... and surprise, surprise, it's #10 ranked Arizona losing at Virginia, 93-90.
Wildcats pulled a Phoenix Suns, going small with the 6-10, perimeter-skilled Radenovic manning the middle, flanked by 6-3 to 6-8 PG's, SG's and SF's.
Arizona built to an early 19-point lead, then Virginia adjusted and started attacking the undersized 'cats by consistantly feeding the post, driving the lane and hitting the offensive glass, slowly, but surely chipping away at the lead before finally taking the lead with five minutes to play, then managing to survive some missed FT's and extra opportunities for Arizona who simply went cold in the second half.
Oh well. Tough loss.
UA frosh, Chase Budinger went for 17 points, 15 in the up tempo first half, but just the two in the slowed, well defensed second half.
Can't say I'm surprised and it may in fact be a good omen as two years ago when Arizona was a mere seconds away from the Final Four, they lost at Virginia. Last year, arguably Arizona's worst team under Olson, the 'cats won vs. Virginia...
Not that it matters. Not that too many here care about Arizona Basketball, but some do and others hate me for consistantly pimping it, so I'm here informing those who care and eating crow for those who don't.
I like my crow deep fried, please...
Yawn. Non-conference college basketball is boring, I just can't get excited about it as I can about football. Because of the long season and tournament, a marquee non-conference early season game just doesn't mean anything as it usually has no bearing as who will get the furthest in the tournament. As long as you build yourself enough wins so you can get to at least 20 or so total wins, that's all that matters.
Hard to yawn in a 93-90 college basketball game, ya think?
'specially won where roughly 15 dunks and 20 threes were made twixt the two teams and the home team came back from nearly 20 points.
But hey, some people love basketball more than others, I guess
Virginia actually has a backcourt that all but a select few teams would trade their own for. They're quality if they get anything from the post.
That G/F Diane killed th 'cats tonight. 25 points, big rebounds and was fearless when it mattered most. Their center Cain was pretty good, notching 13 points and 12 rebounds, though I figure it to be more Arizona, than Cain. UA's frontline is weak, slow, injured or inexperienced.
Everything you said of Virginia will be ultimately said of Arizona as well.
Great backcourt/wings. Need a frontcourt to do anything.
Tonight they went small for roughly 30 minutes of the 40 and it worked for just half the time in Arizona's favor. That means use it less.
Now the Aggies will move up tp 12.
And we have the second top ten to lose tonight:
#3 Kansas upset at home against Oral Roberts, 78-71
Kansas, not so good.
I hate Kan$a$ right now, but this isn't the team that teams will face in the Tournament. Kahn is out with an injury and they are working their freshman into the rotation. in 20 games, this team could be very, very good. Still, they are so young, will anything be enough to overcome it? The mental hurdles of the last two first-day tourney exits must weigh hard, 'specially when your coach ($elf) is much more of a recruiter than stratagist.
UA's frosh, Budinger, went for 32 points, 7 rebounds last night. Senior PG, Shakur, came within two rebounds of a triple double; 20 points, 10 assists, 8 boards.
You can always gauge a KU team on early season losses. KU always seems to be hyped, and in the years they are pretenders they lose early games.
Last year they started 1-2/2-3/3-4. They lost in 1st round of NCAA.
Bill Self is the Coach Fran of basketball - amazing recruiter, but not so much as a coach.
uhm since when can fran recruit?Bill Self is the Coach Fran of basketball - amazing recruiter, but not so much as a coach.
I don't like Fran at all. I think he is a major opportunist and an average coach. However, don't underestimate his recruiting abilities.
i don't have to underestimate him, all of his recruits suck, theres nothing to estimate. the reason the aggys suck so much is because they are being out-recruited, not just by texas and ou but by tech and baylor.
For the upcoming year, he already has 4 4-star guys. #8 WSDE, #17 RB, #2 ILB, #21 ATH. Whereas his class last year wasn't overall one of his best, he did get Goodsen from USC and OSU (who is producing). The year before he got Bennett and Lane, among others. He had the #8 class 2 years ago and #13 before that. Other than last year when OSU, Neb and tek out did him, he has had the #3 class in the B12 darn near every year. he actually out did UT in 05.
He gets the kids, its what he does with them that makes him an average coach. If you were to compare his recruiting classes with success on the field, he as done very little with some of the better classes in the nation.
, Texas almost beat Michigan State. Texas played horrible in the 2nd half and had a chance to win it with a 3 pter at the buzzer. Not bad for 4 freshman and 1 sop re.
You do realize Michigan State sucks, right?
Michigan State isn't that bad, plus they have more experience.
The top 3 players from last year are in the NBA right now.
Texas lost all 5 of their starters, 3 in the NBA as well.
I take exception to that statement....Do you even really know anything about their basketball team? Can you name any starter except for maybe Drew Neitzel, who torched the in' Horns tonight. They may be young, but they definately don't suck. Isaiah Dahlman, Raymer Morgan, and Tom Herzog (all freshman)were pretty decent recruits...plus the returning role players from last year like Goran Suton, Idong Ibok, Travis Walton, Maurice Joseph, and Drew Naymick are not scrubs....plus you can never overlook the fact that Izzo is one of the best coaches in the NCAA right now and will be able to get the most out of these young kids. You say they suck because they are not in the Top 25 (which should change next week)and because you probably know jack about their squad....I say they are overlooked and underrated. They'll have a decent year and make the Big Dance yet again.....By the way how has Aggies' hoops been the last 10 years?
I have to agree. Mich State has one of the better teams the past 10 years or so, and Izzo is one of the best in the game today. I don't know anything about them this year, but I expect they will be fighting for the 2/3/4 spot in the B11 behind Ohio. Not to mention, you can't take too much away from it on the UT side. It is a neutral tourney game and if UT hits just one more of the 26 3s they launched - they prolly win. A total of 43 3s were jacked in this game, and Durant and Abrams were both 7-19. I don't think UT is as good as they are rated, but still a solid team. If this would have been a loss to Ball State or The Citadel I would put more emphasis on it. As it is, no biggie.
It was a great game on both sides. As a Horn fan sitting in Spartan country....it was fun to watch. I think the rating was fair but I also think MSU should be at least at the bottom of the top 25...that should happen next week as 420 said. That is the beauty of college basketball...an early season loss, especially to a program like MSU, is not fatal. Texas will still be in the mix for the Big 12 and will make the tourney.
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