Hoops HD Daily Rundown – Saturday, Jan 28th

Posted on January 28, 2023 by David Griggs

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-AUBURN AT WEST VIRGINIA (SEC/Big 12 Challenge).  West Virginia has struggled in conference play, but this is a winnable home game against a good opponent, and they kind of need to win it because of how difficult it will be to get wins in conference play.  Auburn is in the rankings and should be safely inside the bubble, but if you look at their team sheet there is certainly room for improvement and this would arguably be one of their best overall wins of the season to date.

-XAVIER AT CREIGHTON (Big East).  Xavier is on a roll and is on pace to end up as a protected seed.  Creighton’s resume is still a little flimsy and a win in a game like this could certainly help shore it up.  They weren’t at full strength for a lot of their losses, but that makes games like this even more important because they have to demonstrate that they can beat good teams when they are at full strength.

-NC STATE AT WAKE FOREST (ACC).  Most of the rest of Hoops HD likes NC State more than I do.  I think this would arguably be their best win of the year considering it’s on the road against a Wake Forest team that’s right on the bubble and that’s a very impressive 10-1 at home.  If NC State wins this, I’ll start to come around to believing in them a little more.

-ALABAMA AT OKLAHOMA (SEC/Big 12 Challenge).  If the match-ups for this event were done two or three weeks prior to the event and not before the start of the season, these two probably wouldn’t be playing each other.  Bama is within reach of the overall #1 seed and Oklahoma is trying to get inside the bubble.  An upset win for the Sooners today would be a huge step in the right direction.

-IOWA STATE AT MISSOURI (SEC/Big 12 Challenge).  Iowa State is having a fantastic year and is within reach of a protected seed.  They take on their old Big Eight and Big 12 foes in Missouri, who is hovering around the bubble and who could give their resume a nice boost if they can pull off the win at home today.

-DUKE AT GEORGIA TECH (ACC).  I highlight this because it is far more important than most realize.  To date, Duke’s only true road win is at Boston College.  If they can’t win this game today, then they’re going to struggle to win any of their remaining road games because they all appear to be harder than this one.  No team has ever been selected for an at-large with fewer than two true road wins.  EVER!  Duke needs to beat the Bees today, because winning at Miami FL, Syracuse, Virginia, or North Carolina will be MUCH harder than winning at Georgia Tech.

-ILLINOIS AT WISCONSIN (Big Ten).  We have both teams inside the bubble, but both also have room to improve.  Wisconsin in particular has been in a bit of a tailspin and just needs to win a game like this to help pull them out of it.

-TCU AT MISSISSIPPI STATE (SEC/Big 12 Challenge).  TCU looks like a solid protected seed and Mississippi State looks like a solid NIT team.  But, like I always say, it’s tough to win on the road.

-ARKANSAS AT BAYLOR (SEC/Big 12 Challenge).  Arkansas’s next road win will be their first, and it isn’t likely to come today against a Baylor team that is suddenly playing really well with five straight wins and a lot of those wins coming against teams that appear to be better than this Arkansas team.

-MIAMI FL AT PITTSBURGH (ACC).  Pitt is right on our bubble, and was actually in our First Four when we built our latest seedlist last night, so a win like this would help shore up their resume and move them up the seedlist.  Miami has hit a bit of a skid with three losses in their last six games, but they are still in very good shape and have a good chance of ending up as high as a protected seed.

-TEXAS AT TENNESSEE (SEC/Big 12 Challenge).  Both teams are ranked in the top ten, both are on pace to earn protected seeds, and depending on how things play out it’s not too far of a stretch to think one or both could end up as a #1 seed.  The best way to get up to the #1 line is to win against other protected seeds in games like this.  It’s also a Rick Barnes Derby!!  This one should be fun!

-KANSAS AT KENTUCKY (SEC/Big 12 Challenge).  This is one of the more intriguing games of the day.  Kansas is on a three game l0sing streak, but is so good that they could still end up as a #1 seed at the end of the year if they can turn things around.  Kentucky was heading toward an abyss, but seems to have pulled themselves out of the quicksand and has strung together several nice wins.  “Nice” is an understatement for how good this win would be if they can pull it off against Kansas.

-OHIO STATE AT INDIANA (Big Ten).  Ohio State is on our bubble, and right now I feel like they belong outside of it, but my mind will certainly change if they can win a road game like this one.  Indiana had gone through a bit of a slump, but has won four straight and appears to be playing well now.

OTHER NOTABLE GAMES:

-Boston College @ Virginia (ACC) – could end up looking a lot like a buy game even though it’s a conference game
-Minnesota @ Northwestern (Big Ten) – Northwestern is inside the bubble, but they are close to the edge of it and need to hold serve in games like this
-Marquette @ DePaul (Big East) – I think Marquette looks as good as anyone else in the Big East right now, and that this should be a winnable road game for them
-Cincinnati @ Houston (American) – Houston, despite a recent loss to Temple, is still within reach of a #1 seed and should be able to hold serve today
-Texas State @ Southern Miss (Sun Belt) – Southern Miss has an outside shot at best of landing inside the bubble, but if they win out they should at least get a look
-Hofstra @ Charleston (Colonial) – this is likely Charleston’s toughest remaining regular season game, but it’s one they should still manage to win
-Western Kentucky @ Florida Atlantic (Conference USA) – WKU has some talent and could give FAU some fits, but FAU is just on an absolute rampage and should be able to hold serve in this one
-Seton Hall @ Butler (Big East) – Seton Hall is trying to play their way onto (and I suppose inside of) the bubble, so they need to hold serve in games like this
-Nebraska @ Maryland (Big Ten) – I’m not as big on Maryland as most others are, but I certainly think they’ll be able to hold serve in this one
-Clemson @ Florida State (ACC) – Florida State is playing better, but this is still a road game that Clemson should be able to win
-Arizona @ Washington (Pac 12) – I won’t go so far to say that this will be an easy road win for Arizona, but it is absolutely a game that a protected seeded caliber team is expected to win
-Florida @ Kansas State (SEC/Big 12 Challenge) – Florida has been playing better, but not so much better that I think they can knock off K State on the road, who’s playing as well as anyone in the country right now
-Saint Bonaventure @ VCU (Atlantic Ten) – If VCU wins out, I think they land inside the bubble.  I also think they are good enough to win out
-Gonzaga @ Portland (West Coast) – this should be an easy road win for the Zags, but they’ve been sweating more than normal these past few weeks
-Utah State @ Fresno State (Mountain West) – I am becoming less and less of a believer in Utah State, but the opportunities for them to make a run at the bubble are there if they can finish strong
-Arizona State @ Washington State (Pac 12) – Arizona State is on the bubble and needs to win all the games they play against teams that are nowhere near the bubble
-Utah @Oregon (Pac 12) – both teams are outside the bubble and would need a very strong finish in order to get there, but both will have the chances they need to do it
-Colorado State @ Boise State (Mountain West) – I think Boise State is inside the bubble, but most at Hoops HD feel they are squarely on it.  Nevertheless, we will all agree that they can’t afford to lose a game like this
-Ole Miss @ Oklahoma State (SEC/Big 12 Challenge) – Oklahoma State is outside of our bubble, but we still feel they may be good enough to make a run at it.  They need to hold serve today, though
-Vanderbilt  @ Texas A&M (SEC) – TAMU is playing much better and will end up in the field if they keep it up
-San Jose State @ San Diego State (Mountain West) – San Diego State is safely inside the bubble and should be able to hold serve against a San Jose State team that’s improving as a program, but still has a very long way to go
-Saint Mary’s @ BYU (West Coast) – I really like how this SMC team is playing and think they can continue to climb both the rankings and the seedlist
-Nevada @ UNLV (Mountain West) – it’s a rivalry game, but it’s a road game that Nevada needs to win if they want to stay within reach of the bubble

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews 1988 Olympic gold medalist Andrea Lloyd

Posted on January 27, 2023 by Jon Teitel

The NBA Finals date back to 1947 (when they were known as the Basketball Association of America Finals) and the very 1st NCAA tourney was held in 1939. Olympic basketball competition is even older: it debuted as a demonstration event in 1904 and the men’s version became a medal sport in 1936, with the women finally getting their chance to go for the gold in 1976. The United States has dominated Olympic basketball competition from the start: the men have won 16 gold medals in the 19 tournaments they have participated in during the past 87 years, while the women have won 9 gold medals in the 11 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 47 years. While we have to wait 1 more year until the 2024 Olympics in Paris, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel will fill the void by interviewing as many prior Olympic players/coaches as possible. We continue our coverage by chatting with Andrea Lloyd about winning a gold medal in 1988 and being inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.

You were born in Idaho: what made you choose Texas for college? I also spent a good deal of my childhood in Alaska because my dad worked up there. 1 of my grandparents was from the Denton, TX area so I had at least 1 connection to that state. I remember sitting in my living room reviewing letters containing scholarship offers: I was going to set aside the 1 from Texas but my mom said that I HAD to open that 1! I chose them because they were far away from home and I knew that they would challenge me.

You went 125-8 while playing for Hall of Fame coach Jody Conradt: what made her such a great coach, and what was the most important thing that you ever learned from her? I was just going over those 8 games in my mind the other day! Jody was demanding/gracious and knew what she wanted from us on the court. The core of her team was players from the state of Texas. It was such an elite program so I was fortunate to have tremendous teammates. Every single day we did the same thing because we were determined to out-work and out-defend our opponents. Jody was the perfect fit for the school and is a big part of women’s basketball history. She was a huge disciplinarian, which caused us to demand a lot out of ourselves.

You are 6’2”: how much of an advantage was your size on the court? Absolutely! I grew up mostly playing against guys. At 6’2” I was apparently not supposed to be dribbling…but I wanted to get the most playing time possible so I did whatever I needed to do to get extra minutes. It was unusual back then to have someone my size who could handle the ball. When I was young I did a lot of tryouts/camps on the West Coast. I remember rebounding the ball 1 day and dribbling down the court when my 6’2” teammate (and future Olympic teammate) Cindy Brown screamed at me to pass the ball to a guard!

As a junior you helped lead the Longhorns to the 1st undefeated season in NCAA history: how were you able to beat a USC squad (featuring Cheryl Miller/Cynthia Cooper) by 16 PTS in the 1986 NCAA title game? We had a special team that year. We were ranked #1 during my freshman year but had several injuries, and then in my sophomore year we got upset by Western Kentucky on a last-second shot. We had a lot of pain after losing in each of the previous 2 tourneys so we had a real sense of urgency in 1986 and would not be denied.

You entered the 1987 Final 4 as the #1 team in the nation and were playing on your home court with more than 15,000 fans in attendance (the largest crowd in the history of the sport): could you tell at the time that Louisiana Tech G Teresa Weatherspoon (who scored 19 PTS and set a Final 4 record with 11 AST) was going to become a superstar, and did she remind you of the final score when she became your Olympic teammate the following year?! I do not think she reminded me of the score. We knew that she was a star back then: she was the “head of the beast” and an amazing competitor. I was pretty quiet at the time but maybe some of my other teammates got that smack-talk treatment.

You played for team USA at the 1988 Olympics: what did it mean to you to represent your country, and what did it mean to you to win a gold medal? I never imagined that I would play in the Olympics while growing up on a farm in Idaho so it was just an honor. I was 1 of the last cuts on the 1984 team when I was just 17 years old so I did not want that to happen to me again. We had a terrific team led by an amazing woman in Kay Yow: she brought all of us together over the course of 2 weeks and built our chemistry. She spent a lot of time on team-building so I have a lot of great memories of getting to know the other players really well. The entire McConnell family was with us in South Korea to support Suzie: I had never been around that kind of a group before. It was pretty cool as a 21-year old: I still have boxes of stuff that we received from our sponsors! We did not have cell phones back then so we got to spend a lot of time together on the bus rides.

After spending almost a decade playing professionally in Italy you spent a few years in the ABL/WNBA: what was the biggest difference between basketball in the US vs. basketball overseas? Overseas they use a club system so you could end up playing with teammates who ranged from ages 14-40. After a game the teenagers would go do homework while the older veterans would go smoke a cigarette! What could be better than being paid to play a game you love? The ABL had a traditional season and felt more like basketball. The WNBA had back-to-back games where we sat in middle seats on commercial flights so it was not as fulfilling.

You won championships at the high school/college/pro/Olympic levels: what is the secret to being a winner? Surround yourself with great people and never be afraid to be challenged. Our NCAA title team would not back down an inch even during practice. Do not be threatened by other people’s success because when you are on a team you do it all together. You need a system that has a specific goal that everyone keeps their eyes on.

After retiring from basketball you became a TV analyst: how do you like it, and what do you want to do in the future? I learned that a “normal” job is just not something I am cut out for. I am a task-oriented person and I love going to practice and talking about the game. It is really fun to continue to teach people and showcase the current amazing athletes. My husband retired last year so we do the RV thing. I have changed paths many times because when you have a 7-month gig you always have other opportunities that come along.

In 2007 you were named to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? It feels like a long time ago! It really brought into focus all of the people who supported me through the years. It is not just about you because you stand on the shoulders of so many great administrators/teammates. I remember when Jody called me to tell me about it: I never thought about those kinds of things growing up so I was completely stunned.

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Under The Radar (and other News and Notes) – Friday, January 27th

Posted on January 27, 2023 by John Stalica

For the latest HOOPS HD BRACKET RUNDOWN Video Podcast where we build a seedlist line by line on the air and debate each of the teams as we go – CLICK HERE

Iona (13-6, 6-2) at Siena (13-7, 7-2) – 7:00 PM ET (ESPNU)

Tonight’s UTR Game of the Day takes us to Albany for one of the more anticipated matchups in the Metro Atlantic between the Iona Gaels and the Siena Saints. Iona got off to a quick 4-0 start in conference play, but they have leveled off a bit with a 2-2 stretch that has seen a home win against Fairfield and a road win at Manhattan mixed in with a blowout loss at Quinnipiac and at home against Rider. Daniss Jenkins has averaged 16.3 points a game and 4.8 assists a game for Iona.

Siena has also hit a bit of a rough patch in conference play with losses in 2 of their last 3 games, but they are in first place by a half game over Iona going into tonight. Both losses were a bit surprising – the first one being a road loss at Canisius and the second one being a home loss against Fairfield sandwiched around a home win against Mount St. Mary’s. Javian McCollum averages 15.8 points a game and 3.8 assists a game.

 

-NEWS, NOTES, AND HIGHLIGHTED GAMES (From the Puppet):

-USC got a big (and much needed) 77-64 win over UCLA.  The Trojans completely dominated the second half outscoring the Bruins by 25 and actually blew the game open in the final minutes after being down double digits for much of the first half.

-Michigan State held off Iowa 63-61 and is slowly making their resume look more and more impressive.  Iowa’s overall record is just 12-8, and they do have one really bad loss to Eastern Illinois, but there is still enough good on their resume to where they should stay inside the bubble if they can just hold serve the rest of the way.

-One of the most exciting games of the night was one you probably slept through.  UC Santa Barbara went out to Hawaii and scored in the final seconds to pick up a 65-64 road win at a place that is not easy to win at.  The Gouchos are now 17-3 on the year, and yesterday was probably their most impressive win of the season.  They probably still need to win the Big West Tournament to make the field, which won’t be easy, but they will potentially be a very dangerous team in the Round of 64.

-Kent State is back home tonight against Buffalo and if they want any shot at all at landing inside the bubble they need to win out.  New Mexico is also at home against Air Force tonight.

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Hoops HD Bracket Rundown – Thursday, Jan 26th

Posted on January 26, 2023 by David Griggs

NOTE:  This broadcast was recorded at 10pm, est on Thursday, January 26th.  No games that went final after that, particularly UCLA vs USC or Arizona at Washington State, were considered when creating this bracket.

Chad and the panel build a seedlist line by line and debate, discuss, and assess each team as they go.  Find out who they have on the #1 lines so far, who is safely in, who still has work to do, and who on the bubble just made it in and just missed it.

Below is a final copy of the bracket, but don’t look at it until you’ve watched the show!!

And for all you radio lovers, below is an audio only version of the show…

Posted in Bracketology, Podcasts, Videocasts | 1 Comment

Hoops HD Daily Rundown – Thursday, Jan 26th

Posted on January 26, 2023 by David Griggs

NEWS AND NOTES:

-For our latest UNDER THE RADAR Video Podcast – CLICK HERE

-For John Stalica’s UTR Game of the Day – CLICK HERE

EDIT:  I think the combination of a staff worker, player, or just some regular fan that’s at a basketball game that just brazenly orders DoorDash, and then a delivery guy that is such an airhead that he is genuinely oblivious to the fact that he’s disrupting a the game is both hilarious and kind of cool.  However, I think staging this stunt just so they can go viral on TikTok is actually kind of pathetic.  This went from being my favorite thing that happened yesterday (and perhaps all season long) to me thinking everyone involved is stupid in a far less personable way than it originally appeared.  So, I’ve deleted the link

 

-Alabama trialed Mississippi State at home for most of the game, but held on to win 66-63 in the end.  It would have been a huge win for Mississippi State had they pulled it off and perhaps gotten them back within reach of the bubble, but as it stands now they’ve lost eight of their last nine.

-Xavier picked up a really nice road win at UConn last night 82-79.  It may be the biggest win of the year for Xavier so far considering that it was on the road.  UConn is in a tailspin having lost six of their last eight after starting off the season 14-0, but as our friend John Stalica observed Xavier is a big reason as to why they’ve lost six of their last eight.

-Texas A&M picked up a HUGE 79-63 win at Auburn that in my opinion flips the switch from them being outside the bubble to being inside of it.  TAMU is the only team that has won at Auburn (my favorite stat), and while they were very sluggish prior to Christmas they’ve won all but one of their games since then (the loss at Kentucky), and are starting to build a profile that looks like a tournament caliber profile.

-Pittsburgh and Wake Forest squared off in a bubblicious match-up that had a pivotal feel to it for both teams, and Pitt held on to win at home in a close one 81-79.

-Wisconsin has not just stubbed their toes, but has slipped on the ice and broken their ankle.  After looking really good for a stretch, they’ve now lost five of their last six, and last night they were just completely blown out 73-55 at Maryland.  That cannot be confidence inspiring.

 

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-MIDDLE TENNESSEE AT FLORIDA ATLANTIC (Conference USA).  FAU is in the rankings and inside the bubble and should go into the NCAA Tournament on the first ballot so long as they keep holding serve.

-SMU AT MEMPHIS (American).  Memphis is squarely on the bubble and it is crucial that they do not slip up in games like this, which are home games against teams that are nowhere near the bubble.

-IOWA AT MICHIGAN STATE (Big Ten).  Both teams are in our field right now, but both still have some work to do in order to become more stable.  This game is a good opportunity for both teams to build up their resumes by picking up another notable win.

-SEATTLE U AT SAM HOUSTON (WAC).  It’s not likely that either team will reach the bubble, but both could be dangerous in the Round of 64 if one of them happens to win the automatic bid.  Sam Houston racked up wins against Oklahoma and Utah out of conference and while they’ve dropped some games in league play they are still capable of playing at a high level.  Seattle U is trying to hang on to first place in the standings and will be tested in a big way tonight.

-PURDUE AT MICHIGAN (Big Ten).  I keep thinking it’s time to write Michigan off, but whenever I do they win a notable game.  This would be VERY notable considering Purdue is the #1 overall team and on pace to get a #1 seed.

-UCLA AT USC (Pac 12).  Lots going on in this one.  It’s a rivalry game, UCLA is on pace to get a protected seed and depending on how things play out may still have an outside shot at a #1 seed, and USC is trying to get back into the field.  USC’s profile needs some work, but on the court the team appears to be getting better and they almost upset UCLA at Pauley Pavilion the first time they played.

-UTAH VALLEY AT SOUTHERN UTAH (WAC) (Bee Hive).  Utah Valley is having an outstanding year and are in the hunt to win the WAC and perhaps get a serious look from the committee if they can win out.

-ARIZONA AT WASHINGTON STATE (Pac 12).  At first glance Arizona should win this one easily, but it’s not a slam dunk.  Wazzu actually won the first meeting between these two at Arizona and has proven to be very tough to beat.

-ARIZONA STATE AT WASHINGTON (Pac 12).  Arizona State is squarely on the bubble, so every game they play seems to have a pivotal feel to it.

-UTAH AT OREGON STATE (Pac 12).  Utah is outside of our bubble, but they are definitely close enough to it to reach it and they need to take advantage of what appears to be a winnable road game tonight.

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Under The Radar Game of the Day – Thursday, January 26th

Posted on January 26, 2023 by John Stalica

UC-Santa Barbara (16-3, 7-1) at Hawai’i (15-5, 6-2) – 12:00 AM ET (ESPN+)

Some days you save the best for last – tonight’s UTR Game of the Day leaves the mainland and goes to Hawai’i where the Rainbow Warriors host the UCSB Gauchos. Even after a 9-game winning streak was snapped with a 65-64 home loss to UC-Riverside, the Gauchos have gotten back on track with a 3-game winning streak. It began with a win at UC-Irvine and more recently included a 76-58 win against Bakersfield where Miles Norris led the Gauchos with 24 points.

Since winning the Diamond Head Classic, Hawai’i has held serve at home with four straight wins in the Big West. They are only 2-2 on the road in conference play, but the last game was a 67-63 road win that knocked UC-Riverside out of a first place tie in the conference. Jovon McClanahad had 19 points to lead Hawai’i in the aforementioned win against Riverside.

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