The First Time…

Ever I Saw Your Face….am I the only one immediately recalling the old K-Tel commercials featuring this beauty?

I’m Wondering…
Why nobody–and I mean nobody–is talking up Hofstra? All I hear about is ODU is the hottest team in the league. VCU is the champion. Drexel is peaking at the right time.

All true statments.

But Hofstra has the same three guards everybody lavished fabulous gifts and honorariums upon during the season. The Pride split with ODU, Northeastern and Drexel, and beat VCU and George Mason in single gamers. That’s 5-3 against the top six teams not named Hofstra.

I also don’t buy the “tired” theory.

And they have three guys (Davis Sabb, Gadley, Urbutis) inside–only one of which needs his B-game to make them very dangerous.

I’m just saying…

Acknowledgement

That’s some great Coltrane for you…

***

I’ve been outed. (Outted?)

My mid major, specifically CAA, hyperbole–heck, hubris–is a mirage. It always has been. I’ve always wanted to educate in this space, offering up a different opinion and some analysis you may not consider. I like to think we have some fun doing so.

But my hidden agenda within all of this has been my small salvo to the Big Boys. And by Big Boys, I’m talking the Mainstream Media and BCS conferences. You need to understand my mission, which has always been about advancing the cause of mid major basketball.

Many times I realized the gibberish I was writing but understand I did so on purpose. My swipes at West Virginia, Louisville, Florida State and their band of brothers is legit. It was also intentionally overstated. Here’s why:

My stomach actually turns when I read about Virginia being given forgiveness for its loss to Miami (RPI of 149 and only that high because of who they play) when considering at large bids. I feel the vomit on my tonsils when a bad February loss by a BCS team near the bubble is considered a pox on seed, not entry. It’s all so very much over the top and unfair.

The mainstream, national media eats that stuff up. They don’t do a lick of actual analysis–they take historical norms and project as opposed to a bit of reading and research.

It’s easy, and it’s lazy.

So I fight back with a little humor, carefully selected stats, and third rate analysis that standing on its own can turn a head or two. But when you take it in the overall context means little. Just like they do.

I don’t have the audience, but hopefully someone in a position of power will stumble upon my blather and pay attention.

I owe this admission to that guy Paymon, a frequent contributor and lead voice of The Legion. To be clear, I wouldn’t know this guy if I hit him with my car. But he emailed me yesterday and challenged my credibility. So I had to come forth and let you know that I’m stumping on purpose, giving mid majors the same kind of media treatment that the majors get. I want to make sure The Legion draws the line between the actual information and analysis I try to offer and the Mad magazine fun I try to instill.

Perspective my friends, perspective. Use it to understand your frustrations.

I’ll sit down Friday at 12:05 to watch the CAA tournament realizing I’m no Billy Packer, and thank God for that.

***

That aside, I need to get some work done and shift focus to this weekend. Stay tuned.

Voices Carry

Outta time today…but I did make a huge decision to stop crying right now.

There are bracketologists everywhere and none of them pay attention to me, even if I keep pointing out that Drexel was only provided three out of conference chances against top 50 RPI teams season, and all three were on the road, and the Dragons went 3-0 in those games. They don’t pay attention when I point out that ODU beat Georgetown at Georgetown, something Pitt, Marquette, Notre Dame, and West (By God) Virginia couldn’t do.

Okay, maybe now I’ll stop crying.

I’m just going to give you the good stuff about the CAA and hope somebody catches on–you know, like the national guys are now doing with Drexel having a great at large resume. You’ve read that here since the Drexel flight left Omaha. So you may want to pay some attention.

Okay, NOW I’ll stop crying…

***

Doubt it.

***

This is a REALLY long week, waiting for the tourney. You know?

A Millionaire…

They tell me (tell me):

Play someone out of conference. (Drexel’s nonconference RPI: FIVE. SOS: SIX)

Finish strong. (ODU has won 11 in a row.)

Don’t lose games you shouldn’t lose. (VCUs worst loss is #87 Toledo)

Play well on the road, and don’t be afraid to play on the road. (VCU is 12-4 in road/neutral games and Drexel is 13-4 in same)

Win big games (Drexel won at Villanova and at Syracuse. ODU won at Georgetown)

Have a good RPI (ODU is 33 and Drexel 42)

These are the things I struggle with when I look at Supposed Lock Louisville. The Cards played exactly ZERO road games nonconference; feature a non confernce RPI of 135 (SOS 148), and have lost six of eight against the top 50. (Overall RPI 39…)

I’ll give you that they just beat Pitt and Marquette, but my counter is wondering how winning TWO games in February trumps your entire season’s worth of peroformance. And by performance, I mean lack of road games and many losses to top teams.

If you’re going to play them, win them. If you’re not going to play them, you’d better do something else special. (Like winning your only two opportunities against major teams, like Drexel…)

They tell me that, too.

***

I think I have a new stat that I want to explore: Opportunity Record

I’ll define it as record against Top 30 RPI teams, for no other reason than that is a decent cut off for “good,” and a backhanded stab at Hofstra’s snub last year.

So the OR for teams we’ve discussed today:

Drexel: 2-0
ODU: 1-1
Louisville: 0-5

I’m just saying…

Strangers in the Night

Time for the sprint…the regular season is over and we have what may seem like a free week, but there is way too much to talk about:

1. CAA tourney

2. NCAA tourney

Honestly, I have no idea how to handle or organize it all so be prepared for a spew of information, thoughts, and analysis to be vomited your way. Hopefully it will help your viewing and enjoyment.

***

First, let’s deal with the end of the regular season…congratulations go out to Anthony Grant and VCU for winning the regular season at 16-2. The Rams’ only losses were at Hofstra and at Old Dominion. No shame there. Break it down however you want, and it means little next week, but one thing deserves noting. Avoiding the banana peel in a deep CAA is laudable.

Second, I was very surprised to see the clear mail-in by George Mason at Nor’Easter. The Patriots were drubbed by a 71-50 score and I don’t believe it was that close. Nobody scored in double figures. I’ll bet your mortgage the theme around Fairfax has turned from Livin’ on a Prayer to Dead or Alive.

Third, cut-and-paste this one: Drexel’s Dom Mejia was 7-10 (4-6 from deep) Saturday in the Dragons’ win over Towson. The kid is getting locked in at the right time. I’m telling you.

***

I’m watching UConn/Louisville as I type. Connecticut is just plain bad. I thought they were bad earlier this year against Ga. Tech, but they’ve earned the Just Plain tag today.

***

Your matchups:

FRIDAY
The Nooner: #8 William & Mary vs. #9 Georgia State (winner plays Saturday Noon against #1 VCU)

At 2:30: #5 Northeastern vs. #12 Delaware (winner plays #4 Drexel at 2:30)

Sinatra Special: #7 Towson vs. #10 UNCW (winner plays Saturday Sinatra Special against #2 Old Dominion)

Friday Nite Lights–8:30: #6 George Mason vs. #11 James Madison (winner plays #3 Hofstra at same bat time, new bat channel)

Side note–Sinatra special? Old people, who love Sinatra, eat dinner at 4:30. You’ll be clear from dinner.

We’ll talk about these games later in the week. I have to finish this, build a fire, and do some laundry.

***

TEEVEE
The Friday games will be streamed through the CAA web site. Head over there. Later this week I’ll provide a link.

Saturday and Sunday are Comcast games on CN8.

Monday, of course, is an ESPN game.

***

I’ll be speaking at the CAA Luncheon on Friday at 11:00am. Cost is $10 and it gets you lunch and entry into the first session. Tom O’Connor spoke last year, and while I’m no Tom O’Connor, I’ll be talking about the book, the process, and likely tell a few stories.

Contact the CAA at 804/755-7000 for tickets, or head over to their site.

There is no truth to the rumor that tickets were $15 before I agreed to speak.

None that can be confirmed.

***

This is the point where I start to lose organization on this friggin blog. I have so much more to discuss but also five days to do it. Anyway, those of you in The Legion that have something specific you know my email address. Ask away.

Meanwhile, I’m going to hit send and grab a bottle of Stella and a bottle of Downey.

Even though it’s tourney time, I’m still preaching balance.

***

Final call: I’m happy to serve as Opinionated Richmond Guy and give restaurant and region selections for those of you hitting town.

***

Okay, so I admit to being a bit harried when selecting the All CAA teams. Heck, I completely forgot about Coach of the Year.

I stick by my teams, save one. Leaving Adam Payton off the third team was an oversight. Upon rethinking, I find myself in a four man connundrum for one spot: Vladie Kools, Todd Hendley, Payton, and Chaz Crawford.

I have to go with Payton to just slip by Kuljanin. Make that one edit and we’re good to go.

As for coach of the year, this isn’t even a discussion: Anthony Grant from VCU. The discussion enters when you talk about those finishing second.

I love what Tony Shaver has done down in the Burg, but to get his team to fifth among all manner of problems gives Poor Bill Coen my vote. Absolutely wonderful job by Coen and though he will finish second in the voting, he deserves a standing ovation.

My tally:

1. Grant
2. Coen
3. Shaver
4. Taylor
5. Ross

***

Now Duke/St. John’s is on the tube, and I’m bored by it. Already.

I’m Still Standing

Appropriate because I lost a bet today to a friend…I mistook Boz Scaggs for Elton John. Also because I spent most of this week focused on my real job and I’m finally able to spend a bit of time on hoops.

I need to catch up on this whole Bubble thing. You cannot turn your back for two days without an assertion proving wrong. Until then, I’ve put together my All CAA Teams.

POY
Loren Stokes, Hofstra. You never notice his defense, and you have to look very closely to see how unselfish he is. Plus, he rebounds well for a guard and particularly well for weighing as much as that Ally McBeal woman.

Fab Five
Gary Neal, Towson
Eric Maynor, VCU
Frank Elegar, Drexel
Valdas Vasylius, ODU
Antoine Agudio, Hofstra

Gain Five
Will Thomas, Mason (Side note: yes, I’m aware I kept bragging that I called him a 2007 first teamer LAST January, but what can I say?)
BA Walker, VCU
Herb Courtney, Delaware
Juwan James, JMU
Carlos Rivera, Hofstra

The Third Five
Lance Perique, Ga State
Vladie Kools, UNCW
Drew Williamson, ODU
Bennett Davis, Nor’Easter
Folarin Campbell, Mason

All Newcomers
NOY: Matt Janning, Nor’Easter: I’ll save the little kid jokes because he could hammer me in a game of one-on-one.

Also:
Pierre Curtis, JMU
Gerald Lee, ODU
TJ Gwynn, VCU
David Schneider, W&M
Brian Johnson, Delaware

My Favorite Players to Watch
Vladie Kools: come on, it’s Uwe Blap all over again !!
Drew Williamson: I’ve loved watchnig him play for four years.
Jamal Shuler: kid is everywhere and always smiling.
Loren Stokes: just keep an eye on him three times down the court. You’ll know.
Carlos Rivera: kid never says a word but gets guys to go where he wants them.
Gary Neal: Wow.
Honorable Mention: The little French guy from Nor’Easter.

Best Hair: Kyle Swanston

I’m going to have to give some thought to some awards like Swanston’s. Stay tuned.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

I’ve got to say goodbye to the predictions. Two games left and attention has blissfully turned to the postseason. Besides, there is no ODU/Drexel or VCU/Hofstra left on the skedder.

But quickly:

VCU drills Senor Crankypants on senior night.
ODU gets bench minutes in a huge win over Breaux Slow Towson.
Drexel bludgeons the Tribe (I refuse to say scalped).
Nor’Easter blows into YouDee and wins. (Okay, I can write horrific puns.)

Tomorrow, the Dub wishes it had never left the beach. Again.

***

I’m starting to warm to this postseason stuff and will have something for you in a couple of days. Until then, can anybody tell me why 4-6 against top 50 RPI teams is judged better than 2-2?

***

I’m very productive today, and not on this blog.

Talk is Cheap

Sorry, time was ugly…

Tom Pecora, stumping for Loren Stokes as conference POY, noted that Stokes was runner up to Cory Cofield for ROY, second to Alex Loughton for POY, then second to JJ Barea for POY. Interesting silver medals: to a player whose career busted, to a junior POY, and then to a guy in his first year in the conference.

On gearing up for a run in Richmond and his season: “I don’t think we’ve played our A game yet. We’re 20-8 and we haven’t hit our stride yet. It’ll be frustrating (to win that many games) and feel like we haven’t played well yet.”

***

Bill Coen, on his seniors: “You hear a lot of times when there’s a changeover in coaching staff there’s rough waters. But these guys have opened their hearts and their minds and tried to be leaders for this team. Those guys (Bennett Davis, Adrian Martinez, and Bobby Kelly) were complimentary guys in the past and we asked them to do more and different things. Luckily for me and my staff they’ve been willing to try to wear that new hat. They’ve done it admirably.”

***

If I had a dollar for every time Anthony Grant has said “we’re taking it one game at a time,” I could retire and devote my time to this blog. Many of you are thankful there is no official count.

Grant, on JMU: “They give you effort for 40 minutes and that’s impressive.”

On his team taking it one game at a time: “We realize who we are, that our talent level is not very different from anyone else in this league.”

***

Blaine Taylor, on BracketBusters: “It’s hard to look at this entire picture and come up with a rock solid analysis. For us to beat the MAC leader and for Drexel to beat as tough a team (as Creighton) and as tough a situation, and Hofstra beating a first place team, we kind of did our job. People realize VCU is already good. I don’t think we busted out, but we showed our top teams well.”

I absolutely loved this one. Taylor is not a coachspeak kind of guy. You can usually count on a straightforward answer. That’s why this one is so hysterical. On prognosticators picking on the JMU loss, Taylor said:

“Somebody wins that plays really hard and really good.”

***

Pat Kennedy hates the whole lobbying for players. “I’m more concerned with how we’re doing as a team.”

Tommy Breaux is traveling this week but is still sick and running a temperature.

Go Tell It on the Mountain

Don’t miss the Blind Boys of Alabama version…

Thanks, Rob
Old Dominion is the hottest team in the conference, so you should not be surprised to see…

POW: Valdas Vasylius, Old Dominion: Vasylius averaged 26.5 points and 11.0 rebounds as Old Dominion extended its winning streak to nine with victories over Hofstra (96-82) and Toledo (73-70). The senior forward poured in a career-high 31 points on 10-of-12 FG shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds against the Pride and followed with team-highs of 22 points and 10 boards at Toledo. Vasylius, who has posted three straight double-doubles, shot 72% (18-25) from the floor and was 14-of-17 at the line for the week.

NOW: Gerald Lee, Old Dominion: Lee averaged 10.0 points off the bench to help Old Dominion to victories over Hofstra and Toledo last week. The freshman forward contributed 13 points and three rebounds in 25 minutes versus the Pride and had seven points in 16 minutes at Toledo. For the week, Lee shot 80% (8-of-10) from the floor.

***

The CAA ranks second among all Division I conferences in the nation by having four teams with 20 or more wins: VCU (22-6), Old Dominion (21-7), Hofstra (20- and Drexel (20-7). Last season, the CAA was the only conference in the nation with four teams with 24 or more wins (George Mason, Hofstra, UNC Wilmington and ODU). The Big East leads all leagues with five 20-win squads. I could be coy and use the percentage of conference teams with 20 wins stat to give the CAA the #1 spot, but we don’t cheer on this blog. (Hahahahaha!)

Road Warriors: The top four teams in the CAA standings all have winning records on the road this season and are a combined 37-17 (.685). Drexel leads the way at 12-4, which includes victories at Villanova, Syracuse, Creighton, Hofstra and Saint Joseph’s. The 12 wins is tied with Vermont for the most in Division I. VCU has a 10-2 road mark, while Old Dominion is 8-6, including a triumph at Georgetown, and Hofstra is 7-5. This stat abuts what that guy Paymon said in his comment from yesterday. If the committee, in their infinite wisdom, is going to back up their “you have to be bold enough to play–and win–on the road then this is a key stat going down the stretch.

Drexel’s big win was a true road test. The Dragons beat Missouri Valley power Creighton 64-58 Saturday in BracketBusters before the largest crowd (17,607) in Nebraska history. The Dragons shot 63.6% from the floor in the second half after hitting just 28.6% in the opening 20 minutes. Senior guard Dominick Mejia scored 17 of his team-high 20 points in the second half. Those stats are very related. I may have never seen such a “as XX guy goes, so goes the team” as Dom Mejia. If he is shooting the ball well, Drexel is scary good. If not, Drexel is scary average.

With its BB loss on Saturday, Mason fell to 6-6 at home, which is nearly as many losses as they had in the previous four seasons combined (seven).

***

Coaches coming up at 10:00…not sure of my time but will try to get you the info…

Don’t Cry Out Loud

I’m telling you right now that the next three weeks are going to be–flat out–a blast. And I’m not talking about one stinking minute on the court, either. We’re going to see and hear a variety of spin, an alphabet soup of data points, and a litany of oxymorons like the “quality loss.”

Personally, I’m going to love every minute of it, because I’m a geek that way. (Side note: I always tell Kathleen that there are far worse (and more expensive) sites I could spend hours on each day than kenpom.com….)

Here’s your charge: don’t get overemotional about any of it. Gottleib doesn’t “give ODU love?” Bilas preaches the 8th place ACC team deserves a bid? Packer opens his mouth?

Pay no attention. They don’t know more than you do–they just have a national stage. I’m not saying they aren’t intelligent and haven’t done homework. They have. I’m just saying their conclusions are no better than yours. So relax and don’t take everything as a slap in the face/cemented positive.

Enjoy the process and watch it unfold. I mean really watch it unfold. Teams start to get airtime and then don’t. Mid majors are good and then they aren’t. Everything is so in-the-minute, I can imagine the Selection Committee sitting around with earplugs and stat sheets, wondering what is going to happen next.

Here is why I’m saying sit back and watch and enjoy. Drexel is in fourth place in the CAA yet has the best resume of the bunch. VCU is in first but the worst. ODU is darn good and has a ton of closing speed. There is a lot that is going to happen–on the court–that is going to shape every argument you hear between now and mid March.

Remember Air Force (not a regular season conference champ and RPI of 50 with crappy noncon numbers). Utah State. And Seton Hall. And remember, too, that at around 6:15 on selection Sunday last year you thought the CA was getting in one team. I did a Team A, B, and C for you last week to show that, when you take name and conference affiliation out of it, both VCU and Drexel were every bit as qualified as West Virginia. I’ll now ODU to that mix. But you know as well as I do conference affiliation matters. It just does.

Selection Sunday is going to be the ultimate litmus test for the committee. It was one thing to find a reason to exclude a mid major last season, but after George Mason, Bradley, Wichita State–and to a lesser extent ODU–the landscape was altered. We’ll see if things unfurl the way they have on the court.

The argument is always that the major conference team plays in a much tougher conference and thus is better tested and you know more about them. Fine. That would mean ODU would NEED to have better credentials than WVU in order to offset the difference in conference strength.

And that’s exactly what they have.

I also think that Clemson, etc. are showing their, uh, strength.

We will indeed see, in about three weeks, if there is a climate shift or not. I can’t remember so much chatter going on so early and so many knowing so little. That’s what makes it fun.

***

Funniest technical foul I’ve ever seen was the one Sean Hull whistled on Bruiser Flint the other night. Granted it was also nearly the most costly technical foul I’d ever seen, too.

In case you missed it, Drexel was nursing a seven-point lead at Creighton with about 90 seconds to play when the Dragons hoisted up a 15-foot jump shots with a ton of time on the shot clock. If that didn’t make Bruiser want to rip off his show and beat a puppy, Scott rodgers then tripped the Blue Jays player in the back court and was called for a foul.

Bruiser’s reaction was a very frustrated two-footed pogo stick stamp, to which Hull t-d Flint up. Bruiser imemdiately made peace and smiled, telling Hull that he was yelling at his players. Still, the misunderstanding–and that’s all it was–did its damage. Thankfully the Dragons eventually made a free throw and held on to win…the biggest of Saturday’s Bracket Busters slate.

Now I’m not getting into the color analyst’s constant explanation of the technical foul being called on Flint for being out of the coaches box. Granted, Flint spends more time out of it than in it, but his explosion was conducted inside the line. I love that irony.

Out for now, back later…