Tonight:

Wake Forest @ Rutgers, 7 PM, ESPNU

Wake looked good short-handed against both Indiana and UCLA. No excuses here.

Clemson @ Minnesota, 9 PM, ESPN2

Clemson's first actual challenge of the year. Give it to the home team.

PREDICTION AFTER MONDAY NIGHT: 1-1.

Tuesday:

Michigan @ NC State, 7 PM, ESPN2

William & Mary speedbump aside, State is usually pretty tough at home, and they have a definite advantage on the inside over Michigan. Michigan obviously has Levert and more potential to go off at the guard position than State does, but they've been pretty inconsistent in the games I've watched so far. This one will be very interesting. I'll give a pinch of advantage to the home team, but a State loss would never surprise me.

Northwestern @ Virginia Tech, 7 PM, ESPNU

Northwestern has had their share of struggles this season so far... but Tech is terrible. I give it to Collins and them.

Virginia @ Ohio State, 7:30 PM, ESPN

I don't think this Virginia team is as stifling defensively as they have been the last couple of years... but this Ohio State team isn't ready. Expect their fourth straight loss.

Miami @ Nebraska, 9 PM, ESPNU

Miami can be beat from the outside, but I don't think Nebraska has the guns to do it. The U wins.

Purdue @ Pitt, 9 PM, ESPN2

This will be verrrrrry interesting. Pitt was fighting Gonzaga tooth and nail when that game was called... but Purdue looks legit on the inside. While this will be Purdue's only tough away game of pre-conference play, I think their defense is too stout, and I'm not convinced Pittsburgh's shooting can outplay Purdue's defense.

Maryland @ UNC, 9:30 PM, ESPN

The big one. And Paige is back. The keys to the game are obvious: Diamond Stone needs to have a good game defensively, and Maryland needs to hit their 3s. If Maryland's defense can force UNC to have to win the game from 3, Maryland will win the game-- but I'm not convinced Maryland's defense is stout enough to keep UNC's offensive options outside from getting into the paint. Stone needs to enforce, or Maryland needs to employ some zone. UNC is incredibly vulnerable along the wing defensively , and Maryland has some really fast and strong players out there... but their shooting from the perimeter has been so-so so far this season. Sulaimon has hit the big shots for them, and he's got experience in the Dome, so he's likely to help... but will it be enough? I'm inclined to pick Maryland for the above reasons, but UNC fans will think this is blind Duke bias, so take who you will here.

Louisville @ Michigan State, 7:15 PM, ESPN

Rick keeps bitching that Louisville isn't appreciated by AP voters-- but they've played *no one.* I don't think they can hang with this MSU squad... but this would definitely help Pitino's case to rocket the Cards up the poll.

Wisconsin @ Syracuse, 7:15 PM, ESPN2

I have to admit, I was impressed with Cuse's performances in the Battle 4 Atlantis. I think people might be cysing it a little *too* hard because, well, the NCAA is better when Cuse is really good, but the potential is easy to see. Wisconsin is really struggling this year, and while last year's team would've devoured this Cuse zone, they simply don't have the shooters this year.

Penn State @ BC, 7:15 PM, ESPNU

Who cares. I'm going home team, because I don't think that loss to Santa Clara is as bad as it looked on paper for BC.

Indiana @ Duke, 9:15 PM, ESPN

Call your bookies and pick the over, because Duke has struggled guarding the perimeter in this young season, and Indiana has struggled guarding... period. Indiana has been insanely turnover prone so far this season, and I think Duke's long arms in the 1-3-1 zone will devour their passing and lead to easy transition buckets, which should make the difference. Don't be surprised if one or both teams breaks 100.

Notre Dame @ Illinois, 9:15 PM, ESPN2

The nightmare season continues for Croce.

FSU @ Iowa, 9:15 PM, ESPNU

I watched Iowa get beat by Dayton... but FSU has played absolutely no one to date, and while XRM and Bacon is a potent tag team, I don't think they can hang with Iowa on the road this early in the season. They could prove me wrong, as Iowa's best wins are somewhat inflated (Wichita State is missing all sorts of players, and that Marquette squad is young young young), but Iowa impressed me enough in the loss to Dayton to think that they can handle the Noles.

I've got 8-6 ACC (9 if you think UNC will win). Should be another great challenge.

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gotta land kobi...gary trent is pretty much a dukie barring some sudden change of heart

thad let alot of good instate talent leave recently..not good (Kenanrd, Bragg, VJ King, Esa Ahmad, etc)

>Tonight:
>
>Wake Forest @ Rutgers, 7 PM, ESPNU
>
>Wake looked good short-handed against both Indiana and UCLA.
>No excuses here.
>
>Clemson @ Minnesota, 9 PM, ESPN2
>
>Clemson's first actual challenge of the year. Give it to the
>home team.
>
>PREDICTION AFTER MONDAY NIGHT: 1-1.
>
>Tuesday:
>
>Michigan @ NC State, 7 PM, ESPN2
>
>William & Mary speedbump aside, State is usually pretty tough
>at home, and they have a definite advantage on the inside over
>Michigan. Michigan obviously has Levert and more potential to
>go off at the guard position than State does, but they've been
>pretty inconsistent in the games I've watched so far. This one
>will be very interesting. I'll give a pinch of advantage to
>the home team, but a State loss would never surprise me.
>
>Northwestern @ Virginia Tech, 7 PM, ESPNU
>
>Northwestern has had their share of struggles this season so
>far... but Tech is terrible. I give it to Collins and them.
>
>Virginia @ Ohio State, 7:30 PM, ESPN
>
>I don't think this Virginia team is as stifling defensively as
>they have been the last couple of years... but this Ohio State
>team isn't ready. Expect their fourth straight loss.
>
>Miami @ Nebraska, 9 PM, ESPNU
>
>Miami can be beat from the outside, but I don't think Nebraska
>has the guns to do it. The U wins.
>
>Purdue @ Pitt, 9 PM, ESPN2
>
>This will be verrrrrry interesting. Pitt was fighting Gonzaga
>tooth and nail when that game was called... but Purdue looks
>legit on the inside. While this will be Purdue's only tough
>away game of pre-conference play, I think their defense is too
>stout, and I'm not convinced Pittsburgh's shooting can outplay
>Purdue's defense.
>
>Maryland @ UNC, 9:30 PM, ESPN
>
>The big one. And Paige is back. The keys to the game are
>obvious: Diamond Stone needs to have a good game defensively,
>and Maryland needs to hit their 3s. If Maryland's defense can
>force UNC to have to win the game from 3, Maryland will win
>the game-- but I'm not convinced Maryland's defense is stout
>enough to keep UNC's offensive options outside from getting
>into the paint. Stone needs to enforce, or Maryland needs to
>employ some zone. UNC is incredibly vulnerable along the wing
>defensively , and Maryland has some really fast and strong
>players out there... but their shooting from the perimeter has
>been so-so so far this season. Sulaimon has hit the big shots
>for them, and he's got experience in the Dome, so he's likely
>to help... but will it be enough? I'm inclined to pick
>Maryland for the above reasons, but UNC fans will think this
>is blind Duke bias, so take who you will here.
>
>Louisville @ Michigan State, 7:15 PM, ESPN
>
>Rick keeps bitching that Louisville isn't appreciated by AP
>voters-- but they've played *no one.* I don't think they can
>hang with this MSU squad... but this would definitely help
>Pitino's case to rocket the Cards up the poll.
>
>Wisconsin @ Syracuse, 7:15 PM, ESPN2
>
>I have to admit, I was impressed with Cuse's performances in
>the Battle 4 Atlantis. I think people might be cysing it a
>little *too* hard because, well, the NCAA is better when Cuse
>is really good, but the potential is easy to see. Wisconsin is
>really struggling this year, and while last year's team
>would've devoured this Cuse zone, they simply don't have the
>shooters this year.
>
>Penn State @ BC, 7:15 PM, ESPNU
>
>Who cares. I'm going home team, because I don't think that
>loss to Santa Clara is as bad as it looked on paper for BC.
>
>Indiana @ Duke, 9:15 PM, ESPN
>
>Call your bookies and pick the over, because Duke has
>struggled guarding the perimeter in this young season, and
>Indiana has struggled guarding... period. Indiana has been
>insanely turnover prone so far this season, and I think Duke's
>long arms in the 1-3-1 zone will devour their passing and lead
>to easy transition buckets, which should make the difference.
>Don't be surprised if one or both teams breaks 100.
>
>Notre Dame @ Illinois, 9:15 PM, ESPN2
>
>The nightmare season continues for Croce.
>
>FSU @ Iowa, 9:15 PM, ESPNU
>
>I watched Iowa get beat by Dayton... but FSU has played
>absolutely no one to date, and while XRM and Bacon is a potent
>tag team, I don't think they can hang with Iowa on the road
>this early in the season. They could prove me wrong, as Iowa's
>best wins are somewhat inflated (Wichita State is missing all
>sorts of players, and that Marquette squad is young young
>young), but Iowa impressed me enough in the loss to Dayton to
>think that they can handle the Noles.
>
>I've got 8-6 ACC (9 if you think UNC will win). Should be
>another great challenge.
>
>

-------------------
I wanna go to where the martyrs went
the brown figures on the walls of my apart-a-ment...

.

<---
Fuck a sig, my presence is enough.

We're counting on you kid.

<---
Fuck a sig, my presence is enough.

.

<---
Fuck a sig, my presence is enough.

breh looking like a relative of Casper outchea.

<--- Big Baller World Order

He don't want no trouble when it gets thick out there

<---
Fuck a sig, my presence is enough.

He was an absolute non-entity tonight.

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The preseason chatter was how he should have a monster season at the three with MD's size. Well, it ain't happening.

<---
Fuck a sig, my presence is enough.

... some of the biggest cysage of the season to date. I heard that talk *last year* too. SMH.

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first off i imagine that was very fun as a neutral.

lets start with what i didnt like
- nate britt. trimble used him like a $2 hooker
- late game FT shooting
- defense on ball screens. absolute tragedy

what i did like
- 3 point shooting
- energy was way up from what you usually get out of this nucleus over the last 3-4 years.

oh and beezo i told you breh. and it's just his first game back. he don't even have his team chemistry and stamina up yet.
http://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=8&topic_id=2491516&mesg_id=2491516&listing_type=search#2491582

<--- Big Baller World Order

>first off i imagine that was very fun as a neutral.
>
>lets start with what i didnt like
>- nate britt. trimble used him like a $2 hooker
>- late game FT shooting
>- defense on ball screens. absolute tragedy

Britt was shook daddy. Was like Melo was out to embarrass another DMV guard that was supposed to be good. I never was sold on Britt .. saw him get punked too many times.


>
>what i did like
>- 3 point shooting
>- energy was way up from what you usually get out of this
>nucleus over the last 3-4 years.
>
>oh and beezo i told you breh. and it's just his first game
>back. he don't even have his team chemistry and stamina up
>yet.
>http://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=8&topic_id=2491516&mesg_id=2491516&listing_type=search#2491582

Yea Paige is certified. Like Bilas said, he has all of the shots. The dude didn't miss a beat.. Picked up right where he left off.

<---
Fuck a sig, my presence is enough.

>first off i imagine that was very fun as a neutral.
>
>lets start with what i didnt like
>- nate britt. trimble used him like a $2 hooker
>- late game FT shooting
>- defense on ball screens. absolute tragedy

FT's was odd, they can make those. Even Paige missed. I'll only be concerned if it becomes a trend.

Britt is Britt...we already know. He ain't new to the roster. So long as his abuse is minimized some going forward, I won't worry about it.

Ball screen issue is legit. It'll take more effort from Hicks and Meeks have to give more effort.

>what i did like
>- 3 point shooting
>- energy was way up from what you usually get out of this
>nucleus over the last 3-4 years.
>
>oh and beezo i told you breh. and it's just his first game
>back. he don't even have his team chemistry and stamina up
>yet.
>http://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=8&topic_id=2491516&mesg_id=2491516&listing_type=search#2491582

They look like they actually have some confidence! Not coasting off of what they think they can do. Looks like everyone got better over the summer and Paige being out forced some of them to man up. He even looks like he lifted some weights this summer. This was the 3rd UNC game I've seen this year and I see them being MUCH better by the end of the reg season. Which I didn't feel that way the last 2 seasons. We have a legit shot at the title this year.

____________

Meeks' ball-screen defense is abysmal, but he needs to be in the game for the offense to run on all cylinders. I imagine Roy will simply live with the bad defense in order to try to outscore teams all year, as it worked for the most part last season, but as with last season, if those jumpers aren't falling for Carolina, that defense becomes a real problem.

Maryland also missed 4 or 5 good looks down the stretch of that game from 3-- if they make just *one* of them with two-ish minutes to go, the game could've become real interesting. They didn't, but the beginning of the second half showed that UNC still is really vulnerable against teams that can drain 3s-- UNC had to hit 3s at a 69% clip on the game to effectively counter-balance the fact that Maryland was shooting over 50% from 3 themselves until they started missing, then chucking, in the last few minutes.

Maryland, meanwhile, has similar problems. Trimble and Sulaimon are better offensively than defensively-- I think defensively they're better than Paige/Berry, but they're also more reckless offensively. Sheed reverted to old Sheed once he got slammed by that second screen that his team didn't call out-- next possession, sure enough, a drive to the hole without knowing where he was going. Turnovers have been a big problem all year, and I imagine that will continue.

While Maryland's perimeter defense isn't good (though slightly better than UNC's, despite this game's results), their interior defense is easily worse, and, most importantly, they're not nearly as good at Carolina at cleaning up the glass on defense. That made a huge difference in the game.

Finally, Jake Layman is a zero. Both sides of the ball. All the "potential" people say he has-- his current state doesn't justify 28 minutes of play against a tough road opponent.

Great win for Carolina, and good offensive effort by Maryland... but I still think if these teams want to be realistic title contenders, they'll have to defend better-- because bad shooting games happen to everyone, and you need the defense in the tournament to hold you down when those occur. UNC should contend for the ACC title with Duke, obviously, but I think Maryland needs to protect the ball to contend in the Big Ten, and I think it's more likely they finish 3rd or lower than in the top 2 at this moment.

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My movie reviews: https://letterboxd.com/RussellHFilm/
My beer TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thebeertravelguide

Roy just smiled like "my dude is back"

...I'm from the era when A.I. was the answer, now they think ai is the answer - Marlon Craft

Teams like this have steadily whittled away at my love for college hoops.

Lower the shot clock to 24, and stop fucking up the block/charge call so we can rid the sport I love of these bullshit ass plague on the game squads.

get rid of the halves too.

4 quarters. keep the 3 point line where it is though.


enough is enough already.

-------------------
I wanna go to where the martyrs went
the brown figures on the walls of my apart-a-ment...

It was just a thoroughly boring and unenjoyable game to watch, regardless of win or loss, which is how most of the games are now.

The Cuse-UConn game last week was a rare refreshing game where I actually enjoyed watching. 30 second clock is a small help, but the game is still broken.

tony bennett is another one. if you gonna come to make the game ugly instead of playing just stay the fuck home.

<--- Big Baller World Order

I'm going to give women's college hoops a shot if this shit ain't fixed by 2020.

(after i soaked in the win of course) was wow to a neutral that must've been really entertaining. but it just felt so rare in college bball.

<--- Big Baller World Order

Sucka

<---
Fuck a sig, my presence is enough.

It was shooting practice.

Glad Crean is making good on my bet two years ago that he'd be gone by end of this season.

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he should give 10% of his lifetime earnings to d-wade

<--- Big Baller World Order

And the *way* they lose. That UNLV game was embarrassing.

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