Running 2010-11 BKC thread

I find Greenberg fascinating but wonder how well he can do, ultimately. I think his biggest strength goes hand-in-hand with his biggest weakness: intensity and emotion. He can change a game and the way his team is playing just with his demeanor, and that's a skill not all coaches have. But he doesn't seem to have another gear.

And that's a big part of VT's troubles in close games - he just can't stay calm, and it translates to his team. I think it affects his in-game coaching, both from an emotional standpoint and the fact that he often finds himself talking to the refs when he could be coaching up his kids.

 

I was talking to somebody I consider a pretty reasonable Hokie fan and thought he made a pretty good point. Getting the Delaney/Allen recruiting class and having them both stay four years should have been huge for the program. If those two leave the program without making the NCAA Tournament you have to wonder if Greenberg is ever going to get over the hump there.

 

Speaking of Coastal Carolina, Cliff Ellis seems to be in some hot water again:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/25/sports/ncaabasketball/25coastal.html?_r=1&hp

 

At least Cliff will always have his calypso singing career to fall back on ... (seriously, Google "Cliff Ellis and Friends" some time)

 

UTEP coach Tim Floyd picked up a couple of techs and was tossed the other night. He did not leave willingly. His assistant then got tossed as well. Entertaining video here.

http://college-basketball-blog.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/26283066/27637729

 

Knock me over with a feather.

 

Now that Auburn has new digs, Ole Miss is on the clock for Worst Arena In A BCS Conference.

http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20110224/SPORTS030103/110224040/Rain-inside-Tad-Pad-ends-Ole-Miss-Tennessee-game?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Sports

 

Well, after last night's OT win at St. Mary's, I guess you can't put a fork in Gonzaga just yet.

A great game that showed, if nothing else, how the Zags are developing some depth behind the "big 3" of Gray, Harris and Sacre.

Sam Dower, in fact, has become Gonzaga's best scorer in the post. He was huge last night.

I still don't see either Gonzaga or St. Mary's getting an at-large NCAA berth, so the "rubber match" in the WCC conference tourney will be quite the battle.

 

The mid-major advocates here aren't going to be happy this season. There's very few strong teams outside the BCS/A-10/MWC group. George Mason, Old Dominion, Utah State ... and then what? Gonzaga and Butler are coming on, but enough to secure an at-large if they falter in their conference title games? St. Mary's is struggling bad. Missouri Valley looks like one bid. CUSA isn't a mid-major league, but even they might struggle to get a second bid if UAB/Southern Miss/Memphis/UTEP can't distinguish themselves. Horizon has a batch of strong NIT teams. And that's about it.

 

Mystery Meat: That's exactly what we deskers were talking about with the sports staff as we watched last night's game, desperately hoping there wouldn't be a second OT.

After the A-10 and BYU/San Diego State, there might be 2-3 other bids that aren't from a BCS conference. And like I said, the WCC probably won't get one of those.

Our sports editor's comment nailed it about Gonzaga and St. Mary's: "This would make a great NIT semifinal."

 

Cliff Ellis is to college basketball what Lou Holtz was to college football: Otherwise likeable coaches who left messes at multiple programs. See also: John Calipari.

The claim about not having the compliance staffs of ACC and SEC schools is BS, especially given the size of basketball rosters. Do you see David Bennett getting in this kind of trouble in Conway? He's headed any potential problems off before they get to this stage. Moreover, I was around Mike Holmes' area in high school. Obvious D-I talent, obvious lack of maturity. Um, Cliff ... if Holmes couldn't hang with the Chickens, who need his talent, what made you think you could keep him straight?

 

Between the two, Gonzaga has the better shot because they're hotter down the stretch and they have some decent early-season wins. The sooner the midstretch is forgotten, the better.

And even between the A-10/MWC, they may only have five bids between them (Xavier, Temple, BYU, San Diego State, UNLV). Richmond and Colorado State are the only teams with even faint glimmers at this point.