Saturday, March 13, 2010
Refresh for updates from UMass vs. Richmond at Boardwalk Hall. Click on "GazetteUMass" on the Twitter widget for older posts.
Friday, March 12, 2010
From UMass:
The UMass-Richmond A-10 Quarterfinal game tonight will be carried on
Channel 283 on Comcast Cable in Western Massachusetts at 9 p.m.
Additionally, the game will be on Fox Sports Ohio Cincinnati, which is Channel 661 on DirecTV and 427 on Dish Network.
Friday, March 12, 2010
"There's going to be a rumble down on the promenade." - Bruce Springsteen in Atlantic City.
West Virginia needed a buzzer-beater to be the only top seed to advance at MSG.
Leading off
With two teams fighting for spots and three playing to improve their seeds, this is the most interesting Atlantic 10 Tournament in years.
What to look forward to today
A whole bunch of bubble games.
Prediction of the day
SLU finishes off Rhody.
Bubble guide:
San Diego State vs New Mexico - The Aztecs might be in already. This would solidify it.
UNLV vs. BYU -Same scenario at SD State.
Tennessee vs. Ole Miss - The Rebels' spot is far from solidified.
Illinois vs. Wisconsin - A win puts the Illini in. A loss and they're sweating.
Rhode Island vs. Saint Louis - A win probably gets URI in. SLU would likely need at least one more.
Dayton vs. Xavier - A win puts Dayton in great shape, especially if Richmond beats UMass because it wouldn't hurt much if the Flyers lost to the Spiders in the semis. But would Dayton still get in, if it beat X and then lost to UMass?
Tulsa vs. UTEP - After losses by Memphis and UAB, UTEP has become like Butler. Bubble teams need it to win to keep somebody else from stealing a bid. The Golden Hurricanes, who were picked to win CUSA before the season, could be the most likely to pick off the Miners, especially with the tournament in Tulsa.
Georgia Tech vs. Maryland -The Yellow Jackets could use at least one more to solidify their spot.
Florida vs. Mississippi State -Loser is out.
Stanford vs. Washington -It actually hurts the Huskies that Arizona State lost to Stanford because a loss to Stanford would be far more damaging than a loss to ASU. A loss today could send the Huskies to the NIT.
Questions I don't know the answer to:
Could Northwestern get at-large consideration if it makes the final?
Buzzer beaters
It hasn't gotten much attention because Arizona was never really in consideration this year. But the Wildcats' 25-year streak of making the NCAA Tournament is over.
...13 hours til UMass-Richmond...
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Ankle tackling was about the only way Weber State could slow Montana's Anthony Johnson.
Leading off
The double bye was supposed to be a huge advantage for the higher seeds in the Big East Tournament, but don't be surprised if there's more than one upset today at Madison Square Garden.
What to look forward to today
The ACC, SEC and Big Ten tournaments get underway.
Prediction of the day
North Carolia will beat Georgia Tech today.
Notre Dame over Pitt.
Bubble guide:
Houston vs. Memphis - The Tigers could benefit from the weak bubble, but they can't afford a slip-up here.
Southern Miss vs. UAB - The Blazers are in similar shape to Memphis.
North Carolina vs. Georgia Tech - A loss here would make for a very long three days for the Yellow Jackets wondering if their spot was safe.
Stanford vs. Arizona State/Oregon State at Washington - The weak bubble has both ASU and UW back in play for bids, but losses today would end that in a hurry.
Questions I don't know the answer to:
If Oregon somehow won the Pac 10 Tournament, would Ernie Kent's job be spared?
Did Yahoo Sports really need seven pictures of Nick Lachey watching Cincy in its college basketball gallery?
Is Greg McDermott predicting his team's result here?
Link
Michael Wilbon thinks the lack of a truly great team could make March madder than usual.
Dallas Green's legend is growing at Robert Morris.
Michael Rosenberg looks at Tom Izzo's fear of failure.
Buzzer beaters
Anthony Johnson had 34 of his 42 points in the second half for Montana, who beat Weber State for the Big Sky Championship. The Grizzlies will not be a popular upset pick when the brackets come out Sunday. Check out Johnson's backstory here.
...36 hours til UMass-Richmond...
Thursday, March 11, 2010
For every UMass men's basketball game this season, I'll be giving out three stars to the top three performers from the Minutemen and keeping track of who earns the most three star points over the course of the season.I'm putting a little extra weight on No. 1. So a No. 1 star is worth 5 points. A No. 2 is worth three and a No. 3 is worth 2.
Three Stars from UMass vs. Charlotte
No. 1 - Ricky Harris -The senior guard is leaving everything he has on the floor to keep his career going.
No. 2 - Terrell Vinson - He continues to make big plays in big spots.
No. 3 - Hashim "Big City" Bailey - After fading lately, the junior big man made the most of his minutes again.
Season-to-date points:
Ricky Harris - 66
Anthony Gurley - 44
Terrell Vinson - 36
Sean Carter - 19
Freddie Riley - 18
Javorn Farrell - 18
Hashim Bailey - 17
Sampson Carter - 8
Gary Correia - 5
David Gibbis-2
Matt Hill - 2
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Refresh for updates from UMass vs. Charlotte at Halton Arena. Click on "GazetteUMass" on the Twitter widget for older posts.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Bubble teams around the nation celebrated with Old Dominion fans.
Leading off
On my plane to North Carolina, I sat next to a Rhode Island grad/fan who was still smarting from Ricky Harris' game-winning shot Saturday. But more interesting to me was that he originally planned on going to Atlantic City for the A-10 Tournament. When Rhody didn't earn a bye, he didn't want to reserve a room and buy tickets with no certainty that his team would be there. I asked if he planned to go if URI beat St. Joe's, he said he didn't want to leave the weekend open and made other plans.
I'm guessing he's not alone. And considering this is coming from a fan who could drive there, I can only imagine that Dayton and Charlotte fans are in the same boat.
I've said it and written it before: First round games at campus sites is a bad idea. It was stupid the last time the A-10 did it and it's still stupid now.
What to look forward to today
The opening of the Big East Tournament at MSG.
Prediction of the day
Rutgers picks off Cincy, ending the Bearcats hopes.
Bubble guide:
Butler vs. Wright State - Butler is obviously in. Wright State could steal a bid.
Saint Joseph's at Rhode Island - The bubble is soft enough for the Rams to still get a bid with a little run.
UMass at Charlotte - The 49ers are a long shot now. But maybe a trip to the finals gets them consideration.
George Washington at Dayton -See Rhody.
UConn vs. St. John's - The Huskies are a long shot now. But there are opportunities for big wins in New York.
Seton Hall vs. Providence - The Pirates could earn a bid with a run.
Cincinnati vs. Rutgers -The Knights could end Cincy's hopes. The Bearcats can end the Fred Hill era.
South Florida vs. DePaul - The Bulls better get this one.
Questions I don't know the answer to:
Will Charlotte play well tonight at home or have the 49ers run out of gas?
Links
Pete Thamel looks at the connection between financial committment to success in the Big East. The teams with the biggest and smallest investments in basketball may surprise you.
Mike DeCourcy looks at the coaching performance of Jim Boeheim this year.
Buzzer beaters
The best arguement for not expanding the NCAA Tournament is how bad this year's bubble is.
...9 hours til UMass-Charlotte...
Monday, March 8, 2010
A lot of trophies to be had this week.
Leading off
Welcome to Day One of Year Four of the Day Guide. Every day when conference tournaments or NCAA Tournament games are play, I'll post a primer on the day's action before 11 a.m. The only exception Wednesday or any other early travel day.
What to look forward to today
William & Mary vs. Old Dominon, CAA Final- The Tribe is one of a small handful of schools who've been Division I since there has been an NCAA Tournament, that has never earned a bid. It'd be fun to see them pull off the upset.
Prediction of the day
IUPUI and Oakland earn spots in the Summit finals.
Bubble guide:
W&M at ODU - Old Dominion has a shot at an large bid if it loses. Bubble Teams are pulling hard for the Monarchs.
Gonzaga vs. St. Mary's - Most bracket predictors seem to think St. Mary's with no signature wins has already done enough to clinch a bid. I'm not so sure. Bubble teams are rooting for a Gonzaga rout.
Questions I don't know the answer to:
If DePaul were to somehow win the Big East Tournament (it's not going to happn; this is strictly hypothetical), would they be in the play-in game? I realize the Blue Demons' RPI would be too good, but shouldn't any team with a losing record have to play in the play-in game? If not, what would its seed be?
Top 24
1. Kansas
2. Kentucky
3. Syracuse
4. Purdue
5. Duke
6. Ohio State
7. Michigan State
8. Kansas State
9. West Virginia
10. New Mexico
11. Butler
12. Pitt
13. Tennessee
14. Temple
15. Villanova
16. Wisconsin
17. Gonzaga
18. Vanderbilt
19. UTEP
20. BYU
21. Texas A&M
22. Maryland
23. Georgetown
24. Baylor
Links
Nice Ricky Harris story in the Baltimore Sun.
Mike Celizic is excited for championship week.
Buzzer beaters
Boston University's win over Stony Brook Sunday ensures New England at least one NCAA bid. The Terriers will play Vermont for the America East title. According to friend of the blog Dave Guthro, New England has had at least one team since 1971.
...34 hours til UMass-Charlotte...
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Ricky Harris was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Conference Third-Team Sunday. He was the only Minuteman honored. I thought Vinson had a chance to be all-rookie, but he wasn't consistent enough apparently.
2009-10 ATLANTIC 10 MEN’S BASKETBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
First-Team
Kevin Anderson, Richmond
Lavoy Allen, Temple
Jordan Crawford, Xavier
Damian Saunders, Duquesne
Chris Wright, Dayton
Second-Team
Ryan Brooks, Temple
David Gonzalvez, Richmond
Rodney Green, La Salle
Kwamain Mitchell, Saint Louis
Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure
Third-Team
Keith Cothran, Rhode Island
Ricky Harris, Massachusetts
Delroy James, Rhode Island
Jason Love, Xavier
Shamari Spears, Charlotte
Honorable Mention
Juan Fernandez, Temple
Damian Hollis, George Washington
Willie Reed, Saint Louis
Rookie Team
Chris Braswell, Charlotte
Cody Ellis, Saint Louis
Chris Gaston, Fordham
Lasan Kromah, George Washington
Aaric Murray, La Salle
Akeem Richmond, Rhode Island
Defensive Team
Lavoy Allen, Temple
David Gonzalvez, Richmond
Damian Saunders, Duquesne
London Warren, Dayton
Garrett Williamson, Saint Joseph’s
Player of the Year: Kevin Anderson, Richmond
Rookie of the Year: Chris Gaston, Fordham
Defensive Player of the Year: Damian Saunders, Duquesne
Chris Daniels Most Improved Player of the Year: Chris Johnson, Dayton
Sixth Man of the Year: Ramone Moore, Temple
Student-Athlete of the Year: Yves Mekongo, La Salle
Coach of the Year: Fran Dunphy, Temple
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Saturday was a huge day in UMass sports. Now the reason it was a huge day was because the men's hoop and hockey teams had disappointing Februarys. But putting that aside, it was a pretty fun day.
Hoop
* I think most UMass fans would rather consider Boston College their top hoop rival, but in truth there is no more natural rival than Rhode Island. The last two regular seasons have ended with UMass beating the Rams at the buzzer to deal a hugeblow to the Rams at-large bid hopes.
* Javorn Farrell continues to be emerge as a glue guy. In addition to 12 points including a couple of big second half shots, Farrell blocked shots and continued to pace UMass with his hustle.
* Sampson Carter continued to play better.
* After getting whipped at Dayton, Wednesday, I'm guessing UMass is glad to get Charlotte.
Hockey
* The Minutemen seemed to have found themselves as they dominated to wins at Maine.
* UMass is a long shot to win the Hockey East championship, but you can be certain Boston College is less than enthusiastic about facing the suddenly resurgent Minutemen.
* Brett Watson is not a scorer. But he's been a great captain in recent years for the Minutemen. They've badly needed scoring and he's had a goal in each of the last three games as he tries to will his team back to life.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
For every UMass men's basketball game this season, I'll be giving out three stars to the top three performers from the Minutemen and keeping track of who earns the most three star points over the course of the season.I'm putting a little extra weight on No. 1. So a No. 1 star is worth 5 points. A No. 2 is worth three and a No. 3 is worth 2.
Three Stars from UMass vs. URI
No. 1 - Ricky Harris - Easiest choice to make this season. Harris was terrific in the second half and made the game winning shot.
No. 2 - Javorn Farrell - His 12 points matched a career high. But more than that his hustle play gave UMass a lift again.
No. 3 - Terrell Vinson - Lots of candidates for No. 3, but Vinson, who had a huge mometum tip in in the second half as well as a good all-around game earns the spot.
Season-to-date points:
Ricky Harris - 61
Anthony Gurley - 44
Terrell Vinson - 33
Sean Carter - 19
Freddie Riley - 18
Javorn Farrell - 18
Hashim Bailey - 15
Sampson Carter - 8
Gary Correia - 5
David Gibbis-2
Matt Hill - 2
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Refresh for updates from UMass vs.Rhode Island at the Mullins Center. Click on "GazetteUMass" on the Twitter widget for older posts.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
It's a big day for UMass sports with the conference tournament fates of both men's basketball and hockey hanging in the balance.
Let's start with hockey. The Minutemen dominated at Maine in a 5-2 win that was a huge boost to the ability to make the Hockey East Tournament. The easiest way UMass clinches a spot is to finish tied or ahead of Vermont. Both teams have 24 points. So whatever Vermont does aganst Lowell, UMass has to do the same or better, which could create an interesting scenario.
If UMass is tied with two minutes left in Maine and Vermont is beating Lowell, the Minutemen could be forced to pull the goalie in a tie game. If UMass is tied and Vermont is tied, the Catamounts might have to pull the goalie.
I'm curious what each team is doing to keep track of the score of the other game. Do they have someone there with a cell phone?
Things are far more simple in hoop. If they upset Rhode Island, they're in. If La Salle beats St. Joe's, the Minutemen are in. If neither happens, they're out.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Minuteman freshman forward Terrell Vinson will play despite suffering an ankle injury in Wednesday's loss to La Salle.
Both UMass coach Derek Kellogg and Vinson himself confirmed his availability.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Without Robbie Hummell, Purdue is lacking its hammer.
LEADING OFF
The Olympics are over. Conference tournaments get going later this week. The calendar says March. The excitement is starting to build.
TOP 24:
1.Syracuse
2. Kansas
3. Kentucky
4. Duke
5. Kansas State
6. Purdue
7. Villanova
8. Ohio State
9. Michigan State
10. New Mexico
11. Butler
12. West Virginia
13. Tennessee
14. Pitt
15. Temple
16. Vanderbilt
17. Wisconsin
18. Gonzaga
19. UTEP
20. Georgetown
21. BYU
22. Texas A&M
23. Maryland
24. OK State
GAMES OF THE DAY:
MONDAY:
Georgetown at West Virginia - The result of this game will affect seeds in the Big East and NCAA Tournament.
TUESDAY:
Illinois at Ohio State - If the Illini are already in, they're not confident about it. This would help.
WEDNESDAY:
K-State at Kansas- A win for the Wildcats could put them in consideration for a No. 1 seed, but that'll be a difficult task.
THURSDAY:
Dayton at Richmond -The Flyers need another big win to feel good.
FRIDAY:
Missouri Valley Tournament - Is Northern Iowa still in position for an at-large bid despite its Evansville loss. This is an interesting tournament if the Panthers get beat.
SATURDAY:.
UAB at UTEP - A preview of the CUSA Tournament final?
West Virginia at Villanova - Both of these teams could use a momentum win.
UNC at Duke - It's required to include this game
QUESTION I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO: Can the Atlantic 10 still get five? Four?
RECOMMENDED READING: Jeff Goodman says Kansas should still be No. 1.
BUZZER BEATERS
The Day Guide is coming.
...13 days til Selection Sunday...
Follow Gazette UMass coverage on Twitter at http://twitter.com/GazetteUMass
Thursday, February 25, 2010
UMass' magic number to get into the Atlantic 10 Tournament has reached one.
The Minutemen's sweep of Saint Joseph's gives UMass the tiebreaker over the Hawks should the teams finish tied.
UMass (4-9) has three games remaining(at Dayton, Saturday, at La Salle Wednesday and at home against Rhode Island March 6), while St. Joe's (3-11) has two (at George Washington Wednesday and at home vs. La Salle March 6).
Monday, February 22, 2010
Looks like Virginia Tech stole Syracuse's uniforms
LEADING OFF
Do these bubble teams even want to get in the tournament? They're not playing like it. Cincy? Charlotte, Texas Tech and others keep shooting themselves in the foot.
TOP 24:
1.Kansas
2. Kentucky
3. Syracuse
4. Purdue
5. Kansas State
6. Duke
7. Villanova,
8. West Virginia
9. Pitt
10. New Mexico
11. Butler
12. Ohio State
13. Michigan State
14. Georgetown
15. Tennessee
16. BYU
17. Texas
18. Temple
19. Texas A&M
20. Vanderbilt
21. Wisconsin
22. Gonzaga
23. UTEP
24. Richmond
GAMES OF THE DAY:
MONDAY:
West Virginia at UConn - The Huskies are moving toward tourney consideration. A win here would be a huge step.
TUESDAY:
Georgetown at Louisvile - The Cardinals are probably in, but both teams could uses a bump in their seed.
WEDNESDAY:
A&M at Baylor- Two Big XII darkhorses trying to improve seeds for the conference and NCAA Tournament.
San Diego State at BYU - With all the struggling teams on the bubble, the Aztecs have a shot to get an at-large bid. Winning here would help a lot.
THURSDAY:
South Carolina at Kentucky - The only team to beat the Wildcats tries to do it again.
FRIDAY:
Watch Olympics.
SATURDAY:.
Kentucky at Tennessee - I'm picking an upset here.
Villanova at Syracuse - Preview of Big East title game? Final Four?
New Mexico at BYU - Best of the Mountain West tangle.
SUNDAY:
Michigan State at Purdue - Would have had more luster if Spartans didn't lose Sunday. Still this is two potential Final Four teams squaring off just before March.
QUESTION I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO: Can Saint Louis get at at-large bid?
RECOMMENDED READING: Check out Dana O'Neill's story about Tim Higgins and life as a referee.
BUZZER BEATERS
Charlotte and Dayton are in trouble.The Atlantic 10 could end up with just four team in.
...15 days til the Day Guide...
Monday, February 22, 2010
For every UMass men's basketball game this season, I'll be giving out three stars to the top three performers from the Minutemen and keeping track of who earns the most three star points over the course of the season.I'm putting a little extra weight on No. 1. So a No. 1 star is worth 5 points. A No. 2 is worth three and a No. 3 is worth 2.
Three Stars from UMass vs. Saint Louis
No. 1 - Terrell Vinson - When he's assertive, he's an impressive player.
No. 2 - Ricky Harris - Another good game, but didn't get enough help.
No. 3 - Anthony Gurley - After the GW game, Gurley was the only one worthy of a star and he wasn't really No. 1 star good. So he's getting the No. 3 to counteract that fact that I didn't do one after GW because there were so few worthy choices.
Season-to-date points:
Ricky Harris - 56
Anthony Gurley - 44
Terrell Vinson - 31
Sean Carter - 19
Freddie Riley - 18
Javorn Farrell - 15
Hashim Bailey - 15
Sampson Carter - 8
Gary Correia - 5
David Gibbis-2
Matt Hill - 2
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Refresh for updates from UMass vs.Saint Louis at the Mullins Center. Click on "GazetteUMass" on the Twitter widget for older posts.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Refresh for updates from UMass vs.George Washington at the Smith Center. Click on "GazetteUMass" on the Twitter widget for older posts.
