Analyzing Obama’s Bracket
President Obama took a relatively conservative approach when he filled out his bracket, picking relatively few upsets. He picked North Carolina, Louisville, Pittsburgh and Memphis to make it to the Final Four. Obama has North Carolina defeating Louisville to win the 2009 National Championship.
* Obama picked two No. 11 seeds to win in the first round (Virginia Commonwealth University and Temple).
* Obama did not pick McCain's home state teams to win in the first round (Arizona and Arizona State).
* Obama, the former Senator of Illinois, has Illinois losing in the second round to Gonzaga
* He picked North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Louisville and Memphis to make it the Final Four. He has North Carolina defeating Louisville in the National Championship game.
* UConn was the only No. 1 seed that Obama did not pick to make the Final Four. He was not exactly going out on a limb when he made his picks.
To read about why Obama chose No. 11 Temple over No.6 Arizona State and No.11 VCU over UCLA go to HoopWriters.com
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
UConn is Still Suffering From the Curse of George Mason
UConn is Still Suffering From the Curse of George Mason
When the final buzzer sounded on March 26th, 2006, sometime after 5PM, eleventh-seeded George Mason out of the Colonial Athletic Association, had pulled off the improbable, defeating a UConn team, which would later fill NBA rosters, 86 to 84 in overtime for a trip to the 2006 Final Four.
Since that dreaded moment, UConn has seemingly been cursed in the postseason, failing to win a game. Even in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament last year, fourth-seeded UConn lost thirteenth-seeded San Diego 70 to 69 in overtime.
The only hardware members of this UConn team can claim are 2005 Maui Invitational, the 2006 Big East regular season and the 2008 Paradise Jam championships. All of these trophies have one thing in common, besides rust and that is none were awarded in postseason play.
The only regular players left from the 2005 Maui Invitational and 2006 Big East champs are Craig Austrie and Jeff Adrien. Adrien and Austrie were role players that year. Yet, Jeff Adrien missed a clutch free throw in overtime versus George Mason, a sign of things to come in his career.
To read the Full Story go to HoopWriters.com
When the final buzzer sounded on March 26th, 2006, sometime after 5PM, eleventh-seeded George Mason out of the Colonial Athletic Association, had pulled off the improbable, defeating a UConn team, which would later fill NBA rosters, 86 to 84 in overtime for a trip to the 2006 Final Four.
Since that dreaded moment, UConn has seemingly been cursed in the postseason, failing to win a game. Even in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament last year, fourth-seeded UConn lost thirteenth-seeded San Diego 70 to 69 in overtime.
The only hardware members of this UConn team can claim are 2005 Maui Invitational, the 2006 Big East regular season and the 2008 Paradise Jam championships. All of these trophies have one thing in common, besides rust and that is none were awarded in postseason play.
The only regular players left from the 2005 Maui Invitational and 2006 Big East champs are Craig Austrie and Jeff Adrien. Adrien and Austrie were role players that year. Yet, Jeff Adrien missed a clutch free throw in overtime versus George Mason, a sign of things to come in his career.
To read the Full Story go to HoopWriters.com
Sunday, March 15, 2009
It Turns out Watching the Game From Your Coach isn't too Bad
The least of my worries last night occurred not because my alma matter lost in the 2009 Big East Championship game to Louisville 76-66, but the lengths I attempted to go in order to watch it in relative peace.
The story is that, I was invited to attend a birthday party at Koji’s on Aslyum Street in Hartford. Concerned because it was some sort of Japanese Restaurant/Bar ,I contacted them in advance to see if they would have the game on.
So I arrived in Hartford around 8:45 PM and I parked in the Pro Park lot across from Koji’s. Initially I was surprised because it was full, usually the parking lots in downtown Hartford do not fill until after 11 PM on a Saturday night. My first thought was that maybe there was a Hartford Wolfpack game going on. I quickly realized this could not be the case because who really cares about the Harford Wolfpack?
It turns out there was a Wolf Pack game, but this was not the reason why the lots were full.
After ten seconds of walking through the Pro Park lot, I realized that there had been some sort of St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The parking lot and sidewalks were littered with empty beer bottles, it was a pretty disgusting site.
Well, it was not as disgusting as what was in store for me next – A Japanese restaurant/bar decorated in green, blaring techno music. Not only was the bar blaring techno, but the floor was littered with napkins and other trash -making a relatively nice establishment look trashy.
Luckily for me, the television above the bar was tuned to ESPN.
When I ordered my beer, out of the corner of my eye I observed two drunks making out. Immediately I came to a conclusion, down my beer as fast as I can and head to Coach’s.
Coach’s is located on Ann Street next to the XL Center (the former Hartford Civic Center), it is a sports bar that UConn coach Jim Calhoun used to have some sort of stake in. It is known as a place to watch the game, an enclave for those who are not up for bar hopping, grinding and binge drinking.
The walk to Coach’s took less than five minutes, but it seemed like an eternity because the game had probably already started and I had to navigate through streets mobbed with drunks.
I entered Coach’s and I was immediately confused, it turns out that they had changed locations and I was in the new, much smaller one.
Like Koji’s, Coach’s was also taking part in the St. Patrick’s Day festivities, but minus the techno music, which at first made the experience seem not too bad.
When I ordered my Coor’s Light draft I asked the bartender if they were going to put the volume of the game on and turn down the music. He came back to me a minute later and said, “Maybe a little bit later.”
Lucky for me it turns out that Coach’s now serves beer in plastic cups, reminiscent of the house party days on Euclid Avenue in Syracuse. It was also surefire sign that Coach’s had regressed.
When I observed the bartender grabbing me a plastic cup, I said to him “are you kidding me, can I please get that in a pint glass.”
He responded, “We have been serving drinks in plastic cups all day because of the parade.”
I grabbed my beer in anger and my next move was to find the quietest place in the bar. So I chose the back corner area near the pool table, which at the time was vacant and also because the music was barely audible.
Well ten minutes later, it was apparent that I was never going to hear Dan Schulman and Jay Bilas’ play-by-play of the game, as Coach’s began blaring loud 80’s music throughout the bar.
I decided to give the bar another chance, as I really wanted to watch the game. Focused intently on the game, I did not notice the group of four guys in their mid-thirties show up near me and start playing pool.
As Syracuse stormed back to take the lead near the end of the half, my head was nearly dislodged by a pool cue. Apparently these guys tried to shoot around me or through me, they did not even bother to say excuse me.
As the buzzer sounded and halftime began, I paid my tab and headed for the next location which happened to be Mayor Mike’s. My spirits were somewhat better as Syracuse held a 38-30 halftime lead, but I was still pretty irritated that I was not home watching the game on my couch.
It turns out that Mayor Mike’s was nearly a pit stop, a place to use the bathroom, as it was also filled with St. Patty’s day revelers.
As I turned right I noticed a Tapa’s bar less than a block away, surely a Tapa’s bar would not be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day? Then again, a Japanese bar had been, so I should not have been surprised to see the temporary green décor.
The décor did not matter because I had reached my spot. There were only a handful of patrons in the bar and there was no music blaring. The one television in the bar was roughly 17 inches at most, but it was tuned to ESPN.
It turns out that the most exciting part about the second half of the game, was not the game itself, but the two fights that broke out on the street. I am not sure who won, as the one fight that I saw turned into a wrestling match, basically in the middle of the street.
So, with less than four minutes to go and Cuse’s trailing by double-digits, I finally decided to cut my losses short and head back to Pro Park to get my car and drive back home.
The story is that, I was invited to attend a birthday party at Koji’s on Aslyum Street in Hartford. Concerned because it was some sort of Japanese Restaurant/Bar ,I contacted them in advance to see if they would have the game on.
So I arrived in Hartford around 8:45 PM and I parked in the Pro Park lot across from Koji’s. Initially I was surprised because it was full, usually the parking lots in downtown Hartford do not fill until after 11 PM on a Saturday night. My first thought was that maybe there was a Hartford Wolfpack game going on. I quickly realized this could not be the case because who really cares about the Harford Wolfpack?
It turns out there was a Wolf Pack game, but this was not the reason why the lots were full.
After ten seconds of walking through the Pro Park lot, I realized that there had been some sort of St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The parking lot and sidewalks were littered with empty beer bottles, it was a pretty disgusting site.
Well, it was not as disgusting as what was in store for me next – A Japanese restaurant/bar decorated in green, blaring techno music. Not only was the bar blaring techno, but the floor was littered with napkins and other trash -making a relatively nice establishment look trashy.
Luckily for me, the television above the bar was tuned to ESPN.
When I ordered my beer, out of the corner of my eye I observed two drunks making out. Immediately I came to a conclusion, down my beer as fast as I can and head to Coach’s.
Coach’s is located on Ann Street next to the XL Center (the former Hartford Civic Center), it is a sports bar that UConn coach Jim Calhoun used to have some sort of stake in. It is known as a place to watch the game, an enclave for those who are not up for bar hopping, grinding and binge drinking.
The walk to Coach’s took less than five minutes, but it seemed like an eternity because the game had probably already started and I had to navigate through streets mobbed with drunks.
I entered Coach’s and I was immediately confused, it turns out that they had changed locations and I was in the new, much smaller one.
Like Koji’s, Coach’s was also taking part in the St. Patrick’s Day festivities, but minus the techno music, which at first made the experience seem not too bad.
When I ordered my Coor’s Light draft I asked the bartender if they were going to put the volume of the game on and turn down the music. He came back to me a minute later and said, “Maybe a little bit later.”
Lucky for me it turns out that Coach’s now serves beer in plastic cups, reminiscent of the house party days on Euclid Avenue in Syracuse. It was also surefire sign that Coach’s had regressed.
When I observed the bartender grabbing me a plastic cup, I said to him “are you kidding me, can I please get that in a pint glass.”
He responded, “We have been serving drinks in plastic cups all day because of the parade.”
I grabbed my beer in anger and my next move was to find the quietest place in the bar. So I chose the back corner area near the pool table, which at the time was vacant and also because the music was barely audible.
Well ten minutes later, it was apparent that I was never going to hear Dan Schulman and Jay Bilas’ play-by-play of the game, as Coach’s began blaring loud 80’s music throughout the bar.
I decided to give the bar another chance, as I really wanted to watch the game. Focused intently on the game, I did not notice the group of four guys in their mid-thirties show up near me and start playing pool.
As Syracuse stormed back to take the lead near the end of the half, my head was nearly dislodged by a pool cue. Apparently these guys tried to shoot around me or through me, they did not even bother to say excuse me.
As the buzzer sounded and halftime began, I paid my tab and headed for the next location which happened to be Mayor Mike’s. My spirits were somewhat better as Syracuse held a 38-30 halftime lead, but I was still pretty irritated that I was not home watching the game on my couch.
It turns out that Mayor Mike’s was nearly a pit stop, a place to use the bathroom, as it was also filled with St. Patty’s day revelers.
As I turned right I noticed a Tapa’s bar less than a block away, surely a Tapa’s bar would not be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day? Then again, a Japanese bar had been, so I should not have been surprised to see the temporary green décor.
The décor did not matter because I had reached my spot. There were only a handful of patrons in the bar and there was no music blaring. The one television in the bar was roughly 17 inches at most, but it was tuned to ESPN.
It turns out that the most exciting part about the second half of the game, was not the game itself, but the two fights that broke out on the street. I am not sure who won, as the one fight that I saw turned into a wrestling match, basically in the middle of the street.
So, with less than four minutes to go and Cuse’s trailing by double-digits, I finally decided to cut my losses short and head back to Pro Park to get my car and drive back home.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Sam, I am: Young Leads Pitt Over UConn
I just finished publishing my story about the Pitt and UConn game on HoopWriters. Here is a brief synopsis of the game:
In the hype before the game, everyone focused on Hasheem Thabeet and DeJuan Blair, the Big East’s top two heavyweights, but it was unheralded Sam Young that provided the marquee performance. On Senior Day at the Petersen Events Center, Young scored 31 points and added 10 rebounds as No.4 Pitt defeated No.1 UConn for the second time this year 70-60.
Young may be Pitt’s leading scorer on the year, the conference’s reigning Most Improved Player, a preseason All Conference Selection and last year’s Most Outstanding Player in the Big East Tournament, but it is his teammate, DeJuan Blair, that has been receiving the attention of late.
“Recently it seems that when I see a UConn jersey, my eyes start to light up,” Sam Young who scored 25 points against UConn on Feb. 16th said. “ I was very focused on this game. I got some good rest last night after getting a few shots up, and just came ready to play today.”
Pitt led by ten going into intermission 38-28. They survived a UConn run which cut Pitt’s lead to two, 52-50 with less than eight minutes to go. The Huskies, including Thabeet seemed to run out of energy, as Pitt scored at will in transition.
In the hype before the game, everyone focused on Hasheem Thabeet and DeJuan Blair, the Big East’s top two heavyweights, but it was unheralded Sam Young that provided the marquee performance. On Senior Day at the Petersen Events Center, Young scored 31 points and added 10 rebounds as No.4 Pitt defeated No.1 UConn for the second time this year 70-60.
Young may be Pitt’s leading scorer on the year, the conference’s reigning Most Improved Player, a preseason All Conference Selection and last year’s Most Outstanding Player in the Big East Tournament, but it is his teammate, DeJuan Blair, that has been receiving the attention of late.
“Recently it seems that when I see a UConn jersey, my eyes start to light up,” Sam Young who scored 25 points against UConn on Feb. 16th said. “ I was very focused on this game. I got some good rest last night after getting a few shots up, and just came ready to play today.”
Pitt led by ten going into intermission 38-28. They survived a UConn run which cut Pitt’s lead to two, 52-50 with less than eight minutes to go. The Huskies, including Thabeet seemed to run out of energy, as Pitt scored at will in transition.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Jerry Wainwright
The Big East needs to learn from its mistake and not allow every team the opportunity to go to the Big East Tournament. Yes, I am assuming it is going to be a mistake to allow Rutgers and Depaul into the Madison Square Garden.
Think about it, is Jerry Wainwright going to be happy to have his team play another Big East game? I mean they are already about to go 0-18, haven’t they been embarrassed enough?
There season was already looking bleak, then as a one-point favorite in their last home game of the year last Saturday, they lost to St. Johns by 21.
It is pathetic for me to say this, but I could not name one current Depaul player without googling ‘Depaul Basketball.’ Googling ‘Depaul Basketball’ does yield at least one interesting result. The No.5 hit is a story about Depaul Women’s coach Doug Bruno taking a polar-plunge into Lake Michigan.
The irony of this is that I am sure, there are thousands of donors and alumni who wish Jerry Wainwright would take that plunge. I mean, what is worse taking a dip in frigid Lake Michigan or going 0-19 in the Big East.
I mean earlier this year versus instate rival Northwestern, Depaul managed to score just 36 points. Yes, Northwestern the same team that lost an exhibition game versus NAIA school Robert Morris to start the year.
If Depaul can not win at Georgetown on Saturday, they will then face Cincinnati in the opening round of the Big East Tournament. Depaul lost to Cincinnati at home 59-55 on Jan. 17th.
Alas, my google search yields a hit on Depaul's leading scorer, Dar Tucker. Tucker averages 18.5 points per game, but shoots just 29 percent from three point range. Amazingly at 29 percent, he is second on his team in three-point shooting.
Jerry Wainwright has not posted a blog entry since Nov. 3rd, I wonder how many times he has used the excuse that he has a young team.
Here is the text of what he said, or you can click here to read it on his website.
“I am looking forward to the start of the season. Practice has been exciting especially with all the new faces, and I couldn’t be happier with the effort of all of our players. Also, our returning kids have done a great job leading and mentoring our new players and our chemistry has never been better. We obviously are a very young team, but we will never use our age as an excuse for not competing to win every game in the toughest conference in the country.”
For more go to HoopWriters.com
Think about it, is Jerry Wainwright going to be happy to have his team play another Big East game? I mean they are already about to go 0-18, haven’t they been embarrassed enough?
There season was already looking bleak, then as a one-point favorite in their last home game of the year last Saturday, they lost to St. Johns by 21.
It is pathetic for me to say this, but I could not name one current Depaul player without googling ‘Depaul Basketball.’ Googling ‘Depaul Basketball’ does yield at least one interesting result. The No.5 hit is a story about Depaul Women’s coach Doug Bruno taking a polar-plunge into Lake Michigan.
The irony of this is that I am sure, there are thousands of donors and alumni who wish Jerry Wainwright would take that plunge. I mean, what is worse taking a dip in frigid Lake Michigan or going 0-19 in the Big East.
I mean earlier this year versus instate rival Northwestern, Depaul managed to score just 36 points. Yes, Northwestern the same team that lost an exhibition game versus NAIA school Robert Morris to start the year.
If Depaul can not win at Georgetown on Saturday, they will then face Cincinnati in the opening round of the Big East Tournament. Depaul lost to Cincinnati at home 59-55 on Jan. 17th.
Alas, my google search yields a hit on Depaul's leading scorer, Dar Tucker. Tucker averages 18.5 points per game, but shoots just 29 percent from three point range. Amazingly at 29 percent, he is second on his team in three-point shooting.
Jerry Wainwright has not posted a blog entry since Nov. 3rd, I wonder how many times he has used the excuse that he has a young team.
Here is the text of what he said, or you can click here to read it on his website.
“I am looking forward to the start of the season. Practice has been exciting especially with all the new faces, and I couldn’t be happier with the effort of all of our players. Also, our returning kids have done a great job leading and mentoring our new players and our chemistry has never been better. We obviously are a very young team, but we will never use our age as an excuse for not competing to win every game in the toughest conference in the country.”
For more go to HoopWriters.com
Jerry Wainwright
The Big East needs to learn from its mistake and not allow every team the opportunity to go to the Big East Tournament. Yes, I am assuming it is going to be a mistake to allow Rutgers and Depaul into the Madison Square Garden.
Think about it, is Jerry Wainwright going to be happy to have his team play another Big East game? I mean they are already about to go 0-18, haven’t they been embarrassed enough?
There season was already looking bleak, then as a one-point favorite in their last home game of the year last Saturday, they lost to St. Johns by 21.
It is pathetic for me to say this, but I could not name one current Depaul player without googling ‘Depaul Basketball.’ Googling ‘Depaul Basketball’ does yield at least one interesting result. The No.5 hit is a story about Depaul Women’s coach Doug Bruno taking a polar-plunge into Lake Michigan.
The irony of this is that I am sure, there are thousands of donors and alumni who wish Jerry Wainwright would take that plunge. I mean, what is worse taking a dip in frigid Lake Michigan or going 0-19 in the Big East.
I mean earlier this year versus instate rival Northwestern, Depaul managed to score just 36 points. Yes, Northwestern the same team that lost an exhibition game versus NAIA school Robert Morris to start the year.
If Depaul can not win at Georgetown on Saturday, they will then face Cincinnati in the opening round of the Big East Tournament. Depaul lost to Cincinnati at home 59-55 on Jan. 17th.
Alas, my google search yields a hit on Depaul's leading scorer, Dar Tucker. Tucker averages 18.5 points per game, but shoots just 29 percent from three point range. Amazingly at 29 percent, he is second on his team in three-point shooting.
Jerry Wainwright has not posted a blog entry since Nov. 3rd, I wonder how many times he has used the excuse that he has a young team.
Here is the text of what he said, or you can click here to read it on his website.
“I am looking forward to the start of the season. Practice has been exciting especially with all the new faces, and I couldn’t be happier with the effort of all of our players. Also, our returning kids have done a great job leading and mentoring our new players and our chemistry has never been better. We obviously are a very young team, but we will never use our age as an excuse for not competing to win every game in the toughest conference in the country.”
For more go to HoopWriters.com
Think about it, is Jerry Wainwright going to be happy to have his team play another Big East game? I mean they are already about to go 0-18, haven’t they been embarrassed enough?
There season was already looking bleak, then as a one-point favorite in their last home game of the year last Saturday, they lost to St. Johns by 21.
It is pathetic for me to say this, but I could not name one current Depaul player without googling ‘Depaul Basketball.’ Googling ‘Depaul Basketball’ does yield at least one interesting result. The No.5 hit is a story about Depaul Women’s coach Doug Bruno taking a polar-plunge into Lake Michigan.
The irony of this is that I am sure, there are thousands of donors and alumni who wish Jerry Wainwright would take that plunge. I mean, what is worse taking a dip in frigid Lake Michigan or going 0-19 in the Big East.
I mean earlier this year versus instate rival Northwestern, Depaul managed to score just 36 points. Yes, Northwestern the same team that lost an exhibition game versus NAIA school Robert Morris to start the year.
If Depaul can not win at Georgetown on Saturday, they will then face Cincinnati in the opening round of the Big East Tournament. Depaul lost to Cincinnati at home 59-55 on Jan. 17th.
Alas, my google search yields a hit on Depaul's leading scorer, Dar Tucker. Tucker averages 18.5 points per game, but shoots just 29 percent from three point range. Amazingly at 29 percent, he is second on his team in three-point shooting.
Jerry Wainwright has not posted a blog entry since Nov. 3rd, I wonder how many times he has used the excuse that he has a young team.
Here is the text of what he said, or you can click here to read it on his website.
“I am looking forward to the start of the season. Practice has been exciting especially with all the new faces, and I couldn’t be happier with the effort of all of our players. Also, our returning kids have done a great job leading and mentoring our new players and our chemistry has never been better. We obviously are a very young team, but we will never use our age as an excuse for not competing to win every game in the toughest conference in the country.”
For more go to HoopWriters.com
Saturday, February 28, 2009
No.2 UConn WIll Win Big Over Notre Dame
I like UConn over Notre Dame 81-66. The only way I see Notre Dame having a chance is if Ryan Ayers and Kyle McAlrney catch fire and finish the day 12 of 26 from behind the arc. In UConn's 69-61 win over Notre Dame at the Joyce Center, McAlrney had a terrible game going 3-8 from behind the arc and 3-15 from the field. Notre Dame only shot 30 percent on the game, while UConn shot 40 percent.
One thing is certain is that UConn will win but will they be able to cover the 11.5 points? The safe bet is the under at 149.5 points total. I personally think UConn will continue its dominance at Gampel and really take control of this game midway through the second half. Look for Jeff Adrien to bounce-back with 16 points and 11 rebounds
Harangody will get his 20 plus points and get the best of Thabeet inside on the offensive end. Thabeet will block seven shots. Johnnie Bird will miss a three pointer as the students go crazy. Stanley Robinson will be a non-factor ( I am thinking 8 points and 6 rebounds). I can see Kemba Walker scoring 16 to 20 points in this one.
For more on this game check out my website http://www.hoopwriters.com
One thing is certain is that UConn will win but will they be able to cover the 11.5 points? The safe bet is the under at 149.5 points total. I personally think UConn will continue its dominance at Gampel and really take control of this game midway through the second half. Look for Jeff Adrien to bounce-back with 16 points and 11 rebounds
Harangody will get his 20 plus points and get the best of Thabeet inside on the offensive end. Thabeet will block seven shots. Johnnie Bird will miss a three pointer as the students go crazy. Stanley Robinson will be a non-factor ( I am thinking 8 points and 6 rebounds). I can see Kemba Walker scoring 16 to 20 points in this one.
For more on this game check out my website http://www.hoopwriters.com
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