In the wake of the Stanford game, a blow-out loss to cap a rough swing through NorCal, I'm not surprised that Coach Boyle dropped the term "mediocre" when describing his team. Boyle had just sat through a 10-minute stretch of basketball as rough as any I've seen over the past decade, as the Cardinal used a 32-5 second-half run to bash the Buffs into submission, and it's hard to think happy thoughts minutes after your defense implodes in front of you.
But I think it's unfair to fret too much over this past weekend's trip to the Bay Area. Outside of that 32-5 stretch of play in Saturday's second half, the Buffs actually played Stanford and Cal even (109-109). 70 of the 80 minutes played over the weekend were fine. Additionally, I don't expect many teams to stroll through San Fran and grab a split. Most of the conference will do exactly what the Buff did this weekend: take the 0-fer.
Essentially, I'm going to lose a lot more sleep if CU drops a game this weekend than I did over last weekend's results. Stanford and Cal are the toughest trip in the conference, and the number of teams that play well on the road with any consistency is quite small. The Buffs lost to two good teams on the road; that's not exactly a surprise.
Sure, you want to set higher standards, but my overall opinion of this basketball team is essentially unchanged from where it was Thursday morning. CU is still going to be dominant at home, struggle to beat a few of the Pac-12 dregs on the road (mostly through sheer will), and maybe come close to stealing a win they shouldn't. Even without a win out of the last road trip, the squad is still in great position to reach postseason play, and they're probably going to finish the season in the top-half of the table.
That's a win for a squad that continues to exist in a state of transition as Coach Boyle and staff look for answers and consistency in life after Burks and Higgins. It may not be pretty, but this team is one of the "better" teams in the conference. Down as the Pac-12 may be, that doesn't make the Buffs "mediocre" in my eyes. Glass half-full, or some such nonsense.
Breathe easy Buff Nation, there's still plenty of basketball yet to be played.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
Monday Grab Bag: *Sad Trombone*
Woof. I wouldn't be surprised if the second half of Saturday's tilt against Stanford booted a good number off the Buffs bandwagon. To think that CU would compete for a league title this year was pure folly, but those final 20 minutes in Palo Alto were a reminder of just how far is left to go for this program.
Today in the bag I'll be looking back on Saturday's defensive implosion, peeking at the women's efforts against our NorCal rivals, and wrapping the NFL playoff action from the weekend.
Click below for the bag...
Today in the bag I'll be looking back on Saturday's defensive implosion, peeking at the women's efforts against our NorCal rivals, and wrapping the NFL playoff action from the weekend.
Click below for the bag...
Friday, January 13, 2012
Stanford Basketball Preview #1: ... be sure to wear some flowers in your hair
Grumble, grumble, grumble...
Last night's affair in Berkeley left me with a restless night of sleep and a sour stomach. The Buffs were so close, so damn close, to earning one hell of a hard fought victory that would put an exclamation point on their fantastic start to conference play. A one-point game with a minute left is a situation I think any Buff fan would've taken going in, but it was not to be. A scoreless final minute, and the Cal Golden Bears walk away with a bloody 57-50 win
Turnovers, weak second-half rebounding, and poor shooting plagued the Buffs. Conversely, suffocating defense, Andre Roberson, and Austin Dufault were pretty fantastic. The good with the bad; a winnable game against a damn tough opponent on the road lost to the ether. I just wish the young Buffs had more of a chance to study this game to learn from it, because they played well enough to win, and now just need to figure out how to finish a game like that off.
The cruel reality of the schedule won't allow any time for reflection, however. It's immediately on to Palo Alto and a tilt with the surprising Stanford Cardinal. CU needs a win Saturday afternoon to salvage a split from the trip to San Francisco, and keep momentum flowing on the trip back to the friendly confines of the CEC.
Tip-off from Maples Pavilion is set for 2pm on Saturday. You Boulderites with cable are in luck, because this game is set for broadcast on Root Sports. If you can't find that, you definitely need to upgrade your television package, but you can also try Mark Jonson and the gang on 760AM.
Click below for the preview...
Last night's affair in Berkeley left me with a restless night of sleep and a sour stomach. The Buffs were so close, so damn close, to earning one hell of a hard fought victory that would put an exclamation point on their fantastic start to conference play. A one-point game with a minute left is a situation I think any Buff fan would've taken going in, but it was not to be. A scoreless final minute, and the Cal Golden Bears walk away with a bloody 57-50 win
Turnovers, weak second-half rebounding, and poor shooting plagued the Buffs. Conversely, suffocating defense, Andre Roberson, and Austin Dufault were pretty fantastic. The good with the bad; a winnable game against a damn tough opponent on the road lost to the ether. I just wish the young Buffs had more of a chance to study this game to learn from it, because they played well enough to win, and now just need to figure out how to finish a game like that off.
The cruel reality of the schedule won't allow any time for reflection, however. It's immediately on to Palo Alto and a tilt with the surprising Stanford Cardinal. CU needs a win Saturday afternoon to salvage a split from the trip to San Francisco, and keep momentum flowing on the trip back to the friendly confines of the CEC.
Tip-off from Maples Pavilion is set for 2pm on Saturday. You Boulderites with cable are in luck, because this game is set for broadcast on Root Sports. If you can't find that, you definitely need to upgrade your television package, but you can also try Mark Jonson and the gang on 760AM.
Click below for the preview...
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Quick Post: Defending my attack on Cal's resume
Not like anyone needs to defend against an attack on a Pac-12 team this season (they're all painfully flawed basketball teams), but I ran across an article that defends my statement from the preview that "I'm not all that impressed with Cal's resume so far. Yes, they've crushed plenty of teams by large amounts, but almost every opponent of note that they have faced has beaten them, often handily."
What I was obliquely referencing is the concept of rating inflation. Teams, even good ones, beat up average to below-average opponents, hold serve against the best in the nation, and come out ahead in both RPI and deper metrics like Kenpom's. It's one of the flaws in statistical projections that is often glibed over by people such as myself.
Dan Hammer at RealGM hit on this topic today when discussing Wisconsin, but he also provided enough info to back up my point on Cal. As you can see by the following chart, Cal is 5th in the nation in rating inflation. You may also want to note Arizona's #6 position on the same chart.
That's not to say that Cal isn't a good team, it's just that they are justifiably kept out of the top-25, and have yet to achieve anything of note. The other thing: since the Pac-12 is so weak, they have few remaining chances to improve their cause against the top-100.
To reiterate, the Pac-12 is garbage at basketball this season.
What I was obliquely referencing is the concept of rating inflation. Teams, even good ones, beat up average to below-average opponents, hold serve against the best in the nation, and come out ahead in both RPI and deper metrics like Kenpom's. It's one of the flaws in statistical projections that is often glibed over by people such as myself.
Dan Hammer at RealGM hit on this topic today when discussing Wisconsin, but he also provided enough info to back up my point on Cal. As you can see by the following chart, Cal is 5th in the nation in rating inflation. You may also want to note Arizona's #6 position on the same chart.
To reiterate, the Pac-12 is garbage at basketball this season.
Cal Basketball Preview #1: If you're going to San Francisco...
With first place in the conference stowed precariously in their carry-on baggage, the Buffs head on a true road trip for the first time all season. The previous forays away from the CEC have either been within the State of Colorado, or to the neutral hardwood in Puerto Rico; now the team has to get on a plane and actually go to someplace where people will shout at them. Hell, the last time the Buffs donned the road black uniforms, it was for a home game. (New Orleans couldn't get their road jerseys cleaned in time, and wore their home uniforms instead)
Since the Buffs haven't left the state since that tournament trip to PR, the entire schedule was beginning to reek of home cooking akin to a Florida football slate. Now, with two tough games in enemy territory, I can finally get a handle on how good this team actually is.
Awaiting the Buffs on their first true road test is the toughest pair of travel partners the league has to offer. Cal and Stanford are the class of the conference, and they are currently ranked interchangeably as the top two teams in the Pac-12 by essentially every media member of note. Up first: Cal, who not only were a popular pick to win the conference, but are also the only Pac-12 squad who can boast of any level of consistent play throughout the season
This two game swing through the Bay Area is vitally important to national perception of this squad. National ears perked up a bit this week, and people are starting to pay attention to the job Coach Boyle and the Boys are doing in Boulder. Even a split would be enough to validate the 3-0 start to conference play, and put the Buffs back into the national basketball conscience.
An 0-2 run through San Francisco, however, and all the hard work put into the last six games is washed away, and the assumption will be "oh, good team, but the altitude did all the heavy lifting."
It's now up to the Buffs to prove themselves worthy of the attention, and to tell the doubters to stick it.
--
Tip-off in Haas Pavilion is set for 9pm MT this evening. The game is not technically televised locally, but those of us with satellite packages can pick up the game through Comcast California. With DirecTV you can turn to channel 698; Dish Network subscribers can tune to 409. If you don't have the proper channel lineup, you can always turn to 760, where Mark Johnson and crew will be handling their business.
Click below for the preview...
 |
| The Buffs haven't faced a true, outside of Colorado, road trip since Iowa State tripped them up in Ames last season. |
Awaiting the Buffs on their first true road test is the toughest pair of travel partners the league has to offer. Cal and Stanford are the class of the conference, and they are currently ranked interchangeably as the top two teams in the Pac-12 by essentially every media member of note. Up first: Cal, who not only were a popular pick to win the conference, but are also the only Pac-12 squad who can boast of any level of consistent play throughout the season
This two game swing through the Bay Area is vitally important to national perception of this squad. National ears perked up a bit this week, and people are starting to pay attention to the job Coach Boyle and the Boys are doing in Boulder. Even a split would be enough to validate the 3-0 start to conference play, and put the Buffs back into the national basketball conscience.
 |
| CU has done a great job hurdling Pac-12 competition so far, now it's time for a real test. From: the BDC |
It's now up to the Buffs to prove themselves worthy of the attention, and to tell the doubters to stick it.
--
Tip-off in Haas Pavilion is set for 9pm MT this evening. The game is not technically televised locally, but those of us with satellite packages can pick up the game through Comcast California. With DirecTV you can turn to channel 698; Dish Network subscribers can tune to 409. If you don't have the proper channel lineup, you can always turn to 760, where Mark Johnson and crew will be handling their business.
Click below for the preview...
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Quick-Post: Bradlee Van Pelt can eat a bag of dicks
I have only known one athlete in my life who can bring me to physical violence. That man is Bradlee Van Pelt. My hate for him is strong, and, at this point, completely irrational. I make no excuses.
Last seen dancing around the CSU sideline (wearing a fucking flag for a cape, no less) while his former school was losing to CU in '04, the epic blowhard of a QB took to the Denver Post today to compare himself to Tim Tebow. Never the one for tact or humility, with that typical whiff of arrogance that we've all come to know, Van Pelt seemed more than happy to throw his name in there with the likes of the current Broncos QB. Not only does he say that he "sees himself" in Tebow, but he goes on to intimate that given the opportunity, he'd have succeeded just as Saint Timmy has.
That's the biggest steaming crock-pot of horseshit I've ever heard. No matter how impassioned he got, Saint Timmy has never gone so far as to show up an opponent like this:
BVP is a raging hemorrhoid attack of a human being, and should never, ever, be positively compared to #15.
Additionally, unlike BVP, Tebow is actually a world-class athlete, capable of competing in the NFL at any number of positions, as has been proven by his immediate success despite obvious deficiencies. That Van Pelt failed to even get a whiff of meaningful playing time is not the fault of his coaches, it's a result of his failings as an athlete. Just because you can run a little bit, doesn't make you NFL QB potential.
Fuck. That. Guy.
--
Not related in the slightest:
Last seen dancing around the CSU sideline (wearing a fucking flag for a cape, no less) while his former school was losing to CU in '04, the epic blowhard of a QB took to the Denver Post today to compare himself to Tim Tebow. Never the one for tact or humility, with that typical whiff of arrogance that we've all come to know, Van Pelt seemed more than happy to throw his name in there with the likes of the current Broncos QB. Not only does he say that he "sees himself" in Tebow, but he goes on to intimate that given the opportunity, he'd have succeeded just as Saint Timmy has.
That's the biggest steaming crock-pot of horseshit I've ever heard. No matter how impassioned he got, Saint Timmy has never gone so far as to show up an opponent like this:
BVP is a raging hemorrhoid attack of a human being, and should never, ever, be positively compared to #15.
Additionally, unlike BVP, Tebow is actually a world-class athlete, capable of competing in the NFL at any number of positions, as has been proven by his immediate success despite obvious deficiencies. That Van Pelt failed to even get a whiff of meaningful playing time is not the fault of his coaches, it's a result of his failings as an athlete. Just because you can run a little bit, doesn't make you NFL QB potential.
Fuck. That. Guy.
--
Not related in the slightest:
The Freshman 15
Having watched Spencer Dinwiddie perform over the first 15 games of his career, I think it's high time to begin putting his performance in perspective.
Dinwiddie is the fourth high profile freshman guard to matriculate through CU over the past decade. Richard Roby, Cory Higgins, and Alec Burks all had outstanding freshman campaigns, which propelled them into the hearts and minds of Buff Nation. Dinwiddie is following in their footsteps, and setting a similar tone for a stellar career in a CU uniform.
But where does he stack up amongst the previous three? By taking a look at the stats, I'll put Spencer's performance to-date in a little perspective, and give a thought or two about where his freshman performance ranks amongst the best of the past decade.
After the break, I'll touch on each player's freshman year narrative, before discussing where I think Spencer belongs amongst their company. I put together a handy spreadsheet of each player's numbers through their first 15 games. You can check it out here.
Dinwiddie is the fourth high profile freshman guard to matriculate through CU over the past decade. Richard Roby, Cory Higgins, and Alec Burks all had outstanding freshman campaigns, which propelled them into the hearts and minds of Buff Nation. Dinwiddie is following in their footsteps, and setting a similar tone for a stellar career in a CU uniform.
But where does he stack up amongst the previous three? By taking a look at the stats, I'll put Spencer's performance to-date in a little perspective, and give a thought or two about where his freshman performance ranks amongst the best of the past decade.
After the break, I'll touch on each player's freshman year narrative, before discussing where I think Spencer belongs amongst their company. I put together a handy spreadsheet of each player's numbers through their first 15 games. You can check it out here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)