The Committee has spoken. The deities that rule March have released the brackets that will hog water cooler discussion for the foreseeable future. Pick wisely – there’s $1 billion at stake.
Tag Archives: basketball
VIDEO: Lansing Everett defeats Holt on buzzer-beating layup
HOLT’S 28-POINT COMEBACK FALLS SHORT IN LAST-SECOND LOSS TO LANSING EVERETT
By Ethan Merrill
Holt Journal staff writer
(2/4/14)
HOLT, Mich. — The Holt Rams boys basketball team experienced a medley of emotions Tuesday night. Lansing Everett guard Devon Hudson hit the game-winning layup as time expired, negating the Rams’ furious 28-point comeback in the second half. The final score was 75-73.
A flurry of 3-pointers down the stretch for Holt was completed by Colin Jones’ shot from behind the arc with 30 seconds remaining in the game. The 6’3’’ senior led all scorers on the night, pouring in 28 points for the home team. Seventeen of those came in the fourth quarter.
For Everett, the scoring was more dispersed. Junior guards Deshae Doll and Devon Hudson, contributed 19 points each. Hudson’s identical twin Dequan scored 18.
The Rams (10-3) struggled early, and found themselves in an unfamiliar hole to the visiting Vikings (3-7). Everett led 43-15 in the second quarter, their largest lead of the night. Holt’s sloppy first-half play rendered the home crowd mute at many points, which allowed the Vikings’ crowd to supply the noise in the gymnasium.
“Missed free throws and turnovers were the main reason we were down so much at halftime,” said Rams assistant coach Russ Olcheske. “That was what we talked about fixing (in the locker room).”
The Rams immediately came charging back after halftime. The team with four senior starters began to display their experience, cutting the deficit to 15 about midway through the third quarter. This brought life back into the bench and the fans. However, the Vikings still managed to maintain a 21-point lead at the end of the third quarter.
Jones 3-pointer brought the Rams within 13 after a sluggish start to the fourth quarter, and again there was hope. The momentum was beginning to swing, and an increasingly confident Holt team cut the Vikings lead to 10 with 3:20 left. Lansing Everett head coach Desmond Ferguson was visibly upset on the sideline, calling two timeouts down the stretch to calm his team down.
Both teams scratched and clawed down the stretch, as the Everett lead was never surrendered – nor larger than three points. Two missed free throws for the Vikings with 49 seconds left proved vital for the completion of the Rams comeback. Jones final 3-ball promptly tied the game, and gave Everett the ball back with 30 seconds left.
The Vikings did not hold the ball for long, turning it over to Holt and again firing up most of the building. Senior guard Don’Quall Jackson hurriedly brought the ball up for the Rams with 12 seconds remaining, and drove to the left side of the key. The contact he drew on his layup attempt was ignored, his shot attempt was blocked, and the Vikings’ senior forward Xavier Couthen reclaimed the ball with 5 seconds left.
His timely outlet pass to Devon Hudson on the right side of the court would prove be to the dagger in the Rams’ heart. Hudson found no Holt defender on his path to the rim, dropping the ball into the basketball with ease as time expired.
Still, the Rams can take solace in such a large comeback. Their much-improved second-half play was instrumental to the dramatic flair this game provided on a cold February night.
“The biggest difference in the second half, for us, was playing with the sort of intensity we have been all year,” said Olcheske. “We played much harder, and that’s why we were in the position we were at the end.”
Holt remains in second place in the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue, with five games on the regular season schedule. They host East Lansing High School on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Lansing Everett will travel to Lansing Eastern on Friday, also scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m.
2013 College Basketball Pre-Season Top 10
Next week brings the start of most Division 1 basketball teams’ journey to keep playing in March; and for the big dreamers – April. The winding, often treacherous regular season is merely a precursor to the ultimate real-life drama that captivates America every spring. It gives us a good idea about who will be there in the end, if only because the NCAA Selection Committee says so. The controversial decisions and questionable “consistency” throughout the years has always taken a back seat to the compelling product from the Committee’s concoction of teams.
This season promises such a scenario, and it would be wise to buckle in before things get REAL crazy. The best part about compiling a pre-season top 10 list is knowing how easy it will be to dissect – or rip to shreds – when the confetti falls at Cowboy Stadium.
One last thing; if there’s one regular season game you watch all year, have it be the Kentucky/Michigan State heavyweight fight – don’t worry, no pay-per-view – on November 12th, at the United Center in Chicago. A March-like atmosphere is certain, as my #1 and #2 teams square off.
Pre-Season Top 10 Rankings
1. Kentucky Wildcats
All biases aside, it’s too hard to not conclude that the Cats are the team most fit to come out on top next March. And really, that’s all these rankings are. Past performance of teams that have played together before obviously are considerable factors, but once in a while talent completely overwhelms experience. We saw it in John Calipari’s team from 2011-12, and it’s not unrealistic to expect similar results from the ’13-14 version.
Three freshmen that will be important to the Wildcats’ hope to win two National Championships in three years – (L to R) Aaron Harrison, James Young, and Andrew Harrison
“Recruiting” is probably the first word you associate with John Calipari that you would repeat to your mother. Outside of Big Blue nation, the coach has a rocky relationship with basketball fans. This year’s freshman class will do nothing to heal those wounds, as it contains six McDonald’s All-Americans – and the #2, #5, #7, #9, #11 and #19 ranked newcomers, according to Rivals.com. The name you should get familiar with by the end of the season will be Julius Randle, who just might challenge a certain other ‘K’ school’s freshman for a Wooden Award.
Returning Starters:
C – #15 Willie Cauley-Stein, sophomore (23.6 MPG, 8.3 PPG, 6.2 RPG)
SF – #22 Alex Poytheress, sophomore (25.8 MPG, 11.2 PPG, 6.0 RPG)
Notable Newcomers:
F – Julius Randle (#2 ranked player on Rivals.com)
G – Andrew Harrison (#5 ranked player)
G – Aaron Harrison (#7 ranked player)
C – Dakari Johnson (#9 ranked player)
F – James Young (#11 ranked player)
F – Marcus Lee (#19 ranked player)
2. Michigan State Spartans
The hype surrounding Tom Izzo’s team has surpassed any of recent memory. It feels like there’s a “Final Four or bust” type mentality on East Lansing’s campus, and for good reason. Unlike Calipari’s Cats, the Spartans are generating most of their expectation from players that have already proven they can play excellent basketball at the D1 level.
Two of those players nearly ended up on NBA rosters earlier this spring. The frontcourt welcomes back senior Adreian Payne, who is unfairly athletic for a man of his size. His game is ever-expanding, and it would not be a surprise if he is one of the most dominating players in college basketball by the end of the season. Meanwhile, the backcourt will return scoring sensation Gary Harris, who will have to be either severely disappointed – or hungry for a championship – if he’s back on campus next year as a junior.
Adreian Payne (left) and Gary Harris (right) will again be key contributors to a strong Spartans squad.
They will be surrounded by other players of deft experience, like point guard Keith Appling, hybrid/ultra-athlete Brendan Dawson, and wingman Denzel Valentine. Those are all players who had significant roles on last year’s team, but will be expected to make even more progress this season. It will be them who may be the difference for a team that is certainly capable of imposing it’s will all the way to the National Championship.
Returning Starters:
F/C – #5 Adreian Payne, senior (25.6 MPG, 10.5 PPG, 7.6 RPG)
F – #22 Brendan Dawson, junior (26.9 MPG, 8.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG)
G – #11 Keith Appling, senior (33.6 MPG, 13.4 PPG, 3.3 APG)
Notable Newcomers:
F – Gavin Schilling (#115 ranked player)
3. Louisville Cardinals
The defending champs return quite a bit of their contributions from last year. Three starters return, and a couple key bench players do as well. The team’s lightning rod leader will again be Russ Smith, one of the quickest and most exciting players in college basketball. Wayne Blackshear and Chane Behanan are great options at the wings, and March/April hero Luke Hancock will have an expanded role after his brilliant coming out party.
The always eclectic Russ Smith will be eager to keep the National Title trophy in Louisville.
Repeating is not easy in any sport, and maybe more so in college basketball. The only teams since 1973 to repeat as champions are Duke, and Florida. Rick Pitino’s squad has the makeup of a team that could do it, but may ultimately fall short because of an influx of talent that resides with their in-state rivals.
Returning Starters:
F – #21 Chane Behanan, junior (26.1 MPG, 9.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG)
G/F – #20 Wayne Blackshear, junior (20.1 MPG, 7.6 PPG, 3.1 RPG)
G – #2 Russ Smith (30.3 MPG, 18.7 PPG, 2.9 APG)
Notable Newcomers:
G – Chris Jones (JUCO transfer)
G – Anton Gill (#50 ranked player on Rivals.com)
4. Kansas Jayhawks
Lawrence, Kansas is the newest home to arguably the top basketball prospect in the world. Andrew Wiggins has that much pressure on his shoulders, and maybe then some with “LeBron James” comparisons buzzing around. It’s unfair to expect as much at this point, but it’s clear his talents carry the capability of potentially being a transcendent player. Instead of reading more of me gushing over Wiggins, you can watch this video for an idea of what he does with a basketball.
One player, of course, doesn’t guarantee any success in March. It’s a good thing the Jayhawks are loaded elsewhere. Memphis transfer Tarik Black adds depth to a frontcourt that already includes breakout-ready Perry Ellis, and freshman Joel Embiid – who will likely be contributing by the end of the season. Wayne Selden is another exciting recruit for Kansas’ backcourt. Bill Self’s team has at least been in the discussion at the end of the year – for better or worse, because of some early upsets – and it’s unwise to expect otherwise for the short time they have a talent like Wiggins on their roster.
Returning Starters:
None
Notable Newcomers:
G/F – Andrew Wiggins (#1 ranked player)
G – Wayne Selden (#12 ranked player)
F – Tarik Black, senior (Memphis transfer)
C – Joel Embiid (#25 ranked player)
5. Arizona Wildcats
The “other” Wildcats are finally in a place where they can be confident in contending for Final Fours each March. Head coach Sean Miller has instilled the same high expectations that he brought with him from Xavier – a school with infinitely less resources. The Pac-12 conference should be Arizona’s to lose this season, even with some key departures in their lineup.
Freshman Aaron Gordon has been praised for his unusual maturity coming out of high school.
Freshman Aaron Gordon isn’t the sole reason that hype in Tucson has exceeded all previous years under Miller, but he’s a huge part of it. All-Pac 12 seniors Solomon Hill, and Mark Lyons graduated, yet the 2013-14 roster still looks more formidable with Gordon manning down a forward position. The superlative frosh has been described as a “slashing, up-tempo transition player”, and his competitiveness has been the talk of Fall practices. Shooting guard Nick Johnson will play an important role in the Cats hunt for wins in March – but their ultimate success will be contingent on Gordon’s ability to transition to the college game.
Returning Starters:
F – #21 Brandon Ashley, sophomore (20.5 MPG, 7.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG)
G – #13 Nick Johnson, junior (31.4 MPG, 11.5 PPG, 3.2 APG)
C – #35 Kaleb Tarczewski, sophomore (22.0 MPG, 6.6 PPG, 6.1 RPG)
Notable Newcomers
F – Aaron Gordon (#3 ranked player)
F – Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (#21 ranked player)
G – T.J. McConnell, junior (Duquesne transfer)
The Contenders:
6. Duke Blue Devils
7. Oklahoma State Cowboys
8. Syracuse Orange
9. Florida Gators
10. Michigan Wolverines
Taking Charge: A Mini-Rant
I have never seen a tournament with so many shitty charging calls. All these players flopping every single time someone comes into the lane is starting to ruin the game.
I don’t care if a player was in the restricted area or not, there often is not enough contact to send him flying back like we see so often, and that’s what referees need to start recognizing. I’ve seen that same shit so many times this year, and it’s getting ridiculous.
“Taking charges” became glorified as a scrappy play in recent years, and now it’s totally over-saturated in the college game. Get your hands up and make a fucking play on the ball instead.
NCAA “Blind Brackets”
Still struggling to make your picks? Trying to fight an urge to oust your least favorite #1 seed in the first round like I am? Wall Street Journal offers this interactive “blind” bracket that lays out each team’s qualities with one twist – they go unnamed. After making your choices, it reveals the names of the anonymous schools. This makes selecting a winner much more objective, and free of the biases that plague many bracket participators. It’s a great tool for those serious about winning their bracket pools. Check it out.
Printable NCAA Tournament Bracket
At the very least this will be for personal reference so I don’t have to search again in the morning. I encourage the miniscule amount of people that see this to print out a bracket, and try your best. Anybody can get lucky with their brackets, as proven by my buddy’s mother finishing in the top 5% across the country during the 2010 tournament. Good luck!
Incredible Ending to D3 Basketball Championship
[SPOILER ALERT: WATCH VIDEO FIRST!]
That was fucking incredible. I have no idea how the guy got shot off, ’cause even when they slowed it down at the end of the video I thought it was going to be impossible for him to release it on time. Sure enough, it was out of his hand at .01 seconds.
Imagine how the dude who just lobbed it up at the end feels, though. That will haunt him for the rest of his life.
Brickslap 