College Tip-Off Marathon

[pfrduke]

Once again, ESPN is running a tip-off marathon, which is great for people like me who love 7:00 a.m. small-school basketball. This time it's ~29 hours of consecutive coverage. Here's the lineup for those who are interested (all times eastern) and this can be a general discussion thread for any of the games involved:

11/17 - 7:00p - Miami at Florida (ESPNU)
11/17 - 9:00p - Georgia State at Iowa State (ESPNU)
11/17 - 11:00p - SMU at Gonzaga (ESPN2)
11/17 - 11:00p - Detroit and Oregon (ESPNU)
11/18 - 1:00a - Auburn at Colorado (ESPN2)
11/18 - 3:00a - New Mexico State at St. Mary's (ESPN2)
11/18 - 5:00a - High Point at Hawaii (ESPN2)
11/18 - 7:00a - Iona at Wofford (ESPN2)
11/18 - 9:00a - Northern Iowa at Stephen F. Austin (ESPN2)
11/18 - 11:00a - Manhattan at Massachusetts (ESPN2)
11/18 - 12:00p - Baylor at South Carolina (ESPN)
11/18 - 2:00p - Wichita State at Memphis (ESPN)
11/18 - 4:00p - Utah at San Diego State (ESPN)
11/18 - 6:00p - Toledo at Virginia Commonwealth (ESPNU)
11/18 - 7:00p - Duke v. Michigan State (ESPN)
11/18 - 7:30p - Marquette at Ohio State (ESPN2)
11/18 - 9:00p - Kansas v. Kentucky (ESPN)
11/18 - 9:30p - Texas Tech at LSU (ESPN2)

[AncientPsychicT]

Once again, ESPN is running a tip-off marathon, which is great for people like me who love 7:00 a.m. small-school basketball. This time it's ~29 hours of consecutive coverage. Here's the lineup for those who are interested (all times eastern) and this can be a general discussion thread for any of the games involved:

11/17 - 7:00p - Miami at Florida (ESPNU)
11/17 - 9:00p - Georgia State at Iowa State (ESPNU)
11/17 - 11:00p - SMU at Gonzaga (ESPN2)
11/17 - 11:00p - Detroit and Oregon (ESPNU)
11/18 - 1:00a - Auburn at Colorado (ESPN2)
11/18 - 3:00a - New Mexico State at St. Mary's (ESPN2)
11/18 - 5:00a - High Point at Hawaii (ESPN2)
11/18 - 7:00a - Iona at Wofford (ESPN2)
11/19 - 9:00a - Northern Iowa at Stephen F. Austin (ESPN2)
11/19 - 11:00a - Manhattan at Massachusetts (ESPN2)
11/19 - 12:00p - Baylor at South Carolina (ESPN)
11/19 - 2:00p - Wichita State at Memphis (ESPN)
11/19 - 4:00p - Utah at San Diego State (ESPN)
11/19 - 6:00p - Toledo at Virginia Commonwealth (ESPNU)
11/19 - 7:00p - Duke v. Michigan State (ESPN)
11/19 - 7:30p - Marquette at Ohio State (ESPN2)
11/19 - 9:00p - Kansas v. Kentucky (ESPN)
11/19 - 9:30p - Texas Tech at LSU (ESPN2)

Shouldn't these be 11/18, not 11/19?

Anyway, thanks for the rundown. I would watch these games, but I have a presentation to work on... :(

[Duvall]

Scheduling a game against Central Connecticut? That's kinda creepy, Maryland. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/terrapins-insider/wp/2014/11/17/maryland-basketball-vs-central-connecticut-state-previewing-the-game/)

[pfrduke]

Shouldn't these be 11/18, not 11/19?

Anyway, thanks for the rundown. I would watch these games, but I have a presentation to work on... :(

Today is not my day for posting accuracy. Yes, you're of course right. Fixed.

[Dev11]

Nothing to do but homework. Hello, college basketball.

Edit: my appetite is immediately ruined by looking at an ESPN graphic at halftime of Florida-Miami that reads "Top 5 Teams According to Adrian Branch." I bet you're surprised to learn that Mr. Branch does not have us in his top 5, not that it's either here or there.

[Bluegrassdevil1]

Nothing to do but homework. Hello, college basketball.

Edit: my appetite is immediately ruined by looking at an ESPN graphic at halftime of Florida-Miami that reads "Top 5 Teams According to Adrian Branch." I bet you're surprised to learn that Mr. Branch does not have us in his top 5, not that it's either here or there.

In concern for your health and appetite, if you lose your taste for food after hearing Branch espouse his theories, you will likely be on an IV by Friday.

As a Duke fan, I saw the same graphic, and responded with a reaction that caused my wife to give me a dirty look. Branch's reasoning for putting KU at number four was that Danny Manning told him that the team would be good, which he followed with U of L being good because Harrell is suddenly a good perimeter shooter (it is the same logic for Duke being good because Plumlee3 hit his three pointer).

[Duvall]

Looks like the Canes could be contending for another ACC championship.

In basketball, obviously.

[Wander]

Looks like the Canes could be contending for another ACC championship.

In basketball, obviously.

Florida and Miami might be the most overrated and underrated teams in the country, respectively.

[pfrduke]

Florida and Miami might be the most overrated and underrated teams in the country, respectively.

To be fair to the Gators, they're missing one of their best 2 or 3 players tonight with Dorian Finney-Smith sidelined.

For Miami, Rodriguez has the potential to be Jack McClinton-like for them - he'll shoot them into and out of an awful lot of games.

[Duvall]

Angel Rodriguez, ACC Newcomer of the Year? (There is no such award.)

[timmy c]

Angel Rodriguez, ACC Newcomer of the Year? (There is no such award.)

Big win for Miami. Is it to early to suggest that this puts them on the right side of the bubble?

[SCMatt33]

Great win for Miami. That's the kind of non-conference win from the middle of the pack that the ACC has lacked the last few years to help build its rep come March. Angel Rodriguez' performance reminded me of the Jimmy Baron game from several years ago. Pedestrian first half followed by a dominating comeback where he couldn't miss shots that you wouldn't normally advise taking. Florida just didn't have Singler to tip the shot at the end

[Duvall]

Big win for Miami. Is it to early to suggest that this puts them on the right side of the bubble?

That's the kind of win that keeps a team away from the bubble entirely.

[AncientPsychicT]

Big win for Miami. Is it to early to suggest that this puts them on the right side of the bubble?

I think it's pretty likely they'll be well away from the bubble come March. In a good way.

[SCMatt33]

...and then of coarse there's Clemson being Clemson. Winthrop tried to make the absolute Cardinal sin of fouling as time expired while up four, but the 3 pointer missed and Clemson missed the first FT making a miss and tap in unrealistic.

[subzero02]

Any thoughts on SMU vs. Gonzaga?

[hurleyfor3]

Any thoughts on SMU vs. Gonzaga?

Yeah, could somebody please wake up Jud Heathcote? And what's he doing there, anyway?

[Duvall]

Yeah, could somebody please wake up Jud Heathcote? And what's he doing there, anyway?

He lives in Spokane and goes to every Gonzaga home game.

[hurleyfor3]

He lives in Spokane and goes to every Gonzaga home game.

What thought process leads one to retire to Spokane? And all the nice places in Idaho are kind of far away.

In other news, the horse-faced Rebecca Lobo makes an appearance. I thought espn sent her to the glue factory long ago.

[hurleyfor3]

A T.J. Lang sighting down in the Front Range!

[Olympic Fan]

Any thoughts on SMU vs. Gonzaga?

Soli win for Gonzaga ... o course, it was at home.

That was the first top 25 vs. top 25 matchup of the season -- two more tonight (Duke-MSU; Kansas-Kentucky). Oops, I found one more - No. 25 Utah (which replaced Harvard) at No. 16 San Diego State in the afternoon.

If my count is right, that's three top 25 teams to lose so far -- No. 25 Harvard fell to Holy Cross Sunday; No. 8 Florida fell to Miami tonight; No. 22 SMU falls to No. 13 Gonzaga.

[Henderson]

He lives in Spokane and goes to every Gonzaga home game.

In Spokane, there's TV, meth, longish drives to anywhere remotely more interesting, and Zags basketball. So Kudos to Jud for making smart choices.






P.S. That's a joke. Spokane is a cool little city with great outdoor activities close by. Living in Las Vegas, I know what that's about.

[uh_no]

comments:
gonzaga i thought looked pretty good. SMU will probably have a decent AAC showing again

florida's offense was very iffy....lots of passing, but not much of getting anywhere....they were clearly more talented than miami, but were unable to pull away....played a nice pressure D though....expect them to get better as the offense comes around

Uconn lost to stanford in the women's game (perhaps of the year) :mad: Uconn learned pretty quickly this year that kiah stokes is not stephanie dolson....great game though....wish we could get more of that in the women's game

it's 2:30....but i think i'm heading off....the noon game with the shockers and memphis ought to be one to catch, as well as the following game with utah and sdsu.

[AncientPsychicT]

Uconn lost to stanford in the women's game

Best thing to happen all night!

[uh_no]

Best thing to happen all night!

fear not, my friend! Uconn may have a shot at the title yet!

fact of the night:

uconn basketball teams are a combined 26-7 in final 4 games, and a perfect 13-0 in title games.

[1 24 90]

To be fair to the Gators, they're missing one of their best 2 or 3 players tonight with Dorian Finney-Smith sidelined.

For Miami, Rodriguez has the potential to be Jack McClinton-like for them - he'll shoot them into and out of an awful lot of games.

Also Chris Walker was suspended and Alex Murphy has to sit 8 more games before he is eligible after transferring from Duke.

[blazindw]

This is one of my favorite sports days of the year. The first few years of this marathon, I would actually plan my sleep schedule so that I would watch at least a half of each basketball game, and I'd set my calendar for it too! I missed the last 3 years because of the Champions Classic being the highlight instead of some UNC game, so I've been in the cities watching some of the games and preparing for ours. This year, I'm still watching most of the games and actually have only missed 2 games this year. Of course, it's longer than 24 hours as it was in its original form, but there have been some great games this year that have gone down to the wire.

The 7am and 8am games are the ones to see...those crowds are full and jacked up and I think it's way harder for a team to be ready to give 100% at 7am as opposed to midnight.

[Reisen]

Utah and San Diego State, both top 25 teams, are really lighting it up. 18-17 at the half.

[Dev11]

Why is Stephen A Smith part of this broadcast?

[NSDukeFan]

Why is Stephen A Smith part of this broadcast?

It wasn't loud enough before?

[Duvall]

Oh, God - now Herbstreit is here? What is wrong with you ESPN.

[Duvall]

Well, let's see what on the DVR...

[jipops]

KU's shooting stats so far tonight look like a Kobe box score.

[dukelifer]

KU's shooting stats so far tonight look like a Kobe box score.

KY is not lighting it up but KILLING KU on the boards. I am not sure any team can keep this team off the glass. They are huge- play D with waves of players at full speed and just attack the boards. This team is going to a load all season.

[wgl1228]

ESPN's new bump (go to commercial) music awful! Bad sci-fi movie anyone?

[duke4ever19]

Watching Kentucky and Kansas makes me very impressed with Bobby Hurley's coaching.

[TheDuckStore]

There is a UK fan under Kansas' basket wearing an "I Hate Leattner" t-shirt... Early documentary promo?

Also, Alexander has looked a bit lost, but is turning it around on D and offense. Will be interesting to see if he can rise to the challenge in the second half and beat these Cats.

[jipops]

KY is not lighting it up but KILLING KU on the boards. I am not sure any team can keep this team off the glass. They are huge- play D with waves of players at full speed and just attack the boards. This team is going to a load all season.

Don't know what that means but sounds real scary.


Watching Kentucky and Kansas makes me very impressed with Bobby Hurley's coaching.

Me too, but I also think it was a case of UK overlooking their opponent and not coming in with as much fight as they have tonight.

[kAzE]

UK isn't nearly as good as we are offensively, but I don't think anyone has the size and NBA athletes to compete with them on the boards, and their ability to erase any number of mistakes with their shot blocking and defensive rebounding is insane. I have a feeling kansas won't be the last top 10 team who absolutely struggles to score against these guys.

I would not want to face UK at any point this season. They are built to destroy our team, with four 7 footers to throw at Okafor, and at least equal to superior size and athleticism at every other position.

[kAzE]

Karl Towns seriously looks like he has a standing reach of about 12 feet . . .

He makes Cliff Alexander look like a normal person.

I thought we played well against MSU, but this is a much more impressive performance. UK looks absolutely terrifying.

[jipops]

UK isn't nearly as good as we are offensively, but I don't think anyone has the size and NBA athletes to compete with them on the boards, and their ability to erase any number of mistakes with their shot blocking and defensive rebounding is insane. I have a feeling kansas won't be the last top 10 team who absolutely struggles to score against these guys.

I would not want to face UK at any point this season. They are built to destroy our team, with four 7 footers to throw at Okafor, and at least equal to superior size and athleticism at every other position.

No disagreement from me. They appear to be far superior defensively than anyone else. Currently the 6th best offense on kenpom is shooting 23%. They aren't pretty to watch offensively but it doesn't seem to matter. Complacency seems to be their only real challenge.

[kAzE]

UK held Kansas to 12 points in the 2nd half. Let that sink in . . .

I'm think I'm already sick of Calipari and his "no subs, only reinforcements" B.S.

[NashvilleDevil]

So glad we don't have to wait until April to crown the champion since many are already anointing UK. No one on this board of course.

[ice-9]

Wasn't this the same Kentucky team that struggled in their opener?

Still, scary to think they can only get better from here.

With two platoons competing for playing time, I don't see anyone getting complacent either.

[dukelifer]

No disagreement from me. They appear to be far superior defensively than anyone else. Currently the 6th best offense on kenpom is shooting 23%. They aren't pretty to watch offensively but it doesn't seem to matter. Complacency seems to be their only real challenge.

I agree. They may lose to a team that shoots lights out from 3. It will be interesting to see who can compete with them this year. They are not a thing of beauty but they will have games where they put it all together. With any luck they will stumble before the Final Four. Just takes one night.

[Duke95]

So glad we don't have to wait until April to crown the champion since many are already anointing UK. No one on this board of course.

Did you watch the game yesterday? It was complete domination, and they were playing the #5 team in the country. UK's defense is a brick wall. Trying to do anything inside against them is basically an exercise in futility.

I can't say I came away optimistic about this season after watching that.

[Duvall]

I can't say I came away optimistic about this season after watching that.

Well that's a pretty unhealthy way to approach the season.

[FerryFor50]

Did you watch the game yesterday? It was complete domination, and they were playing the #5 team in the country. UK's defense is a brick wall. Trying to do anything inside against them is basically an exercise in futility.

I can't say I came away optimistic about this season after watching that.

The number 5 team in November is rarely the number 5 team in March. Yes, Kentucky dominated. But maybe it was more that KU isn't that good this season. And there are always aberrations, especially early in the season. Remember the Georgetown beatdown Duke took in 2010? That season turned out ok.

[slower]

Well that's a pretty unhealthy way to approach the season.

Au contraire! It's a scientific fact that the key to happiness is low expectations!

[flyingdutchdevil]

Congrats to UK. When you limit the opposing team to 40 points (12 in the second half), take a bow.

Damn. Calipari can do two things: recruit and coach defense.

Looking forward to playing them in the tourney.

[Duvall]

Au contraire! It's a scientific fact that the key to happiness is low expectations!

Which is the exact opposite of being disappointed that your team might only have a chance to be second-best in the country.

[dukelifer]

Did you watch the game yesterday? It was complete domination, and they were playing the #5 team in the country. UK's defense is a brick wall. Trying to do anything inside against them is basically an exercise in futility.

I can't say I came away optimistic about this season after watching that.

They were impressive but it is a long season. Lots of time for some issue to come up. There is a way to beat this team- and it will be figured out.

[slower]

Which is the exact opposite of being disappointed that your team might only have a chance to be second-best in the country.

Yeah, I gotcha. Forgot to add the "facetious" emoticon. :p

[Des Esseintes]

Well that's a pretty unhealthy way to approach the season.

It goes both ways, though. I've always treasured Duke's 2006 National Title, won when it blew out a top-5 Texas team by 30 in December 2005.

[Wander]

Obviously Kentucky was super impressive. It's still really early in the season though, and it's entirely possible Kansas is mediocre. Even if Kansas ends up being good, it's hardly a guarantee of invincibility - see Duke's beatdown of Texas in 2006.

One thing that is clear though is that the people who made fun of UK's platoon system for being overhyped and not unique are, so far, wrong. It's much more serious than what Coach K did last year or what Roy Williams has done before, and while some low major programs have done it more consistently in the past (VMI, Grinnell from D3), to my knowledge they've always done so with the express purpose of playing a really fast pace. I have doubts that Cal's platoon thing will last the season and I don't even know if it's a good or bad system, but I can't think of any other team that has done it, and I think it's fair to say it's unique.

[uh_no]

It goes both ways, though. I've always treasured Duke's 2006 National Title, won when it blew out a top-5 Texas team by 30 in December 2005.

We should hang a banner :P

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

It goes both ways, though. I've always treasured Duke's 2006 National Title, won when it blew out a top-5 Texas team by 30 in December 2005.

Or February of 2010 when we got housed by a Georgetown team and never regained our confidence.

[Kfanarmy]

UK held Kansas to 12 points in the 2nd half. Let that sink in . . . Impressive. ...KU only scored 12, but as I suggested in another thread, KU got really tight in the second half and couldn't throw the ball in the ocean either, so they kept going inside and getting blocked. UK had as many blocks at the end of the game as KU had made FGs!


I'm think I'm already sick of Calipari and his "no subs, only reinforcements" B.S. Well if the NCAA really does let him "Platoon" 30 or 40 guys on the court at the same time, that would be more appropriate. The line changes are however working.

[slower]

We should hang a banner :P

Checking Google for the nearest Helms Bakery.

[TexHawk]

The number 5 team in November is rarely the number 5 team in March. Yes, Kentucky dominated. But maybe it was more that KU isn't that good this season. And there are always aberrations, especially early in the season. Remember the Georgetown beatdown Duke took in 2010? That season turned out ok.

KU will be fine. We have only won one of these Champions Classic games (against you guys last year). UK with Anthony Davis put a beatdown on us in 2011, but we made the final score respectable with a couple late threes. We ended up in the title game later that year. Bill Self isn't big on November games like Roy was.

UK isn't unbeatable, but they are clearly the worst possible matchup for KU early in the season. Our best perimeter shooter transferred a week before the season started, our frontline is small (compared to other years), and our two most talented players each got two fouls the minute they stepped on the court. That's not to say we don't have flaws. I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't expecting a competitive game and hopefully a win last night. Perimeter shooting will be a problem until a few guys relax, Oubre needs to mature quickly, Cliff needs to be more assertive around the basket. I have no reason to think we won't get better with each game, and be a real threat from February on. The conference winning streak may come to an end (Texas is bigger than us too), but my expectations for a championship contender haven't changed.

P.S. Super weird time to be a fan of anything Kansas related this fall. The Royals going to the World Series, the Chiefs having an inexplicable Super Bowl contending season... I looked up yesterday and was like, "Oh sh--! We're playing Kentucky tomorrow!" This takes some getting used to.

[Duke95]

Which is the exact opposite of being disappointed that your team might only have a chance to be second-best in the country.

Not being a Duke fan. That's the exact opposite.

[Duke95]

It goes both ways, though. I've always treasured Duke's 2006 National Title, won when it blew out a top-5 Texas team by 30 in December 2005.

Do you realize that Kentucky has 9 burgers? 9. And that's a team that barely lost in the title game last year.

We can play Dr. Pangloss all day, but, as much as I hate to say it, Kentucky set a pretty high bar.

They're ugly to watch on offense though. Okafor alone is more polished than all their bigs together.

[Wander]

Do you realize that Kentucky has 9 burgers? 9.

If only we could think of another team out there this season that had 9 McDonald's All-Americans....

[duke4ever19]

Give me Okafor and Winslow over any of their guys playing the same position. Maybe even Tyus Jones, because he is a pure point and deceptively good scorer.

I really think the two-headed backcourt of Quinn and Tyus is going to be huge for us. Those two shoot much better than UK's backcourt, which despite the suffocating defense, was not that good.

[hurleyfor3]

We should hang a banner :P

We "won" most of the dork polls that year.

[kAzE]

If only we could think of another team out there this season that had 9 McDonald's All-Americans....

And unlike UK, all of our McDonald's All-Americans are actually really Americans . . . get outta here, Trey Lyles, you can't be a Canadian "All-American"

[uh_no]

We "won" most of the dork polls that year.

at least we didn't lose to George Mason with a roster full of NBA players....that would be embarrassing.

[Duke95]

If only we could think of another team out there this season that had 9 McDonald's All-Americans....

Maybe we should start running platoons too. See how far that takes us.

[Duvall]

Maybe we should start running platoons too. See how far that takes us.

Duke might be 3-0.

[TheDuckStore]

KU will be fine. We have only won one of these Champions Classic games (against you guys last year). UK with Anthony Davis put a beatdown on us in 2011, but we made the final score respectable with a couple late threes. We ended up in the title game later that year. Bill Self isn't big on November games like Roy was.

UK isn't unbeatable, but they are clearly the worst possible matchup for KU early in the season. Our best perimeter shooter transferred a week before the season started, our frontline is small (compared to other years), and our two most talented players each got two fouls the minute they stepped on the court. That's not to say we don't have flaws. I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't expecting a competitive game and hopefully a win last night. Perimeter shooting will be a problem until a few guys relax, Oubre needs to mature quickly, Cliff needs to be more assertive around the basket. I have no reason to think we won't get better with each game, and be a real threat from February on. The conference winning streak may come to an end (Texas is bigger than us too), but my expectations for a championship contender haven't changed.

P.S. Super weird time to be a fan of anything Kansas related this fall. The Royals going to the World Series, the Chiefs having an inexplicable Super Bowl contending season... I looked up yesterday and was like, "Oh sh--! We're playing Kentucky tomorrow!" This takes some getting used to.


I agree with this... despite his FG%, I was impressed with Alexander. I expect he will be a monster going against "normal" college front lines as he gains experience over the course of the season. But you could tell watching him, he has tremendous athletic ability and a good nose for the ball when rebounding.

[NashvilleDevil]

Did you watch the game yesterday? It was complete domination, and they were playing the #5 team in the country. UK's defense is a brick wall. Trying to do anything inside against them is basically an exercise in futility.

I can't say I came away optimistic about this season after watching that.

You're right. Season should be called off and they should just give them the title based on one game in mid November.

[NSDukeFan]

Do you realize that Kentucky has 9 burgers? 9.

Before his weight loss, didn't Kennedy Meeks have 9 burgers himself. He's only one player.

[Tappan Zee Devil]

Did you watch the game yesterday? It was complete domination, and they were playing the #5 team in the country. UK's defense is a brick wall. Trying to do anything inside against them is basically an exercise in futility.

I can't say I came away optimistic about this season after watching that.

It's over.

[Duke95]

It's over.

I agree. If we end up winning the title, it will be a triumph the likes of which has not been seen since we beat down UNLV.

Now I feel better.

Edit: if you're not watching the Cavs-Spurs, you should.

[Henderson]

It's over.

Nah, right now some guy in rural Kentucky is getting his "UK 2015 National Champs" tattoo and queering Cal's season again.

[uh_no]

It's over.

even if it was, who cares? so what if the nba all star team is playing at UNC...that doesn't mean we can't aim to be the best we can...and if that is a final four and a loss to a great team? so be it.

here's to running the table until we reach UK in the tournament...and who knows what might happen at that point.

[grad_devil]

It's over.

even if it was, who cares? so what if the nba all star team is playing at UNC...that doesn't mean we can't aim to be the best we can...and if that is a final four and a loss to a great team? so be it.

here's to running the table until we reach UK in the tournament...and who knows what might happen at that point.

I believe Tappan was referring to the now famous thread that started after Boozer broke his foot in 2001, before we went on to win the championship. I don't mean to speak for him/her, but I don't believe they think the season is, indeed, 'over'.

[Edouble]

Nah, right now some guy in rural Kentucky is getting his "UK 2015 National Champs" tattoo and queering Cal's season again.

I believe the tattoo actually says "UK 2015 Undefeated National Champs".

[Tappan Zee Devil]

I believe Tappan was referring to the now famous thread that started after Boozer broke his foot in 2001, before we went on to win the championship. I don't mean to speak for him/her, but I don't believe they think the season is, indeed, 'over'.

was indeed = maybe I needed a smiley :)