Florida

Florida C Marreese Speights to declare for the NBA Draft

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 09:03:51 -0700

Game Predictions: NIT Semifinals

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:10:24 -0700

A companion to our daily Three Stars of the Day, we present the top three Games of the Night.

UMASS (24-10) vs Florida (24-11)

7:00 PM ESPN2

You have to respect these teams for making to the Garden by actually winning road games. The win at Syracuse wasn't shocking for UMASS as they already beat the Orange at the Carrier Dome and generally had a better season. Florida's win was a bit more surprising considering the final 70-57 margin wasn't even close, it was across multiple time zones, and ASU had been very successful at home. UMASS will need a big effort from CHN Fourth Team All-American Gary Forbes, who has struggled during the NIT run. He's just 6-24 over his last two games, which won't cut it against a Billy Donovan team. The Gators are favored by 4 but I like the Minutemen.

Prediction: UMASS

Ole Miss (24-10) at Ohio State (23-13)

9:00 PM ESPN2

Ole Miss hasn't been very good away from home this season, but they did have to beat Virginia Tech in Blacksburg to get here. I don't put much stock into that win because I have little respect for the Hokies talent. Tonight should be a big challenge for the Rebels against an OSU team that returns to the Garden after playing here in the Preseason NIT. Unlike VT, Ohio State has similar strengths (PG & C) as Ole Miss. The individual Chris Warren vs Jamar Butler and Dwayne Curtis vs Kosta Koufous matchups should be worth watching.

Prediction: Ohio State

There's a CBI finals game tomorrow night, but really, does anyone care?

Previous Game of the Night (Predictions, 108-66)

March 24th - Dayton at Illinois State (3-0)

March 23rd - Davidson vs Georgetown (2-1)

March 21st - Davidson vs Gonzaga (0-3)

March 19th - New Mexico at California (1-2)

March 18th - Mt St Mary's vs Coppin State (2-1)

March 14th - Kansas vs Texas (2-1)

March 14th - St. Joseph's vs Temple (1-2)

March 13th - Ohio State vs Michigan State (2-1)

March 12th - Arizona State at USC (2-1)

March 12th - Syracuse vs Villanova (2-1)

March 11th - IUPUI at Oral Roberts (3-0)

March 10th - Gonzaga at San Diego (1-2)

March 9th - Florida at Kentucky (1-2)

March 8th - UNC at Duke (2-1)

March 5th - Tennessee at Florida (2-1)

March 4th - UNLV at New Mexico (3-0)

March 3rd - Texas Tech at Kansas (3-0)

March 2nd - Clemson at Maryland (1-2)

2008 NIT Capsule: Florida

Joel Welser — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:45:09 -0700

Florida Gators

Southeastern Conference (21-11, 8-8)

Big Wins: 12/29 vs Temple (86-69), 1/19 Kentucky (81-70), 1/27 Vanderbilt (86-64)

Bad Losses: 11/23 Florida State (51-65), 1/16 at Mississippi (87-89), 2/13 LSU (73-85)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2007, National Champions

Coach: Billy Donovan (22-7 in 9 NCAA appearances)

Probable Starters:

Walter Hodge, Junior, Guard, 10.2 ppg, 2.8 apg

Jai Lucas, Freshman, Guard, 8.8 ppg, 2.3 apg

Nick Calathes, Freshman, Guard, 15.7 ppg, 6.0 apg, 4.9 rpg

Dan Werner, Sophomore, Forward, 9.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.4 apg

Marreese Speights, Sophomore, Center, 14.4 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.5 bpg

Key Roleplayers:

Chandler Parsons, Freshman, Forward, 8.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg

Alex Tyus, Freshman, Forward, 4.5 ppg, 2.7 rpg

Adam Allen, Freshman, Forward, 4.2 ppg

Jonathan Mitchell, Sophomore, Forward, 3.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg

Why They Can Surprise:

All the Florida superstars that brought back-to-back national titles to Gainesville might be gone, but Coach Billy Donovan still has a similar, efficient style of play this season. The Gators shoot about 49 percent from the floor, share the ball extremely well and rarely commit a lot of turnovers. The high field-goal percentage is due in large part to 6-10 center Marreese Speights. The sophomore does not move away from the basket very often, but he shoots over 62 percent from the floor and averages 14.4 points per game.

The style of play helps keep the turnovers down, but having a relatively experienced junior running the show definitely helps. Walter Hodge is the only piece remaining from the national championship years and he has become the leader on the floor. He is a decent shooter and a decent scorer, but keeping track of all the underclassmen pays the most dividends.

Why They Can Disappoint:

And there are a whole lot of underclassmen on this team. Of the nine players who see significant minutes, Hodge is the only upperclassmen. Five of the nine are freshmen. A relatively easy non-conference schedule slowly got this new team’s feet wet, but once they got into SEC play their youth and inexperience was exposed. Nick Calathes, the team’s leading scorer and Jai Lucas, who can be explosive getting to the basket, have done well as freshmen, but they are still freshmen and will make mistakes. This is a team that is getting better every day and could be a dangerous threat if the mistakes can be held to a minimum.

Who To Watch:

The versatility of Dan Werner creates space for the rest of the team. When Werner is knocking down the long ball, Speights has room to operate in the paint. Werner’s shooting has been inconsistent at best, but he averages about one per game from beyond the arc. However, in most of Florida’s regular season losses, Werner has struggled (even more than usual) from beyond the arc. He should take the open look when it is there, but the 6-7 forward can score in other ways if the outside shot is not falling.

- More 2008 NIT Coverage & Team Capsules

- More 2008 NCAA Tournament Coverage

- All 2008 Tournament Capsules

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Cheerleader of the Day: Florida

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 08:36:02 -0700

Thanks to our friends over at Icon Sports Media, we now have access to thousands of great college basketball photos to use on the site. Each day, along with our Picture of the Day, we'll be featuring a Cheerleader of the Day. We'll be mixing up the schools & cheerleader so check back daily!

Florida

- Check out past Cheerleaders of the Day!

- Also check out the Picture of the Day!

Buzzer Beater: Bubble Weekend Review

Jason Brubaker — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 10:49:36 -0700

- How about North Carolina's Danny Green? The sixth-man extraordinaire provided a huge lift for the Heels on Saturday, totaling 18 points, 8 rebounds and 7 blocks as they knocked off Duke in Cameron. Green's ability to play inside or on the perimeter gives UNC a huge advantage. Green can play either forward spot, as well as shooting guard, meaning UNC can match-up with any type of line-up thrown at them. With Wayne Ellington gaining more confidence, Ty Lawson returning to full strength, and Tyler Hansbrough continuing to be…well...Tyler Hansbrough, the Heels are looking pretty good for a deep tournament run.

- Also, a very classy move by the Duke fans to don blue ribbons for the game in honor of Eve Carson, the UNC student body president who was murdered last week. As Dick Vitale pointed out, Saturday's game was huge in the basketball world, but pales in comparison to what's really important in life. The Cameron Crazies can certainly be annoying and come close to crossing the sportsmanship line (witness the Speedo Guy), but they showed their true colors with this gesture.

- Finally showing a pulse, Syracuse pulled a off a huge win over Marquette on Saturday to bolster their resume. However, with fellow bubble dwellers USC, Kentucky, Ohio State, Arkansas, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Baylor and Kansas State also winning over the weekend, the Orange may want to win a game or two in the big East Tourney to feel comfortable about dancing.

- Is there another dynasty brewing in college basketball? Move over UCLA, UK and Carolina...here comes Winthrop. Okay- that may be pushing it, but the Eagles are quietly turning into the giants of the Big South Conference. With a 66-48 win over UNC-Asheville on Saturday, they clinched their 4th consecutive league crown and tournament berth. Owning wins over Georgia Tech and Miami (Fl.), this season, the Eagles could play spoiler in the tournament again this year. Last year, they knocked of Notre Dame in the first round, and led by guard Michael Jenkins, they’re not going to back down from anyone.

- They say good teams always win the close games. In that case, UCLA must be great, as they squeaked out another nail-biter against Cal on Saturday. Like their OT win over Stanford on Thursday, the Bruins again benefitted from a questionable call, as they managed to wrest the ball away from Cal's Ryan Anderson in the closing seconds with no foul call, despite enough physical contact to warrant a NC-17 rating. Then, Josh Shipp lofted a prayer over the corner of the backboard...a seemingly illegal shot that the officials allowed. The win likely secured a #1 seed in the NCAA, and the Bruins look to be ready for a third straight run to the Final Four...although they may want to be sure they have room for the officials on their team bus.

- Kentucky may have locked up a tourney berth with a in over Florida in the "Bubble Battle" Sunday. Read that sentence again, because these are the same Cats who lost at home by 16 to Gardner-Webb and by 9 to San Diego as they struggled mightily in the non-conference portion of their schedule. Yet they still managed 12 wins in the SEC, finally buying into Coach Billy Gillispie's defense-at-all-costs mentality. Even without star freshman Patrick Patterson, and despite a mid-February blowout loss to Vandy, the Cats have been remarkably steady in the conference, and they could be a tough out in the tourney.

- From that same game, Florida may have played itself out of the tournament, despite a valiant comeback in Rupp Arena on UK’s Senior Day. Down 16, the Gators battled back, but couldn’t quite make it over the hump. On the plus side, the future for Florida looks as bright as the Gainesville sunshine. Guards Jai Lucas and Nick Calathes played brilliantly at times this season, and should be even better as sophomores next year. Center Maresse Speights may not be the next coming of Al Horford or Joakim Noah, but he’s certainly capable of performing at an All-SEC level. With everyone slated to return next year, plus the addition of a great recruiting class, the Gators should be back in the national spotlight soon.

- Which Big Ten team could stick around the NCAA Tournament the longest? Try Purdue, who finished 15-3 in the conference and 24-7 overall. Indiana, despite the great inside-outside tandem of DJ White and Eric Gordon, has appeared shaky at best since Kelvin Sampson’s departure. Michigan State, a pre-season Final Four favorite, has hit some snags in the road, including scoring only 36 points against a bad Iowa team. The Spartans have also suffered losses to Indiana, Purdue and Wisconsin since mid-February, and finished the season with a loss to Ohio State. Wisconsin has been solid all year, but they’ve struggled with smaller, athletic teams, such as Duke and Marquette. The Boilers meanwhile, have no glaring weaknesses outside of the youth. They’re balanced offensively, with six players averaging at least six points, and they’re incredibly tough defensively, allowing only six opponents to score 70 or more points.

- Finally, congratulations to all those who punched their dance ticket over the weekend - Belmont, Drake, Winthrop and Austin Peay. They join Cornell as the first entries in the field of 65….with an exciting week yet to come. Let the Madness begin!

Games of the Day: Florida at Kentucky

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 11:05:45 -0700

A companion to our daily Three Stars of the Day, we present the top three Games of the Night.

Florida (21-9) at Kentucky (17-11)

12:00 PM CBS

If I decided the field of of 65.. this game would probably be meaningless. Neither team would be included. But alas, there's a committee in Indianapolis that picks the field instead.. and surely they will invite one of these two teams to the dance. Even worse, because Florida is such a hopeless road team.. it means that a Kentucky team that lost to Gardner Webb and San Diego at home will be in the NCAA Tournament.

Prediction: Kentucky

Illinois State (24-8) at #21 Drake (27-4)

2:00 PM CBS

Barring some kind of great injustice (which I wouldn't put past the committee), both of these teams are headed to the NCAA Tournament. But still, intensity will be running high in Saint Louis because the MVC title is on the line .. and its not very often a Valley team gets to play on national TV. Drake won both earlier meetings, but the scores were close.. including the last time in Normal when the Redbirds led for 30 minutes. Drake is a 2.5 point favorite.. but I have a feeling they're going to lose today (then again I felt the same thing yesterday against Creighton).

Prediction: Illinois State

Maryland (18-12) at Virginia (14-14)

7:30 PM FSN

By most accounts, the Terps are still inside the field of 65. But due to blowing a big lead against Clemson, they're right on the bubble with no room to spare. There's no other way to describe tonight's game than "must win." I don't like to take sides very often.. but a part of me is hoping Maryland loses so that a more deserving team gets in instead.

Prediction: Maryland

Previous Game of the Night (Predictions, 86-50)

March 8th - UNC at Duke (2-1)

March 5th - Tennessee at Florida (2-1)

March 4th - UNLV at New Mexico (3-0)

March 3rd - Texas Tech at Kansas (3-0)

March 2nd - Clemson at Maryland (1-2)

Team of the Day: Florida

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 01:44:46 -0800

Florida 21-8 (8-7 SEC East) Computer numbers (courtesy of kenpom.com): RPI 61, SOS 87 Unless the Gators make a run through next week's SEC Tournament, we're essentially guaranteed a new national champion at the end of the season (not like I thought they'd have a chance to win a third straight crown if they were safely in). The latest defeat, just their ninth (a deceptive number given their strength of schedule), was an 89-86 loss at the hands of #4 Tennessee. While going into Lexington and defeating Kentucky on Sunday would help their cause, they have only one big win to their credit (Vandy at home)on a schedule featuring a non-conference slate put together by Billy Donovan to build confidence among his young squad. The drawback to that strategy is that late in the year you find yourself in tough must-win situations that could derail any hope of making a run should you lose. Exactly the result on Wednesday night. On the clock: St. Joseph's. In the midst of a bubble in which few teams have separated themselve from the pack, the Hawks get a chance at home to bolster their resume when Xavier comes to Philly. A win gets them in the thick of the at-large discussion, while a loss could be the final nail in the coffin.

Games of the Night: Tennessee at Florida

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 10:05:58 -0800

A companion to our daily Three Stars of the Day, we present the top three Games of the Night.

#4 Tennessee (26-3) at Florida (21-8)

9:00 PM

Is Florida a Tournament lock? Not yet. With an RPI of 60 and a weak 1-6 record against Top 50 teams.. the Gators respect is based on previous year's performances. A loss tonight and then at UK to close the regular season.. and they could end up .500 in SEC play. Even at home UF has been vulnerable, losing to teams like LSU and MSU. Tennessee is the pick tonight as the Vols look to solidify a #1 seed in the Tournament.

Prediction: Tennessee

#25 Mississippi State (20-8) at #16 Vanderbilt (24-5)

8:00 PM

Another good game that's unfortunately not on national cable. After a mediocre non-conference record, MSU is 11-3 in SEC play, just a game behind Tennessee. One way to look at the record is that their really clicking, another perspective is that the SEC is rather mediocre this year. It's probably a little bit of both.. but Vandy just doesn't lose at home.

Prediction: Vanderbilt

Texas A&M (21-8) at Baylor (20-8)

9:00 PM ESPN2

It's unfortunate that this game is on ESPN instead of the Tennessee game. A&M is one of the most boring teams to watch in all of college basketball.. and I'll probably tune in to American Idol instead. The Aggies have lost 4 of 5, and got embarrassed last time out against Oklahoma. Baylor's been playing a little bit better of late and Scott Drew's boys are on their way to the tournament for the first time. Baylor's only favored by 2 points.. which I don't get in the slightest unless there's an injury I'm not aware of?

Prediction: Baylor

Previous Game of the Night (Predictions, 81-48)

March 4th - UNLV at New Mexico (3-0)

March 3rd - Texas Tech at Kansas (3-0)

March 2nd - Clemson at Maryland (1-2)

February 28th - Maryland at Wake Forest (2-1)

February 27th - Miami at Clemson (2-1)

February 26th - Tennessee at Vanderbilt (0-3)

February 25th - Marquette at Villanova (2-1)

February 21st - South Alabama at WKU (1-2)

February 20th - UNC at NC State (3-0)

February 19th - Purdue at Indiana (2-1)

February 18th - Texas A&M at Texas (2-1)

February 16th - Stanford at Arizona (1-2)

February 14th - Wisconsin at Indiana (2-1)

February 12th - Michigan State at Purdue (2-1)

February 11th - Kansas at Texas (2-1)

February 10th - Indiana at Ohio State (2-1)

February 9th - Georgetown at Louisville (2-1)

February 7th - UCLA at Washington State (2-1)

February 6th - Duke at North Carolina (1-2)

February 5th - Florida at Tennessee (2-1)

February 4th - Gonzaga at SMC (1-2)

January 30th - Indiana at Wisconsin (1-2)

January 29th - VCU at George Mason (2-1)

January 28th - Louisville at UCONN (1-2)

January 27th - Duke at Maryland (2-1)

January 26th - Georgetown at West Virginia (3-0)

January 24rd - Dayton at Xavier (2-1)

January 22nd - Akron at Kent State (2-1)

January 21st - Drake at Creighton (1-2)

January 20th - Texas at Oklahoma State (3-0)

January 19th - Marquette at UCONN (2-1)

January 18th - Illinois State at Drake (2-1)

January 17th - Vanderbilt at Tennessee (2-1)

January 14th - Georgetown at Pittsburgh (2-1)

January 12th - Stanford at Oregon (3-0)

January 9th - Rhode Island at Dayton (2-1)

January 8th - Florida at Alabama (2-1)

January 7th - Robert Morris at Boston College (1-2)

January 6th - North Carolina at Clemson (2-1)

January 5th - Western Kentucky at South Alabama (3-0)

January 4th - American at Brown (0-3)

January 3rd - UCLA at Stanford (3-0)

January 2nd - Houston at UMASS (2-1)

Freshman 10: Final Regular Season Edition

Jason Tomassini — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 08:24:14 -0800

This here is the last regular edition of the Freshman 10, with end-of-year awards and tournament editions all that’s left to follow. Generally this would be viewed as some kind of final evaluation on these players and their first full season of work, but given the startling incoherence this season has provided, I still think my judgments on most of these guys are largely incomplete. In a year where mediocrity reigns, the right side of the Bubble resembles the NIT and No. 1 seeds are being passed around like Paris Hilton, it’s actually been the freshmen that have embodied a higher level of consistency than in past years. Looking down the list, it’s mostly guys who we knew would be good and, more importantly, guys who provide their teams with the same production game in and game out. Last season we saw the likes of Chase Budinger, Brandan Wright and Mike Conley, largely considered top freshmen of the year, shoot all over the board with their impact and statistics. Contrarily, this season has been one of big time freshman establishing their prominent roles early and never relinquishing them.

But that consistency doesn’t mean we should we’ve seen all we need to see from these players – several of whom won’t be playing any more college games after this year. If anything, the high-profile roles of freshman on top teams, in a season where the field should be wide open, means freshmen might have a bigger say on who wins it all this year than in any other year and how some of these players respond to that pressure will be telling. I think it won’t necessarily be consistency that we will remember this class by, but which players elevate their game in March beyond the level they show us in the regular season and whether they can take their respective teams with them.

Because there is only a week left in the regular season for the major conferences and some league tournaments start this week, there will be no Games To Watch section this time. The big fancy season-ending freshman awards will be doled out before March Madness begins so stay tuned for that.

Send e-mails to voice displeasure.

1. Michael Beasley, Kansas State

In the past three weeks, Beasley made the quiet decision to enter another stratosphere of basketball that, despite how insanely talented he is, I didn’t think he had. I mean, 40, 17, 44, 30, 39 is beyond Durant-ian. It’s Pistol Pete, Jerry West type stuff. And yet, I still don’t find myself thinking, “That is an unstoppable basketball player” when I watch Beasley play. The thing is, he is an unstoppable basketball player, but as I watch Kansas State drop game after game amid these seriously absurd performances I feel like what he’s doing is cheapened. On an individual level he is unstoppable, but if those individual accolades coincide with team losses, then it’s hard for a spectator to equate his play with “what’s best for the team.” Now this is completely idiotic because no player has ever scored 39 points in 31 minutes against a top five defensive opponent and been considered a detriment to his team. But it’s gotten to the point where any mention of Beasley’s season must be compared to Kevin Durant’s last year, and I don’t remember Texas losing to lesser squads with Durant on his A-game. Now obviously KSU doesn’t have quite the supporting cast Texas did last year, but at some point (read: the NCAA Tournament) the Wildcats are going to need to win some games with Beasley dropping 30+ in order for him to be considered “a transcendent freshman” or a “college legend” rather than just “the guy who was just way too good for college.” And for the record, I do really think Beasley cares about winning, plays hard and is a team player, even if the rest of the paragraph may not seem that way. He’s just not a guy that “carried his team to greater heights,” like Kevin Love or Kevin Durant is/was, but a guy who just didn’t let his team bring him down to their level. And that’s a shame because when March rolls around, and Beasley may or may not even be involved in the NCAAs, people aren’t going to be paying attention to possibly the most talented freshman ever and a kid who, as you’ll read if you click the featured link below, is interesting beyond just what he does on the court.

Stats- 26.7 ppg, 12.6 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.6 bpg, 1.4 spg, 2.9 TO, 54 FG%, 76.8 FT%, 40 3-PT%

Featured Link- There have been a lot of features on Beasley this year, but this one from Dana O’Neill at ESPN.com may be the best yet.

2. Kevin Love, UCLA

Contrary to Beasley, Love has seemingly been able to give the Bruins exactly what they need of him to win and still put up pretty great numbers. He’s had 13 straight games with double-digit scoring and nine rebounds or more which have resulted in 11 UCLA wins. In the Bruins two-point win at Arizona Sunday, Love basically carried them to victory with 24 and 15. And because of that opportunism, I think you could make a serious case for Love as a more viable candidate for National POY or Freshman of the Year than Beasley. If the award was viewed like the NBA’s MVP award, as a measure of which standout player was most responsible for his team’s success, it would be a pretty dead heat between the two. KSU would probably be below .500 if not for Beasley; UCLA would be a top 25 team but not a title contender. Beasley has far more individual talent and athleticism and absolutely absurd numbers but Love is the centerpiece on possibly the best team in the nation. And there is no question whether he makes his teammates better and there is no question his success comes within the team construct. That might sound like some of the racially motivated, new school vs. old school rhetoric that the Love-Mayo faux-rivalry was founded on but that’s not my intent. It’s simply Love and Beasley adapting their incredible talent to two different situations. It benefits Love to play the team game because of who his teammates are and that’s an approach Beasley doesn’t have an opportunity to take. But conversely, Love’s lesser stats shouldn’t necessarily signify a lesser season, but just a different type of impact.

Stats- 17.3 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1 bpg, 0.7 spg, 2.1TO, 58.2 FG%, 75.2 FT%, 15-44 3-PT%

Featured Link- Not to dive too far into self-promotion, but I wrote this blog post using Love’s outlet passes as a jumping point for how the media constructs its own image of him.

3. Eric Gordon, Indiana

Gordon is a good example of what I talked about in the intro. It’s gotten to the point where we know what we’re getting from him and now we just have to wait and see if he can carry Indiana in the NCAA Tournament. He’s a great scorer, certainly one capable of taking over a game, but over the course of a season his streaks of dominance go largely forgotten. Gordon isn’t having a dominant season but he can be a dominant player. So in a tournament setting, Gordon’s impact can be far greater because one of those seven or eight minute stretches where he takes over can be the difference between a disappointing season (first round loss) or a special one (Final Four). Given the current make-up of the team and that turmoil some of you may have heard about, I don’t think Indiana will be that type of team. But there still is a sliver of hope I reserve for the possibility of Gordon channeling all that ability into one singular run of brilliance on the most national of stages. If not to see him at his peak ability but at least to make people stop talking about cell phones and obnoxious fans.

Stats- 21.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.5 apg, 0.6 bpg, 1.4 spg, 3.5 TO, 45.6 FG%, 85.3 FT%, 37.5 3-PT%

Featured Link- Jay Mariotti, doing that thing where he overreacts to the sports story du jour (in this case, Illinois fans taunting Gordon) like a crazed idiot.

4. Derrick Rose, Memphis

Well I can finally move Rose off the No. 5 spot because he finally played a real live basketball team. And even though the Tigers lost to Tennessee, Rose was nothing short of outstanding. Even though it wasn’t particularly well-played that was the type of game for which Rose was built; up and down the court, speed against speed, crash the glass like a crazy person and get in the other guy’s shorts. He then followed it up with a great game against a spry Southern Miss squad, which started to prove that the cupcake schedule has allowed Rose to steadily remove the training wheels of being a freshman point and peak for the postseason. Against the Vols he ran the break like a terror, the only player able to out-athletic the pogo sticks on Tennessee. Versus Southern Miss, who packed in a zone like so many lesser squads have done to Memphis this year, Rose showed a three-point stroke that will make him deadly if knocked down with consistency. I still don’t think Memphis can win a title this year, but that can change if Rose, who has the type of talent matched only by Michael Beasley, can assert himself as that type of talent. Before, that was a huge question mark because the competition never warranted that type of performance. But in the past ten days, the precedent has been set.

Stats- 14.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 4.5 apg, 0.4 bpg, 1.2 spg, 3 TO, 46.9 FG%, 68.7 FT%, 32.9 3-PT%

Featured Link- While his outstanding play is one thing, it’s nice to hear his teammates recognize Rose as Memphis’ leader.

5. Jerryd Bayless, Arizona

It’s a really tough situation that Bayless has been left in. He’s been unbelievable all year, battling injuries and the not-always-reliable brilliance of Chase Budinger that sometimes puts way too much on Bayless’ shoulders. And now, without Nic Wise, he has to be the primary ballhandler and de facto “point guard” for a team that still desperately needs his scoring. So when the Cats lose six of eight (seven of which Bayless played 38+ minutes) and the wunderkind’s scoring begins to drop, it’s easy to think Bayless is hitting the freshman wall or can’t carry a team or isn’t a true point after all. There is some partial truth to all of that but Arizona’s recent struggles should not diminish what Bayless has done this season. He isn’t going to finish this season with any awards but I would struggle to name five players who have been better than him or more important to his team this season. And even though the Cats’ tourney seed is plummeting, when Wise gets back, it’s going to be real tough to pick against a team with Bayless terrorizing opponents off screens and filling lanes in the open court.

Stats- 20.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 4.3 apg, 1 spg, 3.3 TO, 47.6 FG%, 82.1 FT%, 42.4 3-PT%

Featured Link- This was one of the filthier things I have seen this year.

6. James Harden, Arizona State

I really wish us East Coast folk had the option to watch the ASU-USC game Saturday because it would have made for an interesting case study. The Sun Devils won handily but just by looking at the box score, it would seem like the much-anticipated match-up between freshmen scoring guards OJ Mayo and Harden went easily to Mayo, who dropped 37. But I would have liked to see just which player was more impressive, not which had the better stats. I’m sure Mayo, who as you’ll read below has been just ridiculous of late, had some pretty mind-boggling plays. But what I know about Harden’s game and seeing that he scored 24 points on just eight field goal attempts (opposed to Mayo’s 21 attempts), I bet it was Harden who I would have come away raving about. Alas, since the TV networks are insistent on making sure us East Coasters know just how bad the Big Ten and SEC is, I’ll never get the chance to see how Harden stacked up against Mayo at his individual best. Harden is a remarkably well-rounded and efficient scorer but people simply don’t have a point of reference with him, resulting in a vastly underappreciated national profile. He can carry a team just like Mayo and Bayless can. So, with the Pac-10 Tournament sure to provide some of the best college basketball you’ll ever see in a three-day span, I’m hoping I’ll get another crack at seeing Harden match Mayo.

Stats- 17.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.8 apg, 0.6 bpg, 1.9 spg, 2.5 TO, 53.1 FG%, 75.1 FT%, 41.2 3-PT%

Featured Link- Nice feature on Harden and his relationship with his mother.

7. OJ Mayo, USC

Well, to use a hackneyed, overused cliché that white sportswriters enjoy far too much, it looks like the real OJ Mayo has stood up. In his last four he’s went for 32, 21, 20 and 37 and the effort he put in against Arizona, the lowest total of those four, was one of the more impressive games I’ve seen from a freshman this season. He took just 13 shots, scored 20 points, hit three of four three-pointers, played 40 minutes, had six assists, one turnover and held Jerryd Bayless to eight points. Unlike the first meeting between the Pac-10’s two best freshmen guards, Mayo outplayed Bayless individually and got the win. This was just a week after a game against Oregon where he put in his most complete scoring effort of the season, a 32-point showing where he hit five of seven threes and took 13 foul shots. And of those last four, it should be fitting that the only loss was the game he scored the most points and shot the most times; a sign that when Mayo scores in a efficient way, generally achieved by using his wide range of skills rather than his physical talent, the Trojans are a really good team and Mayo is an incredibly valuable player. And because of this dynamic, there might be no other player in the country with more to gain from his postseason performance than OJ Mayo. He’s been the guy who has strayed from that “freshman consistency” I talked about more than anyone, but if the recent flashes we have seen show up in March, it’ll be easy to forget about some of the low points.

Stats- 20.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.0 apg, 0.4 bpg, 1.5 spg, 3.7 TO, 44.8 FG%, 79.8 FT%, 40.9 3-PT%

Featured Link- Bill Plaschke: Absolute moron.

8. Andrew Ogilvy, Vanderbilt

He had another terrible game against Tennessee, which still makes me wonder if he can do anything against athletic front lines, but since he only managed 12 minutes due to fouls and the Commodores won, I’ll let it slide a bit. Ogilvy is a great player but a boring one. Not because his game is boring, but because he fits perfectly with that “gives you the same thing every night” thing from the intro (well, unless that night happens to be against Tennessee). He will be a great post scorer and offense facilitator in the halfcourt but will fade away a bit once the tempo increases. This isn’t necessarily a flaw; the same could be said of Roy Hibbert or Greg Oden last season. And what kept me from dropping him even though he hasn’t been too spectacular lately is that Ogilvy’s success is largely predicated on match-ups. If Vandy gets a draw of teams with like-minded bigs, Ogilvy could be a standout player in March. But if they face a team with guys that can block his shot and beat him to spots on the floor, his impact is lessened. Unlike the other freshmen ahead of him, he isn’t a team leader; but he is one hell of an X-factor.

Stats- 16.8 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.5 bpg, 0.8 spg, 2.3 TO, 58.7 FG%,78.1 FT%

Featured Link- A day in the life of AJ Ogilvy. It includes thrilling things like breakfast, cell phone calls and Caesar salad. Not sure what to make of this but I suppose it is interesting.

9. Nick Calathes, Florida

Based on numbers alone, Calathes is probably one of the top three or four freshmen in the country. No one else puts up 15+ points, and 5+ assists and rebounds. But when you realize he has the ball about 98 percent of the time, playing around 35 minutes for a young, up tempo team, the stats do seem a bit inflated. But even if you think the Gators are a completely fraudulent team that will only make the tournament based on name recognition, it still doesn’t take away how difficult it is to be a freshman point guard for a defending champ with a completely new rotation and win 20 games, even if it’s against ~~middle schoolers~~ the SEC. He actually played pretty well against Tennessee the first time around even if it was in a blowout, but in a really big and huge game for Florida’s postseason hopes, we’ll learn a lot about Calathes tomorrow night. Especially because the Volunteers backcourt is going to try and eat him alive. He also has spiffy hair; what a brownnoser.

Stats- 15.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 6.0 apg, 1.6 spg, 2.9 TO, 42.8 FG%, 72.6 FT%, 36.2 3-PT%

Featured Link- Nice feature on the Calathes family and its many Bubble-dwelling siblings.

10. Jonny Flynn, Syracuse

It’s difficult to write about my Orange given what’s going on with them right now, but I need to recognize what Jonny Flynn has been doing lately. The kid has sat one minute in the past ten games. And because of an overtime period, he has played 404 minutes in those ten games. And he’s averaging 17 points per game in those, six of which, unfortunately have been losses, several of the “soul-crushing” variety. I don’t know if Syracuse can survive the four near misses, any one of which could’ve put them in a great position for the NCAAs, but I do know, with or without Donte Greene, this team is in great hands and a great position to compete at the top of the Big East next year. And for Christ’s sakes Jimmy, get the kid a back-up that either wants to play or knows how to keep his limbs in tact.

Stats- 15.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 5.1 apg, 1.5 spg, 2.7 TO, 45 FG%, 79 FT%, 34.6 3-PT%

Featured Link- As a Syracuse fan, I enjoyed this much the way I’d imagine people enjoy having hot wax poured on themselves.

Heading out- Patrick Patterson, Kentucky; Kyle Singler, Duke

Injured- Patrick Patterson, Kentucky; Blake Griffin, Oklahoma

Honorable mention

11) Kyle Singler, Duke 12) Donte Greene, Syracuse 13) Bill Walker, Kansas State 14) Matt Howard, Butler 15) James Johnson, Wake Forest 16) Robbie Hummel, Purdue 17) DeJuan Blair, Pittsburgh 18) Patrick Mills, St. Mary’s 19) Chris Warren, Mississippi 20) JJ Hickson, NC State 21) Kosta Koufos, Ohio State 22) Austin Daye, Gonzaga 23) Anthony Randolph, LSU 24) Dominique Jones, South Florida 25) LaceDarius Dunn, Baylor.

Poll: What Bubble Team is Least Deserving of a Bid?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 07:08:18 -0800