I am back. However, I am choosing to do something that has absolutely nothing to do with Philadelphia sports. This is a Big East power ranking that will be updated every week. However, due to the conference's poor performance in week one, I will refrain from calling the rankings powerful. For this week, the previous ranking will be the Big East preseason poll.
(Previous Ranking) Current Ranking Team Last Week, This Week
(1) 1. West Virginia W 48-21 v. Villanova, @ East Carolina: Villanova scored quite a few points on the Mountaineers, but they're occasionally a solid D1AA program. Regardless, it was a good warm-up for WVU who has a tough test this week. ECU will not be a pushover, and these guys can't afford to drop an early season game just like almost everyone else did.
(2) 2. South Florida W 56-7 v. Tennessee-Martin, @ Central Florida: In a week where a lot of good teams were tested or beaten by weaker opponents, USF looked just about as good as you can against their warmup. The turnovers were a bit concerning, but Gregory and Daniels won't be playing actual minutes when the going gets tough. UCF will have a better showing than 2007 in the last year of this rivalry, but the Bulls should come out of it 2-0.
(6) 3. Connecticut W 35-3 v. Hofstra, @ Temple: The conference was so pathetic in week one that UConn gets a sizable boost. They're returning quite a few starters from a good team last season, so maybe they shouldn't have been ranked as low as 6th to start the year. They cannot look past Temple though; I've been telling anyone that'll listen about this team, and they could get some respect with an upset win over the Huskies this weekend.
(5) 4. Cincinnati W 40-7 v. Eastern Kentucky, @ #4 Oklahoma: Their victory against EKU was admirable, but they face a somewhat different beast this week. I'll be impressed with the Bearcats if they can just stay close against the Sooners, and I can't knock them too far down even if they suffer a bad loss.
(4) 5. Rutgers L 24-7 v. Fresno State, Bye: Here's where things get hairy. Of the four remaining teams, all week one losers, their loss was probably a bit more acceptable than the others. Fresno State is a very good team, and they could emerge out of the WAC with a solid bowl bid. However, even without Ray Rice, the Scarlet Knights came into this season with pretty high expectations, and this slow start does not help.
(3) 6. Pittsburgh L 27-17 v. Bowling Green, v. Buffalo: Pitt's loss was one of the week one shockers, and it wasn't a good start for a team that people thought could make some noise this year. They were probably overrated to start the year, and they could still recover, but it has to be a bit alarming that their offense was totally shut down in the second half. They'll get another MAC challenger, but I don't think Buffalo is as good as Bowling Green.
(7) 7. Louisville L 27-2 v. Kentucky, v. Tennessee Tech: It was generally accepted that this would be a down year for the Cardinals, but their rivalry game was interesting. Their offense laid a huge egg, but their defense kept them in the game, which is the opposite of their recent history. It wasn't an inspiring game for fans or those who thought they could sneak up on some teams, but they should be able to boost their egos against Tennessee Tech.
(8) 8. Syracuse L 30-10 @ Northwestern, v. Akron: Orange football has been a nightmare for quite a few years now, and they've fallen a long way since the glory days of Donovan McNabb. They just aren't a very good team, and they're going to struggle to win games this season. I don't know if a new coach is going to turn them back into a contender.
Showing posts with label temple owls. Show all posts
Showing posts with label temple owls. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
Differences Between Michigan State And Temple
After being confident that Temple would prevail, the Spartans destroyed me. They were more athletic than I anticipated, and they played a team game on both ends of the court. Now I know why at least one person picked them for their final four.
Neither teams' leading scorers led the way. Drew Neitzel had just 5, and Dionte Christmas only scored 3. Here's the real catch: MSU's other players stepped up. In fact, Raymar Morgan stepped up so much, he's now their leading scorer.
Morgan 15 +1
Naymick 10 +6
Allen 12 +6
Walton 6 +2
Summers 8 +3
All five of those guys outperformed their season scoring averages. When you have a supporting cast like that rise to the occasion and fill in when the star gets into some foul trouble, you're going to steal some games. Now look at Temple:
Tyndale 16 +1
Allen 13 +5
Brooks 14 +5
Inge 4 +1
Only four guys outperformed their averages, and they did it by less than the MSU guys did. Some of the numbers might be skewed because MSU rotated in more players, but the point remains. The Spartans had more balanced scoring, and they shared the load when Neitzel couldn't carry them.
Defense was another big difference, and it became pretty obvious early on. When Christmas touched the ball, two players would converge, even out on the perimeter. Tom Izzo did a good job mixing up schemes and matchups. Christmas didn't get any good looks, and MSU did a great job of preventing Temple from running in the open floor, which they really wanted to do.
At times, it looked like the Owls weren't interested in playing defense. It seemed like they were lazy getting out to cover the corners, and they weren't able to make adjustments to what MSU was doing. Players weren't taking responsibility and just hoping a teammate would pick them up. That's not a way to win basketball games, or any sport for that matter.
Hopefully St Joe's and Villanova represent the city better tonight. Someone has to win, right?
Neither teams' leading scorers led the way. Drew Neitzel had just 5, and Dionte Christmas only scored 3. Here's the real catch: MSU's other players stepped up. In fact, Raymar Morgan stepped up so much, he's now their leading scorer.
Morgan 15 +1
Naymick 10 +6
Allen 12 +6
Walton 6 +2
Summers 8 +3
All five of those guys outperformed their season scoring averages. When you have a supporting cast like that rise to the occasion and fill in when the star gets into some foul trouble, you're going to steal some games. Now look at Temple:
Tyndale 16 +1
Allen 13 +5
Brooks 14 +5
Inge 4 +1
Only four guys outperformed their averages, and they did it by less than the MSU guys did. Some of the numbers might be skewed because MSU rotated in more players, but the point remains. The Spartans had more balanced scoring, and they shared the load when Neitzel couldn't carry them.
Defense was another big difference, and it became pretty obvious early on. When Christmas touched the ball, two players would converge, even out on the perimeter. Tom Izzo did a good job mixing up schemes and matchups. Christmas didn't get any good looks, and MSU did a great job of preventing Temple from running in the open floor, which they really wanted to do.
At times, it looked like the Owls weren't interested in playing defense. It seemed like they were lazy getting out to cover the corners, and they weren't able to make adjustments to what MSU was doing. Players weren't taking responsibility and just hoping a teammate would pick them up. That's not a way to win basketball games, or any sport for that matter.
Hopefully St Joe's and Villanova represent the city better tonight. Someone has to win, right?
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
NCAA Tournament Preview
The tournament kicks off in an hour, so let's get a last second preview up. I'll look at Philadelphia's representatives and make some tough final four picks.
12 Temple v. 5 Michigan State
When I was watching the selection show, I was hoping Temple got this 12 seed to match up with MSU. I think it's a good fit for the Owls. The Spartans are a very good team, and they're well coached. They had a big win over Texas earlier this season, and the Longhorns are a team I think very highly of. MSU dominated the Big 10, ultimately losing to conference champion Wisconsin in the semis. However, the conference had a down year, and it's tough to get a good read on them.
On the other hand, the Atlantic 10 was strong. They got three teams in, and one or two could've made okay cases to be on the bubble. Temple won the conference championship, and they match up well with the Spartans. The Owls have one of the best one-two punches in basketball, and no amount of preparation can help you stop what Christmas can do on the basketball court. Temple will wear Michigan State down with tough defense, and the duo of Christmas and Tyndale will provide enough offense to beat the low-powered Spartans.
11 St Joseph's v. 6 Oklahoma
I look at Oklahoma and try to figure out how they're a 6 seed. They played an okay out of conference schedule, and they won some good games. They play in a good conference, which is a plus. However, they got smoked by Texas three times. They couldn't come close to Kansas and they finished 9-7. Blake Griffin is a very good player, so the talent's still there. I'm not sure if they deserved a seed this high.
St Joe's finds themselves back in the tournament for the first time since the Nelson and West era. They're obviously not as good as that #1 seeded team, but Pat Calathes and Ahmad Nivins can play. Calathes can score from everywhere on the court and leads the team in rebounds. Oklahoma has a good frontcourt, which in previous years would present a problem for the Hawks, but it's a strength on this team too. I was picking Oklahoma in my brackets, but now that I've thought about it, I think I like St Joe's.
12 Villanova v. 5 Clemson
Everyone knows Clemson for their upset of Duke in the ACC semis, and that's probably how they got a seed this high. They played UNC close for a few games, which definitely counts for something. They were one of the better teams in a down year for the ACC, but I'm not sure if they deserved a 5 seed. The Tigers have balanced scoring, which bodes well if someone isn't having a very good game. Their inside presence of Trevor Booker could be their best weapon against the Wildcats, but they're going to have to learn how to close out games like they did against Duke consistently.
Villanova is a wildly inconsistent team, but for some reason, I like them to make the Sweet 16. On one hand, you see a team that at one point lost five of six games and was really struggling, but you also look at their wins over Pitt, UConn and their non-loss against Georgetown, and you can't figure out which team you're going to get. Someone besides Reynolds is going to have to score, and the forwards are going to have to work hard for rebounds today. I think they can do it.
My final four is UNC, Georgetown, Texas and UCLA. UNC will defeat the Bruins to make them the Buffalo Bills of college hoops.
12 Temple v. 5 Michigan State
When I was watching the selection show, I was hoping Temple got this 12 seed to match up with MSU. I think it's a good fit for the Owls. The Spartans are a very good team, and they're well coached. They had a big win over Texas earlier this season, and the Longhorns are a team I think very highly of. MSU dominated the Big 10, ultimately losing to conference champion Wisconsin in the semis. However, the conference had a down year, and it's tough to get a good read on them.
On the other hand, the Atlantic 10 was strong. They got three teams in, and one or two could've made okay cases to be on the bubble. Temple won the conference championship, and they match up well with the Spartans. The Owls have one of the best one-two punches in basketball, and no amount of preparation can help you stop what Christmas can do on the basketball court. Temple will wear Michigan State down with tough defense, and the duo of Christmas and Tyndale will provide enough offense to beat the low-powered Spartans.
11 St Joseph's v. 6 Oklahoma
I look at Oklahoma and try to figure out how they're a 6 seed. They played an okay out of conference schedule, and they won some good games. They play in a good conference, which is a plus. However, they got smoked by Texas three times. They couldn't come close to Kansas and they finished 9-7. Blake Griffin is a very good player, so the talent's still there. I'm not sure if they deserved a seed this high.
St Joe's finds themselves back in the tournament for the first time since the Nelson and West era. They're obviously not as good as that #1 seeded team, but Pat Calathes and Ahmad Nivins can play. Calathes can score from everywhere on the court and leads the team in rebounds. Oklahoma has a good frontcourt, which in previous years would present a problem for the Hawks, but it's a strength on this team too. I was picking Oklahoma in my brackets, but now that I've thought about it, I think I like St Joe's.
12 Villanova v. 5 Clemson
Everyone knows Clemson for their upset of Duke in the ACC semis, and that's probably how they got a seed this high. They played UNC close for a few games, which definitely counts for something. They were one of the better teams in a down year for the ACC, but I'm not sure if they deserved a 5 seed. The Tigers have balanced scoring, which bodes well if someone isn't having a very good game. Their inside presence of Trevor Booker could be their best weapon against the Wildcats, but they're going to have to learn how to close out games like they did against Duke consistently.
Villanova is a wildly inconsistent team, but for some reason, I like them to make the Sweet 16. On one hand, you see a team that at one point lost five of six games and was really struggling, but you also look at their wins over Pitt, UConn and their non-loss against Georgetown, and you can't figure out which team you're going to get. Someone besides Reynolds is going to have to score, and the forwards are going to have to work hard for rebounds today. I think they can do it.
My final four is UNC, Georgetown, Texas and UCLA. UNC will defeat the Bruins to make them the Buffalo Bills of college hoops.
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