|
|
 |
NCAA Basketball News - Sports News | Archive September 29, 2009
| |
Rebounds are biggest concern for Capel's Sooners
By Mike DeCourcy
September 29, 2009
Rebounds still are going to fall from the backboards when the Oklahoma Sooners play this winter. It's an inevitable part of the game. No one, not even 1985 Villanova playing nearly flawless basketball, makes every shot. When Jeff Capel ponders the season ahead, this is what he wonders most: Who will pick up the balls that miss?
After producing Oklahoma's greatest basketball success since the 1980s, Capel must replace three starters and the most productive reserve from last season's 30-6 team. Player of the year Blake Griffin averaged 22.7 points and led OU in scoring in 29 of its 37 games and left to become the first pick in the NBA draft.
Aware of all this, however, Capel declared, "My biggest concern, to be honest, is rebounding."
He never worried about this when Griffin was around. As a sophomore, Griffin established himself as one of the great rebounders of modern college basketball history. His 14.4 average was the best Division I performance in a dozen years. He collected roughly one of every five missed shots in Oklahoma's games.
Imagine that: Griffin grabbed one rebound for every four gathered through the combined efforts of all his teammates and all the opponents who faced him.
"We're going to have to really gang rebound," Capel said. "If somebody wants to play -- become a really good rebounder."
Griffin is a big man who moves like a shooting guard, but OU was able only on occasion to use his speed in an end-to-end running game. It was important to keep Griffin in games for as long as possible, and there wasn't much overall depth, anyway.
Capel expects this team will play faster. He has challenged All-America candidate Willie Warren, a shooting guard, to use his extraordinary athleticism to chase down rebounds and then push the ball into the attack. Warren is an irrepressible scorer who likely will rank among the nation's best in that category. He just can't let that be the extent of his contributions.
Point guard Tommie Mason-Griffin, one of last summer's fastest-rising recruits, will have the first chance to replace playmaker Austin Johnson. Reliable wing Tony Crocker and shooting specialist Cade Davis return give the Sooners a promising backcourt rotation.
"The look of our team will change," Capel said. "Every time down floor, we wanted to get the ball inside and play through Blake. The strength of our team now is our guards.
"I don't know if we have a guy they can put down low and throw it to and, if he doesn't get doubled, you know he's going to score."
Oklahoma will not be undersized because of Griffin's departure, not if Tiny Gallon turns out as planned. His nickname is ironic, of course: He is listed on the OU roster at 6-9, 300 pounds. (And, for the record, is listed as "Tiny" and not "Keith," his given name).
Gallon was a top-10 recruit out of Virginia's Oak Hill Academy, where he averaged 16 points for a 40-1 team. He put up 20 points in the McDonald's All-America Game, where there's generally not much defense played but the ball tends to flow toward the fellows who can do good things with it.
"We lost a lot, but I'm really excited about this group," Capel said. "We do have talent. It's young talent, but it's talent. Our freshmen are going to have to grow up quickly."
To that end, Capel decided that process might be accelerated if the new Sooners were to wake up quickly. When hiring his new strength and conditioning coach, Jozsef Szendrei, Capel asked a curious question: "'Would you mind being a jerk?' Because I thought that's what this team needs."
Apparently Szendrei answered appropriately, because for much of the past six weeks he's been meeting the Sooners at 5:45 a.m. for conditioning workouts. A mandatory team breakfast follows. Capel said it's about instilling discipline and accountability.
"I don't know if it's better," Capel said. "It's just a different way to mentally challenge them and to try to help them become mentally stronger. It's been good. For our returning guys, it was something of a shell-shock.
"You can get spoiled a little bit by the success we had last year. Our guys need to understand it's going to be harder. Because of the success we had last year, now we're hunted. Our enforcer is not there. I want these guys to have a chip on their shoulders."
The Sooners cannot expect the sort of excellence they enjoyed last season, but putting Warren on the floor means they'll still begin every game with one of the nation's top five players. He's not going to pull down 14 rebounds a game, but Warren could find other ways to make certain Oklahoma is rebounding, not rebuilding.
Sports Ticket Depot -
NCAA Basketball News Archive Index
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coaching was just in the cards for Bennett
By Steve Megargee
September 29, 2009
Virginia coach Tony Bennett's family background makes it seem as though he was destined for this line of work.
The only problem was convincing Bennett.
"I think I swore to many people the last thing I'd ever want to do is coach," said Bennett, the son of longtime Wisconsin-Green Bay and Wisconsin coach Dick Bennett. "I watched my dad growing up. My sister [Kathi Bennett] coached [Wisconsin-]Oshkosh, Evansville and Indiana. I said, 'That's not for me.'
"I thought I'd have a long 10- to 15-year NBA career, and after that, who knows what I was going to do? Coaching wasn't in the cards."
Yes, it was. And he has been dealing aces ever since.
When a foot injury ended Bennett's NBA career after three seasons with the Charlotte Hornets, he signed with a pro team overseas and served as a player-coach in New Zealand. He soon fell in love with the family business.
"I don't want to give him a big head, but he has a charm and charisma that translate to coaching," said Kathi Bennett, now an assistant coach for the Wisconsin women's team. "He's so genuine. He played pro ball, so he can relate to players. And he has a firmness about him. He's able to get things done.
"Deep down, I really thought he would coach.''
Bennett joined his father's staff at Wisconsin before following him to Washington State and eventually succeeding him as Cougars coach. He was the consensus choice as the national coach of the year in 2007 and has established a name for himself as one of the game's top defensive minds. He is about to put that reputation through a major test.
After posting a 69-33 record in three seasons at Washington State, Bennett has made the coast-to-coast move to Virginia. The Cavaliers went 10-18 last season while ranking last in the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring defense (72.5)and field-goal percentage defense (.438).
"Every coach looks at their team and says, 'What gives us the best chance to be competitive?' But every good program has some constants," Bennett said. "Can we be really good at taking care of the ball, valuing possessions, making good decisions and good shot selections? That doesn't happen overnight. You have to keep working on those things.'
As a defense-minded coach, Bennett would seem like a perfect fit to run a program that needs to do a better job of preventing baskets. The concern centers on whether Bennett can succeed in the ACC with the same style of play that worked at Washington State.
Washington State led the Pac-10 in scoring defense while never finishing higher than eighth in the league in scoring offense in each of Bennett's three seasons. Last season, the Cougars topped the nation in scoring defense (55.4) but ranked 342nd out of 344 Division I teams in possessions per 40 minutes, stats guru Ken Pomeroy's Web site (www.kenpom.com) shows.
Those facts lend credence to the notion that Bennett runs a slow-paced offense and raise doubts that he can recruit the type of players who can help Virginia get back to the upper levels of the ACC. Bennett disagrees with that sentiment.
"Guys will have a little more freedom and ability to use their creative abilities," Bennett said. "I think there's a stereotype that just because we didn't score at Washington State that all we did is walk it up. We want to give our guys freedom to play."
Bennett's new players believe him.
Cavaliers sophomore guard Sylven Landesberg admitted he had at least some concerns about Bennett's style. He talked about his new coach with Washington State guard Klay Thompson, as the two became friends after playing in a high school all-star game. Landesberg also spoke with Bennett, and he no longer has any worries about the situation.
"When he got here, it was definitely a question that popped up," Landesberg said. "He said he adjusts to the talent around him. He thinks our team is very talented, and we'll be able to have freedom to do a lot more things than his prior team. I think he's not going to try to limit everybody."
Bennett also has sent that message to recruits. Virginia already has received commitments from four 2010 prospects, including 6-foot-4 shooting guard K.T. Harrell (the No. 35 recruit in the nation) and 6-9 power forward James Johnson (No. 99). Bennett's predecessor, Dave Leitao, didn't sign a single top-50 prospect during his four-year tenure.
Bennett's status as a former Pac-10 coach now in the ACC has allowed him to recruit nationally. The four prospects to commit to Virginia come from Montgomery, Ala.; Buffalo, N.Y.; Wildomar, Calif.; and Chelan, Wash. While it's still early in the recruiting season, Virginia has the nation's ninth-ranked class.
"Coach Bennett did a really good job of identifying his targets," said Jerry Meyer, a national recruiting analyst for Rivals.com. "They're good players, but they're players he could get. He hasn't been spinning his wheels. He sort of figured out right away what guys he should target, so he was able to lock them down early.
"Their class probably won't be a top-10 class at the end of the day. They sort of got a head start on everyone ... but I'm surprised at the recruiting success he's had so far. I didn't necessarily expect this. Everyone knows Coach Bennett is a great coach and does a great job on the court and in practice. I think the question was how the recruiting would go. So far, it's been really good."
Bennett's knack for finding the right targets was evident in his pursuit of Harrell, from Montgomery (Ala.) Brewbaker Tech. Harrell wasn't bothered by the slow-paced offense Bennett ran at Washington State because he believed he could adapt to any style of play. Harrell was more concerned about finding a coach with the right personality, and he immediately identified with Bennett's Christian faith and laid-back demeanor.
"The first time he left a message on my phone, I just told my dad, 'There's something about that guy. I think I could play for him,' " Harrell said. "It was like God was telling me this was the right coach."
The star power of this recruiting class is impressive in many respects. Bennett had to answer questions about his style of play, and he also had to sell recruits on Virginia's potential. Although UVa was one of the nation's top programs in the 1980s, the Cavaliers have advanced beyond the first round of the NCAA tournament just once since reaching a 1995 regional final.
Bennett has sold recruits on the opportunity to study at one of the nation's most respected universities while playing against elite competition.
"Every school's different, but I liken it to what Stanford had done in the Pac-10," Bennett said. "Virginia's such an exceptional academic institution, yet it competes in the ACC. Certainly as a competitor, you want a chance to challenge yourself against the best. That's what the ACC provides."
Bennett's recruiting prowess bodes well for Virginia's future. First, he must make strides with the players already on his roster. Virginia has a potential star in Landesberg, who averaged 16.6 points per game and was named the ACC freshman of the year last season. But the only other Cavalier who averaged double figures in scoring was junior forward Mike Scott.
The hiring of Tony Bennett should provide an immediate upgrade to Virginia's defense. Here's a look at how Virginia and Washington State compared in two major defensive statistical categories last season. NCAA rankings are in parentheses.
The Cavaliers are banking on the notion that the other guys on the roster benefited from a year of experience. Virginia returns all five starters and eight of the top nine scorers from a team that finished 11th in the ACC last season.
"There's no substitute for experience," Bennett said. "Whether the experience didn't go great and wasn't a big success or it did go great, you learn from your past experiences. Some guys got ACC court time. My hope is that they'll take that and they won't be as wide-eyed going into this. They know this is what the league's about.''
Landesberg said the team had high hopes for this season even before Bennett was hired. They have grown more optimistic since his arrival gave the program a new attitude.
"He's more laid-back," Landesberg said. "He's more the type of coach who will come up to you and talk to you about how in this situation you should do this or that instead of just yelling that you're in the wrong spot."
Bennett has the personality and charisma to make an impression on the recruiting trail and on the floor, but that calm exterior masks a competitive fire that's equally responsible for making him one of the nation's top coaches.
"You don't want to cross him,'' Kathi Bennett said. "He's not going to forget. I think playing professional ball did that. Tony's ultra-competitive."
He may have inherited that competitive nature. Bennett spent much of his childhood watching his dad's games. He played for his father at Wisconsin-Green Bay, where he set an NCAA record with his career 3-point percentage of .497. He worked on his dad's coaching staffs at Wisconsin and Washington State.
"My father's a huge influence," Bennett said. "His advice is that when you're looking to build something, never take a shortcut on character. I watched his programs, and I've seen his emphasis on that part of it.''
The elder Bennett became something of a legend for a no-nonsense approach that helped him turn struggling programs into consistent winners.
His son no longer is reluctant about continuing the family tradition.
Sports Ticket Depot -
NCAA Basketball News Archive Index
|
| |
NCAA First-Second Round Division I in men’s basketball
Septembr 29, 2009
The University of Tulsa and the Tulsa Sports Commission will be serving as host partners for the 2011 NCAA First-Second Round Division I Men’s Basketball tournament at the BOK Center.
“This is exciting news for the city of Tulsa and the University of Tulsa,” said TU Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham. “As a university and community, we have had the opportunity to host NCAA championships in a variety of sports, including golf, soccer, tennis and now basketball. We’re thrilled to have the NCAA Basketball First-Second Round at the BOK Center.”
The visibility that the city and the university will receive is immeasurable. Hosting the Conference USA Basketball Championship this March followed by the 2011 NCAA Championships is evidence of the continuing resurgence of the TU basketball program.
The Tulsa Sports Commission, the Tulsa Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Tulsa Metro Chamber and the BOK Center were tremendous partners in helping secure the NCAA Basketball Tournament in 2011. Tulsa looks forward to showcasing its community to college basketball fans.
The host partners submitted a bid in May and hosted a site visit in August. In an NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee press release, current chair Dan Guerrero, director of athletics at UCLA, estimated that approximately 70 cities submitted bids.
“Being granted this tournament is another huge accomplishment to add to the BOK Center and the City of Tulsa’s resume,” said John Bolton, BOK Center’s general manager. “The goal has always been to bring top-notch events to Tulsa, not only with concerts, but also sporting events. Together with the Sports Commission, we were able to do that once again.”
Tulsa has not hosted a First-Second Round tournament since 1985.
Joining other hosts such as Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Tampa, Tucson and Washington, D.C., the estimated economic impact of the NCAA First-Second Round tournament is approximately $4-6 million.
“An NCAA First-Second Round tournament is a top-tier event and Tulsa’s selection by the NCAA is a major win for us and reinforces the quality reputation that our community has achieved in recent years,” said Mike Dodson, Tulsa Sports Commission executive director. “The investment the citizens made in Vision 2025 to build a world-class venue like the BOK Center is providing a big return to the region and ensures Tulsa continues to be recognized as a sports leader. The bid submission process is arduous, but the payoff is tremendous.”
The Tulsa Sports Commission works to attract and develop amateur sporting events and conventions and provide a positive economic impact for the Tulsa region.
The Tulsa Sports Commission, TU and the BOK Center will also host the men’s and women’s Conference USA Basketball Championships March 8-13.
Sports Ticket Depot -
NCAA Basketball News Archive Index
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NCAA Basketball: Week 4 Recap — Will college football learn its lesson?
By Raphielle Johnson
September 28, 2009
The talk all week was all about how some once-proud programs were "back": Florida State, Miami and Washington. They all had great victories last weekend, but in the excitement over these wins many ignored the fact that there was a lot of football to be played. Not that any of those three took part in the excessive praise but Saturday marked a day in which all learned just how far they still had to go. Florida State kicked things off with a 17-7 loss to USF, a team hoping to at some point crack the "Big Three" within the state of Florida.
Redshirt freshman QB B.J. Daniels, a native of Tallahassee, didn't have the best game in regards to accuracy (8-for-21 passing) but he did account for more than 350 yards of offense and two passing touchdowns on the day. But he wasn't the most troubling aspect of the loss for the Seminoles despite their not recruiting him out of high school. That (dis)honor would go to the line play, where they were soundly whipped on both sides of the football by the Bulls. And this was just one week after dominating BYU up front to the tune of 313 yards rushing, so clearly there's more work to be done if they're to contend in the ACC and get back to being Florida State.
As for the Hurricanes all the talk leading up to their game in Blacksburg surrounded the idea that the "swagger" was back (how about we retire that word, by the way) and wins over the Hokies and Oklahoma was all that stood between them and a run at a national title. Well, Virginia Tech had their own motivation in the form of a note left in the locker of each defensive player by defensive coordinator Bud Foster.
The Hokies went into the weekend ranked 104th in rushing defense and they held the Hurricanes to just fifty-nine. QB Jacory Harris was harassed into a 9-for-25 afternoon, and Virginia Tech racked up 272 yards on the ground in the 31-7 beating. Two things learned from that game: Miami isn't all the way back just yet, and if you want to win the ACC you've got to go through Blacksburg. Now it's Frank Beamer's Hokies who have the inside track to Tampa; had Miami won the race would have been all but over.
Lastly there's Washington, who found themselves ranked going into their game at Stanford. Never mind the fact that Steve Sarkisian's Huskies were three games removed from a 0-12 season; they'd beaten USC so the rebuilding job was complete, right? Stanford had a resounding answer to the contrary in Palo Alto, whipping the Huskies by a 34-14 final. RB Toby Gerhart rushed for 200 yards and the Cardinal as a team racked up 321 yards on the ground. Washington simply couldn't get Stanford off the field and their three turnovers didn't help matters either.
So what's there to be learned from this weekend? Outside of the top three teams (Florida, Texas and Alabama) we really don't know who can do what on a weekly basis. So the kneejerk reactions, as in this program is "back" and this one is "down", probably aren't the best way to go. As each week passes, 2009 feels more and more like 2007.
ACC: Who's the best quarterback in the ACC?
Jacory Harris has gotten a lot of the publicity in the first month of the season and rightfully so. But don't forget about NC State's Russell Wilson, who hasn't thrown an interception in 364 pass attempts and threw for 322 yards and four touchdowns in the Wolfpack's 38-31 win over Pittsburgh in Raleigh. He also rushed for ninety-one yards, leading State to 530 yards of offense in the comeback.
Down 31-17, the Wolfpack scored the game's final twenty-one points to save some face for a league that would lose two games to Big East opponents. There are a number of good quarterbacks in the ACC but most have issues with consistency, so the race for First-Team All-ACC honors may come down to these two sophomores.
Big 12: Baylor's season took a serious blow with Robert Griffin III going down.
Griffin tore the ACL in his right knee in the first quarter of the Bears' 68-13 blowout of Northwestern State on Saturday yet still played the entire first half. He went 13-for-19 for 226 yards and three scores, a very good performance considering the circumstances. But the question for Art Briles' team is where do they go from here? Blake Szymanski, who has the most experience among the remaining quarterbacks, is day-to-day with a shoulder injury suffered on Saturday.
If he can't go the job falls into the hands of junior Tyler DeLoach, but the Bears will need both to get reps against Kent State next weekend with Oklahoma to follow on the 10th. Griffin III was the one trump card that Baylor had in their quest for bowl eligibility, and now with him out things get a lot tougher. But if we learned anything from USF it's that you can never count anyone out.
Big East: Pittsburgh had better figure out how to get their defense off the field.
Lost in the mastery of Russell Wilson in Raleigh was the fact that the Panthers haven't done too well defensively. They did enough to beat the likes of Youngstown State, Buffalo and Navy, but a unit that was supposed to be among the best in the Big East ranks seventh in the conference in total defense (351.8 yards) and pass efficiency defense (139.6), and sixth in pass defense (239.3 yards per game). The Panthers do lead the conference in sacks per game, but the secondary has had its fair share of issues this season. And given how well defending champion Cincinnati is throwing the football that's an area that needs to be rectified if the preseason favorites to win the conference.
Big Ten: Kirk Ferentz once again bests Joe Paterno.
For the seventh time in the last eight meetings the Hawkeyes knocked off Penn State, this time forcing four turnovers in the 21-10 win. Iowa scored the last sixteen points of the game, all in the fourth quarter, harassing Daryll Clark into a 12-for-32 performance with three interceptions. Neither team was great offensively but the turnovers and special teams (Iowa blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown) made the difference in the Hawkeye victory.
Running backs Adam Robinson and Brandon Wegher combined to rush for 161 yards, and if they can produce similar results the rest of the way this becomes a true conference title contender. As for Penn State their hopes of a Rose Bowl aren't done but if they can't take better care of the football it's hard to see them making a return trip to Pasadena.
Conference USA: Houston keeps their BCS hopes alive at home.
The Cougars took care of business late, with Case Keenum running for a four-yard score in the game's final minute, in beating Texas Tech 29-28. In what was a thrilling contest Kevin Sumlin's Cougars posted 579 yards of offense, 435 of which came thanks to the arm of Keenum. The game featured sixty first downs and more than eleven hundred yards of offense, a game in which the saying that "whoever has the ball last wins" rang true.
The question now is can the Cougars get through a conference that's traditionally wild unscathed. Next up are three consecutive road games beginning with UTEP next week. They've got the offense to score with anyone but in order for them to accomplish that the defense, which currently ranks 97th in total defense, must improve in all phases of the game. But after taking care of Oklahoma State and Texas Tech, Houston is on its way.
Independents: Notre Dame survives thanks to Jimmy Clausen...and an interesting decision on the other sideline.
Things didn't look too good for the Fighting Irish in the second half; Jimmy Clausen's turf toe had relegated him to the sidelines and Purdue was able to reel off two fourth-quarter touchdowns to move ahead 21-17. Dayne Crist had done a serviceable job in getting Notre Dame out to a 17-7 lead but it was obvious who had to lead the offense once the Purdue defense figured things out. Clausen led the Irish seventy-two yards in 3:17, finishing the drive with a two-yard touchdown pass to TE Kyle Rudolph. But it would be unfair to ignore the role that the Boilermakers played in the comeback.
You can start with Danny Hope's decision to use a timeout following second and goal when the Purdue defense sacked Clausen. Notre Dame was looking to kill the clock on third down, which would have left them with one shot at the end zone. The timeout bailed the Irish out. Then there was QB Joey Elliott doing the one thing that you can't do in a two-minute drill: he took a sack. But on this play, and the one that followed, some blame should also go to the offensive line. But to point out these two plays alone would be to ignore the lack of discipline shown by the home team. Thirteen penalties for 103 yards combined with two turnovers will cost you in a close game, and that's exactly what happened to Purdue.
MAC: How do you explain what happened in Philadelphia?
Temple didn't look too good in either of their first two games, being overwhelmed at Penn State and not taking care of the football in a bad loss to Villanova. But on Saturday they proceeded to whip defending champion Buffalo 37-13, scoring twenty-seven unanswered points. The Bulls were out of character, turning the ball over five times with QB Zach Maynard tossing four picks. Vaughn Charlton didn't have the best of days at quarterback (6-for-17, 95 yards) but he at least avoided the catastrophic mistake. The Owls scored on both defense (95-yard interception return by Elijah Joseph) and special teams (James Nixon 92-yard kickoff return) in a win that throws the MAC East race for a loop. A race that was expected by many to be wide-open is now just that, with no clear favorite to get to Detroit.
Mountain West: It wasn't impressive by TCU did enough to leave Clemson with the win.
The $1 million game (TCU was given that as a guarantee) kept the Horned Frogs alive for a significantly larger payday should they keep winning and get some help (someone knocking off Boise State) along the way. The offensive star on Saturday was QB Andy Dalton, who accounted for 312 yards of offense and two passing touchdowns on the afternoon. But when discussing Gary Patterson's team the conversation inevitably returns to a defense that annually ranks among the nation's best.
Clemson was held to just 117 yards and no points in the second half, setting the stage for the game-winning pass from Dalton to Antoine Hicks early in the fourth quarter. DE Jerry Hughes gets the lion's share of the attention nationally, but this is an outstanding unit that can get after quarterbacks. Many may like BYU for the fact that they host both TCU and Utah, but are they equipped to deal with the pressure that the Horned Frogs can put on them? We'll find out on October 24th.
Pac-10: Oregon? They're doing just fine these days.
Similar to Virginia Tech the Ducks had to deal with the visitors getting the publicity last week; many saw this as the first of two games Cal needed to clinch their first trip to Pasadena since 1959. Oregon simply went about their business, and on Saturday they unleashed a lot more on the Golden Bears than those retro (circa 1996) uniforms. Simply put, Oregon beat Cal like they stole something in Eugene, racking up 524 yards and twenty-six first downs in the 42-3 win. And those numbers were with three lost fumbles; Chip Kelly's offense was to the point where those mistakes didn't mean much and the defense did its job as well.
Jeremiah Masoli was on fire through the air, completing twenty-one of twenty-five passes for 253 yards and three touchdowns, all of which were caught by TE Ed Dickson. Oregon also rushed for 236 yards on the day and the defense limited Heisman candidate Jahvid Best to just fifty-five yards on sixteen carries. Cal was also 3-of-15 on third down and Kevin Riley was harassed into a 12-for-31 day. What did Saturday prove in the Pac-10? Oregon is too explosive to be ignored, and this league is much deeper than many give it credit for.
SEC: How good can Florida be without Tim Tebow?
Luckily for Urban Meyer's team they have a bye week this week; the hit that put the senior out of the 41-7 win at Kentucky could have put him on the bench had there been a game scheduled for this week. So much of the offense goes through Tebow that it would definitely take a little adjusting if John Brantley were to take the reigns. Brantley would fit the mold of an Alex Smith, who was utilized more as a passer by Meyer when coaching at Utah. As a team on Saturday the Gators rushed for 362 yards with Tebow leading the way with 123 and a pair of scores and Jeff Demps added ninety-seven.
Offensively the options are plentiful and the defense, which held Kentucky to less than three yards per carry, is among the nation's best and arguably the deepest unit around. But to lose a player the caliber of a Tebow? That would be tough for any team to overcome, but Florida may be the best equipped to deal with such a loss. They just hope to not have to test that theory out.
Sun Belt: If Saturday is a harbinger of things to come this will be an entertaining race.
You could make the argument that Troy and Florida Atlantic were at the head of the class in the Sun Belt before the season began but that wouldn't hold much weight right now. Both were pushed to the limit on Saturday with the Trojans surviving while the Owls fell at home. Despite outgaining Arkansas State 507-305 Troy needed a fourth quarter touchdown pass from Levi Brown to Cornelius Williams to win the game thanks to a combined six turnovers and eighteen penalties.
FAU, on the other hand, outgained UL Monroe by 134 yards yet fell 27-25 in a game that featured a combined nineteen turnovers. Rusty Smith threw for 347 yards and a touchdown for the home team but they simply ran out of time. And you can't forget a Middle Tennessee team that forced five turnovers in a 37-21 win at North Texas. Can anyone win this league? Not exactly with Western Kentucky and North Texas looking to be the teams on the outside looking in, but don't be surprised if the winner of this conference finishes with two league losses. The teams look to be that close after the first month of the season.
WAC: Don't underestimate how important Idaho's win at Northern Illinois is.
The Vandals, traditionally a national doormat, are now 3-1 due to their 34-31 win in DeKalb. Rob Akey has done quite a job in his second season in Moscow, with the Vandals off to their best start since 1994. Nathan Enderle finished the game 18-for-23 for 270 yards and three touchdowns, and as a team Idaho posted 477 yards of offense and twenty-four first downs. RB DeMaundray Woolridge rushed for 144 yards and a score on Saturday, and an offense that ranked 97th in total offense (314.3 yards) last season currently ranks 42nd (405.8 yards).
Another key for Idaho: they're taking better care of the football. Tied for 96th in turnover margin in 2008, Idaho goes into their nationally televised game with Colorado State tied for 18th in that category. It would be a little much to suggest that Idaho is the biggest threat to Boise State, but you can't ignore the progress being made by Coach Akey and his staff.
Sports Ticket Depot -
NCAA Basketball News Archive Index
|
| |
Convert Currency here
Sports Ticket Web Masters,
Submit your sports event, venue, news, and memorabilia link(s) as ‘articles / advertisements’. Your article(s) will occupy their own EXCLUSIVE and UNIQUE page directly linked to a Sports Ticket Depot sports section of your choice.Submit details here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
