Running 2011-12 College Basketball thread

Far be it for this Vol fanboi to pimp a Candy star, but Jordan Taylor was dissed.

 

I hate these things. No one remembers who the finalists were, and there's no way half this list as any shot at actually winning. The actual finalists: Davis, Robinson, Green, Jones and Crowder. I'd be stunned if it wasn't one of them.

Also, I didn't know John Calipari stole Doug McDermott from under his own father's nose.

 

The ACC media disagrees by a wide margin. I think they're wrong, but still. Zeller is a defensible choice.

As for the Wooden winner, it's got to be Robinson, right? Maybe Green if Sparty makes a tournament run?

 

For the same reason Austin Rivers made the list, Anthony Davis will get lots of votes. For my money, Jae Crowder or Kevin Jones could get it if he leads Marquette to a Big East tournament title. Otherwise, Robinson and Green are the picks.

 

I know the Wooden is not just a Best Player Award, but Davis was the best player I saw this year by a significant margin.

 

Sacre's had physical issues, which he's largely played through. Despite last night, they're fine, but as usual, there's a significant glass ceiling in place . . .

 

You obviously haven't seen much of VCU. They have plenty of ponies. And damn good ones.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go puke.

 

The player they really miss is Skeen. Once this team gets into the halfcourt, they do not have the player who can score off of the dribble with under 10 on the shot clock consistantly.

Mason and Dexel making those two games competitive at the end showed VCU can go ice cold for long stretches if their press is not creating opportunities.

Hell, the Rams are a very good team this year, and they will be a great team next year, but they are missing the one go to guy. I thought it might be Burgess, but off the dribble he was not getting good looks other than tough jumpers. Skeen was the Southwest Region's Most Outstanding Player last year. I don't see anyone with that type of ability on this year's Rams. Can a Graham or a Theus or a Bradenburg be that good? Sure. But not quite yet.

 

Mason came back on VCU not because VCU's press suddenly stopped working. It was because VCU was trying to slow the game down, running every offensive set down to 2 or 3 seconds before putting up a shot. But you're right, they can go cold for long stretches. But I've seen them get hot for long stretches way more than cold.

They are going to be dangerous. They lead the nation in, I think, steals and turnover margin. Rarely does their press ever NOT work or NOT create opportunities.

Theus is a stud. Not next year. Now.

Uh oh...getting sick again.

 

VCU is the last team any of the big boys want to see in the first round, but I don't see VCU stringing together the mutiple wins they did last year or like Mason did a few years ago.

Skeen could also negate the other team's best inside player defensively like Sanders did before him if the other team can figure out how to get the ball to the post. Mason and Drexel could have made a nice living feeding the post if they could have had the time to get the pass inside.

I honestly felt last year's VCU team could have beaten anyone. I don't have that feeling with this year's group. And I will let people know if I (VCU, Steeler fanboi) think a team is really strong, but I just don't see it without Skeen. He was that good.

But VCU can press. Oh man, can they press the ball. Next year they will be one player away (big, strong, inside defender) from being a Top 20 team.

 

Since this is my first time watching St. John's this year, I was previously unfamiliar with God'sgift Achiuwa. The mind boggles.