Hoops HD

News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Thursday, Mar 3

Posted on March 3, 2022 by David Griggs

NEWS, NOTES AND LINKS:

-For the latest HOOPS HD BRACKET RUNDOWN, where we build and bracket a seedlist on the air – CLICK HERE

-For the CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK VIDEO NOTEBOOK: DAY 3, where we recap and preview all the conference tournament action – CLICK HERE

-For the HOOPS HD SURVIVAL BOARD, where we lay out who is a lock, who is being considered, and who needs the auto-bid to make the NCAA Tournament – CLICK HERE

-For the CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT INFO PAGE, where you can see all 32 brackets and schedules – CLICK HERE

-Arkansas escaped against LSU 77-76 in a thriller, but they picked up another big win and their momentum keeps going.

-Creighton held on to beat UConn 64-62. They had a lead for most of the game, but UConn made a late run and actually had a chance to win in the final minute or so, but the Bluejays held on.

-Alabama continues their schizophrenic season. Most of the time they are good, and some of their good is REALLY good, but then you have nights like last night where they got beaten handily at home by a Texas A&M team that doesn’t appear to be anywhere close to making the field (but is perhaps at least on the board now). They’re still a lock for the NCAA Tournament, but their seed is starting to take a hit.

-Xavier’s nosedive continues. It’s actually rather impressive. They fell at Saint John’s 81-66. It was their fifth straight loss and the 7th in their last 8 games. They are in danger of missing the field entirely.

-Iowa State, who we had been singing the praises of and had all but locked into the field, scored just 36pts in their 53-36 home loss to Oklahoma State last night. Certainly not their best game of the season.

-Rutgers needed a big win last night…AND GOT IT!! In another close, well played, and exciting game, which Rutgers seems to be leading the nation in this year, they picked up a huge road win against Indiana 66-63. A sequence in the final minute of the game which featured a bad pass, that inadvertently hit a referee to keep it in play, to Indiana having to foul, to a flagrant 2 foul being called on Rutgers, to Indiana scoring 5pts out of that sequence to tie the game, only having Rutgers hit a 3 in the final couple of seconds to win the game, was…well…quite a sequence!!

-Marquette, who’s praises I had been singing for weeks, lost at DePaul yesterday 91-80. They are still in good shape, but they could have certainly done without that.

-Wyoming, who had been on cruise control, fell at UNLV last night 64-57. We still feel they are inside the bubble, but they are starting to slip and they need to at least hold serve the rest of the way in order to feel safe.

HIGHLIGHTED REGULAR SEASON GAMES:

-TEMPLE AT HOUSTON (American). They haven’t really been on our radar, but Temple has had a fairly decent season. That being said, I think winning at Houston is a little over their heads. The Cougars are on cruise control and will easily be seeded in the top half of the bracket if they continue to hold serve.

-PENN STATE AT ILLINOIS (Big Ten). Illinois will end up as a protected seed so long as they hold serve over these next couple of games.

-MICHIGAN STATE AT OHIO STATE (Big Ten). Both are locks for The Tournament, but both of their resumes could use some polishing, and both are in a bit of a tailspin right now, so this is a big opportunity for both.

-CINCINNATI AT SMU (American). I think SMU is going to run out of season before they’re able to get their resume up to caliber, but they should at least be on the board if they win out and then manage some big wins (if there are any to be had) in the American Tournament.

-IONA AT MANHATTAN (Metro Atlantic). Iona’s at-large hopes are slim at best, but this is still an awesome rivalry!!

-TCU AT KANSAS (Big 12). We feel TCU is a lock. A loss at Kansas, who still has a case for a #1 seed, certainly isn’t going to set them back. It would absolutely catapult them forward, though.

-STANFORD AT ARIZONA (Pac 12). Arizona appears to be cruising to a #1 seed. They shouldn’t have too much trouble at home tonight.

-IOWA AT MICHIGAN (Big Ten). Michigan continues to hover around the bubble, and like every bubble team every game seems to have a pivotal feel to it. Iowa has caught fire and really been playing well recently, and a road win would help out their resume as well, so there is quite a bit at stake for both teams.

-MEMPHIS AT SOUTH FLORIDA (American). We now have Memphis just inside our bubble as well, but barely. This is the kind of game where a win doesn’t help them and a loss totally buries them. They need this one tonight.

-OREGON AT WASHINGTON (Pac 12). Oregon is right on the bubble, and a road rivalry game at Washington could be tough. If they want to make the NCAA Tournament then they really need a win in this one.

-FRESNO STATE AT SAN DIEGO STATE (Mountain West). San Diego State is coming off a hugely important win that I think took them from on the bubble to rather safely inside of it. They just need to hold serve tonight so they don’t undo it.

Posted in Daily Rundown, News and Notes | Comments Off

Championship Week Video Notebook: Day 3

Posted on March 3, 2022 by David Griggs

CLICK HERE for our latest BRACKET RUNDOWN Video Podcast, where we build a seedlist on the air and debate and discuss each team as we go

WELCOME SELECTION COMMITTEE MEMBERS!!! We are here to educate and help you!! Be sure to watch the podcast linked above so you know what teams to select and where to seed them!

For the HOOPS HD SURVIVAL BOARD – CLICK HERE

For the CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT INFO PAGE – CLICK HERE

It was a crazy day in the Big South with three of the four opening round games going to overtime, and the other being decided on a last second shot. We review those games, as well as the quarterfinals of the Patriot League and the opening round of the Ohio Valley.

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

HORIZON LEAGUE QUARTERFINALS:

PATRIOT LEAGUE QUARTERFINALS:

ASUN QUARTERFINALS:

OHIO VALLEY QUARTERFINALS:

MISSOURI VALLEY OPENING ROUND:

SUN BELT OPENING ROUND:

WEST COAST 1ST ROUND:

Posted in Bracketology, Championship Week Video Notebook, Podcasts, Videocasts | Tagged ASun, Horizon League, Missouri Valley, NEC, Northeast Conference, ohio valley, OVC, Patriot League, sun belt, West Coast | 1 Comment

Hoops HD Bracket Rundown: March 2nd

Posted on March 2, 2022 by David Griggs

The seedlist reflects all games that were completed before 10pm est on Wednesday, March 2nd. None of the games that went final after that, including Creighton vs Connecticut and Marquette vs DePaul, were considered.

The panel builds a seedlist line by line, and assess, discusses, and debates each team as they get brought up. Find out who the #1 seeds are, who the other protected seeds are, who is safely inside the bubble, who just made the field, who is on the bubble, and who is on the outside looking in.

The bracket below was put together using the seedlist we built, but don’t look at it until you’ve watched the show!!

Here is the audio only version:

Posted in Bracket Rundown, Bracketology, Podcasts, Videocasts | Comments Off

Happy Anniversary!: HoopsHD interviews Jerry Waugh about Wilt Chamberlain

Posted on March 2, 2022 by Jon Teitel

There are plenty of famous games in basketball history but Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-PT game has to rank right up there with the best of them. On March 2, 1962, Chamberlain set the NBA single-game record by scoring 100 PTS for the Philadelphia Warriors in a 169-147 win over the New York Knicks at Hershey Sports Arena in Hershey, PA. Chamberlain set 5 other league records that night (including most FTs made) and the 2 teams combined to break the record for most points in a game with 316. In addition to Wilt’s remarkable record, the game has taken on a mythic quality because it was not televised and no video footage of the game has ever been found. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Jerry Waugh, Wilt’s former assistant coach at Kansas, about both the 1957 NCAA title game and the 100-PT game. Today marks the 60th anniversary of that night in Hershey so we take this time to remember 1 of the most amazing achievements ever seen on a basketball court.

There was 1 summer when Celtics coach Red Auerbach had Chamberlain play 1-on-1 against Kansas star BH Born, and after the 1953 NCAA tourney MOP was outscored 25-10 Born allegedly gave up his promising NBA career to become a tractor engineer because, “If there were high school kids that good, I figured I was not going to make it to the pros”: did all of that actually happen?! I did not hear that story but it certainly could have happened because lots of stories went around. I never saw Wilt as exaggerating things so it is always possible.

After going 56-3 at Overbrook High School, winning 2 city championships, and averaging 37.4 PPG, he had 200+ universities recruiting him: why did he turn down the chance to become a movie star at UCLA or get some diamonds from Penn and sign with the Jayhawks? I am not sure what it was that attracted him. I played for Phog Allen (so I am probably biased!), who we all called “Doc”: he was quite a personality and a great recruiter. It was not the same kind of environment at that time as it is today. Wilt was a bright guy so I think to get him out of Philly it must have been Doc’s personality that enticed him. I do not know what kind of financial arrangements were made by the people involved because I was still a high school coach at the time. Doc was a great salesman: he could tell a great story and was a captivating guy.

In his varsity debut on December 3, 1956, he broke a pair of school records with 52 PTS/31 REB in a win over Northwestern: what was the reaction like on campus to the overnight superstar? We always knew what he was capable of doing due to his size/strength. He lifted weights and took care of himself: he was an overpowering person who could also jump/move. I think that he would excel even in today’s game: we were very fortunate to have him here.

In addition to playing basketball he also ran the 100-yard dash in 10.9 seconds, threw the shot put, and won the Big 8 high jump 3 years in a row (he reportedly had a 50” vertical leap!): have you ever seen a more amazing athlete? Not for someone that size: you have to get all of the juices jangling at the right time! He was the exception: he moved differently because he was so tall and when he took a stride it was a long 1.

Take me through the 1957 NCAA tourney title game:
How did North Carolina coach Frank McGuire’s strategy of triple-teaming him on defense and freezing the ball on offense allow the Tar Heels to get a 1-PT 3-OT win? I am not sure how much it was the strategy: they had an effective team to go with it and slowed the tempo of the game down. We were unable to accommodate that but I give them credit because they had a very good team! It came down to the final shot but we would have won the game if both teams had been running up and down the floor all night.

He had 23 PTS/14 REB and was named tourney MOP despite losing the game: even though he played so well, where does that loss rank among the most devastating of his career? Our whole team took it hard: I still wake up with nightmares about it (just kidding)! We expect to win games here so anything less than a title is disappointing.

In his very 1st NBA game he had 43 PTS/28 REB against the Knicks en route to being named ROY/MVP: how was he able to come in and dominate the NBA from the start? You cannot just win games with anyone: you have to plan ahead, which is where coaching comes in. The ball still has to go in the hole and you have to shoot it better than your opponent.

On March 2, 1962 he became the only NBA player to ever score 100 PTS in a game: did you think such a stat was even possible, and do you think that anyone will ever break his record? It is really something: there are some teams who cannot even score 100! There are so many factors involved that it is almost like breaking the rules to do something so unique. It is a hard game to play: there are 5 guys on the court who all want to handle the ball and there are so many facets to the game. You have to shoot/dribble with guys hanging all over you.

He was a 4-time MVP, won 7 scoring titles/11 rebounding titles, and even led the league in AST once: how was he able to balance all of the different aspects of his game? I grant you that he was a great all-around player but he grew intellectually as he played it and had coaches who helped him. When the basket is 10’ high there is no question that size matters: Doc actually advocated for a 12’ basket because tall “goons” were ruining the game by dunking the ball. I do not know if it would ruin the game: the players would adjust to it.

He won a pair of NBA titles in 1967/1972 but lost 7 different playoff series to the Celtics: how did Bill Russell impact his life either on and off the court? Wilt was a smart person and understood that the pro game was about putting on a show and making money, and the big guys were a big part of that.

In 1978 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame and in 1996 he was chosen as 1 of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History: when people look back on his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? We tend to idolize our athletes so much and point out how the strong man stumbles. When I look at Wilt I remember what a great player he was and how he adjusted to so much pressure/expectations around him, even as a college kid. Everyone thought that he would become the best there ever was and I think that he turned out pretty well. I admire how he handled everything. We were getting on a train 1 day and a porter said he looked like a big Sequoia tree: Wilt turned around and said “Yeah, but you are just a stump!” He belonged to a fraternity that branded a “K” into his chest: he did whatever it took to be part of a group. I had a great career but I had no expectations like he had: it was not fair to him. Basketball fit what he could do and he was a good person so I was lucky to have known him. He had to give up an awful lot to measure up.

Posted in Interviews | Tagged Jerry Waugh, kansas, Wilt Chamberlain | Comments Off

News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Wednesday, Mar 2

Posted on March 2, 2022 by David Griggs

NEWS AND NOTES:

CLICK HERE for our CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK VIDEO NOTEBOOK: DAY 2

-After getting sidetracked in Colorado, Arizona once again looked like a #1 seed caliber team yesterday as they went into USC and blew them off the floor. Since it was a road game that followed a loss, and since they won so handily, I’d almost go so far to say it was one of their most impressive showings of the year.

-TCU knocked off Kansas yesterday 74-64, which should shoot them up the seedlist. Kansas has a lot of tier 1 wins, but they also have very few true road wins against teams that will likely be the better seeded team in the Round of 64, and they missed another chance to get a #1 seed defining level win last night. For that reason I continue to question whether or not they should be on the #1 line.

-Wisconsin held on to beat Purdue 70-67. Both are protected seeds, so it wasn’t much of a setback for the Boilers, but had they won it they would have had a strong case for a #1 seed themselves.

-Providence was without a key player and fell behind kind of big late in the first half at Villanova, but still fought their way back into it and were in a position to win in the final minute of the game. Despite the loss, considering that it was on the road at Villanova, and considering they were without a starter, I think I was more impressed with what Providence did yesterday than I have been at any other time. And, that’s saying A LOT because they have some VERY good wins this year.

-Ohio State is in a bit of a tailspin. They’ve now lost two straight games, and both were to team teams that are about a thousand miles away from the NIT, much less the NCAA. Nebraska beat them 78-70. While their seed will take a bit of a hit, I still think they’re a lock for the NCAA Tournament, but to say they’ve been playing well would be incorrect.

-Michigan blew Michigan State off the floor, and seeing as how they are on the bubble they really needed that. Not to mention, blowing out a rival always makes you feel good!

-VCU blew Saint Bonaventure off the floor, out of the gym, and into the sun. The final score was 74-51, but the game was over about ten minutes in. The Bonnies looked so bad that not only does it make me question why I ever thought they might belong in the field, but it’s making me question every good thing I’ve said about them for the past ten years or so. They got THWACKED!!!

-Boise State locked up first place in the Mountain West with their win against Nevada, and Florida escaped what would have been a very crippling loss at Vanderbilt.

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-XAVIER AT SAINT JOHN’S (Big East). Xavier has slid all the way down to the bubble, and if they lose this game it could knock them outside of it. A win should stabilize things somewhat, so this is a very pivotal late season game for Xavier.

-TEXAS A&M AT ALABAMA (SEC). Alabama is still within reach of a protected seed if they finish strong, but the are starting to feel more and more like a 5 or 6 seed. Either way, they’ll want to hold serve tonight.

-GEORETOWN AT SETON HALL (Big East). Seton Hall has won three in a row, appears to be a virtual lock for the NCAA Tournament, and should stretch that out to four in a row tonight.

-NOTRE DAME AT FLORIDA STATE (ACC). Notre Dame appears to be very much in the middle of bubble-land, so every game they play the rest of the way is going to have a pivotal feel to it, including this one on the road.

-OKLAHOMA STATE AT IOWA STATE (Big 12). I think a win today virtually locks Iowa State into the field. They may be a lock already. This would get them to 8-9 in conference play with just one game remaining, and as strong as their resume is they should make it easily.

-GEORGE MASON AT DAVIDSON (Atlantic Ten). Davidson should remain inside the bubble so long as they’re able to hold serve in these last few regular season games.

-RUTGERS AT INDIANA (Big Ten). Indiana is coming off a much needed road win, and can polish up their resume a little more if they’re able to win this one tonight. Rutgers’ resume also needs quite a bit of polishing. There are some really good things on it, but another quality road win would make a huge difference for a team that looks to be right on the bubble.

-CONNECTICUT AT CREIGHTON (Big East). UConn appears to have a strong case for a protected seed, and a road win in a game like this will make it even stronger. Creighton appears to be on the right side of the bubble barring a complete and total collapse, and are really just playing for seeding.

-AUBURN AT MISSISSIPPI STATE (SEC). Auburn is still a virtual lock for a protected seed and depending on how things play out they could still end up on the #1 line. They’ll need this one on the road, and while Mississippi State is nowhere near the field, they are 14-2 at home, so it’s still not an easy place to go and win.

-LSU AT ARKANSAS (SEC). Arkansas continues to climb the seedlist and is even making a strong case that they deserve a protected seed. They’re good enough to beat almost anyone at home. LSU is safely in, but could really shoot up the seedlist if they’re able get this one tonight. A loss isn’t likely to set them back at all, but a win would be a huge boost.

-MARQUETTE AT DEPAUL (Big East). Marquette has a really strong resume and has played a really tough schedule. This is a game that they should win, but don’t be surprised if it’s still a battle. DePaul has played a lot of teams tough.

-NC STATE AT WAKE FOREST (ACC). Wake is probably inside the bubble, but if they want to stay there they really need hold serve in games like this. Their margin for error is very small. If anything I’d say they still have a little bit of work to do.

-MIAMI FL AT BOSTON COLLEGE (ACC). I like this Miami team and think they’ll make the NCAA Tournament rather safely. Having said that, they really don’t want to stub their toes in a game like this.

-WYOMING AT UNLV (Mountain West). The Cowboys are looking to rebound from their loss to San Diego State, and they could be in for a test tonight. UNLV can be tough to beat at home. I think their resume is okay, but they may be starting to sweat just a little bit if they don’t get this win.

Posted in Daily Rundown, News and Notes | Comments Off

Championship Week Video Notebook: Day 2

Posted on March 1, 2022 by David Griggs

WELCOME SELECTION COMMITTEE MEMBERS!!! We are here to do all the work for you so you don’t have to!!

For the Hoops HD Survival Board – CLICK HERE

For the Conference Tournament Page with all the brackets, dates, and times – CLICK HERE

It was Opening Round Day in the ASun, Horizon League, and Patriot League, and we had a couple of thrilling finishes including an overtime in the Patriot League and Central Arkansas and Stetson coming down to the final seconds in the ASun. After that, we discuss all of Wednesday night’s action which includes the NEC Quarterfinals, and the Opening Rounds of the Big South and Ohio Valley.