Was interested in reading a March 5th Jay Bilas article on ESPN but was rudely surprised (but not really) when I scrolled down a smidge only to find out that said article was an “Insider” article. Makes me wonder why I ever venture onto ESPN in the first place, it’s like freakin rooting for the Yankees, it represents the worst in people… greed, pomposity and underachievement. Ok, maybe that last one was just meant for the Yankees, honestly, I can’t gripe too much about the world wide leader’s programming.

Even though I knew I already disagreed with Bilas about his argument for just allowing the 64 best teams make the tourney instead of all these little mid-major froufrou teams, (hey Jay Bilas, wake up and listen here, have you forgotten what makes the tourney so fun and exciting? It’s when teams like VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH BEAT TEAMS LIKE DUKE and look darn good doing it) I was actually intrigued to read what his reasons were because most of the time Mr. Bilas does not annoy me. Jay and Grant Hill are alright in my book.

Who is Jay Bilas to tell everybody that teams like Oakland University or North Dakota State University (tonight 8pm, ESPN 2, bring it home Grizzlies) are not better than a Maryland, a Notre Dame or a Kansas State. Screw that! If you can’t get in even though your conference gets anywhere from 4-8 teams in the dance every season, then I got news for you,

YOU’RE JUST NOT THAT GOOD!

Geez almighty, I bet Jay also hates the electoral college. The Big bully.

Bubble watch alert

Upon learning this just a little while ago, I have determined that in NO WAY should a certain Big East team be allowed to go dancing.

That certain team is none other than Providence. The reasoning behind my decision is Doris Burke.

Have a listen and a look

Bubble watch alert #2

After much back and forth on this issue, I’ve concluded that Florida should be IN the tourney based just alone on this well known Gator alumna.

A look will do, don’t mind Tom

Hope that cleared things up a bit on the bubble front. Just trying to do my part.

Recap: Providence OUT, Florida definitely IN

Post from: EveryJoe

Jay Bilas and ESPN annoy me

**Washington Huskies bulldog Jon Brockman eats boards for breakfast.
“In what could be just one of many such designations this year, ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas has named Jon Brockman as the best rebounder in the country heading into the season.”

**Robert Vaden might score 30ppg this season if he finishes with “ease”.
“And as long as the Blazers have Robert Vaden on the floor, they will be in the mix. Vaden averaged an incredible 21.1 points per game and added 3.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists. The 6-5 wing is a great shooter and hit 4.3 three-point shots per game at a 40 percent clip. And Vaden does more than just shoot the ball; he will get to the basket effectively and finish with ease.”

**New Caltech head coach Oliver “Doc” Eslinger on the heck of a time he’s having right now.
“From a psychological standpoint, a newly tapped energy is injected into an athletics team when a new staff takes over. People — students, faculty, staff, administration — are pumped. Questions arise everyday as university community members want to know about the upcoming season, the philosophy of the team, the outlook for the future. It’s quite an experience — especially considering I’m walking around a campus that is home to an Einstein getaway and 16 Nobel Prize Winners in science and medicine!”

**All for naught.
“Miles lasted only 70 days at the school before getting expelled for alleged sexual abuse of a female student.”

**Don’t expect the Wolverines to be good again, ever.
“Only twice have the Wolverines and Spartans appeared in consecutive tournaments together, in 1985-86 and 1994-95. Their other shared appearances were in 1990, 1992 (which Michigan vacated after its payola scandal) and 1998 (a year after the payola scandal broke but before sanctions struck, U-M’s last tournament appearance, and the start of MSU’s current streak of 11 consecutive appearances).”

**Tommy Turtleneck will have Harvard underachieving in no time.
“Ivy: Cornell probably has this on lock-down already. But to pick someone to move up? We’ll go with Harvard, since Tommy Amaker has been cleared in the league-mandated investigation into his recruiting practices. The times, they are a-changin’ in the Ivy.”

**Huge ACC hoops preview
“Here’s how the powers-that-be make their cookie cutter ACC predictions:

-Pick unc or duke to win the conference (this year unc).

-Pick the one you didn’t pick to win to finish 2nd.

-Hype up one other team as a “serious contender” to win the conference, but don’t actually pick them ahead of unc or duke.  [Note: this year, the buzz seems to be around miami but wake is my darkhorse… whoops, I’m violating my own rule]

-Draw the other teams out of a hat and place them 4th through 12th.

-Tell everyone how smart you are, which isn’t tough to claim since duke or unc has won the regular season title 10 of the last 12 years and has won the ACC Tournament 11 of the last 12 years.

-Lather, rinse, repeat formula next year.”

From the VP debate on Thursday…

Hat tip: KSK

Don’t forget to vote in the new poll folks!

Post from: EveryJoe

Fast Breakin’

My NBA draft predictions weren’t exactly Matt Millen-esque, actually far from it, however a couple of glaring mistakes certainly overshadowed the brilliant gems.

Like anyone is keeping score at home, besides me that is.

I keep score.

In previous posts I predicted

Shawn James, a shot blocker out of Duquesne, would be drafted.

I also was high on St. Joes forward Pat Calathes. He too was not drafted. However, I happened to notice that Jay Bilas had Pat Calathes on his list of 6 best remaining players not yet drafted, though that was after pick # 59.

My big monstrosity of an error was the George Hill prediction. Plain and simple I didn’t expect teams to have much respect for George, the little Summit League star from IUPUI.

I will say it again for whoever may have missed it: Seeing George Hill play in person, as I did late in the season last year, didn’t really allow me to gage his full repertoire and potential.

Obviously that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.

Now my opinion about the kid could have been swayed because of the complete beating Oakland U put on IUPUI that night, though I would have hoped it would not have because that’s not a sensible way to go about forming opinions on players. Thinking back I probably let the outcome of the game affect what I thought about George Hill.

Still doesn’t mean he will be any good but…

The guy was picked in the first round and by the San Antonio Spurs no less!

Victories

At least Sasha Kaun and Malik Hairston were drafted. And at least D.J. White was drafted in round one, even though the team who drafted him didn’t keep him.

Another little victory for me was Bill Walker. Yeah, he slipped a bit, but he’s on the best NBA team out there right now.

And finally I’d like to take credit and say I knew Jason Thompson would be a top #15 pick, but that would be a lie. Though I did say he was intriguing…

A morsel of my last post discussed Chris Douglas-Roberts’s draft night gag, and as expected, nothing much was accomplished. I guess the post was a good excuse to get Shawn Marion’s name out there, Kevin Martin’s as well, but of course I whiffed at the chance to link out to some frequently visited pro basketball blogs.

Lesson learned.

Mental note forwarded.

Will whore myself out more for the chance of getting more pv’s in the future.

So anyway, the whole story of why CDR’s stock dropped so excessively can be explained quite simply. It’s not as wondrous as a Harry Potter adventure… or an ominous kidney—but it will do for now, at least until Joe Dumars can escape the area so the steadfast anti-Tayshaun Prince portion of Metro Detroit doesn’t tear down his residence with him in it, or worse, leak out malicious, yet well meaning, trade proposals of a re-acquisition of Darko!

CDR apparently took the easy route during the draft workout period. It seems that CDR was extremely confident he would not be around at #20. Thus not only did he decline a workout with the Detroit Pistons, an organization’s fan base who is desperately wondering why Walter Sharpe was picked instead of CDR, he also most likely declined workout invitations from various other teams selecting after pick #20. If that assertion is valid, then shame on CDR for having a bigger head than Placido Polanco and for not putting himself out there to the best of his ability. After all, jobs are hard to come by in the NBA, very hard. There aren’t many openings, but when there are, there’s dozens and dozens of talented guys who would do anything to fill them.

Being picky about who you workout for not only sends a bad message to the teams he blew off, but the league as a whole. You can be sure other teams took note of his behavior.

So it seems that the “unorthodox” label was only part of the pie.

But being that CDR is from Detroit, there could be even more to the story.

Maybe a demon or two lurk in CDR’s Detroit past? Maybe he’s acutely aware of a leech like entourage waiting for him, waiting to engulf him, to suck from him the very strength and focus he had in order to make it out in the first place.

But that would only explain Detroit.

Everything aside,

CDR and I will still get paid.

Post from: EveryJoe

CDR and I: Licking our wounds, but still getting paid, probably