Monday, January 04, 2010

View from my Couch - Monday Night

I'm watching some college hoops on Monday Night and the Fiesta Bowl.

Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati - on ESPN - 7pm - Kenpom.com game of the Day
Middle Tennessee @ Vanderbilt - on FSN - if its not blacked out - 9pm
Nevada @ New Mexico State - on ESPNU - 11pm

Fiesta Bowl - TCU vs Boise State - 8:15pm

I'll have a running dialogue here on my thoughts and observations. Feel free to post your thoughts and observations in the Comments Section.

My daughter wants her own blog. She is typing along to the game, its quite an event in the household tonight. Go easy on her. Her stuff is in italics (and mostly english) below. Another slow start for Pitt, but Jamie Dixon got his team going with an early timeout. I really expect Cincy to win this game tonight. Something tells me that Pitt isn't going to score big points tonight. But you never know.

Couple of football notes - Cowher now isn't likely to coach in 2010. You've got to think he isn't happy with the jobs that are available or are going to be. Also I really like TCU to win big tonight. The Mountain West has been great, and I think the Horned Frogs have the defense to stop Boise and conversly the Broncos don't.

Ashton Gibbs is one of the better shooters I've seen in college basketball this year. He can make the long range jumper on the move as well - he's tough.

Couple other scores to keep an eye on. North Carolina is playing at the College of Charleston tonight. That is where Bobby Cremins is now. Charleston has an early lead, not sure how long that will hold, but CoC could give the Heels a game for awhile. Also interested to see how Siena returns to the court in Baltimore against Loyola after the ot win against the Mount on Saturday night.

Pitt getting a lot in transition of late. They lead by two at the U8. Early on, Cincy was keeping Pitt in the half court offense and defending it pretty well. But Pitt started going to the basket and it opened up things for the Panthers. Plus when UC hasn't been scoring, Pitt has been running the floor well.

Jim Burr is an idiot. Always has been. He blew the whistle, knew he did it and scored the basket anyways. Hope it doesn't have an impact on the final outcome.
Kenpom.com said this would be the game of the night. Thus far its been very entertaining. Ashton Gibbs continues to impress me. He just doesn't miss. And Stephenson is keeping the Bearcats in it at the other end. An important final segment of the half upcoming. Pitt leads by 2.

Pitt got a little bit of seperation before the half. They lead it by 6. They are just doing a very good job of finding the open shooter - and then making the shot. But they really are moving the ball quickly and finding the shooter. Conversely, Cincy seems to be relying on some one-on-one activity and in the long run, you would expect that the Panthers would out ahead if that continues...I thought Jay Bilas made a great point during the first half about how the college game has really become a pick and pop type game. And that nobody rolls off the pick. I'd love to see some more cuts to the basket and not have everybody rely on the three-point shot so much. Everybody ball screens so much, but they don't seem to try to do anything with the screener off of it. And so many teams hedge to the ball, and then nothing develops for the offense.

You could really feel Cincy starting to take control of the game and Jamie Dixon could feel it too, he called a timeout. Watch them get something good out of the timeout. It's Gibbs in the lane - and he got fouled. So it was a pretty good opportunity for them. And CofC hanging tough against Carolina.

The Commenter says Loyola is getting pounded by Siena and likes the Mount's chances as a result. I haven't given up on the Mount yet - but.....they've got to get a few W's here soon. They are definitely playing better. They played better against Vermont then they did against Navy. The Vermont game was a loss, the Navy a win that preceded this long losing streak. And even though you don't always get the full effect watching a game online, the Mount has seemed to get better the last four times out. They need to build on that and get hot in the league. And by the way, Pitt scored four straight to open the lead back up.

Has anybody else noticed that Wisconsin is pretty good? I always like Bo Ryan's teams and this one is one of the better ones. They are the only team to beat Duke and they have a pair of good Big Ten wins to open the season of conference play. They have a big game Saturday in Madison with Purdue. It says here they win. In fact, if I was filling out brackets, they'd be one of three teams I'd have to win it all. The other two: Kansas and Duke. But don't hold me to that in March.

I'm so glad TCU went with the space age uniforms. I mean is it me or do they look like they should be in the Arena League, XFL or USFL? Just trying to get as many defunct leagues in there as possible.

Back at the Fifth Third Arena....Cincy seems to be doing everything they can to win this game. It seems as if they've taken over three or four times in the second half. But when they have, Pitt has had an answer. Much credit to the Panthers for the toughness, especially on the road.

Curse of the FanBlog strikes in Glendale (Hello Don) - as soon as I pick on the Boise defense, they run a pick back for the touchdown....I just became a fan of the TCU dance team.....Anybody pumped for the Orange Bowl tomorrow night? Doesn't Iowa versus Georgia Tech sound like it should be a Freedom Bowl or Micron.PC Bowl or something?

Gilbert Brown has had a huge second half for the Panthers. This team has taken everything UC has thrown at them and just keeps coming offensively. With Brown back and Dixon healthy this is a much different looking team. You have to expect that they are only going to get better.

I couldn't just tease with the TCU dance team reference. You bring that up, you've got to produce pictures. I have them for you. Incidentally they are known as The Showgirls. True Story. I would not lie to you.
That guy had the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl logo painted on him - and then surrounded in Purple. Apparently some people will do anything to get on TV. I'm not impressed. And I doubt I'm going to be able to find pictures.....TCU has got to find a way to get to Kellen Moore. If they let him stand back there and throw the ball, he will throw it well. They are learning that lesson at the moment. And the Boise offensive line is doing a nice job protecting him....TCU dodged that bullet as the missed field goal helps them out....

Caton:
!8:00-
McGhee has a bloody nose

13:53-
11-11

9:25-
21-17 Pitt

5:27-
23-23

half-time
38-32 Pitt



Cincy:
 Foul shot mised
33 scores a two
33 scores another two
5 misses
32 is in
34  with a dunk
32 shoots and a miss
34 with a one handed dunk
3 with a 2
33 scores 2

5 with 3




Pitt:
35 with
12 with 2 foul shots ... and makes them 
12 scores 2
12 with 2
1 with a 2
1 with ball
5 with a miss
52 with 2
12 with 2
12 with a 1 foul shot
12 scores 3 -it seems like he never misses
52 dunks

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous8:12 PM

    watching siena destroy loyola
    i like the mount's chances

    ReplyDelete