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junker-town · 2 years

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Gonzaga is one championship away from silencing doubters forever

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Fairly or unfairly, a segment of American sports fans will never give Gonzaga the respect it deserves until they finally capture college basketball’s top prize.

“If he loses this one, they’ll kill him.”

The words were so jarring that they forced everyone in the area to look around for what had prompted them. A small television sitting on top of an out of place stool in the middle of the sporting goods store revealed the source.

Kentucky, the biggest, baddest team in college basketball, was jogging into the locker room leading lowly 16-seed San Jose State by a mere six points at halftime. It was the first game of what would ultimately become one of the most dominant NCAA tournament runs the sport has ever seen. In this moment, though, it was something else.

The sporting goods store employee standing next to the one who had served up the murder prediction laughed.

“I’m not joking. If they choke again, and they do it like this, they will kill him before he makes it back to Lexington.”

In 1996, this was Rick Pitino’s reputation to a healthy contingent of folks within the state of Kentucky, and to a decent amount of others outside the Commonwealth. Never mind the man had resurrected one of college basketball’s most storied programs from the lowest point in its history. It mattered little that the overwhelming favorite to win the national championship had started the decade hampered by three years of probation, a two-year postseason ban, and a one-year ban from playing any games on TV.

In the minds of Kentucky fans, step one for Pitino was clearing those hurdles. Barreling through them was okay too. Step two was returning the program to its rightful spot atop the college basketball world. Patience with the timeframe attached to step two was wearing thin.

In Kentucky’s first trip to the NCAA tournament since its brush with the death penalty, it was on the wrong end of a regional final classic against Duke that many still believe is the greatest college basketball game ever played. A year later, UK dropped a Final Four heartbreaker to Chris Webber and the rest of Michigan’s Fab Five. In 1994, Pitino’s team — a No. 3 seed — was upset by Marquette in the second round of the Big Dance. Twelve months later, the top-seeded Wildcats won their first three tournament games by 22 points or more before being dealt an embarrassing 74-61 loss by North Carolina in the Elite Eight.

The succeeding two decades would see Pitino establish a reputation for himself as, among many other things, one of the greatest NCAA tournament coaches in history. In 1996, he was simply the high-profile coach who couldn’t win the big one.

This is not a career arc specific to Rick Pitino.

When Christian Laettner hit the shot that broke Kentucky’s heart in 1992 and sent Duke to the Final Four, Mike Krzyzewski was less than a year removed from carrying around the same stigma that would dog Pitino in the mid-’90s.

Coach K, the man now commonly referred to as “the modern day John Wooden,” was once Coach K, annual choke artist. A quick Google search of “Mike Krzyzewski” “the big one” and “1991” simultaneously confirms this fact and sends the searcher into a bizarro world.

The very first question posed to Coach K during the postgame press conference following his team’s 72-65 triumph over Kansas was about “having the monkey off your back.” YouTube videos featuring pregame and postgame coverage of Duke’s wins over both UNLV and Kansas that year confirm Krzyzewski’s failures in four previous Final Four trips was the unrivaled focus of the college basketball world’s attention in 1991.

For an entire generation of sports fans, this is something of a revelation. Krzyzewski is now as compatible with success of the highest degree as Bill Belichick, Nick Saban, or Phil Jackson. Among countless other accomplishments, his resume is comprised of five national championships, 12 Final Four appearances, and three Olympic gold medals as the coach of USA Basketball.

When Krzyzewski finally broke through in 1991, the man he deprived of a first championship was Roy Williams. This would prove to be the first chapter of Williams’ own “can’t win the big one” story, one which would wind up being even lengthier and more well-known than Coach K’s. He ultimately broke through in 2005, and retired earlier this week as one of the most decorated coaches in the history of the sport.

Every coach who is now synonymous with college basketball success of the highest degree — Krzyzewski, Williams, John Calipari, Bill Self, Jay Wright, Tony Bennett — was once synonymous with something else.

The narrative is always the narrative until it becomes something else, and that something else is almost always something that bears no resemblance to its past form. Mark Few knows this as well as anyone.

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

By any rational line of thought, Gonzaga is one of the top six or seven programs in men’s college basketball right now.

The Bulldogs are just the fourth program in the history of the sport to go to six consecutive Sweet 16s — Duke, North Carolina and UCLA are the other three. They’ve been to 23 consecutive NCAA tournaments, the third longest active streak in the nation (Kansas and Michigan State are the only programs with longer streaks). They’re the only program besides Kansas that has won at least one game in each of the last 12 NCAA tournaments. Lastly, Gonzaga has been a No. 1 or No. 2 seed six times since 2013.

Of course none of those numbers really hone in on the primary focus here: Zero. The number of national championships this absurd ascension from anonymous mid-major to national powerhouse has produced.

A year after coming one victory away from becoming college basketball’s first unbeaten national champion since 1976, Gonzaga is once again back as the NCAA tournament’s No. 1 overall seed. The Bulldogs enter the Big Dance with three losses this season, but they’re still the betting favorite to cut down the nets in New Orleans. They lead the nation in scoring average, they lead the nation in scoring margin, they’re No. 1 in virtually every college hoops metric in existence, and they have two national Player of the Year candidates in Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren.

These staggering numbers tell one side of the story. The responses to any tweet from a major national brand about Gonzaga tell the other.

They don’t play in a real conference

They always choke

They’re about to choke again

They’ll NEVER win the one that matters most

There were many who believed that once Gonzaga finally reached a Final Four — which they did in 2017 before falling to North Carolina in the national title game and then again last season before falling to Baylor — the doubts and the outright mistruths about their performances in March would be pruned significantly. If anything, they’ve multiplied.

The perception is that Gonzaga uses the West Coast Conference to build a sparkling record and earn a gaudy seed for the NCAA tournament, where annually they slip up before they should because they’re finally playing “real” teams.

The reality is that Gonzaga has been beaten by a worse-seeded team only three times since 2008, the most recent occurrence being a loss to a third-seeded Texas Tech team that wound up coming just a few seconds away from winning the 2019 national title. During this current streak of 22 consecutive tournament appearances (23 once they take the floor on Thursday), the Zags have played to or above their seed level 16 times.

To some, none of this seems to matter. They always choke, because, well, I say they always choke.

Again, in college basketball, the narrative remains the narrative until the most seismic of shifts explodes the narrative into a million indistinguishable pieces. The anecdotal will always trump the tangible in this sport, and there is no gradual stigma shed. Your reputation is your reputation until you do something that turns it inside out and morphs it into its antithesis. The razor-thin margin between two extremes seems wholly unfair, but it’s also a direct reflection of the NCAA tournament and the unabated power it wields.

Thirty years ago, Mike Krzyzewski was a good coach who was never going to be great because he couldn’t win the big one. Six years ago, Jay Wright and Villanova could never make it out of the tournament’s first weekend despite their lofty seeding. Three years ago, Virginia’s style was never going to translate to success in a three-week, single elimination tournament.

Now, Gonzaga is still a program from a mid-major conference that will never achieve the status of being a college hoops powerhouse because they’ll never get the job done when the stakes are the highest.

When you’re dealing with the anatomy of anything related to college hoops, history tells us that “never” can’t be removed from one’s DNA by any sort of slow and methodical means. It has to be blown to bits by a singular, cathartic moment of glory.

Gonzaga is six wins away from college basketball’s most elusive and desired metamorphosis. Make the change happen, and you’ll never go back.

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jodyedgarus · 5 years

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Meet The NCAA’s 5-Foot-9 Scoring Machine

No state has a glossier tradition in men’s college basketball than North Carolina. It has produced 13 national championships.1 It is home to the sport’s fiercest rivalry: Duke vs. North Carolina. It has seen more than a hundred All-Americans and dozens of Hall of Famers cut their teeth on its courts, including Tim Duncan, Vince Carter and Michael Jordan.

You might think that the state’s all-time leading scorer is one of those all-time greats. But he’s actually a current player. He’s not a Tar Heel or a Blue Devil or even a Demon Deacon. He’s a Fighting Camel in Buies Creek, North Carolina. Far from the spotlight, Chris Clemons, a senior at Campbell University in the Big South Conference, is making college-basketball history in a state that’s long on it.

As a high schooler, Clemons was an all-state athlete in Raleigh, smack dab in the backyard of the ACC. When the power conferences overlooked him, Campbell didn’t. In fact, it sometimes brought the entire coaching staff to watch him hoop. “I told him when I was sitting in his living room that I thought he’d be the all-time leading scorer in Campbell history,” Campbell head coach Kevin McGeehan told me.

Only five players in NCAA history have scored more than Clemons has. And his 3,106 points have not come easy: Clemons is 5-foot-9, at least 4 inches shorter than each of his teammates. But that disadvantage wasn’t a problem for McGeehan. “I’ve never thought twice about his height,” he said.

Chris Clemons is the shortest of the scoring greats

The top 25 NCAA men’s basketball scorers and their height

Player School Years Points Height Pete Maravich LSU 1967-70 3,667 6’5″ Freeman Williams Portland State 1974-78 3,249 6’4″ Lionel Simmons La Salle 1986-90 3,217 6’7″ Alphonso Ford Mississippi Valley State 1989-93 3,165 6’1″ Doug McDermott Creighton 2010-14 3,150 6’8″ Chris Clemons Campbell 2015-19 3,106 5’9″ Harry Kelly Texas Southern 1979-83 3,066 6’7″ Keydren Clark St. Peter’s 2002-06 3,058 5’9″ Hersey Hawkins Bradley 1984-88 3,008 6’3″ Mike Daum South Dakota St. 2015-19 3,006 6’9″ Oscar Robertson Cincinnati 1957-60 2,973 6’5″ Danny Manning Kansas 1984-88 2,951 6’10” Alfredrick Hughes Loyola Chicago 1981-85 2,914 6’5″ Elvin Hayes Houston 1965-68 2,884 6’9″ Tyler Hansbrough North Carolina 2005-09 2,872 6’9″ Larry Bird Indiana State 1976-79 2,850 6’9″ Otis Birdsong Houston 1973-77 2,832 6’3″ Kevin Bradshaw U.S. International* 1984-91 2,804 6’6″ Allan Houston Tennessee 1989-93 2,801 6’6″ J.J. Redick Duke 2002-06 2,769 6’4″ Hank Gathers Loyola Marymount* 1985-90 2,723 6’7″ Tyler Haws BYU 2010-15 2,720 6’5″ Reggie Lewis Northeastern 1983-87 2,709 6’7″ Daren Queenan Lehigh 1984-88 2,703 6’5″ Byron Larkin Xavier 1984-88 2,696 6’3″

*Transferred from another school

Source: Sports-Reference.com

With Clemons on the court, the Fighting Camels score 1.12 points per possession, according to Hoop Lens — or at a rate that would be among the best in the country if maintained over an entire season. When he sits, the team scores 0.84 points per possession, or at a rate that would rank around 300th if maintained. Without Clemons, the team’s effective field goal percentage drops more than 10 percentage points, and the team’s turnover percentage spikes almost 7 percentage points. As a pick-and-roll ball handler, he has scored more points this season than everyone else on the team combined, according to data provided by Synergy Sports.

This season, Clemons is scoring 30.1 points per game, tied for the second-highest mark by any player since 1992. Charles Jones in 1996-97 was the last player to average more than 30 points per game over a season, while Central Michigan’s Marcus Keene came close in 2016-17, hitting 29.97. Clemons has scored in double figures in 111 consecutive games.2

He can also take the roof off an arena. Behind a 44-inch vertical3 and sculpted physique, Clemons has made a habit of dunking on defenders. Hard. Of Campbell’s 22 dunks this season, he has eight. “It’s like, ‘You’re 5-9!?'” McGeehan said, bewildered.4

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McGeehan hasn’t wasted a second of his point guard’s eligibility. Clemons has played at least 80 percent of team minutes each season on campus. As a senior, he’s taking on 93.1 percent.

Over the past three seasons, Clemons has finished no lower than seventh nationally in KenPom’s percentage of possessions used metric, which measures how many possessions a player used while on court, assigning credit or blame to the player when his actions resulted in an ended possession. He leads the country this season, absorbing 37.5 percent of the team’s possessions. “Obviously,” McGeehan noted, “he’s heavily relied upon.”

Clemons is leaned on heavily

The NCAA men’s basketball players with the highest share of their team’s possessions that season, since 2016-17

Season Player Team Yr. Possession Height Weight 2017-18 Trae Young Oklahoma Fr 38.5% 6’2″ 180 lb. 2016-17 Ronnie Boyce San Francisco Sr 37.9 6’3″ 158 2017-18 Tiwian Kendley Morgan St. Sr 37.8 6’5″ 190 2016-17 Jordan Washington Iona Sr 37.6 6’8″ 235 2018-19 Chris Clemons Campbell Sr 37.5 5’9″ 180 2016-17 Michael Weathers Miami (Ohio) Fr 37.5 6’2″ 161 2018-19 Lamine Diane Cal St. Northridge Fr 37.1 6’7″ 205 2016-17 Chris Clemons Campbell So 37.0 5’9″ 180 2016-17 Marcus Keene Central Michigan Jr 37.0 5’9″ 175 2017-18 Roddy Peters Nicholls St. Sr 36.8 6’4″ 195 2018-19 Ja Morant Murray St. So 36.2 6’3″ 175 2018-19 Jordan Davis Northern Colorado Sr 36.2 6’2″ 185 2018-19 Justin James Wyoming Sr 36.0 6’7″ 190 2017-18 D’Marcus Simonds Georgia St. So 35.8 6’3″ 200 2017-18 Ethan Happ Wisconsin Jr 35.6 6’10” 235 2017-18 Milik Yarbrough Illinois St. Jr 35.5 6’6″ 230 2018-19 Markus Howard Marquette Jr 35.3 5’11” 175 2018-19 Ethan Happ Wisconsin Sr 35.2 6’10” 237 2016-17 Tiwian Kendley Morgan St. Jr 35.1 6’5″ 190 2017-18 Chris Clemons Campbell Jr 34.9 5’9″ 185

Source: KenPom

Should his average hold, Clemons will finish the season with a 38.9 percent usage rate, which would give him three of the top 25 marks produced by players since 2009, the first year for which data is available.5 His career usage rate (35.9 percent) figures to edge former BYU star Jimmer Fredette for the top spot by any player over the past decade.

There have actually been plenty of undersized, high-usage players on college courts. Clemons is just relied upon much more than any of the rest — and has been since he arrived on campus. Since 2008, there have been 450 seasons that saw a player shorter than 5-foot-10 appear in 20 games and play at least 40 percent of team minutes, according to BartTorvik.com. Of that sample, Clemons is in line to finish with the first, third, fourth and 23rd highest usage rates.

Let’s remove the height restriction. Given those same qualifications, since 2008 there have been 522 seasons of a player producing a usage rate exceeding 30 percent. Of that pool, Clemons is on track to post two usage rates that rank in the top 15 and another one that ranks in the top 45.

This season, only one player6 has taken a higher share of team shots than Clemons’s 39.3 percent.7 This would be the fourth consecutive season that Clemons has finished in the top 25 in percentage of team shots taken, a feat of production that has never been matched since KenPom began tracking such metrics.8

The Fighting Camels made their only NCAA Tournament appearance in 1992, five years before Clemons was born. This season, Clemons has Campbell roaring into shape to make a run at a second, provided the team wins its conference tournament.

Which is to say: Clemons has the perennial green light to do everything. “I always had one,” Clemons said. “But I don’t remember it being like this.”

Have coaches ever told him not to shoot? “I haven’t heard that lately,” he said.

Is there anything McGeehan wouldn’t trust Clemons to do? “Probably give me a haircut.”

Clemons’s numbers are more impressive when you consider the system under which he plays. Watching him, you get the sense that he could get to the rim or drain a jump shot around 10 seconds before he actually does. McGeehan runs a hybrid version of Pete Carril’s Princeton Offense that relies on quick ball movement and constant motion. It also typically suffocates tempo, as the Princeton Offense is ostensibly designed to limit huge production by either team. Campbell has ranked outside the top 190 in average offensive possession length each season since 2013. This season, it ranks 265th in adjusted tempo. Campbell averages 68.4 possessions per 40 minutes, which is tied for 238th nationally. North Carolina, for instance, averages nearly eight more possessions per game.

Despite all of his success, Clemons may not ever reach the next level. To be sure, there have been other players under 5-foot-10 to reach the NBA: Muggsy Bogues, Earl Boykins, Calvin Murphy, Spud Webb. There have even been a few who have done it since the turn of the century: Isaiah Thomas, Kay Felder, Nate Robinson. Clemons, who has declared for the NBA draft after each of the past two seasons only to return to campus, is unlikely to join them via that route.

The irony is heavy: One of the greatest scorers of all time, in arguably the state with the richest college basketball tradition, plays just a short drive down the road from perhaps the most-talked-about college athlete of all time, for a team that packed in fewer than 2,000 fans per home game last season. The smallest guy on the court is dealt the largest offensive burden and has most of the team’s dunks. The pint-sized player with the larger-than-life impact.

“When it’s all said and done,” McGeehan said, “I’m probably going to go back and say, ‘Wow, did that really all just happen?’”

from News About Sports https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/meet-the-ncaas-5-foot-9-scoring-machine/

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junker-town · 4 years

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The 30 best men’s college basketball players of the decade, ranked

These are the players that defined college basketball in the 2010s.

Determining the best men’s college basketball players of the decade is no easy task. As we reflect back on college hoops in the 2010s, we wanted to put together a list of the best players the sport has seen over the last 10 years with an emphasis on two things: individual dominance and impact on winning.

This list weighs contributions from men’s college basketball players between the 2009-2010 season and the 2018-2019 season. It features one-and-dones like John Wall and Trae Young whose single-season impact on college basketball earned them a spot on this list. It features four-year players like Draymond Green whose body of work includes both dominance and longevity. It includes two players who won multiple national championships.

This ranking doesn’t include the long list of spectacular contributions from women’s college basketball. From Breanna Stewart and her four national championships at UConn to Kelsey Plum’s star-studded career at Washington to Arike Ogunbowale’s big shots at Notre Dame, women’s college basketball players provided so many indelible moments this decade. Read Matt Ellentuck on the four best seasons in women’s college basketball in the 2010s.

30. Caleb Swanigan, PF, Purdue

“Biggie” entered Purdue with sky-high expectations as the program’s first Mr. Basketball from Indiana since Glenn Robinson. He exited after two years with a Big Ten Player of the Year award and an All-American nod to his name. A double-double machine who was immediately unstoppable as an interior scorer and rebounder, Swanigan eventually expanded his skill set to add a three-point shot to his arsenal as a sophomore, when he finished the season averaging 18.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game on sparkling 62 percent true shooting.

29. Grant Williams, F, Tennessee

Williams was an unheralded recruit with eyes on the Ivy League before Rick Barnes took a chance on him at Tennessee. He turned into one of the great players in the history of the program during his three years in school: a two-time SEC Player of the Year, a consensus All-American, and the leader of a team that tied the record for most wins (31) in program history. Williams was an ace defender and rebounder who doubled as a smart passer and primary scoring option. Big men this accomplished with such high-level skill and smarts don’t come around often.

28. Bonzie Colson, F, Notre Dame

Colson would have led Notre Dame to the NCAA tournament all four years he was in school if not for a foot injury his senior season that caused him to miss two months and tanked the Irish’s at-large chances. At his best, Colson was something like Draymond Light, an undersized big man whose incredible rebounding and defensive chops mixed with crafty scoring ability made him a unique weapon for Mike Brey. He was a lock to be an All-American and contender for the Wooden Award as a senior before the injury.

27. Monte Morris, PG, Iowa State

Morris led all of college basketball in assist-to-turnover ratio from the moment he stepped on the court as a freshman at Iowa State — then he did it again the next three years. In addition to being the preeminent “pure point guard” in the country, Morris was also a double-figure scorer every season after his freshman year. While his teammate Georges Niang (who was also considered for this list) put up bigger raw numbers, there’s a case to be made with superior box score plus-minus and win share numbers that Morris had a greater impact on the Cyclones.

26. Trae Young, PG, Oklahoma

Young grew up in Norman and chose to play for his hometown school at Oklahoma over offers from bluebloods. With the team built around him from day one, Young put together some of the most incredible single-season numbers of the decade: 27.4 points and 8.7 assists per game built on a barrage of three-point shooting that drew comparisons to Steph Curry. Young’s production slipped a bit during the second half of his freshman season under the weight of needing to carry the offense on every possession, but his most brilliant moments — four 40+ point games, 11 double-digit assist efforts — helped make him one of the most dazzling one-and-dones in recent memory.

25. Josh Hart, G, Villanova

Villanova averaged 32 wins per season during Hart’s four years in school. Add in a national championship, a Big East Player of the Year award, two Big East tournament MOPs, and a nod as a first team All-American, and Hart’s resume is unassailable. A defensive-minded wing who eventually grew into a primary offensive option, Hart put up huge BPM and win shares numbers all four years with the Wildcats. He was the type of player every coach would love to build their program around.

24. John Wall, PG, Kentucky

Wall was so big and so fast that he felt like he arrived straight out of the future when he showed up at Kentucky. Already blessed with a signature dance and mountains of NBA hype by the time he got to campus, Wall more or less lived up to the hype. He led John Calipari’s first stacked freshman superteam at Kentucky alongside DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Bledsoe, taking the Wildcats to the Elite Eight before falling to West Virginia. Wall was named a first time All-American and SEC Player of the Year before going on to be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft.

23. Fred VanVleet, G, Wichita State

A two-time Missouri Valley Player of the Year, VanVleet was the hard-nosed point guard who led Wichita State during its golden age under Gregg Marshall. VanVleet was a reserve on the 2013 team that ran all the way to the Final Four before becoming a star as a sophomore the next year on a team that entered the NCAA tournament undefeated at 34-0. The Shockers fell victim to a tough draw against Julius Randle and Kentucky in the round of 32, but FVV would take them back to the Sweet 16 the next year and win another tournament game as a senior. VanVleet and Wichita running mate Ron Baker survive as the decade’s most iconic mid-major superstar duo.

22. Gordon Hayward, G, Butler

Hayward’s college career will mostly be remember for a shot he missed, the halfcourt heave that would have stunned Duke in the national title game were it not a tad long. Hayward was already a bonafide scorer as the Horizon League’s Player of the Year even before Butler’s mesmerizing tournament run, but his offensive performances against talented Kansas State and Michigan State teams made him a national star. It was always destiny that Brad Stevens and Hayward would link up together once again in the NBA on the Boston Celtics.

21. Jared Sullinger, C, Ohio State

Sullinger was a consensus top-three recruit entering Ohio State and lived up to every bit of hype. One of four players this decade to twice be named a consensus All-American, Sullinger was a monster inside scorer and forceful rebounder who averaged a double-double as a freshman and just missed it as a sophomore. Flanked by Aaron Craft and Deshaun Thomas, Sullinger helped lead Ohio State to the Final Four in his sophomore year before jumping to the NBA. Before he was plagued by back issues, Sullinger felt like the most dependable offensive big man in America.

20. Shabazz Napier, G, UConn

The 2014 UConn Huskies were the most unlikely national champion of the decade and it only happened because Shabazz Napier willed it into existence. A No. 7 seed heading into the tournament, UConn rode Napier’s tough shot-making off the dribble all the way through the field, with his 22 points against Kentucky sealing the title. Napier must have been studying Kemba Walker when he came off the bench to help UConn win the national championship as a freshman. In addition to his two rings, Napier was also a consensus All-American, the AAC Player of the Year, and the Most Outstanding Player of the 2014 NCAA tournament.

19. Denzel Valentine, G, Michigan State

Valentine’s senior year numbers at Michigan State — 19.2 points, 7.8 assists, 7.5 rebounds per game — have never been equaled since sports-reference started tracking data for the 1992-1993 season. Valentine’s breakout junior year helped Michigan State reach the Final Four, setting the foundation for final season that nearly saw him steal the national player of the year award from Buddy Hield. Valentine felt like he was in complete control of every game he played for the last two years, orchestrating the offense, draining better than 40 percent of his threes, and making an impact on the glass. The Spartans’ first round loss to Middle Tennessee during Valentine’s senior season felt like the biggest upset in tournament history until that whole UMBC thing happened a couple years later.

18. Malcolm Brogdon, G, Virginia

Here’s a brief list of Brogdon’s accomplishments at Virginia: he was a two-time consensus All-American, the ACC Player of the Year, the NABC Defensive Player of the Year, and still earned his master’s degree in public policy during his four years in school. Brogdon was never the most athletic lead guard, but he made up for it as a knockdown shooter and heady passer who made his biggest impact on defense. Virginia has already retired his number. UVA’s charmed run to a national championship in 2019 never could have happened without players like Brogdon to lay the foundation of the program under Tony Bennett.

17. Karl-Anthony Towns, C, Kentucky

A young Karl Towns was such a big deal as a recruit that a) he was good enough to play on the Dominican Republic’s national team as a 16-year-old, and b) John Calipari agreed to coach DR teams for two years as a way to get closer to him. Calipari’s persistence would pay off when Towns arrived at Kentucky and led the team to an incredible 38-0 start before losing to Wisconsin in the Final Four. The Wildcats were so stacked with talent that season Calipari resorted to a platoon system to get everyone on the floor, but there was never any doubt Towns was the group’s biggest star. Calipari made it his mission to turn Towns into a post scorer, essentially forbidding him to take the three-pointers that he’d make a critical part of his offensive arsenal in the NBA. Despite only finishing fifth on his own team in field goal attempts per game, Towns feels like one of the greatest pure talents to come through college hoops in a long time.

16. Frank Mason III, G, Kansas

Perhaps we should have known Mason would turn into a legend when he got his own theme song shortly after arriving at Kansas. Initially the forgotten man in a Jayhawks recruiting class that also included McDonald’s All-Americans Joel Embiid, Andrew Wiggins, and Wayne Selden, Mason would eventually grow into dynamic 5’11 point guard who could shoot from anywhere and played with a toughness that belied his size. After averaging 21 points and five assists as a senior, Mason swept the national player of the year awards in 2017. ‘

15. Doug McDermott, F, Creighton

All Doug McDermott did during his four years at Creighton was rewrite college basketball’s record books while drawing comparisons to Larry Bird. At 6’8, McDermott was a prolific and efficient scorer who used his combination of size and elite shooting ability to punish opponents. He left Creighton as college basketball’s No. 5 all-time leading scorer and as the sport’s first three-time All-American since Patrick Ewing.

14. Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke

Jahlil Okafor was a man born in the wrong decade for the NBA, but his incredible post-scoring touch still worked to devastating effect during his one college season at Duke. It’s possible college basketball hasn’t seen an interior scorer this gifted since Shaq. A massive 270-pound center with huge hands, long arms, and soft touch, Okafor was damn near automatic when he established deep paint position on offense. The gravity of his post-ups allowed his Blue Devils teammates to thrive. Behind Okafor, Duke outlasted Wisconsin to win the national title with 60 of the team’s 68 points coming from four freshmen.

13. Frank Kaminsky, C, Wisconsin

Kaminsky was only considered the No. 11 recruit in the state of the Illinois when he entered Wisconsin as a three-star prospect. He would go on to have perhaps the most impressive career of any player in the program’s esteemed history. A 7-foot shooter who felt like he was born to play in Bo Ryan’s offensive system, Kaminsky made a major jump to become a First Team All-Big Ten player as a junior before blossoming into the national player of the year as a senior. He took the Badgers all the way to the national championship game, a run headlined by knocking off a 38-0 Kentucky team in the Final Four.

12. Jimmer Fredette, G, BYU

Jimmer Fredette was something like college basketball’s answer to Tim Tebow at the turn of the decade: a legitimate national sensation who felt like he was plastered across every television in the country. Fredette used impossibly deep shooting range to go some remarkable scoring tears: in his last 20 games as a senior, he put up three 40-point games and one 52-point performance in the conference tournament on his way to averaging 29 points per game for the season. He led BYU to the NCAA tournament all four of his years in school, including the program’s first run to the Sweet 16 since 1981.

11. Victor Oladipo, G, Indiana

Oladipo entered Indiana as a three-star recruit outside the top-100 of prospect rankings before blossoming into an explosive two-way guard during his three seasons at Indiana. He first earned minutes under Tom Cream as a defensive stopper as a sophomore. By his junior year, he was regularly carrying the scoring load for the top-ranked Hoosiers and stunning crowds with his above-the-rim acrobatics. By leveraging his incredible athleticism on both ends, Oladipo turned into one of the most impactful players of the decade. He put together the best box score plus-minus for a guard and fifth-best overall since 2010-11.

10. Brandon Clarke, F, Gonzaga

Clarke’s transfer from San Jose State to Gonzaga felt like an afterthought nationally until the entire basketball world realized how breathtaking his talent was. Despite not even being the biggest name on his own team during his one season in Spokane (that would be Rui Hachimura), Clarke established himself as the best defensive player in the country while also being a historically efficient scorer. A truly elite athlete, Clarke’s pogo stick hops made him an intimidating shot blocker and mesmerizing alley-oop threat. His massive two-way impact was illustrated in his sterling box score plus-minus rating, which surpassed even Anthony Davis to be the second highest of the last 10 years behind only Zion Williamson. Expect Clarke to be productive from day one in the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies.

9. Evan Turner, G, Ohio State

Here’s how good Turner was during his final season at Ohio State as a junior: his numbers — 20.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, and six assists per game — have never been matched since sports-reference’s data sample started in 1992-1993. His rare combination of size, inside-out scoring, and the ability to run the team as a de facto point guard made him arguably the most complete college guard of the last 10 years. Buckeyes fans will never forget his deep buzzer-beater to stun Michigan in the Big Ten tournament. Turner has had a long but unspectacular pro career after riding his monster junior season to become the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA, but at the college level it felt like he could do it all.

8. Russ Smith, G, Louisville

Few nicknames in the modern age have ever felt as fitting as “Russdiculous” did for Russ Smith. Known for his signature speed and high-flying forays to the rim, Smith was the catalyst for Rick Pitino’s best Louisville teams, including the 2013 national champions. In addition to leading being the Cardinals’ No. 5 all-time scorer, Smith is also the program’s all-time leader in steals. While Smith was never national player of the year, he was a consensus All-American as a senior and was twice named KenPom’s player of the year. No one summed up the two-way intensity of the Pitino years in Louisville better than Smith.

7. Buddy Hield, G, Oklahoma

There was a time when Buddy Hield put on the best show in college basketball. After productive sophomore and junior seasons at Oklahoma, Hield’s star exploded as a senior. His deep shooting range and explosive scoring outbursts became the stuff of legends by the time he dropped 46 points at Kansas and drew a standing ovation from the away crowd. It was merely a precursor for the damage he’d do in March, first hanging 39 points on Iowa State in the Big 12 tournament, and then 36 points on VCU and 37 points on Oregon to push the Sooners into the Final Four. Even beyond being the national player of the year and a top-10 NBA draft pick, Hield was perhaps most memorable for briefly making every game feel like an event. It was impossible not to love Buddy.

6. Trey Burke, PG, Michigan

Though he only stood 6’1, Trey Burke was a giant on the court during his two seasons at Michigan. After a productive freshman season as a day-one starter, Burke blossomed into the best player in America as a sophomore, leading the Wolverines to the national title game and sweeping the player of the year awards. Burke had the total package for a point guard. He had deep shooting range (just ask Kansas), the quickness and power to burn anyone off the dribble, and the skill to set up his talented teammates. Michigan had five players in the rotation from its 2013 team who would go on to have NBA careers, there was never any doubt Burke was the engine.

5. Draymond Green, F, Michigan State

Long before he was the glue of the NBA’s newest dynasty, Green was a four-year marvel at Michigan State whose game refused to be put in a box. Green was a role player on Final Four teams as a freshman and sophomore before eventually growing into one of the best players in the country. As a senior, Green was Big Ten Player of the Year and a consensus All-American who owned the glass as a rebounder, passed like a guard, and led his team with 16 points per game while still being arguably the best defensive player in the country. Green’s impact has never been fully captured by statistics or accolades. Just know you want him on your team.

4. Kemba Walker, PG, UConn

Walker was a talented but enigmatic scorer during his first two seasons at UConn. As a junior, he turned into a legend. Walker went on a run for the ages at the 2011 Big East tournament, hitting an iconic buzzer-beater against Pitt in the quarterfinals and powering the Huskies to the conference tournament title by averaging 26 points per night over the five-game run. It was a prelude to an even more memorable tear in the Big Dance. Walker hung 33 points on Cincinnati and 36 points on Kawhi Leonard and San Diego State to help put his team to the Final Four. There, he knocked off John Calpiari’s Kentucky team and then Brad Stevens, Gordon Hayward and Butler to bring a national championship to Storrs. Walker didn’t win that title single-handedly, but it sure felt like he did.

3. Jalen Brunson, PG, Villanova

Brunson spent three seasons at Villanova becoming the most accomplished college player of the decade. He entered the program as a McDonald’s All-American and quickly established himself as a freshman starter on the 2016 team that went on a wild run to the national championship, capped by Kris Jenkins’ buzzer-beater shot. Two years later, Brunson led the Wilcats to another national title, this time as the best player in the country. No one else on this list has two titles and a Wooden Award. Brunson’s resume speaks for itself.

2. Anthony Davis, C, Kentucky

Anthony Davis was the best player in the country by a mile during his one season at Kentucky, yet it always felt like he was capable of so much more. Davis led the decade’s most dominant national champion back in 2012 when he powered the Wildcats to a 38-2 record while winning every national player of the year award and eventually becoming the first pick in the NBA draft. What’s incredible is that Davis was only No. 7 on his own team in usage rate. Despite a sometimes limited offensive role, Davis was the singular reason for Kentucky’s success, a preposterously long and athletic big man who maintained the agility and ball skills of a guard after a late high school growth spurt. The Wildcats had other players who could carry the scoring load for the night, but it was Davis who keyed their supremacy on both ends. His numbers were still excellent — 14.2 points and 10.4 rebounds per game on 65 percent true shooting -- but his impact was even greater.

1. Zion Williamson, F, Duke

Years of mixtape hype made Williamson a household name well before he ever put on a Duke uniform, but it also failed to prepare the world for just how good at basketball he would be. Williamson proved to be so much more than just a dunker during his one and only year in Durham: he was an unstoppable finisher, a defensive wrecking ball, and a selfless teammate who played every possession with a non-stop motor. Though his Blue Devils lost in the Elite Eight, Williamson combined historic efficiency with unprecedented impact to put together one of the sport’s most bulletproof statistical profiles ever. No college player this decade had a higher box score plus-minus and no one in the modern era has ever matched his sterling 70.2 percent true shooting percentage while averaging at least 13 shots per game. College basketball has seen plenty of freshman phenoms, but it has never seen one quite like Zion.

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topbeautifulwomens · 5 years

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#Glen #Rice #Biography #Photos #Wallpapers #acting #challenge #fashion #funny #instasky #lt #pretty #radiojockey #streetdance #water

Glen Rice is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the NBA. The 6’8″ tall Rice was a three-time NBA All-Star guard/forward, ranking 11th in NBA history with 1,559 three-point field goals made during his 15-year career. As a player, Rice won an NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship and an NBA Championship. Rice has won both the NBA All-Star Game MVP and the NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player awards. In recent years, Rice has taken up MMA fight promotion as owner and brain of G-Force Fights, based mostly out of Miami, Florida.

Rice started his senior season as a projected mid-very first-round alternative, but his stock rose to the point where he was selected #four overall in the 1989 NBA Draft due to his listing-breaking performance in the NCAA Tournament. The Miami Heat, an expansion to the NBA along with the Charlotte Hornets, were now in their second-year in want of some offensive aid after finishing last in the NBA in points per game in 1988-89. Rice only averaged 13.6 points per game his rookie season but bumped that up to 20 ppg for his remaining five seasons in Miami, which included two trips to the playoffs. Rice became the Heat’s first bonafide star and led Miami to its first playoff series against the Bulls. Rice was the first Heat player to average 20+ points per game in a season (1991â€“1992). Unfortunately, the Heat were unable to win a playoff series during Rice’s tenure losing a hard fought series against the Atlanta Hawks 3-2.

Rice played in 1000 games in the NBA from 1989-2004. He was a three-time All-Star who finished with career averages of 18.3 points and 4.4 rebounds in 1,000 typical-season games with the Miami Heat, Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers. He finished with 18,336 career points. Rice peaked as a member of the Charlotte Hornets in the 1996-1997 seasons when he was third in the league in scoring behind only Michael Jordan and Karl Malone averaging 26.8 points per game. Rice played in 55 career playoff games, averaging 16.1 points and 4.5 rebounds. He averaged 16.3 points in three All-Star games. Rice earned an NBA championship ring as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2000 NBA Championship vs the Indiana Pacers.

Name Glen Rice Height 6 ft 8 in Naionality American Day of Birth 28-May-1967 Place of Birth Flint, Michigan Famous for Basketball Player

The post Glen Rice Biography Photos Wallpapers appeared first on Beautiful Women.

source http://topbeautifulwomen.com/glen-rice-biography-photos-wallpapers/

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investmart007 · 6 years

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Wolverines meet Seminoles with Final Four berth on the line

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Wolverines meet Seminoles with Final Four berth on the line

LOS ANGELES /March 23, 2018 (AP)(STL.News) —Leonard Hamilton is well aware of the perception that Florida State is a football school. The coach also knows that the moniker is often applied to Michigan, the Seminoles’ opponent Saturday night in a most unlikely NCAA Tournament regional final.

After a lifetime of coaching hoops, the 69-year-old Hamilton can’t understand why anyone would think about football in March when his players and coach John Beilein’s squad have earned the right to play the biggest game of their lives at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

“I think that’s one of the most ridiculous phrases I’ve heard: football school,” Hamilton said Friday. “I mean, gosh, (Michigan has) been to the Final Four on a consistent basis. … Our baseball team has probably had as much success at Florida State as anyone, but nobody would call us a baseball school. Our soccer team does an outstanding job. Our volleyball team is good. I just think that’s a cliché, and that’s a phrase we need to eliminate.”

One of these don’t-call-them-football-schools will be eliminated in LA in the culmination of two wacky weeks out West.

Separated by conference and geography, third-seeded Michigan (31-7) and ninth-seeded Florida State (23-11) didn’t know much at all about each other until this improbable NCAA Tournament left them as the only two teams standing in the West Region.

With 48 hours to cram for this final, the Wolverines and Seminoles have learned a few things about each other that sound oddly familiar.

“They have some similar characteristics that we have,” Michigan’s Charles Matthews said. “We have long players on this team, guys that like to get out in transition, and athletes as well. I feel like it’s going to be a fun game. They’re a very well-prepared team, and so are we.”

The Wolverines also realize what’s different and dangerous about the surprising Seminoles, who have upset three consecutive higher-seeded opponents to make an unlikely run to the third Elite Eight in school history.

With wins over top-seeded Xavier and national championship finalist Gonzaga already, Florida State is on the brink of an improbable achievement. The Seminoles went only 9-9 in ACC play and lost in the first round of the conference tournament, but after sweating out Selection Sunday, they’ve surged to the brink of the second Final Four in school history by hitting their stride just in time.

Michigan’s presence in the Elite Eight is less of a surprise, since the Wolverines have made it three times in the last six years. Beilein’s team has won 12 straight games since Feb. 6, streaking to the brink of their first Final Four since 2013.

But after middling performances in their first two NCAA Tournament games, the Wolverines showed they’re ready for the big time with a 99-72 thrashing of Texas A&M on Thursday, overshadowing their typically proficient defense with the school’s highest-scoring NCAA Tournament performance since 1992.

If the Wolverines can come up with a fitting sequel, they’ll end Florida State’s best postseason run since 1993.

Here are more things to know about the West Region final between Michigan and Florida State:

DOGS IN THEM: Michigan is aware of the dilemma it faces with Florida State’s pressing, shot-blocking “junkyard defense,” which has deserved its colorful name. “Just really getting after it,” Florida State’s Phil Cofer said. “We say 94 feet. That’s picking the ball up early and playing hard to exhaustion. That’s one of the key things of our junkyard defense. When everybody is locked into that, we can take ourselves all the way to the top.”

GUT GEMACHT, MORITZ: Florida State is paying particular attention to Moe Wagner, the Wolverines’ 7-foot German star. Wagner scored 21 points and hit all three of his 3-pointers in Michigan’s rout of A&M. Florida State has two impressive 7-foot interior defenders in Christ Koumadje and Ike Obiagu, but they typically don’t venture to the perimeter.

EVERYBODY SHOOTS: Wagner isn’t the only outside shooter in maize and blue: Eight Wolverines hit a 3-pointer against the Aggies, and Michigan had 14 total 3-pointers. Florida State’s junkyard defense allowed that many 3-pointers only once in 34 games this season.

EVERYBODY SCORES: Florida State‘s impressive offensive balance showed up again while the Seminoles beat Gonzaga with just one double-digit scorer. If Michigan’s semifinal performance was any indication, the Noles might need to score a whole lot more points to keep up — and they think they’ve got the versatility to do it. Florida State has scored at least 74 points in seven games since January. “When you get offense from every position, that makes it easier when somebody is getting shut down by the defense,” said Terance Mann, who had 18 points to lead Florida State against Gonzaga. “We feel like everybody on the floor can score for us, and that gives us an advantage.”

ANN ARBOR WEST: Florida State has plenty of fans in Southern California, but Michigan had a truly impressive crowd in the Staples stands for the victory over Texas A&M. Beilein expects more of the same Saturday. “Those people didn’t travel here to see this game,” he said. “They live here, and that’s what’s great about coaching at Michigan. We’re everywhere.”

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By GREG BEACHAM, AP Sports Writer, By Associated Press – published on STL.News by St. Louis Media, LLC (Z.S)

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#Final Four berth on the line #Florida State #Staples Center in Los Angeles #Wolverines meet Seminoles

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mitchbeck · 6 years

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RANGERS ANNOUNCE COACHING STAFF ADDITIONS

David Oliver and Greg Brown named Assistant Coaches, join Lindy Ruff on David Quinn’s coaching staff BY: The New York Rangers NEW YORK, July 17, 2018 – New York Rangers General Manager Jeff Gorton announced today that the team has named David Oliver and Greg Brown as Assistant Coaches. Oliver and Brown will join Lindy Ruff on Head Coach David Quinn’s coaching staff.

Oliver, 47, joins the Rangers organization after spending the past 11 seasons with the Colorado Avalanche organization (2007-08 – 2017-18). Oliver most recently served as Colorado’s Director of Player Development, a role which he held for the last four seasons (2014-15 – 2017-18) as well as for two seasons in 2009-10 and 2010-11. During his tenure, he also served in a variety of roles for the Avalanche organization, including General Manager of the Lake Erie Monsters, Colorado’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, for three seasons (2007-08 – 2009-10), an Assistant Coach with Lake Erie for two seasons (2011-12 and 2012-13), and the Director of Hockey Operations with Lake Erie for four seasons (2010-11 – 2013-14). In his role as Colorado’s Director of Player Development, he assisted in the progression of several of the Avalanche’s top prospects, including current Rangers defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, who was selected by Colorado in the first round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft and made his NHL debut with Colorado during the 2010-11 season. Oliver served as Lake Erie’s General Manager when the team hired current Rangers Head Coach David Quinn to be the Monsters’ Head Coach prior to the 2009-10 season, and Oliver also served as an Assistant Coach on Quinn’s staff in Lake Erie during the 2011-12 season. In his most recent role with the Avalanche as Director of Player Development, Oliver assisted in overseeing the development of all the franchise's prospects in the professional, junior, and college ranks in both North America and Europe. Prior to beginning his tenure in an executive role, the Sechelt, British Columbia native played 13 seasons of professional hockey, including parts of nine seasons in the NHL (1994-95 – 1996-97; 1998-99 – 2000-01; 2002-03 – 2005-06). Oliver skated in 233 career NHL games with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Phoenix Coyotes, and Dallas Stars, registering 49 goals and 49 assists for 98 points, along with 84 penalty minutes. He played in 14 regular season games and three playoff contests with the Rangers during the 1996-97 season, and he tallied three points (two goals, one assist) in his 14 regular season games as a member of the Blueshirts. Oliver established career-highs in games played (80), goals (20), assists (19), and points (39) with Edmonton in 1995-96, and he led the Oilers in goals during his rookie season in 1994-95 with 16. He was selected by Edmonton in the seventh round, 144th overall, of the 1991 NHL Entry Draft. Oliver also played four seasons of collegiate hockey with the University of Michigan (1990-91 – 1993-94) prior to beginning his professional career. In his final season at the school in 1993-94, he was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in collegiate hockey, and he was also named the CCHA Player of the Year. Oliver won the Turner Cup as International Hockey League (IHL) Champions with the Houston Aeros in 1998-99, as he registered 16 points (10 goals, six assists) in 19 playoff games.

Brown, 50, joins the Rangers organization after spending the past 14 seasons as a member of the coaching staff at Boston College (2004-05 – 2017-18), including the last six seasons as the team’s Associate Head Coach (2012-13 – 2017-18). In his role at Boston College, Brown was responsible for overseeing the team’s defensemen, and he also worked with the team’s special teams units. During his tenure at the school, Boston College won the NCAA National Championship three times (2007-08, 2009-10, and 2011-12). Brown coached several current and former Rangers during his tenure at Boston College, including players such as Chris Kreider and Kevin Hayes. In addition, he assisted in the development of several defensemen who currently play in the NHL, including Brian Dumoulin, Noah Hanifin, Mike Matheson, Ian McCoshen, and Steven Santini. During the 2017-18 season, Boston College ranked fourth in Hockey East in goals against per game (2.68) and led Hockey East in shorthanded goals (seven). In addition to his coaching experience with Boston College, Brown has served as an Assistant Coach with Team USA in several international tournaments. He served as an Assistant Coach with the United States at the IIHF World Junior Championship three times (2014, 2017, 2018), helping Team USA earn a gold medal in 2017 and a bronze medal in 2018. Brown coached current Rangers defenseman Brady Skjei during the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship, and he also coached defenseman Ryan Lindgren, a Rangers prospect, at the IIHF World Junior Championship in both 2017 and 2018. Prior to beginning his coaching career, Brown completed a distinguished playing career that spanned nearly two decades at the professional, collegiate, and international levels. He played three seasons of collegiate hockey at Boston College (1986-87, 1988-89, and 1989-90), registering 120 points (24 goals, 96 assists) in 119 career games. Brown received numerous accolades over the course of his collegiate career. In both 1988-89 and 1989-90, Brown was named the Hockey East Player of the Year, was selected to the NCAA (East) First All-American Team, and was selected as a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in collegiate hockey. During the 1987-88 season, Brown played with the United States Men’s National Team prior to the 1988 Winter Olympics, and he was teammates with Rangers legends Brian Leetch and Mike Richter at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta. Brown was also teammates with Leetch and Richter, as well as Rangers Head Coach David Quinn, at the 1986 IIHF World Junior Championship, where Team USA earned its first medal in the tournament’s history (bronze). In addition, Brown and Leetch played together for one season at Boston College (1986-87) and represented the United States at the 1987 IIHF World Junior Championship. Brown also represented the United States at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France. Following his collegiate career, Brown played 13 seasons of professional hockey, including parts of four seasons in the NHL (1990-91; 1992-93 – 1994-95). Brown, who was selected by Buffalo in the second round, 26th overall, of the 1986 NHL Entry Draft, skated in 94 career NHL games with Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Winnipeg, and he registered 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) and 86 penalty minutes. He also played professional hockey in Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany during his career.

Ruff, 58, enters his second season as an Assistant Coach with the Rangers. He joined the Blueshirts organization on July 10, 2017 after serving as a Head Coach in the NHL for the previous 19 seasons (1997-98 – 2016-17). Ruff has posted a 736-554-78-125 record (.561 points percentage) in 1,493 career regular season games as an NHL head coach. He ranks sixth in NHL history in games coached and wins, trailing only Scotty Bowman, Joel Quenneville, Al Arbour, Ken Hitchcock, and Barry Trotz in both categories. Read the full article

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kansascityhappenings · 6 years

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Silverdome, the stadium that refused to die

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PONTIAC, Mich. — Boom went the dynamite, but, no, Michigan’s Silverdome just wouldn’t blow.

Sunday was demolition day for the outdated, dilapidated mausoleum of a stadium in a Detroit suburb that also bears the name of a dead automobile, Pontiac. Doom for the dome. But when the dust in Pontiac settled, the Silverdome was still standing there, like a hard-headed prizefighter unwilling to be knocked down.

For various reasons, America’s big, costly stadiums keep being replaced by bigger, costlier stadiums. Some are just plain old. Others are just poorly built. Sometimes, a wealthy owner of a team that plays games simply wants a larger playpen. So the “obsolete” place ends up being imploded, blown into a million atoms and particles like the planet Krypton, as was supposed to be the case Sunday morning with a stadium where Detroit’s players no longer play.

I spent several years living 10 minutes from this edifice, a half-hour’s drive or so from downtown Motor City. I spent quite a few Sundays and Thanksgiving Days there, watching the Detroit Lions play football on their way to not winning another championship. I saw Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers win a Super Bowl there. I saw Isiah Thomas and the Detroit Pistons play basketball there. In late 1981, I went to a concert by the Rolling Stones there, figuring that Mick Jagger and his band mates were old dudes and might not perform much longer.

The Who, Elvis, Aerosmith, the Jacksons, Springsteen, Metallica and local material girl Madonna were just a few of the acts who entertained at that Michigan monolith after it opened for business in 1975. The stadium was host to a 1987 “Wrestlemania” event featuring Hulk Hogan that drew a crowd of more than 93,000. Even the appearance of incredible hulk Donald J. Trump at a “Wrestlemania” 20 years later in downtown Detroit did not attract that big an audience, although he probably would insist that it did.

Today, like so many American stadiums, the Silverdome is nothing but a hollow shell.

It became obsolete in 2002 when the NFL’s Lions moved their lair to Ford Field downtown. Tenants came and went, auctions were held, buyers were sought. A monster truck show, a boxing card and other attractions were brought in, mainly in vain. The dome was done. Its upkeep was expensive, its infrastructure was in need of upgrades and its hometown was financially strapped. Going, going, gone.

All that remained was to blow it up. After all, we love edifice wrecks. We love watching things blow up, as long as it’s preapproved and legal. Once this property is condemned, boom, push the plunger, set off the explosives.

In fact, it was just on November 20 when another mighty arena, the Georgia Dome, was blown to smithereens in Atlanta, being of no further use. A state-funded stadium opened in 1992 that cost an estimated $214 million was already a useless vestige of yesteryear. It was host to a couple of Super Bowls, a few NCAA Final Four basketball tournaments and several events of the 1996 Olympic Games, but already, by 2017, it was just a useless hunk of junk.

The Georgia Dome had structural issues. Its roof was weather-beaten and damaged. Furthermore, the owner of pro football’s Atlanta Falcons wanted his team to play outdoors, not indoors. He got his way, and on August 26 of this year, the $1.6 billion (yes, billion) Mercedes-Benz Stadium opened its expensive doors.

So many similar places have vanished before our very eyes — Texas Stadium, Riverfront Stadium (Cincinnati), Fulton County Stadium (Atlanta), the Kingdome (Seattle), Three Rivers Stadium (Pittsburgh), the Omni arena (also in Atlanta), all demolished or imploded, wiped off the face of the earth. A lot of structures are built to last, but some don’t seem to last very long. Atlanta seems to need a new stadium every other Thursday.

Others still stand like haunted houses — the Houston Astrodome, for instance — awaiting their fates. If those walls could talk, they’d say: “Use me! I’ll be a flea market, a fruit stand, a motocross course, a revival tent, anything you like! Please don’t implode me! Help!”

Taxpayers must sit there wondering how many hundreds of millions of dollars are necessary to erect a public stadium that the public can actually use.

The truth is, sports teams need (or claim they need) state-of-the-art facilities with modern technologies. Bigger is necessarily better. But then they abandon their old places of business like kings vacating old castles. They move out and move on. It is left up to somebody else to pay for the lights, the heat and the cleanup crew. An ultra-modern stadium sits idle like a decrepit shopping mall or steel mill.

Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, Dodger Stadium and others keep going and going, while other stadiums apparently come stamped with expiration dates.

What’ll we implode next? The Alamo? Monticello? Mount Rushmore? Maybe somebody eventually will say, “Let’s blow this thing up and put up a brand new one!”

I sure did hate to see the good old Pontiac Silverdome go. I had a good laugh Sunday morning when it refused to go. Tough against all odds and obstacles, not unlike Detroit itself, the Silverdome probably stood there Saturday night on the eve of destruction girding for the worst. Then sang out defiantly the next day, “Hit me with your best shot.”

And if at first you don’t implode, try, try again.

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports http://fox4kc.com/2017/12/04/silverdome-the-stadium-that-refused-to-die/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2017/12/04/silverdome-the-stadium-that-refused-to-die/

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jodyedgarus · 5 years

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Ja Morant Would Like Your Attention

With fewer than 15 seconds to go in a November game, Ja Morant received an inbounds pass, dribbled the length of the court with his left hand, slipped past a would-be double team, skied over two defenders, pulled the ball back as far as his right shoulder would allow and threw down a ferocious tomahawk dunk. Moments later, the Murray State guard corralled an errant 3-pointer by a teammate in midair and jammed in his 37th and 38th points of the night.

The Racers ultimately lost on the road to Alabama, but Morant earned a standing ovation at Coleman Coliseum.

Afterward, Alabama coach Avery Johnson compared the skill set of the 6-foot-3 sophomore, who scored more points against Alabama than all but two players had since 2010, to that of Isaiah Thomas, John Stockton and Russell Westbrook.

“I saw flashbacks of a lot of guys I played against,” Johnson said.

youtube

Morant is months away from possibly making mid-major history in the NBA draft. While plenty of players have been drafted out of mid-major programs, few have been lottery picks — and fewer still came from conferences that have made fewer than 100 tournament appearances.1 Morant will likely become the first player this century from such a school to be selected in the top 5 of the NBA draft. Some mocks have him going as high as second. As the chart below demonstrates, there haven’t been many NBA lottery picks from mid-major conferences lately. But some of these picks have gone on to dominate: Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum, Paul George.

Players who got their start at small schools

Expected career win shares based on draft position and actual win shares to date for NBA draft lottery picks from mid-major and low-major schools, 2000-2018

Total Win Shares Year Pick Player School Conf. Exp Actual Diff 2015 14 C. Payne Murray St. OVC 27.3 2.3 -25.0 2014 10 E. Payton La. Lafayette Sun Belt 33.6 12.2 -21.4 2013 10 C.J. McCollum Lehigh Patriot 33.6 26.3 -7.3 2012 6 D. Lillard Weber St. Big Sky 43.2 66.3 +23.1 2010 10 P. George Fresno St. WAC 33.6 63.1 +29.5 2009 7 S. Curry Davidson Southern 40.3 100.5 +60.2 2008 12 J. Thompson Rider MAAC 30.2 23.8 -6.4 2006 9 P. O’Bryant Bradley MVC 35.6 0.5 -35.1 2003 6 C. Kaman C. Michigan MAC 43.2 24.6 -18.6 2002 12 M. Ely Fresno St. WAC 30.2 4.0 -26.2 2000 13 C. Alexander Fresno St. WAC 28.7 4.1 -24.6 Total 379.5 327.7 -51.8

Includes only schools from conferences with fewer than 100 NCAA men’s tournament appearances; based on conference alignment at the time.

Win shares through Feb. 14, 2019.

Source: Sports-Reference.com

When he’s inevitably drafted, Morant will be the third Murray State guard taken since 2013. Isaiah Canaan and Cameron Payne have struggled to secure a foothold in the league. But Neal Bradley, a Hall of Fame broadcaster who has spent nearly three decades covering the Racers, told me that he doesn’t think the upgraded competition will flatline Morant, pointing to his strong outings against Auburn and Alabama, two teams projected to appear in the NCAA Tournament. Morant earned a co-sign from Kevin Durant on The Bill Simmons Podcast. Missouri State coach Dana Ford, who coached against Morant and his Racer predecessors, didn’t mince words: “He is by far the best prospect of the three. … He’s a little bit of John Wall mixed with Chris Paul. He’s special.”

Morant’s ascension is the stuff screenwriters dream up. He was a mostly overlooked kid from rural South Carolina who landed at an out-of-state university after a coach almost literally stumbled upon him. A year ago, he wasn’t even named the top freshman in the Ohio Valley Conference. Now, he’s a bonafide star and budding internet sensation.

But those YouTube clips are the extent of Morant’s exposure. While Zion Williamson, who almost certainly will be the first name called by Adam Silver, effectively plays only on major networks, the Racers have yet to appear on ESPN, ESPN2, Fox, FS1 or CBS. Murray State’s tilt Thursday against Austin Peay is slated to be televised on ESPN2, but that’s the only remaining game scheduled for the aforementioned networks.2 During an interview on the ESPN show “Get Up!,” one of Morant’s questions was even about Williamson.

Morant’s second triple-double in less than a year — and the school’s third ever — came in front of a crowd of 2,701. When he became the first Division 1 player in 20 years to put up 40 points, 11 assists and five steals in a game,3 fewer than 2,200 people were there. A viral leapfrog dunk over 6-foot-8 Quintin Dove was seen in person by 3,114.

However, within the OVC, the interest bump created by Morant’s presence is evident. Each of the six conference teams that have hosted Murray State drew their largest home crowds of the conference season when Morant came to town.

Morant is a hot ticket

Attendance this season in the Ohio Valley Conference for teams hosting Murray State vs. their other home conference games

Home Team Non-Murray State Avg. Vs. Murray % Change Tennessee Tech 2,007 5,250 +161.6 UT Martin 1,253 3,114 +148.5 SE Missouri St. 1,391 3,143 +126.0 Eastern Illinois 1,211 2,410 +99.0 SIU Edwardsville 1,127 2,178 +93.3 Jacksonville State 2,232 3,718 +66.6

Sources: Sports-Reference.com, ESPN

Compared with its other conference home games, Eastern Illinois brought in nearly twice as many fans when it played Murray State. Jacksonville State sold out Pete Mathews Coliseum for the first time since the program turned Division 1. Bradley said he’s seen a noticeable attendance bump wherever Morant goes. About 50 Tennessee Tech fans lined up after their game in the hopes of taking a photo with the soon-to-be pro, according to Bradley. Morant obliged.

It seems that a stat line can only stay quiet for so long.

Morant is putting up unprecedented numbers: 23.9 points, 10.2 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game, with a true shooting percentage of 61.1. Nobody at the college level has come close to hitting those benchmarks,4 and only James Harden has done it in the pros. Morant is vying to become the first player since assist leaders were recognized to average 20 points and 10 assists over a season. Only 10 players in the past 25 years have even averaged 16 and 8.

Morant’s high-flying heroics give off the impression of a trapeze artist. But he’s more of a tactician, capable of diagnosing a defense in a split second and shredding it.

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There has perhaps never been a better facilitating season than the one Morant is producing, which includes, but isn’t limited to, half-court lobs, off-handed flicks and peek-a-boo bullets to the baseline. “I’ve never seen anyone, ever, able to pass like him,” Bradley said. “He’s stunning and seems to be a couple steps ahead of everybody.”

Morant’s 53.3 percent assist rate is projected to be the top mark ever measured5 and is 6.1 percentage points higher than this year’s second-place mark.6 In total, Morant is projected to finish the regular season with 296 dimes, which would be the sixth most over the past 25 years in a single season.

As his talent suggests, Morant is heavily relied upon. Only five players have logged a higher percentage of minutes played than Morant’s 93.1, and coach Matt McMahon is using his star on 35.8 percent of possessions, the fifth-highest rate in the country. Turnovers have come easily for Morant, but it would tough to blame the kid for coughing it up when he’s tasked with operating the offense each time down the court.

Morant’s scoring acumen often manifests in transition, where he spends more time (6.8 possessions per game) and pours in more points (8.4) than any player in the country. With the dexterity to finish with either hand, around or over defenders, he doesn’t lack efficiency, scoring 1.24 points per possession on the break with an adjusted field-goal percentage of 74.7, according to data provided by Synergy Sports.

Morant lives at the rim, where he attempts more than half of his shots, according to Hoop-Math.com. Every player this season7 with a better field-goal percentage at the rim than Morant’s 61.6 percent is at least 4 inches taller than he is.

Defensively, Morant has work to do. But his long arms make him a nuisance for opposing ball handlers, and he’s tied for second in the OVC in steals per contest (2.0). Despite his thin frame, Morant has been particularly efficient in isolation and against screens, where he’s allowed a combined 19 points on 29 possessions, according to data provided by Synergy Sports.

It isn’t all that uncommon for NBA teams to take a flier on a mid-major player in the draft. But Morant hardly has the typical backstory of an under-the-radar prospect, nor the skill set. With abnormal athleticism and uncanny court vision, Morant will be playing on national television sooner rather than later.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” Bradley said of Morant’s rise. “It’s the craziest stuff I’ve ever seen.”

from News About Sports https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/ja-morant-would-like-your-attention/

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junker-town · 3 years

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7 times Duke haters got to celebrate Coach K’s failure

The haters love it when Coach K and Duke come up short.

The most visible coach in college basketball is finally hanging it up. Mike Krzyzewski has announced that the upcoming 2021-2022 season will be his final year leading the Duke Blue Devils before he retires. Duke has reportedly tabbed assistant Jon Scheyer as the program’s coach-in-waiting, ending speculation on who will replace Coach K before it even begins.

College hoops simply won’t be the same without Coach K. Duke has been the sport’s most dominant program since Krzyzewski was hired in 1980. He enters his final season with five national championships, 12 Final Four appearances, and 1,170 career wins — the most in the history of men’s college basketball.

College basketball fans couldn’t get away from Duke over the last three decades as the program rose to prominence behind Coach K. Duke was the team constantly getting talked about on ESPN, and annually playing in big tournament games. The coverage of Duke felt overwhelming to fans of any other teams, and that had a way of bringing people together.

With Coach K at the helm, Duke became college basketball’s universal villains. The Blue Devils might have won more than any other program under Krzyzewski, but the very nature of college basketball meant they also suffered a lot of high profile losses that were widely celebrated by the haters.

As Coach K calls it quits, we wanted to look back at the program’s biggest moments of failure.

Losing to Mercer in the first round of the NCAA tournament

The 2014 Blue Devils were supposed to do big things in the NCAA tournament. Duke was led by Jabari Parker, the top freshman forward who was about to become the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA draft. Duke also had future NBA players Rodney Hood and Quinn Cook, as well as a terrific role player in Amile Jefferson. No one could have predicted the No. 3 seed would drop its first game to No. 14 seed Mercer, but that’s exactly what happened.

After the champions of the Atlantic Sun pulled off upset, one of their players did the Nae Nae dance at center court. This moment was like the best Christmas morning ever for people who hate Duke:

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Losing to Lehigh in the first round of the NCAA tournament

Two years before Mercer shocked Duke in the first round, it was was Lehigh who pulled off a shocking upset of the Blue Devils. Duke entered the 2012 NCAA tournament as a No. 2 seed with championship aspirations. Duke had four future NBA staters in their lineup, with Miles and Mason Plumlee being joined by Austin Rivers and Seth Curry. None of it intimidated the Mountain Hawks.

Lehigh became just the second No. 15 seed in the history of the tournament to that point to upset a No. 2 seed in the first round. For all the NBA talent on Duke’s roster, Lehigh still had the best player on the floor in junior guard C.J. McCollum. You can re-live the final three minutes here.

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McCollum finished with 30 points and would go on to become a lottery pick a year later.

Failing to get to the Final Four with Zion Williamson and two other top-10 picks

Duke entered the 2019 NCAA Tournament with what felt like one of their most talented teams ever. Zion Williamson established himself as the most dominant player in the country, and one of the biggest stars college basketball had seen over the last decade. Duke also had the future No. 3 overall draft pick in R.J. Barrett and the No. 10 overall pick in Cam Reddish.

Duke barely edged UCF in the round of 32 and Virginia Tech in the Sweet 16 until they finally met a team they couldn’t beat in a close game: Michigan State.

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Kenny Goins, a fifth-year walk-on senior, hit the go-ahead shot with 34 seconds left to put Michigan State up for good in the Elite Eight matchup. On a floor with so much NBA talent, it was incredible to watch a former walk-on in Goins make the biggest play of the game.

It just felt like Coach K failed to properly utilize Zion all season. There’s no doubt this one still stings for Krzyzewski.

Blowing a big lead vs. Kentucky in the 1998 Elite Eight

Duke’s 1997-1998 team had a loaded roster that included Trajan Langdon, Shane Battier, Steve Wojciechowski, and freshman big man Elton Brand. The Blue Devils started the year at No. 3 in the preseason polls and looked up be living up to the hype most of the year.

Duke entered the tournament as a No. 1 seed and blew out its first three opponents. Then came a matchup with Kentucky in the Elite Eight. Duke led by 15 points with under 10 minutes left in the second half when the Wildcats made their comeback, closing on a 30-10 run to stun the Blue Devils and knock them out of the tournament, 86-84.

Kentucky would go on to win its second national title in the last three years, but looking back, Duke certainly seemed like the most talented team in the country. The Blue Devils would get back to college basketball’s biggest stage the next year, but unfortunately for them they didn’t get the redemption they were hoping for.

Duke loses to UConn in 1999 national final

Duke returned the next year as the preseason No. 1 and looked poised for a vengeance tour. The Blue Devils won their first five games before falling to Cincinnati and future No. 1 overall draft pick Kenyon Martin in the Great Alaskan Shootout, but Coach K would get his team back on track. Duke did not lose again the regular season, and went on to win the ACC Tournament.

Entering the big dance as a No. 1 seed at 32-1 on the year, Duke blew out its first four tournament opponents, and then won a close game in the Final Four against No. 1 seed Michigan State. The only team standing between Duke and a national title was UConn, a men’s program that had never won it all. The Huskies would win, 77-74, behind Richard Hamilton’s 27 points. What could have gone down as K’s best team ever was ultimately a team that will be remembered for falling one game short.

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Duke ended the year 37-2, but without a ring. The team would have four players selected in the lottery of the NBA draft in Brand, Langdon, Corey Maggette, and William Avery.

1993’s second round loss to Cal

Duke entered the 1992-1993 season looking to become the second team in men’s college basketball history to win three national championships in a row (John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins won seven in a row between 1967-1973). Christian Laettner had graduated, but Duke still had a stacked lineup that included Grant Hill and Bobby Hurley. The Blue Devils entered the tournament as a No. 2 seed and met Jason Kidd’s Cal team in the second round. No one expected the Bears to pull off the upset, but somehow they did.

While Kidd finished with 11 points and 14 assists, it was his teammate Lamond Murray who carried the scoring burden. Murray put up 28 points and 10 rebounds to shock the Blue Devils:

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Duke’s entire 2020 season was a disaster

Duke was going to miss the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1995 during the 2020 season unless they won the ACC tournament. The Blue Devils won their first two games of the conference tournament, and then misfortune struck: there was a positive Covid test within the program that caused Duke to shutdown its season.

It’s hard to criticize any program trying to navigate the season during a global pandemic, but Duke simply wasn’t very good before the positive test. They finished only 9-9 in conference play, and saw their most talented player, Jalen Johnson, leave the team mid-season when he decided to step away from the team during a pandemic to prepare for the NBA draft.

Duke has reloaded for Coach K’s final season with a recruiting class led by the potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Paolo Banchero. Can Coach K go out on top? The upcoming farewell tour is going to be the biggest story in the sport, and should be riveting regardless of how it ends.

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jodyedgarus · 6 years

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The Only Opponent Villanova Has Left Is History

In the battle between the nation’s best (Villanova) and hottest (Michigan) teams, it was the latter who started Monday’s NCAA men’s national championship game right on script. The Wolverines led by 7 about a quarter into the game, and it looked like Michigan was tracking for a title-game upset that would rank alongside Syracuse over Kansas in 2003, UConn over Duke in 1999 and Arizona over Kentucky in 1997.1

Soon, though, reality set in, and the superior Wildcats asserted themselves. With its 79-62 victory over Michigan, Villanova ended any debate about who was No. 1 this season — and instead opened up the discussion about where coach Jay Wright’s team should rank among NCAA champions from history.

When things were going well for Michigan, the Wolverines were perfectly playing to their strengths — and shutting down Villanova’s. Led by the versatile 6’10” forward Moe Wagner, Michigan had the big advantage over Nova in Ken Pomeroy’s effective height metric (which measures frontcourt size), and they flexed that muscle early on. Michigan outrebounded Villanova 7-4 in the game’s first 7 minutes, while Wagner scored 9 quick points in the same span. At the same time, Michigan’s staunch 3-point defense — which held opponents to the fifth-lowest rate of attempts from beyond the arc during the season — gave Villanova few clean looks from deep. Uncharacteristically, the Wildcats missed 8 of their first 9 shots from the outside.

But after the textbook start, the wheels fell off for Michigan. Midway through the first half, Nova embarked on a 16-5 run that saw them take the lead for good. The rest of the game was a clinic for Villanova; the final stats for the title game bore little resemblance to the numbers that generated Michigan’s early lead. Nova ended up outrebounding the bigger Wolverines 38-27 and knocked down 10 of 27 3-pointers. (In the end, it was Michigan — another team heavily reliant on the 3 — who went cold from deep, missing 20 of 23 attempts from long range.)

It helped Nova that sophomore guard Donte DiVincenzo saved the game of his life for the championship. Despite starting the game out on the bench, DiVincenzo poured in 31 points, including 15 from 3-pointers alone. Every time Michigan appeared to be on the verge of mounting a comeback, DiVincenzo came up with a big shot to quell the rally. On the heels of a mega-efficient 15 point outing in the national semifinals, Monday night’s performance earned DiVincenzo well-deserved Most Outstanding Player honors for the tournament.

Now the only real question that remains is where Villanova ranks in history. By winning two championships in three years, the Wildcats have already earned some measure of immortality: Before Villanova, just three teams in the 64-team bracket era — since 1985 — have won twice in three seasons. (The others were Duke in 1991/92, Kentucky in 1996/98 and Florida in 2006/07.) But this season’s team is also in elite company by deeper metrics than simple ring-counting. According to KenPom.com’s power ratings, Villanova ended the season as the third-best NCAA men’s champion since 2002, trailing only Kansas in 2008 and Duke in 2010. The Wildcats also rank eighth among champs in the 64-team era according to our Elo ratings,2 which estimate a team’s quality at a given point in time, and their impressive title run in particular should elevate them on anybody’s list of all-time champs.

How to judge a champion’s tournament performance? One way is to look at how much more it outscored opponents than we’d expect based on those opponents’ Elo ratings. During the 2018 tourney, Villanova trounced opponents by an average of 17.7 points per game — never winning by fewer than 12 and covering the Vegas spread in all six games — against a set of foes that we’d expect the average champ3 to beat by just 9.8 per game. That difference of 7.9 points per contest ranks fifth among men’s champs since 1985:

Which champion had the most impressive tourney run?

Best NCAA tournament points per game margin vs. expected (based on Elo ratings) for men’s champions, 1985-2018

Points/Game Margin Season Champion Games Team Opponent Average vs. Expected 1 1996 Kentucky 6 89.2 67.7 +21.5 +13.0 2 2016 Villanova 6 83.5 62.8 +20.7 +12.9 3 2009 North Carolina 6 87.8 67.7 +20.2 +10.2 4 1990 UNLV 6 95.2 76.5 +18.7 +8.2 5 2018 Villanova 6 83.8 66.2 +17.7 +7.9 6 2001 Duke 6 86.8 70.2 +16.7 +7.5 7 2015 Duke 6 71.8 56.3 +15.5 +7.0 8 2008 Kansas 6 75.0 60.8 +14.2 +6.5 9 2006 Florida 6 72.7 56.7 +16.0 +6.1 10 1991 Duke 6 82.8 68.8 +14.0 +6.0 11 1993 North Carolina 6 84.5 68.8 +15.7 +5.7 12 2013 Louisville 6 79.5 63.3 +16.2 +5.4 13 2000 Michigan State 6 71.7 56.3 +15.3 +4.6 14 2005 North Carolina 6 84.2 70.3 +13.8 +4.4 15 2002 Maryland 6 83.5 69.5 +14.0 +4.4 16 2010 Duke 6 71.3 56.8 +14.5 +4.2 17 1998 Kentucky 6 85.7 72.3 +13.3 +3.7 18 1995 UCLA 6 86.3 72.0 +14.3 +3.6 19 2007 Florida 6 82.7 68.5 +14.2 +2.5 20 1989 Michigan 6 90.0 80.2 +9.8 +2.4 21 2012 Kentucky 6 81.3 69.5 +11.8 +2.1 22 2017 North Carolina 6 81.7 70.5 +11.2 +2.1 23 2004 Connecticut 6 77.2 63.8 +13.3 +2.0 24 1992 Duke 6 82.3 69.8 +12.5 +1.7 25 1986 Louisville 6 85.5 73.7 +11.8 +1.6 26 2011 Connecticut 6 66.3 56.0 +10.3 +1.5 27 1999 Connecticut 6 75.8 64.0 +11.8 +1.1 28 2014 Connecticut 6 71.7 63.8 +7.8 +0.9 29 1994 Arkansas 6 87.5 76.3 +11.2 +0.3 30 1987 Indiana 6 89.2 78.7 +10.5 +0.1 31 1988 Kansas 6 73.8 65.0 +8.8 -0.1 32 1997 Arizona 6 78.2 72.8 +5.3 -0.2 33 2003 Syracuse 6 77.0 68.0 +9.0 -0.4 34 1985 Villanova 6 55.0 50.0 +5.0 -2.6

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Expected margins were generated for an average champion with an Elo rating of 2150.

Of course, as impressive as Villanova was this year, Elo still thinks more highly of the team’s championship run two years ago. So it’s not completely open-and-shut where this season’s Wildcats even rank relative to themselves in terms of recent champs. But after the way Nova dismantled Michigan and Kansas in San Antonio, they’ve run out of yardsticks from 2018 with which to compare anyway. The only opponents left to vanquish at this point are the ghosts of the past.

from News About Sports https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-only-opponent-villanova-has-left-is-history/

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junker-town · 6 years

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Why Michigan-Villanova is a great national championship game

The title game will feature power against power.

The NCAA tournament is down to two: Michigan and Villanova. Those two teams won national semifinals at the Final Four on Saturday, setting up a championship game meeting on Monday. That game will tip at 9:20 p.m. ET on TBS and March Madness Live.

Villanova will be the favorite, probably narrowly, at most sports books. The Wildcats trounced Kansas in their semi, while Michigan ended Loyola-Chicago’s Cinderella run. (The Kansas game hasn’t gone final yet, but it’s over. Nova has won.)

These teams’ strengths counter each other perfectly.

Villanova has the best offense in the tournament, and Michigan has the best defense. Both teams are solid on the other end of the floor, too, but that’s where the power is.

Nova’s offense is a blast. The Wildcats are historically in love with the three-pointer, and they used it to run Kansas out of the Alamodome on Saturday. Michigan is as tenacious as any team in the country at defending the three-point line. Only about a quarter of the shots teams attempt against Michigan are three-pointers, one of the lowest marks in Division I.

In general, a lower-scoring game should favor Michigan. The Wolverines can limit almost any offense, but Villanova’s is the hardest challenge they’ve seen yet.

The teams play similar styles. Both move deliberately and prefer to set up in the half-court. Both put a premium on avoiding turnovers. Both space the floor, though Villanova takes the “quick passing to set up threes” game to an entirely different level. Jay Wright and John Beilein, the two head coaches, are among the best to ever do the job.

Both teams present compelling storylines, even beyond the major stakes that accompany any national championship game.

If Villanova wins, that makes two titles in three years. That would be a mini-dynasty. Nobody’s won two titles in that span since Billy Donovan’s Florida went back-to-back in 2006 and 2007. Wright would elevate himself to a status among the best coaches in the history of college basketball, as he’d be the 14th to win multiple NCAA titles in DI.

If Michigan wins, it ends a long quest for both the program and its head coach. The Wolverines have won once before, in 1989, but have been left at or near the alter a couple of times since then. They got to the title game in 2013 before losing to Louisville, in a result the NCAA later vacated over a scandal at Louisville. Michigan fans probably still have nightmares about a bad foul call on guard Trey Burke that helped seal UM’s fate that night.

And then there’s Beilein. He’s been a head coach since 1992. He’s been to the tournament 12 times with three different schools. He’s won 541 games, 24 of them in the Big Dance. He’s gotten close to varying degrees a couple of times, most notably but not only in 2013. It really feels like Beilein should win a title sometime, and here’s his latest best chance.

Either of these teams will be a great champion. Villanova’s going to top off an incredible multi-year run, or Michigan’s going to find redemption. All that’s left is to duke it out.

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junker-town · 6 years

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Virginia is one run away from the respect it deserves

In college basketball, your reputation is your reputation until you do something in March to change it. This is the task at hand for Tony Bennett and Virginia.

“If he loses this one, they’ll kill him.”

The words were so jarring that they demanded everyone in the area search for what had prompted them. A small television sitting on top of an out of place stool in the middle of the sporting goods store revealed the source.

Kentucky, the biggest, baddest team in college basketball, was jogging into the locker room leading lowly 16 seed San Jose State by a mere six points at halftime. It was the first game of what would ultimately become one of the most dominant NCAA Tournament runs the sport has ever seen. At this moment, though, it was something else.

The sporting good store employee standing next to the one who had served up the murder prediction laughed.

“I’m not joking. If they choke again, and they do it like this, they will kill him before he makes it back to Lexington.”

In 1996, this was Rick Pitino’s reputation to a healthy contingent of folks within the state of Kentucky, and to a decent amount of others outside the Commonwealth. Never mind that the man had resurrected one of college basketball’s most storied programs from the lowest point in its history. It mattered little that the overwhelming favorite to win the national championship had started the decade hampered by three years of probation, a two-year postseason ban, and a one-year ban from playing any games on television.

In the minds of Kentucky fans, step one for Pitino was clearing those hurdles. Barreling through them was ok too. Step two was returning the program to its rightful spot atop the college basketball world. Patience with the timeframe attached to step two was wearing thin.

In Kentucky’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament since its brush with the death penalty, it was on the wrong end of a regional final classic against Duke that many still believe is the greatest college basketball game ever played. A year later, UK dropped a Final Four heartbreaker to Chris Webber and the rest of Michigan’s Fab Five. In 1994, Pitino’s team — a No. 3 seed — was upset by Marquette in the second round of the Big Dance. Twelve months later, the top-seeded Wildcats won their first three tournament games by 22 points or more before being dealt an embarrassing 74-61 loss by North Carolina in the Elite Eight.

This is not a career arc specific to Rick Pitino.

Nearly every story written about Duke’s 1991 national championship game triumph over Kansas — which came two days after the Blue Devils stunned overwhelming favorite UNLV — features some reference to Krzyzewski’s entrenched reputation for not being able to get the job done on the biggest stage. The very first question posed to Coach K during the postgame press conference following his team’s 72-65 triumph over Kansas was about “having the monkey off your back.” YouTube videos featuring pregame and postgame coverage of Duke’s wins over both UNLV and Kansas that year confirm that Krzyzewski’s failures in four previous Final Four trips was the unrivaled focus of the college basketball world’s attention in 1991.

For an entire generation of sports fans, this is something of a revelation. Krzyzewski is now as compatible with success of the highest degree as Bill Belichick, Nick Saban or Phil Jackson. Among countless other accomplishments, his resume is comprised of five national championships, 12 Final Four appearances, and three Olympic gold medals as the coach of USA Basketball.

When Krzyzewski finally broke through in 1991, the man he deprived of a first championship was Roy Williams. This would prove to be the first chapter of Williams’ own “can’t win the big one” story, one which would wind up being even lengthier and more well-known than Coach K’s. He ultimately broke through in 2005, and currently sitting just five wins away from his third straight trip to the national championship game, has a viable claim to the title of hottest current coach in the sport.

Every coach who is now synonymous with college basketball success of the highest degree — Krzyzewski, Williams, John Calipari, Bill Self, Jay Wright — was once synonymous with something else.

The narrative is always the narrative until it becomes something else, and that something else is almost always something that bears no resemblance to its past form.

By any rational line of thinking, Virginia basketball is one of the top six or seven programs in college basketball right now.

The Cavaliers have been a No. 1 seed in three of the last five NCAA tournaments, and a top five seed in the other two. They won the regular season titles in what is widely believe to be the toughest conference in the country in 2014, 2015 and 2018, and captured that league’s tournament title in 2014 and 2018. No major conference program has won more games over that span than UVA has.

When March Madness begins in earnest on Thursday afternoon, Virginia will be the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed. They won’t be the betting favorite in Las Vegas to win it all. They also almost certainly won’t be the team picked to win the championship most often in the millions of brackets filled out across the country. The explanation for this rests primarily in the recent past.

In 2014, Virginia dominated the ACC in a manner that bears an eerily resemblance to what they accomplished this season. The Cavaliers earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, but it suffered an unexpected Sweet 16 loss to Michigan State. The Spartans played the part of UVA’s foil again a year later, knocking off the second-seed and repeat ACC regular-season champs in the second round.

For a brief hour or so in late March of 2016, it seemed like “getting over the hump” was a phrase head coach Tony Bennett would be mercifully rid of forever. Then his latest top-seeded team completely unraveled in the final two minutes of a stunning 68-62 loss to No. 10 seed Syracuse in the Midwest Regional final. Virginia’s most recent appearance in the dance ended with an embarrassing 65-39 loss to No. 4 seed Florida in the second round.

In theory, these four performances in an unforgiving single elimination tournament should have no effect on how this Virginia team is inspected. This Virginia team, as evidenced by its seeding, has given us fewer reasons to doubt its merits than any other squad in America. The Cavaliers are the best defensive team in the country, they also have a more complete offensive attack than Bennett’s past units, and their only two losses this season were both competitive games against single-digit NCAA tournament teams.

This is one side of the story. A Twitter search of the words “Virginia” and “choke” tells the other.

In the college basketball world, despite stockpiles of evidence which should serve as a deterrent, the anecdotal tends to trump the tangible. There is no gradual stigma shed in this sport. Your reputation is your reputation until you do something that turns it inside out and morphs it into its antithesis. The razor thin margin between two extremes seems wholly unfair, but it’s also a direct reflection of the NCAA tournament and the unabated power it wields.

Two years ago, Jay Wright and Villanova could never make it out of the tournament’s first weekend despite their lofty seeding. Last year, Mark Few and Gonzaga always choked in March and didn’t deserve to be considered a power program. This year, the Zags are a trendy pick to upset top-seeded Xavier and make it back to the season’s final weekend, and ‘Nova is widely considered to be the No. 1 seed that is the safest bet to make the Final Four.

Virginia will never be able to translate its regular season success into the postseason. Until it can.

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