Taj79

Unbelievable!!! La Salle ties it up with 1:30 toplay. Not so kuch La Salle but Temple doing dumb things.

Temple up ten w/ 3:39 to play 70 to 60.

Andjust likethat Wyatt goeson a personal 8 to0 run putting Temple back up seven. La Salle just not good.

Wow! La Salle has somehow closed this to 49 to 48 at the under 12.

@brian --- didn't say immenent. But they believe their basketball is a "storied" program and a gem for anyone to get. Where else can you guarantee 13,000 fans per game per night? I agree, delusional. But that is their attitude just the same.

Dayton fans believe the Big East is going to ask them to join. I can't see them wanting anything to do with any version of the Valley. Xavier I already said won't go mid-major and that is what the Valley is. Plus, they don't consider Dayton asmuch their rival as Dayton does them. Ain't going to happen. Count me in the group that prefers like-minded schools over Northern Iowa and Illinois State.

La Salle with a closing kick to close to 32 to 29 at half. Richmond down two at half to St. Joe's. Dayton up seven at Duquesne. The Bonnies up 13 at Fordham. Charlotte up small early at home with geeDub. Michale Eric had 14 points in half. Jerrel Wright sat whole half with two fouls and is also reportedly sick.

La Salle tied it at 18 and Temple goes on a 7 to 0 run to take a 25 to 18 lead at the under 8. Richmond up seven at St. Joe's. Fordham losing at home to the Bonnies. D & D tight.

Looks like a sellout at Gola.

Temple up 18 to 15 through about a quarter,10 minutes left first half.

@clock --- I am not advocating anything. I said if BC and DE maybe did take the 12 to 14 foot shot and made some, it would serve to POSSIBLY open up other avenues for success. That's alot of shoudla,coudla, wouldas. No guarantees. So I am also all for keeping the guys doing what they are doing. As you pointed out, we need the interior points and interior presence they bring. It opens up the outside where I believe we are deadliest. In a perfect world, DE, for example, makes a rare three, stops and pops three or four mid range scores, and blasts to the glass on layups and rebound slam backs. Right now, his only option is the layups --- he doesn't shoot the three, he doesn't play the mid-range, and he's vertically challenged to rise up and throw down with authority. But he is still ours and vital. @moy & bizz ---- Again, if JJ's mid-range game is the best on our team, he's winning a one-man race right now. What's he shooting from the floor minus lay ups, threes and tap ins? There's the naked answer.

Hmmm .... 22 and 5. Just win baby. The rest is just noise .......

MCC ---- Saint Louis, Dayton, Xavier, Butler, DePaul, Creighton, Bradley, Detroit Mercy, Evansville, Drake, Valpo, Oral Roberts, Murray State, Loyola of Chicago and wonders if you got Marquette and Notre Dame in. While Murray State is a state school, it's undergrad population of 10,600 would fit better than the directional/state schools now in the Valley IMHO -- Northern Iowa, Missouri State, Illinois State, Indiana State and so on. Given my sources again, we aren't ever playing Missouri State again let alone joining their conference. Which is funny when you consider Rick has called for the move to the Valley before and is now supposedly all against Mo State because of the scheduling back out. I think its make a new home or stay put. Butler would be a nice add on. Charlotte will eventually get to the big step if football proceeds as they want it to. Football is the big cash cow but to think Temple's program is back from the ashes is not true. They played in the MAC for crying out loud. Of course, with Pitt and Syracuse and West VA hitting the road, what kind of football is in the Big East now??? Giving them an otto-bid to the BCS seems foolhardy and puts a torpedo into the BCS' credibility ocean liner all the more. I'd support sticking with Dayton and Xavier but given what I said about Mo State and Xavier's well-known refusal to accept a "mid major" award, the Valley (totally mid-major) seems a little ludicrous.

@clock --- to me, a mid-range game involves a jumper of some sort. Off the blocks, let's say, staring at what, five or six feet from the basket? Going to about 15 or 16 feet. To me, it can't be everything but the three point shot because you'd have to take out the short-range game. My definition. Just outside charge arc to foul line extended. Second point --- agree. I'd rather layups over shots of distance anytime. That was not my point, what I meant was if a jump shot was to be taken, these were my descending preferences. I would take JJ on the drive, and I fell that he is at a good point confidence- and style-wise to break that drive off and stop and pop. He seems to be better at moving into a shot, as opposed to a CE or Loe who needs their feet set more than not. Although both KM and MM have shown a great ability to stop and drop a tear drop over a big man if needed. All I'm advocating is playing to individual strengths, not saying one is better than the other, just put that player in a position/situation that he can best succeed from. Third ---- agree. I have no argument with getting the best shot for the best available player. I am not advocating more ten footers for either BC or DE. I can just see adding that component to their game making their game and our overall team even better. Fourth --- I used to tell a guy on my team, "stay out of the trees." He was a six-foot, no-can-jump little guy who was a better sharpshooter then layup artist so I didn't want him down in the trees where he was guaranteed to get swatted, either turning the ball over or demoralizing his game. I understand you have to take the ball at the trees if you are BC and DE but we are all seeing how they know the territory and are rushing some. Bob Knight says you take the ball at a shot blocker and you pump fake. All I'm saying is if BC and DE took and made a few more mid-range jumpers, the avenue to the basket might open up even more. Maybe not. Fifth --- agee and what that demonstartes is how tough and how many options this team has. I said early on that with RL, CE, KM, MM, JB and KC, we should have at least two options per night clicking from the outside, making it harder to defend us and opening up other lanes for attack. You cover KM, you lose CE. You cover CE, you miss KM. MM pump fakes and drives to the hole. Same with JJ. Covered? Inside to BC or DE. I have never said we have a mediocre offense. I think we have a great offense with multiple options. With limitations. All cylinders firing are needed to make it all work. When it hums --- its Nova, Oklahoma, Washington and Duquesne. When it doesn't hum, its a first half against Umass. This whole thing is about my assessmenbt of JJ's mid-range game and shooting ability. It's getting better, but it ain't great and to say it is our "best" leaves a lot to be desired IMHO.

@bizz -- welcome back. Where are the pictures? You know the old saying ".... what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas only after being shared with the Billiken Board." I'm pretty sure that's on the BB official internet community seal and commemorative coin/medallion Sign Kid drew up. As for Rick as National Coach of the Year --- I don't see it. It is deserved certainly in our eyes, but like the polls again, the idiots that vote these things don't seem to do any research and go with what's sexy and cute in the current moment. In that regard, I can see Frank Haith, Leonard Hamilton, Tom Izzo, Tom Crean, Buzz Peterson and Tommy Amaker all being sexier picks than Majerus. Most Improved? I'll tell you, after watching Putney again last night .....

That's two up with three to play. Umass still goes to Temple and Dayton ==== doubt they win either. St. Joe's has Temple and goes to the Bonnies. Xavier has us on the road and home with Richmond and Charlotte. Looking good; top four a lock with win Saturday. Not a whole lot happening tomorrow except Temple at La Salle.

KState 78 Mizzou 68. Umass 80 Xavier 73. I would have projected this straight up had La Salle not entered doubt into my Umass head by winningon Saturday but oh well. Xavier is a team playing likeit wants the season over soon enough.

Fork U. ----- both Xavier and Mizzou look done.

Mizzou down 6 at home to Kstate umder two left.

Umass up 11 at the under 4 TO.

Umass' basketball IQ is extremely bad. Now they are trying not to lose and Redford hits some threes. Umass 61 to 53 at the under 8 TO.

59 to 41 Unmass at the under 12. Lucky they have Dez Wells.

@Pistol ---- have you ever seen Xavier look this bad? I rexpect5 a run but they are never this bad.

I have them inb Baltimore on The Comcast Network.

I've seen Putney four times this year ==== us, La Salle, Richmond and now X ==== based on that,this kid is freaking all world!