How committed am I to the Bog Poll? Saturday, I took the whole family to watch GW at UMBC. Later that night, I watched part of Virginia against Seton Hall and Navy against Penn, a game that was tied 4-4 with 11 minutes to play in the first half. That is dedication, people.
Except for Georgetown, everybody lost at least one game this week. Pretty simple to figure 1-6, but very unclear after that. Number 7-15 could be reversed very easily. George Mason squeaked past Virginia for #2 on the strength of a Top 20 win over Kansas State and a Top 20 loss to Villanova, both at a neutral site. UVA's win at #17 Arizona was on the Wildcats' home floor, but the Cavaliers' loss to Seton Hall looks a little worse than losing to 'Nova, at least right now anyway. Bit of a drop to Maryland at #4, who will have a chance to impress against Illinois and VCU coming up. UMBC made the big move of the week with a solid win over a Maureece Rice-less GW squad. Retrievers have no size, but three-point shooting, experience and hustle covered up their flaws. VCU held its position with a win over Elon and has five straight Bog Poll teams coming up. GW has talent, but injuries and inexperience are major headaches for Karl Hobbs. If he can get this team healthy and fully committed to his system, watch out. Morgan State vaulted in at #8 on the strength of a close loss at Miami and unimpressive weeks by everyone else. Virginia Tech lost to a couple Top 25 teams in Alaska, but the Hokies are clinging to the edge right next to Old Dominion, who is in the midst of a brutal stretch of its schedule. James Madison fell out because of a loss at VMI. Loyola is knocking on the door with four weak wins, including Vermont, a team that Towson couldn't beat even though Towson beat Loyola. Coppin State, VMI, and American could also break through with a few consistent weeks. Big Stein will have his up later today, but here's how I voted:
1. Georgetown
In his postgame press conference, John Thompson blamed the ongoing writers’ strike for the lack of drama in Hoyas’ win at Ball State.
2. George Mason
Jim Larranaga finally made good on his promise to take his team to Disney World for getting to the Final Four, but Folarin Campbell was disappointed that lunch in Cinderella's Castle was sold out.
3. Virginia
The Philly Hoop Group Classic featured two teams from Maryland, one from DC, one from Virginia, one from Pittsburgh, one from New Jersey and only two from Philadelphia. Not very Philly. And with teams like Howard, Navy and Penn, not very hoop either. Definitely a group. Classic? About as Classic as the CBE Classic, the Old Spice Classic, and the BB&T Classic, I guess.
4. Maryland
Sprint Center joined Verizon Center on Gary Williams’ list of least favorite arenas named for telecommunications giants. Don't look for the Terps to play in the Alcatel-Lucent Center any time soon.
5. UMBC
Retrievers lost to Lafayette and beat George Washington last week. I wonder how they’ll do next week against Cornwallis College and Von Steuben State.
6. VCU
In Puerto Rico, Eric Maynor was dismayed to learn that Daddy Yankee is neither a Daddy nor a Yankee.
7. GW
The Colonials gave up more threes against UMBC than the runner-up in the National Go Fish Championship.
8. Morgan State
With close losses at Miami and Connecticut, Bears are ready to storm the cellars of the ACC and Big East.
9. Virginia Tech
Seth Greenberg gave his players a sundown curfew at Great Alaska Shootout, obviously forgetting that the sun won’t set for two more weeks.
10. Old Dominion
Monarchs must have looked past Clemson, UNC and Louisville in anticipation of Georgetown game.
Showing posts with label GW. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GW. Show all posts
Monday, November 26, 2007
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Inaugural Poll
So the TV writers are on strike, and I support them because I like to write and I have strong Socialist leanings and anything that stops production of "Desperate Housewives" and makes the hiatus of "Back to You" a permanent situation has to be a good thing. Nevertheless, I will cross the digital picket line and post to my blog for the second time in two days which is something of a record around here, of late.
I ended yesterday's Ravens tirade with a throwaway line about college basketball, and, wouldn't you know it, today marks the appearance of the first Big Stein DC-MD-VA college basketball poll. As I am sure you will recall, this poll ranks the top 11 Division I men's college basketball programs in Washington, Maryland and Virginia, according to the votes of a group selected using very low admissions standards. Anyone can tell you who the top teams are nationally (UNC, Memphis, UCLA, Georgetown, etc), but not many people take the time to assess the impact of Morgan State's transfer class and how Richmond's slowdown offense makes the Spiders a tough out on the road.
Anyway, here are my votes for Week 1:
1. Georgetown
Roy Hibbert staying at Georgetown so he can graduate and go to medical school like his idol and role model, Dr. Julius Hibbert.
2. VCU
Nontraditional college basketball powers will henceforth be known as mid-Maynors.
3. Virginia
Sean Singletary hopes to be the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-doubletary.
4. Maryland
In honor of the start of college basketball season, College Park Mattress Discounters store holds a “Burn One, Get One Free” sale.
5. George Mason
Flights from Dulles to San Antonio are already sold out for the Final Four weekend.
6. GW
If the Firebirds took them to overtime, just imagine how they are going to struggle against the Corvettes and the Camaros.
7. Loyola
Jimmy Patsos counting on the emergence of Hassan Fofana, fana bobana, banana fana, fofana, fee, fi, momana, Fofana!
8. Hampton
Kevin Nickelberry is so confident of his team’s prospects he has already requested film exchange with North Carolina and UCLA for his first round NCAA game.
9. Richmond
Spiders celebrate season-opening win over Maine, lose to Memphis in the meantime.
10. Virginia Tech
Biggest question of the season is whether Coleman Collins will miss a dunk in the alumni game.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
[ ] Post
Okay, here's how I pick a bracket. First, I print out the form and fill it out with GW winning the National Championship. Next, I tear that one up and print out another one. This time, I am irrational, but not completely insane, about GW's prospects. I start by studying all the matchups in one region and meticulously pick the games down to the Final Four representative from that region. I move on to the next region, begin to study the next set of matchups, get bored and just scribble in names until the bracket is finished. I tend to favor the teams that I know, and the automatic bid teams over the bottom of the at-large pool, and you'll probably see a lot of names from the Local Poll moving through the bracket. I also go with teams that have good backcourts or a great player. Most of the time. I have never won a pool. I have never been close. I am pretty sure both of my children beat me last year. So here we go.
In the Midwest, I'll take Florida right up to the regional final where they will lose to Oregon, led by Bryce Taylor, the mightiest Duck since Donald and Daffy. Other upsets in this region include ODU over Butler and UNLV knocking out Wisconsin. Even though everyone wants to anoint Butler as this year's George Mason, ODU is a Local Poll team and I needed a couple upsets here. I'll make up for this rough treatment of the heartland teams in the West, where Kansas cruises to the Final Four over UCLA, despite some excitement provided by VCU and Wright State as they win their first round games and the Rams get the full George Mason treatment in advancing to the Sweet 16. Mostly favorites in the South except for one win for Xavier and Texas A&M dismissing my least favorite NCAA coach, John Calipari, and his Memphis Tigers. This pleases me so much that A&M also beats Ohio State in the regional final. Saving the most ridiculous for last, I have GW beating Georgetown to get to the Elite 8, where I regain my senses and have them losing to Texas, which beats UNC. Also Texas Tech over BC in the first round.
So that leaves a #1 (Kansas), a #2 (UCLA), a #3 (Texas A&M) and a #4 (Texas). I like a high-scoring but close final of Kansas over A&M, 86-83. Will it happen? Not a chance.
In the Midwest, I'll take Florida right up to the regional final where they will lose to Oregon, led by Bryce Taylor, the mightiest Duck since Donald and Daffy. Other upsets in this region include ODU over Butler and UNLV knocking out Wisconsin. Even though everyone wants to anoint Butler as this year's George Mason, ODU is a Local Poll team and I needed a couple upsets here. I'll make up for this rough treatment of the heartland teams in the West, where Kansas cruises to the Final Four over UCLA, despite some excitement provided by VCU and Wright State as they win their first round games and the Rams get the full George Mason treatment in advancing to the Sweet 16. Mostly favorites in the South except for one win for Xavier and Texas A&M dismissing my least favorite NCAA coach, John Calipari, and his Memphis Tigers. This pleases me so much that A&M also beats Ohio State in the regional final. Saving the most ridiculous for last, I have GW beating Georgetown to get to the Elite 8, where I regain my senses and have them losing to Texas, which beats UNC. Also Texas Tech over BC in the first round.
So that leaves a #1 (Kansas), a #2 (UCLA), a #3 (Texas A&M) and a #4 (Texas). I like a high-scoring but close final of Kansas over A&M, 86-83. Will it happen? Not a chance.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Poll First, Brackets Later
First of all, a big shout out to Karl Hobbs and the George Washington University Colonials. Back in October, I interviewed Karl for some articles I was writing in the GW game program. I asked him if he was aware that the Colonials had never made three straight trips to the NCAA Tournament.
"Is that right?" he asked. "I did not know that. But it's a great goal."
The Colonials played ferocious defense in beating St. Joe, St. Louis and Rhode Island to win the A-10 tournament. Critics will note that St. Louis knocked out UMass, and URI took care of Xavier, but after a four-game losing streak a month ago, the Colonials have been on a tear, winning eight in a row. This one is especially sweet for senior point guard Carl Elliott, the only starter to return from last season's historic team, and fellow senior Dokun Akingbade, who came to GW as a walk-on and redshirted last season. Akingbade started 30 games this season and had 15 points and nine rebounds in the A-10 Championship game.
In bracket news, I have no sympathy for Syracuse. The Orange played exactly one nonconference road game this season, courageously venturing 150 miles west to play that notorious hoops powerhouse Canisius. Drexel, by comparison, went 6-2 in their noncon road games including wins at Villanova, Creighton and, yes, Syracuse. So, I don't care that 'Cuse went 10-6 in the Big East, they have to get in line behind Drexel to file a complaint. The guy I feel bad for is my friend Mike Tuberosa, who went to Syracuse and is now the Assistant AD at Drexel. But he did his graduate work at Niagara and worked at GW and Georgetown, so he's got a few horses in the race.
I'll have more bracket observations later in the week. After years of not picking brackets for no good reason, I did fill one out last year, and this year, it looks like I'll be in at least five pools. I will win none of them. I have trouble picking against my sentimental favorites and eventually I make my picks strictly for entertainment purposes, mostly my own. Speaking of my own entertianment, here is this week's Local Poll (Big Stein should have the full results up this afternoon):
"Is that right?" he asked. "I did not know that. But it's a great goal."
The Colonials played ferocious defense in beating St. Joe, St. Louis and Rhode Island to win the A-10 tournament. Critics will note that St. Louis knocked out UMass, and URI took care of Xavier, but after a four-game losing streak a month ago, the Colonials have been on a tear, winning eight in a row. This one is especially sweet for senior point guard Carl Elliott, the only starter to return from last season's historic team, and fellow senior Dokun Akingbade, who came to GW as a walk-on and redshirted last season. Akingbade started 30 games this season and had 15 points and nine rebounds in the A-10 Championship game.
In bracket news, I have no sympathy for Syracuse. The Orange played exactly one nonconference road game this season, courageously venturing 150 miles west to play that notorious hoops powerhouse Canisius. Drexel, by comparison, went 6-2 in their noncon road games including wins at Villanova, Creighton and, yes, Syracuse. So, I don't care that 'Cuse went 10-6 in the Big East, they have to get in line behind Drexel to file a complaint. The guy I feel bad for is my friend Mike Tuberosa, who went to Syracuse and is now the Assistant AD at Drexel. But he did his graduate work at Niagara and worked at GW and Georgetown, so he's got a few horses in the race.
I'll have more bracket observations later in the week. After years of not picking brackets for no good reason, I did fill one out last year, and this year, it looks like I'll be in at least five pools. I will win none of them. I have trouble picking against my sentimental favorites and eventually I make my picks strictly for entertainment purposes, mostly my own. Speaking of my own entertianment, here is this week's Local Poll (Big Stein should have the full results up this afternoon):
1. Georgetown
I’d feel better about their title chances if they also had Michael Graham, Jr.
2. Maryland
Once again, the Terps get screwed because they have to play the conference tournament in a traditional ACC hotbed.
3. VCU
If the Rams beat Duke, the only person happier than head coach Anthony Grant might be his boss, VCU Athletic Director Norwood Teague, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Class of 1987.
4. GW
I got your overachievers right here, pal!
5. Virginia Tech
Could not stop the NC State Wolfpack's determined march to the NIT.
6. Virginia
See Virginia Tech, above.
7. Old Dominion
Better not sit Blaine Taylor and Bruiser Flint next to each other at next year’s CAA Preseason Media Day Breakfast.
8. George Mason
Note to the GMU pep band: It’s been nearly a week now, it’s time to stop playing “Livin’ on a Prayer.”
9. Loyola
If it’s March on North Charles Street, that can mean only one thing … lacrosse season.
10. American
They come into your town, they’re gonna party down, they’re an American University.
Friday, March 02, 2007
Friday Fumblings
Okay, let's take a quick spin around the FitzFacts' realm to see what's happening today.
American Idol
I don't like watching the results shows because all I care about are the actual results, not all the other fluff they cram in there. I hate the annoying dramatic lighting and music almost as much as I hate Ryan Seacrest, although I do think he has a difficult task. I don't want to watch any of the performances, neither the former Idol stars nor the rejects' reprises. I mean, if the song was bad enough to get them voted off, why do I want to hear it again? Besides, GW was playing Charlotte on ESPN2, so switched over during timeouts and got updates from the rest of the family, who were watching AI upstairs.
I had A.J., Nick and Phil as endangered, and the first two went. Obviously, Antonella's nudoriety kept her alive, but no surprise that Alaina took the hook. Slight upset that Haley stayed over Leslie, but it's not like she should start looking for an apartment in Los Angeles. I wrote yesterday about the "don't sing Whitney" admonishment from the judges, but I think it's even more clear that you should never sing Feelin' Good because it took down both Leslie and A.J. I did see just enough of Kellie Pickler's appearance to note that she certainly has enhanced her profile, at least from the neck down. And that's more than enough Idol for me for the next several days.
GW
Carl Elliott did it to Charlotte again. His fadeaway jumper with 18 seconds on the clock gave GW the winning 62-60 margin last night.The Colonials charged back from a 10-point deficit in the first half to take a 13-point lead of their own, only to have Charlotte heat up again and make for a dramatic finish. The Colonials are now 19-8 and wrap up the regular season tomorrow at home against Duquesne. They lost to the league leaders, UMass and Xavier, but it's not out of the question for them to make a run at the A-10 title next weekend. If not, they are looking at an NIT bid. That would be a step down from the last two years (GW has never made the NCAA three years in a row), but I have always felt that winning a few games in the NIT is an excellent building opportunity for a team. And, before I forget, a quick shoutout to Mike Hall, who signed a 10-day contract with the Wizards this week. Two GW players in the NBA at the same time hasn't happened probably since Corky Devlin and Joe Holup. How long ago was that? Holup was taken three picks after Bill Russell and one before Tom Heinsohn.
Maryland
Watching a team exert its will on an opponent is one of the most enjoyable aspects of sports for me. The Terps have grown into a defensive monster in the second half of the season and they absolutely throttled Duke and UNC. They still don't shoot the ball very well, but they put tremendous pressure on their opponents and force them to maintain a high level of concentration and execution if they want to be successful. When Maryland was winning early, I saw Final Four capabilities, and while that would be a surprise, I still see it as a possibility, given how they have dominated their recent opponents. But don't give me this garbage about the ACC getting seven or eight bids. No, no, no. I'll give you UNC, UVA, Virginia Tech, BC, Maryland and Duke and that's it, send a nice NIT invite to Georgia Tech, Clemson and Florida State. I know the Yellowjackets beat UNC last night, but if you can't do better than .500 in your league, you have to have an incredible out of conference record to get in. And with all these conferences that have 12 or more teams, the league schedules are unbalanced, so one team's 9-7 is the same as another's 11-5. Give me the second best team in the Mountain West, the CAA, and the Missouri Valley before the seventh-best in the ACC or Big East.
Cowherd
For those of you who are not regular readers of the Baltimore Sun, my man Kevin Cowherd skewered a water-tasting contest in his column yesterday. Tasty, with a nice bite in the finish.
Movies
Black Snake Moan? Who comes up with these titles? I predict it will be the second-best movie starring Samuel L. Jackson that has the word snake or snakes in the title.
Zodiac? David Fincher, the director of the very creepy and gruesome Se7en bring us a new film about a serial killer. What a refreshing change for him. In between these two, he directed noted chucklefests The Game, Fight Club and Panic Room. Somebody needs a hug.
Wild Hogs? Man, I hope they paid William H. Macy a lot of money to be in this one.
The Beer Launching Fridge
Well, if you made it this far, you might as well take a look at the beer launching fridge. So many questions about this one.
Enjoy your weekend.
American Idol
I don't like watching the results shows because all I care about are the actual results, not all the other fluff they cram in there. I hate the annoying dramatic lighting and music almost as much as I hate Ryan Seacrest, although I do think he has a difficult task. I don't want to watch any of the performances, neither the former Idol stars nor the rejects' reprises. I mean, if the song was bad enough to get them voted off, why do I want to hear it again? Besides, GW was playing Charlotte on ESPN2, so switched over during timeouts and got updates from the rest of the family, who were watching AI upstairs.
I had A.J., Nick and Phil as endangered, and the first two went. Obviously, Antonella's nudoriety kept her alive, but no surprise that Alaina took the hook. Slight upset that Haley stayed over Leslie, but it's not like she should start looking for an apartment in Los Angeles. I wrote yesterday about the "don't sing Whitney" admonishment from the judges, but I think it's even more clear that you should never sing Feelin' Good because it took down both Leslie and A.J. I did see just enough of Kellie Pickler's appearance to note that she certainly has enhanced her profile, at least from the neck down. And that's more than enough Idol for me for the next several days.
GW
Carl Elliott did it to Charlotte again. His fadeaway jumper with 18 seconds on the clock gave GW the winning 62-60 margin last night.The Colonials charged back from a 10-point deficit in the first half to take a 13-point lead of their own, only to have Charlotte heat up again and make for a dramatic finish. The Colonials are now 19-8 and wrap up the regular season tomorrow at home against Duquesne. They lost to the league leaders, UMass and Xavier, but it's not out of the question for them to make a run at the A-10 title next weekend. If not, they are looking at an NIT bid. That would be a step down from the last two years (GW has never made the NCAA three years in a row), but I have always felt that winning a few games in the NIT is an excellent building opportunity for a team. And, before I forget, a quick shoutout to Mike Hall, who signed a 10-day contract with the Wizards this week. Two GW players in the NBA at the same time hasn't happened probably since Corky Devlin and Joe Holup. How long ago was that? Holup was taken three picks after Bill Russell and one before Tom Heinsohn.
Maryland
Watching a team exert its will on an opponent is one of the most enjoyable aspects of sports for me. The Terps have grown into a defensive monster in the second half of the season and they absolutely throttled Duke and UNC. They still don't shoot the ball very well, but they put tremendous pressure on their opponents and force them to maintain a high level of concentration and execution if they want to be successful. When Maryland was winning early, I saw Final Four capabilities, and while that would be a surprise, I still see it as a possibility, given how they have dominated their recent opponents. But don't give me this garbage about the ACC getting seven or eight bids. No, no, no. I'll give you UNC, UVA, Virginia Tech, BC, Maryland and Duke and that's it, send a nice NIT invite to Georgia Tech, Clemson and Florida State. I know the Yellowjackets beat UNC last night, but if you can't do better than .500 in your league, you have to have an incredible out of conference record to get in. And with all these conferences that have 12 or more teams, the league schedules are unbalanced, so one team's 9-7 is the same as another's 11-5. Give me the second best team in the Mountain West, the CAA, and the Missouri Valley before the seventh-best in the ACC or Big East.
Cowherd
For those of you who are not regular readers of the Baltimore Sun, my man Kevin Cowherd skewered a water-tasting contest in his column yesterday. Tasty, with a nice bite in the finish.
Movies
Black Snake Moan? Who comes up with these titles? I predict it will be the second-best movie starring Samuel L. Jackson that has the word snake or snakes in the title.
Zodiac? David Fincher, the director of the very creepy and gruesome Se7en bring us a new film about a serial killer. What a refreshing change for him. In between these two, he directed noted chucklefests The Game, Fight Club and Panic Room. Somebody needs a hug.
Wild Hogs? Man, I hope they paid William H. Macy a lot of money to be in this one.
The Beer Launching Fridge
Well, if you made it this far, you might as well take a look at the beer launching fridge. So many questions about this one.
Enjoy your weekend.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Super Poll
Okay, it's Tuesday and I know what you're thinking. "Where is the college basketball poll? I mean, how am I supposed to get through my week without knowing how FitzFacts ranks the Top 10 men's Division I college basketball teams in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.?" Come on, I'm sure you had enough Super Bowl stuff to get you through yesterday, but since you asked (although it would have been nice if you'd said, "Please"), here's what I got:
Georgetown wins at Madison Square Garden and moves into the top spot. Admittedly St. John's is not what it used to be, but it is still better than St. Peter's, St. Bonaventure, St. Joe's (I think), both St. Francises, and Mount Saint Mary's. Virginia is hotter than the back of Joe Biden's neck and shoots up to second (Anybody with me on predicting a second-tier ACC finish for Duke? Could very easily happen.) The next four teams all lost at least one game last week. Old Dominion is suddenly trying to challenge the top tier, and the bottom three haven't changed much. Big Stein has them almost the same as I do:
Georgetown wins at Madison Square Garden and moves into the top spot. Admittedly St. John's is not what it used to be, but it is still better than St. Peter's, St. Bonaventure, St. Joe's (I think), both St. Francises, and Mount Saint Mary's. Virginia is hotter than the back of Joe Biden's neck and shoots up to second (Anybody with me on predicting a second-tier ACC finish for Duke? Could very easily happen.) The next four teams all lost at least one game last week. Old Dominion is suddenly trying to challenge the top tier, and the bottom three haven't changed much. Big Stein has them almost the same as I do:
1. Georgetown
JTIII credits trans fat-free pregame meal at Marriott Marquis Hotel for Hoyas’ victory at St. John’s.
2. Virginia
Dave Leitao must convince Cavaliers not to look past upcoming games at Maryland and Virginia Tech in anticipation of hated foe Longwood next week.
3. VCU
Hofstra leaves the gun, takes the cannoli, and ends Rams 10-game win streak.
4. Virginia Tech
Boston police department’s antiterrorist unit confiscates Seth Greenberg’s clipboard, citing suspicious drawings that resemble the basketball court located inside BC’s Conte Forum.
5. GW
Karl Hobbs asks official for a technical at St. Louis but doesn’t get that call either.
6. Maryland
Mike Jones held scoreless in win at Wake Forest as Demon Deacons confuse him by blitzing safeties and dropping down linemen into coverage.
7. Old Dominion
ODU players shake off chants of “O –D-US! O-D-US!” from clever George Mason fans, win fifth straight.
8. George Mason
Life comes at you fast, Jim Larranaga.
9. Loyola
Jimmy Patsos forced to defend himself against charges of making "Marist" remarks in postgame press conference.
10. Towson
If the Tigers keep this up, they’ll play themselves right out of the draft lottery.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Hoops Hangover
Pretty awful hoops last night. GW lost a winnable game at Dayton, the Wizards got a sound beating at Toronto and my pickup team blew a 7-4 lead to go down 13-10. And VCU, my top-ranked poll team for two weeks, went down at Hofstra.
Let's stick with the Colonials today (get your Wiz fix at hoopsaddict). Dayton is now 14-0 at home and 0-7 on the road. Even in college basketball, that is an absurd difference. Listening to the game on the radio, the crowd noise was remarkable, both for its' pin-drop silence during Flyer free throws and indignant volume on every call that went against the home team. Even though the final score was 84-69, I called this one winnable because the teams traded the lead throughout the second half and it was tied at 65 with about four minutes to play. Then things went terribly wrong.
After calling timeout, Dayton scored on three straight possessions, Karl Hobbs went ballistic on a no-call and got himself ejected and the Flyers closed out going 7-7 from the line. Now, I wasn't there, but this is a familiar scenario for Dayton opponents. Let's just say, you'd better have a big lead or make a miracle shot like Carl Elliott's halfcourt heave a couple years back, because down the stretch, the Flyers seem to have the darndest luck.
So where does this leave GW? Well, right now they are still tied with Fordham (!) and URI(!) for first place in the A-10, just half a game ahead of UMass and Xavier. Coming up this weekend is a tough game at St. Louis and a week later, a visit from the Musketeers . Very few of the remaining games look easy, but none of them looks impossible either. So the conference is wide open, but in terms of NCAA berths, I'll be very surprised if an Atlantic 10 team gets an NCAA bid this year.
I still like GW's chances. The starting unit has been the same all year; Maureece Rice has emerged as the primary scorer, with Elliott jumping up as needed. The frontcourt of Rob Diggs, Regis Koundjia and Dokun Akinbade have been more than serviceable on offense and defense and the reserve unit of Travis King, Damian Hollis and Cheyenne Moore has mautured and can make major contributions. Despite its lack of froncourt bulk, this team is tough to score on, leading the league is steals and third in blocked shots. They don't play at the same frantic pace as last year, but no lead is safe, for them or their opponents.
I would love to see Moore getting more minutes, but it's become clear that Hobbs can't use him much more than 10 minutes per game due to lingering effects of the stress fracture in his tibia. That and the arrested development of Noel Wilmore are the lone dark spots for GW in what has been a pretty good year and bears watching into March. I'd be more confident if they can pick up a win this weekend or another on the road at Charlotte or St. Joe's.
Let's stick with the Colonials today (get your Wiz fix at hoopsaddict). Dayton is now 14-0 at home and 0-7 on the road. Even in college basketball, that is an absurd difference. Listening to the game on the radio, the crowd noise was remarkable, both for its' pin-drop silence during Flyer free throws and indignant volume on every call that went against the home team. Even though the final score was 84-69, I called this one winnable because the teams traded the lead throughout the second half and it was tied at 65 with about four minutes to play. Then things went terribly wrong.
After calling timeout, Dayton scored on three straight possessions, Karl Hobbs went ballistic on a no-call and got himself ejected and the Flyers closed out going 7-7 from the line. Now, I wasn't there, but this is a familiar scenario for Dayton opponents. Let's just say, you'd better have a big lead or make a miracle shot like Carl Elliott's halfcourt heave a couple years back, because down the stretch, the Flyers seem to have the darndest luck.
So where does this leave GW? Well, right now they are still tied with Fordham (!) and URI(!) for first place in the A-10, just half a game ahead of UMass and Xavier. Coming up this weekend is a tough game at St. Louis and a week later, a visit from the Musketeers . Very few of the remaining games look easy, but none of them looks impossible either. So the conference is wide open, but in terms of NCAA berths, I'll be very surprised if an Atlantic 10 team gets an NCAA bid this year.
I still like GW's chances. The starting unit has been the same all year; Maureece Rice has emerged as the primary scorer, with Elliott jumping up as needed. The frontcourt of Rob Diggs, Regis Koundjia and Dokun Akinbade have been more than serviceable on offense and defense and the reserve unit of Travis King, Damian Hollis and Cheyenne Moore has mautured and can make major contributions. Despite its lack of froncourt bulk, this team is tough to score on, leading the league is steals and third in blocked shots. They don't play at the same frantic pace as last year, but no lead is safe, for them or their opponents.
I would love to see Moore getting more minutes, but it's become clear that Hobbs can't use him much more than 10 minutes per game due to lingering effects of the stress fracture in his tibia. That and the arrested development of Noel Wilmore are the lone dark spots for GW in what has been a pretty good year and bears watching into March. I'd be more confident if they can pick up a win this weekend or another on the road at Charlotte or St. Joe's.
Monday, January 29, 2007
Super Poll
Happy Super Bowl week, everybody! Seriously , when is the federal government going to make it official and declare the Monday after Super Bowl Sunday a national holiday? We could call it Vice Recovery Monday or Sleepitoffday. There could be sales and everything, just like Memorial Day and Presidents' Day, which honor, you know, something. Anyway, today is just another Monday here at FitzFacts, so here is your local hoops Top 10:
1. VCU
“Trailer for sale or rent, rooms to let, fifty cents. No phone, no pool no pets, I ain’t got no cigarettes.”
2. Georgetown
Hoyas beat Cincinnati. Shockingly, no Bengals are arrested.
3. Virginia Tech
Seth Greenberg implores Blacksburg community for better Tech support, gets voice mail.
4. GW
Colonials take first place in A-10 with win at Rhode Island. Karl Hobbs praises team bus driver for “overachieving” on quick post-game drive to the airport.
5. Virginia
J.R. Reynolds harder to defend than George Bush’s Iraq policy.
6. Maryland
End of Terps’ two-game losing streak coincides with CBS’ decision to cancel “Armed and Famous.” Coincidence? Umm, yes, that’s why I said coincides.
7. Old Dominion
Monarchs put together their fifth two-game win streak of the season. Two more and they can get a free latte at Starbucks.
8. George Mason
Patriots saving themselves for March.
9. Loyola
Greyhounds whip winless Iona for the second time this season. Also steal the Gaels’ lunch money and dip their pigtails in ink when the referees are not looking. 10. American
Welcome back to the Top 10, AU Eagles! Now, about that fifth place in the Patriot League…
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Poll Vault
The title of today's post refers to the big leap made by Virginia Tech to the Number One spot in my local hoops poll. I don't know what's gotten into the Hokies, but they are ripping through the Atlantic Coast Conference like it's football, not basketball, season. Imagine the horror down on Tobacco Road when they see Boston College tied with Virginia Tech atop the ACC standings. Maryland did exactly what I thought they would this week, and Georgetown is finding wins hard to come by without Marc Egerson in the Really Big East. If the Hoyas don't get it together soon, they will get lost in that league and find themselves in the NIT. GW's out-of-conference losses don't look as bad as some thought, but the Colonials probably still have to win the A-10 to get a bid. After the success George Mason had last year, the committee will be under pressure to take at least two CAA teams, and they will have plenty to choose from. Big Stein won't post the official results until later today, but my poll was done yesterday, so here it is.
1. Virginia Tech
Dick Vitale’s head explodes as Hokies follow win at Duke with upset of North Carolina. Virginia Tech now 5-0 against teams in the state of North Carolina. Seth Greenberg left messages with Davidson, Elon and Guilford last week to see if they have any open dates left this season.
2. VCU
Rams have won four of five since Anthony Grant moved Wil Fameni from the starting lineup to a reserve role. So you could say they have benefited from Fameni relief efforts.
3. Maryland
Hope you like theme park rides, Terps fans, because it’s gonna be a season full of thrills, spills, and chills (also mad skillz, platinum grillz, Strawberry fils and, um, Beverly Sills).
4. Georgetown
JTIII presents plan to Georgetown administration that requests a “surge” of additional scholarships
5. GW
Colonials rebound from a loss at UMass by beating St. Bonaventure, which is named for a 13th century theologian nicknamed Doctor Seraphicus by his contemporaries for his heavenly three-point shooting touch.
6. Old Dominion
Monarchs players “agree to disagree” about the Rosie-Trump-Barbara feud in time to win two of three last week.
7. Virginia
Cavaliers’ self-esteem level lower than the GEICO caveman’s right now.
8. Loyola
Greyhounds coach Jimmy Patsos making good on his New Year’s resolution to win every game in 2007.
9. George Mason
Jim Larranaga finally finishes returning all his messages from last March, decides to start coaching again.
10. William and Mary
The Hottest Team in the CAA (W&M) met the CAA Team of Destiny (VCU) and Destiny prevailed. Then William and Mary played Delaware and lost its second straight. Still better than AU or Navy, though.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Hoopsy Daisy!
GW
The Colonials cut a 17-point second half deficit to one, but were never able to take the lead in a 91-84 loss at UMass last night. This wasn't one I expected them to win, and they showed strong resolve in making several runs at the Minutemen down the stretch. The hosts's interior tandem of Stephane Lasme (23 points, 13 rebounds, 11 blocks) and Rashaun Freeman (21, 7) dominated, but it was the unexpected outside prowess of Etienne Brower that opened up the paint for the big guys. Brower, who missed the first seven games of the season with an ankle injury, knocked down two treys in the first six minutes last night. On the plus side, Carl Elliott (19 points, 6 rebounds) and Maureece Rice (30, 7) made lots of clutch shots to keep it close, and GW got good minutes from Cheyenne Moore and Damian Hollis. As I have been saying for a while, check back with me at the end of the month for a more in-depth evaluation of this team.
Terps
As I have also been saying for a while, after ripping through the bottom quartile of the RPI recently, Maryland stumbled badly at home last night against Miami. Unlike Iona, Miami has actually won a game this season. Unlike Mount Saint Mary's, Miami decided to play defense against Mike Jones. And unlike Siena, Miami has players who are just as big, quick and skilled as Maryland's. Still, this is not the end of the world for the Terps. In fact, Gary Williams will use this loss to great effect in motivating his team, especially his young guards. But no amount of coaching is going to add bulk to Ekene Ibekwe and James Gist or quickness to Will Bowers. Could be ugly when Tyler Hansbrough gets ahold of these guys. Fortunately, the Terps match up much better with Clemson, who comes to town this weekend. Look for Maryland to catch the Tigers looking ahead to UNC and pull the upset to beat Duke out of the ACC cellar.
Wizards
Some stat maven is going to have to look up the last time Washington won when Gibert Arenas scored only 21 points, but balanced scoring effort put the Wiz over the Bulls 113-103 at Verizon Center last night. Caron Butler continued his hot streak with a team-high 26 points and Antonio Daniels had his highest scoring total of the year with 15 off the bench. In a game that pitted one of the league's highest scoring offense against one of its stingiest defenses, the Wiz won out, bouncing back nicely from Sunday's loss to the Raptors. Over at Hoops Addict, Ryan thinks that Marty Burns ranked Washington too high at #3 (I disagree) and loves that Slam Online posted Carmelo Anthony's iPod playlist (I am befuddled).
Tomorrow
If you're lucky, I'll have a full recap of tonight's George Mason vs. Towson game. How could you want anything more than an up-close look at two teams battling it out for for sixth place in a midmajor college basketball conference?
The Colonials cut a 17-point second half deficit to one, but were never able to take the lead in a 91-84 loss at UMass last night. This wasn't one I expected them to win, and they showed strong resolve in making several runs at the Minutemen down the stretch. The hosts's interior tandem of Stephane Lasme (23 points, 13 rebounds, 11 blocks) and Rashaun Freeman (21, 7) dominated, but it was the unexpected outside prowess of Etienne Brower that opened up the paint for the big guys. Brower, who missed the first seven games of the season with an ankle injury, knocked down two treys in the first six minutes last night. On the plus side, Carl Elliott (19 points, 6 rebounds) and Maureece Rice (30, 7) made lots of clutch shots to keep it close, and GW got good minutes from Cheyenne Moore and Damian Hollis. As I have been saying for a while, check back with me at the end of the month for a more in-depth evaluation of this team.
Terps
As I have also been saying for a while, after ripping through the bottom quartile of the RPI recently, Maryland stumbled badly at home last night against Miami. Unlike Iona, Miami has actually won a game this season. Unlike Mount Saint Mary's, Miami decided to play defense against Mike Jones. And unlike Siena, Miami has players who are just as big, quick and skilled as Maryland's. Still, this is not the end of the world for the Terps. In fact, Gary Williams will use this loss to great effect in motivating his team, especially his young guards. But no amount of coaching is going to add bulk to Ekene Ibekwe and James Gist or quickness to Will Bowers. Could be ugly when Tyler Hansbrough gets ahold of these guys. Fortunately, the Terps match up much better with Clemson, who comes to town this weekend. Look for Maryland to catch the Tigers looking ahead to UNC and pull the upset to beat Duke out of the ACC cellar.
Wizards
Some stat maven is going to have to look up the last time Washington won when Gibert Arenas scored only 21 points, but balanced scoring effort put the Wiz over the Bulls 113-103 at Verizon Center last night. Caron Butler continued his hot streak with a team-high 26 points and Antonio Daniels had his highest scoring total of the year with 15 off the bench. In a game that pitted one of the league's highest scoring offense against one of its stingiest defenses, the Wiz won out, bouncing back nicely from Sunday's loss to the Raptors. Over at Hoops Addict, Ryan thinks that Marty Burns ranked Washington too high at #3 (I disagree) and loves that Slam Online posted Carmelo Anthony's iPod playlist (I am befuddled).
Tomorrow
If you're lucky, I'll have a full recap of tonight's George Mason vs. Towson game. How could you want anything more than an up-close look at two teams battling it out for for sixth place in a midmajor college basketball conference?
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
New Year, New Poll
Maryland takes two easy ones to stay on top. Georgetown moves up by beating Coach K protege Tommy Amaker (Somebody give me a won-loss percentage of former Coach K assistants. That would be Amaker, Quin Snyder and Mike Brey. Who else am I missing? Other than Brey, have any of them gotten it done?). Everybody else loses and falls down or even out. I'm done with Navy for a while; you can beat up on D3 teams but can't handle the big tough Ivy League? Shove off, sailor. And AU, I want U to want AU, but come on, Longwood? You might as well have lost to Bushwood, with that tremendous Smails-Webb backcourt. I hope to get a live look at Towson-VCU tomorrow and GW later this month. Check my votes against the final tally over at Big Stein's place:
1. Maryland
Terps beat Siena, who was picked fourth in the Crayola Conference behind Periwinkle, Goldenrod and perennial powerhouse Raw Umber.
2. Georgetown
Hoyas lead the entire way in a solid win at Michigan. Wolverine Band plays “Detroit Rock City” instead of “Hail to the Victors” to honor Gerald Ford’s lifelong membership in the Kiss Army.
3. VCU
My Team of Destiny reverts to a George McFly Team of Density, falling at Appalachian State, the poll’s bizarro UAB.
4. GW
Air Force Academy’s strategy of making shots while not allowing the Colonials to do the same seems unfair to GW fans, but is remarkably effective.
5. Virginia Tech
Hokies lose at Marshall, because well, maybe you’ve heard, they are Marshall. Just ask them. What, you have a better explanation?
6. Virginia
Cavaliers get back on the winning track by applying a little topical ointment of victory, aka American University.
7. Old Dominion
Readers’ choice: ODU can’t get the drop on Winthrop. Monarchs flop against Winthrop. ODU can’t stop Winthrop. Old Dominion fails to top Winthrop. Monarchs efforts plop versus Winthrop.
8. George Mason
Congratulations if you guessed that the Patriots would split their two games against Drexel and Mississippi State last week, but don’t even try to convince me that you were right on the win and the loss.
9. Towson
Tigers put up 40 in each half of Winston-Salem’s 13th straight loss. The Rams have played only four home games this season with losses at Fresno State, Auburn, Georgetown and Kansas. Special thanks go to schedule consultant Fang Mitchell.
10. William and Mary
The Tribe make their first entry into the Top 10 because Navy lost a second Ivy League game, which is an automatic three-week suspension.
Friday, December 29, 2006
Friday Finale
Well, it's the end of the year, but more importantly it's the end of the week, so let's take a look at some recent events:
Colonials
First, one of the objects of my subtitular obsession. GW lost, 66-52, to a better team last night, the Air Force Academy. I listened to the first half driving the family home from the Maryland-Mount St. Mary's game (more on that later), and the powerful Washington Post Radio signal (AM 1500) stayed with me almost to my driveway, more than an hour from the Foggy Bottom campus. Nice upgrade there. The Colonials were trailing the sharp-shooting Falcons early, but by the time my sleeping kids had been transferred from Suburban to bed, GW had fought back and taken a 31-30 halftime lead.
Through the magic of the Internet, I watched the second half on a CSTV live video feed, listened to the Post Radio via the website, and checked in on the GWHoops chat room (Hey, I'm obsessed, remember?). Unfortunately, the audio and video were out of synch, so my little digital sports sensory festival was not quite perfect, but still, it's pretty amazing to think that all this is possible. More unfortunately, the Colonials were also off kilter and could not get untracked offensively in the second half.
After surrendering eight first half turnovers - they average just 10 per game - the Falcons settled down and and locked up GW for nearly five minutes as they retook the lead with a 10-0 run. The Colonials rallied to within four after Karl Hobbs called a second timeout, but Air Force applied the clamps for another three minutes, built the lead back to nine, and GW never threatened again. Air Force runs the "Princeton" offense effectively, which usually means that a second half lead becomes a death march of wide open three-pointers and late in the shot clock backdoor layups. GW is a team that you can never give up on, but once the Falcons found their comfort zone, it was all over.
The Colonials should regain their footing tonight against Colgate, but the only remaining non-con opponent is Marshall. Despite Duquesne's shocking OT win against BC last night, the Atlantic 10 looks like a one-bid league this year. That bid could be GW's, but there will be some bumps along the way. Hobbs has to incorporate Cheyenne Moore into the mix without sacrificing the impressive development of Rob Diggs and the potential flashed by Travis King and Damian Hollis. Should be fun to watch.
Wizards
At 16-12, the Wizards are in first place in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference and could have the second-best record in the conference with a win tonight. Go back and read that sentence again. When I predicted that Washington would get to .500 by the New Year, I never dreamed they would be brushing up against .600. Gilbert Arenas has been simply unbelievable, Caron Butler has been a beast, Antawn Jamison has decided to rebound as well as score, and Brendan Haywood(!) has shaken off the shackles of his detractors and brought legitimate inside game. The only thing more shocking than Washington's record in December (11-3 so far) is Comcast's decision to show the last two games on tape delay while putting the Caps on live. And tomorrow's game against Milwaukee is not televised at all? Looks like it's back to the video feed for me.
Terps
I made my first trip to the Comcast Center last night to watch Maryland dismember Mount St. Marys. On the Terps' first possession, Mike Jones got free on the left wing and made a three. The next possession, the Mount defense sagged on an inbounds play and Jones was wide open for another three from the same spot. He did the same thing on the next three possessions, from the exact same spot! Meanwhile, the Mounties had only mustered one free throw. It wasn't ever much of a contest but it's always fun for me to watch my kids enjoy a game. The arena is quite impressive, with some nice tributes to great moments in Maryland history sprinkled around the concourse.
I don't think I'll ever be a Terps fan, but I do enjoy watching them play. This team definitely has the talent to get to the Final Four, but they could just as easily bomb out in the early rounds of the tournament. If Gary Williams can play his freshman point guard combo right, there is no reason they can't challenge UNC for the ACC title.
Ravens
The Ravens are going to win the Super Bowl. I don't see why anything else needs to be said. Yes, San Diego has a record-breaking tailback, but Baltimore's defense dismantles and demoralizes, and the offense is good enough. And they are getting all kinds of motivation from being overlooked by the national media. Maybe I'll have more on this after the regualr season, but, I'm telling you right now, book it.
Movies
Night at the Museum
Four thumbs up from my family for this one. Creative and amusing for adults and kiddies and should be a bonanza for the Museum of Natural History. Obviously, if you are allergic to Ben Stiller's array of double-takes and his three facial displays of shock, surprise, and disbelief, you want to avoid this one, although only one of his usual coconspirators makes an appearance (shocking that Will Ferrell did not get a cameo). Also, I am a little tired of the "let's prove to the preteen kid that his divorced Dad isn't a loser" plotline, but there was enough other distraction to make this one work.
Charlotte's Web
From down south, my brother makes a strong buy recomendation for this classic, despite my earlier trepidations. He is something of an aficionado, with at least two candidates for Ferndom in his clan and multiple out-loud readings. I guess I will reconsider, as I can only hope that it is "radiant," "humble," and "some movie."
Rocky Balboa
Like most people, I lost track of Rocky somewhere between IV and V, but head on over to Bill Simmons to get an authoritative read of this latest installment. As he often does, Simmons captures the mindset of the average American male approaching middle age on matters of sports and pop culture, even if he had the Ravens as only the sixth best team in the NFL going into last weekend.
Noteable Deaths
James Brown
The body of the Godfather of Soul lay in state at the Apollo Theater this week as mourners paid their respects. How cool is that? U.S. politicians get the Capitol, Russians get the Kremlin, and the pope gets St. Peter's, I would take the Apollo every time, given the choice.
Gerald Ford
Here we have a guy who was a great college football player who turned down the NFl for a life of public service. I know the money was nowhere near what it is now, but some reason, this makes me think of Pat Tillman, and the awesome sacrifice he made when he chose armed combat in Afghanistan over professional football.
Ralph Stebbins
Don't recognize the name? In April, 2005, the former well-digger won a $208 million Mega Millions jackpot. He and his wife quit their jobs and bought an RV. He died of a heart attack last Saturday. He was 43. Won't stop me from buying a ticket when the jackpot is more than $50 million.
Fini
So have a Happy New Year! We'll be watching the ball drop and a lot of football, but FitzFacts will return sometime next week. Hope you enjoyed reading this year as much as I enjoyed writing.
Colonials
First, one of the objects of my subtitular obsession. GW lost, 66-52, to a better team last night, the Air Force Academy. I listened to the first half driving the family home from the Maryland-Mount St. Mary's game (more on that later), and the powerful Washington Post Radio signal (AM 1500) stayed with me almost to my driveway, more than an hour from the Foggy Bottom campus. Nice upgrade there. The Colonials were trailing the sharp-shooting Falcons early, but by the time my sleeping kids had been transferred from Suburban to bed, GW had fought back and taken a 31-30 halftime lead.
Through the magic of the Internet, I watched the second half on a CSTV live video feed, listened to the Post Radio via the website, and checked in on the GWHoops chat room (Hey, I'm obsessed, remember?). Unfortunately, the audio and video were out of synch, so my little digital sports sensory festival was not quite perfect, but still, it's pretty amazing to think that all this is possible. More unfortunately, the Colonials were also off kilter and could not get untracked offensively in the second half.
After surrendering eight first half turnovers - they average just 10 per game - the Falcons settled down and and locked up GW for nearly five minutes as they retook the lead with a 10-0 run. The Colonials rallied to within four after Karl Hobbs called a second timeout, but Air Force applied the clamps for another three minutes, built the lead back to nine, and GW never threatened again. Air Force runs the "Princeton" offense effectively, which usually means that a second half lead becomes a death march of wide open three-pointers and late in the shot clock backdoor layups. GW is a team that you can never give up on, but once the Falcons found their comfort zone, it was all over.
The Colonials should regain their footing tonight against Colgate, but the only remaining non-con opponent is Marshall. Despite Duquesne's shocking OT win against BC last night, the Atlantic 10 looks like a one-bid league this year. That bid could be GW's, but there will be some bumps along the way. Hobbs has to incorporate Cheyenne Moore into the mix without sacrificing the impressive development of Rob Diggs and the potential flashed by Travis King and Damian Hollis. Should be fun to watch.
Wizards
At 16-12, the Wizards are in first place in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference and could have the second-best record in the conference with a win tonight. Go back and read that sentence again. When I predicted that Washington would get to .500 by the New Year, I never dreamed they would be brushing up against .600. Gilbert Arenas has been simply unbelievable, Caron Butler has been a beast, Antawn Jamison has decided to rebound as well as score, and Brendan Haywood(!) has shaken off the shackles of his detractors and brought legitimate inside game. The only thing more shocking than Washington's record in December (11-3 so far) is Comcast's decision to show the last two games on tape delay while putting the Caps on live. And tomorrow's game against Milwaukee is not televised at all? Looks like it's back to the video feed for me.
Terps
I made my first trip to the Comcast Center last night to watch Maryland dismember Mount St. Marys. On the Terps' first possession, Mike Jones got free on the left wing and made a three. The next possession, the Mount defense sagged on an inbounds play and Jones was wide open for another three from the same spot. He did the same thing on the next three possessions, from the exact same spot! Meanwhile, the Mounties had only mustered one free throw. It wasn't ever much of a contest but it's always fun for me to watch my kids enjoy a game. The arena is quite impressive, with some nice tributes to great moments in Maryland history sprinkled around the concourse.
I don't think I'll ever be a Terps fan, but I do enjoy watching them play. This team definitely has the talent to get to the Final Four, but they could just as easily bomb out in the early rounds of the tournament. If Gary Williams can play his freshman point guard combo right, there is no reason they can't challenge UNC for the ACC title.
Ravens
The Ravens are going to win the Super Bowl. I don't see why anything else needs to be said. Yes, San Diego has a record-breaking tailback, but Baltimore's defense dismantles and demoralizes, and the offense is good enough. And they are getting all kinds of motivation from being overlooked by the national media. Maybe I'll have more on this after the regualr season, but, I'm telling you right now, book it.
Movies
Night at the Museum
Four thumbs up from my family for this one. Creative and amusing for adults and kiddies and should be a bonanza for the Museum of Natural History. Obviously, if you are allergic to Ben Stiller's array of double-takes and his three facial displays of shock, surprise, and disbelief, you want to avoid this one, although only one of his usual coconspirators makes an appearance (shocking that Will Ferrell did not get a cameo). Also, I am a little tired of the "let's prove to the preteen kid that his divorced Dad isn't a loser" plotline, but there was enough other distraction to make this one work.
Charlotte's Web
From down south, my brother makes a strong buy recomendation for this classic, despite my earlier trepidations. He is something of an aficionado, with at least two candidates for Ferndom in his clan and multiple out-loud readings. I guess I will reconsider, as I can only hope that it is "radiant," "humble," and "some movie."
Rocky Balboa
Like most people, I lost track of Rocky somewhere between IV and V, but head on over to Bill Simmons to get an authoritative read of this latest installment. As he often does, Simmons captures the mindset of the average American male approaching middle age on matters of sports and pop culture, even if he had the Ravens as only the sixth best team in the NFL going into last weekend.
Noteable Deaths
James Brown
The body of the Godfather of Soul lay in state at the Apollo Theater this week as mourners paid their respects. How cool is that? U.S. politicians get the Capitol, Russians get the Kremlin, and the pope gets St. Peter's, I would take the Apollo every time, given the choice.
Gerald Ford
Here we have a guy who was a great college football player who turned down the NFl for a life of public service. I know the money was nowhere near what it is now, but some reason, this makes me think of Pat Tillman, and the awesome sacrifice he made when he chose armed combat in Afghanistan over professional football.
Ralph Stebbins
Don't recognize the name? In April, 2005, the former well-digger won a $208 million Mega Millions jackpot. He and his wife quit their jobs and bought an RV. He died of a heart attack last Saturday. He was 43. Won't stop me from buying a ticket when the jackpot is more than $50 million.
Fini
So have a Happy New Year! We'll be watching the ball drop and a lot of football, but FitzFacts will return sometime next week. Hope you enjoyed reading this year as much as I enjoyed writing.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Cavaliers come tumbling down
For my final local college basketball poll of 2006, Virginia falls dramatically from the top spot. With two losses in Puerto Rico, the Hoos have to win several ACC games in the New Year to get a sniff of the Top Five. GW has a huge chance to impress tonight against Air Force. I'll be listening to that one on the way home from a presumed blowout of Mount Saint Mary's by the Terps. I plan to see Towson against VCU next week, and if the Rams look as good in person as they have on paper and in brief highlights, they could stay in the mix with the big guys all season. I thought American looked pretty good for a half against Maryland; the Eagles keep it up and they will move ahead of Navy soon
Big Stein has posted a sans-comments poll, last time I checked. My complete thoughts are below:
1. Maryland
Gary Williams now 1-1 against former employers. Could be tough to win the series with Ohio State as the rubber match.
2. Virginia Tech
Hokies finally get a road win after Seth Greenberg points out the obvious similarities between South Orange, NJ, and Blacksburg, VA.
3. VCU
Boasting the poll’s longest active win streak of seven games, VCU applies to upgrade its status from “Team of Probably” to “Team of Destiny.”
4. GW
All’s quiet at Foggy Bottom as Karl Hobbs tries to work his way back onto the media’s “Nice” list.
5. Georgetown
Hoyas now 5-1 this month. JTIII demands that Sports Information Office reprint schedule to show all games as slated for December.
6. Old Dominion
Monarchs get a win against poll whipping boy UAB; Blazers now 0-3 against poll members including Radford.
7. Virginia
Dave Leitao dismayed to learn that his “All-Inclusive” resort package only includes one win. Gotta read the fine print, coach.
8. Navy
Mids rip another Division III opponent (Washington College) before falling to Hoyas. So when is Feinstein going to write a book about Navy’s domination of its DIII opponents?
9. American
Strong first half against Maryland convinces Jeff Jones that he made the right move leaving Charlottesville for Tenley Circle.
10. George Mason
Patriots reenter poll with win over Holy Cross, but must beat Drexel, the best Dragons not in Eragon, this week to stay
Big Stein has posted a sans-comments poll, last time I checked. My complete thoughts are below:
1. Maryland
Gary Williams now 1-1 against former employers. Could be tough to win the series with Ohio State as the rubber match.
2. Virginia Tech
Hokies finally get a road win after Seth Greenberg points out the obvious similarities between South Orange, NJ, and Blacksburg, VA.
3. VCU
Boasting the poll’s longest active win streak of seven games, VCU applies to upgrade its status from “Team of Probably” to “Team of Destiny.”
4. GW
All’s quiet at Foggy Bottom as Karl Hobbs tries to work his way back onto the media’s “Nice” list.
5. Georgetown
Hoyas now 5-1 this month. JTIII demands that Sports Information Office reprint schedule to show all games as slated for December.
6. Old Dominion
Monarchs get a win against poll whipping boy UAB; Blazers now 0-3 against poll members including Radford.
7. Virginia
Dave Leitao dismayed to learn that his “All-Inclusive” resort package only includes one win. Gotta read the fine print, coach.
8. Navy
Mids rip another Division III opponent (Washington College) before falling to Hoyas. So when is Feinstein going to write a book about Navy’s domination of its DIII opponents?
9. American
Strong first half against Maryland convinces Jeff Jones that he made the right move leaving Charlottesville for Tenley Circle.
10. George Mason
Patriots reenter poll with win over Holy Cross, but must beat Drexel, the best Dragons not in Eragon, this week to stay
Monday, December 18, 2006
You Get a Line, I'll Get a Poll
For the third straight week, Monday is Poll Day. Despite a deluge of Gilbert data, Big Stein has posted the poll. As you can see from his intro, he doesn't like the credit I gave to VA Tech and VCU for playing and beating decent teams. I still think 1-2 are very close but a quantum leap from 3-7, which are also very close. It gets pretty ugly near the bottom of the poll, but I refuse to vote for George Mason until they get over .500. Here are my rankings and comments:
1. Virginia
Cavs starting backcourt averages a triple double. It’s a completely meaningless stat, but I expect to hear it on the next Raycom broadcast anyway.
2. Maryland
Terps put up 56 points in first half of 101-50 win over UMKC, much to the dismay of Gary Williams’ tailor and drycleaner.
3. Virginia Tech
Washington Redskins management pressures Comcast to suspend Zabian Dowdell from future Hokie broadcasts because his name sounds a lot like Steve Czaban.
4.VCU
VCU jumps three spots in my ranking because they beat a team that has been to the NCAA Tournament in the last 20 years.
5. GW
Colonials beat UMBC last week after beating UMES earlier this season. Karl Hobbs asks GW Mathematics Department to submit proof that BC + ES = CP.
6. Georgetown
After the Hoyas beat Winston Salem, Roy Hibbert is rushed to the National Aquarium in Baltimore to save two seals from choking to death.
7. Old Dominion
Monarchs’ leading scorer Valdas Vasylius looks like a shoo-in to join Arvydas Sabonis, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Sarunas Jasukevicius, and Darius Songaila on the All-Time All-Lithuania Team, but don’t tell Ramunas “The Lithuanian Scottie Pippen” Siskauskas.
8. Navy
Navy scored 65 points in a win over Division III Delaware Valley College last week. In losses to Moravian, Lebanon Valley, DeSales, Franklin & Marshall, Lincoln University, and Vassar this season, Delaware Valley has given up an average of 98 points. And yet, somehow the Midshipmen moved up a spot in my rankings.
9. American
As part of a dramatic marketing makeover, AU hires John Mellencamp to write a new school fight song.
10. Towson
$30 million to renovate the Towson Center? What, is the University President moving in?
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
GW bounces back
Speaking of obsessions, the Colonials cruised to a 72-51 win over UMBC at Smith Center last night. Maureece Rice had 22 points and 10 rebounds as GW jumped the Retrievers from the outset, but the most important news was that the long-awaited Cheyenne Moore finally played more than just a minute. He had 10 points in 10 minutes, including two threes and a swooping reverse layup that left the crowd giddy. Regis Koundjia left the game after getting a hard shot to the jaw, but hopefuly will be ready when GW plays Air Force in two weeks.
The Colonials' record now stands at 7-2, a respectable if unremarkable tally as the nonconference schedule winds down. Air Force might be the best team they play all year, so a record of 9-3 entering league play would be fine. The upper level of the A-10 hold UMass, Xavier and St. Louis as expected, but also a surprising Dayton team. The middle and bottom of the conference has been pretty bad, so this looks like a two-bid year for the league at best. Right now, there's no reason to think the Colonials can't be one of those teams.
The Colonials' record now stands at 7-2, a respectable if unremarkable tally as the nonconference schedule winds down. Air Force might be the best team they play all year, so a record of 9-3 entering league play would be fine. The upper level of the A-10 hold UMass, Xavier and St. Louis as expected, but also a surprising Dayton team. The middle and bottom of the conference has been pretty bad, so this looks like a two-bid year for the league at best. Right now, there's no reason to think the Colonials can't be one of those teams.
Monday, December 11, 2006
Polling for Dollars
Despite the title of this post, I'm not getting paid for my opinions regarding the DC/MD/VA Division I hoops hierarchy. In that spirit, Virginia moves to my Number 1 spot without playing a game this week. I had the Cavs a very close second behind Maryland last week, and the Terps loss at BC - after beating Fordham - makes them a very close second behind UVa. Stepping down a bit, teams 3-7 are bunched pretty closely. GW blew a big lead against USC (more on that later), but they don't have a bad loss and they have the best win - over Va. Tech. Yes, ODU winning at Georgetown is nice, but they just lost at Tech. Georgetown slips ahead of ODU, but just barely; the Hoyas still don't have an impressive win. VCU has to get credit for three road wins, but a bad early loss at Toledo hurts. Liberty jumps in with the best winning percentage of all 27 eligible teams. Navy drops a spot after losing at home to Penn, and Towson knocks AU out because the Eagles lost to Yale.
Check Big Stein's Bog to see how my picks compare:
Check Big Stein's Bog to see how my picks compare:
1. Virginia
Cavaliers take 13 days off. Dave Leitao’s hairline suspiciously lower on his forehead when he returns from “recruiting trip.”
2. Maryland
Beat Fordham and lost to BC. Gary Williams withdraws petition for exemption for Terps to join new basketball superconference, The Big Jesuit.
3. GW
Colonials’ loss at Southern Cal eliminates them from BCS consideration.
4. Virginia Tech
Coleman Collins is the Hokies’ best basketball player with two last names since Dell Curry.
5. Georgetown
Beat Oral Roberts who beat Kansas who beat USC who beat GW, which is the alma mater of Alec Baldwin, who was in “She’s Having a Baby” with Kevin Bacon. Yes!
6. Old Dominion
Branding firm recommended changing name to New and Improved Dominion, but University’s legal counsel advised against, citing truth in advertising statutes.
7. VCU
Wins at Albany and Richmond boost their RPI in the all-important “wins at state capitals” category. Better be careful against perennial powers Montpelier and Carson City.
8. Liberty
Larry Blair is the Flames leading scorer, Moe Barry has yet to play a minute this season, but Curly and Shemp were both suspended for a “disciplinary reasons.”
9. Navy
Invokes the oft-used “Penn and Princeton” exemption clause to avoid automatic expulsion from the Top 10 for losing to an Ivy League Team. American University lobbies unsuccessfully to add Yale to the list.
10. Towson
With Temple and Georgetown on the schedule this week, it could be a while before we see Pat’s Cats crack the Top 10 again.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Wednesday Whatever
No hot topic to blog on today, but I guess I am not alone. ESPN.com's lead story asks the burning question, "Did Ali invent rap?"
GW won 79-56 over a subpar UMES team last night. Another strong second half by the Colonials put this one away with solid games from Rice (20 pts, 4-6 3FG), Elliott (13 pts, 7 rebounds, 5 steals), and an excellent performance from Rob Diggs (16pts, 7 rebounds, 7 blocks). Most noteworthy for the future was the first appearance of Cheyenne Moore in a GW uniform. Moore, who transferred from Clemson, had been out with a stress fracture and only played two minutes, but he is expected to be a major contributor this season. Also a nice 14 minutes from freshman Damian Hollis who was 4-4 from the field. The 7-1 Colonials get a better test on the road this Saturday at USC.
The Wizards walloped the hottest team in the NBA Monday night, but I was busy coaching my own cagers and didn't see a minute of the action. Big Stein has some all-access Gilbert material in the Bog today, but I'm more interested to see how the Wiz go at the Knicks tonight. They still haven't won on the road and got embarrassed in their last trip to the Garden, so the pieces would seem to be in place, but you just can't tell with this team yet. I'd love to see them get to .500 by the end of the month and then take a closer look.
The Ravens have had plenty of time to recover from last week's loss at Cincinnati. It wasn't a disaster, and the rest of the games this weekend showed how wide open the league is. New England looked shaky in their win, Indianapolis got dumped, and San Diego escaped from a bad Buffalo team. I know Dallas, Seattle and New Orleans are gathering momentum, but the NFC still stands for Nobody Freaking Cares when it comes to this year's Super Bowl race. Indy probably has a lock on home field for the playoffs, but Baltimore shouldn't have to go on the road until then.
Finally, on a nonsports note, I was walking the dog this morning, and as we turned up the hill for home, I noticed an object about the size of a football lying in the road. As we got closer, Sweet Pea did her usual curious, but easily-spooked, investigation (she was once startled by a bag of leaves). The item turned out to be a piece of meat, some sort of large, gristly roast, lying a few feet from the curb. It was quite red, not rotted at all, so I don' t think it had been there very long, and I guess it was too early for discovery by the turkey vultures that often take care of this sort of thing. There was not a shred of packaging nearby; I have no idea how it got there, and really can't come up with a plausible scenario. All I keep thinking is that if my life were a Tarantino or Coen brothers movie, I would have picked up the meat and set in motion a profanely hilarious and astonishingly violent sequence of events involving a multinational cast of grotesquely idiosyncratic characters. But my life, even with its daily moments of drama and comedy, is not a movie, so I kept the dog away from it, and headed home.
GW won 79-56 over a subpar UMES team last night. Another strong second half by the Colonials put this one away with solid games from Rice (20 pts, 4-6 3FG), Elliott (13 pts, 7 rebounds, 5 steals), and an excellent performance from Rob Diggs (16pts, 7 rebounds, 7 blocks). Most noteworthy for the future was the first appearance of Cheyenne Moore in a GW uniform. Moore, who transferred from Clemson, had been out with a stress fracture and only played two minutes, but he is expected to be a major contributor this season. Also a nice 14 minutes from freshman Damian Hollis who was 4-4 from the field. The 7-1 Colonials get a better test on the road this Saturday at USC.
The Wizards walloped the hottest team in the NBA Monday night, but I was busy coaching my own cagers and didn't see a minute of the action. Big Stein has some all-access Gilbert material in the Bog today, but I'm more interested to see how the Wiz go at the Knicks tonight. They still haven't won on the road and got embarrassed in their last trip to the Garden, so the pieces would seem to be in place, but you just can't tell with this team yet. I'd love to see them get to .500 by the end of the month and then take a closer look.
The Ravens have had plenty of time to recover from last week's loss at Cincinnati. It wasn't a disaster, and the rest of the games this weekend showed how wide open the league is. New England looked shaky in their win, Indianapolis got dumped, and San Diego escaped from a bad Buffalo team. I know Dallas, Seattle and New Orleans are gathering momentum, but the NFC still stands for Nobody Freaking Cares when it comes to this year's Super Bowl race. Indy probably has a lock on home field for the playoffs, but Baltimore shouldn't have to go on the road until then.
Finally, on a nonsports note, I was walking the dog this morning, and as we turned up the hill for home, I noticed an object about the size of a football lying in the road. As we got closer, Sweet Pea did her usual curious, but easily-spooked, investigation (she was once startled by a bag of leaves). The item turned out to be a piece of meat, some sort of large, gristly roast, lying a few feet from the curb. It was quite red, not rotted at all, so I don' t think it had been there very long, and I guess it was too early for discovery by the turkey vultures that often take care of this sort of thing. There was not a shred of packaging nearby; I have no idea how it got there, and really can't come up with a plausible scenario. All I keep thinking is that if my life were a Tarantino or Coen brothers movie, I would have picked up the meat and set in motion a profanely hilarious and astonishingly violent sequence of events involving a multinational cast of grotesquely idiosyncratic characters. But my life, even with its daily moments of drama and comedy, is not a movie, so I kept the dog away from it, and headed home.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Poll Positions
Alright folks, you're in trouble now. As of yesterday I am a voter in the Washington Post's Local Top 11 Poll (insert gleeful cackle at the thought of my new powers of influence and persuasion). The brainchild of Post reporter and blogger Dan Steinberg, the poll ranks the top 10 Division I college basketball teams in Virginia, Maryland and D.C. There are about 60 voters, and even some actual journalists. Here's the link to the poll and another link with more "pithy comments."
My rankings were pretty close to the final results. Here's how I voted:
My rankings were pretty close to the final results. Here's how I voted:
1. Maryland
Fear the Turnover! McAlarney leads Notre Dame comeback. South Bend area headline writers rejoice. "When Irish Eyes are Smiling" copyright holders contact their attorneys. Gary Williams switches from Verizon DSL to Comcast Digital Cable.
2. Virginia
Cavaliers beat NC State. ACC's regular season now officially longer than NHL's.
3. Old Dominion
Monarchs are 3-0 against poll-eligible teams, and currently in first place for the coveted Steinberg Cup.
4. GW
Colonials get their first win over an opponent not found in the bakery aisle. Carl Elliott is cooler than the other side of a cucumber pillow.
5. Georgetown
Hoyas lead at halftime but lose at Duke. As the Blue Devils go on an 8-0 run to take command, Dick Vitale informs us that Greg Oden likes pancakes.
6. Virginia Tech
Seth Greenberg wants to bring in a specialist to help his team to develop killer instinct, but can't get Marcus Vick to return his calls.
7. VCU
Rams win at Houston 102-84, spoiling the Cougars celebration of Benny Anders Day.
8. Navy
Annapolis hasn't seen this kind of two-sport success since the days of Robinson and McCallum.
9. George Mason
Patriots' bandwagon crashes and burns returning home from Verizon Center, tying up traffic on 95 for two days. In postgame press conference, Jim Larranaga asks, "Hey, where'd everybody go?" To paraphrase the great Zero Mostel, "There's no shame in losing to Bucknell, but there's no great honor either."
10. Coppin State
With losses at Virginia Tech, Hawaii, Tennessee, Kansas State, Missouri, and Iowa, the Golden Eagles are the best, and highest-grossing, 2-6 team in the country
Monday, December 04, 2006
Ice Man Elliott
It wasn't as stunning as his halfcourt shot to beat Dayton or as dramatic as his overtime tip-in to take down Charlotte, but Carl Elliott cemented his reputation as a great clutch player when he sank both ends of a one-and-one to give GW the lead and the win over Virginia Tech.
After falling apart in the second half at Providence last week, the Colonials needed to bounce back against a quality opponent, both for their own confidence and to legitimize their 4-1 record. The Hokies carry just a little more strength-of-schedule weight than previous GW victims BU, Dartmouth, Kennesaw State and Longwood.
Trailing 38-29 after a half marked by turnovers and porous defense, GW abandoned its man-to-man and trapping pressure for a 2-3 zone that clogged the passing lanes and frustrated the Hokies. Karl Hobbs also went with freshman guard Travis King over big man Dokun Akingbade in a three-guard lineup for almost the entire second half. The halftime adjustments clicked as GW opened the period with a 16-2 run that featured baskets from all three guards and a five-minute scoring drought for Tech.
GW got great support for Elliott's heroics from King (9 pts), Maureece Rice (11) and Rob Diggs (13 pts, 5-6 FG), but Regis Koundjia stood out, with 10 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. Koundjia has tested the patience of Colonials fans since he became eligible nearly a year ago, but yesterday he exploited his considerable athletic ability, driving to the basket, keeping rebounds alive, and getting a quick and disruptive hand on the ball on numerous Hokie possessions, including a missed dunk attempt by Coleman Collins after Elliott's late free throws. His first step is nearly unstoppable and watching him sky and cuff an offensive rebound for a putback drew the appreciation of the Verizon Center crowd.
The Colonials get yet one more light and fluffy treat on Tuesday when UMES visits Smith Center, but another tests looms at 5-1 USC on Saturday. Clemson transfer Cheyenne Moore dressed for yesterday's contest and will be a major addition to the lineup when he is fully recovered from his stress fracture injury. Of course, if the game is on the line, put the ball in Elliott's hands and rest easy.
After falling apart in the second half at Providence last week, the Colonials needed to bounce back against a quality opponent, both for their own confidence and to legitimize their 4-1 record. The Hokies carry just a little more strength-of-schedule weight than previous GW victims BU, Dartmouth, Kennesaw State and Longwood.
Trailing 38-29 after a half marked by turnovers and porous defense, GW abandoned its man-to-man and trapping pressure for a 2-3 zone that clogged the passing lanes and frustrated the Hokies. Karl Hobbs also went with freshman guard Travis King over big man Dokun Akingbade in a three-guard lineup for almost the entire second half. The halftime adjustments clicked as GW opened the period with a 16-2 run that featured baskets from all three guards and a five-minute scoring drought for Tech.
GW got great support for Elliott's heroics from King (9 pts), Maureece Rice (11) and Rob Diggs (13 pts, 5-6 FG), but Regis Koundjia stood out, with 10 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. Koundjia has tested the patience of Colonials fans since he became eligible nearly a year ago, but yesterday he exploited his considerable athletic ability, driving to the basket, keeping rebounds alive, and getting a quick and disruptive hand on the ball on numerous Hokie possessions, including a missed dunk attempt by Coleman Collins after Elliott's late free throws. His first step is nearly unstoppable and watching him sky and cuff an offensive rebound for a putback drew the appreciation of the Verizon Center crowd.
The Colonials get yet one more light and fluffy treat on Tuesday when UMES visits Smith Center, but another tests looms at 5-1 USC on Saturday. Clemson transfer Cheyenne Moore dressed for yesterday's contest and will be a major addition to the lineup when he is fully recovered from his stress fracture injury. Of course, if the game is on the line, put the ball in Elliott's hands and rest easy.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Colonials Collapse
Well, the sky is falling on all the Chicken Littles over at GWHoops.com this morning. Actually, I haven't logged in over there yet, but I am guessing that there is much wailing and gnashing of teeth after the Colonials lost 86-67 to Providence last night. GW is now 4-1, but 0-1 against opponents whom you have heard of, except Dartmouth, which you know as the birthplace of "Animal House" and "The National Review," not the skip pass and the jump stop.
The Colonials played to their normal breakneck pace and led 41-40 at the half on the strength of 9-12 shooting from three-point range, but Dokun Akingbade and Regis Koundjia each picked up two fouls battling a deep, bulky, Friar frontcourt. Carl Elliott opened the second period with a trey, but picked up his second and third foul in the first two minutes. Rob Diggs missed some minutes due to a hard PC foul and freshman Damian Hollis continued to struggle. Despite getting doubled up on the boards, GW led 57-51 with 12:27 to play, thanks to strong contributions by reserves Noel Wilmore and Travis King. But the Friars front line asserted itself over the next four minutes to take a 68-60 lead, and, after Elliott fouled out at the 7:47 mark, GW never got closer than six.
It's a rare occasion that Karl Hobbs' team gets run off the court, but the combination of foul trouble and the minor injury to Diggs - who would return - left few options. The Colonials cooled off in the second half but still shot 12-24 from three. They forced 19 turnovers but gave up 15 and got outrebounded 48-23. Wilmore and King were superb off the bench (24 points and only two turnovers), but 0-5 from Diggs and Elliott's absence due to second half foul trouble put this one out of reach. GW won't see another team with this kind of size again this year, but they failed to exploit their significant advantage in the backcourt.
The best news of the day, outside the performance of King and Wilmore, was that Cheyenne Moore is expected to return this week and should be ready for the Virginia Tech game. Moore won't solve the problem of frontcourt size, but when he joins King and Wilmore coming off the bench, GW will be able to keep running and scoring without a pause. Keep the faith!
The Colonials played to their normal breakneck pace and led 41-40 at the half on the strength of 9-12 shooting from three-point range, but Dokun Akingbade and Regis Koundjia each picked up two fouls battling a deep, bulky, Friar frontcourt. Carl Elliott opened the second period with a trey, but picked up his second and third foul in the first two minutes. Rob Diggs missed some minutes due to a hard PC foul and freshman Damian Hollis continued to struggle. Despite getting doubled up on the boards, GW led 57-51 with 12:27 to play, thanks to strong contributions by reserves Noel Wilmore and Travis King. But the Friars front line asserted itself over the next four minutes to take a 68-60 lead, and, after Elliott fouled out at the 7:47 mark, GW never got closer than six.
It's a rare occasion that Karl Hobbs' team gets run off the court, but the combination of foul trouble and the minor injury to Diggs - who would return - left few options. The Colonials cooled off in the second half but still shot 12-24 from three. They forced 19 turnovers but gave up 15 and got outrebounded 48-23. Wilmore and King were superb off the bench (24 points and only two turnovers), but 0-5 from Diggs and Elliott's absence due to second half foul trouble put this one out of reach. GW won't see another team with this kind of size again this year, but they failed to exploit their significant advantage in the backcourt.
The best news of the day, outside the performance of King and Wilmore, was that Cheyenne Moore is expected to return this week and should be ready for the Virginia Tech game. Moore won't solve the problem of frontcourt size, but when he joins King and Wilmore coming off the bench, GW will be able to keep running and scoring without a pause. Keep the faith!
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