sunday games

[Box and one]

Of course the NY HS final four.Last yr I saw Hodges of NC St and Ben Gordon of Conn win up in Glen Falls.This yr again Jason Frazier the 6'10 kid from Amityville is the best big man I've seen in 25 yrs.Unreal.Jay Wright of Nova has the biggest impact player in the nation.
But another kid who has emerged is a 6'1 gd who is a spitt'in image of Brad Pitt is Rochester's[ranked 20th in USA Today] McQuaids Tyler Relph.He is the whole deal.I've never seen someone with such long range.And he can shoot off the dribble or drive.He shoots 52% from the 3,and plays in the Rochester-Buffalo league with nothing but greyhound teams.They boxed and one him yest to no avail.
Saw some great games Fri and Sat.Nothing like High School championships.Been in the finals 3 times but lost them all.

Well at least my 2 "luv" plays won.Damn,with all the upsets and dogs winning I was getting nervous.But I made my plays before I left so there was no turning back.I didn't watch any of the games but saw Texas dominated,then BC made a "run" and Texas put them away at the end.Wisky I guess beat the Johnnies pretty good.

Doing pretty good in the BE so I'll stick with Pitt -2.5 over Cal.
Pitt is playing[almost] at home.Has great gd play as long as Knight is OK.Can shoot from the perimeter with Zavakas and Page.Has depth inside with Morris,Lett,Brown,and Johnson.They play great team defense and are unselfish on offense.Cal is tough with some greyhounds.Perimeter game is spotty at times.Has some solid players inside and some balance.They struggled with a good Penn team but think today will have more problems with Pitts defense.

Texas -1 over Miss St
Tough game to capp because teams match up pretty even.Miss St has a great pt gd in Zimmerman and an aircraft carrier in Austin.They have 2 destroyers in Patterson and Bowers who can score.They play great defense and the other nite hardly missed a FT.I luv teams in the tourney with the combo of a great PT boat and Carrier.
But Texas has the best PT boat in the country in Ford.He is playing better then anyone in this tourney.Thomas[a Schenectady,NY kid]has done a great job replacing Owens.Inside the paint Thomas must neutralize Mario. Texas at times can play 4 gds .Ivy can create,Harris found his outside shot,Mouton can play out there,and Freddie W is the best defensive player in the B-12.When he got hurt TJ took over for him.Erskin the North Texas traitor has come on strong the last 6 games.Barnes plays great defense.
You have 2 teams that can stop each other on defense yet both have penetrating gds that can create.Both are physical and have an inside presence.Austin is tougher inside and TJ is a little bit better at the pt.Since their playing in Dallas I'll go with UT winning a close game at the buzzer.

Conn -1.5 -Nc St ???

Cannot get a good read on this game.The almost 2 best players are Gordon and Hodges.Lyr Hodges was named NY state POyr.Many thought Gordon should of got it.I didn't even think it was close.Hodges was much better but a showboat.Gordon comes from a very strict Christian family.He never trashtalks or showboats even at Conn.but I voted for Hodges anyway.Today they meet and I don't know enough on Nc St.I know Conn inside out.My heart says Conn but the ACC's scare vs. the BE.I love Butler and Calhoun.Not sure if grundy and the Pack have enough to stop Butler,Okafor and Selvie.Probaly a small lean to Conn but if someone has better info I'll listen.Conn plays tough defense,rebounds well.etc.

Wisky -13.5 over Maryland
Just think Wisky has enough to drive gary williams a little crazy.When you have no players that could start for the team your playing it should scare you.Penny would be the Terps 6th man.But I'll take the double digits and watch Williams and Baxter squirm a little.

OU -6 over XU.
XU has a stud in West.OU has McGhee.Matta has changed this offense from lyr to a half court one.Where are those XU critics now.Players didn't like it and complained.Fans,writers,etc.But look where they are.Chalmers is a solid pt gd.Frey is tough.Sato can score.OU has all greyhounds everywhere.Gds have so much speed in Price,Ere,and Detrick.
Can XU play their half ct game and stop OU from their transition game.Who gets 3 fouls first McGhee or West?Thats who will win.I'm taking OU for their overall speed and athleticisism.

Also will take SIU +2 over the Georgia dogs.
Pitt and texas are strong plays.
The rest just small ones.
will capp a girls game tonite.Texas-UCSB depending on the line. GL

 

[ACERVIEW]

nice call

nice call

box and one, got your plays on wisky and texas and cashed in. I will be on your strong plays once again for today

 

[crib_19]

Box--
Hey..just wanted you to know that i'm in the same profession that you are and have been doing it for 21 years...took my son yesterday to watch Lebron James(SI cover kid) and he really put on a show while beating the team (Ottawa-Glandorf) that won our league over here in NW-West Ohio..he had 21 Pts, 11 assists.,9 rebounds and 6 blocks...4 dunks while a teammate hit for 31 points and 5 dunks...he distorts the defense so much!..i can't think of a better high school player from this state!
Enjoy your posts..keep up the good work....am leaving Wed. for Columbus for our State basketball tourny...4 days of beverage and basketball!..tough job but someone has to do it!..
good luck today...I'm playing Ucla, Georgia, and NC St. today
crib_19

 

[Box and one]

I don't follow womens basketball to much.I do "luv" to watch it because they run "real" offenses and defenses.They are so much more fundamentally sound.I get arguements all the time on this.Please,it's not even close.From passing to shooting to boxing out to playing defense to screening to etc,etc,etc,They play a pure game.Even Conn who has some female greyhounds play such a beautiful style of b-ball.
I only follow a few teams and both happen to be playing each other tonite.
Texas vs UC-Santa Barbara.
My daughter who just graduated UT and is now teaching went to UCSB her Jr year in HS on a scholarship college program.She took 9 college credits and spent the summer out there.I called the HS Athletic Dir. and she got to play on there HS summer team.It was hard since the campus was pretty far from the HS but she managed taking the bus and getting rides from some of her teammates.At that time my daughter being 6'2 was being recruited by low-and mid-major D-1 teams.The Bonnies,the manhattans,Army,etc.
She was one of the top shot blockers and rebounders in the region.
But when she got out to Cal. it was unreal.The level of play was much higher.She was the 3rd string center and the 4th string one was only a tad behind.
She played in the "thunderdome" working out with the college kids.
So I followed the Gauchos all these yrs.Really thought my daughter would go there but she fell in love with Austin.
The Gauchos have always had good b-ball teams.They just knocked off LaTech and sent them packing the earliest ever.They have won 22 in row and last yr lost to Purdue the runnerup in the turney.They are better this yr.They have a great offense,shoot the 3's,72% FT's and have a 6'8 post player who can score.
Texas has had a disappointing yr getting knocked out early in the B-12 tourney.And they have had the worst luck in the NCAA tourney recently.They have been knocked out 5 str. times in the 2nd rd.They are playing at home and that should really help them but they just beat Wisky-GB the other nite and were losing with under a minut.
They are having problems shooting around the perimeter and the Gauchos will play a zone tonite.Longhorns are a little more athletic but Santa B has better shooters and more size.
UCSB has never made it to the "sweet sixteen".I was hoping to get 7 or 8 pts tonite but the line is +3.5.SB has a great shooter in Hansen and Taylor is called the "L Train".Texas has its studette in Stephens.but if Texas can't hit from the perimeter they will have trouble inside with 6'8 Taylor.
I see UCSB winning this game outright and not needing the pts.
The game is on ESPN at 9.00 est.
This will be my only girls game I'll capp.If you lost today you must not play this game.Only if you won and play it so lightly that when you see Texas up by 20 your really not to upset at me.
I played it for about what I would pay for 5 Mickee Dee's dinners with the upgrade on fries and sodas.That's what I got for dinner tonite.Hopefully the Guachos paid for it tonite. GL... UCSB +3.5 over Texas

 

[superbook]

Box and One --

Thanks for the plays today and I really enjoyed your write-ups. Keep them coming when you have time, you've been hot lately. A couple of the guys kept bumping up your Thursday/Friday post, lots of people looking at your plays.

I put a few Value Meals on UCSB tonight, I see the line dropped from 3.5 to 3 which is a good sign especially since this is essentially a home game for Texas.

Thanks.

- Jon