Biggest Surprises of the College Hoops Season

Posted on December 13, 2012 by bry

It is a really slow week for on-court action, so it seems like a good time for some a quick emotionless, objective, quantitative analysis of teams that have surprised in the first month of the college hoops season.  Based strictly on the KenPom rankings today compared to his preseason rankings, here are the biggest surprises (rankings represent KenPom’s rankings for today versus his rankings posted on 11/9 before the first games were played and indicate the sheer numerical difference between the two rankings.)

10 Most Improved College Basketball Teams

  1. Illinois-Chicago
    currently #122 from preseason #289
  2. Canisius
    #146 from #276
  3. Utah
    #194 from #309
  4. Eastern Kentucky
    #185 from #292
  5. Gardner-Webb
    #145 from #240
  6. Pepperdine
    #208 from #299
  7. San Francisco
    #111 from #197
  8. Boston U.
    #132 from #213
  9. Bradley
    #154 from #234
  10. Maryland/Wyoming (tie)
    MD: #56 from #135
    WY: #59 from #138

Obviously, because I simply used the discrete change in rankings, this list is somewhat biased towards those teams that were expected to be really bad and have proven barely mediocre.  That shows that the presence of Maryland and Wyoming in the #10 spot to be pretty impressive for those two teams and the starts they have had.  Teams like Charlotte, Middle Tennessee, North Dakota State, and Illinois State all went from “thought-to-be-decent” to “really good.”  And, Ole Miss, who has improved from #74 in the preseason all the way to #21 now probably has seen the most subjectively impressive rise in their ranking.

10 Most Disappointing College Basketball Teams

  1. Missouri State
    currently #244 from preseason #123
  2. Penn State
    #167 from #67
  3. Old Dominion
    #226 from #132
  4. Wisconsin-Milwaukee
    #291 from #200
  5. Lamar
    #312 from #226
  6. Marist
    #253 from #169
  7. Delaware State
    #288 from #205
  8. Mercer
    #158 from #82
  9. Furman
    #314 from #258
  10. IUPUI
    #300 from #229

The opposite bias holds here in that this list is catered more towards teams that were thought to be mediocre, but have been pretty bad.  Teams like Rice, Southern Utah, and Presbyterian are all really bad, when they were only considered to be slightly bad.  And, then there are teams like South Dakota State, Drexel, Vanderbilt, Marshall, and UMass, who all were supposed to be pretty good, but have all shown to be just mediocre thus far.

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Forgotten 40: The Eye of the Storm

Posted on December 11, 2012 by bry

Most college campuses across the country are either gearing up for Finals Week or have already completed it and are emptying out for the mid-semester break.  That means that the non-conference whirlwind of games has slowed to a crawl, as teams eye up the heavy conference slate that awaits them around the turn of the New Year.

As for the Forgotten 40, there were only 4 teams that graduated from our list since the last edition, two weeks ago.

The Graduates

  • Virginia Tech (9 – previous F40 ranking)
  • Boise State (7)
  • Wyoming (21)
  • LSU (27)

The unbeaten Tigers of LSU got a single vote in this week’s AP Poll, while the similarly unbeaten Wyoming Cowboys got several after taking care of Colorado.  Boise State, who was #7 on our list did get recognition after beating up on Creighton, and the Va Tech Hokies are the biggest surprise in the ACC this year, suffering their first loss this weekend, by 1 point at West Virginia.

The Forgotten Forty

  1. Iowa (24) – The Hawkeyes have been on this list in every installment, but never cracked the Top 10.  Well, it is time.  This team is officially “very good.”  Aaron White is as underrated a player as you will find, and once freshman Adam Woodbury figures it out, they should be legitimately in the tournament discussion.
  2. Middle Tennessee State (11) – A 20-point beatdown of UAB and then a really big win over Ole Miss should have gotten the Blue Raiders some national attention, but we all know that a Sun Belt team needs to move mountains to get noticed.
  3. Ole Miss (2) – To the college hoops layman, a loss to the aforementioned Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders might be a real negative on the Ole Miss resume, but a road loss to a team that is very, very good doesn’t hurt you much in the F40.  If you have not yet heard the names Murphy Holloway or Marshall Henderson, just wait – you will.
  4. Belmont (3) – When you have a guard averaging over 19 ppg at almost 60% shooting (Ian Clark), you know you have a high-tempo, prolific offense, but when you have three others in double-figure scoring (Kerron Johnson -14, Trevor Noack-12, Blake Jenkins-10), you have something special.
  5. Iowa State (4) – Utah transfer Will Clyburn has been as good as advertised for the Cyclones this year, and, a road loss to in-state rival Iowa notwithstanding, Mayor Hoiberg has them rolling again with 21- and 11-point wins, respectively, over fellow F40 members BYU and Florida Gulf Coast to add to the ledger since the last time we checked in.
  6. Illinois State (1) – The reigning top dog on our list suffered through a surprisingly impressive 3-game losing streak.  After a 3-point OT loss to Northwestern, the Redbirds gave Louisville everything they could handle in a 3-point loss, before returning home for a letdown 14-point loss to undefeated Wyoming.  They rebounded with a 22-point shellacking of Western Michigan.  It is no surprise that Jackie Carmichael is putting up huge numbers, but Tyler Brown’s are off the charts so far this year (19 ppg, 4 rpg, 2 apg, 1 spg, 50% FG, 83% FT, 41% 3pt).
  7. Virginia (5) – If you like high-flying offensive hoops, you have probably never liked Tony Bennett.  But, if you want your team to win, you probably want him hired.  Bennett is doing it again – in ugly fashion – at UVA, as the Cavs continue to roll on, adding relatively easy wins over MVSU, Green Bay, and the Tennessee Vols to their record.
  8. Illinois-Chicago (-) – It is finally time to take notice of what’s going on at UIC.  Picked last in the Horizon, the quick start was not expected to continue, but the Flames just will not stop winning.  They have now won 7 in a row, including wins at Northwestern and home against a good Colorado St. team.  They sit in first-place in the Horizon, at 8-1, with their only loss coming by 7 points to an elite New Mexico team.
  9. Oregon State (12) – A 3-point loss to Alabama and a 6-point loss to Kansas are the only blemishes on the Beavers record this year.  Unfortunately, they have not yet picked up any marquee wins either, so the jury is still out – and will remain out because the rest of the non-conference schedule is barren.  But, the Pac-12 should be careful to underestimate the POTUS’s brother-in-law this year.
  10. Arkansas (-) – The F40’s roller-coaster team so far has got to be these Hogs.  #1 on the first list, they then fell to #20 and then off completely before returning this week at #10.  BJ Young and Marshawn Powell are among the best 1-2 combos in the country, and, while the 40 minutes of hell is only 4-4 this year, their losses are all close and all to good teams (Michigan, Syracuse, Wisconsin, Arizona St.).  Their good wins were non-existant until they beat Oklahoma this week, making them a viable candidate to return to the Top 10 of this list.
  11. George Mason (6) – This weekend might have been the best weekend thus far in the college hoops season.  Not because of the matchups, necessarily, but because of the great games.  And, the best game of the weekend was Northern Iowa at George Mason.  If there is a heaven – mine would probably have these two teams lining up and playing over and over again for eternity.  While Mason lost in OT, they certainly acquitted themselves nicely and look like the class of a weak CAA this year.
  12. Charlotte (22) – You can only play the teams on your schedule, and that is what the 49ers have done – and won…every one of them, including an impressive road win at Davidson.  In his third year on the job, it looks like Alan Major may be way ahead of schedule on the total rebuild in Charlotte. 
  13. BYU (8) – The Cougars got whipped at Iowa State a couple weeks back, but rebounded to beat Utah this weekend.  #12 may still be a bit high for them here, but I really like what Tyler Haws is giving them after his 2-year mission in the Phillippines, and they do still have Brandon Davies and Matt Carlino, so I am still a believer that there is enough talent for Dave Rose to put them in the tournament discussion yet again.
  14. Oklahoma (16) – The rebuild for the one and only Lon Kruger is coming along nicely in Norman.  It remains to be seen if the Sooners are viable Big XII contenders, but there is no doubt they are heading in the right direction.
  15. Dayton (-) – We all know how tough the Flyers are in their building, but when they went to Alabama last week and beat the Crimson Tide, it opened some eyes.  This Flyers team might be a lot better than anyone anticipated, and it is time they made their F40 debut.
  16. Clemson (15) – A home loss to Arizona is not head-scratching, but it is a missed opportunity for Brad Brownell’s team to assert itself.  The Tigers looked good against one of the nation’s best, but did not have the horses down the stretch.  That might be a trend of this Clemson season, but we will wait a little before dropping them here.
  17. Akron (14) – Well, a loss at Creighton is not head-scratching…but, it would have been nice if the Zips made it a little more competitive.  I still believe that Akron has enough on the roster to seriously challenge Ohio in the MAC, but their non-conference has been underwhelming.
  18. Washington State (-) – I am not sure why I am so surprised that a team with Brock Motum is playing so well.  Motum, one of the best pure scorers in the nation, is almost single-handedly keeping this Cougar team relevant.
  19. Canisius (-) – Canisius won 5 games last year.  So, naturally, they fired their coach and hired someone else – someone coming off a whole SEVEN-win season of his own.  And, you know what?  It was an excellent hire.  Jim Baron is a great coach, who, somehow, fell on really hard times at Rhode Island.  So, when the Golden Griffins hired him to run their program, they brought in experience, wisdom, and, oh by the way, a dead-eye senior shooting guard, as Jim brought his son, Billy, with him.  Billy Baron is averaging 18 ppg for Canisius.  Teamed with another 18-ppg scorer, Harold Washington and last year’s starter Alshwan Hayes off the bench, Canisius may all of a sudden have the best backcourt in the MAAC.  After a decent non-conference, including a win over Coach Baron’s alma mater, St. Bonaventure, the Golden Griffins have already started 2-0 in the MAAC.  And, it is not your everyday 2-0, as they were both on the road against decent teams in Fairfield and Marist.  All of a sudden, it is not crazy to think that a team that went 1-17 in the conference play last year and was picked dead-last in the preseason could actually win a good MAAC this year.
  20. North Dakota State (34) – Nate Who?  The presumed best player in the Summit League, Nate Wolters of South Dakota State, might have to look north at another do-everything guy on a Dakota State team.  NDSU’s Evan Braun is averaging 15.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.6 spg, and even 0.5 bpg on – dare I say it – the best team in the Summit League.  Sorry, Jackrabbit fans, but you guys have suddenly lost the “favorite” title.
  21. Richmond (19) – Since the last time we checked in on the Spiders, they have beaten 3 CAA teams and an ACC team.  Sounds good (and it is), but it was W&M in double-OT, JMU in OT, a bad ODU team, and a non-ACC caliber Wake Forest team.  Still, Richmond sits at 8-2 and should be in the A-10 mix.
  22. LaSalle (-) – As if the A-10 mix wasn’t crowded enough, enter the Explorers, too.  LaSalle has won 5 straight, including an OT win over Villanova and road wins over Rider and Northeastern.  A sneaky team in the 16-team A-10, the Explorers get their first F40 mention, thanks to a backcourt of Tyreek Duren and Ramon Galloway, who are averaging over 34 points per game between the two of them.
  23. Pacific (-) – Another team making its debut on this list is Pacific.  The next in line for “Big West Flavor of the Month,” the Tigers have beaten Nevada and San Francisco in their last two games, possibly legitimizing earlier wins over St. Mary’s and Xavier.  The Big West is going to be fascinating this year, with no clear favorite whatsoever and as many as 8 truly legitimate contenders.
  24. Utah State (32) – A near tragedy at a Utah State practice last week cancelled their game with BYU, which would have showed a lot about who the Aggies are.  But, as of now, they look like the WAC favorite.
  25. Robert Morris (-) – The F40 welcomes back a long-lost friend, Mr. Robert Morris.  The Colonials, who were #21 on the inaugural list, started the season terribly, but three straight relatively impressive wins (Ohio, @Campbell, @Hampton) have brought them back to us and rekindled their title as NEC favorites.
  26. Texas A&M (-) – Even in their debut spot at #25, I still may be underselling the Aggies, as their non-conference slate has not been terrible and they currently sit at 7-1, led by the senior duo of Elston and Ray Turner.  A recent win over Stephen F. Austin may not look impressive on paper, but…
  27. South Dakota State (20) – The Jackrabbits keep falling on this list, though they do remain as one of just 11 teams who have been in all four F40s.  It is not exactly the 24-point loss at Minnesota that has theatened to drop them from these rankings, it is more the unimpressive home wins over bad teams like North Dakota and CS-Bakersfield.  Granted, the loss to Minnesota and the 6-point win over Bakersfield were without Mr. Wolters, so I did not want to unfairly hold that against them.
  28. Stephen F. Austin (28) – The Lumberjacks debuted on the last installment, lost their undefeated status, but still moved up, as it was a decent road performance against the aforementioned Aggies of Texas A&M.
  29. Florida Gulf Coast (30) – This team may be on this list every time for the rest of the year because they will never start receiving any Top 25 votes, but they are a very, very good team.  Their 15-point win over fellow mid-major stud, Loyola (Md), is just another example of how solid this team is.  They even looked competitive this year on the road at Duke, VCU, St. John’s, and Iowa State.
  30. Stonybrook (35) – The America East should be a very interesting 3-team race this year.  Defending champ, Stonybrook, still probably has the inside track, but it is going to be interesting all year between them, Vermont, and…
  31. Albany (-) – The Great Danes non-conference performance has really added intrigue to the A-East.  A terrific senior backcourt of Mike Black and Jacob Iat’i have Albany in the midst of a 5-game winning streak and a long-overdue appearance in the F40.
  32. SMU (40) – A win over Utah and a 26-point beatdown on the road at Hofstra has Larry Brown’s team starting to turn heads.  There is very little talent on this team, but they seem to be buying into what their Hall of Fame coach is selling.
  33. Western Kentucky (-) – We all thought that Middle Tennessee State would probably have one strong challenger to the Sun Belt title, but it was supposed to be North Texas.  However, it is looking more and more like it will be the Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky.  They are coming off a 20-point throttling of IUPUI, but they enter a killer 3-game stretch to close out the non-conference season with games at Murray State, at VCU, and on a neutral court against Louisville.  1-2 would be a monumental success.
  34. Massachusetts (-) – Chaz Williams is listed at 5’9″, but I think 5’7″ would still be generous.  And, yet, he is still averaging 15.7 ppg, 6.6 apg, and an AMAZING 5.1 rpg.  He is Shawntay Rodgers reincarnated, and he also was an honorable mention on Doogan’s list of the nation’s best point guards.  The Minutemen have still not put forth the results they had been hoping for, but there is no question that they have the potential to be yet another player in that crazy, crazy A-10.
  35. Weber State (-) – Thoughts of taking a step back with the departure of lottery pick (and early front-runner for NBA Rookie of the Year), Damian Lillard, have caused people to sleep on this Weber State team.  But, they make their debut in the F40 this week, which corresponds to the departure of Big Sky rival Montana from the list.  Yes, the official “favorite” in the Big Sky may be changing hands as we speak.
  36. New Mexico State (-) – The suddenly surging WAC puts NMSU in an interesting situation.  The preseason favorite may not have it nearly as easy as they anticipated.  But, the Aggies are still doing their part, with wins over Southern Miss and South Alabama over the past week giving credence to the preseason expectations placed upon Marvin Menzies’ team.
  37. La Tech (18) – One guy who could stand in the way of NMSU’s WAC title could be a 6’3″ beanpole named Raheem Appleby.  Completely overlooked out of high school (most likely because, well, he weighed 139 pounds), Appelby finally got an offer from La Tech and played with a chip on his shoulder, winning the WAC’s Freshman of the Year award on the back of his 14 ppg and 2.4 rpg season.  Adding 20 pounds in the offseason, Appleby has bulked up his performance, as well, currently averaging 19.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.1 spg, and 0.6 bpg.  With junior running partner, Cordarius Johnson, the Bulldogs have flown out of the gates to an 8-2 start.  A recent loss to Northwestern State has dropped them on this list, but that is a tough place to play, and NW State was strongly considered for this list, as well.
  38. Southern Miss (23) – Three straight losses usually would take you off this list, but the losses were all close, all on the road, and all against very solid teams – New Mexico State, Arizona, and La Tech.  Their 8-point loss at Arizona, in particular, is keeping them on this list, but we will see how it all shapes up from here.
  39. Morehead State (-) – Talk about a busy substitution pattern – Morehead State has 12 players averaging at least 11.5 minutes per game this year, and all 15 players on their roster average at least 5.0.  And, it is working, as the Eagles have already beaten Long Island, Lafayette, Norfolk St., and Indiana St.  They even played Kentucky close at Rupp.
  40. Eastern Kentucky (-) – Another OVC team making their F40 debut is Eastern Kentucky.  With every game that goes by, it gets harder and harder to dismiss this EKU team, regardless of what you might think about their non-conference schedule or level of talent.  The fact is this team is 9-0.  Yes, it started with a slew of home games against lower competition, but recently they have gone on the road to beat N.C. Central and Appalachian St.  And, their home wins were getting more impressive, including a 24-point win over Norfolk St. and a 33-point win over Delaware St.  While I may still be a “doubter,” per se, it is getting harder and harder to ignore this team.  Then again, things will get clearer rather shortly, as their last 4 non-conf games are on the road, including trips to Illinois and West Virginia.

The Dropouts

  • St. John’s (10)
  • Purdue (13)
  • Vermont (17)
  • College of Charleston (25)
  • Kent State (26)
  • Harvard (29)
  • Loyola (MD) (31)
  • East Carolina (33)
  • Indiana State (36)
  • TX-Arlington (37)
  • San Francisco (38)
  • Gardner-Webb (39)

While most teams here actually played their way off the list – St. John’s, Purdue, Vermont, Kent State, Loyola, Indiana State, San Francisco – others were just victims of circumstance and a crowded F40 this week.  As more and more teams play their way off the list either by winning and getting noticed or losing, there will be more and more spots available for some of the deserving teams that have even been overlooked by a list designed to give attention to overlooked teams.

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The Top 15 Point Guards in College Basketball

Posted on December 9, 2012 by Doogan

15. Kevin Pangos, So., Gonzaga:  A guy from the WCC who’s averaging 10.6 points and 4 assists is one of the top point guards in the country?  Yes.  For one, this obviously isn’t your average WCC team, or even your average Gonzaga team because they are a legit Final Four contender this season.  The man with the ball in his hands the vast majority of the time is Pangos, a Canadian with maybe the quickest release in the country and who’s only turned the ball over 15 times in 9 games, all Gonzaga wins.  He also tends to have his best games against the toughest opponents.

Cooper will try to lead the Bobcats back to the Sweet 16

14. D.J. Cooper, Sr., Ohio: This little left-hander has had quite a career already.  Not only is he on his way to well over 2,000 points but he’s also already the school’s all-time leader in assists and steals.  And beyond the personal achievements, he led the team to a an upset of 3-seed Georgetown as a freshman, and then led his team all the way to the Sweet 16 last year, with wins over Michigan and USF.  He’s averaging 15 points/7 assists this year, and while his turnovers are high, he’s shooting 35% from 3, which is a big improvement over his career average.

13. Tray Woodall, Sr., Pittsburgh:  Woodall doesn’t get the recognition he deserves, and that’s largely because of the shockingly bad season Pitt had last year, which was in large part due to Woodall being injured and not fully healthy when he did play.  The Brooklyn-native was the classic NYC point guard in his first couple of years: short but quick and tough.  He’s now added shooting range, shooting a shade under 40% from 3 over the last two seasons.  He’s averaging 14 points this year with an assist/turnover ratio of 3.3, which is a big part of the reason Pitt leads the nation in that statistic.

12. Ray McCallum, Jr., Detroit:  Definitely not your typical mid-major point guard, McCallum was a high school All-American who opted for Detroit because his dad happens to be the head coach.  After leading his team to the Horizon tournament title last year, he appears to have taken his game up another notch.  He’s got NBA athleticism and, so far this year, he’s showing the shooting stroke that he’ll need to match with that natural ability if he’s going to play at the next level.  He’s averaging just under 20 points, along with 4.5 assists and 5 rebounds, while shooting 37% from 3, up from just 24% last season.

11. Peyton Siva, Sr., Louisville: Siva is a tough guy to place on the rankings of the top guards, partly because the statistics will never blow you away, but when you watch Louisville play and see how often they win and how important he is to everything they do, you realize he belongs in the conversation somewhere.  He’s small and has never developed much of a jump shot, but he has one of the quickest first steps in the game, great vision when he gets in the lane (which is just about whenever he wants), and a constant pest at the defensive end, despite that lack of size.  He’s averaging 11 points/6 assists this year.

10. Nate Wolters, Sr., South Dakota St.:  It’s easy to see a guy putting up 21 points a game in the Summit League and dismiss him, but the fact is that Wolters very well might be higher on this list if he was playing in a major conference.  The stats are pretty staggering, with averages so far this season of 21 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds, and 2.5 steals.  After shooting it well from 3 his first two years, he shot just 24% last year (still averaging 21 points), but that number is back up to 42% this year.  And he’s done it, repeatedly, against top competition, with 19 points vs. Baylor in the tournament last year, and 30 (on 10-15 shooting) vs. Alabama in the first game of this season.

9. Keith Appling, Jr., Michigan St.:  One of the things that is largely lacking from this list is shutdown, on-the-ball defenders, and with the combination of his strength and quickness, and being coached by Tom Izzo for the last few years, Appling fits the bill.  He’s shown improvement across the board this year, taking over as the best player on the team from the departed Draymond Green.  He’s averaging 14.5 points and continues to improve his playmaking skills.

8. Matthew Dellavedova, Sr., Saint Mary’s:  A role-playing starter on the team that went to the Sweet 16 three years ago, Dellavedova is now the reigning WCC Player of the Year, and is taking his game up another notch so far in his senior year.  The Australian would never be accused of being smooth, but what makes up for that with a hard-nosed style and a much-improved shooting stroke this season.  He’s averaging 18.5 points/5.5 assists, while shooting 45% from 3 and 92% at the free throw line so far in 2012.

7. Pierre Jackson, Sr., Baylor:  The JUCO Player of the Year two years ago, Jackson arrived at Baylor last year and made an immediate name for himself.  He’s listed generously at 5-10 and will never be a totally trustworthy decision-maker, but he is an absolute blur of speed that is especially devastating in the open-court.  To go along with that incredible speed with the ball, he’s also proven to be a solid perimeter shooter, even if his percentages are down so far this year.  He’s averaging just under 20 points with 6.5 assists for the Bears.

6. Phil Pressey, Jr., Missouri:  Coming into this season, I wouldn’t have been surprised if Pressey ended up at the top of this list, but he’s had some struggles as he adapts to life without running mates like Marcus Denmon and Kim English.  In his last three games he’s shot 7-29 from the field against low-level competition, and he had 13 turnovers in back-to-back games at the Battle 4 Atlantis tourney last month.  The 6-foot lefty has great quickness, maybe the best ball-handling skills in the nation, and excellent court vision.  Look for the struggles he’s had to dissipate as he continues to adjust to this new team.  He’s averaging 13 points/6 assists and shooting 38% from 3.

The future looks bright for Smart

5. Marcus Smart, Fr., Oklahoma St.:  The only freshman on this list, Smart is also the most unconventional point guard listed here.  I was so impressed with him when I saw him for the first time this year, that I’m not even sure I can objectively rate where he belongs on this list.  In that game, vs. NC State, his stat line was 20 points, 7 assists, 7 rebounds, 4 steals, and 4 blocks.  The guy is a force of nature, with a body that looks more like a 25-year-old NBA player, and the athleticism to go with it.  He reminds me of James Harden, only Harden played small forward in college.  OK State has decided to put the ball in Smart’s hands, and it’s not hard to see why.  Yes, he’s going to turn the ball over more than he should, at least this year, but he’s also averaging 13.5 points/5 assists/7.5 rebounds/2.6 steals and over a block a game.

4. Aaron Craft, Jr., Ohio St.:  Craft ranked 4th on this list last year, and it kind of makes sense for him to stay in the same spot.  That’s the kind of point guard he is: very steady and consistent.  When it comes to the position tasked with taking care of the ball, getting it to teammates at the right place and time, and being a coach on the floor, steady and consistent is a huge asset.  Craft doesn’t turn the ball over, he takes what the defense gives him as far drives to the basket or, more often, finding a teammate, and at the other end of the floor he plays arguably the best perimeter defense of any player in the country.

3. Michael Carter-Williams, So., Syracuse: No point guard’s stock has shot up through the first month of the season like Carter-Williams’.  After not being able to get off the bench much a year ago, all he’s doing is leading the nation in assists (and it’s not even close, at 10.4 a game) and is 3rd in the nation in steals (3.8).  And just for good measure, he’s also grabbing 5.5 rebounds a game, and chipping in 12 points.  At 6-6 with pro-level athleticism, Carter-Williams is a matchup problem for most college points, and also becoming a real force at the top of Jim Boeheim’s zone defense.

2. Isaiah Canaan, Sr., Murray St.: Absolutely one of the premier scorers in college basketball, Canaan is a score-first point that led his team to a 31-2 season last year, and a win in the 1st Round of the tournament.  He has the best combination in the country of quickness off the bounce and lights-out perimeter shooting.  Even with every team focused on stopping him, he’s still averaging 21 points this year, while shooting 49% from the field and 43% from 3.  He’s also cut down on his turnovers this year, as he works on his playmaking skills in hopes of catching on with an NBA team next year, despite his lack of size.

1. Trey Burke, So., Michigan: There was no obvious choice for the top spot on this list, but Burke gets the nod because he’s simply the most complete point guard in the country this year.  Top-notch quickness? Check. Reliable jump shot? Check. Ability to ball handle in traffic? Check. Court vision? Check. Leading a title contender to an undefeated start to the season? Check.  He could use some improvement defensively, but he’s not a liability there.  Michigan has definitely been one of the most efficient offensive teams in the country, and so much of that is thanks to Burke and his 17 points/7 assists a game.

Honorable Mentions:

Jordan Hulls, Indiana- Maybe belongs on the list, but is playing a lot of 2-guard with freshman Yogi Ferrell around

Lorenzo Brown, NC State- Played his way off this list so far this season, but still has the talent

Elijah Johnson, Kansas- Making the switch from 2-guard to the point this year

Chaz Williams, UMass- A speedy, little guy in the Woodall mold

Will Cherry, Montana- Hasn’t played yet this year due to injury

Anthony Collins, USF- High assist numbers and a strong defender

Ryan Boatright, UConn- Has pushed Shabazz Napier off the ball and off this list

Quinn Cook, Duke- The fact that he’s even getting a mention here goes a long toward explaining why Duke’s been the most impressive team in the country so far

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Immediate Reaction: Phillies trade Worley for CF Ben Revere

Posted on December 6, 2012 by Doogan

The Phillies have dealt Vance Worley and pitching prospect Trevor May for Twins CF Ben Revere.  This is my VERY initial take:

The first thing you see when you look at Revere’s stats is 0 home runs and a .319 OBP in over 1,000 ABs.  We’re giving up a solid young pitcher and a somewhat decent prospect for THAT?

BUT, looking past that, it starts to make sense.  Maybe.  My first thought is that the Phillies look at Revere as Michael Bourn-light.  Bourn is in the market for a contract that will pay him more than the 5 years/$75 million that B.J. Upton got from Atlanta.  It’s easy to forget that he hit just two home runs in a full season two years ago.

Revere appears to have NO power.  That’s not debatable.  But it’s worth noting that Minnesota is an extreme pitcher’s park, and Revere’s OBP in road games the last two years is .340, which is one point higher than Bourn’s career number.  Revere is a base-stealer, with 40 steals last year.  He’s considered a very good defensive center fielder, if maybe not quite on the level of Bourn.  He’s also five years younger than Bourn.

So let’s say Revere gives you 90% of what Bourn does.  Here’s the clear clincher from the perspective of Ruben Amaro and the Phillies:  he’ll give you 90% of Bourn for about 3% of the price.

If the Phillies only had one hole to fill this offseason to complete the championship package, I could really question this decision.  But, as we all know, they have a laundry list of needs besides CF, that includes 3B, a corner OF, and bullpen help.  So, by filling their CF need as cheaply as possible, they’re leaving themselves with a lot of financial flexibility to fill those other needs.

Now, you say, haven’t they CREATED a new hole by dealing Worley?  Yeah, probably.  And that’s where you can criticize this deal, if want.  It seems that they are going to have to go out and add a proven arm to the rotation now, because there’s none that I know of waiting in the wings to fill Worley’s spot.  But, I think there’s a lot of back-of-the-rotation arms out there that can be had for a reasonable price, while the CF options were much less.

As for Trevor May, he was considered a rising star a couple years ago, but he a pretty bad 2012 season and was no longer considered a top prospect.

Most likely more to come, especially as the team continues to assemble pieces in the coming weeks.

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The Forgotten 40: Post-Feast Week

Posted on November 30, 2012 by bry

There are two people in this world – those who love Feast Week and those who don’t realize just how great Feast Week is.  Quite the array of exempt tournaments, pitting some of the best teams in the country up against each other culminated in an amazing Battle 4 Atlantis tournament with 8 probable tournament teams all duking it out.  Interestingly enough, even in the two weeks since the last Forgotten 40 and quite a few games have been played, we still only saw 7 teams “graduate” out of eligibility by receiving recognition in the AP poll – and they were, expectedly, 6 of the 7 are from power conferences (if you count the A-10, which I do, as a “power conference”).  All the better – it leaves more room for the actual “under-the-radar” teams, which is who these posts are designed to highlight.

The Graduates

  • Colorado (9 – most recent F40 ranking)
  • Illinois (15)
  • Wichita State (18)
  • Oregon (-)
  • California (5)
  • Temple (3)
  • Xavier (17)

Colorado and Illinois have jumped into the actual Top 25, while the other 5 are just among the “others receiving votes.”  In fact, since there has been two polls released since the last F40, there has been time for Xavier to receive votes and then fall back out.  But, they have still graduated.  Three Pac-12 teams gained recognition, as that league continues to exhibit the potential for a renaissance season.

The Forgotten Forty

There has been a ton of change from the last F40 because (a) it’s been two weeks and (b) we didn’t have all that much information last time – in fact, some teams on the list hadn’t even played a game yet.  So, there is quite a different look to this list, but the concept remains the same.

  1. Illinois State (8) – A 3-point overtime loss to Northwestern is the only thing between the Redbirds and an impressive 6-0 start.  They look every bit the team that people thought might challenge Creighton for the Valley title.  Creighton and Wichita get all the press in the Valley, but Illinois State is right there with them.
  2. Ole Miss (10) – They have been in the top 10 of every F40 and all they’ve done is win 5 games by an average of 33 points, including their most recent – a 46-point shellacking of Lipscomb.  Granted, they have all been home games against low-major teams, but they are just destroying people.  It won’t be long until they get noticed, especially if they beat Rutgers and Middle Tennessee in their next two games.
  3. Belmont (4) – I know that the Bruins just lost to Northeastern and that that should knock them down a peg, but they followed that up with a win over Oral Roberts, and we cannot forget that they went into Maples Pavilion and handled a really good Stanford team earlier this month.  This team could be really, really good.
  4. Iowa State (1) – They were number 1 on this list last time, but I guess two losses kept them from getting noticed, nationally.  As for me, I do not consider an 8-point loss to Cincinnati and a 12-point loss at UNLV to be all that damning.  Sprinkle in two more 20- and 29-point TCOB home games, and I don’t think any less of the Cyclones now than I did two weeks ago, it’s just a couple teams shot past them.
  5. Virginia (-) – Early losses to George Mason and Delaware have kept the Cavs off of this list all year, but 4 straight wins, including a very impressive 6-point win on the road at Wisconsin should make people take notice of this year’s Cavs team.
  6. George Mason (-) – Maybe it’s unfair to put the Patriots below UVA, considering they beat them head-to-head to start the season.  And, Mason’s only two losses were a 5-point loss at Bucknell and a devastating 1-point loss to New Mexico on a crazy finish.  If they beat Maryland this weekend, they will either shoot up this list or shoot right off it by gaining national respect.
  7. Boise State (-) – Even a really close loss at Michigan State and a 13-point win at Creighton won’t be enough to get the Broncos noticed – mainly because they play in a top 4 league that no one realizes is a top 4 league.
  8. BYU (2) – The Cougars have been a mainstay on this list, as they were top 3 in each of the first two editions.  And, their only losses were to Florida State and Notre Dame, so the Cougars remain high on this list, but they need a signature win at some point to stay this high.  A trip to Iowa State on Saturday gives them a chance to either move way up or way down on this list.
  9. Virginia Tech (-) – The first notice of the post-Greenberg Era at Va Tech here, as the Hokies are 6-0, including a 16-point win over a solid Iowa team.  They have interesting tests against OK State and West Virginia on the horizon, so we’ll see who they are quickly.
  10. St. John’s (-) – Trivia question – which is the only team in the country, coached by a former championship coach, that returns at least 4 starters from a nationally-ranked team a year ago?  You could have given me two hours, and I wouldn’t have come up with St. John’s.  And, while they did lost all-everything Mo Harkless, D’Angelo Harrison is more than ready to carry the torch for Coach Lavin, who still enjoys one of the youngest teams in the nation.
  11. Middle Tennessee State (14) – This team continues to roll through their non-conference schedule and added a 14-point road win in the Cajun Dome last night to start Sun Belt action.
  12. Oregon State (-) – People ought to take notice now because this ain’t your dad’s Beavers.  They are big, talented, and deep, and, while the loss of Jared Cunningham is huge, they return a ton of experience, as well.  If you want a sleeper in the Pac-12 to challenge the trainwreck at UCLA as the 2nd-best team in the Pac, you might want to look to Corvallis.
  13. Purdue (-) – I have to admit, the 12-point win at Clemson is probably carrying more weight than it should, but that was a really impressive win to me because I think highly of the Tigers.  These Boilermakers are rebuilding, but they might have something left for this year, as well.
  14. Akron (-) – An overtime loss at Coastal Carolina knocked the Zips off this list in Week 2, but since then, they took OK State to overtime and beat UNC-Asheville and Penn State by 19 and 25, respectively.  With a poor man’s Roy Hibbert in the middle (Zeke Marshall) and a solid backcourt (Alex Abreu and Brian Walsh), don’t be surprised if the Zips challenge Ohio for the MAC crown this year.
  15. Clemson (16) – Before the 12-point loss at home to Purdue, the Tigers were looking really good, including maybe their best showing by only losing by 8 to a Top-5 worthy Gonzaga team.  Their next two games are at South Carolina and home against Arizona – check back after those and we will talk.
  16. Oklahoma (27) – A win over a struggling WVU team is really the only impressive win for the Sooners, but, with the exception of a 25-point loss to Gonzaga, they have been taking care of business.  They are hard to judge right now
  17. Vermont (-) – The Catamounts just keep winning and winning on the road.  Wins at Siena, Northeastern, and Harvard are very impressive.  They travel to URI, Quinnipiac, and Niagara to close out their northeastern tour.
  18. Southern Miss (-) – Even without Larry Eustachy this team continues to roll.  Undefeated through six relatively tough games and this team may not miss a beat from last year’s tournament team.
  19. Richmond (13) – The Spiders opened my eyes by winning their first two games by a combined 85 points.  While they did struggle in losses to Minnesota and Ohio, they still have the looker of a potential A-10 sleeper.  They still have a grueling non-conference slate left, so we may know real well just how good this team is.
  20. South Dakota State (7) – You know how much I like this Jackrabbit team, but a loss to Hofstra is almost inexcusable, even if they followed it up with a nice win over Marshall.
  21. Wyoming (-) – Typical Wyoming – they haven’t played anyone, but at least they’re not losing.  The schedule makes it hard to really tout the Cowboys, but they are 7-0 and just recently pounded UCSB by 28 on the road in the Thunderdome.
  22. Charlotte (-) – Talk about coming out of nowhere to potential relevance.  The 49ers are 6-0 and playing really well.  Their next two games (ECU and @Davidson) will be their toughest to date, so let’s talk again next week.
  23. Harvard (-) – The Crimson are only 2-3, but all three losses are to solid teams (UMass, St. Joe’s, and UVM) and one of the wins was a 34-point plastering of a decent Manhattan team (I may or may not have lost money on the Jaspers in that one).
  24. Iowa (12) – The Hawkeyes looked real good out of the gates, but have recently slipped up against two good teams – Wichita and Va Tech – so the jury’s still out.
  25. College of Charleston (-) – It is amazing how high you can climb on this list with a simple 4-point win at Baylor.
  26. Kent State (-) – OT wins over Drexel and Youngstown State, along with a 14-point win over Nebraska and an OT loss to Valpo give the Golden Flashes something to build on going forward.  Being dominated by Temple and barely squeaking by Bethune-Cookman give them something with which to temper expectations.
  27. LSU (22) – 5-0 including a win over Seton Hall have people at least talking about the Tigers again.  An upcoming 3-game road trip to Boise, Irvine, and Marquette may show us what we need to know.
  28. Stephen F. Austin (-) – The Lumberjacks are only 2-0 against D-I teams (2-0 against D-II teams), but both wins were on the road, with the latest a 16-point thumping of Tulsa.  This might still be the class of the Southland even though Oral Roberts has come over this year.
  29. Louisiana Tech (-) – The most surprisingly good team in the most surprisingly good conference in the first month of the season is probably 6-1 La Tech, who is fresh off a 37-point domination of rival SE Louisiana.  The new-look WAC is actually really solid.
  30. Florida Gulf Coast (25) – The Ospreys got on the list by beating Miami (FL) and stay on the list with wins over Toledo and Samford.  Not embarrassing themselves in road games at Duke, VCU, and St. John’s doesn’t hurt either.
  31. Loyola (MD) (36) – The projected class of the MAAC has performed as such in the early going, starting 7-1 with the only loss coming at Washington.  A big game with the FGC team that sits one spot above them on this list is upcoming.
  32. Utah State (-) – Utah State has played every game this year within 10 points, winning 4 of the 5, including an OT win on the road against a decent Santa Clara team.  They travel to Provo for a grudge match with BYU this weekend.
  33. East Carolina (-) – 5-0 so far without a whole lot of meat, but the Pirates look decent doing it, so we’ll give them some ink here before a trip to Charlotte and then one to Chapel Hill.
  34. North Dakota State (40) – After sitting at #40 on each of the first two installments of the F40, the Bison have put together a nice couple of wins and get to climb up a few spots.
  35. Stonybrook (32) – As good as Vermont has looked in the early going, SB has been pretty good as well, including their most recent 23-point win at Cornell.
  36. Indiana State (-) – The Valley gets a lot of press these days (which is great), but not necessarily the Sycamores, who take on New Mexico this weekend in a game that could catapult them near the top of this list if they win it.
  37. TX-Arlington (-) – Yet another WAC team on the list, as newcomer to the conference, UTA, has 3 solid road wins and one 4-point loss to Oklahoma on their resume.
  38. San Francisco (-) – Rex Walters’ crew has won 3 straight by double-digits, including a 20-point win over a decent Columbia team.  They have a really tough 4-game stretch coming up and then close their non-conf with San Diego St., so more is to be learned about this team soon.
  39. Gardner-Webb (-) – A win at DePaul and close road losses to St. John’s and Illinois (1 point) have the wide-open Big South considering GW a real threat.
  40. SMU (-) – And, rounding out this list is a team that is VERY short on talent and yet sits at 7-1.  How are they doing it?  Three words:  Best.  Coach.  Ever.  If aliens came from another planet threatening to destroy Earth if we don’t beat them in basketball, I would hope that we are smart enough to have Larry Brown coach the human team.

The Dropouts

  • Central Florida (6)
  • Northwestern (11)
  • Youngstown State (19)
  • Arkansas (20)
  • Iona (21)
  • UTEP (23)
  • UMass (24)
  • Delaware (26)
  • Wagner (28)
  • USC-Upstate (29)
  • Detroit (30)
  • Manhattan (31)
  • Mercer (33)
  • South Alabama (34)
  • UC-Irvine (35)
  • Western Kentucky (37)
  • Montana (38)
  • Stetson (39)

With two weeks of games, there were quite a few teams that didn’t do enough to stay in the rankings.  I was, admittedly, a bit harsh on Northwestern, but they looked terrible against Maryland the other night.  Arkansas went from #1 on the first list to #20 on the second list to out altogether on this one – and all they did was pound low-major teams and lose close games to major conference teams.  But, that is the danger being a major conference team stuck in the F40 – you won’t get much sympathy from me.

Until next week…

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Eagles Therapy

Posted on November 29, 2012 by bry

Another week, another loss that was nothing short of embarrassing.  And, now we have to look forward to another prime time debacle, as the Birds are, legitimately, 10.5-point ‘dogs against the Cowboys this Sunday night.  And, yes, I know, I know – the Phillies have a win more recently than the Eagles.  It amazed me when Doogan told me that A MONTH AGO…and it’s still true.

So, clearly we need to “talk.”  I am just gonna ramble on about random topics and hope it makes me forget about 3-8, forget about Chooch’s ADHD or Andrew Bynum’s knees, and forget about the dissolving of the Big East before Temple even plays a single conference game.  Oh, what a month it has been!  So, here are the random Eagles thoughts on this cold November day.

 

It’s Time…Obviously

Hi, I’m Bryan, and I was an Andy Reid Apologist.  I couldn’t help myself.  The guy took us to 5 NFC Championship Games and a Super Bowl.  He averaged 10 wins a season for more than a decade.  He went a dozen years without losing a first-round playoff game and a baker’s dozen without ever losing after a bye week.  And, he did it all after inheriting, arguably, the most dysfunctional and flat-out bad football team in franchise history.  We lived through Rich Kotite, Ray Rhodes, Bobby Hoying, Rodney Peete, and not one, but two Detmers.  And, Andy Reid brought us out of it.  But, even I, a disciple of that sentiment, am ready to move on.  The time has come (and gone), and we need to turn the page.  Period.

The Next Guy Up

So, the question then obviously lends itself to – Who’s Next?  The way I see it there are three species of head coaching candidates out there right now.

  1. The Highly Successful Former Coach Currently in Broadcasting
    We all know the names – Cowher, Gruden, Billick, Dungy, even Mariucci.  This particular species would give the big impact owners want, the legitimacy fans want, and the authority and credibility the players may want.  But, it also comes with the big-dollar price tag, as well as, in most cases, an equally big ego.  My guess is that Jon Gruden and, maybe Brian Billick, are the only two in this group with any chance of succeeding Reid.  And, then there is the wild card that is Sean Payton.  Clearly, Payton would be essentially a DREAM hire, but it is really hard to imagine him leaving New Orleans.  And, if he does, it will probably be only for his hometown of Dallas.
  2. The Highly Successful College Coach – Often with a “System” that will Change the Game
    Until very recently, this almost never worked.  The NFL is littered with the corpses of Lane Kiffin, Dennis Erickson, Butch Davis, Barry Switzer, and Bobby Petrino.  Even some of the most highly successful college coaches like Steve Spurrier and Nick Saban failed miserably in the pro game.  However, owners in the NFL (and, the NBA, for that matter) are always drawn to the guy with the fancy resume thinking that they are bringing in some mad football genius.  And, now they can even point to the Jim Harbaughs, Pete Carrolls, and Greg Schianos, as to why this will work.  And, who knows, maybe it will.  Those three may all be heading to the playoffs this year; Jimmy Johnson won several Super Bowls in the ’90s; and, people often forget that Tom Coughlin was hired away from Boston College by the expansion Jaguars before winning a pair of Super Bowls in New York.  With the way the NFL is going – and its rules committee – maybe Chip Kelly’s crazy offensive system will revolutionalize the game as we know it.  Or, maybe guys like Bill O’Brien, Brian Kelly, David Shaw or even Bo Pellini would bring a fire and accountability to these pampered NFL millionaires.  One thing is certain – we will find out because someone will hire them – and it might just be the Eagles.  I wouldn’t rule out Oregon’s Chip Kelly, Penn State’s Bill O’Brien or even Stanford’s David Shaw from consideration here.
  3. The Hot Young Assistant Coach
    Usually this has been a pretty competent way to find a new coach.  And, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a DC or OC.  Andy Reid was an offensive line coach; John Harbaugh was a special teams coordinator; Leslie Frazier was a defensive backs coach.  These names are harder to really know, and probably won’t become apparent until the playoffs play out.  If I had to throw out one name to keep an eye on it would be the 49ers DC, Vic Fangio.  There is no need to go into the job he has done with that Niners defense, but he’s actually a Philly guy.  Fangio hails from the Scranton area, went to East Strousburg, and was actually a coach for the USFL’s Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars in the mid-80’s.  Another name out there that I heard for the first time when BSB’s own, Gross, made his bold prediction is Rob Ryan.  Gross has predicted that Ryan, the current Cowboys DC and son of former Eagles coach Buddy Ryan, will be the next head coach of the Birds.  Honestly, anyone who grew up watching Rob’s dad’s teams here would probably welcome either Rob or his brother back to our city, regardless of the unneccessary pomp and bluster that they both bring with them.

Either of these guys look like Andy Reid's successor?

Should Jeffrey Lurie Speak Up?

Apparently, the city is demanding that Jeffrey Lurie speak to the fans in this trying situation.  The whole fanbase has completely lost faith in the entire organization and is clamoring to hear from the head man, himself.  My opinion:  Lurie is absolutely within his right for doing what he has always done – speak once at the beginning of the season and once again at the end of the season.  I honestly do not understand all the vitriol aimed at an owner who has opened up his checkbook time and time again to try and put the best product on the field, but has done so without meddling in the football operations in ANY way.  It is a combination rarely found in sports owners – particularly in the NFL.  There are countless examples of high-spending, but highly meddlesome (and destructive) owners – the Jerry Jones/Al Davis-type.  And, then there is the opposite type headlined by guys like Mike Brown who don’t even care enough to upgrade the ancient practice facility for his Bengals.  The Robert Krafts, Dan Rooneys, and Wellington Maras of the league are few and far between – and they win.  Jeffrey Lurie is from the same mold as these guys, and we should welcome and encourage that.  Lord knows, I would not want anyone that even resembled Daniel Snyder anywhere near the owner’s box in the Linc.

Where Have You Gone, Joe

I usually don’t mind playing the role of contrarian and disagreeing with the masses.  But, this one if one where I am not all that proud to be on the other side, but here goes:  we will miss Joe Banner – and probably already do.  Ya, I said it.  Banner and his condescending nature were very good for this franchise.  You need someone to play the role of a$$hole.  You just do.  And, he played it as well as it has ever been played in the NFL.  He let guys go when they got old, and he was a hard negotiator with the current and future talent.  Now, depending on the new coach they bring in, they might not need the Banner “style,” but you never know how much you need something until it is gone.

Anyone ever think we'd miss THIS guy?!?

The Jason Babin Situation

18 sacks one year.  Released midseason the next (without injury).  That just doesn’t happen in the NFL.  But, honestly, it is probably a good sign.  Despite what he will tell you, Babin was not having a good season and clearly would not be back next year at that high dollar mark, particularly with the depth at that position.  So, cut him loose, send a message to the locker room, and let the kids play.  I am curious to see what Brandon Graham and Philip Hunt can do.

Oh, and was anyone else secretly – and maliciously – happy when he was claimed by the 2-9 Jaguars after running his mouth about being excited to play for a contender?

The LeSean McCoy Debacle

3-6 on the season, down 25 points, less than 2 minutes left before a 6th consecutive loss, and NOW is when Andy Reid and company decide they want to run the ball?!?  It almost makes poetic sense that Shady McCoy was concussed on that play against the Redskins two weeks ago.  This coaching staff really has to realize that they are NOT in the playoff hunt this year, and we really need to start thinking long-term, even if the guys making these decisions are not going to be here, which leads me to…

In Ray We Trust

The great Ray Didinger stepped out of character recently by speaking strongly and dramatically.  The usually cool, calm, voice-of-reason Hall of Fame writer wrote a brash, provocative piece on Philly.com this week, calling for the immediate firing of Andy Reid IF he wants to play Michael Vick again this season.  Histrionics like this are usually reserved for us overreactionary, sophomoric bloggers, not Hall of Fame writers who have made a name for themselves with their measured rationality, which is all the more reason to take the message seriously.  The season is lost.  Andy Reid will not be back.  If he wants to be given the respect and privilege to finish out the season, he has to do so thinking about a future in which he will not be playing the part of head coach.  Unless convinced beyond the shadow of a doubt that playing Nick Foles behind this joke of an offensive line would be clearly detrimental to his development as an NFL quarterback (which is not out of the realm of possibility), Reid MUST play the kid to see what he can do.

Ray Didinger: If Reid wants to play Vick, he should be fired

Unchartered Territory

Obviously a lot of what has gone on this season is flat-out appalling, but the play of the safeties – particularly, Kurt Coleman in the past couple of weeks – has been downright offensive.  I cannot recall ever seeing receivers so unbelievably – laughably – wide open so consistently as I have in the past couple of Eagles games.  And, it’s not like we’re talking 3rd-and-goal from the 1-yard line, where the defense is lined up in goal line formation, and the QB pulls off a nice play fake and the 3rd tight end slips to the end zone – that happens.  We are talking about 60-yard touchdowns without a defender in sight.  This happened on the first two Carolina possessions on Monday night.  What is going on?!?

What to Watch For

If you are like me – a sports masochist (and if you’re from Philly, you probably have to be) – you will still be tuned in for the final 5 games of this dreadful season.  So, what do we watch for?  Well, there are a couple things – and they are all focused on the future because that is really what I care about now.

  1. Nick Foles
    Considering quarterback is the most important position in sports, most of the attention for the next 5 games has to be on the play of Nick Foles.  Is he the one or do we have to shop this offseason for another one?  And, if so, where do we go for said “new guy?”  If the jury is still out on Foles, do the Eagles target a guy like Alex Smith or Matt Flynn to come in here, start for a year or two, while Foles learns?  Or do they keep Vick around (under a restructured contract, clearly) and let the two compete?  Or, do they cut bait and use their high draft pick on a Geno Smith or a Matt Barkley?
  2. Nate Allen
    This secondary is a mess.  Nnamdi has appeared to be a disaster (though I think he is much more valuable than people give him credit for) and may go the route of Babin.  DRC is a free agent who will most likely walk.  And, Coleman hasn’t given the Eagles any reason to bring him back next year.  That leaves Nate Allen.  Is Allen a starting safety in this league?  I think he can be, but there are question marks.  Maybe these 5 games will give us some insight either way.
  3. Bryce Brown
    For Bryce Brown, the football player, the good is really, REALLY good, but there are serious and frightening red flags at every turn.  178 rushing in his first NFL start – wow!  Red flag:  it came against an abysmal defense and was accompanied by two crucial fumbles.  He was the #1 ranked high school player in the country when he committed to Tennessee his senior year.  Red flag:  he never started a single collegiate game at two different schools.  So, while we can all dream about how good Bryce Brown could be, I’m very interested to find out just how good he will be.
  4. The Whole Defensive Line
    I still believe that this unit is overflowing with talent, but when will they show it?  It should be interesting to see if Trent Cole ever comes back to the bonafied 1st-team all-NFL defensive end that he has been for the better part of a decade.  And, will Brandan Graham we the guy the Eagles thought he would be when they traded up for him and took him over the “boom-or-bust” JPP – who clearly has boomed?  Same question about Fletcher Cox on the inside?  And, will my favorite current Eagle, Cullen Jenkins, earn himself a spot on the roster in 2013?  All of these will probably be decided over the course of the next 5 games.
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Chooch, Babin, and D-Jax…

Posted on November 27, 2012 by bry

Just a mundane check on the front page of ESPN.com today offers three more pieces of off-the-field news to the laundry list of sports storylines meant strictly to depress fans of Philadelphia sports.

  • Ruiz was suspended for the first 25 games of the 2013 season for testing positive for amphetimines.
  • The already lost Eagles season will finish without their best wide receiver, as DeSean Jackson (who was actually having a sneakily decent season this year) was placed on season-ending IR today.
  • And, in maybe the most surprising (and head-scratching) news of the day – Jason Babin, fresh off an 18-sack season a year ago, was flat-out released by the Birds today.

Now, we can just sit in wait for the inevitable “Andrew Bynum to Miss Entire Season” headline which is right around the corner.

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Uh…What?!? One Guy = 138 Points?

Posted on November 20, 2012 by bry

Some guy named Jack Taylor scored 138 points for D-III Grinnell tonight.

Now, we all know how absurd the Grinnell style of play has become, but wow…

And, honestly, the 138 points is not the most ridiculous part of the dude’s stat line.  He took 71 three-pointers.  That’s right, Taylor jacked up SEVENTY-ONE shot from behind the line.  He made 27 threes and still only shot 38% from behind the arc.  He was 25-for-37 from 2-point land, giving him a grand total of 52 field goals in 108 attempts.  And, to round it out, he was 7-for-10 from the line.  I guess when you’re gunning 71 threes, you don’t really get fouled all that much.

138 points?!?!?!?  Impressive, but that’s not really basketball.

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BSB’s MLB Awards – Upcoming

Posted on November 16, 2012 by bry

For those awaiting the BSB award votes – we are tabulating the results and should have it all posted by early next week, at the latest.  It should be interesting to see how they compare to the actual voting.

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The Forgotten 40: We Have Games!

Posted on November 14, 2012 by bry

A regular feature here on BSB is going to be the “Forgotten 40” in college hoops, where we try and rank the 40 best teams that have not received a single vote in the AP Top 25 poll all year.  Obviously, the field of “eligible” teams will shrink as the season goes along, but it should still be interesting to see just how under-the-radar some of these teams can stay.

Teams Receiving their First “Recognition” This Week (previous Forgotten 40 ranking in parentheses)
Alabama (2)
Bucknell (8)
Connecticut (24)
Maryland (-)

UConn’s win over Michigan State catapulted them from not even receiving votes to the Top 25 this week.  Alabama and Bucknell were top 10 teams in the Forgotten 40 last week and are now being recognized nationally.  And, Maryland wasn’t even in the Forgotten 40, but their strong performance against Kentucky got them into the “others receiving votes” section.  In fairness, though, both last week’s AP poll and this poll were published without the knowledge that Dez Wells would be eligible this year.  That being said, it was still a good week for the Turtles.

Now, on to this week’s Forgotten 40 (previous ranking in parentheses):

  1. Iowa State (5) – The main reason this team is “forgotten” is because they lost Royce White.  But, that is all they lost, and I believe very strongly in “The Mayor” Freddy Hoiberg as capable of building a sustainable program in Ames.  While the Cyclones have only played a pair of home games against wholly overmatched SWAC teams, they did beat Alabama A&M on Monday 98-40.
  2. BYU (3) – The Cougars have also not left their own gym this year, but they do have a pair of double-digit wins, including one against a decent Tennessee State team.  A date with Florida State awaits, where a win will probably gain them the recognition needed to graduate from this list.
  3. Temple (6) – An unabashed Temple fan, I was still a little apprehensive about this team just because I didn’t know where they would get scoring from other than Khaliff Wyatt.  Well, Scootie Randall dropped 31 at Kent State yesterday, which – at least for one day – was a strong answer to that question.  Needless to say, there is an argument that they could be #1 on this list, based on a tough road win, but it was only one game…and, I am scared of the homerism accusations.
  4. Belmont (15) – I was already very high on the Bruins this year, and that was before they put a licking on their biggest rivals, Lipscomb, by 29.  As good as Murray State is, there is a legitimate chance that the Racers are only the second-best team in the Ohio Valley.
  5. California (7) – The Pac-12 is 18-1 so far this year, and while it has not exactly come against the best competition, with the exception of the dreadful UW loss to Albany, the Pac teams have been convincing in their wins.  Cal is no exception, with double-digit wins over CS-Bakersfield and Pepperdine.  They have a road trip to Denver coming up, which could really tell us a lot about both of those teams.
  6. Central Florida (-) – Ineligible for the postseason (which caused Marcus Jordan to transfer), the Knights looked to be in for a long season, but Keith Clanton stuck around, and they look like they are playing with a chip on their shoulders.  They went on the road and absolutely pounded a USF team that won two NCAA tournament games last year.  They may not play in the postseason, but they sure are playing now.
  7. South Dakota State (9) – The highest team on this list with a loss, the Jackrabbits actually went to Alabama (last week’s #2 on this list before getting AP votes this week) and should have beaten the Tide.  They then came home and took care of a good Tennessee State team.  Nate Wolters is the REAL deal.
  8. Illinois State (14) – The Redbirds looked awfully good in their season-opener against UCSB, beating an always-tough Goucho team by 28.  Not that it should come as any surprise, but, no matter how good Dougie Mac and Creighton are, no one runs away with the Valley.
  9. Colorado (12) – Tad Boyle is a hell of a coach, and, if the first game is any indication, he might have something strong again this year.  The Buffs took care of a solid Wofford team by 15 in a game that wasn’t even that close.
  10. Ole Miss (10) – Two home wins for the Rebels, including an 18-point win over a dangerous Coastal Carolina team keeps Andy Kennedy on track for YET ANOTHER 20-win season.
  11. Northwestern (16) – Ho-hum.  The ‘Cats beat a SWAC team by 30 at home, but at least it was the best SWAC team, Texas-Southern.
  12. Iowa (19) – The Big Ten is absolutely loaded this year, from top to bottom, and the Hawkeyes might be right in the middle of a mad fight for tournament bids.
  13. Richmond (31) – It is a bit of a surprise that the biggest jump of the week came from a team that only won a pair of home games against lower-tier teams from the Big South and CAA.  But, the Spiders did it so convincingly that it is hard not to take notice.  They beat Liberty by 42 and then did that one better by crushing UNC-Wilmington by 43.  Wow!
  14. Middle Tennessee State (17) – The Blue Raiders opened a promising season in style, acting like a big conference team, with a 44-point win over Alabama State.  They then took a trip to the MEAC’s best team, Savannah State, and beat them on their home floor.  With North Texas’s non-showing this weekend, Mid Tenn might be the team to beat in the Sun Belt.
  15. Illinois (-) – New to the rankings this week, the Illini were even overlooked by me last week.  They do have Brandon Paul and D.J. Richardson back this year, and their frontcourt has looked really good in their two 20-point wins.
  16. Clemson (-) – Another new team to the rankings, the Clemson Tigers do still have Devin Booker.  They pounded Presbyterian by 33, which caused us to take a little notice.  We shall see if their is a competitive ACC team lurking there or just more frustration for Brad Brownell (who is a really good coach, just maybe not an ACC recruiter).
  17. Xavier (-) – One of the more surprising results of the early season was Xavier beating up on Butler yesterday.  It shouldn’t be surprising because the X should always be able to field a solid team with all those resources, but this was supposed to be a “down” year.
  18. Wichita State (-) – Another team that is supposed to be in a rebuilding year are the Shockers of Wichita State.  But, I know that Shaka Smart will disagree, as Wichita went to VCU and came away with a big early-season win.  The MVC is gonna be great, yet again.
  19. Youngstown State (-) – You would be hard-pressed to find a better start to the season around the country than at YSU.  A road win a GW was one thing, but the Colonials aren’t very good.  They then went on the road and beat Georgia by 12.  This team could push for a top spot in the Horizon.
  20. Arkansas (1) – The Razorbacks take the biggest dive of teams that stayed in the rankings this week, mainly because they didn’t actually lose a game, but they sure did not look all that special in a nail-biting 5-point win at home over Sam Houston State.
  21. Iona (-) – The Gaels opened their season with a tough home game against Denver and came away with a nice win, making a tenative believer out of me.
  22. LSU (-) – Two solid home wins for the Tigers get them onto this list.  It may turn out that the change from Trent Johnson has made a big difference down on the Bayou.
  23. UTEP (-) – A solid 20-point win over Oral Roberts gets the Miners onto the list, as well.  Other than Memphis, the Conference USA is wide open.
  24. UMass (20) – A 3-point home win for the Minutemen against Harvard was uninspiring, but we are willing to give them a bit of a pass because they did beat a crosstown rival that was in the tournament last year.  But, we are keeping our eyes on upcoming games against Providence and @Siena to see if UMass really can compete as an A-10 upper division team this year.
  25. Florida Gulf Coast (-) – Last night FGC pulled off the biggest win in program history, as the Eagles shocked Miami (FL), 63-51.  This team might be a legit A-Sun competitor.
  26. Delaware (-) – After a season-opening loss at LaSalle, the Blue Hens beat Penn by 15 and then upset UVa last night.  If Drexel falters, UDel might be right in line for a CAA title.
  27. Oklahoma (25) – LA-Monroe was no problem for the Sooners, as they drubbed them by 34.  No real reason for them to fall on this list, but I guess that is how it worked out.  Stay tuned, as they have a tough trip to UT-Arlington followed by a home matchup with UTEP and then a neutral court battle with Oral Roberts.  By the next publication, we will know a LOT more about this team.
  28. Wagner (23) – They have not played a game yet, which is good enough to put them in as the potential favorites in the NEC, as it was just a BRUTAL week for the conference, as a while, as LIU, Robert Morris, and Quinnipiac all took some really bad losses.
  29. USC-Upstate (37) – The most anticipated season in Upstate history started with a 17-point loss at Saint Louis, but they took out their frustrations against a D-II opponent on Sunday, winning by 54.  They have a tough road trip to UTSA and Santa Clara coming up, so we will see what they are made of soon enough.
  30. Detroit (26) – Their only D-I game of the year was a loss, but it was only a 3-point loss in the Garden against St. John’s.  The book hasn’t even begun to be written about the 2012-13 Detroit Titans.
  31. Manhattan (33) – The only team on the list with a 28-point loss is also the only team without a win.  But, the Jaspers only game was a road game at Louisville, so we will forgive them.  They go to Harvard next, which should be more telling.
  32. Stony Brook (-) – Stony Brook has a pair of road wins already this year, including an 8-point win over a Rider team that was fresh off of a 25-point shellacking of Robert Morris.  The Brook is the odds-on favorite in the America East.
  33. Mercer (38) – A pair of D-II opponents opened the season for the Mercer Bears, but they did beat them both handily.  They have a really interesting matchup with George Mason coming up next.  That would be a great win.
  34. South Alabama (-) – One of the biggest early season upsets belongs to the Jaguars of USA, as they rolled into Tallahassee and beat the previously-ranked Seminoles.  Picked well below the big two in the Sun Belt (Mid Tenn and N.Texas), the Jaguars might have something to say about that race before it is all said and done.
  35. UC-Irvine (-) – While USA may have pulled off the biggest upset, UC-Irvine had, BY FAR, the biggest “near-miss,” as they lost a 1-point overtime thriller to UCLA in Pauley Pavilion.  It is hard to say if this says that the Anteaters are that good or if UCLA was either distracted or flawed, but it was still an impressive performance by a suspected mid-level Big West team.
  36. Loyola (MD) (39) – The Greyhounds beat up on Binghamton, but got put in their place in their trip to Washington.  But, that is a tough place to win (unless, of course, you’re a mid-level America East team from…)
  37. Albany (-) – The Great Danes went into Washington and beat the Huskies last night.  There wasn’t much that pointed to that happening, though their first two games were okay performances (a 3-point home win over Duquesne and a 22-point respectable loss at Ohio State).  This might have been more about UW than Albany, but we are cautiously optimistic for the Danes.
  38. Western Kentucky (-) – The Hilltoppers finished last season on a roll, and it looks as if they might have taken that momentum into this year.  They nearly upset Southern Miss (3-point road loss in OT) and then they beat up on Austin Peay.  The Sun Belt is looking better and better.
  39. Montana (36) – The Grizzlies were barely on the list to begin with, so an 0-1 start threatened to knock them off, but they remain because their loss was only by 7 points on the road against a pretty good Colorado State team.  While they do not have a ton of substance in their November schedule, they do get BYU, San Francisco, and South Dakota State in December, so we may have to table the Montana discussion for a couple of weeks.
  40. North Dakota State (40) – Last week’s #40 moves up a spot based on a 46-point domination of an overmatched D-II team and then a non-terrible showing (26-point loss) on the road against the nation’s #1 team, Indiana.  The Bison get Youngstown State later this week, which could be really interesting.

Fallen from the list (previous ranking in parentheses):
Rutgers (4)
Akron (11)
Marshall (13)
South Florida (18)
Robert Morris (21)
Long Island (22)
Long Beach State (27)
Penn State (28)
North Texas (29)
Princeton (30)
Georgia (32)
Tulane (34)
Denver (35)

A lot of these demotions are, admittedly, knee-jerk reactions to single losses (some of which weren’t even bad losses – see Marshall, LBSU, N.Texas, Denver), but there were enough teams that got some big wins to bump them out.  I expect many of these teams to pop back sooner rather than later.  However, that is not the case for Rutgers (home loss to lowly St. Peter’s), South Florida (18-point drubbing at home from crosstown rival, UCF), and Georgia (12-point home loss to Youngstown State after a near-loss to Jacksonville).  Most of all, I am disappointed with the performance of the two big NEC teams – Long Island and Robert Morris – who have been flat-out bad in the early going.  At least Wagner hasn’t played yet, so they had no opportunity to disappoint.

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