Monthly Archives: November 2015

Sean Miller has your attention: Of Monsters and Media

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“FEED ME!!!!” screamed the emaciated college basketball news cycle. The monster, who hadn’t eaten a satisfactory meal since Andre McGee was paying hookers and Rick Pitino didn’t go to ACC media day was starving. The tip-off marathon wasn’t going to cut it. His belly growled as he had nothing for bleary-eyed college basketball nerds watching 24-hours of their favorite sport.

Because, of course, the contests themselves are never enough. There must be narrative beyond ball-in-hoop. The monster must eat.   Continue reading →

Podcast of Champions. Zack Rosenblatt had floor seats.

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Friend of the blog, podcast, and an indoctrinated Pac-12 socialite, Zack Rosenblatt, makes his second appearance on the Podcast of Champions (an All-Time guest record). In fairness to listeners and in my lifelong commitment to transparency, this is an Arizona heavy podcast. Rosenblatt – who’s a terrific reporter for the Arizona Daily Star – had just left his floor seats at McKale (Arizona 90, Bradley 60) and is in the heat of college hoops and football coverage. He had plenty to share while Spencer and I streamed an evening’s worth of the CBB marathon. Stick around for Rosenblatt’s account of Sean Miller talking to an official.

Of note: This isn’t all Arizona everything. We absolutely discuss Luke Falk as First Team QB and his concussion, Bryce Alford, possible bowl scenarios, and other round ball topics.

And remember: Subscribe on iTunes!

Continue reading →

THREE FOR BART: Pac Proof, Buffs Roundtable, Whiskey

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  1. Pac-12 Basketball By The Numbers – I took offline heat for being critical of the Pac-12 Networks keeping their “marquee program” on streaming-not-broad audience distribution on Friday’s opening night. This was a reference to Arizona for which I was criticized (the argument that UCLA is the marquee name). Alas, our friends at Forbes conveniently broke it down for us – by the numbers – just who the marquee franchise is.

  2. The BSN Buffs Roundball Roundtable – Here is a monster podcast centering on Colorado Basketball. The fellas (friends of the blog) have a very fun time talking about their squad and instilling the optimism in CU basketball that I wasn’t able to convey. If you’re in the market for further Buff optimism, here’s more good.

  3. Meet the Men of American Whiskey – Squad.

First Weekend observations at the box score level

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While Pac-12 football was cannibalizing, removing itself from CFP contention, Pac-12 hoops (the central topic of this blog) got under way! Indubitably you were paying attention. Friday’s hoops mele resulted in zero Pac-12 suspensions but ample upsets. Is that ok? I’ll just say, UCLA losing at home to Monmouth is generally not OK.

A brief overview from my perspective of this weekend’s Pac-12 ignition:

Because everyone loves Lorenzo

Continue reading →

THREE FOR BART: UW in China, Rankings, Hunter S. Thompson

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  1. China Diary: Amazing scene at historic Pac-12 basketball game in Shanghai –  Have you ever followed a regular season professional or collegiate competition on to Chinese soil? Neither has anyone else.  Additionally, as you flip through these photos, try your best to not recognize the exploitation of amateurs.
  2. Updated 351–1 rankings as college basketball tips off –  Prior to the season’s tip off, Hanner and Wynn updated their predictions. Take a look and see how the Pac was adjusted for as well as a general understanding into how these two take a mathematical approach to the CBB season.
  3. The (Not-So) Secret History of Hunter S. Thompson’s The Rum Diary – As we’ve been deep in the state of sports journalism – what with the shuttering of Grantland and all – I thought I would revisit some classic-if-not-unique sports writing.

VOTE: What YOU think of the Pac-12 before it starts

Pac-12

Yesterday I said what I thought about the Pac-12 but I’m one man sitting in a cloffice (ask me about it) writing about Pac-12 basketball after scouring hours of KenPom, Hoop-math, and lots and lots of gchat.

Tell me what you know: Continue reading →

Michael Wright: 1980-2015

Arizona

It’s a funny relationship that Arizona Basketball has with Illinois. On the one hand, we can’t shake the 2005 meltdown, a haunting game played in Chicago against the best University of Illinois team ever. Arizona lost that Elite Eight game, in over time, and hasn’t been to a Final Four since.

The state itself, however, has also provided Arizona such talents as Kenny Lofton, Andre Iguodala, and Michael Wright.

Michael Wright passed away yesterday. Continue reading →

Pac-12 Preseason Stuff: Rankings, Superlatives, Awards

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If you’re anything like me (heaven forbid), it’s been a touch of a struggle to get really, way way way up for this season. Last year there was historic greatness! How do you follow that up? This isn’t 2am bar trash but it also isn’t going to be your wife.

Of course as we’re on season’s eve, all of the feels return, excitement bubbles to standard levels, and we college basketball.

But it remains that this is an odd one. Drawing our attention to the premise of this blog – the Pac-12 – I thought we could contextualize the forthcoming events. If prescribing a single word (or phrase for leeway with possible imagery linked for effect) for each of the Pac-12’s four seasons it’d look something like this:

2011-12: Woof
2012-13: He touched the ball
2013-14: Progress!
2014-15: Arizona Continue reading →

Podcast of Champions. Hellllo Hardwood

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Early in this episode (S3:E1), Spencer and I promise a rebrand. It wasn’t a significant one but here’s the first edition of Spencer and me speaking as the Podcast of Champions. But you might also still find us as WANE. let’s leave the branding for another time, we’ve got hoops to discuss. Here’s the first podcast of the 2015-16 season:

And here’s what you need to know about this podcast.

I wanted to guide our conversation, use some parameters to determine how we’d discuss each team. We talk about it in the podcast but I thought some literature might assist. We took the KenPom predicted rankings (which admittedly don’t include certain metrics like transfers and most recruits) and let an over/under thought drive the discussion. We paid no heed to whether we tracked too many overs and too few unders. I think, by my rough re-listening math, everyone in the conference is going to finish above 10-wins. Nevertheless, every team discussed. Enjoy.

Logistics and requests:

  • Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes
  • Follow us on Soundcloud
  • Follow me on Twitter and let’s talk about the pod
  • Follow Spencer on Twitter and you guys talk about the pod

THREE FOR BART: Gambling, Satire, Pac-12 preview

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  1. DraftKings, FanDuel are illegal gambling websites, N.Y. AG rules, must cease operations – My initial linkage was to a Washington Post synopsis of this story but good grief it was the most egregious display of advertising popups I’ve ever seen. I’d rather the forced quiz I’m taking for smaller news outlets. It looked like Don Draper threw up on the page. So instead I’ll link to – goodness the Sun Times is the same boat! Here’s Wall Street Journal analysis. Cease and desists have been sent. I find this case interesting but not fascinating. It’s ultimately another case of a smart business being more agile than governance and regulators (Uber? AirBnB?) in a technological climate that’s well equipped to move and adjust rapidly. This one, however, isn’t meddling with cabbies and hotels, their meddling with sin: Gambling!
  2. Gonzaga Fires Mark Few, Cites Poor “In-Game Coaching” – I am so sorry I didn’t link to this beautiful piece of trolling satire sooner.
  3. Five minute season preview: Pac-12 – Absolutely worth the read considering: 1) I’m releasing my conference preseason standings and superlatives today and I don’t agree with all of this, 2) Eisenberg is a UCLA grad, I believe a San Diego resident, and definitely a West Coast guy.