ESPN's annual college hoops marathon was last night (Tuesday), and since I currently don't have a real job and had absolutely nowhere to go yesterday (the truth hurts sometimes), I decided to recount the entire occasion with a 24-hour running diary. So at midnight, entering into Tuesday morning, I hunkered down in my living room with notepad in hand and a laptop in lap ready to tackle over a dozen college basketball games in a single day.
This was the complete lineup of games that took place (all times eastern of course)...
Fresno State at Stanford [NIT Season Tip-Off] ***game started at 11pm***
Washington State at (23)Gonzaga - Midnight
Northern Iowa at St. Mary's - 2AM
Cal-State Northridge at Hawaii - 4AM
Drexel at Rider - 6AM
Morehead State at College of Charleston - 8AM
Kent State at West Virginia - 10AM
Belmont at (10)Memphis - Noon
San Diego State at (12)Baylor - 2PM
Rhode Island at Texas - 4PM
Florida International at Virginia Tech [NIT Season Tip-Off] - 6PM
(6)Duke vs Michigan State at Madison Square Garden [Champions Classic] - 7PM
(8)Florida at (3)Ohio State - 8PM
(2)Kentucky vs (11)Kansas at Madison Square Garden [Champions Classic] - 9PM
Austin Peay at (22)California - 10PM
Colorado State at Stanford [NIT Season Tip-Off] - 11PM
Yesterday, with nothing more than a bag of Chex Mix and a 2-liter of orange soda as sustenance (this is only a slight exaggeration), I embarked on a quest to watch 24 consecutive hours of college basketball, and this is what happened...
MIDNIGHT - The marathon kicks off as one of my roommates looks into the camera on the laptop and says, "Hello, Chris' blog. I am Sam." I just had to let him know that this is not a video diary. Sam is a grad student at Columbia...clearly the Ivy League is overrated. The opening game of the marathon is Washington State at Gonzaga, an in-state rivalry that could be a really good game. Wazzou beat the Zags by 22 last year so I expect Mark Few's team to get revenge.
12:05 AM - Sam really likes Washington State's uniforms. He has stated this eight times already. He calls them "kits" instead of uniforms though. He used to play soccer so he gets a free pass. However, if he starts calling commercials "adverts" I may kill him. Sam is also Canadian, so there's another negative.
12:10 AM - Just got my first "good luck on the diary" message from my friend Barrett from down in New Orleans. Gonzaga is off to a fast start on Wazzou, leading 8-0 at the first media timeout. John Stockton's son isn't starting tonight. His replacement, Kevin Pangos, scored the Zags first six points, and fed Elias Harris for a dunk.
12:13 AM - Pangos just hit his third three of the night for Gonzaga. He's the early front-runner for the marathon's most outstanding player award that I just made up in my living room.
12:15 AM - Gonzaga is leading 11-8, but Wazzou is in the bonus with more than 13 minutes to play in the first half. This situation killed Michigan State against North Carolina on the boat last Friday. The fact that North Carolina is much better than Michigan State also killed the Spartans.
12:22 AM - Pangos just dropped another three-pointer on Wazzou...John Stockton's son may never start at Gonzaga again.
12:25 AM - Pangos was just subbed out for David Stockton. Tough act for the kid to follow. Pangos leaves the game with 12 points and two assists in less than 11 minutes.
12:29 AM - Pangos is back in the ballgame and he has just nailed his fifth triple.
12:30 AM - Another Zag hits a three. Gonzaga has nine three-pointers already, and they look poise to run Wazzou out the gym. They're already up 32-19. Hard to believe that this is the same team that barely beat Eastern Washington a few days ago. I wonder if Rodney Stuckey snuck onto the court for EWU.
12:37 AM - Dunk of the night so far comes from 6'10 Brock Moten as he charges the lane and throws down a one-hander and gets fouled. I'm sure someone from Kentucky will top this dunk four times over later today.
12:40 AM - By the way, as Gonzaga continues to smack Wazzou on ESPN, Fresno State is battling Stanford on ESPNU. The Bulldogs are down 50-45, but they are really playing the Cardinal dead even.
12:43 AM - Pangos knocks down three-pointer number six! I'm still trying to figure out why he could possibly be so wide open at the top of the key after hitting five previous shots. Dan Dickau's Gonzaga school record of nine threes in a game is officially in jeopardy.
12:49 AM - I should probably mention the fact that the Zags are leading Wazzou 41-30 despite the fact that their best player, Robert Sacre, has been on the bench with two fouls nearly the entire half.
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| Brock Motum |
12:50 AM - Despite the fact that it seems like they should be down by 20, Wazzou gets a put back bucket from Brock Moten at the buzzer to go into the half only trailing 41-32. Washington State's only positives from the first half were Brock Moten and the fact that Sam likes their kits.
12:56 AM - My former editor at the New York Post, just suggested that I do part of my running diary at Hooter's. This is a great idea, except for the fact that it's very hard to concentrate on basketball at Hooter's...for obvious reasons.
1:05 AM - Fresno State gave a valiant effort against Stanford but their clearly going to come up short. Cardinal up by nine with under two to play on their home floor.
1:09 AM - Wazzou gets a three from their star player Faisal Aden to open the second half and Wazzou is somehow only down six. Meanwhile, Robert Sacre is back in the game. Sacre shaved his head, so he looks like the love child of Jason Taylor and Drew Gooden. That could be a good or bad thing depending on which lady you choose to ask.
1:14 AM - Pangos with three-pointer number seven!!! He was wide open once again.
1:15 AM - Gonzaga gets a steal and a lay-in and all of a sudden the scoreboard reflects the way Gonzaga has outplayed Wazzou. It's 53-37 Zags right now.
1:21 AM - Pangos just scored his first points of the night that did not come from a three-pointer. He netted a pair of free throws.
1:25 AM - Pangos knocks down three-pointer number eight!!! At least they guarded him on that one. This kid can really shoot it.Washington State doesn't really have an answer for anything that Gonzaga is doing on offense.
1:32 AM - Just found out that Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy are on the call for the Rhode Island and Texas game. That just made their game the third most anticipated game of the marathon. Obviously, the Champions Classic doubleheader is the main event.
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| Kevin Pangos |
1:39 AM - Pangos has just tied the Gonzaga school record with his ninth three-pointer of the night. He is now shooting 9 for 13 from beyond the arc and also has 6 assists. He's got 29 points with seven minutes left. The oddest thing about this performance by Pangos is that Wazzou isn't extending their defense to try to stop him.
1:44 AM - The improvement of Robert Sacre has been very noticeable tonight. If he continues to play at this level, there will not even be a question as to whether or not Sacre will hear his name called on draft night.
1:49 AM - In other NBA Draft related news...Elias Harris is a sure-fire pro. His body and athleticism make him a lock to be drafted in 2013 and a possible early-entrant candidate for 2012.
1:52 AM - Wazzou won't die. An 11-2 run has the Cougars within seven right now with 3:45 to play. Gonzaga doesn't look susceptible for a let down but Wazzou has gotten hot. Brock Motum carried his team for 30 minutes and the rest of the Cougars just woke up.
1:55 AM - Wazzou freshman DaVonte Lacey just knocked down a three and the Cougars have cut a 20-point lead down to four! I don't understand how this is happening to be honest, the Cougs still look like they're being outplayed. The only thing I can pinpoint is that Pangos has not taken a shot since burying his ninth three.
2:00 AM - Robert Sacre is listed as a seven-footer, so it is especially impressive that he is 10 for 10 from the line tonight.
2:01 AM - Robert Sacre is probably the best "four foul shot-blocker" I have seen in college basketball. I hate when shot-blockers literally stop playing any semblance of defense because they have four fouls. Sacre is still blocking shots and being an intimidating presence in the paint.
2:04 AM - Wazzou's Reggie Moore just got fouled while shooting a three. He nailed the free throws and now Wazzou has cut the lead to 81-78. I'm still confident that Gonzaga is pulling this out though.
2:06 AM - Wazzou ball out of the timeout with 48 seconds to play. If they don't score here, the Zags should escape.
2:08 AM - WOW! Lacey had a look at a three that would cut the lead to one, but it rimmed out and now Gonzaga has Pangos on the line tacking on two free throws.
2:09 AM - There's the triple Wazzou needed. Reggie Moore cuts the lead to three and Gonzaga has Sacre at the line. 84-81 Zags.
2:10 AM - Sacre is now 12 of 12 from the line and after a Wazzou miss on the other end...the Zags look to have iced this one.
2:12 AM - Game one of the marathon is in the books. Zags win 90-81. Pangos finished with 33 and tied a school record for threes in a game. Gonzaga is a top 25 team. They have great size and they shoot the ball very well.
2:14 AM - ESPN hops directly to Northern Iowa at St. Mary's, where the Gaels are already up 6-0 on UNI. Sam is also a fan of the "kits" that St. Mary's is wearing. He's still hanging tough with me in hour three of the marathon. I'll give him a cookie if he's still conscious at 4am.
2:23 AM - Just had a quick nightmare about Clint Steindl. He had the game of his life against my alma mater (St. John's) in the tip-off last year. If he plays the way he did that night against UNI tonight, the Gaels will win by 20.
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| Rob Jones |
2:26 AM - I feel strangely obligated to document the fact that St. Mary's best player, Rob Jones, is the grandson of Jim Jones. Yes, this would be the same Jim Jones who led the Peoples Temple cult in the 1970s. As the story goes, Rob Jones' father was absent from the fateful mass suicide that took place in Guyana because he was at a basketball tournament. I'm so proud of myself for getting through that without an inappropriate joke about Kool-Aid.
2:43 AM - St. Mary's is only up 21-11, but this has the feel of a game that they will win quite comfortably. Northern Iowa will really have to shoot the ball well from deep if they want to stay in the game.
2:47 AM - During a random Sportscenter break, I discovered that Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver AJ Green's real name is Adriel Jeremiah Green. Adriel Green sounds like the name of a stud wide receiver too, so I guess he was destined for greatness either way.
2:53 AM - St. Mary's closes out the half on a 19-4 run and leads 26-13 going into the locker room. The game has been hopelessly boring so far, and has all the makings of a runaway in the second half. This is not what I needed as I approach the fourth hour of the marathon.
2:58 AM - Hubert Davis just said that Tyler Zeller will be the national player of the year in college basketball. Zeller is a great player, but he is also the fourth best player on his team (Harrison Barnes, Kendall Marshall, John Henson). I would be shocked if he manages to outshine all of them enough to even be an All-American, let alone the national player of the year.
3:28 AM - Northern Iowa just broke 20 points with about 13 minutes left to play in the game, and the Gaels responded with two threes. It's 40-21 Gaels and although I'm not fighting fatigue just yet, I'm definitely fighting boredom. The announce team keeps calling Northern Iowa a contender in the Missouri Valley, but this team doesn't belong on the same floor as Wichita State and Creighton.
3:30 AM - Gaels bang home four triples and a layup on their last five possessions to extend the lead to 27 points. Northern Iowa is not a MVC contender. I will not regret saying that in November. I'm sure of it.
3:52 AM - ESPN is very proud of their new graphic on the score overlay that tells you when a team is in the bonus. The play-by-play guy is talking about it like he's a proud father.
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| Zane Johnson |
3:54 AM - Wow! I completely forgot that UNI beat Old Dominion in their first game. There is no way in the world that this team beat ODU. Northern Iowa might have accidentally sent their club team to Moraga to play St. Mary's.
3:58 AM - I'm pretty excited about watching this Hawaii game against Northridge up next. Hawaii is capable of both winning or losing this game by 20 points. They might even go up by 20 before they lose by 20. All of these possibilities are in play.
4:00 AM - The final from Moraga was 57-41 in favor of the Gaels, and it was not even that close. Getting set for Hawaii and CSNU. Hawaii guard Zane Miller is a fun player to watch.
4:04 AM - Excited to see last year's New York City player of the year Shaquille Stokes in the starting lineup for Hawaii. Stokes led Lincoln HS to the city championship game last year and his flair with the ball will compliment Hawaii very well. I covered Stokes a few times last year so I will definitely be rooting for him to have a good game.
4:09 AM - Sam clocked out a little while ago, so I can't relay his thoughts about either team's kits. He didn't make the 4am incentive that would have gotten him a cookie either. Now that Sam is sleep, I guess i can stop calling them kits. This is basketball, and we're in America. However, I will add that I always love how Hawaii looks for all sports. The artwork on the court at Hawaii's Stan Sheriff Center is also one of my favorites.
4:17 AM - The combination of Hawaii's uptempo style and Northridge's pressure defense is going to make for an entertaining, yet probably chaotic, game. To compound matters, both teams are starting freshman point guards.
4:21 AM - Joston Thomas just checked into the game for Hawaii. I'm shocked that he isn't starting for the Warriors. Thomas was Hawaii's best player at times last year. He is very impressive physically at 6'7 235lbs. and is one of the team's best athletes. Thomas could benefit a lot from playing with Shaq Stokes.
4:25 AM - Another shoutout for the new "bonus" graphic on the score overlay. If we don't learn anything from this marathon of college hoops, we will never forget about the "bonus" graphic. ESPN will not allow us to.
4:30 AM - Northridge just took a shot with 32 seconds left on the shot clock. That's pretty hard to do. This game is being played at a break-neck pace and it is benefiting CSNU, the less talented of the two teams. The Matadors are forcing turnovers that they couldn't create at a more controlled tempo.
4:43 AM - The talent advantage for Hawaii is starting to become apparent. They just went up 32-23, and they have stopped turning the ball over. This team can really push it up the floor. They definitely have the talent to contend for a title in their final year in the WAC, and under Gibb Arnold, the Warriors might be unbeatable in the Big West for the foreseeable future. I've always been confused about why Hawaii didn't move to the Mountain West for all sports. Gibb Arnold is an excellent recruiter and could definitely compete in that conference.
4:51 AM - Northridge switched from a full-court press to a 1-3-1 half court trap and they are causing problems for Hawaii once again.
4:57 AM - Gibb Arnold drew up the Valporaiso Bryce Drew play right before the half. It worked perfectly, but Zane Johnson missed the shot unlike Drew. I'll remember this moment just in case Hawaii is ever down a bucket at some point in March. It's now halftime of a very entertaining game. Hawaii takes the lead to the break 37-34. Zane Johnson has 15 points, and could easily reach 30 at the pace that the game is being played at.
5:14 AM - Hawaii comes down on the first possession of the second half and Zane Johnson buries a three. Northridge called a timeout before they even had an offensive possession. Johnson has 18 now. I'm going to predict a 25-point outing for Johnson.
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| Shaquille Stokes at Lincoln |
5:31 AM - Hawaii has taken control of the game's tempo and extended their lead. Now that Northridge has stopped making shots, Hawaii is running right by the Matador defense in transition. Thought this one might be close, but Hawaii is looking poised to pull away. They lead 57-42 now.
5:49 AM - Hawaii has blown the game wide open. Shaq Stokes and Zane Johnson really took over this game with their dynamic offensive abilities, Stokes off the dribble and Johnson with his shooting. This has been a great debut for the freshman guard Stokes. I don't think the WAC is going to have five freshman better than him this year. Hawaii leads 70-47.
6:00 AM - ESPN's Mark Adams just said that he picked Old Dominion to win the national championship last year right before the NCAA Tournament...or maybe I fell asleep thirty minutes ago and that wasn't real. I'm hoping for the latter. He can't possibly be serious. Old Dominion? I'm too sleepy to be this confused.
6:15 AM - Hawaii just went final against UCSN. The Warriors won 86-67, but Zane Johnson finished a point shy of my 25-point prediction. Shaq Stokes really turned up his game in the second half to finish with 14 points. Hawaii's best player tonight ended up being sophomore forward Trevor Wiseman. Wiseman finished with 19 points and 16 rebounds. He is a consummate glue guy for the Warriors and was very impressive on both ends of the floor tonight...well it's not really night time anymore, but you get the point.
6:29 AM - Drexel and Rider have been on the tube for about 10 minutes now and they have been battling the entire way. This is going to be a physical slug fest. Drexel is a rising program in the CAA that a lot of people are picking to win the conference, and Rider is a solid program that is capable of beating anyone in their conference every year even if they aren't necessarily a favorite.
6:32 AM - Doug Gottlieb is now making the obligatory reference to the "bonus graphic" on the bottom of the screen. We're officially 4 for 4 with "bonus" graphic mentions in every game. I'm interested to see if we can keep up this streak of perfection.
6:37 AM - I wish Sam was awake for this one. I would have loved to hear his thoughts on the "kits" of Rider and Drexel. Both teams have horrendously styled uniforms.
6:41 AM - Rider is seizing the first wave of momentum as they are currently on a 9-0 run to take a 25-18 lead at home. This is the first morning game of the marathon, because the 4am Hawaii tip was really an 11pm local tip on the island. I think home court advantage is very important in this particular game because the wired home crowd can really energize a team in a situation when both squads are undoubtedly tired. It's also notable that Rider is the only underdog that is playing on its home floor during the marathon. Memphis would be an deep trouble if they were playing at Belmont later today instead of in the Pyramid. The same thing probably goes for Texas if they were playing at Rhode Island. I expect Rider to give Drexel all they can handle, even though Drexel is clearly a better team.
6:47 AM - Interesting note from Gottlieb that Rider's gym is the second smallest in division one. I love small schools with tiny gym's that they can pack to the rafters. I wish St. John's played more big games at our on-campus arena instead of at Madison Square Garden where the fan support is usually split 50/50. Home court advantage is about noise, and sometimes the best way to generate that noise is too put an inordinate amount of people into a small place. This is why Rider has a legit home court advantage right now.
6:54 AM - Halftime in Jersey as Rider and Drexel go to the break tied at 28. This looks like it will be the first wire to wire close game of the marathon, unfortunately the game has been hopelessly boring. All of the players looked exhausted going into the locker room...even the ones who hadn't even played. The time of tip-off is taking a toll. The depth of these teams will eventually decide the outcome.
7:13 AM - Andy Katz knows so much information about basketball that at times he tends to just spit out random facts that are completely irrelevant.
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| Drexel's Samme Givens |
7:15 AM - Katz just compared his wealth of basketball information to being a volume shooter on a basketball team. He essentially just acknowledged that he is just talking for no rhyme or reason. The one bad thing about the marathon is that it stretches the broadcast teams very thin and you end up getting a dud pairing like Gottlieb and Katz. If I didn't need the sound to keep me awake, I might have muted these two.
7:21 AM - Drexel is only a nose ahead of Rider right now. The Dragons started the half hot and built an eight-point lead, but Rider just fought right back. This game is going down to the final minutes. Currently Drexel leads Rider 38-35.
7:28 AM - Drexel's Samme Givens is a prototype mid-major type of player. He is only about 6'4 but he plays like a power forward and is very effective playing as an undersized post. Givens has 18 points and five boards (four of them are offensive rebounds), and is expected to be an All-CAA player.
7:34 AM - Drexel starting to pull away now. We're still waiting to see that game that offers wire to wire entertainment. What was once a tie game at the half is now a 51-40 Drexel lead (with a free throw on the way) halfway though the second half.
7:42 AM - The Dragons have looked very impressive in the second half, as they now lead Rider by 16. Samme Givens is showing a game that resembles that of Charles Barkley. He's been the game's only standout performer thus far.
7:51 AM - Rider was once down as many as 18, but now they have a chance to close to 10 points with plenty of time left in the game. Rider has plenty of fight, but they are short on talent in comparison to Drexel.
7:58 AM - With Samme Givens on the bench with four fouls, point guard Frantz Massenat has stepped up big time with three straight buckets and now an outlet assist to Damion Lee for a jam. The Dragons have finally put Rider away. They lead 69-54 with about three minutes to go.
8:10 AM - Drexel downed Rider 81-62 as the coverage shifts to College of Charleston hosting Morehead State. These are two solid mid-major programs that are both trying to cope with the loss of their respective superstars. Morehead lost the country's leading rebounder Kenneth Faried, and Charleston no longer has the services of one of the nation's best shooters in Andrew Goudelock. This should be a good game to find out who will be the heir apparent to both Faried and Goudelock at their respective programs.
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| Top freshman Adjehi Baru |
8:21 AM - The player to watch in this game is definitely Charleston's freshman center Adjehi Baru. Baru was coveted by several ACC programs during his recruitment but he committed to Charleston. This means he will be expected to at least show flashes of dominance while playing in the SoCon.
8:31 AM - Charleston is riding hot three-point shooting to an early lead, and they have also benefited from a few easy buckets after breaking Morehead's pressure.
8:39 AM - Charleston is running Morehead State out of the gym right now. Cougars are already ahead 36-14 and this looks like it could get worse before it gets better.
8:50 AM - Great job by Morehead State to cut the lead to 12 before the half. A few minutes ago it looked like they were going to lose by 40 points. Adjehi Baru spent the majority of the first half on the bench in foul trouble. I hope that we will get to see what he can do in the second half, because it ain't like we can just flip on a Charleston game whenever we feel like giving him a look.
8:55 AM - It's only approaching hour ten and I am nearly about to pass out. This is going to be a colossal struggle to stay awake...especially if we keep getting games that lack any form of excitement.
9:10 AM - Adjehi Baru has been impressive. He has freakish size and length that he knows how to use well on both ends of the floor. His most surprising attribute was the mid-range jumper that he took and made with confidence on a few different occasions.
11:11 AM - I just woke up from an inadvertent nap only to realize that I didn't really miss much. Charleston continued to roll Morehead State 72-57, and I opened my eyes in time to see a 33-28 halftime score between West Virginia and Kent State. If you haven't noticed, the first half of every game of this marathon has been terrible. This may have been the best first twenty minutes anyone has played but I doubt I missed anything more than the usual feeling each other out period that takes place between two teams that have never played each other before.
11:14 AM - My roommate Ty walks by laughing and says, "I see your back on the job." I wanted to respond by saying, "I see that you saw that I fell asleep and you didn't even wake me up...you're an ass." I hold my tongue a lot around here.
11:22 AM - The talent level for this game has jumped up considerably! I haven't seen this much talent on the floor in about ten hours. This game is the first of the real basketball games today, otherwise known as the games a person would actually watch on a regular day. West Virginia is a solid Big East program, and Kent State wins 25 games out of the MAC almost annually. It's time to watch some quality basketball.
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| Justin Greene is the MAC's best player |
11:32 AM - Kent came out the gate flying high in the second half after a riveting speech from head coach Rob Senderoff. They have gone from down five at the half to up seven at the under 12 media timeout. This is one of those rare times when the "small school" has the best player on the floor. That may be an indictment of Kevin Jones, but I'd rather call it a compliment towards Kent's Justin Greene, who is the reigning MAC player of the year.
11:39 AM - My only gripe about this game is the fact that West Virginia is wearing white uniforms while Kent State is wearing very light gray road uniforms. Also keep in mind that Kent and the Mounties both wear blue and gold, and that West Virginia has a gray uniform as well. I'm having a hard time telling which team is which. It also doesn't help that Kent State is dominating West Virginia right now in a total role reversal performance. The Golden Flashes are up 55-45 and have outscored Bob Huggins' team by 15 points in the second half.
11:43 AM - Kent State is a perfect example of why mid-major teams should send their regular season champion to the NCAA tournament instead of the conference tournament winner. It's a shame we haven't seen this team in March. They're strong, physical, and shoot the ball well. They would have and still will give a lot of teams fits in the NCAAs. It will be interesting to see if they can get over the hump in the MAC Tournament or if they can build enough of a profile to get an at-large bid.
11:46 AM - I'm using my roommate Jay's laptop to write this diary. He just called me into his room to tell me that in a few hours he is going to need his laptop back. His exact words were, "When I got to watch porn...I got to watch porn." I can't even make this stuff up. Any friends and family reading this diary...I really need a new laptop.
11:49 AM - Kent State is now up 64-51 and is in complete control of the game. They're moving the ball well and getting good shots on nearly every possession.
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| Deniz Kilicli wrestling around as usual |
11:51 AM - Deniz Kilicli from West Virginia looks like the Berzerker from the WWE in the early nineties when it was more appropriately named the WWF. He is a terrifying individual.
11:51 AM - Sam is awake so he runs in front of me and starts dancing in a way that makes him resemble one of the puddies from the original Power Rangers TV show. Sam says, "It's 11:51 and Sam is dancing in front of me!" I respond, "I actually typed that in." Sam is quite pleased with himself.
11:55 AM - Looks like West Virginia is going to lose. They're down 66-53 with under four to play. But you can't blame Kevin Jones. He's got 11 points and 15 rebounds. He's been the star that need him to be for the most part, but it looks like he's going to have to be a 20-point a night scorer for the Mountaineers if they want to compete with good teams.
12:01 PM - Hard to believe that Rob Senderoff is coaching his first game as a head coach today. He has handled every situation perfectly and his players have followed all of his directives perfectly.
12:04 PM - West Virginia fans are going to be in for a long Big East season this year. The Mounties are going to be over-matched in a few conference games this year.
12:06 PM - Kent State wraps up their "upset" win over WVU, taking the game 70-60. Big win for the Flashes though. ESPN immediately takes us to the Pyramid for the intrastate tilt between Belmont and Memphis.
12:10 PM - Memphis is wearing throwback uniforms. They actually look like the Oscar Robertson era Cincinnati Royals.
12:18 PM - Memphis is locked in early on. This looks like the classic case where everyone puts a team on upset alert in the days prior to the game, so that team arrives uber-focused, while the scrappy upstarts play terribly because so many people are expecting them to beat a team that they're not even better than. That was a mouthful, but you get my drift I'm sure. Memphis is winning because they're better than Belmont but their supposed to lose...because Belmont is good but Memphis doesn't know it...but Memphis does know it because ESPN has only told us Belmont was good 30,000 times since Saturday. The laymen's translation...Memphis is up 14-4 and on an 11-0 run.
12:33 PM - The only thing stopping Belmont from getting blown out right now is the fact that they are a very good team in their own right, because Memphis really came to play today.
12:48 PM - In case you haven't noticed, the short nap that I took that encompassed the last 15 minutes of Morehead State vs Charleston and the first half of West Virginia and Kent State completely revitalized me. I feel like a new man, and I didn't miss a minute of meaningful basketball. The first half of the West Virginia game would have been meaningful, but Kent State drilled the Mountaineers in the second after being down five at the half. I saw the part I needed to see. Don't try to tell me otherwise.
12:49 PM - Wes Witherspoon can't miss for the Tigers right now. He's got 16 points on 6 of 6 shooting.
12:56 PM - Who would be opposed to me simply penciling in Memphis' starting lineup as the All-Conference USA team?
1:03 PM - Belmont played a great half of basketball and is lucky not to be down 15 points. Memphis leads 46-39 at the break after being paced by outstanding performances by Will Barton, Joe Jackson and Wes Witherspoon. Only Barton has even missed a shot so far. At this rate, there's nothing Belmont can do to win this game. The other side of this coin is that Memphis has only managed a seven point lead while pitching the basketball equivalent to a perfect game. If the Tigers come out the locker room a few notches below that high level while Belmont stays level, Memphis could still find themselves in a tight spot.
1:28 PM - Memphis is still rolling in the opening minutes of the second half. They're on a 13-2 run, and have extended the lead to 59-44. Instead of Memphis coming back to earth, Belmont has been the team that has slipped.
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| Wesley Witherspoon didn't miss on Tuesday |
1:31 PM - Joe Jackson and Wes Witherspoon have combined to shoot 13 of 13 for 35 points
1:45 PM - The route is on for Memphis...73-56 Tigers. Still waiting on that wire to wire game where two teams actually compete from start to finish.
1:50 PM - Once I declare the game to be a route, Belmont scores a few buckets, gets a few stops, and Witherspoon gets a flagrant foul. Now Belmont can cut this lead to single digits.
1:52 PM - The route is off, Belmont is on a 14-3 run and has cut the Memphis lead to seven points.
2:00 PM - Memphis has a pretty comfortable lead but they cannot put Belmont away. ESPN's Brad Nessler and Jimmy Dykes offer a good point that Belmont could be the best 0-2 team in the country after today. This team probably won't lose a game in their conference, but this Memphis game is slipping away.
2:05 PM - I think the Tigers put Belmont away for good this time. Tigers lead 88-77 and are on their way to the line with three minutes to play.
2:09 PM - It is amazing how much faster Memphis is than Belmont. That's been the difference in the game. Belmont flat out can't keep up with them.
2:22 PM - Memphis eventually put away Belmont 97-81, and we are now in Waco for Baylor and San Diego State. We've got Brent Musburger on the call for the game as well. He's one of the all-time greats. I could literally listen to him talk about anything. Baylor has two newcomers worth watching in this one. Pierre Jackson was the nation's best junior college player last year, and Quincy Miller was a high school All-American. Unfortunately, Perry Jones III won't be able to play for Baylor today. Seeing Jones play the wing at 6'11 is a sight to see. The Aztecs, on the other hand, have lost nearly everybody from their Sweet Sixteen team last year, and may have one of their best players sitting out for the year. The Aztecs welcomed former LA player of the year Dwayne Polee from St. John's on a transfer. Steve Fisher's team may struggle while he sits out this year.
2:53 PM - Very surprised at how well the Aztecs have played against Baylor. They are making mistakes but they are also making enough plays to stay in Baylor's back pocket. This is how upsets happen.
3:00 PM - San Diego State fell down by eight late in the half, but fought back with a three-pointer and a three-point play to close the half and the Aztecs are only trailing 32-30 at the break. Chase Tapley has been the difference for Steve Fisher's bunch. He has four triples for 12 points.
3:04 PM - In the second half, I'm going to be looking to see what Baylor's Duece Bello is all about. He's a freshman I have heard a lot about but have not seen him play.
3:07 PM - Player for player, Baylor may have one of the best teams in the country, but they never seem to be able to put it all together. Based off the talent on each team, Baylor should be winning this game by 20 points.
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| Quincy Acy |
3:14 PM - Quincy Acy is even more scary than Deniz Kilicli. If I saw Quincy Acy in a dark alley, I would hand him my wallet, phone, and jewelry without him even having to ask. He sort of looks like DMX, if only DMX was 6'9 and lifted weights every day. For the record, if I was comparing Acy to a nineties WWF wrestler...I'm going to have to go with Bad News Brown.
3:35 PM - Along with being quite intimidating, Quincy Acy can play some ball. That reverse jam is the new front runner for best dunk of the marathon. I love his game and what he does for Baylor on both ends of the floor.
3:39 PM - Baylor has finally started to outclass San Diego State. The Bears are up twelve and the Aztecs have run out of ways to score. We could be looking at another ugly one. Or even worse, we could get the game that middles right in between being a blowout and a close game (i.e Belmont cutting the lead to seven points eight times before finally losing by 16).
3:45 PM - Why are the Aztecs down 11 right now? Well, Chase Tapley has 19 points...and no other Aztec has more than five. Jamaal Franklin scored 31 in his last game, but he has five points tonight. There's your answer.
4:12 PM - So the Aztecs avoided the outright blowout, and they ended up being that team that wouldn't go away, but still were never actually a viable threat. I would contend that this is the worst way to lose a basketball game. I'd rather get ran out of the gym instead of getting my heart ripped out on six different occasions in the same game, while my opponent laughs at me because I legitimately thought my team had a chance to win.
4:18 PM - Baylor takes out SDSU 77-67, and then ESPN takes us straight to Texas where the NBA crew, Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy are on the call. Unfortunately, it may be the only time we hear Mike Breen's beautiful voice all season (yup, I called his voice beautiful) since the NBA season is all but assuredly canceled. I'm going to jump back to the Baylor game real quickly. Tapley finished with 29 points for the Aztecs and Baylor's newest freshman phenom Quincy Miller led the Bears with 20 points.
4:27 PM - I can't express how much I love listening to Breen and Van Gundy. Their insight on the games they cover is so different than any one else who does their job. Van Gundy's unabashed honesty is pure gold on television. I can't wait for Jeff Van Gundy to express his love for James Harden to Kevin Durant...and I don't care how weird that sounds.
4:37 PM - Myck Kabongo can really handle the ball, but he seems a little out of control. Maybe that will turn into "controlled chaos" as time goes on.
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| Jeff Van Gundy is always great television |
4:39 PM - I also love the fact that Van Gundy makes honest opinions about the officials. I hate announcers that defend the referees like they go out for drinks with them after the game.
4:41 PM - Rhode Island can not throw a brick into the ocean right now. They are lucky to be playing Texas in a rebuilding year, else this would be a very unattractive result.
4:44 PM - Kevin Durant is mic'd up with Van Gundy and Breen. I wonder if JVG will really tell Durant about his man crush on James Harden.
4:52 PM - Van Gundy came through! He told Durant to tell James Harden that he was the president of his fan club.
4:54 PM - Rhode Island just had a five point possession to get back in the game. They now trail by ten at the under four media timeout.
4:56 PM - I don't necessarily agree with ESPN labeling this Kent State win over West Virginia as an upset. Kent looked like the better team. It didn't have the vibe of an upset at all. Kent State fully expected to win that game and then played like it.
5:02 PM - Rhode Island was once down 17 points in this game, but they go to the half down by only three after a solid closing effort.
5:06 PM - Rob Senderoff's halftime speech is getting major play on Sportscenter like it was the "Inches" speech from the movie "Any Given Sunday" being recited by Al Pacino himself. Once again, Senderoff thought his team should win that game. So he coached like it and acted like it, and that is probably why not only did they win, but Kent State won convincingly.
5:18 PM - This marathon has been an unofficial tribute to Coach K in many ways since he will likely break Bob Knight's career wins record tonight, so I really like how they have Jay Williams in the studio to share so many of his personal and athletic stories about his old college coach. It adds a lot of personality to the coverage.
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| J'Covan Brown |
5:26 PM - JVG just compared J'Covan Brown to Sam Cassell. I'd be offended if I was compared to Sam Cassell in any way, shape, or form. Cassell was a great player though and Brown is quite the player himself. He just has a very unorthodox game.
5:28 PM - JVG just made the case for continuation to be added into the college game. The funny part about this is that most referees allow continuation in a lot of situations. We should have continuation in college hoops for the sake of the rule being universally enforced. Most casual fans don't even understand that the NBA is the only league that uses continuation.
5:33 PM - Rhode Island has finally tied this game up at 56, and it looks like we might finally get the wire to wire game that I have been searching for since midnight. This is a surprise since Rhode Island couldn't buy a bucket early in the first half.
5:39 PM - Rhode Island takes a lead on a free throw, but Texas comes right back with a crazy alley-oop sequence that resulted in a three-point play.
5:43 PM - I'm starting to fade out again...making some pomegranate iced tea to keep me up. I think one good caffeine rush should get me to midnight.
5:47 PM - Apparently Rhode Island taking a one point lead on Texas made the Longhorns angry, because they have responded with a 13-0 run to stretch things out against the Rams. Here we go again...
6:00 PM - Flipped the channel to ESPNU looking for the FIU and Virginia Tech game...only to find the defending national women's champions Texas A&M throttling Louisville. Also, it was a pretty special day for former Texas A&M guard Catherine Snow who received her national championship ring and an engagement ring from her now fiancé at center court out in Aggie Land earlier in the evening.
6:07 PM - Just got sent over to Virginia Tech and FIU in Blacksburg. Looking forward to seeing Zeke (Isiah Thomas for the non-Detroiters) roam the sidelines.
6:11 PM - I may check in periodically on this Miami at Tennessee women's game on ESPN2. The ladies could give me the close game I've been longing for all day.
6:14 PM - Rhode Island following the example of San Diego State and Belmont. The Rams trail by ten with about three minutes left, so they have settled into that comfortable area where they won't get blown out but they don't have a chance at winning. It's almost like an end of game purgatory, and every single game of this marathon has ended in this dreaded place.
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| There will be no return to MSG for Zeke |
6:23 PM - If FIU upsets Virginia Tech and makes it to the NIT semis at Madison Square Garden, Isiah Thomas will get booed out of the building...and he will love every minute of it.
6:28 PM - The Lady 'Canes and Lady Vols are definitely playing the most entertaining game of the day so far. The ladies are playing fast, shooting well, and Tennessee has a great atmosphere. I'm going to stay here for awhile. This is the first time all day I've had to make some decisions with the remote control. I've never watched the same channel for that long in my entire life.
6:54 PM - Tennessee and Miami are playing great basketball on ESPN2. When I watch games like this knowing that FIU and Virginia Tech are on ESPNU both shooting around 30%, it really makes me mad that so many people label women's basketball as boring or even worse poorly played. Basketball is basketball, and if you play the game the way it's supposed to be played...it's fun to watch. If you just watched the first half of Tennessee and Miami and you were bored, you either don't understand basketball or you have a closeted prejudice towards women playing sports. I will now step off of my soapbox. Thank you.
7:02 PM - FIU is only down seven at the half against Virginia Tech. They have a chance to win but they must shoot a higher percentage from the field in the second half. Switching to Michigan State and Duke now.
7:04 PM - Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. is singing the anthem at the Garden tonight. I still remember watching his first edition on "America's Got Talent" earlier this year.
7:07 PM - I'm always amazed/surprised by the amount of Duke fans that pack the Garden every time the Blue Devils play there.
7:10 PM - OK, here's the official disclaimer. I am incredibly biased when it comes to any team that is from the state of Michigan, and the Spartans need this game. Also, I would like to add that the fix will be in if Duke starts to lose this game. What? I said I was biased.
7:13 PM - This particular Michigan State team is low on talent in comparison to some of Izzo's other squads, but they have some very tough guys on this team. Payne's foul on Rivers is indicative of what type of team Michigan State is.You may when plenty of battles with these Spartans but you will never win the war.
7:16 PM - If you are a fan of the game of basketball, you have to cherish the opportunity to listen to Bob Knight do commentary. Once again, he's the type to provide one of a kind insight.
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| Draymond Green |
7:23 PM - Draymond Green is my favorite college basketball player in the country. Green is the size of a small grizzly bear and he leads the break better than anybody else on Michigan State's roster.
7:27 PM - I'm ashamed of Austin Thornton for even petitioning to have that call reviewed. That's not basketball, that's soccer. There's no place for that in basketball.
7:32 PM - Adrien Payne will eventually be a defensive force for the Spartans. I really like his game. If the Spartans embrace this rough and tumble image they are starting to develop, where they scrap hard and kill teams on the offensive glass for points, they could really overachieve this year.
7:35 PM - Bob Knight essentially just told Jay Bilas that he wouldn't have let him shoot the ball in college if he was coaching him. Everyone got a good laugh out of it...that doesn't change the fact that Bob Knight was dead serious. Bob Knight is not a fan of Jay Bilas' offensive game.
7:41 PM - Just found out that the route is on in Blacksburg. I guess there will be no return to the Garden for Isiah Thomas. This saddens me.
7:43 PM - One of the seven Plumlees on Duke's roster just nailed a running sky hook. If anyone in college basketball decided to master that shot, they would be a lottery pick, regardless of the rest of their skill set. If all seven of the Plumlees mastered the sky hook Duke would go undefeated for the next five years. By the way, yes I am aware of the fact that there are only three Plumlees, but I think we should just repackage Ryan Kelly and turn him into a fourth Plumlee. He can be Mike Plumlee. Also, instead of the third Plumlee (Marshall Plumlee, who is being redshirted) being called MP3, he should be called "Plumlee in case of emergency"
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| Andre Dawkins: A shooter not a fighter |
7:56 PM - I don't like when guys like Andre Dawkins decide to talk trash to guys like Branden Dawson on the basketball court. If you take one look at Branden Dawson and one look at Andre Dawkins, it is very obvious who would win a fight between the two (and I didn't even bring up the fact that Dawson is from Gary, Indiana...Gary is a third world country located in Indiana). Andre Dawkins wouldn't talk trash to Branden Dawson outside of the Garden, so it's quite fraudulent to do so only when you can hide behind three referees and the backdrop of a college basketball game.
8:08 PM - Left the MSU and Duke game a few seconds early to get my first look at Ohio State and Florida. Florida is absolutely loaded with good players, but the question is whether or not they have a great player that can match the star power of a JJ Sullinger.
8:11 PM - Norm Roberts siting on the Florida bench. I love the former coach at St. John's. He was a great guy. Hope he has plenty of success there, and I hope he's stomping around someone's sidelines as a head coach really soon.
8:18 PM - Just caught the final of the Tennessee and Miami women's game. The Lady Vols cruised in the end, but Miami made a good impression on a national stage.
8:22 PM - Both Florida and Ohio State have shooters all over the floor. It's a fun game to watch because everyone is a threat from everywhere.
8:27 PM - Back to ESPN to watch the second half of Michigan State and Duke. Sparty has a chance to steal this game if they can stay out of foul trouble and make shots from the perimeter.
8:33 PM - Andre Dawkins is approaching Kevin Pangos' neighborhood with his three-point shooting. Dawkins has six triples, and 20 points overall.
8:42 PM - Duke is red hot and up 13. This is a very dangerous time for the Spartans. Izzo's team is not making shots around the rim, and they are usually average on the perimeter to begin with. Spartans need answers very soon. They also need Duke to cool down from the three-point line.
8:52 PM - Derrick Nix is having a nightmare game tonight...the Spartans just don't have it today. Time to switch to the Bucks and Gators and I guess I will tune back in for the celebration.
8:58 PM - I watched that entire Texas game and had no idea that J'Covan Brown had 35 points. He's such a smooth player that his game almost gets taken for granted.
9:01 PM - The route is on in New York City...Spartans down 20. Get your champagne ready.
9:36 PM - Calm down, Michigan State still doesn't have a shot.
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| Coach K is the winningest men's college basketball coach ever |
9:37 PM - Coach K has passed Bob Knight as the most successful coach in the history of college basketball. He has 903 wins...and we will be adding to that number soon...and often.
9:58 PM - While all the hoopla goes on surrounding Duke and Coach K, Ohio State has been on ESPN2 soundly beating Florida by a comfortable margin. I just wish there was some way we could tell whether or not this team will be a Final Four team, or a surprise upset victim in March. Doesn't it seem like the Buckeyes should have been to at least a few more Final Fours than they've been to?
10:08 PM - The last game of the night is nearly underway. UK versus KU at MSG.
10:13 PM - Watching Kentucky play will be the closest thing any of us get to watching the NBA until next November. Kentucky could win the SEC and the NBA D-League with the amount of prospects on their roster.
10:26 PM - Kentucky and Kansas are my last hope for a close game, and I think they will oblige me. So much talent on the floor it is ridiculous. I don't see how either team could possibly break away.
10:30 PM - The person knocking on my front door like a DEA agent turns out to just be my friend Bunz. He came through to watch the final game of the marathon.
10:35 PM - Bunz has his Ipad with him so he is a walking college basketball encyclopedia right now. Ipad's are incredibly pointless and yet incredibly useful all at the same time. I want one.
10:36 PM - First useful bit of information courtesy of the Ipad...the entire Kentucky starting five is projected to be drafted in the Top 15 of the 2012 NBA Draft according to NBADraft.net. This is a pretty ridiculous stat when you initially think about it, but in reality, Kentucky has made a living off of recruiting lottery picks that would have never went to college if not for the NBA's bogus age restriction. You shouldn't be all that surprised.
10:45 PM - For the record, my friend Bunz is a former manager for the St. John's men's basketball team at the time when I was a manager for the women's team. Between the two of us, we've been to a lot of places and seen a lot of games. He's a pretty good wing man to watch a game with. Even though he didn't bring food. I specifically requested that visitors bring food...but I digress.
10:46 PM - If you are waiting for an explanation as to to why my friend's name is Bunz, I will give you the same explanation I was given when I met him. "His name is Bunz. Ask no questions."
11:01 PM - Halftime at the Garden for the "main event" and grand finale of the marathon. Fitting that the game would be dead even at 28 because the teams have been perfect foils for each other. Marquis Teague and Tyshawn Taylor have taken turns being terrible at the point guard position, but somehow Teague has managed to be impressive with his ball-handling expertise. Taylor has just been awful with his shot selection and decision making.
11:19 PM - Second half underway from MSG, Kentucky and Kansas continue to battle.
11:21 PM - So apparently the gameplan for Kentucky is to try to make something happen off the dribble, and if not...just throw the ball up in the air and let Anthony Davis dunk it. That's been working.
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| Anthony Davis is UK's top prospect |
11:28 PM - Anthony Davis is the best player on the floor tonight in a game that features close to a dozen future NBA players. Me and Bunz are going back and forth about the different types of dominant player he could develop into. His potential is nearly limitless.
11:37 PM - Uh oh, Kentucky is starting to flex its muscles against Kansas. I have an admission to make. I knew Kansas wasn't good enough to hang with Kentucky, but I wanted them to be. I sold myself a dream that they would play a glorious and dramatic second half, but I kind of saw this coming.
11:41 PM - Wow, Kentucky is now up by 17 points...I can't believe I'm saying this but...the route is on in NYC...again.
11:48 PM - Terrence Jones has been playing angry all game, and it has seemed to work for him. However, it seems like he has a hard time controlling his emotions. This seems like it could be an issue at some point during the season.
11:50 PM - So no one's going to tell the freshman he has a unibrow? Anthony Davis needs to get that taken care of. That's ridiculous.
11:57 PM - You had to know that Terrence Jones wasn't going to turn down the opportunity to get into a fake "everyone hold me back!" fight .
12:01 PM - Marquis Teague is having a terrible game. He is the starting point guard and one of the team's most important players...but Kentucky can run Kansas off the floor even with Teague not doing anything right.
12:15 AM - Ridiculous dunk from Anthony Davis to end the night. He is the real deal. He will be the number one overall pick in the 2012 draft...and will finally suit up in the 2014 season when the NBA lockout ends.
12:22 AM - Kentucky 75, Kansas 65...marathon over. Not a single close game, not a single interesting finish. However we learned a lot about some of the best teams in the country today. It is safe to say that the national championship picture is a three team race between Kentucky, Ohio State, and obviously North Carolina. And finally, the NBA lockout has given us a pool of collegiate talent that could possibly make this an all-time great college basketball season. We have plenty to look forward to. But for now? I just want to look forward to my bed. Good night.
