Saturday Hoop Bash

Early Action
Georgetown @ Villanova Noon ESPN 2
Penn State @ Wisconsin Noon Reigonal/ESPN Fullcourt
St. John's @ Providence Noon Reigonal/ESPN Fullcourt
Florida @ Vanderbilt 1 PM CBS Reigonal
UCLA @ Arizona 1 PM CBS Reigonal
Army @ Navy 1 PM CBS Reigonal
Appalaichan State @ Wichita State 1 PM ESPN U
Florida State @ Virginia 1 PM Reigonal/ESPN Fullcourt
Miami @ Wake Forest 1 PM Reigonal/ESPN Fullcourt

12:03 PM- We've got tip off in Philly. G'Town is shaping into a team that could do some damage in March. This bunch had Florida on the ropes last year. For Villanova, Scottie Reynolds is a freshman sensation that no one is talking about. Remember, he's one of the few in the land that outshined Kevin Durant when Texas and Villanova hooked up last month. -PS

12:14- Two early fouls on Roy Hibbert. As previously pointed out, this is what could doom the Hoyas. He's got to stay out of foul trouble. When the hell is J-Mac errr Mike Nardi going to graduate? -PS

12:15- Random Scottie Reynolds sidenote: after Kelvin Sampson left OU this summer, there was a little bit of chatter that he would consider going to George Mason. He had been a fixture playing pickup games there since his freshman year of high school, and was the best player on the court then. Reynolds is extremely religous, leaving a regional championship game at halftime to attend his church service. The belief was that he could be the man at Mason, as well as continue worshipping at his church. It's funny because at his high school (Herndon), he was supposed to play second fiddle to Stony Brook guard Ricky Lucas, but he had a coming out of sorts as a freshman. If my memory serves me correctly, he was the three time region player of the year in Northern Virginia. Something that no NOVA player has done, including Grant Hill or Hubert Davis. -JH

12:19- Doris Burke brings up the Jay Wright to the Sixers rumors. Don't do it, Jay! It sounds like there is a pretty good chance of this happening. Doris even speculates that the Nova administration is quietly looking at replacements. Which school ends up with him in 2010 after he washes out of the assocation?-PS

12:50- Impressive effort by the Hoya's to get this thing down to 2 at the half. Villanova is wondering what hit them in the last few minutes. Looking forward to the 2nd half of this one. Jeff Green has put this bunch on his back, but he'll need some more help to get a road win. -PS

1:23- It's going to be slow for a little bit as I am watching my alma mater (FSU) try to keep their bubble hopes alive in a must win. UF-Vandy in HD on CBS right now, with UCLA-Zona for the left coast.

1:47- The play by play for this game just announced that he thinks Notre Dame should make the tournament with a lofty RPI of 48. Not really how I can say this gently, but Mike Brey is a terrible tournament coach, and his team does not really have a consistent offensive scheme. -JH

1:54- Memo to Roy Hibbert: you're seven freakin two. Keep the ball higher when you attack the rim. No good reason for 6'8" forwards swatting your shots. When your coach runs a play for you out of a timeout, down two points, you need to convert. Ugh. I hate to quote Bill Walton, but THROW IT DOWN, BIG FELLA. -JH

2:02- Great coaching move by Jay Wright. With his team up one point with 43.9 seconds left, the Wildcats continue to apply token pressure with their full-court 1-2-2 zone. By doing this, the Hoyaas were not able to race down court and go two-for-one to guarantee the last possession of the game. If Villanova winds up winning this game, this should get a lot more attention that any single play. After the timeout, Georgetwon scored immediately on a Jeff Green pullup jumper. My guess for a late game play would be Nardi penetrating, kicking to Sumpter on the perimeter with a shoot/drive option. -JH

2:08- Spencer Hawnes vs. Aaron Gray on ESPN. This looked like a great intersectional matchup before the Huskies buried themselves. At least we can enjoy the two best white centers in the country. -PS

2:20- I love America, and I love college basketball. But there is no reason for Army-Navy to be televised. Especially when the #1 team in America is playing. The terrorists just drained a three pointer. -JH

2:25- For a so-called All-American, I have seen Aaron Gray shoot more than his fair share of airballs. The analyst attributed that shot to being bodied up by Brockman and Hawes. My question is what the hell is he going to do next season when he not only has to bang in the post with guys like Shaq, Tim Duncan and Yao, but have to worry about 6'9" forwards flying in from the weakside? NBA comparison: Bryant Reeves. -JH

5:34- Midway through the second half in Indy, Butler's AJ Graves is scoreless still. SIU's guards have absolutely abused him defensively and have completely taken him out of the game as they lead by 10. Sure, they say he's sick, but Graves reminds me of a poor man's JJ Redick. He's struggled to create his own shot or create for teammates. Teams are going to look at this film if they are seeded across from Butler in March. - RK