BEVERLY HILLS (MI) -- Looking forward to the four day weekend, how about you? A boatload of turkey; some quality family time; throw in a touch of Black Friday madness and add a little UD hoops on Saturday afternoon...what's not to like?
It would have been nice for UD to have returned from PR 4-0, but given the short bench and the competition, 3rd place ain't all too bad.
The links await!
-- Villanova’s win Monday night is evidence of why VCU may have peaked as a basketball program. I didn't say that -- Rob Dauster did right here:
http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcspor...tball-program/
Having senior PG Ryan Bass healthy for the VCU game will be critical to UD's success vs. "Havoc."
-- Ole Miss and Arkansas look to be the class of the SEC this year (after UK, of course) and they are both on the Flyers' OOC slate:
http://collegechalktalk.com/2014/11/...run-ncaa-play/
The Razorback game in Fayetteville will be one tough road test for Archie & Company.
-- "The Hometown Coach" Mark Adams has been named National College Basketball Analyst for American Sports Network:
https://www.facebook.com/enthusiadams
Coach will continue his duties as "Mid-Majorologist" for ESPN, focusing on the MVC. Mark's travels bring him to Detroit on December 13th for the UDM/Wichita State tilt and I'm looking forward to spending some time with him while he is here in the Motor City.
-- RushtheCourt.net provides us with their Atlantic 10 season preview:
http://rushthecourt.net/2014/11/17/a...source=twitter
-- Ken Pomeroy says that we may be entering the "slowest" college hoops season --
ever!
http://kenpom.com/blog/index.php/web...slowest_season
-- The NCAA has announced the sites for the 2017-2021 Final Fours:
http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/...21-final-fours
-- Former UD recruiting target Adonis De La Rosa is doing his best Steve McElwene imitation for St. John's:
http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-bas...2014-15-tipoff
--
The Sporting News has the Top 140 College Basketball Twitter Accounts to follow in 2014-15:
http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-bas....co/vnvHwLTz2q
-- Former Yankee Derek Jeter's
The Players Tribune website lacks the intangibles of its founder:
http://www.theplayerstribune.com/
-- One would think that a guy who writes mostly in bullet points would not be a fan of long-form articles, but then one would be wrong, wouldn't one? Here are some excellent long-form sports profiles I have come across recently:
"Bond Beyond Basketball" the 40 year friendship of Coach K and
Temple Hoops Head Dude Fran Dunphy
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebask...ond-basketball
"Paul Silas, NBA Lifer"
http://grantland.com/features/paul-s...-bill-russell/
Silas is living proof of the difference between todays' NBA and the old days. Red Auerbach traded for Silas for his rebounding, defense and toughness; today guys are acquired because their contracts are expiring.
Brian Roberts' former Pelicans' teammate Ryan Anderson tries to move forward after girlfriend Gia Allemand's suicide
http://www.si.com/nba/2014/11/13/rya...n-gia-allemand
"Lisa Saxon, the Woman Who Helped Change Sports Writing Forever"
https://sports.vice.com/article/lisa...esportstwitter
Baseball HoFer Buck O'Neill profiled by the great Joe Posnanski
http://sportsworld.nbcsports.com/buc...joe-posnanski/
--
"The Sweet Tweets of the Week" come to us from Jay Bilas, who wasn't in Puerto Rico but was obviously watching the Red & Blue play on TWWL:
Not sure I get it in Dayton-UConn: incidental contact on a ball handler, a foul. Hit a shooter, no call. Should be the other way around.
Dayton-BC shows silliness of the charge/block problem we have in college basketball. Kyle Davis called for charge, then block. Lame.
That’s it “From the Swamp.”
You can email me at
swampy@udpride.com