The State of College Hoops: Pre-conference Recap

I haven't posted anything about college basketball since the 24 hours of hoops marathon. I figured I didn't want to get into my weekly posts until conference play starts up. For my “Breakfast with Berndon” stuff will resume on a weekly basis starting this week. (Side note: hopefully with a new name). I've watched a good deal of games since November 12th, so here's my short recap on the goings on of the last 6 weeks.

ACC
Biggest Surprise: Boston College
Biggest Disappointment: Virginia Tech
Best Win: UNC over Kentucky 75-73
Worst Loss: Georgia Tech 80-63 to Kennesaw St. at Kennesaw St.
MVP: Nolan Smith
Conference Predictions: 1.Duke, 2. UNC, 3. Florida St. 4. Maryland, 5. N.C. State, 6. BC, 7. VT.
Sentimental Fav: Chapel Hill

BC under new coach Steve Donahue has surpassed expectations that had most picking them to finish in the bottom half of the league. They're the only team to beat Texas A&M and have also beaten the likes of Cal, Indiana, Providence, and won at Maryland. Meanwhile, Virginia Tech was in the top 25 early on, but lost all of the games they had in place to help strengthen their non-conference schedule. Nolan Smith has been good with Kyrie Irving in the lineup, and even better without him. I look for Duke to dominate the league with Carolina as a solid number 2, especially if their guards continue to play better. The rest of the seven I mentioned all have chances to make the tourney, with Florida St. having the highest upside with the way they can defend.

Big East
Biggest Surprise: Cincinnati
Biggest Disappointment: Seton Hall/West Virginia
Best Win: Georgetown at Missouri 111-102 in OT.
Worst Loss: Depaul 71-53 to Indiana St. at Indiana St.
MVP: Kemba Walker
Conference Predictions: 1. Pitt, 2. Syracuse, 3. Notre Dame, 4. Georgetown, 5. Villanova, 6. Marquette, 7. UCONN, 8. St. John's, 9. West Virginia, 10. Louisville, 11. Cincinnati, 12. Seton Hall
Sentimental Fav: Georgetown or Notre Dame

Everyone thought the Big East was going to be good, but lo and behold, they're even better than people realized. Credit the unexpected starts from teams like Syracuse, Notre Dame, UConn, Louisville, and Cincinnati adding to their prodigiousness. Cincinnati has gotten off to a 14-0 start, finally jumping into the rankings for the first time this week. They're big and athletic, but the lack of a proven 18-20 point scorer plus the inability to consistently knock down outside shots will end up hurting them. Seton Hall is a disappointment because I thought they'd be better, but it's probably not going to be your year when you're best player gets injured, then gets shot. West Virginia still might get on a run, but I thought they'd do more with what they have back. Austin Freeman struggled against Notre Dame and last night against St. John's, but for the most part has been on fire. I still think Pitt is the best of the bunch, as I put Syracuse right behind them until they shoot a little better from deep. St. John's senior-laden crew looked great last night against Georgetown, and if they can survive playing 8 games in a row against ranked teams with maybe a 3-5 record, they'll be in great shape to be in the tourney for the first time since Ron Artest played there. Marquette is another sleeper, with Darius Johnson-Odom starting to emerge, and I look for UConn to fall off, unless Alex Oriahki or Roscoe Smith becomes a legitimate number two scorer to go with Kemba Walker.

Big 10
Biggest Surprise: Purdue
Biggest Disappointment: Michigan St.
Best Win: Ohio St. over Florida 93-75.
Worst Loss: Illinois losing to UIC 57-54 in Chicago.
MVP: Jared Sullinger
Conference Predictions: 1. Ohio St. 2. Michigan St. 3. Illinois, 4. Purdue, 5. Wisconsin, 6. Minnesota.
Sentimental Fav: Illinois

Like the Big East and ACC, the Big 10 has been great. These conferences have clearly established that they are the best of the bunch. For Purdue to be ranked number 11 at this point shows the talent level of Jajuan Johnson and E'Twuan Moore. Michigan State has morphed into “a pretty boy, jump shooting team” according to their coach, but Draymond Green and Delvon Roe both had 10 plus boards in their recent win against Northwestern. If they get back to being their old blue collar selves, then they'll cement their place in the top 10. Ohio St. and Jared Sullinger are clearly the team to beat. I like the way the vets like David Lighty, Jon Diebler and William Buford have meshed with Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas. Not to mention the great addition of Aaron Craft at the point. Michigan St. is still Michigan St, and Illinois and Purdue are also really good. All six teams I ranked will be in the NCAA tournament, with maybe Northwestern or Penn St. finding their way in as well.

Big 12
Biggest Surprise: Texas
Biggest Disappointment: Kansas St.
Best Win: Texas at Michigan St. 67-55.
Worst Loss: Colorado 82-66 to Harvard at Harvard.
MVP: Jordan Hamilton
Conference Predictions: 1. Missouri, 2. Kansas St. 3. Kansas, 4. Baylor, 5. Texas, 6. Texas A&M. 7. Oklahoma St. 8. Colorado
Sentimental Fav: Kansas St.

This might be one of the few times I ever give Rick Barnes credit, but Texas has been really good so far this season. I've seen them play maybe 3 or 4 times and the one thing that stood out was there defense. Jordan Hamilton has gone from the player with probably the worst shot selection in the country to a league POY candidate. He's shooting the three over 40 % and giving them 7 rebounds a game. Combine this with how well Cory Joseph and Tristan Thompson have played, and you get the best Texas team in 4 or 5 years. Kansas St. has dealt with suspensions and uninspired play from their leaders, making Frank Martin's halftime speeches legendary, I'm sure. Much like Michigan State, I still think they have time to turn things around. Especially with power forward Wally Judge's improved play the last two games, going over 20 points in each contest. I'm picking Missouri based upon Tony Mitchell being able to come back and gain his eligibility. Plus I hate Kansas. Baylor is a sleeper, with the tallest back 3 of a 2-3 zone in history. The Aggies have been really good so far, but I'm not buying in yet.



SEC
Biggest Surprise: Kentucky
Biggest Disappointment: Mississippi St.
Best Win: Tennessee over Pitt 83-76 in Pittsburgh.
Worst Loss: Auburn 69-55 to Jacksonville at Auburn.
MVP: Terrance Jones
Conference Predictions: SEC East: 1. Kentucky, 2. Vandy, 3. Florida, 4. Georgia, 5. Tennessee. SEC West: 1. Mississippi St.
Sentimental Fav: Florida

I also ripped Calipari in mine and Langston's preseason podcast, although I never said Calipari was a bad coach, but that he was a douchebag. Just wanted to clarify. I didn't think Kentucky would be nearly this good, but the kids they got, while not as athletic as their counterparts last season, seem to just get it more. They play smarter, and with college basketball's version of Kevin Love (Josh Harrellson) controlling the boards and doing all the little things with veterans Darius Miller and DeAndre Liggins, I actually think this version of Kentucky basketball might go to the Final Four. Mississippi State is only the most disappointing because I couldn't pick the whole SEC West. Vanderbilt looks to be more steady than either Tennessee or Florida. I still think Florida can be really good. As for the Vols, I honestly have no idea what to think; One game they look like a Final Four contender (wins over Pitt, Villanova, and Memphis) and the next a first round loser in the NIT (losses to College of Charleston, Oakland and UNC-Charlotte).

Mountain West/Pac 10
Biggest Surprise: San Diego St.
Biggest Disappointment: UCLA
Best Win: USC over Texas 73-56
Worst Loss: Oregon 69-55 to Idaho at Oregon.
MVP: Jimmer Fredette
Conference Predictions: Mountain West: 1. San Diego St. 2. BYU, 3. UNLV, 4. New Mexico
Pac 10: 1. Washington, 2. Arizona, 3. Washington St. 4. Cal, 5. UCLA
Sentimental Fav: BYU

San Diego St. has risen to number 6 in the land, but outside of a win at Gonzaga (and maybe their wins against St. Mary's and Cal) they don't have anything else on their resume worth mentioning. UCLA is a little below where I thought they'd be, although they did had the Mormons their only loss. The Bruins of old do not lose to Montana at home however. In the Mountain West, SDSU and BYU will be at the top, with UNLV and New Mexico more than likely giving the league 4 tournament teams. Meanwhile in the Pac 10, Washington is back in the top 25, and could go 14-2 or 15-1 if they get going. They have 5 or 6 legit guys that can make threes and they can run people out of the gym if they're all clicking. Washington St. looked good in the Hawaii tourney, with Klay Thompson leading the way. Likewise, Arizona could be dangerous as they jump on sophomore stud Derrick Williams' back.

LCB Recap: December In The League

After a predictably unpredictable first month of the season, things started to become a little more normal in the NBA's second month. Miami figured out that they can be pretty good with 3 of the top 15 players in the league, traditional West powers continued to build upon strong starts, and Derrick Rose further proved that he's the greatest point guard ever in the history of mankind (Chicago-based hyperbole that I'm required to put into anything I write. Settle down Rajon Rondo).

Here are my current power rankings, "Man of the Match" front-runners, and a quick look at who has been deserving of All-Star nods so far this season. Enjoy.

Power Rankings

1. San Antonio (29-4): Gary Neal is the latest “who the hell is he?” guy contributing.
2. Boston (25-7): If they get healthy all at the same time, watch out. 
3. Miami (26-9): Starting to roll, but they still need a big. Preferably not named Zydrunas.
4. Dallas (25-8): I just turned 30, and Jason Kidd was a frosh at Cal when I was 12.
5. Lakers (23-11): Despite turmoil, they'll still right the ship.
6. Oklahoma City (23-12): Kind of wish the Bulls still had Thabo. He has Bruce Bowen-like impact.
7. Chicago (22-10): See Celtics, Boston.
8. Orlando (21-12): I really liked the trade. J Rich for Vince is a significant upgrade.
9. Denver (19-13): It's time for the BirdMan to fly
10. Utah (23-11): Give Gordon Hayward more minutes.
11. Atlanta (22-14): Survived the Joe Johnson injury, but no longer a Top 4 East team.
12. Knicks (19-14): When they make 3's, they can beat anybody.
13. New Orleans (20-14): Fallen back to earth a little bit.
14. Portland (18-16): Wes Matthews was a great signing.
15. Houston (16-17): 11-5 in December, slowly starting to get it together.
16. Memphis (15-19): I jinxed them when I said they were going to win 50.
17. Phoenix (14-18): Adding Gortat was good, adding Vince not so much.
18. Golden St. (13-20): Keep an eye on an emerging Ekpe Udoh off the bench.
19. Indiana (14-18): We've now entered the crappiness that is the bottom of the East. 
20. Milwaukee (13-18): They'll climb a little when they get healthier.
21. Clippers (10-24): I never thought Eric Gordon would be this good.
22. Charlotte (11-20): Stephen Jackson, how does Chicago sound?
23. Minnesota (9-25): Keep this core together and get Ricky Rubio to come play here, please. 
24. Detroit (11-22): TMac, surprisingly, had a couple of frisky games in December.
25. Philly (13-20): Had a decent month, could push for the eight-seed.
26. Sacramento (7-24): Tyreke Evans leads the league in half-court game-winners.
27. Washington (7-24): A chance to see Wall play live may or may not have played a factored into my return to Northern Virginia. 28. New Jersey (9-25): After he looked like he wanted to kiss D.Rose after they played the Bulls, I'll never look at Brook Lopez the same.
29. Toronto (11-22): DeMar DeRozan alert: 37 points on New Years Eve.
30. Cleveland (8-26): Lebron's visit to Cleveland, at this point, looks to be the death of Cleveland's season.

Man of the Match

1. Amar'e Stoudemire: 8 M.O.T.M. ( 30 pts,10 rbs, 3 blks)
2. Dwyane Wade: 7 (28 pts, 7 rbs, 4 assts, 2 stls, 1 blks)
2. Derrick Rose: 7 (22 pts, 5 rbs, 9 assts, 1 stl)
2. Lebron James: 7 (25 pts 8 rbs, 7 assts)
5. Chris Paul: 6 (17 pts 9 assts, 3 stls)
5. Al Horford: 6 (17 pts, 10 rbs, 3assts)
5. Carlos Boozer: 6 (21 pts, 10 rbs)
9 Kyle Lowry: 5 ( 13 pts, 8 assts, 2 stls)

Amar'e owned the month of December, with his string of 30 point games, and all-around dominant play lead the Knicks climb in the East. Wade and Lebron turned it up a couple of notches as they look to be learning after a shaky November how to play with one another. Rose is a legitimate MVP candidate with his improved jumper. Two names that stand out are Al Horford and Kyle Lowry. Horford was an All-Star last year, but seems to have brought it to another level becoming an effective passer out of the post. Lowry has taken advantage of the injury to Aaron Brooks, spearheading the Rockets turnaround. .

Looking Ahead to Los Angeles
I'm going to try my hand at talent evaluation here, as I feel it's still too early to come up with definitive All-Star rosters just yet. I made a list of 40 players, that I will cut down week by week until we find the ultimate and most deserving all-star roster.

Eastern Conference

East--Guards
(Rondo, Ray Allen, Felton, Fields, Jrue Holiday,
Derrick Rose, Darren Collison, Brandon Jennings,
Mo Williams, Wade, Carlos Arroyo, Jameer Nelson,
Jason Richardson, Joe Johnson, Stephen Jackson,
John Wall)

Point guards make up the majority of the two guard spots in the East. Derrick Rose is having a dominant year on both sides of the court, Raymond Felton is helping turn the tide for New York, and Rondo leads the league in assists. Questionable calls include John Wall, Mo Williams, Landry Fields, and Carlos Arroyo. When he's been healthy, Wall has shown flashes of greatness. Mo Williams appears on my radar solely because I wanted to have each team represented. He's Cleveland's only real consistent offensive threat. Landry Fields has come out of nowhere to become one of the conference's best rookies, while Carlos Arroyo almost literally makes every shot he takes.

East--Forwards
( KG, Paul Pierce, Glenn Davis, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Elton Brand, Andre Iguodala,
Linus Kleiza, Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng, 
Danny Granger, Lebron James, Chris Bosh, Josh Smith)
Lebron has been the best forward, so far, especially with his strong December. I also called Chris Bosh a disaster in the last column, but he's played considerably better as of late. Big Baby has been an excellent sixth man for Boston, and he'll be increasingly more important if Garnett is out for a long stretch. Suprises include Kleiza, Gallinari, and Elton Brand, with Kleiza having a strong year coming back from Europe, Gallinari shooting the ball well  and showing some athleticism, and Brand bouncing back from injury to have a solid season.

East--Centers
( Amare Stoudemire, Andrea Bargnani, Brook Lopez, Roy Hibbert, Andrew Bogut, Ben Wallace,
Dwight Howard, Al Horford)
The East seems to have a much stronger group of Centers, although it was much harder to make the list for the West in general. I talked about the impact of Amare and Horford earlier, but Bargnani has been the best player on a team I thought would be much worse than they are. Ben Wallace is a reach, but he's playing for Detroit. A team that has fallen off the map faster than a cast of reality stars.

West--Guards
( Manu Ginobli, Tony Parker, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry,
Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry, Deron Williams, Russell Westbrook, Thabo Sefoloshia, Chauncey Billups, Wes Matthews, Steve Nash, Monta Ellis, Eric Gordon, Tyreke Evans)
A good mix of young and old highlight this group. Elder statesmen like Nash, Kidd, and Jason Terry are having good years coinciding with the collective leaps from the likes of Eric Gordon, Monta Ellis, and Russell Westbrook. I think Thabo Sefolosha deserves consideration, simply for his defensive skills. He doesn't shoot, but still provides OKC with a lot of the dirty work that many seem to overlook.

West--Forwards
( Tim Duncan, Richard Jefferson, Dirk Nowitizki, David West, Luis Scola, Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph, Paul Millsap,
                                                                 Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Carmelo Anthony, LaMarcus
                                                                 Aldridge, Michael Beasley, Kevin Love, Lamar Odom,
                                                                 Grant Hill, Dorell Wright, Blake Griffin)
If this was a solitary man's decision, I don't know see how this list gets chopped down to 5 or 6. Much like the guards of the west, the mix of old guys still going strong coupled with fast risers like Griffin, Kevin Love, and Beasley, makes this an extremely stout group. That's not to mention the dirty work guys like Odom, Jeff Green, and Scola who don't get enough credit. Addendum: Dorell Wright should get some consideration as he might be the league's most improved player.

West--Centers
( Tyson Chandler, Emeka Okafor, Al Jefferson, Serge Ibaka, Nene, Marcus Camby, Pau Gasol)
Like the East shooting guards, this list is relatively weak position group. Yao Ming is the leading vote getter in the fans vote. Could someone please notify China that he's not playing anymore? Please? Tyson Chandler is having a great year for Dallas. Gasol has done the same for L.A., although he's not even really a center with Bynum back in the lineup. Lastly, Okafor has provided New Orleans with a rim protector helping their improved defense.

MLB 2010 Trade Deadline Recap

To celebrate the passing of the trade deadline, the staff at LCB HQ decided to collaborate and give you our thoughts on all the biggest trades in a couple sentences or less. The results are, as always, after the jump.

NBA 2009-2010 Trade Deadline Recap

To celebrate the passing of the trade deadline, the staff at LCB HQ decided to collaborate and give you our thoughts on all the trades in a couple sentences or less. The results are, as always, after the jump..

LCB Recap: Best Album of 2009

It's about that time where we start thinking of what holiday parties we will attend/skip and the resolutions we will give up by February. With it being the end of the year, it also means that it's time for the LCB staff to share their thoughts on the year. Over the next couple weeks we will be recapping the year by listing our favorites in the world of sports and entertainment. We all know that listing something as the "BEST" is both ridiculous and absurd, considering it's all due to taste and viewpoints on topics that are absolutely unquantifiable. But we will try our best to do just that. Last in the recaps, our picks for the best album of 2009.

Langston: I have to go with Dark Was The Night, a compilation benefiting the Red Hot Organization. It includes tracks from some of the best indie musicians, most notable LCB favorites: Spoon and David Byrne. I understand that a few of you may think I am taking the easy road out by picking a compilation as my favorite, but I haven't gone more than a day or two since buying the digital copy without listening to the album. And if there is anything I look for in an album, it's replayability (word?). Word.


If the music from Feist, Grizzly Bear, Arcade Fire, or The National don't do it for you; check out Mastodon's Crack the Skye or A Place to Bury Strangers' Exploding Head.


Teach: I'm not sure I can pick one, so I'm just going to list the few that albums that have gotten the most play from me throughout the year. First, there's Fun's Aim and Ignite, which Deckfight named his second best album of the year. Second, there's Dr. Dog's Fate. These two albums make me think of sitting in the backseat of my parents' car, riding to some distant relative's house, listening to my parents blast the sounds of their first kiss, their first beer, and their first slow dance. The line "I'm gonna marry you out of common sense," from Dr. Dog's song "100 Years," is one of the best lines in a love song I've heard in a long time; and while neither of these albums could be considered revolutionary, it just seems common sense to name two poppy albums the best of 2009, one of the happiest and sappiest years of my life. Cheers to the past. Looking forward to tomorrow.

Also, for your consideration, Coconut Records' Davy and Doom's Born Like This.

LCB Recap: Best Team of 2009

It's about that time where we start thinking of what holiday parties we will attend/skip and the resolutions we will give up by February. With it being the end of the year, it also means that it's time for the LCB staff to share their thoughts on the year. Over the next couple weeks we will be recapping the year by listing our favorites in the world of sports and entertainment. We all know that listing something as the "BEST" is both ridiculous and absurd, considering it's all due to taste and viewpoints on topics that are absolutely unquantifiable. But we will try our best to do just that. Next up, our picks for the best team of 2009.

Langston:  Now I could have taken the easy way out and picked my favorite team in the world, the Los Angeles Lakers. But I'm certain they are on their way to repeating as champions, allowing me the ability to list them next year. Or I could have picked the New York Yankess, who destroyed their competition all season and postseason long. But then again, my fantasy team has more charisma and came at a much cheaper clip. So I went with the Tide, even if their story hasn't ended. Alabama is the prototypical SEC Champion, and going undefeated in the best conference (bar none) makes them stand out that much more. They dominate on defense, thanks to Mount Cody and Rolando McClain. And when their defense wasn't forcing three and outs, their offense was doing their own damage. Passing enough to keep the defense honest and pounding the ball until the defense waved the flag. Most importantly they ruined the most important game of Tim Tebow's life. And even, as a Tennessee fan, I have to admit that is pretty cool.

Teach: This choice seems as obvious to me as Santa following Rudolph's nose on a stormy night. The 2009 North Carolina basketball team was easily the team of the year. The legend of Psycho T, along with Danny Green, Ty Lawson, and Wayne Ellington, returned to Chapel Hill with the single purpose of winning a championship. Mission Accomplished (and not in the Dubya Bush sense of the word). This team compiled one of the largest average margins of victory as they flew through the NCAA Tournament, delivering gifts to Carolina children everywhere. I would name their opponents on that run, but it would be an insult to this Carolina team, who was clearly playing against themselves. I also stand firm to the idea that the greatness of this team will grow as time goes by because Hansbrough is already proving to be a better pro than many predicted he would be, Lawson is already better than anyone thought he would be, and the role players from the '09 team are still writing their own legacies: Ed Davis could wind up being better than the aforementioned players, Larry Drew may be the second coming of Ed Cota, and Ty Zeller screams NBA potential.

LCB Recap: Best Movie of 2009

It's about that time where we start thinking of what holiday parties we will attend/skip and the resolutions we will give up by February. With it being the end of the year, it also means that it's time for the LCB staff to share their thoughts on the year. Over the next couple weeks we will be recapping the year by listing our favorites in the world of sports and entertainment. We all know that listing something as the "BEST" is both ridiculous and absurd, considering it's all due to taste and viewpoints on topics that are absolutely unquantifiable. But we will try our best to do just that. First up, our picks for the best movie of 2009.

Teach: Disclaimer: I still need to see The Hurt Locker, The Road, or Up in the Air. Out of the films I have seen, it's a toss up between The Hangover and The Fantastic Mr. Fox. The Hangover should be studied in film classes as a way to unravel the plot of a comedy. I know many think it might be overrated, but I haven't laughed that much at a movie in a long time. I truly think this film is the Citizen Kane of its genre. The Fantastic Mr. Fox was witty, charming, and moving, offering up insights into humanity's constant battle with its need to be wild and its want to be domesticated. The scene with the wolf, standing in front of a backdrop of untamed wilderness, snow, and ice, and Mr. Fox offering him a raised fist causes a strange sense of warmth in the belly of the audience that can come from no other palce than a need to be both primal and sincere. Perhaps those qualities are one in the same.

Langston: Now I liked The Hangover, but the best? Obviously Teach hasn't seen Old Dogs. FROM THE DIRECTOR OF WILD HOGS, ZOMG!! Oscars anyone? Now in all seriousness, I was going to go with Star Trek. Since it was the first sci-fi movie I remember enjoying in quite some time, but getting enjoyment from a movie in a genre I typically despise doesn't make it my pick of the year. It was a good movie with amazing cinematography/special effects, great pacing, good plot, likable characters, and plenty of replay value. But it doesn't quite match up to some of the other films I've watched this year. From those films I made myself a "best of" list including Bad Lieutenant, Inglorious Basterds (would've been #1, if not for the incessant rambling.), Sugar, and Anvil. Now only one of these films could be listed as my favorite, and that movie is Anvil! The Story of Anvil. A documentary about a hair-metal band that almost made it in the 80's. They opened up for some of the biggest bands of the decade, but failed to find success. And despite their many failures and financial/ family obligations they never gave up on their dream. At points this movie is tragic, funny, and inspiring. Something most movies reach for, but almost always fail to achieve. This movie will have you rooting for the band long after the final credits have scrolled.