So far, not so bad (and not so good either), for me in the Sports Night Blog Bracket Challenge (SNBBC). 7th place heading to the Sweet 16, and have a chance at a high finish (but likely not a win), if my brackets hold up. Any lower seed beating a higher seed, from here on out, is not really an upset, as the chalk held firm throughout much of the opening 2 rounds. Only neglected, and unloved Arizona remains in the "Cinderella" classification, their 12 seed in tow.
The ACC flamed out in the opening 2 rounds, with Wake Forest, Boston College and Florida State losing their openers. Maryland won a game (as I thought they would), but then ran into Memphis. Only Duke and UNC continue on, Duke meeting Villanova in Boston, and Carolina taking on Gonzaga in Memphis. I like Carolina's chances against Gonzaga, but I'm not sure about Duke and 'Nova. We'll see as the week goes on.
Davidson's NIT run came to an end this morning-seriously, this morning. St. Mary's (CA) knocked out Davidson 80-68, ending the Wildcats hopes of making it to New York for the NIT semi-finals. Stephen Curry scored 26 in the season finale, and now the watch will begin to see if Curry will return to the Wildcats for one more season. I hope he does--for selfish reasons. I like the kid. He's vibrant, and exciting to watch. If he decides to go the NBA, I wish him loads of luck. He's got the opportunity to be a solid pro. Not a star (and he doesn't have to be), but a guy that can contribute for a very long time.
Brandon Costner is leaving NC State to enter the NBA draft pool. This is a guy that averaged 13 points and 6 rebounds for his career in the ACC. The stuff of legend? No, but the stuff that can be coached into a role player in the league. I don't pretend to know what Costner is capable of in the future, but under Sidney Lowe, Costner showed he can be versatile enough that at the next level, he's an off the bench guy. Problem is, off the bench guys aren't necessarily drafted, especially in the first round. Costner will have a tough road ahead of him as a pro, but he wouldn't be the first undrafted player to land a job with a pro team. I wish him the best.
Busy week ahead with Jim Connors en route to Memphis, and Ryan Welch heading north to Boston. We'll have you covered every step of the way as the Drive to Detroit continues!
Mike Solarte
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Wild and weird round 1 finish
If you are like me, then you were wiping the sleep from your eyes a little later this Saturday morning after some great finishes on Friday night. Wisconsin needing OT to beat Florida State, Siena doing the same to Ohio State (in 2 overtimes), and then there was Cleveland State.
Yep, Cleveland State sent Wake Forest home with a dominant 84-69 defeat. The Deacs never led, never got closer than 7 with 11 minutes to play in the 2nd half, and simply had no answers. It's a shame, because this was a good Wake team, but the Vikings were so good, it was a bit scary.
In the Sports Night Blog Brackets, "ipitytheblue" leads the way with 27 winners (out of the first 32 games), followed by "ptsimers" with 26, and then "bstar", "mmcfaddin" and our own Kira Mathis have 25. I am tied for 6th with 24 winners. Had I gone with the chalk, I would be higher up, but then again, the first round is all about finding the upsets, and I was close on several--VCU loses by 2 to UCLA (I had the Rams), Marquette escaped with a 1 point win over Utah State (Had Utah St.), and I had Butler beating LSU (Tigers won that 8-9 match-up). I did have the likes of Siena and Western Kentucky advancing, though.
Saturday and Sunday promise more fun and excitement. The tv will be a good companion today and tomorrow.
Have to get this off my chest, though, about the tournament as a whole. Why in the world are games starting just before 10 p.m. in the first round? In the Eastern time zone? The 10 p.m. start time is something that is reserved for adult league hockey games (trust me, I know, having played late night hockey for many years). It's not the start time for the NCAA's showcase basketball tournament. The latest a game should start is 8:30 local time. That's an hour and a half earlier than Wake-Cle. St. and Wisconsin-FSU got started on Friday. Yeah, I know, TV determines those things, but the NCAA is the one running this show. They need to make the call and allow these players, coaches and fans a chance to start at a time that they are somewhat used to. I don't recall an east coast start time later than 9 p.m. during the season, so a 10 p.m. start is just ridiculous. A 10pm eastern start is fine, if the teams are playing in the Mountain and/or Pacific time zones. East coast fans will stay up and watch those games. I know I would. Let's exercise some commons sense going forward, huh?
Enjoy the games, and root for my brackets!!! Ok, just enjoy the games!
Mike Solarte
Yep, Cleveland State sent Wake Forest home with a dominant 84-69 defeat. The Deacs never led, never got closer than 7 with 11 minutes to play in the 2nd half, and simply had no answers. It's a shame, because this was a good Wake team, but the Vikings were so good, it was a bit scary.
In the Sports Night Blog Brackets, "ipitytheblue" leads the way with 27 winners (out of the first 32 games), followed by "ptsimers" with 26, and then "bstar", "mmcfaddin" and our own Kira Mathis have 25. I am tied for 6th with 24 winners. Had I gone with the chalk, I would be higher up, but then again, the first round is all about finding the upsets, and I was close on several--VCU loses by 2 to UCLA (I had the Rams), Marquette escaped with a 1 point win over Utah State (Had Utah St.), and I had Butler beating LSU (Tigers won that 8-9 match-up). I did have the likes of Siena and Western Kentucky advancing, though.
Saturday and Sunday promise more fun and excitement. The tv will be a good companion today and tomorrow.
Have to get this off my chest, though, about the tournament as a whole. Why in the world are games starting just before 10 p.m. in the first round? In the Eastern time zone? The 10 p.m. start time is something that is reserved for adult league hockey games (trust me, I know, having played late night hockey for many years). It's not the start time for the NCAA's showcase basketball tournament. The latest a game should start is 8:30 local time. That's an hour and a half earlier than Wake-Cle. St. and Wisconsin-FSU got started on Friday. Yeah, I know, TV determines those things, but the NCAA is the one running this show. They need to make the call and allow these players, coaches and fans a chance to start at a time that they are somewhat used to. I don't recall an east coast start time later than 9 p.m. during the season, so a 10 p.m. start is just ridiculous. A 10pm eastern start is fine, if the teams are playing in the Mountain and/or Pacific time zones. East coast fans will stay up and watch those games. I know I would. Let's exercise some commons sense going forward, huh?
Enjoy the games, and root for my brackets!!! Ok, just enjoy the games!
Mike Solarte
Friday, March 20, 2009
Day 1, the record is....
...13-3.
Meh.
Should have been 14-2, but VCU got the small conference no-call on their last shot against "mighty" UCLA. The Rams got hosed, and should have had a chance at the free throw line, but I digress. All 3 teams that I picked against didn't figure into the big picture of my bracket, so as long as the ink holds on my sheet, I'll be fine.
Looking at Thursday's action:
Duke, as expected had little problem with Binghamton, winning 86-62. Fairly complete on all fronts. Duke shot the ball well (49% from the floor, 45% from 3-point range, 84% from the stripe), and rebounded well (35-18 edge). Duke will be tested by their next opponent, Texas, on Saturday. Texas handled Minnesota 76-62 on Thursday, led by A.J. Abrams' 26 points. The Blue Devils will see a much more physical team than they face in Binghamton, but to Duke's credit they did roll 8 players through their rotation while the game was being decided. Ultimately, Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski played 12 players total, but 8 saw most of the workload.
UNC hardly broke a sweat against Radford, and they did it with Ty Lawson on the bench, still nursing a toe injury. Carolina won it 101-58, and Tyler Hansbrough became the ACC's all-time leading scorer in the process. Think about that for a minute. It's fairly amazing that a guy that doesn't take advantage of the 3-point arc is the leading scorer in ACC history. Hansbrough passed former Duke guard J.J. Reddick for the top spot, and Reddick was a witch from 3-point land. Hansbrough's detractors will say that he scored a ton of his points from the free throw line, due to him drawing calls by "flopping." I say RUBBISH! At the end of the day, he still had to put the ball in the hole, and he has done that better than anyone in conference history. Congrats to Hansbrough. Amazing feat.
As for the UNC game itself, I wasn't kidding about the "breaking a sweat," thing. That was serious. Wayne Ellington's face was dry with about a minute left in the first half, and UNC had crossed the 50 point mark by then. They weren't challenged (forget about the lip service anyone paid Radford afterwards--this was a rout). Carolina could very well get Ty Lawson back on the floor Saturday when they meet LSU, which would be ideal for them. First, they would get the ACC Player of the Year back in their lineup, and it would allow Lawson to knock off some rust. He hasn't played since the regular season finale against Duke, a total of 3 games. Granted, there won't be a lot of rust, but still, if UNC hopes to carry on in the tourney beyond LSU (which will be tough early, but Carolina should finish them off), Lawson needs to be on the floor.
Wake Forest tips off just before sunrise against Cleveland State (ok, I'm kidding, around 9:40pm), in Miami tonight, and I expect Dino Gaudio's team to take care of their business. We'll have coverage for you on News 14 Carolina.
Oh, and for the record, I lead the Davidson Mathletes 13-12 in the brackets. Don't know what I'm talking about? Click here!
Mike Solarte
Meh.
Should have been 14-2, but VCU got the small conference no-call on their last shot against "mighty" UCLA. The Rams got hosed, and should have had a chance at the free throw line, but I digress. All 3 teams that I picked against didn't figure into the big picture of my bracket, so as long as the ink holds on my sheet, I'll be fine.
Looking at Thursday's action:
Duke, as expected had little problem with Binghamton, winning 86-62. Fairly complete on all fronts. Duke shot the ball well (49% from the floor, 45% from 3-point range, 84% from the stripe), and rebounded well (35-18 edge). Duke will be tested by their next opponent, Texas, on Saturday. Texas handled Minnesota 76-62 on Thursday, led by A.J. Abrams' 26 points. The Blue Devils will see a much more physical team than they face in Binghamton, but to Duke's credit they did roll 8 players through their rotation while the game was being decided. Ultimately, Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski played 12 players total, but 8 saw most of the workload.
UNC hardly broke a sweat against Radford, and they did it with Ty Lawson on the bench, still nursing a toe injury. Carolina won it 101-58, and Tyler Hansbrough became the ACC's all-time leading scorer in the process. Think about that for a minute. It's fairly amazing that a guy that doesn't take advantage of the 3-point arc is the leading scorer in ACC history. Hansbrough passed former Duke guard J.J. Reddick for the top spot, and Reddick was a witch from 3-point land. Hansbrough's detractors will say that he scored a ton of his points from the free throw line, due to him drawing calls by "flopping." I say RUBBISH! At the end of the day, he still had to put the ball in the hole, and he has done that better than anyone in conference history. Congrats to Hansbrough. Amazing feat.
As for the UNC game itself, I wasn't kidding about the "breaking a sweat," thing. That was serious. Wayne Ellington's face was dry with about a minute left in the first half, and UNC had crossed the 50 point mark by then. They weren't challenged (forget about the lip service anyone paid Radford afterwards--this was a rout). Carolina could very well get Ty Lawson back on the floor Saturday when they meet LSU, which would be ideal for them. First, they would get the ACC Player of the Year back in their lineup, and it would allow Lawson to knock off some rust. He hasn't played since the regular season finale against Duke, a total of 3 games. Granted, there won't be a lot of rust, but still, if UNC hopes to carry on in the tourney beyond LSU (which will be tough early, but Carolina should finish them off), Lawson needs to be on the floor.
Wake Forest tips off just before sunrise against Cleveland State (ok, I'm kidding, around 9:40pm), in Miami tonight, and I expect Dino Gaudio's team to take care of their business. We'll have coverage for you on News 14 Carolina.
Oh, and for the record, I lead the Davidson Mathletes 13-12 in the brackets. Don't know what I'm talking about? Click here!
Mike Solarte
Thursday, March 19, 2009
What's the deal with the blue tape???
Many of you may have noticed during Carolina's opening round game in the NCAA tournament, a number of Carolina players are wearing blue tape on their knees.
So what's with the tape?
I spoke with UNC's strength and conditioning coach Jonas Sahratian, he told me that tape is not your ordinary athletic tape..
Instead it is a special brand imported from Japan which works to stabilize the players joints, while slightly lifting the skin to allow for better blood circulation...
Who knew right, all that from blue tape!
So what's with the tape?
I spoke with UNC's strength and conditioning coach Jonas Sahratian, he told me that tape is not your ordinary athletic tape..
Instead it is a special brand imported from Japan which works to stabilize the players joints, while slightly lifting the skin to allow for better blood circulation...
Who knew right, all that from blue tape!
The Field of 64 by 33
Looks like we have 33 players in the Sports Night Blog Brackets! The field of 33 is mostly you, the reader, but some News 14 flavor has been added. Jason Spells is taking his cuts along with Kira Mathis, and former weekend sports anchor Steve White is also in the mix. Should be fun watching this all shake out.
OK, so I have Louisville winning it all. I know I am doomed, because Louisville is the top overall seed, and something is gonna happen to knock them out. I'm not rooting for that, mind you, but it's just my luck.
Sorry ACC fans, but I don't have an ACC school in the Final Four. I have UNC beaten in the South Final by Oklahoma, Duke out in round 2 to Texas (upset special), and Wake going out in the Sweet 16. Just picks, people, so don't get all knotted up.
One other thing about the NCAA Tournament. Is it just really, REALLY sterile? The teams play in neutral sites, everything is very, VERY regimented (like down to the second as to when teams can take the court for practice, etc). This is supposed to be the highlight of the season for a basketball team--making the Big Dance! Yet, sometimes, I wonder if it's just over-commercialized, and the kids just don't get the chance to enjoy it (unless they win the whole thing).
Other news and notes:
** Carolina Panthers need a punt and kick returner, now that Mark Jones agreed to a deal with Tennessee. Hate seeing him go. Wasn't the fastest guy, but he protected the rock--no turnovers in any of his return attempts last season, and was crucial to the Panthers win over Green Bay.
**Carolina Hurricanes topped New Jersey 4-2 on Wednesday night, one day after martin Brodeur became the NHL's all-time winningest goaltender. Canes in a real battle for a playoff spot, and if they stay healthy, they should get there. Right now, they are 3 points out of the 4th seed--crazy, right?
**Speaking of pucks, if you are in Charlotte and looking for something to do, why not take in the Friday night Charlotte Checkers game. Friday marks the "Pucks for Patrick Night," a cause very near and dear to the News 14 family, specifically Shawn Flynn. Find out more by clicking here. Hopefully, it will be a packed house.
**Charlotte Bobcats on a 2 game win streak, thanks to another beatdown to an NBA bottom-feeder. 104-88 over Sacramento on Wednesday night, next up a roadie at Toronto on Friday. Don't look now, but the Bobcats are serious contenders to make the playoffs. Of course, their reward as the 8 seed would likely be LeBron James and Cleveland, but hey, it's the playoffs, right?
Enjoy the tourney, and our coverage on News 14 Carolina. Loads of reaction from UNC-Radford, plus a look ahead to Wake Forest's opener with Cleveland State in Miami. Don't miss it!
Mike Solarte
OK, so I have Louisville winning it all. I know I am doomed, because Louisville is the top overall seed, and something is gonna happen to knock them out. I'm not rooting for that, mind you, but it's just my luck.
Sorry ACC fans, but I don't have an ACC school in the Final Four. I have UNC beaten in the South Final by Oklahoma, Duke out in round 2 to Texas (upset special), and Wake going out in the Sweet 16. Just picks, people, so don't get all knotted up.
One other thing about the NCAA Tournament. Is it just really, REALLY sterile? The teams play in neutral sites, everything is very, VERY regimented (like down to the second as to when teams can take the court for practice, etc). This is supposed to be the highlight of the season for a basketball team--making the Big Dance! Yet, sometimes, I wonder if it's just over-commercialized, and the kids just don't get the chance to enjoy it (unless they win the whole thing).
Other news and notes:
** Carolina Panthers need a punt and kick returner, now that Mark Jones agreed to a deal with Tennessee. Hate seeing him go. Wasn't the fastest guy, but he protected the rock--no turnovers in any of his return attempts last season, and was crucial to the Panthers win over Green Bay.
**Carolina Hurricanes topped New Jersey 4-2 on Wednesday night, one day after martin Brodeur became the NHL's all-time winningest goaltender. Canes in a real battle for a playoff spot, and if they stay healthy, they should get there. Right now, they are 3 points out of the 4th seed--crazy, right?
**Speaking of pucks, if you are in Charlotte and looking for something to do, why not take in the Friday night Charlotte Checkers game. Friday marks the "Pucks for Patrick Night," a cause very near and dear to the News 14 family, specifically Shawn Flynn. Find out more by clicking here. Hopefully, it will be a packed house.
**Charlotte Bobcats on a 2 game win streak, thanks to another beatdown to an NBA bottom-feeder. 104-88 over Sacramento on Wednesday night, next up a roadie at Toronto on Friday. Don't look now, but the Bobcats are serious contenders to make the playoffs. Of course, their reward as the 8 seed would likely be LeBron James and Cleveland, but hey, it's the playoffs, right?
Enjoy the tourney, and our coverage on News 14 Carolina. Loads of reaction from UNC-Radford, plus a look ahead to Wake Forest's opener with Cleveland State in Miami. Don't miss it!
Mike Solarte
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
My NCAA Brackets
HA! You think I am revealing them here? NOW? No way! Time is running out for you to sign up for the Sports Night Blog Brackets Challenge--a free game we set up on Yahoo. Here's the info:
Group Number: 122617
Password: news14 (type it like you see it)
I will reveal my selections and the like once the first game of the tournament (the real games on Thursday, not the sham of a play-in game that my pal Jason Spells blogged about earlier), tips off Thursday around noon.
I'll have a lot more for you on Thursday, which will also include a look at the Bobcats-Kings game, some hockey talk and more!
For now, GO GET SIGNED UP!!!
Mike Solarte
Group Number: 122617
Password: news14 (type it like you see it)
I will reveal my selections and the like once the first game of the tournament (the real games on Thursday, not the sham of a play-in game that my pal Jason Spells blogged about earlier), tips off Thursday around noon.
I'll have a lot more for you on Thursday, which will also include a look at the Bobcats-Kings game, some hockey talk and more!
For now, GO GET SIGNED UP!!!
Mike Solarte
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
NCAA enough is enough!!!
What's the point of the Play-In game (excuse me the NCAA says it isn't a play-in because both teams are officially in the tournament.) B-S!!!!
Honestly, that's how I feel about it. Right now I'm watching Ohio Valley Conference tournament champion Morehead State take on Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament champion Alabama St.
For an opportunity to play(wait-for-it) overall #1 seed Louisville! Congrats champions hope you enjoy your tournament run. Smile for the sponsors on your way back home.
I mean really, the NCAA created a fictional game of smaller schools just to allow the opportunity for one more major conference school to get into the big dance.
I've got a suggestion, how about we let the major conference teams play the play-in game and then they face the lowest number one seed. That would spice things up. A LOT.
Imagine Maryland and Minnesota for a chance at UCONN?
But we'll never see it, will we. Instead get a glimpse at players from Morehead St. and Alabama St. for a fleeting a second. And the major conferences will have their extra team in the tournament.
I'm going to DVR One Shining Moment this year, they better put both teams in for more than a combined 2 seconds!!!!
Honestly, that's how I feel about it. Right now I'm watching Ohio Valley Conference tournament champion Morehead State take on Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament champion Alabama St.
For an opportunity to play(wait-for-it) overall #1 seed Louisville! Congrats champions hope you enjoy your tournament run. Smile for the sponsors on your way back home.
I mean really, the NCAA created a fictional game of smaller schools just to allow the opportunity for one more major conference school to get into the big dance.
I've got a suggestion, how about we let the major conference teams play the play-in game and then they face the lowest number one seed. That would spice things up. A LOT.
Imagine Maryland and Minnesota for a chance at UCONN?
But we'll never see it, will we. Instead get a glimpse at players from Morehead St. and Alabama St. for a fleeting a second. And the major conferences will have their extra team in the tournament.
I'm going to DVR One Shining Moment this year, they better put both teams in for more than a combined 2 seconds!!!!
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