Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Just a Thought

The past four national champions possessed scoring offenses ranked 17, 6, 8, and 3 respectively.  LSU only ranked 17th b/c of their multi-overtime madness against Kentucky and Arkansas.

Florida has the fifth ranked scoring defense.  Oklahoma has the fifty-seventh.  

Advantage?  You decide.

(Note: Bob Stoops is always conscious of pouring out libations for the football gods.)

New Year's Wishes...

Here's to all (four of you, thanks Mom) you readers having a safe and happy New Year.

And, guys, keep your girlfriends away from Devendorf.

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

About Last Night: Georgetown Edition

I'd have posted this last night but the only analysis I couldn't think of an analysis without using the "f" word.  

We got outplayed.  Plain and simple, the Hoyas were the better team.  I initially wanted to place the loss on Thabeet, 2-4 from the field (and a missed dunk, what the fuck was that about?) will not cut it during conference play, but further review leads me to believe that we just aren't a good half-court offense.  Georgetown's defense rendered our transition game, a Calhoun trademark, nil and we lack the perimeter shooting to make anything happen in the half court.  

A 27% turnover rate didn't exactly help matters.   And then there was the 50% shooting by Georgetown in the first half.  Oh yeah, and then we surrendered 1.14 PPP (points per possession).

Ugh.  The defense.  John Thompson must have taken solid notes on the Gonzaga game, because he played Monroe/Summers near the top of the arc, drawing Thabeet away from the basket and thus opening up the E.A.S.Y. backdoor pass.  Chris Wright was like Steven Gray all over again, he just got around his man and went right to the bucket for lay-up after lay-up.   

The perimeter defense must improve.  Period.  We haven't been a good 3-FG defending team for four or so years now (fifth best at defending the 3 in 03-04, but we've not been better than eighty-first since then).  We're not going to win many games letting opponents shoot 46% from three.  It seemed like everything the Hoyas shot during the first half fell.  

I'd go a bit deep into the game, but I'm too busy smashing my head into my kitchen counter, hoping the concussive force will either kill me or erase all Georgetown oriented memories.  

At least Syracuse still sucks.