Week 8: Other Games

[August_West]

Really exciting comeback win for FDU and I highly recommend checking out one of their games if you live near Hackensack, NJ

Sounds like an ancient visigoth name: "first we pillage and plunder and then we hack en sack"

But seriously folks Ill be here all week, try the veal.

also Im a tenafly native (bergen county is the house) and have close family members who went to FDU.

also. Elijah Allen still gives me the schpilkes.

 

[REB1094]

Pitt almost choked that game away. Pitt will always be Pitt. I am surprised they didn't storm the court for beating the #25 team in the country in December.

Kidding aside, Capel is a decent coach, but Pitt is a tough job. This is about as good a team as Pitt can hope for in the ACC.

Not gonna lie, I was also expecting a court storm hahaha

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Is there a more disappointing team in college basketball right now than UNC?

Basically the same team as last year except for Pete Nance subbing in for Brady Manek.

The Tar Heels' tournament run was special, but when you remove it, they were a 24-9 team who were an 8 seat. Maybe they just got hot?

 

[Hey Adrien!]

With a 7 PM dinner date and no other plans today (thank God Shammgod), today's an excellent rainy day here in CT for college basketball.

Here's my viewing plans for today:

Noon:

• UConn @ Xavier

2 PM:

Flipping between:

Marquette @ Villanova - FS1

#82 10-4 James Madison @ #74 12-2 Marshall - ESPN+

D'Antoni's offense makes Marshall one of my favorite teams to watch. Right now, both teams are clearly the tops in the Sun Belt (both teams are new to the conference this season) and rank within the top-8 in offensive pace.

If you haven't watched him play yet, Marshall's Taevion Kinsey is special.

4 PM:

#26 10-3 San Diego State @ #81 11-2 UNLV - CBS

The Mountain West is again very good and deep this year (currently ranked between ACC and AAC in KenPom's conference rankings) with San Diego State continuing to be the team to beat (only losses to Arizona, Arkansas (OT) and Saint Mary's).

With early wins over Dayton and Washington State, UNLV started the season 10-0 with their two losses by 3 or less (San Fran, San Jose State).

Polar opposite of the Marshall/JMU game: two TOUGH defenses who pester for turnovers.

6 PM:

#88 Sam Houston State (10-3) @ #120 New Mexico State (7-6) - ESPN+

This is NMSU's last season in the WAC, so I'm embracing their last season in one of the deepest and most underrated conferences in the nation.

New head coach Greg Heiar has built this year's roster with an ex-high major backcourt (Xavier Pinson from Mizz and DaJuan Gordon from Kansas St.) and the top players from Heiar's former JUCO champion squad NW Florida:

• Deshawndre Washington, 6'7 195
  • 13.2p, 8.2r, 4.7a, 1.7s, 47.1 3p%
• Issa Muhammad, 6'9 224
  • 11.3p, 4.8r, 65.5 2p%, 42.9 3p% (just 0.6 3pa)

Currently the highest ranked team in the WAC, according to KenPom, Sam Houston State has beaten Oklahoma and Utah with each of its losses against top-100 teams.

Sam Houston State's offense is led by former Wichita State guard Qua Grant (12.9p, 4.3a, 2.5s, 50.6 2p%, 39.2 3p%) while their defense (like conference makes SFA and Abilene Christian) hounds for steals and plays a DEEP thirteen man rotation with all of its players averaging between 9 and 24 mpg.

 

[EBonz30]

Has anyone else been keeping up with Dayton's season?

Their starting backcourt of Malachi Smith (9.3p, 5.3a last year) and Kobe Elvis (10.1p, 3.0a) have been injured since late November and have been fielding a Space Jam Monstars sized lineup:

Mike Sharavjamts 6’8 180 FR
RJ Blakney 6’6 195 JR
Toumani Camara 6’8 220 SR
Mustapha Amzil 6’9 240 JR
DaRon Holmes II 6’10 231 SO

...with walk-on sophomore Brady Uhl being their only guy in their eight-man rotation under 6'6.

Sharavjamts, a four-star freshman from Mongolia, has been their de-facto point guard (3.2 assists/game)

Somehow, they've been 5-1 with this lineup, however within the weakest point of their non-con (best win was 66-49 vs #124 Wyoming).

They're doing it with a slow, interior-based offense with great ball movement (18th best A/FGM ratio, 52nd best 2p% and only 36.7% FGAs from 3) and a defense that makes it really hard to make good shots (top-25 in the nation in both 2p% (43.5%) and 3p% (27.7%).

Considering how much I like Anthony Grant and how unique their situation is, I'm rooting for them in the A-10.

They’ve been disappointing to start the year- at the end of last year I thought they would be at least a sweet 16 team this year- so far it has been pretty ugly- we will see what happens as they get healthier.

 

[EBonz30]

Last night, I had a pretty cool opportunity parlaying my recent writing into attending my first game with courtside media credentials.

I drove down to FDU where they hosted Merrimack for their NEC conference opener. Really exciting comeback win for FDU and I highly recommend checking out one of their games if you live near Hackensack, NJ. It's a unique arena with great fans and good people running the place.

There are too many to name, but I wanted to share a true THANK YOU to those who have provided feedback and support. Honestly, the Boneyard a place that truly helped turn an idea into an actual thing and no way I'd be where I was last night without this online community.

In addition to this game, I have other credential visits lined up this with Fordham and Fairfield, so I cannot wait to visit Rose Hill for the first time and the new Fairfield arena. Maybe some others will line up this season, but for now, last night was truly an awesome experience.

If you care to check it out, here's a recap of the game:

12/29/22 Game Recap: After Trailing Throughout the First, FDU Bests Merrimack in Their NEC Conference Opener

stretchingthefloor.blogspot.com

Well written- what was the final score of the game?

 

[Jay-Bone]

The team ratings of any computer ranking that has Kentucky at #13 are useless.

I thought this exact thing the other week when they were like 5 or 6. What was Ken smoking?

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Well written- what was the final score of the game?

Great catch! Should include that in recaps

 

[Jay-Bone]

Is there a more disappointing team in college basketball right now than UNC?

Basically the same team as last year except for Pete Nance subbing in for Brady Manek.

The Tar Heels' tournament run was special, but when you remove it, they were a 24-9 team who were an 8 seat. Maybe they just got hot?

If I remember correctly, Manek had an underwhelming regular season, after a decent showing at Oklahoma. I guess because he was fighting Garcia for time. Garcia left and he came alive to put on his best Deandre Daniels performance. The team in all formed together to do a Kemba. But I do wonder if Kerwin Walton was that good of a sixth man. He was a decent 3 pt shooter and now their bench is pretty much non-existent.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Pitt just beat #25 UNC 76-74. Really exciting final 5 minutes and a super loud home crowd for Pitt, especially after some ..questionable.. calls that went UNC's way

You mean this call?

[facepalm]

 

[Hi-Low]

You mean this call?

[facepalm]

Another case of a Ref pre-calling a foul in his head assuming a foul will occur....lol.

 

[navery12]

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Some positivity on a sobering afternoon:

CCSU won their conference opener 75-52 against St. Francis (BK).

Junior wing Kellen Amos (Binghamton transfer) had an afternoon: 36 points on 13-16 shooting (6-6 from three!)

 

[uconngb]

Ok State just got abused multiple times by the refs down the stretch and Kansas was gifted a victory.

What a joke

 

[navery12]

Oklahoma State blew their 15 point lead over Kansas, but our other B12 win gets a boost

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Colorado beat Tennessee and lost to California in the same season.