Ostensibly Hoops

[Jungle Rat]

I like Cal. He's living the good life. He's got the best job in college basketball and he knows it. I don't think his ego can do any better.

[C MAC]

Hello, have I missed anything the past 6 weeks?

[TheBigMook]

A jewish Senator named Wang kept flashing his cockandballs all over the place. I think... I haven't been paying that much attention myself.

[onion eyed gudgeon]

Personally, I see nothing wrong with this:

http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/sp ... _over.html

heh !

[hedge]

From the Twitterverse....

@WojYahooNBA (Adrian Wojnarowski)
An NBA scout gushing over UNC's Harrison Barnes battling KDurant at Chicago camp last night. "Top pick in the next draft -- by far," he says

[Bluecat]

No shit, Hedge. Barnes would have been the top pick in this year's draft...

[hedge]

We will whip UK by 15+ in Rupp this year. Fucking slaughter...

[AugustWest]

No shit, Hedge. Barnes would have been the top pick in this year's draft...

assuming there is an NBA next year. With 22 of 30 teams losing money you have to assume the salary cap and therefore salaries will be lower under the new agreement which makes you wonder why the number 1 pick in the draft would opt to return to school for another year and give up potentially millions of dollars to be next years #1 draft pick. Andrew Luck did it because his dad is a dumbass. I wonder what Barnes' reason is.

[Saint]

duh, because he'll make more in Chapel Hill next year than in the NBA. I thought you were a good State fan. Why do I have to explain what the answer to that question is?

[AugustWest]

duh, because he'll make more in Chapel Hill next year than in the NBA. I thought you were a good State fan. Why do I have to explain what the answer to that question is?

like your football players that dropped two or three rounds in the draft for $27k in illegal benefits? or are you saying that number isnt correct.

[AugustWest]

Stu, you dont really believe UNc is paying 10 to 15 athletes a couple million each to stay in school an extra year do you?

[T Dot O Dot]

I'm pretty sure if Barnes had left school this year he still would not be able to officially sign with his team until the new CBA is in

[Bluecat]

Anybody else change the channel before Paterno or K* could open their zombie mouths? What a crock of shit. I'm surprised the ESPN talking head remembered to remove his knee pads before taking the stage...

[Jungle Rat]

No. I was just reading about this Capitol One Cup stuff. Seems interesting

[Jungle Rat]

So the Gators won the Capital One Championship? Nothing to see here. Move along.

[Ron Mexico]

Anybody else change the channel before Paterno or K* could open their zombie mouths? What a crock of shit. I'm surprised the ESPN talking head remembered to remove his knee pads before taking the stage...

Yes, I'm not sure how I stumbled across the start of that nonsense but my initial thought was that someone was playing a joke by coming up with the least appealing sports-related program possible for that timeslot.

[Jungle Rat]

I think Mexico is.drunk. Again.

[The Anti k*]

Anybody else change the channel before Paterno or K* could open their zombie mouths? What a crock of shit. I'm surprised the ESPN talking head remembered to remove his knee pads before taking the stage...

It's always good to know that there's at least one other fanbase out there who can smell rat k*rzyt when they smell it. I swear to you, Blue, k*rzythead is setting himself up to be the Czar of Basketball when he retires from dook*. It absolutely sickens me that he's using forums like this with Joe Pa, then "graciously" sharing the Naismith Sportsmanship (using k*rzythead and the word sportsmanship together should be a crime punishable by a Singapore-style caning) award with Dean Smith to make himself appear as an elder statesman. Just watch, he'll break Knight's record this year, then pull out all the stops to go for a 5th title to pass Rupp. And then, he'll assume this position that Jay Bilas keeps campaigning for on ESPN.

[Owlman]

FOne guy's opinion

[codehttp://insider.espn.go.com/ncb/insider/news/story?id=6639518][/code]

10. Gonzaga
In 7-footer Robert Sacre and 6-foot-8 Elias Harris, Bulldogs coach Mark Few has two veterans who throw their weight around on both sides of the ball. As a bonus, they are excellent from the stripe. Last season, Sacre and Harris shot a combined 80 percent at the line, which was good news for Gonzaga fans because, on average, the duo drew more than seven fouls for every 40 minutes they played together. Both are solid (if not spectacular) on the defensive glass, and Sacre in particular is a good offensive rebounder. Sacre can be erratic with his shooting, and made less than half of his two-point attempts last year, which is unusual for a 7-footer. But his shot-blocking and ability to get to the line (not to mention the 55 percent 2-point shooting the Zags get from Harris) more than offset the occasional miss.

9. Minnesota
Trevor Mbakwe might be the most productive player you didn't pay any attention to last year. All he did as a junior was make 58 percent of his 2-point tries and pull down 26 percent of opponents' missed shots during his minutes. Plus he stays out of foul trouble while drawing an average of six whistles per 40 minutes on the other team. If he could just make free throws (he shoots 63 percent at the line) his kenpom efficiency rating would set tongues a wagging. Not that Mbakwe's a one-man frontcourt in the Twin Cities. Ralph Sampson's an excellent shot-blocker, one who swats and alters shots without committing many fouls. Even with Colton Iverson's transfer to Colorado State, Tubby Smith still has a formidable frontcourt on hand.

8. Connecticut
When it comes to big men and the reigning national champions, the whole is most definitely more than the sum of its parts. Not to revisit ancient history, but in 80 minutes of basketball played at the Final Four in April, Jim Calhoun's team held Kentucky and Butler to 15-of-66 shooting (23 percent) on their 2-point attempts. Not all of that was the doing of the frontcourt, of course, but then again, having Alex Oriakhi on hand, along with cameo appearances by Charles Okwandu, certainly helped those numbers along. As a sophomore, the 6-foot-9 Oriakhi was a role player on offense, one who usually "created his own shot" simply by pulling down an offensive rebound. Now that Kemba Walker has moved on to the next level, you may hear talk about Oriakhi taking on a larger role. But if the big guy continues to dominate the offensive glass and deny the paint to opposing offenses, his job description will be pretty substantial as-is. Also note that this week highly rated 6-foot-8 wing DeAndre Daniels announced that he'll be joining the UConn frontcourt in the fall.

7. Alabama
While we're on the subject of outstanding 2-point defense, consider Alabama. You didn't hear a lot about the Crimson Tide last season -- they didn't even make the newly expanded 68-team NCAA tournament field -- but Anthony Grant's team held SEC opponents to 42 percent shooting from inside the arc. Give 6-foot-8 JaMychal Green and 6-foot-6 Tony Mitchell their fair share of the credit: This was far and away the best defense in the conference (allowing just 0.92 points per possession in league play). Green, who's the Tide's best rebounder at both ends of the floor, draws an average of six fouls per 40 minutes and shoots a respectable 74 percent at the line. Meanwhile, Mitchell get his points largely from the field, draining 58 percent of his 2-point attempts.

6. UCLA
Here's one indicator of a strong frontcourt. Your leading scorer and rebounder from the previous year is returning, and your coach is saying that in the upcoming season the team is going to feed the big man -- but he's not talking about last year's leading scorer and rebounder. Meet the Bruins. Last season, Reeves Nelson scored more points and pulled down more boards than any UCLA player, but when Ben Howland talks about surrounding a big man with four more perimeter-oriented players in 2011-12, he is talking about Joshua Smith. Take it from Howland: "The only other player we've had like him was Kevin [Love]." That is some very high praise, but if the 300-pound Smith can log enough minutes, he may just earn the comparison. Smith and Nelson will be joined this season by Travis and David Wear, who are eligible after transferring from North Carolina.

5. Vanderbilt
For a 6-foot-11 shot-blocker surrounded by the likes of Jeffery Taylor and John Jenkins, Festus Ezeli plays a surprisingly large role in the Commodores' offense. True, it's a role that comes and goes, as Ezeli struggles to stay out of foul trouble. But when he's on the floor (23 minutes a game) he commands the attention of opposing defenses, often by pulling down an offensive board and/or drawing a foul. In other words, feel free to be impressed by Ezeli's 59 percent 2-point shooting, because it came while he functioned as something like a co-featured scorer alongside Taylor. Speaking of Taylor, his 2-point accuracy's declined in each of his three seasons, but the 6-foot-7 wing is nevertheless adept at drawing both attention and fouls.

4. Baylor
If you're looking for a big man who's going to make a big leap in scoring average in 2011-12, you could do worse than Perry Jones. As a freshman, the 6-foot-10 Jones could function as a supporting player while LaceDarius Dunn took the bulk of the shots in the Bears' offense. But now Dunn's gone and it's time for Jones to show what he can do as the proverbial Man. If last year's 56 percent accuracy from inside the arc is any indication, Jones should do just fine (once he sits out an NCAA-mandated five games due to loans his mother received from an AAU coach). Throw in 6-foot-9 freshman sensation-in-waiting Quincy Miller, not to mention veterans like Quincy Acy and Anthony Jones, and fans in Waco may well be treated to a special season.

3. Kentucky
Expectations can be misguided, of course, but right now very big things are anticipated from Anthony Davis. The 6-foot-10 freshman from Chicago is billed as an athletic and dominant big man, one who could hear his name called as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft. And, depending on how you classify freshman wing Michael Gilchrist, Davis may have some competition for the honor of top UK frontcourt freshman. One more thing: Did I mention Terrence Jones is back? After mulling his options, the 6-foot-8 sophomore-to-be decided to play another season of college ball. Jones missed his share of shots last year, but for a freshman functioning as his team's co-featured scorer (along with the now-departed Brandon Knight), his body of work suggests very good things to come. This projects to be one loaded frontcourt.

2. Ohio State
For the purposes of these rankings, I'm defining the Ohio State frontcourt as Jared Sullinger, period. To be sure, Thad Matta has a 6-foot-10 McDonald's All-American joining the roster this fall (hard to believe, I know), and I'm sure Amir Williams will be a fine player. But I'm already on the record as believing that Sullinger is poised to do some very special things as a sophomore. Simply put, I'm not sure we've seen a player this good not enter the draft in recent years. The closest examples would be Blake Griffin and DeJuan Blair as freshmen, and of the three, Sullinger arguably has the best numbers as a first-year performer. To repeat what I said about Sullinger a few weeks ago: "For a freshman to log this many minutes, stay out of foul trouble, make 70 percent of his free throws, take care of the ball and dominate the boards at both ends of the floor is very rare." Assuming that Sullinger's teammates can keep opposing defenses honest, I'm really looking forward to seeing just how much damage the big guy can do as a sophomore.

1. North Carolina
I know you expected me to rank the Tar Heels' frontcourt No. 1, and sure enough, here they are. After all, a trio comprised of Harrison Barnes, Tyler Zeller, and John Henson gives Roy Williams what can only be termed a ridiculous embarrassment of riches. But here's a fun fact. How many of those guys made first-team All-ACC last year? Answer: none. Zero! That ACC must have been one talented conference in 2010-11. While it's true Barnes is currently refining his backcourt skills, I'll lump him in with the big guys here simply because opposing coaches have to think that way. Any team that plays Carolina has to figure out how to guard the 7-foot Zeller, the 6-foot-10 Henson, and the 6-foot-8 Barnes. (Good luck.) All of the above will be joined by McDonald's All-American James Michael McAdoo. (And remember, the name really is James Michael McAdoo.)

Coming next week: top 10 backcourts for 2011-12. See you then.

[Owlman]

And now the backcourts

Code: Select all

http://insider.espn.go.com/ncb/tournament/2011/insider/news/story?id=6663452

10. Wisconsin
Jordan Taylor might see his kenpom.com efficiency ranking dip this season, now that Jon Leuer no longer is around to draw the attention of opposing defenses. Then again, a pure shooter who carries the responsibilities of a point guard, sprays assists and gets to the line is a rare quantity, to say the very least. Not to mention that Taylor's biggest play of the season (his block on Jacob Pullen's would-be tying shot in the closing moments of the Badgers' win over Kansas State in the NCAA tournament) might have come on defense. Bo Ryan, give this man some help.

9. Pittsburgh
Pitt's backcourt has bid farewell to Brad Wanamaker, but it still has Ashton Gibbs for one more season. The 6-foot-2 senior is a career 44 percent 3-point shooter. Considering a lot of those makes have come against Big East defenses while Gibbs has functioned as his team's star player, that is a remarkable figure. Jamie Dixon, give this man some help.

8. Xavier
I trust freshman point guard Dee Davis will be every bit as good as advertised for the Musketeers this season, but Chris Mack's backcourt is on this list because of Tu Holloway. At first glance, Holloway might not be what you would call drop-dead accurate from the field -- last season, he made less than half his 2s and 35 percent of his 3s -- but keep in mind he was a scoring point guard who played almost 95 percent of his team's minutes. Besides, who says the only place you can score is from the field? Holloway excels at getting to the line, where he's a career 85 percent shooter. He was the driving force behind a Xavier offense that scored an outstanding 1.17 points per possession against the A-10 last season. In other words, Holloway deserved that third-team All-American nod -- if not more.

7. Washington
Even with Isaiah Thomas choosing to put his name in for the NBA draft, the Huskies will still have a full contingent of wings returning to Seattle this fall. Of course, whether a wing is a "true" backcourt player is open to discussion, but given that both Scott Suggs and 2011 Pac-10 All-Freshman selection C.J. Wilcox attempted many more 3s than 2s, I'll put them here. (If you also count the somewhat less 3-centric Terrence Ross as a member of the UW "backcourt," then bump the Huskies up a place or two on this list.) Throw in Abdul Gaddy, who missed all but 13 games as a sophomore last season, and freshman point guard Tony Wroten (a Seattle prospect so good that, when he didn't make the McDonald's All-American team, it was termed a snub), and coach Lorenzo Romar should have more than enough backcourt weapons to face the post-Isaiah era with confidence.

6. Missouri
In the wake of coach Mike Anderson's move from Missouri to Arkansas, there were a few observers on hand in Columbia who said "good riddance," on the grounds that the Tigers' offense allegedly had appeared "sloppy" and/or "disorganized" anyway. Those observers must have been watching a different Marcus Denmon than the one I saw last season. To put it as succinctly as I can, the man's shots seemed to almost always go in (he made 45 percent of his 3s and 54 percent of his 2s) and he almost never committed turnovers (he gave the ball away just 32 times all season even though he was, easily, Mizzou's leading scorer). I call that clean and organized. I suspect new coach Frank Haith is delighted to have Denmon and 6-1 junior point guard Michael Dixon in his backcourt, not to mention 6-6 senior Kim English on the wing.

5. North Carolina
I have called Kendall Marshall "the proverbial player who simply makes his teammates better," and what took place last season bears repeating. Before Marshall was inserted into the Tar Heels' starting lineup Jan. 18, Carolina's offense was struggling. Conversely, with Marshall on the floor for the opening tip, Roy Williams' team scored 1.09 points per trip for the rest of the ACC regular season. Not all of that was thanks to Marshall, of course -- Harrison Barnes was steadily improving throughout the season -- but it does seem to have been something more than a coincidence. This season, assist monster Marshall will be joined by Leslie McDonald, Dexter Strickland and McDonald's All-American shooting guard P.J. Hairston.

4. Ohio State
On a team on which Jon Diebler was shooting 50 percent on his 3s, it was tough to stand out in terms of perimeter excellence. Yet we shouldn't overlook William Buford, who shot 44 percent from outside the arc last season and did so while carrying a much larger load on offense than Diebler's. As for Aaron Craft, as a freshman he was nominally the sixth man for the Buckeyes but actually played many more minutes than starter Dallas Lauderdale. In truth, Thad Matta won 34 games with Buford, Craft, Diebler, Jared Sullinger and David Lighty on the floor for much of the time. Craft was the only Big Ten player whose selection to the league's all-defensive team was unanimous. True, the last time you saw Craft, Kentucky's Brandon Knight was hitting the game winner over him in the Sweet 16. I'm guessing Craft remembers that, too. Also in Columbus this fall will be McDonald's All-American Shannon Scott, a 6-2 point guard who will try to crack Matta's notoriously tight rotation.

3. Kentucky
I thought Doron Lamb was a bit overlooked in Lexington last season. He's obviously an outstanding pure shooter, and you probably know he made 49 percent of his 3s as a freshman. (Question: if you're an elite 3-point shooter in high school and you're fortunate enough to receive an offer from Kentucky, why in the world would you go anywhere else? You know that, year after year, Calipari is going to surround you with more than enough talent to give you open looks all season.) But did you know Lamb actually shot more 2s than 3s -- and made more than half of those attempts inside the arc? Don't let it be said that Lamb is "just" a 3-point shooter. (Ha. As if Calipari wouldn't have given anything for one of those in the 2010 Elite Eight.) Speaking of being surrounded with talent, Lamb will welcome point guard Marquis Teague and wing Michael Gilchrist to UK this season. Both are McDonald's All-Americans.

2. Duke
Depending who's doing the rating, 6-5 freshman combo guard Austin Rivers is either the top recruit in the nation or a close second behind Kentucky freshman big man Anthony Davis. (Both of whom, by the way, are projected as lottery picks in the 2012 NBA draft). In either case, Duke is happy to have Rivers, not to mention his classmates: 6-6 wing Michael Gbinije and 6-0 point guard Quinn Cook. Add in veteran shooters Seth Curry and Andre Dawkins (the duo shot a combined 43 percent on 3s last season), and you can see why Mike Krzyzewski says his team will have "very good talent" and "good depth," even with the departures of Nolan Smith, Kyle Singler and Kyrie Irving.

1. Florida
Last season, Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton were the leading scorers on an underrated Gators team that scored 1.12 points per possession against the SEC and came within an overtime period of making the Final Four. Both players are back in Gainesville this season. Walker almost single-handedly willed Billy Donovan's team to the win over UCLA in the NCAA tournament's round of 32. Boynton's 3-point shooting (33 percent last season) still isn't where it "should" be for an 82 percent free throw shooter, but perhaps the junior can draw inspiration from former Ohio State perimeter ace Jon Diebler. After all, both Boynton and Diebler started their college careers making just 29 percent of their attempts from beyond the arc as freshmen. This season, Boynton and Walker will be joined by transfer Mike Rosario (who averaged 16.4 ppg in two years at Rutgers) and 6-3 shooting guard Bradley Beal, who stands a fair chance of someday being the first freshman on this list to hear his name called out by David Stern. (Beal's competition for this honor may well come from Austin Rivers, Anthony Davis and Michael Gilchrist.)