Only exhibition but...

Shine · Post by **Shine** » Sat Nov 03, 2007 4:48 am

Sparty goes down tonight in double OT to Grand Valley State. Realistically GVST should have won in regulation but there was a VERY suspect foul called on Neitzel with about 4 seconds remaining. Then with the game tied the 4 seconds came off the clock in about 3 nullifying the final shot attempt by GVST. I still think Sparty will be alright as GVST was far and away the best comp I've seen thus far in the exhibition season (watched bits of dUI, PU, scUM and tO$U's games) but for a top 10 preseason team to go down at home that doesn't bode well.

Big Ten Network gets another major upset in the early going at the expense of the state of Michigan.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Sat Nov 03, 2007 5:51 am

Just saw that on the crawl on ESPN...

Immediately when I saw GVSU being mentioned, I thought it was for football. RACK the Lakers but I don't think this'll hurt the Spartans very much. I'm sure Izzo peeled the paint off the wall after talking to his boys and they'll be a title contender this year. The Lakers actually have a decent program but it's very much overshadowed by the powerhouse football program. Last year they went 29-5 and lost in the DII semifinals on a buzzer beater in OT.

Mr T · Post by **Mr T** » Sat Nov 03, 2007 6:21 pm

Rack the Lakers and D2!

Izzo said something like gvsu is a d1 program hiding as a d2 program.

King Crimson · Post by **King Crimson** » Sat Nov 03, 2007 7:47 pm

Mr T wrote:Rack the Lakers and D2!

Izzo said something like gvsu is a d1 program hiding as a d2 program.

that doesn't mean anything, there are over 300 team in the d-1 rpi. losing to the last "100-150 of them is a bad loss". is GVSU better than them.

Shine · Post by **Shine** » Sun Nov 04, 2007 3:51 am

Mr T wrote: Izzo said something like gvsu is a d1 program hiding as a d2 program.

There's a lot of truth to that statement based on what I saw, GVST has some talent. But like KC pointed out it isn't like GVST would be a dominant D1 team so a loss to them AT HOME is still not a good loss by any stretch of the imagination. Sparty will still start the year 0-0 though so it's easily a game they can/will recover from.

Mr T · Post by **Mr T** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 9:56 pm

Ummm...not defending MSU.

I think it is good for D2.

PS. Shine,

My lions went up to bloomington and lost 121-76. I wish UNA couldve pulled off what GV did.

But maybe they will today versus Bama in T-town.

Would be epic for UNA to beat the flagship.

buckeye_in_sc · Post by **buckeye_in_sc** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 1:31 pm

^^^^^^^^

add tOSU to the list...

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 6:14 pm

Alls I knows, is that Oregon is starting the season ranked higher than Duke.

I'm now watching out for meteors falling from the sky onto my head.

Q, West Coast Style · Post by **Q, West Coast Style** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 6:43 pm

Dinsdale wrote:Alls I knows, is that Oregon is starting the season ranked higher than Duke.

I'm now watching out for meteors falling from the sky onto my head.

And Wazzu's ranked ahead of Duke too. I'll be watching for volcanoes to start spewing snow and hail instead of lava and ash.

Mook · Post by **Mook** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 6:46 pm

Shine - did you ever move? If so, how are you liking it?

Shine · Post by **Shine** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 9:05 pm

Not yet but the process has begun. I've made a few trips back out there in the interim though and I can't wait to be there on a FT basis.

You in KS now??

(yeah, yeah I know, save the "take it to PM" post)

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 11:57 pm

Dinsdale wrote:Alls I knows, is that Oregon is starting the season ranked higher than Duke.

I'm now watching out for meteors falling from the sky onto my head.

Duke is way overrated going into the season considering how young and unproven they are. Most ESPN experts are actually being reasonable with their rankings. Bilas has them #9 but the rest of their experts have them in the top 10-16 or out of the top 16 all together. I'd put them in 20-25 range right now but that's me.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/preview20 ... id=3094268

Dins--Your boy Singler should be able to come in do similar things as what McRoberts could do before and they need to find their go-to guy...ie--Redick, Langdon, etc. They have options with Scheyer, Henderson and Nelson, the only senior on the team. Curious to see what they do...lots of potential and Coach K doesn't seem to over achieve with a young team.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Thu Nov 08, 2007 12:14 am

Shoalzie wrote:Duke is way overrated going into the season

No...Way...

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 1:22 am

Shoalzie wrote:
Dins--Your boy Singler should be able to come in do similar things as what McRoberts could do

Huh?

McRoberts was* primarily a low post player (who could also play outside), Singler is a slasher/ballhandler.

* - And I certainly hope he still is, since he's a Trailblazer. First Dukey I can think of since Abdelnaby 17 years ago, but there could have been somebody I've forgotten.

Mustang · Post by **Mustang** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 6:43 pm

I sure hope Singler can do a lot more than McRoberts was able to. Mc could dunk in the open court and that was about it. Ok, he passed pretty well. But the (very) early reviews on Singler are pretty good though but I'll make that decision myself once I get a glimmer. Hell, even Brian Zoubek can look good against Shaw/Barton. Dins, this may have been brought up but who was the better HS player, Kevin Love or Singler? I wanna' see that guy, too.

As for being Duke overrated, 20 years of ridiculous success will do that. Ask the team just down the road. But I'm guardedly optimistic about this group. Smaller, but more athletic and dare I say....quicker.

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Fri Nov 09, 2007 4:53 pm

Mustang wrote:who was the better HS player, Kevin Love or Singler?

Kind of back and forth over their 4 years. After a quick check of local articles, they played each other 6 times (pretty big number for schools on opposite ends of the state). They split those games, 3-3. 2 of those meetings were in the 6A finals, a third was in an earlier tourney round. But they both led their teams to the finals their last two years.

They split the player-of-the-year award last year, which had been Love's for the previous couple.

Singler got his revenge this last season, leading his team to the championship.\

Then again, while it was always made out as the Love-Singler battle, at South Medford, Kyle has his clone of a younger brother on board. Love had a teammate by the last name of Ainge at Lake NoNegro.

Both just amazing high school players, but if I'm picking one or the other, I'll go with love. Singler is 6'9", but he plays smaller, and is kind of a slashing swingman who can shoot, or put it on the floor and go to the hoop at will -- great finisher. Love is 6'10", or 6'11", depending who you ask, but he goes about 260 and can shred the low post, but is a very good passer and can shoot, too. So I'd hesistantly give the nod to Love, just because he's so effective around the basket.

Plus, Love broke a backboard in high school, which is always a hoot, unless you're the janitor.

Not that I would really have any accurate insight, but Singler seems like a much nicer, easygoing guy. Love is a silver-spooner with a sense-of-entitlement before he earned it. They both worked hard an improved their game constantly.

But they were both fine scores by two of the top CBB programs. Nice job, Ernie Kent. Too bad they're not playing their one year of college hoops at Oregon. Oh well, Oregon is rolling out a shitload of seniors for this season, so I guess it was an OK year to get trumped out of the two best recruits in a few years.

Shine · Post by **Shine** » Fri Nov 09, 2007 10:50 pm

On this basis alone I'd take Singler.

Love = 1 and done
Singler = 2-3 year player

As for them Dook boys, I think they'll be much improved over last year. As Mustang correctly points out they are quicker and more athletic than they've been in a looong time. Few teams have quality interior play so the fact that the Hazard County crew lacks that won't impact them too terribly much. I'd say a 2nd to 4th place ACC finish and a trip to the Sweet 16 sounds about right.

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 12:55 am

Shine wrote:On this basis alone I'd take Singler.

Love = 1 and done
Singler = 2-3 year player

Oh, I'm pretty sure Singler has those NBA stars in his eyes just as much as the next guy, and would have gone into the draft if he could.

But...

His brand of ball isn't quite as one-and-done-ish as Loves power post game, unless he really excels against the ACC Big Boys...

And if anyone can get him to stick around, it's Coach K.

Shine · Post by **Shine** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 9:15 pm

Kinda my point Dins. I have no doubts that Singler has an NBA paycheck in his future but I tend to think his style of play will prohibit the 1 and done route.