Tag Archives: NCAA Tournament

Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Days Dwindle with Controversy

Basketball, ,

No I’m not going to talk about the plane snafus of Hurley’s Huskies.

Flying sucks.

But shall comment briefly on the UConn women’s situation, exclamation-pointed by Geno Auriemma’s every pissy, passive aggressive postgame take.

As someone whose team’s fortunes went south this season after a ref’s untoward call cost them an important game against a league rival, I understand the frustration and resulting ire of UConn fans.

A blocking call against Aaliyah Edwards cost her team, down one with seconds to go, a shot at winning the national semi.

To my eyes, it was a legit foul. She moved to her left, spread her feet outside her shoulders, raised her forearms to her chest, and leaned into the defender.

It happens.

I’m of the belief that refs should not let the game play out amidst physical chaos if fouls are committed. An infraction of the rules in the 1st is also one with three tics on the clock.

That said, let’s hope this increases the focus on the egregiously less than acceptable officiating generally in the women’s game. It’s been a problem for years. Now that the sport has emerged into the nation’s consciousness, it’s time to fix it. Continue reading Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Days Dwindle with Controversy →

Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Musings of Title Week

Basketball,

Terrance Edwards Jr., star of 30+ win James Madison, Sun Belt POY, Transfer Portal Top 10, has announced his commitment to Pal Kelsey and the University of Louisville.

And there was evening, and there was morning, a the sixth day.

Yes, fellow hoopaholics of the Cardinal persuasion, it’s been about as invigorating week as a diehard could possibly hope for.

Three recruits. Most of the staff. A million simolien gift to the 502Circle.

Be still my beating heart.

And, loyal readers, be grateful I didn’t morph full biblical on ya. I did pull out The Holy Scriptures presented me at my Bar Mitzvah to see if I could somehow fashion a lengthier lede. But, since it is a sacred time of year — Easter, Passover, Ramadan — thought I’d be respectful. I do have a filter on occasion.

U of L Hoops is a matter of faith, but, ya know, not quite the same.

A new coach is not exactly the Second Coming, but . . . hope springs.

 * * * * *

Chris Mack to College of Charleston.

How symmetrical. Continue reading Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Musings of Title Week →

Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Frosh, Final Four & the Portal

Basketball,

How many conversations did I have with my bestie hoopaholic pals — Smarts and Doc — over the weekend?

Correct answer: A whole lot.

During one with Doc, he asked rhetorically how many freshman were playing significant roles for the teams still alive?

The only name that immediately came to mind was UConn’s Stephon Castle.

We agreed that college hoops success is now — and possibly always has been frankly — predicated on experience. Among other factors, like, oh, talent and a great guard running the show, etc.

So, looking for some anecdotal evidence, I actually did some research on the squads of the Final Four survivors.

Of the players on UConn, Alabama, NC State and Purdue who have averaged double digit minutes over the course of the season, exactly four are rookies. Castle, one kid balling for the Boilermakers, and a couple rolling for the Tide. Continue reading Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Frosh, Final Four & the Portal →

Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Tip Off Tuesday

Basketball,

Yes, my fellow hoopaholics, the Dance is just hours away.

Thank you, Naismithius.

Before I get to other peripheral considerations, all signifying nothing really, one more gratuitous diss of a former Cardinal coach.

Not the one who once upon a time wore leisure suits, but the one who was all bespoke all the time.

Because, well, it’s what I do, because it’s what taking hostages in fandom is about, because I’ve got the key to get it up and into the cybergalaxy. Because the devil makes me do it, and I’m not about to argue.

And yes I’m obsessed.

It makes me so so sad that he shan’t be stomping those new custom made tassel loafers on an NCAA sideline. Not.

But the new, mature, wisened, seen it all and going to just sit back and relax Rick, at his “final coaching stop,” couldn’t help himself after his Johnnies were not tabbed to participate.

During his post reveal presser, which he actually held, unlike the time here in Louisville when he failed to show up at Porcini’s because he was pissed with his seed, RP said “bitterness doesn’t help,” and “we’re not gonna gripe.” Continue reading Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Tip Off Tuesday →

Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Selection Sunday

Basketball,

Warning: This was posted before Sunday’s conference finals.

Let the madness commence.

Oh yeah, it already has.

But first, a didactic riff on my annual admonition.

I had the opportunity the other day to advise a friend of  Seedy K’s College Hoops Post Season Rule #1.

At our regular weekly lunch on Wednesday, Mike mentioned how he’d already set his DVR to record Kentucky vs. Tennessee in the SEC title game.

At which instant, after a spit take, it was time to set him straight.

Understand this fellow knows his basketball. He played in HS, and claims to have gotten the best of Wes Unseld, once anyway, which he shares with sort of a wink. He was a senior. Wes was still learning how to play early in his first varsity year.

What gives a scintilla of credence, if that, to my pal’s claim is he owns that a couple of months later Unseld turned him over under sideways down.

My guy also played collegiately, albeit in the Ivy League.

But I digress. (As those of my ilk are inclined to do these days as we anxiously await the announcement that Coach X will be coaching the now coachless University of YouKnowWhomI’mTalkingAbout next season.) Continue reading Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Selection Sunday →

No, No, No, NoCAA

Basketball,

Word is filtering out more and more that the powers that be are legitimately considering a ruination of the singular thing they do right.

The NCAA basketball tournament.

Expansion.

To as many as 96 schools.

Cue the Barret Strong: “Money/ That’s what I want.”

It is perhaps the worst idea since, oh, the beginning of ideas. Or, at least, the Edsel.

I keep thinking of a fellow who helped guide me through the early days of my recovery.

One of his go to sayings, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Which he would say with such stentorian conviction that you’d think he invented the catchphrase. Continue reading No, No, No, NoCAA →

The Day After: Hoopaholic’s Gazette

Basketball

As this wackamole of a season careened off the rails, tumbling down Mt. Sinai, banging through the rapids of the River Styx and resting someplace in a stagecoach on the cactus-strewn road to Houston, a sprawling city with zero planning & zoning, there was a consensus among the punditocracy.

Including in these quarters at the vast 13 acre campus of Seedy K Sports.

There really is not a best team this season, just one with enough survival gear to escape six games in a row.

And, then this happened.

We all started asking as the FF approached, is there one more surprise? Might Miami or Florida Atlantic or San Diego State actually prevail as champion?

Because as if all of a sudden there appeared to be a clearly best team: the Huskies of UConn. Who were sashaying their way through the Dance card with the second highest victory margin per W ever. (UK, I believe, in The Rick’s title season there, in case you’re curious.)

And so it came to pass.

There was no One More Surprise before One Shining Moment. Continue reading The Day After: Hoopaholic’s Gazette →

Seedy K’s Tourney Takeaways

Basketball

(Hey!) Over, under, sideways, down/ (Hey!) I bounce a ball that’s square and round/ (Hey!) Over, under, sideways, down/ (Hey!) I bounce a ball that’s square and round/ When will it end? (When will it end?)/ When will it end? (When will it end?)

So, yeah, is this the most cockamamie Final Four ever?

In the era of seeding, and 64, uh make that 68 teams, one has to assume it to be so.

But back in the day, like in ’70 when there were this conglomeration. Behemoth UCLA, and Jacksonville, New Mexico State and St. Bonaventure. The trio of servants were all indies, when that was a thing in college hoops.

The whole affair was pretty much geographic in makeup. And there were byes. And schools got to play sometime on their homecourt in early rounds. Like the mighty mighty Bruins did often.

But in the Era of One Shining Moment? Continue reading Seedy K’s Tourney Takeaways →

Seedy K’s Takeaways: Iowa

Basketball, ,

Louisville 83, Iowa 97.

There are times when there is simply nothing you can do.

When a team runs into a foe led by a transcendent star who is executing a not-to-be-denied dominant performance.

Ask peacock Kim Mulkey and Britney Griner about Shoni.

We’ve heard oh so much about Caitlin Clark.

Too much? Actually, frankly, no not really.

She was described before the game as a cross between Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi.

Who am I to disagree?

On the season, she’s hitting 58% from 25 feet and beyond from the hoop.

That’s absurd.

Sunday night, Clark historically went for 41 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists.

She was not going to lose this game. Continue reading Seedy K’s Takeaways: Iowa →

Seedy K’s GameCap: Ole Miss

Basketball, ,

“Hotty Totty! Gosh A Mighty! Who in the hell are we? Rim! Ram! Flim! Flam! Ole Miss, by Damn!”

Well, as you Rebs head back to Oxford Town, Hotty Totty This . . .

. . . Louisville 72, Mississippi 62.

Thus, with this disparate crew that took time to jell, Jeff Walz in his 16th season has the Louisville Cardinals headed to the Elite Eight for the fifth straight time and eighth time in school history.

Hawkeyes ahead. By damn.

 * * * * *

Hailey Van Lith got the full World Wide Leader superstar treatment on the TV pregame.

Then she scored the Cardinals’ first five points, and led the squad with 21. Also 5 boards, 4 assists.

And, when Ole Miss cut the lead to five in the 4th at 58-53, Van Lith shut the door, when she tallied in the paint for a 7 point advantage.

But, let’s be clear, there is only one choice for Player of Game. In this corner anyway.

Mykasa Robinson, come on down. Continue reading Seedy K’s GameCap: Ole Miss →