Recaps, Rankings & Rants

College Recaps:

Looks like the Basketball Blog Snob did alright on my Saturday Top 25 team game predictions. Missed only on my Orangemen and the attendance record. Even though students slept overnight to get additional tickets it still wasn't enough to push the attendance to a record 35,000 or the Orange to victory. They lost 83-72 in front of the 2nd largest on campus crowd for a college basketball game, 33,736.

#1 Ohio State got by # 23 Illinois 73-68 to start the season at 20-0. This team has athleticism, strength, good guard play and is obviously well balanced and a final four team. Sullinger, who not only is the freshman of the year but is playing for player of the year awards honors, had 27 pts, 16 boards. Craft did not have one of his better games but he did hit two key free throws down the stretch and did not play like a freshman.

#2 Kansas (18-1) got beat at home snapping a 69 game home win streak when #10 Texas (16-3) came back from a 15 pt deficit in the first half to win 74-63. Hamilton had 17, not quite the 25 I predicted but he was on the winning team which I did predict.

#3 Syracuse (18-2) got beat at home as well. #7 Villanova (17-2) has more wins by any team at the Carrier Dome and they added another with 83-72 win over the Orangemen. Villanova came out blistering hot from behind the arc. They shot 50% for the game (11-22) from three point land while hitting 8 in the first half alone. Syracuse poor guard play and 15 turnovers cost them in this one. I missed this one, I thought with Joseph back and the crowd, the Cuse would prevail.

#14 Purdue (17-3) beat #17 Michigan State (12-7) by a score of 86-76 in front of a loud and enthused crowd for the entire game. JuJuan Johnson did not have a double double as I predicted but he did hit for 20 and E'Twaun (call me E'Twine for this one) Moore led the Boilermakers with 26. MSU played with more energy, vigor and drive this game but were beaten by the better team. Tough year for the Green and White on the hardwood this year.

#9 BYU goes to 19-1 with a 94-85 win over Colorado State as guard Jimmer Fredette (Player of year candidate) scored 42 points and is averaging 27.5. BYU plays #6 San Diego State (20-0) on Wednesday

#19 Louisville (15-4) lost to Providence 72-67 - Providence first league win - How did they beat Lousiville?

#15 Minnesota beat Michigan but the Wolverines played them tough but fell short AGAIN, 69-64.

UD Mercy gets a win over Youngstown State

Western Michigan (10-8) gets a layup at the buzzer to beat Northern Illinois, 82-80

Oakland (14-8) sweeps the Dakotas beating N. Dakota State on Saturday, 83-76 and is now in command at 9-0 in the Summit league standings. Benson had 21 and Larry Wright kicked in 20.

St. Mary's (#22) got beat by Vandy by 18 - they don't belong in the top 25

Games to watch this week:
Monday #16 Notre Dame at #4 Pittsburgh
Tuesday #14 Purdue at #1 Ohio State
Wednesday #6 San Diego St at #9 BYU
Wednesday #21 West Virginia at #19 Louisville
Thursday Michigan at #17 Michigan State


High School Recaps:

Corrections: - Flint Beecher actually beat Saginaw Buena Vista 89-82 not 88-80 as previously written. Also, states leading scorer, George Goodman actually had 41 points. Sophomore PG Monte Morris scored 21 and had 8 assists.
Flint Powers actually lost to Detroit Cass Tech

Ferndale (7-3) beats Avondale in a high scoring game, 93-80. Ferndale, now with much traveled Joe Baker eligible and playing (22 pts) and latest edition, Junior Willie Harvey from Detroit Central could be very strong the rest of the year. Harvey scored 41 in his debut in a Ferndale uniform. The dynamic duo of Ray Tillman and Tony Harris for Avondale where up to their same old tricks, this time combining for 60 points. Tillman had 41 (25 in first half) and Harris had 19.

Kalamazoo Central (10-1) beat rival Kalamazoo Loy Norrix (11-1), handing them their first loss of the season, at Western Michigan University in overtime 55-52 in front of 5,250 fans. Tyler Bell (20 pts) and TJ Buchanan (15 pts) led the Maroon Giants.

Saginaw beat rival Saginaw Arthur Hill on Saturday at Saginaw Valley State for the second time this year. This one was closer but Marquevias Ford scored 25 to pace the Trojans to a 77-68 win. This kid is the most improved player on this team and one of the most improved in the state. Has a tough attitude, always motors, can shoot the three but most effective off the dribble drive.

Romulus traveled to Chicago and beat state defending champ Hillcrest (#8 in state this year) 64-63 in OT when sophomore Wes Clark made a free throw with 1 second to go to win it.

Warren DeLaSalle beats Brother Rice and holds them to 28. Final score 50-28

Detroit Consortium loses to Pontiac at DCD last night, 58-54. Was going to go to the game but fell asleep - exhausted from viewing so many taped games. I did not think this team would lose - now they are a Class C team and lost to a Class A but they are a talented bunch. Anthony "Ant" Adams led Pontiac with 19. Wish I saw this one.

Detroit Country Day slips by a weak Flint Northern team 69-61. Junior Jordan Price had 17 and Amir Williams 14.

Good Upcoming games this week that I know of:
Detroit Country Day at Southfield on Tuesday (1/25)
Rockford at East Kentwood on Friday (1/28)


RANKINGS

College
1. Ohio State
2. Pittsburgh
3. Duke
4. Villanova
5. San Diego St.

High School
1. Detroit Country Day (1) - Still the most talent
2. Ann Arbor Huron (6) - Talent and team play gets this spot for the River Rats
3. Romulus (4) - Win over Chicago area team gets them moved up a notch
4. Kalamazoo Central (2) - Loss to Ann Arbor and overtime win over K-Loy Norrix drops them a bit
5. Warren DeLaSalle (5) - Probably not most talented but Best defensive team around - held Brother Rice to 28. Scary
6. Detroit Southeastern (3) - Should be top 3 team. Need Gibson and Kearney to dominate in same games
7. Lansing Eastern (9) - Should be even stronger with Haney playing. Haney, Tucker and Henton are tough trio
8. Saginaw (7) - Still perplexed why McCune does not dominate. Ford is the motor to this team.
9. Kalamazoo Loy Norrix - (NR) - got my eye now with 11-1 record and only loss in OT to Kazoo Central
10. Lansing Sexton (12) - Moving up my ladder
11. Southfield (10) - lose a game they shouldn't and sneak by a weak Lathrup team. Are they focused?
12. Detroit Cody (NR) - getting my attention
13. Okemos (11) - bumped by better teams
14. Detroit Douglas - (13) - Them and Cody pretty evenly matched
15. East Kentwood (14) - Stay in top 15

Class C
1. Detroit Consortium
2. Flint Beecher
3. Saginaw Buena Vista

Player rankings will be on another blog


RANTS

Scoop Jardine (Syracuse) has had two poor back to back games - not playing up to his potential and hurting the Cuse right now. Did not play well in either of the Pittsburgh or Villanova games.

Michigan State is playing no defense - they have given up high percentage field goal shooting and easy down low buckets from their opponents in the last two game.

Pistons owner Karen Davidson is clueless. She has no right owning this team. Her inability to manage anything but her deceased husband's money is costing this teams season. They are frozen and can not make any moves until she figures it out. This team is bad and needs changes but nothing is happening due to this lack of urgency and competence.

When will the people of Saginaw realize that a basketball game is just a basketball game - not war. For the second time this year the rivalry game saw another fight break out in the stands. First time was at Delta College, this time at Saginaw Valley State. Police and security had to be called in again. And we wonder why they are called Sagnasty. If this continues they won't be able to find a venue for this game or it could be played with no crowds. If it comes to that it is a shame.