Before the season started, I predicted that the Bruins would play somewhat above their pre-season ranking, and the Illini would right about at theirs or below. Looks like I was right. I think the two seed for UCLA was a surprise. I expected a three. Likewise, the four seed for Illinois was surprise, as again I figured on a three.
UCLA could not ask for a better bracket in my opinion. They get a 15 seed in the first round (coincidentally also called the Bruins), followed by Marquette in the second round. Win that one and they're set to meet Gonzaga in the third round, who has played one tough team in the last couple of months (Stanford) who they beat at home (UCLA killed Stanford both at home and at Maples Pavillion this year), although they struggled in doing so. They also struggled in their conference tournament. They don't play anyone who defends like UCLA. A win over the Zags would set up a regional final against Memphis, who beat UCLA earlier in the season. But they play in an awful conference, and the Bruins are probably more tested at this point. I think they can get to the final four.
Illinois not only got dicked on their seed, but they also got shipped out west for the first round (they'll be playing alongside UCLA in San Diego), where they'll face Air Force, who shouldn't even be in the tournament, followed by Washington. That could be a very tough matchup for Illinois. On the plus side, the Illini have one of the best defensive stoppers in the country in Brian Randle, but Brandon Roy gets a lot of respect from officials, and Randle doesn't. If Randle spends a lot of time on the bench, the Illini are in trouble. Washington is not a good defensive team, and they're soft in the middle. The X factor in this one is Sean Pruitt. He could go off in that one.
I'll try to do a longer post on this tomorrow with all of my picks, but I thought I would crank this one out for now.
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Kings and Bruins win
Didn't really see any of the Kings game because the party moved down the street to a local bar. However, I was checking the score on my phone, saw that they were headed into a shootout, and ran back to my apartment (about 100 yards away) to catch the action. I think it's safe to say that I made it back to my apartment in less time than it took Luc to skate in and score the only goal of the shootout, but it was enough for the Kings to add another two points against a team that they really have to beat. I'm not really worried about giving up a point to St. Louis.
The Kings remain five points clear of the ninth place Sucks and 8 points clear of the 10th place Sharks, but each of those teams have three games in hand. They hold their destiny in their own hands.
Congratulations to the UCLA Bruins who blitzed their way to a Pac-10 championship, winning each game going away. After letting a big lead slip away at the end of the first half, the Bruins turned up the defense and got to the basket. They dominated the second half, and they didn't do it with a quick spurt, but rather with deliberate dominance. They won their three games in this tournament by an average of 21 points. They're going into the tournament playing their best basketball of the season.
What's so nice to see is that they're getting the contributions from everywhere. Darren Collison is practically outplaying Jordan Farmar. Afflalo is shooting the ball well, getting into the lane, and the play he made to draw defenders before feeding Hollins for the dunk was terrific. LRMAM and Aboya have continued to progress. Michael Roll is providing solid defense on the one end while extending the defense on the other. Ryan Hollins looked at a calendar and decided it was pretty much now or never, and has really started to turn himself into a force inside. Ced Bozeman has really elevated his game. His defense is fantastic, and he has been much more active on the offensive end, flying into the lane at times and drawing contact.
The three blowouts allowed Coach Howland to give extended minutes to Lorenzo Mata, who I believe will be called upon to provide very valuable minutes at some point in this tournament. They now have six guys on the front line that defend and give fouls (LRMAM, Aboya, Wright, Fey, Hollins, Mata), which is very valuable against teams who are thin up front. Those late '90s Stanford teams often did that against UCLA when they really only had Gadzuric up front. It seemed liked they would pull seven footers out of the stands. That's such a luxury at this time of year.
Before the season I thought a trip to the sweet sixteen was a reasonable expectation, and that a trip to the elite 8 was within reach. Bump those up a notch now. And anything short of sweet sixteen would be a failure. I've made the comparison a number of times, and going into this tournament, this team really reminds me of the 2003-2004 Illini. A lot expected of them, but ultimately, the window is next year. That means it will be easy to get over an earlier than expected exit from the tournament, because there is so much to look forward to.
The Kings remain five points clear of the ninth place Sucks and 8 points clear of the 10th place Sharks, but each of those teams have three games in hand. They hold their destiny in their own hands.
Congratulations to the UCLA Bruins who blitzed their way to a Pac-10 championship, winning each game going away. After letting a big lead slip away at the end of the first half, the Bruins turned up the defense and got to the basket. They dominated the second half, and they didn't do it with a quick spurt, but rather with deliberate dominance. They won their three games in this tournament by an average of 21 points. They're going into the tournament playing their best basketball of the season.
What's so nice to see is that they're getting the contributions from everywhere. Darren Collison is practically outplaying Jordan Farmar. Afflalo is shooting the ball well, getting into the lane, and the play he made to draw defenders before feeding Hollins for the dunk was terrific. LRMAM and Aboya have continued to progress. Michael Roll is providing solid defense on the one end while extending the defense on the other. Ryan Hollins looked at a calendar and decided it was pretty much now or never, and has really started to turn himself into a force inside. Ced Bozeman has really elevated his game. His defense is fantastic, and he has been much more active on the offensive end, flying into the lane at times and drawing contact.
The three blowouts allowed Coach Howland to give extended minutes to Lorenzo Mata, who I believe will be called upon to provide very valuable minutes at some point in this tournament. They now have six guys on the front line that defend and give fouls (LRMAM, Aboya, Wright, Fey, Hollins, Mata), which is very valuable against teams who are thin up front. Those late '90s Stanford teams often did that against UCLA when they really only had Gadzuric up front. It seemed liked they would pull seven footers out of the stands. That's such a luxury at this time of year.
Before the season I thought a trip to the sweet sixteen was a reasonable expectation, and that a trip to the elite 8 was within reach. Bump those up a notch now. And anything short of sweet sixteen would be a failure. I've made the comparison a number of times, and going into this tournament, this team really reminds me of the 2003-2004 Illini. A lot expected of them, but ultimately, the window is next year. That means it will be easy to get over an earlier than expected exit from the tournament, because there is so much to look forward to.
Friday, March 10, 2006
Last Night's Games
Not much to say, really. I didn't see very much of the UCLA game, because it started fairly early, but it sounds like Hollins played pretty well. Oregon State isn't very good to begin with, so when you take away three of their best players, they're probably going to get their asses kicked. The nice thing is that Coach Howland was able to give extended minutes to some of the bench guys, and was able to rest Farmar and Afflalo.
Great to see Lo Mata back in action. If he's able to provide some minutes and/or fouls come tournament time, that could be a nice boost. Not that I expect much, mind you, but every contribution helps.
The ankle injury to Ced Bozeman illustrates exactly why I think conference tournaments are stupid. You play extra games, you expose your best players to injury, and the teams derive virtually no benefit outside of the financial. For the power conferences, you're going to have a handful of teams that are already in, and winning the tourney really does nothing except perhaps move them up a seed. And if a team that otherwise wasn't in (say, U$C for instance) gets on a roll and wins, that knocks a more deserving team off the bubble. For small conferences, you could have a school that dominates its league all year, then someone gets lucky in the conference tournament and beats them, leaving them on the outside looking in. So basically a 15-18 game conference season of dominance can be erased by one three point shot.
As for the Kings, their five game winning streak came to a screeching halt last night in Detroit, as Aaron Miller probably played just about the worst game of his career. He was at least partially responsible for four Detroit goals. He got undressed by Robert Lang on the first goal, accidentally deflected the second goal in, passed the puck right to Henrik Zetterburg for the third goal, and failed to outmuscle Zetterburg for the fourth goal. The Kings hung in for a while. They were tied 2-2 halfway through the game, and even after the Wings took a 4-2 lead, Lubo scored a power play goal to pull them back to within one. But the Wings dominated the third period much like they dominated the first two periods, and that was pretty it, as they pulled a Deadmarsh (1996 World Cup version) by scoring a goal in the final minute AFTER they'd already scored an empty netter.
Two more hoops games tonight, which I'll probably watch, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to write about them. I'm leaving right after to go see Mazarin at Schuba's, then I'm having people over for St. Patty's day festivities tomorrow. I normally don't do parties at my apartment, but I'm the lone holdout that still lives in close proximity to all of the Lincoln Park bars, so it's kind of fallen to me by default.
And with that, I'll leave you with a Brian Jonestown Massacre video.
Great to see Lo Mata back in action. If he's able to provide some minutes and/or fouls come tournament time, that could be a nice boost. Not that I expect much, mind you, but every contribution helps.
The ankle injury to Ced Bozeman illustrates exactly why I think conference tournaments are stupid. You play extra games, you expose your best players to injury, and the teams derive virtually no benefit outside of the financial. For the power conferences, you're going to have a handful of teams that are already in, and winning the tourney really does nothing except perhaps move them up a seed. And if a team that otherwise wasn't in (say, U$C for instance) gets on a roll and wins, that knocks a more deserving team off the bubble. For small conferences, you could have a school that dominates its league all year, then someone gets lucky in the conference tournament and beats them, leaving them on the outside looking in. So basically a 15-18 game conference season of dominance can be erased by one three point shot.
As for the Kings, their five game winning streak came to a screeching halt last night in Detroit, as Aaron Miller probably played just about the worst game of his career. He was at least partially responsible for four Detroit goals. He got undressed by Robert Lang on the first goal, accidentally deflected the second goal in, passed the puck right to Henrik Zetterburg for the third goal, and failed to outmuscle Zetterburg for the fourth goal. The Kings hung in for a while. They were tied 2-2 halfway through the game, and even after the Wings took a 4-2 lead, Lubo scored a power play goal to pull them back to within one. But the Wings dominated the third period much like they dominated the first two periods, and that was pretty it, as they pulled a Deadmarsh (1996 World Cup version) by scoring a goal in the final minute AFTER they'd already scored an empty netter.
Two more hoops games tonight, which I'll probably watch, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to write about them. I'm leaving right after to go see Mazarin at Schuba's, then I'm having people over for St. Patty's day festivities tomorrow. I normally don't do parties at my apartment, but I'm the lone holdout that still lives in close proximity to all of the Lincoln Park bars, so it's kind of fallen to me by default.
And with that, I'll leave you with a Brian Jonestown Massacre video.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Kings add an American
Dave Taylor worked the phones yesterday and came up with a deal that should help the power play. The Kings added American international Mark Parrish and offensive (you pick the emphasis) defenseman Brent Sopel in exchange for former first round picks Dennis Grebeshkov and Jeff Tambellini. There's been a lot of concern among Kings fans over the progress of Grebeshkov, or lack thereof. A couple of years ago it was assumed that he'd be quarterbacking the power play by this season, but according to reports, he's actually regressed. His attitude hasn't helped much either. Tambellini seems like the real deal, though. He led Manchester in scoring before the deal, has great speed and a wicked writst shot. Tough to lose him, but with Kopitar, Tukonen, Pushkarev, and Boyle all making progress, they have the depth at forward to make a deal like this. It does make them a bit thinner on the blue line, with Richard Petiot being their only good prospect back there. If I were still an Islanders fan (I used to love Mike Bossy when I was a kid), I'd be pretty happy with this package.
I am still a fan of the Kings, though, and similarly, I'm pretty happy with this package. The Kings get better right away without taking anything from the big club. Parrish will improve the power play, although I'm a little concerned that he'll take some minutes away from Dustin Brown there. I liked what I saw out of Brown on the power play lately, and Parrish is a similar player in that he goes to the front of the net. He's more skilled than Brown right now, though, and he's one of the best in the NHL at deflecting the puck. Sopel, honestly, I don't know all that much about him. I've heard that he's a skilled defensman as far as his offense is concerned, and that if he's paired with someone like Matty (which will probably be the case) he can be a real asset. He should also help improve the power play. Don't know whether he'll be on the first or second unit. I still like seeing Lubo and Corvo out there on the first unit.
Parrish is an unrestricted free agent after the season, so the Kings will have to make the decision to bring him back if they have the cap space. Sopel is guaranteed another year after this, which puts Corvo's future with the Kings into doubt. Corvo's a UFA after this season, and he's played well enough to demand a good contract, and now with Sopel in the mix, the Kings might decide they don't need to pay a couple million to both of them. Personally, I'm a Corvo fan, so I want him back.
One thing this trade does for me is it shows me just how much the unbalanced schedule prevents me from knowing that much about Eastern Conference players. I liked the old days when everyone would play everyone at least twice. Oh well. I'll pretty much root for anyone that's American, so it's nice to see the Kings add another one. Let's hope the deal pays immediate dividends, starting tonight against the Wings.
I am still a fan of the Kings, though, and similarly, I'm pretty happy with this package. The Kings get better right away without taking anything from the big club. Parrish will improve the power play, although I'm a little concerned that he'll take some minutes away from Dustin Brown there. I liked what I saw out of Brown on the power play lately, and Parrish is a similar player in that he goes to the front of the net. He's more skilled than Brown right now, though, and he's one of the best in the NHL at deflecting the puck. Sopel, honestly, I don't know all that much about him. I've heard that he's a skilled defensman as far as his offense is concerned, and that if he's paired with someone like Matty (which will probably be the case) he can be a real asset. He should also help improve the power play. Don't know whether he'll be on the first or second unit. I still like seeing Lubo and Corvo out there on the first unit.
Parrish is an unrestricted free agent after the season, so the Kings will have to make the decision to bring him back if they have the cap space. Sopel is guaranteed another year after this, which puts Corvo's future with the Kings into doubt. Corvo's a UFA after this season, and he's played well enough to demand a good contract, and now with Sopel in the mix, the Kings might decide they don't need to pay a couple million to both of them. Personally, I'm a Corvo fan, so I want him back.
One thing this trade does for me is it shows me just how much the unbalanced schedule prevents me from knowing that much about Eastern Conference players. I liked the old days when everyone would play everyone at least twice. Oh well. I'll pretty much root for anyone that's American, so it's nice to see the Kings add another one. Let's hope the deal pays immediate dividends, starting tonight against the Wings.
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Kings 3; Wild 2 (OT)
For the first time since 2002, the Kings have won five games in a row. With 18 games to play, they sit in sixth place, five points clear of the ninth place Sucks. If they take care of business against their rivals, they ought to make the playoffs this year, which would also happen for the first time since 2002. Three of those five wins have come without their two most talented forwards, Pavol Demitra and Alexander Frolov, and they've come while trade rumors have swirled around goaltender Matthieu Garon, who was excellent in last night's game.
Honestly, I saw this one via my DVR. We had a bye this week in my floor hockey league, so a couple of us got together to have a couple of drinks. When the Kings got down 2-0, I pretty much fast forwarded until the Kings got their second goal, and watched from there. Brilliant play by Derek Armstrong to set up Lubo for the game winner, but one of the nicest plays that may not have looked like it at first was the goal by Kostopolous. He had to reach behind him a bit to corrall the pass, and he quickly pulled it in and ripped the shot home. I praised him the other night, but he really has been playing well since the break.
Once again, they aren't showing major improvement in one or even two areas, but they're showing some improvement in ALL areas, and that's been enough to push them to three straight wins after the Olympic break. Always good to open a road trip with two points, and every point from here on out is absolutely crucial. If they could steal a point or two in Detroit, that would be huge.
Honestly, I saw this one via my DVR. We had a bye this week in my floor hockey league, so a couple of us got together to have a couple of drinks. When the Kings got down 2-0, I pretty much fast forwarded until the Kings got their second goal, and watched from there. Brilliant play by Derek Armstrong to set up Lubo for the game winner, but one of the nicest plays that may not have looked like it at first was the goal by Kostopolous. He had to reach behind him a bit to corrall the pass, and he quickly pulled it in and ripped the shot home. I praised him the other night, but he really has been playing well since the break.
Once again, they aren't showing major improvement in one or even two areas, but they're showing some improvement in ALL areas, and that's been enough to push them to three straight wins after the Olympic break. Always good to open a road trip with two points, and every point from here on out is absolutely crucial. If they could steal a point or two in Detroit, that would be huge.
Monday, March 06, 2006
A difference of opinion
In a comment to the last post, the Chronicler opines that the video for "Just" by Radiohead is overrated. I obviously disagree, but I'll leave up to you readers to decide. He points us to a video by Japanese duo Cibo Matto for the song "Sugar Water".
Now, I've watched this video, and I'll admit, it's pretty damn cool. It's really kind of hard to describe, so you just have to watch it. However, I have a hard time saying it's better than "Just" when, truth be told, it's not even the best Cibo Matto video. That title belongs to the video (available below) for the Cibo Matto classic "Know Your Chicken" (unfortunately, this one dies about 2/3 of the way through, but you get the gist of it).
Now, I've watched this video, and I'll admit, it's pretty damn cool. It's really kind of hard to describe, so you just have to watch it. However, I have a hard time saying it's better than "Just" when, truth be told, it's not even the best Cibo Matto video. That title belongs to the video (available below) for the Cibo Matto classic "Know Your Chicken" (unfortunately, this one dies about 2/3 of the way through, but you get the gist of it).
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Since I figured out this cool YouTube thing
I thought I'd do you all a favor and post the greatest music video ever created. You're welcome.
Catching up
Three games yesterday, so instead of giving each their own post, I'll lump them all into one. That's what happens when you're recovering from travel and recovering from particularly nasty stye.
Blue Jackets 2; Kings 3
The Kings were playing very poorly in just about all facets of the game before the Olympic break. They weren't scoring, they weren't playing defense, they weren't getting good goaltending, and their special teams were awful. It felt like they needed to make big strides in a couple of areas to start winning again. But they've gone in another direction. Instead of big improvements in a couple of areas, they've made small improvements in every area. They're getting timely goals, improved defense, very good goaltending, and they've now played two games without giving up a power play goal, while netting a couple themselves. The results are two straight post-break victories, giving them a four game winning streak.
Sean Avery was hero and almost-goat yesterday, as he recorded his first ever mult-goal game. The first came shorthanded on a two one one as he fired a wicked snapshot past Marc Denis' glove. The second came near the end of the second period when he tapped home a one timer off of a Tom Kostopolous pass. Kostopolous has been skating really well the past few games.
After allowing two goals in the opening five minutes of the third period to even the score, the Kings settled down, and got a late power play goal from Michael Cammalleri that provided the winning margin. I can't be the only Kings fan whose happy to see Dustin Brown getting power play time, and his presence in front of the Columbus net led directly to that goal.
Matthieu Garon, while not tremendous, was very good yet again, and he did come up with a couple of excellent saves. They need that sort of solid goaltending to reach the playoffs. And if the rumors are right, they might not be getting it from Garon much longer, as he has been mentioned as part of a deal that would bring Canadian National Team goalie Roberto Luongo to the Kings from Florida.
UCLA 75; Stanford 54
For the first time in nine years, the Bruins are the champions of the Pac-10 regular season, and they earned it by playing probably their finest game, start to finish, of the entire season. For the first time in four games, the Bruins actually showed up to play in the first half. In wins over Oregon, Oregon State, and UC Berkeley, the Bruins had failed to crack 30 points in the first half, and trailed every game at the midpoint. But after falling behind 5-0 to the Cardinal at Maples Pavilion, they woke up, went on a 14-2 run, and never looked back. They extended their lead to 14 by halftime. Stanford went on an 8-0 run to cut the lead to nine points with just under 21 minutes to play, but the Bruins slammed the door with a 10-0 run of their own immediately after.
They did it with a balanced attack on offense, and their trademark stifling pressure on defense. Four starters finished in double figures, with Michael Roll chipping in nine off the bench. The numbers don't show it, but Darren Collison had one of his best games as a Bruin with six points, and at least one more assist than the official scorer appears to have given him credit for. On the glass LRMAM led the team again with nine rebounds, and Ryan Hollins grabbed eight of his own. Jordan Farmar added 13 points and seven assists with -- brace yourself for this -- NO TURNOVERS. In fact, as a team, the Bruins only turned the ball over 5 times, ten times fewer than their hosts. That was really the difference, and it shows what a team can do when it values the basketball.
On the Pac 10 tourney, where they can hopefully sew up nothing worse than a 3 seed, and maybe even a two if they're particularly impressive.
Illinois 75; Michigan State 68
Two more games against the Spartans, two more wins, and two more chances for me to hold bragging rights over my dad (MSU class of '60). Two solid halves of basketball by the Illini led them to this win, but the way in which they put those halves together differed a fair amount. In the first half, Dee Brown's inconstent shooting and James Augustine's injury after a collision with Goran Suton meant that the Illini would need scoring support from other areas. They got it from Warren Carter's six points, and Sean Pruitt's eight points (including four for four from the free throw line). They went into the break trailing by one after officials took away an apparent buzzer beater by Jamar Smith (it was the right call).
In the second half, Augie got healthy, and Dee caught fire, throwing in 16 of his 20 points, and all five of his three pointers (he finished five of ten from beyond the arc). The Illini took control at roughly the fourteen minute mark. After palying even for the previous few minutes, Illinois went on a 12-0 run which consisted of two three pointers from Brown, and two from Jamar Smith. This seems to be the Illini M.O. in a lot of their wins this year. Play the game close. Maybe take a little lead, then give it up, then play even, then BAM! Go on a run that wears the opponent out, and that's that.
Earlier in the second half, Rich McBride fired up an airball in attempt to beat the shot clock. The Izzone, as is mandated in the by-laws of just about every college basketball student section, subsequently reminded him of it every time he touched the ball. As a result, there was no sweeter hoop than the open three that McBride hit on the feed from Augustine with 6:33 to go, and which put the Illini back on top by double digits. McBride was one of five Illini to finish the game in double figures, and it looks like this team is finally figuring out a way to score that doesn't require running the shot clock down to nothing before having Dee launch a desperation three. They need to get back to their solid defense for a full forty minutes. But if they put those two elements together, there's no one they can't beat on any given night.
Blue Jackets 2; Kings 3
The Kings were playing very poorly in just about all facets of the game before the Olympic break. They weren't scoring, they weren't playing defense, they weren't getting good goaltending, and their special teams were awful. It felt like they needed to make big strides in a couple of areas to start winning again. But they've gone in another direction. Instead of big improvements in a couple of areas, they've made small improvements in every area. They're getting timely goals, improved defense, very good goaltending, and they've now played two games without giving up a power play goal, while netting a couple themselves. The results are two straight post-break victories, giving them a four game winning streak.
Sean Avery was hero and almost-goat yesterday, as he recorded his first ever mult-goal game. The first came shorthanded on a two one one as he fired a wicked snapshot past Marc Denis' glove. The second came near the end of the second period when he tapped home a one timer off of a Tom Kostopolous pass. Kostopolous has been skating really well the past few games.
After allowing two goals in the opening five minutes of the third period to even the score, the Kings settled down, and got a late power play goal from Michael Cammalleri that provided the winning margin. I can't be the only Kings fan whose happy to see Dustin Brown getting power play time, and his presence in front of the Columbus net led directly to that goal.
Matthieu Garon, while not tremendous, was very good yet again, and he did come up with a couple of excellent saves. They need that sort of solid goaltending to reach the playoffs. And if the rumors are right, they might not be getting it from Garon much longer, as he has been mentioned as part of a deal that would bring Canadian National Team goalie Roberto Luongo to the Kings from Florida.
UCLA 75; Stanford 54
For the first time in nine years, the Bruins are the champions of the Pac-10 regular season, and they earned it by playing probably their finest game, start to finish, of the entire season. For the first time in four games, the Bruins actually showed up to play in the first half. In wins over Oregon, Oregon State, and UC Berkeley, the Bruins had failed to crack 30 points in the first half, and trailed every game at the midpoint. But after falling behind 5-0 to the Cardinal at Maples Pavilion, they woke up, went on a 14-2 run, and never looked back. They extended their lead to 14 by halftime. Stanford went on an 8-0 run to cut the lead to nine points with just under 21 minutes to play, but the Bruins slammed the door with a 10-0 run of their own immediately after.
They did it with a balanced attack on offense, and their trademark stifling pressure on defense. Four starters finished in double figures, with Michael Roll chipping in nine off the bench. The numbers don't show it, but Darren Collison had one of his best games as a Bruin with six points, and at least one more assist than the official scorer appears to have given him credit for. On the glass LRMAM led the team again with nine rebounds, and Ryan Hollins grabbed eight of his own. Jordan Farmar added 13 points and seven assists with -- brace yourself for this -- NO TURNOVERS. In fact, as a team, the Bruins only turned the ball over 5 times, ten times fewer than their hosts. That was really the difference, and it shows what a team can do when it values the basketball.
On the Pac 10 tourney, where they can hopefully sew up nothing worse than a 3 seed, and maybe even a two if they're particularly impressive.
Illinois 75; Michigan State 68
Two more games against the Spartans, two more wins, and two more chances for me to hold bragging rights over my dad (MSU class of '60). Two solid halves of basketball by the Illini led them to this win, but the way in which they put those halves together differed a fair amount. In the first half, Dee Brown's inconstent shooting and James Augustine's injury after a collision with Goran Suton meant that the Illini would need scoring support from other areas. They got it from Warren Carter's six points, and Sean Pruitt's eight points (including four for four from the free throw line). They went into the break trailing by one after officials took away an apparent buzzer beater by Jamar Smith (it was the right call).
In the second half, Augie got healthy, and Dee caught fire, throwing in 16 of his 20 points, and all five of his three pointers (he finished five of ten from beyond the arc). The Illini took control at roughly the fourteen minute mark. After palying even for the previous few minutes, Illinois went on a 12-0 run which consisted of two three pointers from Brown, and two from Jamar Smith. This seems to be the Illini M.O. in a lot of their wins this year. Play the game close. Maybe take a little lead, then give it up, then play even, then BAM! Go on a run that wears the opponent out, and that's that.
Earlier in the second half, Rich McBride fired up an airball in attempt to beat the shot clock. The Izzone, as is mandated in the by-laws of just about every college basketball student section, subsequently reminded him of it every time he touched the ball. As a result, there was no sweeter hoop than the open three that McBride hit on the feed from Augustine with 6:33 to go, and which put the Illini back on top by double digits. McBride was one of five Illini to finish the game in double figures, and it looks like this team is finally figuring out a way to score that doesn't require running the shot clock down to nothing before having Dee launch a desperation three. They need to get back to their solid defense for a full forty minutes. But if they put those two elements together, there's no one they can't beat on any given night.
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Angels Trade Alberto Callaspo
In return they get Jason Bulger, a hard throwing relief pitcher a few years removed from Tommy John surgery.
I suppose I ought to write something about this. I've already posted my thoughts on the Rev's site, but my first thoughts on this are that it sounds like a decent deal with good potential, and even if it fails, I don't think it will hurt the Angels too much. Almost no one projects Callaspo as more than a good Major Leaguer at best. We're not talking about a future hall of famer, though I wish him well. On the other hand, the Angels brain trust has a good track record with hard throwers that no one else seems to want too much (see Donnelly and Weber). He gives them some depth in the bullpen.
What's better is what this trade reveals, which is the rising star of Howie Kendrick. This deal was necessitated by Kendrick's terrific play. It looks like he'll be starting the season in AAA. Callaspo, while a good prospect, hadn't shown any power, and he was the fourth best middle infield prospect on a team full of them. He was expendable. And if he pans out, he'll be the double play partner of the second best shortstop prospect in baseball, Stephen Drew. Good luck to him.
I suppose I ought to write something about this. I've already posted my thoughts on the Rev's site, but my first thoughts on this are that it sounds like a decent deal with good potential, and even if it fails, I don't think it will hurt the Angels too much. Almost no one projects Callaspo as more than a good Major Leaguer at best. We're not talking about a future hall of famer, though I wish him well. On the other hand, the Angels brain trust has a good track record with hard throwers that no one else seems to want too much (see Donnelly and Weber). He gives them some depth in the bullpen.
What's better is what this trade reveals, which is the rising star of Howie Kendrick. This deal was necessitated by Kendrick's terrific play. It looks like he'll be starting the season in AAA. Callaspo, while a good prospect, hadn't shown any power, and he was the fourth best middle infield prospect on a team full of them. He was expendable. And if he pans out, he'll be the double play partner of the second best shortstop prospect in baseball, Stephen Drew. Good luck to him.
Illinois 71; Minnesota 65
The Illini celebrated senior day over the weekend with a win over Iowa and set themselves on the task of ruining senior day for the Gophers and Spartans. One down, one to go.
Vincent Grier got off to a good first half, although he scored half of his points from the foul line. But the Illini came on strong late in the half, got a dunk from James Augustine as the clock wore down, and went into the break with a 3 point lead. The teams came out and exchanged scores, and the lead, for a while, until the Illini went on a 10-0 run beginning at around the 15 minute mark, and they never gave up the lead again. The run consisted of four free throws, and just two points from a guard. Although the backcourt combined for 36 points, it really seemed like the front court that came through when it mattered most for the first 35 minutes. Sean Pruitt dropped in nine points on 4-5 shooting, Marcus Arnold added six, and Augie was terrific with 16 points, 10 boards, and 7 assists.
What seemed to do the Gophers in were two posessions late in the second half where the Illini ran the clock down about as far as they could before making three pointers, one by McBride and one by Jamar Smith. It's kind of like killing a penalty in hockey and giving up a goal with one second left. When you play great defense, force the opponent to throw one up as the buzzer sounds, and watch it go in, that's demoralizing. And that's not even taking into account the fact that the Illini were able to kill 1:10 of game time while still getting six points out of it.
At the under-four timeout, the Gophers were within four points. Dan Monson put the seniors back out on the floor, hoping they could dig something up and finish the game out on a winning note. But seconds later, Jason Stampier was whistled for an offensive foul off the ball, and that was the break the Illini needed to put the game away, as Jamar Smith hit his three pointer on the very next posession.
Now it's on the East Lansing to finish the regular season, maybe move closer to a 2-seed. Meanwhile, everyone in Orange will be pulling hard for Northwestern to upset OSU.
Vincent Grier got off to a good first half, although he scored half of his points from the foul line. But the Illini came on strong late in the half, got a dunk from James Augustine as the clock wore down, and went into the break with a 3 point lead. The teams came out and exchanged scores, and the lead, for a while, until the Illini went on a 10-0 run beginning at around the 15 minute mark, and they never gave up the lead again. The run consisted of four free throws, and just two points from a guard. Although the backcourt combined for 36 points, it really seemed like the front court that came through when it mattered most for the first 35 minutes. Sean Pruitt dropped in nine points on 4-5 shooting, Marcus Arnold added six, and Augie was terrific with 16 points, 10 boards, and 7 assists.
What seemed to do the Gophers in were two posessions late in the second half where the Illini ran the clock down about as far as they could before making three pointers, one by McBride and one by Jamar Smith. It's kind of like killing a penalty in hockey and giving up a goal with one second left. When you play great defense, force the opponent to throw one up as the buzzer sounds, and watch it go in, that's demoralizing. And that's not even taking into account the fact that the Illini were able to kill 1:10 of game time while still getting six points out of it.
At the under-four timeout, the Gophers were within four points. Dan Monson put the seniors back out on the floor, hoping they could dig something up and finish the game out on a winning note. But seconds later, Jason Stampier was whistled for an offensive foul off the ball, and that was the break the Illini needed to put the game away, as Jamar Smith hit his three pointer on the very next posession.
Now it's on the East Lansing to finish the regular season, maybe move closer to a 2-seed. Meanwhile, everyone in Orange will be pulling hard for Northwestern to upset OSU.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
The South
I'm in Atlanta for training this week, so posting will be spotty. As a result, I didn't see the UCLA game today, but apparently for the second straight game, they started actually playing in the second half.
As for the Illini, the played a pretty solid game yesterday. It was weird in that no one performace really stood out as being tremendous. Richard McBride was a good selection for player of the game, but he was fairly spotty for much of the afternoon. He contributed big three pointers at key moments, especially the two at the end of the first half, which changed the complexion of the game.
The defense was excellent for the full forty minutes. Greg Brunner got off, but Jeff Horner and Adam Haluska were completely shut down, and that was truly the difference. The last two games are winnable, but they're also very losable. I'd expect a split, but I wouldn't be shocked if they lost both heading into the conference tournament.
As for the Illini, the played a pretty solid game yesterday. It was weird in that no one performace really stood out as being tremendous. Richard McBride was a good selection for player of the game, but he was fairly spotty for much of the afternoon. He contributed big three pointers at key moments, especially the two at the end of the first half, which changed the complexion of the game.
The defense was excellent for the full forty minutes. Greg Brunner got off, but Jeff Horner and Adam Haluska were completely shut down, and that was truly the difference. The last two games are winnable, but they're also very losable. I'd expect a split, but I wouldn't be shocked if they lost both heading into the conference tournament.
Friday, February 24, 2006
People on ludes should not drive
I don't know how many of you have been following this story in LA over the past couple of days, but it seems some Swedish millionaire basically destroyed a Ferrari Enzo while trying to street race it against a Mercedes, which he also owned. The car is one of only 400 that were ever made, and probably goes for somewhere around a million bucks. There are some interesting elements to the story. The owner says he was not driving at the time, and the guy who driving was some German dude that he didn't know who then fled the scene of the accident. The owner escaped with virtually no injuries despite striking a pole while doing something like 120 MPH. Part of the reason, well, probably the main reason, is because the car is designed to more or less cut itself in half in the event of such an accident, with the passenger cabin detaching from the back, which contains the V-12 engine. Car enthusiasts are no doubt weeping over such a waste of what many call not a car, but rather art on wheels. Here are some pictures:
Certainly a sad story if you're a car enthusiast, and it should be interesting to see what develops with this mystery driver. But throughout this whole story, the same thought keeps racing through my head:
Certainly a sad story if you're a car enthusiast, and it should be interesting to see what develops with this mystery driver. But throughout this whole story, the same thought keeps racing through my head:
Relax, alright? My old man is a television repairman, he's got this ultimate set of tools. I can fix it.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Happy First Blogday to JenJen
Whether you know her as JenJen, VolcanoJen, or Tavern Wench, it really doesn't matter. She's celebrating her fist anniversary of blogging today, so congratulations. You really should check her site out if you ever spent time in a bar and wondered what the people serving the drinks truly thought of you. Also, it features lots of tips and tricks on how to be not so much of an ass to your bartender. And if that's not enough for you, even celebrity blogger Matt Welch enjoys her work.
One year is truly an accomplishment. Lord knows I started this thing three or four times before losing interest until I re-upped last year. My first full year is only a couple of months away, so you should really start planning what you're going to get me.
One year is truly an accomplishment. Lord knows I started this thing three or four times before losing interest until I re-upped last year. My first full year is only a couple of months away, so you should really start planning what you're going to get me.
Another Expansion in the Halosphere
Or rather, not so much an expansion as a lateral move. This one is called Watching All Angels, and it appears to be pretty new. If you look up in the right hand corner, you'll find some info on the proprietors. I found this through a random sitemeter perusal, and they link to me, so I'm linking back. I'd venture to guess that Maya is the same Maya from Watching Jeff DaVanon, but I can't confirm that check that, I can confirm it. I just hadn't bothered to look a little further to the right the first time. This time husband Keith is along for the ride. Find out more about them here. Anyway, the link is over there on the right, so check 'em out. They appear to be in the beta testing stage, so you can get in on the ground floor and say you were a fan before they got all popular and sold out. Me? I'm not in it for the money. I do it all for you, my loyal readers, and random searchers for pictures of Sharin Foo and Sonya Aurora Madan.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Quick Exit - Finland 4; USA 3
Well, that wasn't altogether surprising. I kind of suspected that we'd put it together for a game, and that we'd catch Finland on an off-day, but the Americans were outworked and outplayed until the final six or seven minutes, but by then it was too late. Undisciplined play, untimely penalties, and an inability to cover for those mistakes were the difference. Give the Finns credit. They play a boring style, but it's effective, and they beat us with their third string goaltender.
USA Hockey is really in a bit of flux right now. The heroes of the '96 World Cup, and even most of the guys that took silver in 2002, are no longer in peak form, and it really showed in this tournament. Somewhere along the way, there was a gap in the development of American born players, and most of our best talent is either over 35 or under 25. It's gonna be a few years before that talent develops to the world class level needed to compete with the best. Zach Parise, Phil Kessel, Eric and Jack Johnson, these are guys who may be ready in 2010, maybe not. Don't forget that the US won the World Juniors last year, and were favored to win it this year. Kings fans can probably look forward to seeing Tim Gleason and Dustin Brown on the next Olympic team, and quite frankly, Joe Corvo would have looked a lot better than Darien Hatcher in this one, especially with goal scoring at a premium.
One of the biggest deficiencies compared to the past teams the US has put together is between the pipes. Nothing against Rick DiPietro, who played admirably (and he *was* a #1 pick overall). He didn't cost the Americans any games, but he didn't steal any either. They don't have a Mike Richter. And that fact becomes clearer when you look at the goalies for many of the teams in this tournament. The Russians, Czechs, Canadians, Finns, Swedes, and Swiss all have better goaltenders than we do. Hell, the Czech, Canadians, and Finns all have at least two goalies better than we do.
The good news is that the US won't have to face any heat from the hockey press, because the Canadians just choked even harder than we did.
A regular 'ol comment thread broke out on the last post, so I might as well add that I have one crappy US jersey (Leetch), a crappy Ukranian jersey (Zhitnik), and a crappy Russian jersey (Zhamnov). I also have a Dynamo Moscow jersey (Maxim Kuznetsov). And that does it for the international jerseys. I'd still love to get a Slovakian jersey with #26 - Stastny on it. As for the NHL stuff, I have:
And I agree, our jerseys suck. The ones from the '96 World Cup were good, but ever since Nike started making them, they're for shit. And these more form-fitting ones they've been wearing this year are awful. And don't get me started on the socks. They look like they're wearing their shin-guards on the outside.
USA Hockey is really in a bit of flux right now. The heroes of the '96 World Cup, and even most of the guys that took silver in 2002, are no longer in peak form, and it really showed in this tournament. Somewhere along the way, there was a gap in the development of American born players, and most of our best talent is either over 35 or under 25. It's gonna be a few years before that talent develops to the world class level needed to compete with the best. Zach Parise, Phil Kessel, Eric and Jack Johnson, these are guys who may be ready in 2010, maybe not. Don't forget that the US won the World Juniors last year, and were favored to win it this year. Kings fans can probably look forward to seeing Tim Gleason and Dustin Brown on the next Olympic team, and quite frankly, Joe Corvo would have looked a lot better than Darien Hatcher in this one, especially with goal scoring at a premium.
One of the biggest deficiencies compared to the past teams the US has put together is between the pipes. Nothing against Rick DiPietro, who played admirably (and he *was* a #1 pick overall). He didn't cost the Americans any games, but he didn't steal any either. They don't have a Mike Richter. And that fact becomes clearer when you look at the goalies for many of the teams in this tournament. The Russians, Czechs, Canadians, Finns, Swedes, and Swiss all have better goaltenders than we do. Hell, the Czech, Canadians, and Finns all have at least two goalies better than we do.
The good news is that the US won't have to face any heat from the hockey press, because the Canadians just choked even harder than we did.
A regular 'ol comment thread broke out on the last post, so I might as well add that I have one crappy US jersey (Leetch), a crappy Ukranian jersey (Zhitnik), and a crappy Russian jersey (Zhamnov). I also have a Dynamo Moscow jersey (Maxim Kuznetsov). And that does it for the international jerseys. I'd still love to get a Slovakian jersey with #26 - Stastny on it. As for the NHL stuff, I have:
- Predators - blue (no name)
- Panthers - red (no name)
- Senators - original black (no name)
- Kings - old purple (#16 Dionne)
- Kings - old white (#71 Timonen - worn by him in training camp)
- Kings - old black (#15 Stumpel)
- Kings - new purple (#28 Deadmarsh)
- Kings - new black (#20 Robitaille)
- Kings - new white (#17 Visnovsky)
- Whalers - blue (#94 Shanahan)
- Nordiques - blue (#26 Stastny)
- Flames - white (#6 Housley)
- Capitals - old red (#4 Hatcher)
And I agree, our jerseys suck. The ones from the '96 World Cup were good, but ever since Nike started making them, they're for shit. And these more form-fitting ones they've been wearing this year are awful. And don't get me started on the socks. They look like they're wearing their shin-guards on the outside.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Illinois 64; Michigan 72
For the second time this season, the Illini gave up over 70 points against Michigan. This time, however, the Illini scored 15 fewer points, and let a chance to gain ground in the conference with a road win get away. Defense has been their calling card this year, but they've had one problem. They tend to go through stretches where they completely forget about the defensive end of the floor. They did it tonight at the beginning of the second half, and they blew a 7 point lead as Michigan nailed five threes in a handful of posessions. That was the difference. It didn't help that Michigan refused to miss a free throw.
Daniel Horton was the obvious star, and quite frankly, it had to happen sometime. The guy is a good player, and he's been owned by Illinois his entire career to this point. And when he busts out, he really busts out. He went for 39 points, and while many of those came shooting free throws at the end, the 11 most important came in the first four minutes of the second half right after the Illini had stretched their lead to six. Included in the run were three pointers from Dion Harris and Ron Coleman, none of which were really contested. When the outburst was over, the Wolverines led by four, and although the Illini would tie the game one more time, they would never lead again.
Lost in the poor defensive performance were excellent offensive nights from James Augustine and Dee Brown, who added 23 and 20 respectively. Augie added 14 assists, while Dee pitched in 6 assists (albeit to five turnovers). Sean Pruitt also contributed nicely with 10 points on 5-7 shooting, including a fantastic drive from the perimeter that ended with a thunderous dunk. But the Illini got nothing from the bench. Literally. Zero bench points, two assists, and two rebounds. Jamar Smith was non-existent, almost moreso than the other night when he was benched by Bruce Weber. Speculation is that he has hit the freshman wall. Whatever it is, until he begins to contribute again, there's a big hole in the backcourt, especially with the recent spotty play of Rich McBride.
It's just one game, and it's not the end of the world, but the finish is tough. Iowa at home, then at MSU and at Minnesota. The good news is that this schedule presents a chance for the Illini to make a statement. As Bruce Weber has said a few times this season, it's up to the player to decide what kind of statement they want to make.
Daniel Horton was the obvious star, and quite frankly, it had to happen sometime. The guy is a good player, and he's been owned by Illinois his entire career to this point. And when he busts out, he really busts out. He went for 39 points, and while many of those came shooting free throws at the end, the 11 most important came in the first four minutes of the second half right after the Illini had stretched their lead to six. Included in the run were three pointers from Dion Harris and Ron Coleman, none of which were really contested. When the outburst was over, the Wolverines led by four, and although the Illini would tie the game one more time, they would never lead again.
Lost in the poor defensive performance were excellent offensive nights from James Augustine and Dee Brown, who added 23 and 20 respectively. Augie added 14 assists, while Dee pitched in 6 assists (albeit to five turnovers). Sean Pruitt also contributed nicely with 10 points on 5-7 shooting, including a fantastic drive from the perimeter that ended with a thunderous dunk. But the Illini got nothing from the bench. Literally. Zero bench points, two assists, and two rebounds. Jamar Smith was non-existent, almost moreso than the other night when he was benched by Bruce Weber. Speculation is that he has hit the freshman wall. Whatever it is, until he begins to contribute again, there's a big hole in the backcourt, especially with the recent spotty play of Rich McBride.
It's just one game, and it's not the end of the world, but the finish is tough. Iowa at home, then at MSU and at Minnesota. The good news is that this schedule presents a chance for the Illini to make a statement. As Bruce Weber has said a few times this season, it's up to the player to decide what kind of statement they want to make.
The Quarterfinals are set
I haven't watched the US game from today yet, but while the result stayed the same, we did manage to actually score 3 goals, which is more than we scored in the last two games combined. Anyway, the quarters are set, and here are my predictions:
Quarterfinals
USA over Finland
Canada over Russia
Slovakia over the Czech Republic
Sweden over Switzerland
Semi-Finals
Canada over USA
Slovakia over Sweden
Bronze Medal
USA over Sweden
Gold Medal
Slovakia over Canada
I think we'll see a lot of great hockey, but I think the Slovakian stars will rise to the occasion and frustrate the Canadians. It's pointless to say that I think the Slovaks have more talent, because they don't. But Canada has stuggled for much of the tournament, and the Slovaks have been playing great team hockey, and they have the best line in the tournament with Demitra, Hossa, and Gaborik. Their power play is excellent with Lubo along the blue line, and I think they're finally ready to show the world how good they are. They've been screwed by the format the last few years, forced to battle it out in the preliminary rounds with less than a full team, as most of those games would come before the NHL began it's break, and as a result, they inevitably failed to get into the secondary round robin. But they're loaded not only with NHL talent, but with NHL all-stars, and in some cases, superstars.
Of course, the man responsible for the whole thing is the greatest European player in the history of the NHL. Peter Stastny not only put this together as its general manager, but he's responsible for inspiring many on the Slovakian roster, as he was the country's first true NHL star, accumulating more points in the 1980s than anyone not named Wayne Gretzky. If they can continue their excellent play and take the gold, no one will be prouder than Stastny.
Quarterfinals
USA over Finland
Canada over Russia
Slovakia over the Czech Republic
Sweden over Switzerland
Semi-Finals
Canada over USA
Slovakia over Sweden
Bronze Medal
USA over Sweden
Gold Medal
Slovakia over Canada
I think we'll see a lot of great hockey, but I think the Slovakian stars will rise to the occasion and frustrate the Canadians. It's pointless to say that I think the Slovaks have more talent, because they don't. But Canada has stuggled for much of the tournament, and the Slovaks have been playing great team hockey, and they have the best line in the tournament with Demitra, Hossa, and Gaborik. Their power play is excellent with Lubo along the blue line, and I think they're finally ready to show the world how good they are. They've been screwed by the format the last few years, forced to battle it out in the preliminary rounds with less than a full team, as most of those games would come before the NHL began it's break, and as a result, they inevitably failed to get into the secondary round robin. But they're loaded not only with NHL talent, but with NHL all-stars, and in some cases, superstars.
Of course, the man responsible for the whole thing is the greatest European player in the history of the NHL. Peter Stastny not only put this together as its general manager, but he's responsible for inspiring many on the Slovakian roster, as he was the country's first true NHL star, accumulating more points in the 1980s than anyone not named Wayne Gretzky. If they can continue their excellent play and take the gold, no one will be prouder than Stastny.
Monday, February 20, 2006
UCLA 68; USC 71
There have been a lot of bad performances by the Bruins this year, but until this game, they're only really poor loss was the Cal game. They looked worse against Drexel, Albany, Coppin State, and Wagner, but they found a way to win all of those games. Well, SC isn't great, but they're better than those teams, and they didn't give up when UCLA went on a 13-0 run to take the lead. They responded with a 13-0 run of their own, as the Bruins began to play as if they game was essentially over when they pulled ahead.
When you play this poorly, there's a lot of blame to go around. It was their first game in over a week, and it showed, although that's no excuse, and USC had that time off as well. The first four or five minutes was about as bad as it gets. The box score shows Farmar with only three turnovers, but that can't be right. I counted five in the first four minutes alone. There were at least two steals, a play where he stepped on the end line, and a play where he was unable to get the ball in on an out of bounds play.
Ryan Hollins took a step backward, as he had probably his worst game in the last month or so. He finished with no points, only four rebounds, and a turnover. He was really non-existent on the offensive end, and this came against a team with virtually no inside presence. USC only played seven guys and one of them only played 9 minutes, but they never looked tired.
Ryan Francis got into foul trouble, picking up his fourth foul with 16 minutes to go, but that didn't matter. His replacement, Duane Shackleford, lit up the Bruin backcourt, driving to the basket again and again. He ended the game with 12 points in only 21 minutes on 4-4 shooting and 4-5 from the free throw line. His line was indicative of the night the Bruin defense had. They were a step slow from the get go, and USC took advantage to the tune of 56% shooting from the field.
For the second straight game, one could argue that UCLA lost the game at the free throw line. They made only 10 of 18, with the normally reliable Darren Collison and Aaron Afflalo combining to go 4-9. They've shot only 62% from the line in their last two games, and when they're a fifth or sixth seed in the tournament instead of a third seed, they'll look back at those two games as reasons why. Although honestly, for the most part, this game wasn't as close as the score. USC led by 11 with about a minute and a half to go when the Bruins started making everything. Two three pointers by Roll, another by Farmar, and a couple of free throws by LRMAM (who had a repsectable 8 and 10, albeit on 3-8 shooting) helped pull UCLA to within the final margin before the poor decision making they showed early in the game returned. Michael Roll stole the inbounds pass with 4 seconds to go, and instead of taking the ball to the arc, he tried to hit Afflalo. The ball was knocked out of bounds, and the ensuing inbounds play never materialized, as Roll missed Afflalo again and threw the ball out of bounds. Game over.
There is time to atone for the last two games. They should get a little swagger back this week against the Oregon schools, but they missed a golden opportunity to take the lead in the conference after Cal lost to Arizona State at home. It's great to play such solid defense, but great teams get it done on both ends of the floor, and they aren't getting it done on offense. They can't outscore teams when the defense goes south. They're going to have to find a way to put the ball in basket more often, or their March run will be over very quickly.
When you play this poorly, there's a lot of blame to go around. It was their first game in over a week, and it showed, although that's no excuse, and USC had that time off as well. The first four or five minutes was about as bad as it gets. The box score shows Farmar with only three turnovers, but that can't be right. I counted five in the first four minutes alone. There were at least two steals, a play where he stepped on the end line, and a play where he was unable to get the ball in on an out of bounds play.
Ryan Hollins took a step backward, as he had probably his worst game in the last month or so. He finished with no points, only four rebounds, and a turnover. He was really non-existent on the offensive end, and this came against a team with virtually no inside presence. USC only played seven guys and one of them only played 9 minutes, but they never looked tired.
Ryan Francis got into foul trouble, picking up his fourth foul with 16 minutes to go, but that didn't matter. His replacement, Duane Shackleford, lit up the Bruin backcourt, driving to the basket again and again. He ended the game with 12 points in only 21 minutes on 4-4 shooting and 4-5 from the free throw line. His line was indicative of the night the Bruin defense had. They were a step slow from the get go, and USC took advantage to the tune of 56% shooting from the field.
For the second straight game, one could argue that UCLA lost the game at the free throw line. They made only 10 of 18, with the normally reliable Darren Collison and Aaron Afflalo combining to go 4-9. They've shot only 62% from the line in their last two games, and when they're a fifth or sixth seed in the tournament instead of a third seed, they'll look back at those two games as reasons why. Although honestly, for the most part, this game wasn't as close as the score. USC led by 11 with about a minute and a half to go when the Bruins started making everything. Two three pointers by Roll, another by Farmar, and a couple of free throws by LRMAM (who had a repsectable 8 and 10, albeit on 3-8 shooting) helped pull UCLA to within the final margin before the poor decision making they showed early in the game returned. Michael Roll stole the inbounds pass with 4 seconds to go, and instead of taking the ball to the arc, he tried to hit Afflalo. The ball was knocked out of bounds, and the ensuing inbounds play never materialized, as Roll missed Afflalo again and threw the ball out of bounds. Game over.
There is time to atone for the last two games. They should get a little swagger back this week against the Oregon schools, but they missed a golden opportunity to take the lead in the conference after Cal lost to Arizona State at home. It's great to play such solid defense, but great teams get it done on both ends of the floor, and they aren't getting it done on offense. They can't outscore teams when the defense goes south. They're going to have to find a way to put the ball in basket more often, or their March run will be over very quickly.
Indiana 58; Illinois 70
Excellent efforts out of James Augustine and Brian Randle allowed the Illini to open up a big first half lead that they'd never really come close to relinquishing, despite some anxious moments in teh second half, mostly brought on by the collapse against Penn State. I've written all year about how the Illini, especially Brian Randle but it goes for Augie as well, need to attack the basket. Yesterday, they did just that, converting dunk after dunk (six according to ESPN's play by play). I counted at least four for Augustine, and while Randle only had one, it was thunderous and it was the signature moment of the game. He took his man off the dribble and flew to the hoop to throw down a monster jam, and completed the three point play at the line. Augie finished with 18 and 10 for his 25th career double double, while Randle added 12 points and five boards to go along with stifling defense that limited Robert Vaden to 9 points on 4-13 shooting.
The Illini have struggled with skilled big men this season, getting killed by Marco Killingsworth and Terrence Dials in earlier games this season. Part of the problem in those games was an inability to guard the perimiter while also limiting the inside game. Yesterday, they held Killingsworth to 15 points and 45% shooting. But they also held the Hoosiers down from the outside. Indiana hit just 4 of 22 three point attempts. That's less than 20%. Compare that with the 47% they allowed in their two games with Indiana and Ohio State earlier this year, and you can see what made the difference.
Illinois wasn't much better from beyond the arc (in fact, they were worse), hitting only 3 of 17 shots. But that didn't include any from Jamar Smith, who didn't play. According to Coach Weber, he "didn't take care of business". Let your imagination fill in the rest. Didn't matter. Illinois did their damage inside as their big men accounted for 51 of the their 70 points. That's the kind of scoring they're going to need from the front-line as the tournament approaches.
Four winnable games remain, but they're all losable as well. At Michigan tomorrow, followed by Iowa at home, and closing on the road with MSU and Minnesota, who has been terrific at home lately. Those four games will be the difference between a conference championship and a two seed, or a first round game in the Big Ten Tournament and a six seed. If this team is going to decide to be special, now is the time to do it.
The Illini have struggled with skilled big men this season, getting killed by Marco Killingsworth and Terrence Dials in earlier games this season. Part of the problem in those games was an inability to guard the perimiter while also limiting the inside game. Yesterday, they held Killingsworth to 15 points and 45% shooting. But they also held the Hoosiers down from the outside. Indiana hit just 4 of 22 three point attempts. That's less than 20%. Compare that with the 47% they allowed in their two games with Indiana and Ohio State earlier this year, and you can see what made the difference.
Illinois wasn't much better from beyond the arc (in fact, they were worse), hitting only 3 of 17 shots. But that didn't include any from Jamar Smith, who didn't play. According to Coach Weber, he "didn't take care of business". Let your imagination fill in the rest. Didn't matter. Illinois did their damage inside as their big men accounted for 51 of the their 70 points. That's the kind of scoring they're going to need from the front-line as the tournament approaches.
Four winnable games remain, but they're all losable as well. At Michigan tomorrow, followed by Iowa at home, and closing on the road with MSU and Minnesota, who has been terrific at home lately. Those four games will be the difference between a conference championship and a two seed, or a first round game in the Big Ten Tournament and a six seed. If this team is going to decide to be special, now is the time to do it.
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