College Basketball 2022-23

College hoops season officially started this past week. It’ll be interesting here around the former Bermuda Triangle of D-1 basketball. Kentucky has two wins at home vs. Howard and Duquesne, but have been less than impressive. But…they’re missing POY Oscar Tshiebwe, out with what was termed a minor knee procedure Oct. 13th. He was supposed to be ready for the opener but is still having some swelling. Not good. They’ll be better, but how much better? Cal’s one and done system has hit the skids in recent seasons. They’ve got Michigan State in Indy Tuesday.
Louisville will struggle. They’ve lost an exhibition to Lenoir-Rhyne and home games that count against Bellarmine, a Louisville Catholic school, and Wright State. Scoring has been the Cards Achille’s heel, although they got 80 against Chaminade (W) and 72 in today’s loss against Wright. There’s a 50-50 chance Kenny Payne may not last the season if this trend continues. It’s been ugly.
Indiana figures to be better under Mike Woodson in year two. They’re 2-0 after beating Morehead State and Bethune-Cookman in Bloomington. They play Xavier in Cincinnati Friday. How much better will the Hoosiers be? Perhaps more importantly, will they become relevant nationally again? It may be possible.

 

I’m watching Louisville for the first time this season. They’ve won two games, both at home, against in-state rival Western Kentucky and almost equally inept Florida A & M.
Not surprisingly, they’ve lost their first two ACC conference matchups, at home to league leaders Miami and in Tallahassee to the Seminoles.
Neither were close.
The Wolfpack are 10 and 2, but also 0-2 in conference.
It was 9-5 Cards when I joined the festivities. It’s now 19-16 Louisville just past the halfway point of the 1st half. The quality of play from both teams suggests that this contest is in no way, shape, or form a threat to morph into an “Instant Classic.” Louisville has a few players with what appears to be Top 20 type talent. Guard El Ellis is far and away the best player on the team. He can play with anybody in the top 20. Forwards Sydney Curry and newcomer Brandon Huntley-Hatfield are well above average D-1 players, but inconsistent, an especially irritating trait for one of the few returnees from last season’s Chris Mack debacle. One quickly surmises that this edition of U of L men’s hoops emits a strong feeling that you’re watching playground pickup or rec league games. Copious amounts of one on one, forced, challenged dribbling, movements, resulting in equally copious amounts of poor, quick, challenged and wild shots. The half court offense looks toothless and easily guarded, resulting in most such possessions ending in a frantic, desperate, one on one that leads to a turnover or an even worse shot than the usual bad, challenged attempts. It’s the casual run and gun afterthought defense that leads to bad shots, opponent runouts and bad, unforced turnovers out the ying yang. Defensively, there are too many moments of letups in technique, effort or mental focus. The Cards present too many mini -intervals of loss of intensity to their opponents, which at this level they’ll consistently punish you for. The team’s collective basketball IQ is almost non-existing Just too much semi-careless freelancing and selfish, undisciplined plays that won’t fly in the ruthless, unforgivable arenas of Power 5, D-1 college ball, acutely so in the basketball dominant conferences like the Atlantic Coast. And the coach and his staff appear either unwilling or unable get a handle on it by not holding the offending players accountable. They don’t seem able to affect or begin to control the high volume of bad, undisciplined, anti-fundamental playing habits that superglue themselves to bad teams and cling onto them like a hoard of leeches. They have the talent to be much more competitive, but without a lot more drill sergeant boot camp type assertiveness, discipline and unconditional expectations for doing exactly what they want, and how they want it done from the head coach and his staff, not only is it going to be a very long season, it could be Kenny Payne’s only season. The quality, effort, and condition of this program is substandard and unacceptable, and right now, doesn’t appear capable of reversing a decade plus long downward trend. The basketball dorm strippers, the pay for play criminal scheme and fired assistants trying to extort the program over other alleged NCAA violations are in the rear view and moot as an excuse for the program’s ongoing malaise. There will be arguments, and in fact, already are, that Payne deserves at least two seasons to stop and reverse the downward spiral of Louisville men’s basketball program. The Cardinal women’s cagers, under 15 year head coach Jeff Walz are, by contrast, now a perennial power and genuine threat to obtain the school’s next NCAA hoops title. The first 13 games of Kenny Payne’s head coaching career have not produced enough evidence to convince even die hard Cards’ fans that he hasn’t gotten in way over his head and isn’t capable of competing with the Jim Larranaga’s and Leonard Hamilton’s of the world. His team’s play has been abysmal, and it’s very much at risk of deteriorating into the realm of the chronic losers’ mentality. It becomes more probable with ongoing, successive, hopeless. worsening performances and losses that Payne and staff will not last the season, much less earn the chance of a second campaign. With an NBA-worthy arena and the financial support, facilities and tradition to compete with anyone in the top tier of college basketball, Louisville will make a change if it becomes obvious the losses become progressively embarrassing.

 

I took the boy to the Saint Louis vs. St. Bonaventure game yesterday. First game I've gotten to this year. The Billikens won convincingly. Been an odd year. They were looking like a top 25 team for the first month but the season has gone south. I think the Travis Ford era needs to come to an end.

 

You’re probably right, although it sounds like you picked the right game to go to. I kind of hate to see him struggle at this point in his coaching career. Travis Ford was a Kentucky schoolboy hoops legend coming out of Madison ville, about 30 minutes south of where I grew up in Western Kentucky. He transferred to UK after one season at Mizzou and ran the point on the 1993 Final Four Wildcat team that lost to Michigan’s Fab Four in the semis at the Superdome. I hope he can get it turned around this season for the Bills, but to have it go south this badly in year seven is not good.

 

Truth be told I picked this game because they have a baby race at halftime. I'm easily amused.

 

Welp, one of the former Bermuda triangles of college hoops is becoming less threatening every day, it seems. Louisville is a lost cause this season. They show no indication that they will improve enough this season to be more than a speed bump (and a low one at that) for the rest of the ACC. Right now it appears Kenny Payne will be given a second season to try to shore up the program, but there is still enough evidence to seriously warrant not giving him that second season.
John Calipari's act may be about to run out of magic at Kentucky. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wildcats have been trending downward at an alarming pace. Cal's one and done, dribble drive offense, no zone defense EVER playbook seems to have run it's course. It's old news, and it's not working. The rest of the SEC has never been stronger overall, hoops wise. Five "football schools" are in the top 25, four in the top 20. Alabama and Tennessee are 4 and 5 this week, Mizzou is number 20 and Auburn number 21. UK is unranked, 10-6 overall (including an easy 86-63 win at home over Louisville on New Year's Eve), but 1-3 in conference and facing the Vols tomorrow at noon in Knoxville. They got hammered at Mizzou and Tuscaloosa, lost at home to mid-table South Carolina and barely beat co-cellar dwellers LSU at home. The players seem more interested in their draft prospects than spending any more time in Lexington than they have to, even defending Naismith and Wooden Outstanding Player Awards winner Oscar Tshiebwe. If the Cats don't turn it around and make a deep post season Final Four run, the din will grow loud enough for Kentucky to consider making a move.
Indiana looked poised to improve greatly after Mike Woodson's first season in Bobby Knight's old chair. The Hoosiers were 9-2 entering Big Ten play. They're 1-4 in the conference, tied at the bottom of the table with Minnesota, and losers of three straight. I haven't watched them enough to know what their issues are, but I suspect it's probably defense. Knight's primary legacy in Bloomington is that of stifling defense. That legacy is all but gone. The Hoosier's defense has dwindled with every passing successor to the House That Knight Built. I thought Woodson, with his NBA and Bobby pedigrees, would reestablish some semblance of his old coach's methods. Umm, not yet. Will he? Time will tell, but he'll most likely be given a third year at Assembly Hall unless the wheels come completely off. Indiana is better than they've shown, and I don't expect them to get worse. But they still aren't relevant yet nationally.
In the mid 80's all three schools were annual threats to reach the Final Four. Now? The Vegas odds are astronomically against the possibility. Oh the times, they are a-change-in'....

 

My Tar Heels play Dook in an hour.We could go in there and beat the brakes off them...or have the same happen to us.With this UNC team anything is possible.

We shall see.

 

@Sloth The roller coaster continues for the Heels.

The inevitable showdown for the Pac at Pauley Pavilion between the Teddy Bears and Cats (Bear Down Arizona!) is right on schedule for last day of the regular season, the winner (especially if they meet again in Pac 12 Tourney) will determine who gets to stay in the West, and who gets shipped out East somewhere for March Madness.

 

Yep I know it friend. This just showcases again to be blunt: The run they made last season in the tournament had to have been a fluke;this is who they are.I have never seen a Carolina team be so inept on the offensive end, very hard to watch.Maybe they will get it together but I doubt it.

Hope Arizona gets the win in that one and I think they will.

 

Here in the former Bermuda Triangle of college hoops, the inconsistency of former powerhouses not named Louisville is not inspiring confidence in any deep post season runs. Kentucky looked to be righting the ship after a modest four game winning streak that began with an impressive road win at then #6 Tennessee. But…a road win at next to last Ole Miss was sandwiched by home losses to Kansas and Florida. Inconsistent. Indiana won five in a row before losing at fellow mid-table dwellers
Maryland. But then they upset No. 1 Purdue in Bloomington, so, right now, they’re the best bet for any NCAA tourney success. The only suspense at Louisville is whether or not Kenny Payne gets a second season to rebuild the floundering Cardinal program. Even my Murray State Racers are having a rebuilding inaugural season in the MVC under new/old head coach Steve Prohm. They’re a respectable sixth, 13-11 overall, 8-6 in conference. It’s been a Jekyll and Hyde season: 9-1 at home, 2-9 on the road. Arch Madness should be interesting.

 

Let the Madness begin!!!!
@sacffc Will you be in attendance when your Princeton Tigers play Arizona in Sacremento?

UCLA was going to be my pick to cut down the nets, a very rare blue blood w/a senior oriented squad. However, the Pac 12 D player of the year Jayden Clarke tore his Achilles 2 weeks ago, and their freshman big man Bona hurt his shoulder and won’t be 100% even if he is able to play.

Really struggling on who to go with. I’m seeing a lot of Alabama picks, but was burned so bad by the SEC last year that I’m hesitant to jump on that bandwagon.

 

I share your instincts on the SEC Joe, unless it’s Kentucky…although I wouldn’t put this year’s edition in the exception category. It’s a tossup.

 

Unfortunately have a conflict today. If they pull the upset today I'll be there on Saturday.

Go tigers!

 

Sorry @SoCalJoe but enjoy the game @sacffc !

There was more than a bit of madness today. Here’s to hoping it continues tomorrow.

 

@sacffc Have fun and keep it going! Now I need to go throw up.

 

Hard to believe they did it. @SoCalJoe I know it hurts more when it's unexpected like that.

Since they're playing Missouri, I can guarantee the Tigers will win on Saturday. Just hope it's the right ones.

 

Gotta watch out for those low seeds from New Jersey. #15 Princeton this year and #15 St. Peter's last year. And now we have #16 Fairly Ridiculous University taking out Purdue. Saw the halftime score and watched the second half. Wow!

 

Kentucky and Indiana are out in the second round, and all the TV news directors in Louisville are celebrating. No more budget busting travel costs to follow them, although the sales department is bummed without any more made up half hour or hour specials to sell.

 

Sweet 16 w/some great matchups tonight.
East:
Michigan State v KState; this should really come down to final 3 min. Craziest stat: Tom Izzo is 4-12 in Madison Square Garden.

Tennessee v Florida Atlantic; First glance, Vols easy, but FAU is 33-3 and will be no pushover. Will still go Tennessee to wear them down.

West:
UConn v Arkansas; Only saw first 10 min of Razorbacks vs Kansas, and they looked totally outmanned (shocked to hear they won). UConn pounds offensive glass, which is a recipe for success at a new venue.

Ucla v Gonzaga; rematch of one of the great semi-final games in history (Zags won on a 45 footer at the buzzer in OT). The Bruins lost yet another player at the end of their last game. The injuries will catch up to them eventually, but I’ll say not tonight.

 

Wow, 2 great games. Markquis Nowell was a tiny dynamo in the Garden w/20 pts, 19 assists (new tourney record), and 5 steals in KState’s OT win over Sparty. Drew Timme was sensational w/36&13 in yet another Gonzaga-Ucla classic.

South:
SDSU v Alabama; Have the Tide winning it all so say the Tide will roll.

Princeton v Creighton; @sacffc Throw out the seedlings, this is a game the Tigers can win (Zona beat Creighton earlier). Cheers and enjoy.

Midwest:
Miami v Houston; Canes great efficient offense vs Houston’s lockdown D. Give me the Cougs

Xavier v Texas; Something tells me this is the game of the night. Have Texas in my bracket, but pulling for Sean Miller.

EDIT @jumpkutz I should’ve listened when you hinted the SEC was overrated. That conference and the Big 10, because of their clout, their networks, their money, and the National media kissing their hindquarters received 16 total bids…How many teams are left? ZERO. My bracket is busted, but glad San Diego State took it to Bama.