News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Saturday, Feb 24th

Posted on February 24, 2018 by David Griggs

SURVIVAL BOARD

-Check out the most useful tool on the planet that is available to the Selection Committee, and that is the HOOPS HD SURVIVAL BOARD!!!

-OHIO VALLEY:  Eastern Kentucky are tied for the last spot in the OVC Tournament, and SIUE has the tiebreaker.  If they both win their last game on Saturday, SIUE is in.  If Eastern Kentucky wins and SIUE loses, then EKU is in.  If they both lose and UT Martin loses, then SIUE is in.  If they both lose and UT Martin wins then I think UT Martin is in based on the fact that they beat the higher ranked team in the standings, but I’m not entirely certain.  I’ll get Stalica on it!!  If UT Martin, SIUE, and Eastern Kentucky all lose, then SIUE is definitely in.

-NORTHEAST CONFERENCE: Sacred Heart is out with a loss or a Central Connecticut win.  If Sacred Heart wins and Central Connecticut loses, CCSU is out

-AMERICA EAST: Binghamton is out with a loss or with a Maine win.

-IVY LEAGUE: Dartmouth is out with a loss or a Columbia win.  Princeton is out with a loss and a Columbia win

-CONFERENCE USA: Charlotte is out with a loss or a UTEP win

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES

-MICHIGAN AT MARYLAND (Big Ten).  Michigan is a lock for the NCAA Tournament and is now just playing for seeding.  If they hold serve in this game and knock off a few heavyweights in the B1G Tourney they could move up rather quickly.

-MARQUETTE AT DEPAUL (Big East).  Marquette is squarely on the bubble and needs to win (or more accurately avoid losing) this one.

-PROVIDENCE AT GEORGETOWN (Big East).  Providence should be able to lock themselves into the NCAA Tournament with just a few more wins.  The only thing they really can’t afford to do is go completely into the tank.

-SETON HALL AT SAINT JOHN’S (Big East).  Seton Hall needs a strong finish in order to end up with a solid seed.  Either way they should be able to coast into the top half of the bracket.

-BAYLOR AT TCU (Big 12).  Baylor is squarely on our bubble now and is continuing to play well.  They did lose their last game, but had won five straight before that.  This would be another big conference road win for them if they’re able to pull it off.  TCU is getting more and more comfortable and should be fine as long as they don’t go into the tank.  These two also have a nice little rivalry building, so it should be a fun game.

-TENNESSEE AT OLE MISS (SEC).  Tennessee has slumped a little bit, but is still on pace to end up as a protected seed if they’re able to hold serve the rest of the way.

-LOUISVILLE AT VIRGINIA TECH (ACC).  Louisville is squarely on the bubble and is moving in the wrong direction (in more ways than one).  They REALLY need a quality win to help them get things turned around.  VA Tech just got a nice win against Clemson and their resume is improving.  This would be another solid win for them if they’re able to pull it off.

-WICHITA STATE AT SMU (American).  Wichita State will likely end up as a protected seed if they’re able to finish the season strong.

-BOSTON COLLEGE AT MIAMI FL (ACC).  Miami is inside our bubble, but is far from being able to just mail it in.  They really don’t want to drop a game like this at home.

-LSU AT GEORGIA (SEC).  Both teams are outside our bubble and will really need a strong finish to the season and a good showing in the SEC Tournament in order to have any chance at all of making the field.

-OKLAHOMA STATE AT TEXAS (Big 12).  Texas is right on the bubble and really needs a win against an Oklahoma State team that is…well…also right on the bubble and also really needs a win.

-ILLINOIS STATE AT LOYOLA CHICAGO (Missouri Valley).  I don’t think Loyola can make the field without the auto-bid, but they’ll at least be on the board and will have somewhat of a case if they’re able to win out.

-VILLANOVA AT CREIGHTON (Big East).  Creighton is still in our field, but they’ve won just one div1 game this month, which was against DePaul, and they barely won.  Villanova is still solidly on the #1 line and is in the driver’s seat to once again finish in first place in the conference.

-USC AT UTAH (Pac Twelve).  This is a hugely important game between two bubble teams that need to finish strong in order to make the field.  A win today would be huge for either one of them.

-GEORGIA TECH AT CLEMSON (ACC).  Clemson is in a bit of a slump, but has a winnable game at home today that should allow them to pull themselves out of it.  They’ve had a great season and are still on pace to earn a protected seed if they finish strong.

-SOUTH CAROLINA AT MISSISSIPPI STATE (SEC).  Mississippi State is outside the bubble, but they’re definitely close enough to it to where they can reach if if they finish strong and win some big games in the SEC Tournament.

-VIRGINIA AT PITTSBURGH (ACC).  Virginia is on pace to end up as the overall #1 seed.

-TEXAS A&M AT VANDERBILT (SEC).  A win in this game won’t do a lot of good things for TAMU, but a loss will do a lot of bad things for them.

-KANSAS AT TEXAS TECH (Big 12).  A week ago I was talking about how Texas Tech could finish in first place and end up as a #1 seed.  Since then they’ve lost two games, but they’re still having a good year and this is still a huge game for them.  Kansas is actually on our #1 line at the moment, and will likely end up on the committee’s #1 line if they can finish strong.  Both these teams are virtual locks for protected seeds, so it should be a fun game.

-WASHINGTON AT CALIFORNIA (Pac Twelve).  Washington has played their way outside of our bubble and needs to avoid what would be a horrible loss in this game, win out, and then pick up some notable wins in the Pac Twelve Tournament.

-DUKE AT SYRACUSE (ACC).  Duke is on our #2 line and it’s not out of the question for them to sneak up on the #1 line, especially if they’re able to continue to add road wins to their resume.  Syracuse is just inside our bubble and needs some big wins in order to feel like they’re safely in.

-IOWA STATE AT WEST VIRGINIA (Big 12).  West Virginia’s chances of ending up as a protected seed are pretty strong.  They just need to hold serve the rest of the way.

-SANTA CLARA AT SAINT MARY’S (West Coast).  SMC will make the field so long as they avoid losing to bad teams.

-ARKANSAS AT ALABAMA (SEC).  Arkansas is still in our field, but they are slipping.  They really need a win in a game like this to get things turned back around.  Alabama has struggled on the road and was blasted by Auburn earlier in the week, but they’re still in relatively good shape.

-KANSAS STATE AT OKLAHOMA (Big 12).  The more the season goes on, the better K State has looked.  A win today would be another really nice win on their resume.  Oklahoma is going in the opposite direction and needs a win of any kind just to stop the bleeding.

-UAB AT MIDDLE TENNESSEE (Conference USA).  I’m guessing the committee is going to take Middle Tennessee if they win out, but fail to win the conference tournament.  But, I said that a year ago and they ended up as a #12 seed, which indicated the committee wouldn’t have taken them.

-OLD DOMINION AT WESTERN KENTUCKY (Conference USA).  WKU probably needs the automatic bid to make the field, but they should at least be on the board.  They shouldn’t overlook this Old Dominion team either.  Middle Tennessee and WKU have gotten most of the attention this year, but ODU is right there in the standings and are a very good team.

-GONZAGA AT BYU (West Coast).  If Gonzaga wins out, which they are certainly good enough to do, then I don’t see how the committee cannot give them a protected seed.

-ARIZONA STATE AT OREGON STATE (Pac Twelve).  Arizona State is coming off yet another in a game that many were expecting them to win and is looking to bounce back.  It may not be easy either.  This Oregon State team just took Arizona into overtime the other night.

-SAINT BONAVENTURE AT VCU (Atlantic Ten).  The Bonnies are right on the bubble.  The good news is that they should win out.  The bad news is that there are so many sub-NIT teams in their conference that it’s hard to say how much that’s actually going to help them.

-MISSOURI AT KENTUCKY (SEC).  Missouri got some fantastic news earlier this week in that Michael Porter Jr. is cleared to return before the end of the season.  Kentucky hasn’t done as well as what we’re used to seeing out of them, but they’re still a solid tournament team with a ton of talent.  Both teams should make the field, but both have room for improvement on their resumes so this is a big game.

-AUBURN AT FLORIDA (SEC).  We still have Auburn on our #2 line and they should stay there so long as they finish strong.  As for Florida it is impossible to determine on any given night what they are going to do.

-ARIZONA AT OREGON (Pac Twelve).  Arizona has struggled to get a lot of their wins, but they somehow manage to keep winning.  Oregon is nowhere near the bubble, but it can still be a very tough place to play

UNDER THE RADAR

-COLLEGE OF CHARELSTON AT WILLIAM & MARY (Colonial).  CofC clinches first place out right with a win.

-SAVANNAH STATE AT BETHUNE COOKMAN (MEAC).  Both of these teams are part of a three way tie for first place in the MEAC, so this game is big.

-UNC ASHEVILLE AT GARDNER WEBB (Big South).  UNC Asheville clinches first place outright and will host the conference tournament if they win today.

-NEW ORELANS AT NICHOLLS (Southland).  Nicholls has a one game lead with three games to go.

-SOUTH DAKOTA STATE AT FORT WAYNE (Summit League).  South Dakota State has already clinched first place.  The tournament is at a predetermined site, but it’s in South Dakota, so good for them.

-HARVARD AT PENN (Ivy League).  The two are tied in the standings, and there is a good chance this game will decide who finishes in first place.

-MURRAY STATE AT AUSTIN PEAY (Ohio Valley).  Murray State clinches first place with a win.  They’ve already clinched a bye into the semifinals of the OVC Tournament.

-LOUISIANA AT SOUTH ALABAMA (Sun Belt).  Louisiana clinches first place with a win in this one.

-UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Davis are all tied in the Big West standings with about three games to go.

-UMKC AT NEW MEXICO STATE (WAC).  New Mexico State clinches at least a share of first place with a win tonight.

-MONTANA STATE AT MONTANA (Big Sky).  Montana has just a one game lead in the conference standings over Weber State and needs to win at home against rival Montana in order to hold onto it.

Posted in Daily Rundown, News and Notes, Survival Board | Comments Off on News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Saturday, Feb 24th

Happy Tourney-versary!: HoopsHD interviews Longwood assistant coach Ron Bradley

Posted on February 23, 2018 by Jon Teitel

With the 2018 NCAA tourney tipping off next month, we will spend this month taking a walk down memory lane with a choice collection of coaches who are celebrating an awesome anniversary this year. From an upset of the top-ranked team in the country in the 1958 tourney (60th anniversary) through a 12 vs. 5 upset in the 2013 tourney (5th anniversary), these legends have all carved out a little piece of history in past Marches. We continue our series with former Radford head coach/current Longwood assistant coach Ron Bradley. After 8 years as an assistant at Maryland he became coach of the Highlanders in 1991 and had 11 straight seasons with a record of .500 or better in conference play before becoming an assistant at James Madison in 2002.  He joined Longwood coach Jayson Gee’s staff in 2016 and will try to help the Lancers win their opening game in the Big South Tournament on Tuesday night at 7PM ET. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Bradley about the 20th anniversary of the 1st NCAA tourney in Radford history and what it was like to coach Len Bias.

You played basketball for your father Carroll at Eastern Nazarene, where you scored 2500+PTS and were a 3-time NAIA All-American: what was it like playing for your dad, and what is the secret to being a great scorer? Well for 1 thing it helps to take a lot of shots! Since I was a coach’s son and because my father was a dorm parent on campus right across from the gym, I spent a lot of time in the gym with a basketball from a very young age. I really think it helps to be a great ball handler if you want to be a good scorer: it allowed me to get open to take shots, which was 1 of my strengths. As for playing for my father, it was a great experience and 1 that I still treasure to this day. My father remained very healthy and sharp well after retiring and loved to talk basketball all the time.

In the summer of 1972 you were selected by the New York Nets in the ABA draft as a junior-eligible: why did you declare for the draft after your junior year, and how close did you come to making the team? I had knee surgery after my 3rd year in college and did not recover enough to play during my 4th year so I sat out as a medical redshirt. That made me automatically eligible for the draft: I was selected by the Nets so I did not have to “declare”. They used the term “junior-eligible” for those in that situation. I declined the tryout and finished out my senior year.

In the 1980s you served as an assistant coach under Lefty Driesell at Maryland (along with fellow assistant Oliver Purnell): what made Lefty such a great coach? Coach Driesell had 2 strengths that I have always felt led to his ability to win so many games. The 1st was that he was a tireless recruiter: as a result he usually had good players. The 2nd thing was that he was obsessed with preparation: his teams were tremendously prepared for each and every game.

What are your memories of the 1984 ACC tourney final (tourney MVP Len Bias scored 26 PTS in a win over Duke after not being named to the All-ACC team)? I remember how Lenny improved/developed from the beginning of his freshman year to the end of his sophomore year. Early in his freshman year there was another freshman starting ahead of him, but gradually Lenny just kept getting better and better and it all came together for him in the ACC tourney that year (and obviously beyond). He became arguably the best player in the country during his senior year.

Take me through the 1984 NCAA tourney:
Herman Veal had 18 PTS/11 REB in a win over West Virgina (his career averages were only 7.2 PPG/6.2 RPG): how was Veal able to play his best when it mattered the most? Herman was a very tough and rugged player who was strong around the basket: he could get to the offensive boards and finish in traffic. With other great players around him like Bias/Adrian Branch/Ben Coleman, he did not always receive a lot of attention on the offensive end. That night he did a great job around the basket and even knocked down some jumpers.

Branch scored 19 PTS in a 2-PT loss to Illinois: how devastating was that loss, and what was the feeling like in your locker room afterwards? We played at Rupp Arena. The game following ours was the 1st time that Louisville and Kentucky had played each other in awhile so it was an exciting night. The game was played at a very high intensity level: a very athletic game with a lot of dunks. It was a great game but we felt as though we should have won. We had a great shot to go to the Final 4 so it was a very tough loss and a very difficult post-game locker room scene.

Take me through the 1985 NCAA tourney:
Ron Harper scored 26 PTS but had a crucial turnover at the end of regulation in a 1-PT OT loss by Miami (OH) in Ohio: how were you able to hang on for the win, and could you tell at the time that Harper was going to become a star? Harper was well on his way to being a great player and our entire scouting report was geared toward him but he still had a great night. I think he tired a little toward the end of the 2nd half and in OT, and due to our depth/physicality we were able to get by Miami.

David Robinson scored 22 PTS in a 5-PT win over Navy: where does Robinson rank among the greatest players that you have ever faced? Robinson was a great player and definitely in the top half-dozen we ever played (we played some great ones in the ACC: Michael Jordan, Sam Perkins, James Worthy, Ralph Sampson, Tim Duncan, etc.). Doug Wojcik was a pesky/intelligent player but we were just too deep/talented and eventually wore Navy down.

Branch scored 21 PTS in a 5-PT loss to eventual champion Villanova: did you get the sense that the Wildcats were going to win it all that year? No: I thought we should have beat Villanova. I did not anticipate they would win the title…but then again nobody envisioned them playing that near-perfect title game against Georgetown!

In the summer of 1986 Bias died from a cocaine overdose: what was your reaction when you heard the tragic news? The death of Bias was shocking/devastating. I was recruiting in Detroit that day and immediately flew back to College Park. It was a tragedy that I will never forget: I still have a poster of him in my office to this day.

In 1991 you became head coach at Radford and at the end of your 1st season you were named Big South COY: how were you able to come in and be so successful so quickly, and what did it mean to you to win such an outstanding honor? We had a really good group of players who were very resilient. We did not have a lot of size but were very scrappy. We came from behind to win several games and the team was dubbed the “Never-Say-Die-Landers” (Radford’s actual team is the “Highlanders”). It was a very fun/gratifying season.

In the 1998 Big South tourney final Kevin Robinson made a 14-foot jumper at the buzzer for a 2-PT win over UNC Asheville: how big a deal was it to win the 1st Big South tourney title in school history? It did not look very good for us early on (we trailed by 15 PTS only 10 minutes into the game) but we gradually came back behind the 3-PT shooting of Corey Reed, the inside dominance of our 3 big guys (Robinson/Ryan Charles/Eric Parker), and the play-making ability of Rian Everett. We took a 5-PT lead late but the Bulldogs came back to tie the game. We held for the last shot and Chibi Johnson drove from the point. Johnson missed his shot but Robinson rebounded it and hit the game-winner, setting off a wild celebration. Everett had been injured and was in the training room.  After we had been heading home on the bus for about 15 minutes someone said, “Hey, where’s ‘Shorty’ (Everett)?” It turned out that in all the excitement we had left him behind so we had to go back and get him! We all just had a great time enjoying the championship.

What are your memories of the 1998 NCAA tourney, the 1st in school history (Rashawn McLeod scored 23 PTS in 18 minutes in a win by Duke)? To be honest, we were over-matched from the beginning. 1 thing that I will always remember is that the game was played at Rupp Arena. Most of the fans in attendance were Kentucky fans who hated Duke so when we came out on the floor we got such a great welcome from that you would have thought we were the Wildcats ourselves! Also, my family surprised me by flying my mom/dad in for the game, which was a great experience for me and my entire family.

As associate head coach under Purnell at Clemson in the 2007 NIT you made it all the way to the title game before a 5-PT loss to West Virginia (Frank Young scored 24 PTS): how close did you come to winning the title? It was a hard-fought game and we defended well but never really solved their 1-3-1 zone defense.

What are your memories of the 2008 NCAA tourney (Scottie Reynolds scored 21 PTS in a 6-PT win by Villanova)? That was a very disappointing loss. We were up by 19 PTS in the 1st half as Villanova struggled against our pressure defense…but then we went cold and their guards got extremely hot as they came back to beat us.

In the 2009 NCAA tourney Trevor Booker had 18 PTS/11 REB in a 3-PT win by Michigan: were you getting sick of facing John Beilein in the postseason?! It was very similar to the 2007 NIT loss to Beilein’s West Virginia team (as he was now coaching the Wolverines). We struggled to score against their switching zones and got behind by quite a bit: we came back a bit at the end but time ran out on us.

What are your memories of the 2010 NCAA tourney (Demontez Stitt scored 21 PTS in an 8-PT loss to Missouri)? It was 2 teams playing pressure defense at a high intensity: their pressure defense was just a little bit better than ours that day.

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Under the Radar Game of the Day: Northern Kentucky at Illinois-Chicago

Posted on February 23, 2018 by Chad

Northern Kentucky at Illinois-Chicago, 8:00 PM Eastern, NBC Sportsnet Chicago Plus/espn3

The Flames of Illinois-Chicago still have a real shot at winning or sharing the Horizon League regular season championship, as they will be spending this final weekend of the year hosting the top two teams, Northern Kentucky and Wright State.  It starts tonight with a game against the Norse, a team that beat the Flames by 25 points back in December.  UIC has only lost two games since that one, and picked up a home win over Detroit last time out.  The Flames got a double-double from Jordan Blount in that win, plus 20 points each from Marcus Ottey and Dikembe Dixson.

NKU needs to win their last two games and hope that Wright State slips up at least once if they want to claim the top seed in the Horizon League Tournament, as Wright State holds the tie-breaker edge between the two teams.  The Norse did bounce back from their loss last Friday to the Raiders by defeating Youngstown State at home on Monday night.  Drew McDonald led the way in that win with 27 points and 12 rebounds.  Another big effort from McDonald and his teammates will be needed tonight to pick up the tough road win in Chicago and at least have a shot at the top seed heading into Sunday’s regular season finale.

OTHER NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:

-Seton Hall completed a big win at Providence after having to take about a 12hr break due to a wet floor.  It’s a nice road win for the Pirates.

-Utah continues to play well and get another step closer toward the bubble with their win over UCLA last night.  The Pac Twelve has about four bubble teams in it, which will make for a very high stakes conference tournament.

-UNC Asheville picked up a big home win over Winthrop, which puts them in the driver’s seat for first place and the right to host the Big South Tournament.

-Arizona State continues to be underwhelming.  They picked up another loss at Oregon last night.

-DAYTON AT RHODE ISLAND (Atlantic Ten).  Rhody should be able to skate into the top half of the bracket if they hold serve the rest of the way.

-WOFFORD AT EAST TENNESSEE STATE (SoCon).  ETSU can clinch at least a share of first place with a win tonight.

-DARTMOUTH AT PENN (Ivy).  Penn is locked into a first place battle with Harvard for tops in the Ivy League

-HARVARD AT PRINCETON (Ivy).  See above

-OHIO STATE AT INDIANA (Big Ten).  Ohio State can still finish atop the Big Ten, but they’ll probably need to win out through the B1G Tourney to end up as a protected seed.  Tonight’s road game won’t be easy.  Indiana can’t make the dance without the auto-bid, but they have improved throughout the season and are tough to be at home.

-MANHATTAN AT IONA (Metron Atlantic).  We love this Rivalry!!

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Hoops HD Bracket Rundown: February 22nd

Posted on February 23, 2018 by David Griggs

This show was recorded on Thursday, February 22nd and the seed lists were submitted at 7pm.  No games played on Thursday were factored in. 

Chad is joined by David and Jon and they reveal the latest Hoops HD Staff Bracket.  Six different people submitted seed lists that were then ranked cross country style, and they are revealed line by line on the show.  Each team is debated and discussed as they are placed into the bracket!

 

Below is our final bracket, but do not look at it until you watch the show!!

Our apologies to all of our radio lovers.  We are unable to provide an mp3 version of this week’s show

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Happy Tourney-versary!: HoopsHD interviews Hall of Fame coach Dale Brown

Posted on February 22, 2018 by Jon Teitel

With the 2018 NCAA tourney tipping off next month, we will spend this month taking a walk down memory lane with a choice collection of coaches who are celebrating an awesome anniversary this year. From an upset of the top-ranked team in the country in the 1958 tourney (60th anniversary) through a 12 vs. 5 upset in the 2013 tourney (5th anniversary), these legends have all carved out a little piece of history in past Marches. We continue our series with former LSU coach Dale Brown. He became coach of the Tigers in 1972 and retired 25 years later with 238 SEC wins (which trails only Adolph Rupp) and a pair of Final 4 appearances.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Brown about the 25th anniversary of losing a buzzer-beater to Jason Kidd as well as being a 2-time national COY.

As a senior at St. Leo’s High School in Minot, ND, you posted the highest scoring average in state basketball history, then became the only person to earn 12 varsity letters (in football/basketball/track) at Minot State Teacher’s College: what did it mean to you to be named 1 of the top 50 North Dakota athletes of the 20th century by Sports Illustrated? It meant a lot to me.  I love North Dakota and was dear friends with a lot of great people from our humble state: Lawrence Welk, Roger Maris, Lute Olson, etc.

You were nicknamed “The Master Motivator”: what was your secret for being able to motivate your players? When I was hired at Utah State to be their chief recruiter I tried to figure out the best way to recruit players. I told the parents I met that I was there to recruit their son as a student 1st and as a basketball player 2nd. When I coached I tried not to be evangelistic: I just spoke from my heart. I did not have any gimmick motivations: just true stories that I told to try to make people better. There is so much negativity in the world today so I tried each day to pass on a positive motivational message.

In February 1978 as head coach at LSU, Rudy Macklin scored 23 PTS (11-12 FG) in a 1-PT OT win over Kentucky: how on earth were you able to beat the eventual NCAA tourney champs after all 5 of your starters fouled out?! That was a turning point for LSU basketball. They say that records are made to be broken but that one will never be broken. At the postgame press conference I said that we no longer had “substitutes”: we had “reinforcements”! When I look back at that game I honestly never thought that we were not going to win.

In the 1981 NCAA tourney Jeff Lamp scored 25 PTS in a 4-PT win by Virginia in the last-ever 3rd-place game, which was delayed following the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan: did you feel that the game should have been delayed, and what did you tell your team to try and keep them focused? I told them the truth: it was the most meaningless game I have ever coached in my life. It was typical greed by the NCAA to have a 3rd-place game that was just for money: you notice that they do not have a 3rd-place game nowadays. I did not really want to play that game.

Take me through the 1986 NCAA tourney (where you became the 1st #11-seed to make the Final 4):
You had to overcome a variety of obstacles just to get to the tourney (injuries, academics, and even the chicken pox): what made your “Freak Defense” so effective? I coached at a very small school where the biggest guy on my team was 6’2”, and we got crushed by Williston High School and a huge center (and future NBA legend) they had named Phil Jackson . I read “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu and it inspired me to fool around with a bunch of different defenses: I figured our only chance of winning was via the art of deception. We would play different defenses based on where the offense would attack the basket, but it only works if you have guys with good heads on their shoulders. Someone asked Coach John Chaney about it 1 time and he said the only “freak” he ever saw was in an alley in Philly!

Each of your 5 starters scored in double-digits and played at least 44 minutes in a 7-PT 2-OT win over Purdue: how much of a home-court advantage did you have while playing in your own gym? The women still do it but I think it is absolutely ridiculous: it was a tremendous advantage. I think Purdue coach Gene Keady was the catalyst in getting tourney games changed to neutral sites.

Anthony Wilson scored 6 PTS including a bank shot at the buzzer in a 2-PT win over Memphis State: where does that rank among the most clutch shots that you have ever seen? A couple of years later Tiger Stadium hosted the famous “Earthquake Game” (LSU beat Auburn 7-6 in 1988 after QB Tommy Hodson completed an 11-yard TD pass to Eddie Fuller on 4th down in the final 2 minutes, and the resulting crowd reaction registered as an earthquake on a seismograph located in LSU’s Howe-Russell Geoscience Complex). I called our Assembly Center the “Death Dome”: people just roared after Anthony made his impossible shot.

Don Redden scored 15 PTS in a 2-PT win over #1-seed Kentucky: how were you able to beat the Wildcats after they had already beaten you 3 times in the previous 2 months? We used the “Freak Defense” quite often that night. Kenny Walker was really difficult to neutralize and had a great game but we just kept on believing.

In the 1987 NCAA tourney Dean Garrett had 17 PTS/15 REB in a 1-PT win by eventual-champion Indiana: did you think the refs called it fairly after Coach Bob Knight went nuts in the 1st half (the Hoosiers ended up with a 24-10 advantage at the FT line)? I was going to try to be Mr. Cool while Coach Knight was doing his thing (which was a major mistake on my part), but I really think it choked up the officials and the game was called differently from that point on.

In the 1988 NCAA tourney Charles Smith scored 10 PTS including a 30-footer off the glass at the buzzer in a 3-PT win by Georgetown: where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career? It looked like that shot was going over the backboard but instead it hit the top of the backboard and then swished through.  It was a heartbreaker but a stimulant to never forget how far our program has come.

In January 1989 Ricky Blanton made a layup at the buzzer in a 2-PT win over 2nd-ranked Georgetown in the Superdome: what was it like to win in front of the largest crowd at the time to ever watch a regular season basketball game (54,321 people)? It was the CBS game of the week. We had 5 players who did not qualify that year due to Prop 48 so we were really shorthanded. Ricky was probably one of our biggest players on the floor as we faced a pair of 7-footers in Alonzo Mourning/Dikembe Mutombo. CBS called me about canceling the game earlier that year because we were a 12-PT underdog but I told them that I did want them to do us any favors. I knew they were going to double-team Chris Jackson and somehow Blanton put it in at the end of the game.

In December 1991 Shaquille O’Neal had 43 PTS/19 REB/8 BLK as your team scored an SEC-record 159 PTS in a win over NAU: how did you recruit Shaq to Baton Rouge, and where does he rank among the greatest players you have ever seen? I met Shaq in Germany after I was talking with some of our troops and he asked me to show him some exercises. I thought that he was in the service but he grinned and told me that he was just 13 years old! I wrote him every week and he wrote me back after getting cut from his high school team. I told him to sincerely try to do his best and that God would eventually take care of things. He got better every single year from college to the pros: there was no decline in his game until he got hurt and he was easy to coach. I think that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton were 2 of the best college centers of all time.  I had both of them come to LSU and work out with Shaq for a few days.

In the 1993 NCAA tourney freshman Jason Kidd scored 16 PTS including a spinning layup with 1 second left in a 2-PT win by Cal: could you tell at the time that Kidd was going to become a superstar? I did not, although I recruited Kidd out of high school. We had the defense set up to stop him but he went right around everyone and made a magnificent play to win the game.

You were a 2-time national COY: what did it mean to you to win such outstanding honors? The 1st time they presented me the trophy on the court in Philly and I thought that if I could do it then anyone could do it.

You have been a long-time critic of the NCAA: what have they improved on in the 2 decades since you retired, and what do they need to keep working on in the future? I was a critic because I saw the monumental hypocrisy that they preached and how they legislated against human dignity. I sent in 40 or so suggested rule changes, many of which have since become part of the rule book. They investigated us for 4 years and they did not find anything we did wrong. How can you follow a 450-page rule book: it is almost as long as Obamacare! I am hoping that NCAA president Mark Emmert can be a beacon along a very dark path. Frank Deford once described the NCAA as the largest legal cartel in the world.

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News, Notes, Highlighted Games, and an Explanation on Where We’ve Been: Thursday, Feb 22nd

Posted on February 22, 2018 by David Griggs

NEWS AND NOTES

-Things are starting to get back to normal at Hoops HD.  We were hacked.  That’s why things have been rather crazy around here.  I want to apologize to anyone who was redirected to a website that they certainly didn’t intend to go to and also to anyone who attempted shared links to our content, and then had to deal with those who clicked on those links and were taken to a website that they did not want to go to.  There will likely continue to be changes in the next few days, and we will be slowly working to restore some of the content that was lost.  I particularly want to thank Galen Clavio from Crimson Cast who also works as our webmaster, and who went into all out Superman mode to try and get this resolved.

The people who contribute to this website all do a lot of work.  Whether it’s helping out with the daily write ups, or appearing on the podcasts, or calculating the rankings for all 351 div1 teams, or posting bracketology, or doing interviews, or any number of things, the amount of work that our contributors do for absolutely no other reason than that they enjoy doing it is astounding.  Because of that, you certainly hate when something like this happens and that they aren’t able to share their work.  This is not a business.  It’s more of a playground for a group of friends that really enjoy college basketball.  Some people play fantasy sports, or online video games, or Dungeons and Dragons, or whatever.  This website is what we do.  When someone comes and takes a dump in the middle of your playground it’s rather annoying, but we are doing our best to get it cleaned up and keep it cleaned up.

-Well, we aren’t the only ones that had a bad day.  Louisville had a worse one.  In about a 24 hour period they were stripped of a national title, an additional Final Four, five additional NCAA Tournament wins, and they were then completely dump trucked by Duke.  Louisville is squarely on the bubble, and right now I’d say their chances of getting in are less than fifty percent.  What’s worse is that depending on how this FBI stuff plays out, it may be a while before they’re eligible to be in the NCAA Tournament again.

-Seton Hall and Providence had their game postponed due to slick floor conditions that made the court unsafe.  They also play hockey in that building and the condensation on the floor made it too wet.  The game will be finished this afternoon.  Seton Hall leads by 9 early in the second half.

-Texas Tech, who I thought was a #1 seed caliber team, did not look like it at all yesterday.  It’s tough to win at Oklahoma State, but it is the kind of game you’d expect a protected seed, let alone a #1 seed, to be able to win most of the time.  They now fall back in the Big Twelve Standings and Kansas is still closer to winning it again.

-Virginia Tech picked up another nice win as they knocked off Clemson at home.  Clemson is still in good shape, but they have been on a bit of a slide.

-Penn State REALLY needed to beat Michigan at home last night.  Penn State did not beat Michigan at home last night.  It was a nice road win for the Wolverines, and it puts Penn State in a position where they probably need the auto-bid to make the field.

-People try and act like Georgia is a bubble team.  At times Georgia tries to act like Georgia is a bubble team.  They certainly didn’t look like it last night as they fell at South Carolina.

-TCU picked up a really nice and pivotal road win at Iowa State.  Their overall resume looks pretty good, and they are now 7-8 in a very tough Big 12 conference.

-It may be time for Texas to start sweating.  They fell to Kansas State yesterday and are now just 6-9 in Big 12 play and have a rather schizophrenic resume.

-Vermont clinched first place and home court advantage for the America East Tournament with their win over Binghamton.

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES

-PURDUE AT ILLINOIS (Big Ten).  Purdue is cruising toward a protected seed and should get it if they can hold serve in their last two regular season games.

-UCONN AT CINCINNATI (American).  Cincinnati had a rough week last week and has lost their last two, but relatively speaking they’re still in really good shape and will remain that way so long as they hold serve the rest of the way.

-GONZAGA AT SAN DIEGO (West Coast).  I think Gonzaga can end up as a protected seed if they win out, which they are certainly good enough to do.

-ARIZONA AT OREGON STATE (Pac Twelve).  This Arizona team is not without its deficiencies, but they are still really good overall and can still end up as a protected seed.  Hell, they’re good enough to win out through the Pac Twelve Tournament and cause some damage in the NCAAs after that.

-HOUSTON AT MEMPHIS (American).  Houston is in the rankings and moving further and further up our seed list.

-WASHINGTON AT STANDFORD (Pac Twelve).  Washington is outside our bubble, but could still end up making the field with a strong finish and showing in the Pac Twelve Tournament.

-UCLA AT UTAH (Pac Twelve).  This is a very bubblicious game for both teams.  Both need to come into this with a huge sense of urgency.

-PEPPERDINE AT SAINT MARY’S (West Coast).  SMC’s overall profile is weak.  They’ve only got one really good win, and that is the win at Gonzaga.  Still,they should cruise into the tournament if they’re able to win out.

-ARIZONA STATE AT OREGON (Pac Twelve).  Arizona State is relatively safe, but this would still be a nice game to win since it would look nice on their resume.

UNDER THE RADAR

-WINTHROP AT UNC ASHEVILLE (Big South).  This is a hugely important game as both teams are tied at the top of the Big South standings, and the first place team will host the conference tournament.

-SOUTH DAKOTA AT SOUTH DAKOTA STATE (Summit).  This one is big because first place is on the line, and big because it is a rivalry, but in the grand scheme of the things it doesn’t mean much on paper.  The conference tournament is at a predetermined site, which is fortunately in South Dakota, and it’s what happens in that tournament that matters.  But, it should be a fun game tonight!

-ELON AT CHARLESTON (Colonial). Charleston is getting closer and closer to clinching first place in the Colonial.

-RIDER AT MONMOUTH (Metro Atlantic).  Rider can clinch at least a share of first place with a win tonight.

-OLD DOMINION AT MARSHALL (Conference USA).  Middle Tennessee has gotten most of the accolades from CUSA this year, and Western Kentucky has gotten all of the rest, but Old Dominion has had a very good season as well and still has a shot at ending up in first place.

-LOUISIANA AT TROY (Sun Belt).  Louisiana can clinch at least a share of first place with a win tonight.

-MURRAY STATE AT EASTERN ILLINOIS (Ohio Valley).  Murray is locked in to a first place tie with Belmont.  Both have already earned byes into the semis of the conference tournament.

-BELMONT AT JACKSONVILLE STATE (Ohio Valley)(.  Belmont is locked into a first place tie with Murray.  Both have already earned double byes into the semis of the conference tournament.

-CHICAGO STATE AT NEW MEXICO STATE (WAC).  New Mexico State will need the auto bid to make the field, but their next two games are winnable and they’ll clinch first place if they can pick both of them up.

-UC SANTA BARBARA AT UC IRVINE (Big West).  UCSB is coming off a rather surprisingly decisive home loss to UC Davis, but is still in first place by a game.

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