 points and 7 rebounds but the Trojans were beat at home by Mercer 96-81 behind 30 points from James Florence. Bowling Green, Pitt, BYU (big over LB State), Miss State, Saint Louis, and UMass were all winners. Despite 28 from Antoine Agudio, Holy Cross came up with a big 61-47 home win over Hofstra. Richmond lost at home to Norfolk State, and UNC Wilimington won in OT. Score another big win for the Patriot League, they won at home against Albany 55-52. Cincy almost lost again at home but held on for a 66-64 win over Western Carolina. Oregon peppered Pepperdine, and Toledo beat Missouri State. Xavier, UIC (over Bradley), Murray State, Nebraska, Vandy, UAB, TCU, Winthrop, Marquette, Fresno State, Iowa State, Northern Iowa, Stanford, and Air Force were all winners.
Sunday Preview
At high noon, the action will begin when Michigan entertains Brown. Rutgers will host North Dakota State at 1, as will Seton Hall host Monmouth on ESPN Full Court. At 2, Vermont will continue on their tough opening road trip as they play at Virginia. Nevada will be at UCF at 2, as will Northeastern at Illinois which will be analyzed in depth tomorrow as part of the ESPN360 Viewers Club I'm starting. Florida will host Tennessee Tech at 3 on Full Court, and Navy will be at Drexel at 4pm. Also at 4, Gonzaga will open their season against Montana, Marist will host Delaware, and Kansas State will be in action. At 5, the CBE Classic begins with Hampton facing Tulsa. At 6, Stanford will host UCSB and Pitt will host Saint Louis on Full Court. Wisconsin will also play at 6, and Northern Iowa will host UMass. GT will be at Tennessee State at 7, and Maryland will open its season at home against North Florida at 8pm on ESPNU. Baylor, Cincy, and Kansas (Full Court) will all play at 8, and Oregon will host Pacific at 9 on Full Court.
Friday Capper
In Iowa, UMass had 23 from Ricky Harris in a 90-64 win over Cal Poly. The Minutemen are expected to contend in the A-10. Saint Louis won by 11 in Rick Majerus' coaching debut for the Billikens, and BU got 28 and 6 from Corey Lowe in a 68-57 win over St Bonaventure. Western Carolina and San Francisco won their respective tournament games, and Georgia Tech was shocked at home 83-74 by UNC Greenboro. The Spartans got 25 and 9 from Kyle Hines in their huge win in Atlanta over the Yellow Jackets. Florida State disposed of Nicholls State, but USF loat at home 73-70 to the Vikings of Cleveland State. Michigan, Duke, and Wake were all big winners, and Drexel won in OT at Penn in a Philly rivalry match. Pitt, Villanova, VaTech, and Butler were all winners as well. In the match of the night, Senior forward Will Thomas scored 16 points to go with 17 rebounds as George Mason held off Vermont at home 60-53. Rutgers, Miami, Charlotte, VCU, and Florida were winners. In Knoxville, Chris Lofton was held to just 10 points on 1-8 shooting, but JaJuan Smith led 4 players in double figures as Tennessee tamed Temple 80-63. Oklahoma got 15 from Blake Griffin as they advanced to MSG with a 80-50 triumph over Denver. Texas A&M, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Alabama, and Davidson were all winners. In Cincinatti, Belmont proved that last year's NCAA appearance was indeed not a fluke as they went on the road and beat the Bearcats 86-75 behind 23 points and 7 assists for senior guard Justin Hare. Cincy had 4 in double figures but got upset. Kansas, Kansas State, South Carolina, Arkansas, and Oral Roberts were all winners. In Missouri, freshman guard P'Allen Stinnett scored 23 as the Blue Jays topped DePaul 74-62. New Mexico won at Colorado, and Georgia, Iowa State, Houston, Utah, Iowa, and UTEP were all winners. In New Orleans, Tulane pulled off a big home win over Auburn 77-62. Northern Iowa, OK State, Wazzu, Stanford, Air Force, UCLA, and UNLV were all winners as well.
Saturday Capper
Roy Hibbert had 23 points and 8 boards as Georgetown defeated William & Mary 68-53. GW, East Carolina, Dayton, Texas Tech, Minnesota, Ole Miss, and BC were winners. It was OJ Mayo's debut at USC and he didn't disappoint. He had 32 points and 7 rebounds but the Trojans were beat at home by Mercer 96-81 behind 30 points from James Florence. Bowling Green, Pitt, BYU (big over LB State), Miss State, Saint Louis, and UMass were all winners. Despite 28 from Antoine Agudio, Holy Cross came up with a big 61-47 home win over Hofstra. Richmond lost at home to Norfolk State, and UNC Wilimington won in OT. Score another big win for the Patriot League, they won at home against Albany 55-52. Cincy almost lost again at home but held on for a 66-64 win over Western Carolina. Oregon peppered Pepperdine, and Toledo beat Missouri State. Xavier, UIC (over Bradley), Murray State, Nebraska, Vandy, UAB, TCU, Winthrop, Marquette, Fresno State, Iowa State, Northern Iowa, Stanford, and Air Force were all winners.
Sunday Preview
At high noon, the action will begin when Michigan entertains Brown. Rutgers will host North Dakota State at 1, as will Seton Hall host Monmouth on ESPN Full Court. At 2, Vermont will continue on their tough opening road trip as they play at Virginia. Nevada will be at UCF at 2, as will Northeastern at Illinois which will be analyzed in depth tomorrow as part of the ESPN360 Viewers Club I'm starting. Florida will host Tennessee Tech at 3 on Full Court, and Navy will be at Drexel at 4pm. Also at 4, Gonzaga will open their season against Montana, Marist will host Delaware, and Kansas State will be in action. At 5, the CBE Classic begins with Hampton facing Tulsa. At 6, Stanford will host UCSB and Pitt will host Saint Louis on Full Court. Wisconsin will also play at 6, and Northern Iowa will host UMass. GT will be at Tennessee State at 7, and Maryland will open its season at home against North Florida at 8pm on ESPNU. Baylor, Cincy, and Kansas (Full Court) will all play at 8, and Oregon will host Pacific at 9 on Full Court.
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