We're late on this, but...
Back in April the Memphis head coaching hire story was broken by John Calipari's daughter on her Facebook page. She didn't mean to break the news. According to her distressed dad, "she was just saying yay for Josh."
Three days later, in perhaps a not completely unrelated move (it's reasonable that the Calipari story inspired greater Facebook vigilance), the NCAA started attempting to shutter Facebook groups that urged recruits to choose a certain school, arguing that they violated its recruiting policies. At the suggestion that their guidelines, or at least their wording, are behind the times, the notoriously obstinate and arrogant NCAA said, its rules are "technology neutral." [h/t TBL]
-Agent Easy
Showing posts with label NCAA Tournament. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NCAA Tournament. Show all posts
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Pressure: Fresh Expectations and Free Throws
A couple of thoughts on the NCAA championship game.
1. Because of Carmelo Anthony and his ilk it has become expected for college freshman to do great things. With the hevay emphasis on AAU ball and summer basketball camps, college freshman are much more seasoned than they were 10 years ago and it is no longer a novelty to see a Kevin Love, an Eric Gordon, or a Michael Beasley mentioned in Conference POY and even National POY conversations.
As such, I had to catch myself being surprised at Derrick Rose's cold start in the first half. But was it really so strange? He's still an 18 year-old kid playing in front of millions, with a rabid fan-base (or even a city, if you heard Calipari's pre-game comments) relying on him. He was seeing double teams from different angles - it was obvious that the Jayhwaks' top defensive priority was to stop Rose - and wasn't able to find his offensive rhythm. He finished the first half shooting 1-4. He was regularly giving up the ball early in the possession, not confident in his ability to score, or at the very least penetrate and create. Instead his passes were more statements of surrender.
When he did get going in the second half, he was great, his 15 second half-points keying Memphis' run. All I'm saying is its not so shocking that it took him until the second half to get going and play with confidence. It's also not shocking that he missed an important free throw near the end...
2. So Memphis lost on free throws. Up four, with a minute to go they clanked four in a row (3 by CDR, 1 by Rose) until Rose made his second attempt. Not such a surprise. Anyone who followed college basketball this season knows that free throws were topic number one when anyone wrote or talked about Memphis. It really got going in the past month and a half when they lost the #1 vs. #2 match-up to Tennessee by throwing up bricks from the line and letting the Vols come back, and more recently as they shot well during their tournament run, the media unleashed an equal amount of "Memphis doing it from the foul line" stories. We even picked them to miss out on the Final Four because we were so sold on their shortcoming.
Sometime between the Tennesse game and the tournament Calipari tried to quell the free-throw panic, saying, on PTI, something like that free throw shooting is the 25th most important skill that he valued in a basketball player. At the time it sounded reasonable, I thought, sure maybe everyone was exaggerating it a little too much.
But looking at CDR and Rose brick those shots, so visibly nervous before and after, I couldn't help but feel bad for them - especially when the game went to OT and they eventually lost. You can't evaluate free throws just as you would any other skill - passing, shooting, etc. as coach Cal did with more than a little bit of arrogance on the aforementioned PTI appearance. Because when these kids are at the line (especially if the game is in the balance - and they are kids after all) they are made to feel the attention of the entire arena, and the country. More than any other basketball skill, free throw shooting relies on the mental component.
The more I think back to Calipari's words the more he sounds like a parent coddling their child, refusing to label them as wrong or weak, or anything else that's negative, and promoting a positive self-image at the expense of reality. Perhaps thats all coach Cal could do with so much of the season already passed and so much of an avalanche falling on him regarding the FT woes. But regardless if he exacerbated his team's mental problem or not, it was only fitting (and sad) that it was the free throw shooting that did them in.
And a question: Did anyone else think that Rose's two was originally called a two, only to be overturned twice (to a three, and only then back to a two) during the referees' conference?
1. Because of Carmelo Anthony and his ilk it has become expected for college freshman to do great things. With the hevay emphasis on AAU ball and summer basketball camps, college freshman are much more seasoned than they were 10 years ago and it is no longer a novelty to see a Kevin Love, an Eric Gordon, or a Michael Beasley mentioned in Conference POY and even National POY conversations.
As such, I had to catch myself being surprised at Derrick Rose's cold start in the first half. But was it really so strange? He's still an 18 year-old kid playing in front of millions, with a rabid fan-base (or even a city, if you heard Calipari's pre-game comments) relying on him. He was seeing double teams from different angles - it was obvious that the Jayhwaks' top defensive priority was to stop Rose - and wasn't able to find his offensive rhythm. He finished the first half shooting 1-4. He was regularly giving up the ball early in the possession, not confident in his ability to score, or at the very least penetrate and create. Instead his passes were more statements of surrender.
When he did get going in the second half, he was great, his 15 second half-points keying Memphis' run. All I'm saying is its not so shocking that it took him until the second half to get going and play with confidence. It's also not shocking that he missed an important free throw near the end...
2. So Memphis lost on free throws. Up four, with a minute to go they clanked four in a row (3 by CDR, 1 by Rose) until Rose made his second attempt. Not such a surprise. Anyone who followed college basketball this season knows that free throws were topic number one when anyone wrote or talked about Memphis. It really got going in the past month and a half when they lost the #1 vs. #2 match-up to Tennessee by throwing up bricks from the line and letting the Vols come back, and more recently as they shot well during their tournament run, the media unleashed an equal amount of "Memphis doing it from the foul line" stories. We even picked them to miss out on the Final Four because we were so sold on their shortcoming.
Sometime between the Tennesse game and the tournament Calipari tried to quell the free-throw panic, saying, on PTI, something like that free throw shooting is the 25th most important skill that he valued in a basketball player. At the time it sounded reasonable, I thought, sure maybe everyone was exaggerating it a little too much.
But looking at CDR and Rose brick those shots, so visibly nervous before and after, I couldn't help but feel bad for them - especially when the game went to OT and they eventually lost. You can't evaluate free throws just as you would any other skill - passing, shooting, etc. as coach Cal did with more than a little bit of arrogance on the aforementioned PTI appearance. Because when these kids are at the line (especially if the game is in the balance - and they are kids after all) they are made to feel the attention of the entire arena, and the country. More than any other basketball skill, free throw shooting relies on the mental component.
The more I think back to Calipari's words the more he sounds like a parent coddling their child, refusing to label them as wrong or weak, or anything else that's negative, and promoting a positive self-image at the expense of reality. Perhaps thats all coach Cal could do with so much of the season already passed and so much of an avalanche falling on him regarding the FT woes. But regardless if he exacerbated his team's mental problem or not, it was only fitting (and sad) that it was the free throw shooting that did them in.
And a question: Did anyone else think that Rose's two was originally called a two, only to be overturned twice (to a three, and only then back to a two) during the referees' conference?
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Tourney Picks
A Disclaimer: Between the two of us we've watched less than six games this year. That's not to say we haven't followed along with box scores and highlights, but despite what looks to be thoughtful evidence for the picks below, most (all?) are based on hunches, gut feelings, and rooting preferences. The sole point of this is to go on record, should the picks actually hit.
East
I want to pick George Mason (two starters with final four experience!) over Notre Dame just for nostalgia's sake, but can't bring myself to do it, after reading all of the recent Harangody hype. Incidentally, it's only because I haven't heard an excess of his hype that I'm actually buying into it (see Hansbrough, finals pick).
I got Winthrop over Washington St. just because the cougars are an eyepopping 0-5 vs top 25. All five came against UCLA (twice) and Stanford (three times) and if you say, that thats not representative of the top 25 as a whole, I say you have to pull out at least one win no matter who you get your crack at 5 times.
The rest of the region is 1-4 in the sweet sixteen and 1 UNC over 2 Tenn in the regional final. Tenn is tempting, and I could see either team taking this, but I'm going with UNC on the been-there, done-that principle.
Midwest
The 1-4 seeds and 9-13s make it into the second round, with only 12 Villanova crashing the top-seed party the second weekend.
I have Kansas St. running through the region before losing to Kansas in the final (Beasley's quote notwithstanding). But yes, I do have them taking down 6 USC, 4 Wisc, and 2 Gtown, the latter of which I'm only picking to lose because Roy Hibbert's soft game annoys me.
South
Let's make it three straight years that Memphis loses at the hands of a Final Four-bound team (UCLA in '06, OSU in '07). After watching them clank free throws and throw away their lead against Tennessee, I just don't trust them and their 60% charity stripe number.
After that I have Pitt beating Stanford, themselves coming off of a Texas win. It's not so much that I like Pitt as that I don't like their competition. I will never pick a Texas basketball team to make a deep run after my visit there a few years ago revealed that their home games rarely come close to selling out, and the inside scoop from the students was that no one there really cares about the basketball team. So lets make it this five years in a row without a Final Four berth. (If you have a problem with me cherry picking stats, I direct you to reason three within the disclaimer above).
West
Include me among everyone else who thinks this is the easiest region for the top seed.
Duke is only 5-4 in their last 9, but I'll ignore warnings of a weak ACC this year and still take them over Xavier in the Elite Eight.
I also have Drake beating a UConn team that lost in the opening round of the big east. They're early exit and time spent out of the public eye has enlivened the talking heads, many warning, "don't sleep on UConn." Instead, let's just be satisfied with what they've accomplished already considering their early season turmoil (suspensions, Calhoun-AD bickering a a result) and not expect them to do much more.
On the flip-side, lets root for Baylor, the last team announced on the selection show, and give 'em a win over Purdue in the opening round, and an exclamation point on their post-Dennehy, post-Bliss, revival.
Final Four
UCLA over Kansas
UNC over Pitt
UCLA 71 UNC 68
Why? Because I've had enough of the Hansbrough hype. And because he looks awkward and Kevin love doesn't. Though I do love Danny Green's pre-game dancing.
East
I want to pick George Mason (two starters with final four experience!) over Notre Dame just for nostalgia's sake, but can't bring myself to do it, after reading all of the recent Harangody hype. Incidentally, it's only because I haven't heard an excess of his hype that I'm actually buying into it (see Hansbrough, finals pick).
I got Winthrop over Washington St. just because the cougars are an eyepopping 0-5 vs top 25. All five came against UCLA (twice) and Stanford (three times) and if you say, that thats not representative of the top 25 as a whole, I say you have to pull out at least one win no matter who you get your crack at 5 times.
The rest of the region is 1-4 in the sweet sixteen and 1 UNC over 2 Tenn in the regional final. Tenn is tempting, and I could see either team taking this, but I'm going with UNC on the been-there, done-that principle.
Midwest
The 1-4 seeds and 9-13s make it into the second round, with only 12 Villanova crashing the top-seed party the second weekend.
I have Kansas St. running through the region before losing to Kansas in the final (Beasley's quote notwithstanding). But yes, I do have them taking down 6 USC, 4 Wisc, and 2 Gtown, the latter of which I'm only picking to lose because Roy Hibbert's soft game annoys me.
South
Let's make it three straight years that Memphis loses at the hands of a Final Four-bound team (UCLA in '06, OSU in '07). After watching them clank free throws and throw away their lead against Tennessee, I just don't trust them and their 60% charity stripe number.
After that I have Pitt beating Stanford, themselves coming off of a Texas win. It's not so much that I like Pitt as that I don't like their competition. I will never pick a Texas basketball team to make a deep run after my visit there a few years ago revealed that their home games rarely come close to selling out, and the inside scoop from the students was that no one there really cares about the basketball team. So lets make it this five years in a row without a Final Four berth. (If you have a problem with me cherry picking stats, I direct you to reason three within the disclaimer above).
West
Include me among everyone else who thinks this is the easiest region for the top seed.
Duke is only 5-4 in their last 9, but I'll ignore warnings of a weak ACC this year and still take them over Xavier in the Elite Eight.
I also have Drake beating a UConn team that lost in the opening round of the big east. They're early exit and time spent out of the public eye has enlivened the talking heads, many warning, "don't sleep on UConn." Instead, let's just be satisfied with what they've accomplished already considering their early season turmoil (suspensions, Calhoun-AD bickering a a result) and not expect them to do much more.
On the flip-side, lets root for Baylor, the last team announced on the selection show, and give 'em a win over Purdue in the opening round, and an exclamation point on their post-Dennehy, post-Bliss, revival.
Final Four
UCLA over Kansas
UNC over Pitt
UCLA 71 UNC 68
Why? Because I've had enough of the Hansbrough hype. And because he looks awkward and Kevin love doesn't. Though I do love Danny Green's pre-game dancing.
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