Rush The Court

 

Good day, friends. John Stevens, here, one of your faithful RTC contributors, with a quick reminder. ESPN’s 24 Hours of Hoops Marathon begins tonight at midnight on Monday night/Tuesday morning, and I’ll be live-blogging the whole thing in our famed Boom Goes the Dynamite format. I did this last year during the same event, and once again I’ll be happily disregarding the recommendations — nay, the very pleas — of my family, friends, and internist, and staying up the whole 24 hours, all the while absorbing those tasty rays from my TV and computer screens. I hope you’ll stop by and hit the refresh button a few times, and even lend a comment or two.

Here are the games ESPN is showing:

• 12:05 am Cal State Fullerton at UCLA
• 2:00 am San Diego State at Saint Mary’s – RTC Live Simulcast
• 4:00 am Northern Colorado at Hawaii
• 6:00 am Monmouth at St. Peter’s
• 8:00 am Drexel at Niagara
• 10:00 am Clemson at Liberty
• 12:00 pm Northeastern at Siena
• 2:00 pm Arkansas-Little Rock at Tulsa
• 4:00 pm Temple at Georgetown
• 5:30 pm Binghamton at Pittsburgh (ESPN2)
• 6:00 pm Charlotte at Duke (ESPN)
  
• 7:30 pm Arkansas at Louisville (ESPN2) – RTC Live Simulcast
  
• 8:00 pm Gonzaga at Michigan State
• 9:00 pm Duquesne at Iowa (ESPNU)
• 10:00 pm Memphis at Kansas – RTC Live Simulcast
  

Last year, if I recall correctly — and there’s a good chance that I don’t! — because I had worked a full day beforehand and gotten almost no sleep the previous night, I started hallucinating about 18 hours into this. I look to be a little better rested going in this time, so I anticipate it’ll be a total cake walk. Yeah, we’ll see. The executives here at RTC obviously think so, too, since my written requests for a short-term insurance policy were denied (read: returned to me in paper-doll-chain form). Alas.

Anyway, I hope you’ll join me for as much of it as you can endure.  The updates will begin below promptly at midnight tonight.  See you there!

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11:53pm (11/16): And so here we find ourselves, again, my friends.  Welcome to the RTC 24-hour live blog for ESPN’s 24-hour Hoops Marathon.  This will be done in our Boom Goes The Dynamite format, meaning this post will update every so often, so keep hitting that refresh button during the time that you’re joining us.  When three of us do this during a day’s games during the regular season, sometimes it’ll start with NVR, then I’ll take the baton, and rtmsf will finish the night with the late games.  When that happens, I use an old basketball term and call it…the three man weave.  I’m the only one who finds that clever, though.  But I”ll say it…what we have here is a one man weave.  I’ll have help from rtmsf as he goes all RTC Live on us from the San Diego State at St. Mary’s game at 2 am ET, and then again from St. Louis with the Arkansas-Louisville and Memphis-Kansas games later on Tuesday night.  But I’m flyin’ solo without a net and I’m going caffeine-free, baby!  That’s my pledge to you tonight.  I, John Stevens, will be kept awake merely by my love for college hoops.  I promise.  We’ll get it goin’ with Cal State-Fullerton at UCLA in just a bit.  Welcome!!

00:03:  I’m psyched.  But did I hear that right?  The starting center for CSF took the year off last year and worked at Wal-Mart?  Interesting.  There looks to be absolutely nobody at Pauley.  I’m surprised, since it’s only 9pm there.  That arena is half empty.  Am I missing something?

00:09: UCLA decides to come out 0/6 from the field and CSF, despite three turnovers already, takes a quick lead.  I’ve been wanting to see Michael Roll play.  We had him on our All-Jeff Fryer team, the list of the best 3-point bombers in the game.  I’d like to see how he’s improved his range.  Turnovers are the story so far, though.

Incidentally, I just got back from doing RTC Live at the Miami (OH) at Kentucky game.  What a contest.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen a live performance like the one Miami’s Nick Winbush put on.  9/13 shooting, including 8 FOR 10 FROM THREE POINT range.  And the last one that Kenny Hayes hit to tie the game?  DEEP.  Like, from Cincinnati deep.  That’s when John Wall came down and sent all the Wildcat fans home happy.  But MAJOR props to the RedHawks.  I’m just glad rtmsf left me the keys to the RTC Southern Compound under the mat.

00:19: Jer’Vaughn Johnson was going to throw that down.  Goodness, UCLA has come out 2/13, now gets a three by Roll and a Drew Gordon dunk off of a Roll assist.  So far I think we know who needs to get most of the touches.

00:28: What do you think, should I go with the 24-hour clock, here?  I think it looks better and it tells you what hour we’re into.  Boy, this is a sloppy one, here.  12 turnovers between the two teams.  But interspersed between those we have a nice play like that tip from Dragovich to the cutting Lee for UCLA.

00:39: Well, hello!  Nice behind-the-back pass there from Anderson for a CSF bucket.  That’s it, bro…enjoy your ESPN time!

00:42: I definitely didn’t expect CSF to be on top in this one with only three minutes left in the half (23-21).  Evidently they didn’t give Roll a 3 on that earlier one I mentioned so they are STILL looking for their first 3-pointer.  The quick-mentions that ESPN is giving the earlier UK vs Miami (OH) game are only mentioning the last-second Wall three-pointer, which certainly deserves all the credit in the world.  But seriously, catch the highlights.  The shooting display by Miami’s Nick Winbush.  I can’t tout this enough.  And make sure you see the last one Kenny Hayes nailed to tie it before Wall hit his buzzer-beater.

00:48: HOLY COW, Reeves Nelson (that sounds like a Duke player, eh?  Just kidding, guys!) with a massive block.  That made me laugh out loud when I saw it.  And that was probably the worst in-bounds pass I’ve seen since grade school that led to the dunk for CSF’s Gerard Anderson.  Then Johnson with a three for CSF.  That’s a 6-point UCLA lead with less than a minute.

00:51: Yeesh, another bad in-bounds pass leads to another UCSF bucket.  The be-mowhawked (?) Nelson may have given UCLA a nice bucket to end the half, but I bet Ben Howland is making some ears bleed in the UCLA locker room.  Down six at the half to CSF?

1:00: One hour down!  I’ll say, it’s good to see the Big Four (Davis, Davis, Digger, and Bilas) in the studio.  Now all we need is Raftery.  I’m sure he’ll show himself in the next 23 hours at some point.

01:08: Anyone surprised by Connecticut at this point?  I know they’re 2-0 and you take that however you can get it.  But only 9 over William & Mary, and tonight they win by 14 over Colgate…not huge margins, and we’ve seen some posted this year by other teams.  Any Husky fans alarmed by this?  I don’t know if that’d be warranted or not, since it’s so early.  Anyway, on with the second half from a half-empty Pauley Pavilion…

01:13: Is Malcolm Lee cramping for UCLA?  I’d hate to think so, since we’re only slightly more than halfway into this one, though I know it’s their first game.  Let’s hope that’s all that’s wrong.

01:16:  I’m officially impressed with CSF in this game.  They aren’t fazed at all by playing this team or in this arena.  Maybe it’s because the joint has so many empty seats, but whatever it is, UCSF is by far the more confident team right now.  UCLA looks confused and unsure of itself on just about every half-court set this half.

01:20: Wait a minute, how did CSF’s Orane Chin and Papa Guisse not get on our All-Antoine Joubert (best names) team?

Now, here’s the Malcolm Lee thing again.  I mean, he REALLY looks like he’s hurting, and I agree with Doris Burke.  It doesn’t look like he came down on that shot and tweaked a knee or an ankle.  But after all the practices and conditioning, I wouldn’t think he’d just be cramping up after only 26 minutes of a game.  The games are supposed to be EASIER than the practices.  They’re massaging him up like it’s all cramps, though, on the sideline.  Maybe the kid’s playing sick or something and he came in dehydrated.  Hope he’s all right.

01:27: UCLA 0/11 from three including 0/5 for Dragovich.  And yet they’re back within 3.  CSF needs to hit their layups if they’re going to stay in this, because UCLA is rolling now.  9-0 run and now they’re within 1.

01:33: So it’s confirmed, it really is cramping for Malcolm Lee.  Someone needs to check that kid’s electrolytes, or something.  Nevertheless, there’s UCLA with the lead on the Roll 3-pointer — UCLA’s first of the game.  47-45 Bruins with 7:39 left.

While I have a second, I should tell you that rtmsf will be starting his RTC Live of the San Diego State/St. Mary’s game at 2am ET, and I’ll be offering my comments through there.

01:40: Aaron Thompson has 20 for UCSF on 8/10 shooting.  But CSF’s leading rebounder, Bryce Webster, just got his 4th foul.  And there’s Roll with another UCLA  three-pointer.  50-all with just over 5 minutes left.  Looks like we might have an exciting finish in our first game to start this off!

01:46: WHOA, Gerard Anderson!!  HUGE slam for CSF that I’m going to try to find video of and post here.  Last year we were introduce to Fresno State’s Paul George when he threw that legendary dunk down against St. Mary’s.  That was a throwdown and a half.  But UCLA actually looks like the more confident team and they’re starting to shoot better, now.

01:50: UCLA up three and they now have four players in double-figures.  CSF needs to score on this trip to keep themselves mentally in this, I’d predict.  Only a minute left…

01:55: They do score, and then get the ball back!  Down one and only 18 seconds left.  We’ll see what they draw up here.  This is for their FIRST victory ever over UCLA, and the UCLA streak of 37 straight over non-conference unranked opponents at Pauley is on the line, and could end with one shot.  Here we go…

02:00: Wow.  UCSF hits the first then missed the second FT, tying it.  UCLA had a shot in the air to win it by Jerime Anderson, and that thing was halfway down…but rimmed out.  Overtime in the first game!  ESPN should like this, screwing up the timing of the other games right off the bat!

02:04: Did you see that?  Malcolm Lee got not elevation on that three-point attempt.  He’s either still cramping or he’s afraid he’ll start again.  UCLA’s first four shots in OT have been threes, all misses.  Dragovich is 0/7.  CSF up one and going to the line.  By the way, I don’t know how that shot on the last CSF possession wasn’t allowed for goal-tending because it was sitting on the rim when it was tipped.  At any rate, they’re up three now with 2:32 left in OT.

02:08: Michael Roll makes us look like geniuses for putting him on the all-long bombers team, as noted above.  Tie game.  Anyone smell a second OT?  Maybe not, since Aaron Thompson for CSF just double-dribbled.  UCLA will have it with about 27 seconds left in OT.  Wonder what Ben Howland drew up…

02:13: I bet it wasn’t a 24-foot three pointer by Malcolm Lee, or anyone.  Double OT, coming up!  Meanwhile, the RTC Live of SDSU at St. Mary’s has begun, so if you want, you can go back to our cover page and click on the big RTC Live screen to check that out.  That’s what I’ll be doing when this one’s over, but not until then!  60-60 as we start…

02:18: Holy Toledo, that FT attempt by UCLA’s Jerime Anderson was a cinder block.  I should say, UCLA’s Nikola Dragovich has been a liability from long range but he has pulled down 12 boards in this one.  Only 2 points scored by both teams combined (that is, by CSF) almost halfway through this OT.  And I agree with Doris Burke, we’ve seen little of Reeves Nelson for UCLA, and he had played well.

02:21: Look at Jacques Streeter, living up to his name with six through-the-legs dribbles and then a step-back three!  Where’s Raftery with some ONIONS when you need it??  And then Dragovich answers by hitting his first three of the night!  65-63 CSF with 1:44 left.

02:24: Not a good decision by UCLA’s Malcolm Lee, there.  Long three with your team down four and only a minute left.  CSF at the line to extend the 4-point lead…but can’t!  Better decision by Lee there to take that post-up two, which he hit.  Now just a 2-point game.  I expect mad pressure by UCLA here.

02:27: UCLA got the 5-second count on the in-bounds!  But they can’t convert, though I think a foul call on that Malcolm Lee shot was justified.  CSF only hit 1 of 2, and UCLA got the ball in the hands of Roll, one of the nation’s best 3-point shooters….clang.  CSF just knocked off UCLA for the first time, EVER.  The UCLA streak of 37 straight against non-conference unranked opponents on the Pauley Pavilion floor…is over.

Time to head over to rtmsf who’s getting his RTC Live groove on at St. Mary’s, who is annihilating SDSU early on, 29-9.  I’ll be offering comments there during his live blog, then I’ll be back here for Northern Colorado at Hawaii.

03:49: I’ve been hanging out at the RTC Live like I mentioned above, but that one’s only got a couple minutes left and SMC is assured of the victory at this point.  Almost time for Northern Colorado at Hawaii!

04:06: Here we go, our third game and a 4am tipoff.  You gotta give credit to Northern Colorado, going 8-8 in just their 4th year in D1.  I have to ask this — is that pattern supposed to look like tire tracks underneath each basket?

04:17: I’m going to give some credit, here, to ESPN’s announcers Carter Blackburn and Mark Adams.  During slow points in their broadcasts, they’re always talking about where they ate dinner, what they did in the town on the previous night, etc.  They seem to truly enjoy this job, and sometimes when you make sports your job, it can lose some of the fun becuse instead of watching a game with fan’s eyes, you’re working (note: this hasn’t happened to me, since sports is not my job, but it’s been verified by many media types to whom I’ve spoken).  Adams got a good one in on Blackburn early on:  Adams was talking about climbing Diamondhead and then Blackburn talked about going out to the North Shore to catch some big waves.  Adams needled him, “You didn’t go there to see big waves.”  Very nice.

04:34: If you’re wondering why I haven’t been saying much on this one, it’s not because I’ve fallen asleep.  Come on, not even three games in?!?  Did you read last year’s 24-hour live blog??  Just joking.  Nah, this one’s had a frenetic pace, but there has been much less scoring than you’d expect.  There’ve been some great individual plays, but with the pace I thought there’d be bigger numbers being put up.  Chris Kaba has been the best player for Northen Colorado, coming off the bench for 9 points on 4/6 shooting.  I expected Devon Beitzel and Will Figures to light it up a little from three for Northern Colorado but they’re 1/7 so far.  And Dwain Williams has been impressive for Hawaii, but these teams have combined for 16 turnovers for the 1st half, hence the fast pace but low scoring.

04:58: Aw, man.  We’ve been duped.  ESPN is replaying the studio portions of their halftime show from game-to-game during the overnight games, assuming we’re not going to catch onto that since, well, only an idiot (*ahem*) would watch all of these games.

05:00: I was taught that, when watching television (not just sports), you should have your primary show that you’re watching, and a “flip-channel,” meaning something you check in on when the primary show is at commercial.  For this game, my primary is obviously the NC/Hawaii game, but my flip-channel is a TiVO’d version of SportsNation, the 4pm ESPN2 show with Colin Cowherd and, I’m happy to announce, my new celebrity girlfriend that I’ve never met, Miss Michelle Beadle.  I know I’m late on the bandwagon on this one, since folks in Texas and New York have known about her for a long time.  So I’m sorry.  She’s great, though.  She’s funny, she knows sports better than most dudes, and yes, she’s a knockout.  Maybe they’ll make us Site Of The Day at the end of the show, one of these days.  Actually, I’ve probably just guaranteed that that will never happen.  Oh well.

 

05:12: I agree with Carter Blackburn on that one…Roderick Flemings CAN finish.  He took a tomohawk chop to the neck and shoulder on that and-one that would have made a Florida State Seminole fan proud.

05:14: Don’t get me wrong, I like Cowherd, too.  Just in a very different way than Beadle.

05:15: Williams and Balocka still lead Hawaii, but you can tell the Rainbows have been told to go to Flemings more this half.  And they’re going after the offensive glass like crazy.  But Northern Colorado is scoring off of Hawaii tunrovers.  There have been a lot of those this game.

05:30: I don’t know about those Hawaii warm-ups.  I think they say “Bows” on the front.  As in, short for Rainbows.  Nah, I’m sorry.  I can’t give that a pass.

05:40: Welcome to the Yohosh Bonner show.  He just stuck that CONFIDENT three on that break, then took it to the hole with equal confidence, and he’s picking it up on the defensive end.  Now he’s got another layup.  Seven straight, just like he started the game.  Northern Colorado’s now up 14 and they just got the ball back.  4:30 left and Hawaii is starting to fade.

05:53: Hawaii makes a liar out of me by hitting a three then getting a turnover and a layup, cutting a 13-point lead to 8 with 1:45 left.  Looks like Will Figures might have gotten away with a walk there.  But he stuck both FTs.  Then Jeremy Lay for Hawaii hits a three, and gets a foul!  Converts the four-point play.  Down to six.

05:58: Jeremy Lay is channeling his inner Nick Winbush (see Kentucky vs Miami (OH) highlights) and just hit a DEEP three to cut this to four.  Under a minute.

06:01: ANOTHER three by Jeremy Lay.  Down to three but Hawaii has to foul.  First FT is missed by Northern Colorado’s Will Figures, but got the second.  I think I know who I’d go to here…

06:08: Yeesh.  Northern Colorado squeaked  by 81-75.  Credit to Hawaii for making the comeback but the Northern Colorado lead was just too much.  Now we leave Hawaii and do a complete 180 and go to…Jersey City, New Jersey.  I’ve been looking forward to this one, actually, since this thing tipped off at 6am.  I don’t care how you’ve altered your sleep schedule, if you go to class you can’t alter it TOO much before a game like this, so I’m interested to see who’s affected by this weird start time.  Wesley Jenkins (a great basketball name) is Saint Peter’s main man while Monmouth is led by guard Whitney Coleman and forward Travis Taylor.

06:25: Here’s a video shot live at Rupp Arena, culled from YouTube, of the John Wall last-second shot to beat Miami (OH).  It’s taken from the vantage point of someone with some fairly distant seats, but the crowd reactions are great as you see the Kenny Hayes deep three to tie it, then the Wall buzzer-beater:

06:40: Meanwhile, while I was trying to get that video posted, Saint Peter’s has jumped on top of Monmouth by 10.  Nice finish on that one layup by Nick Leon, who has 7 early points.  Forward Ryan Bacon is having a nice sneaky floor game early on, with 4 points, 4 boards, an assist, and two blocks.  Monmouth hasn’t hit a three yet (0/6).

06:43: Boy, you gotta give it up for these Saint Peter’s fans.  Not only is that arena packed (I still haven’t figured out why Pauley Pavilion had so many seats empty for a game that started at 9pm local time), but those people have been there all night long, played games, had a pep rally, and they’re making more than their fair share of noise so far.  Props to them.

06:51: Um…to this point, we have our answer as to who’s more affected by the strange start time.  Monmouth has a REM-inducing 16 points at the half.

06:53: Is this true?  Does anyone out there remember that game show on MTV called Remote Control?  This was back when MTV actually had some balls and showed these things called music videos.  But I’ve just seen that the host of that show, Ken Ober, has died at age 52, of unknown causes.  Not to continue the somber tone, but I’d also like to send out props to the late Edward Woodward, aka The Equalizer, who had the starring role in one of my favorite movies of all-time, Breaker Morant.

07:08: I’ve been getting on Monmouth a little, but they shot 18% in the first half, and are yet only down 11 as we start the second half.  They’re 0/8 from beyond the 3-pt arc.  This game needs to pick up.

07:18: Thank goodness this one wasn’t a little later in the marathon.  I’d have been a dead duck.  23 turnovers and there’s still 13 minutes to go in the game.  As far as I’m concerned the star of this one has been Saint Peter’s forward Ryan Bacon with 7 points and 8 boards, and a nice throwdown in transition moments ago.  Monmouth did finally hit a three, though.

07:35: Saint Peter’s is up by 20.  Monmouth just had a sequence that summed up their night, with several close shots and tip-in attempts just refusing to go down.

07:46: Up to 23.  Monmouth is 2/12 from three (16.7%).  Saint Peter’s isn’t doing much better at 5/19 (26.3%) but Saint Peter’s is coasting.  Monmouth’s Ed Waite is 1/13 from the field and 2/6 from the line, but he has 10 rebounds, 7 of them at the offensive end.  What a strange line for Waite.

07:54: It’s over.  Saint Peter’s 58, Monmouth 34.  Let us never speak of it again.  Next up is Drexel at Niagara.  The MAAC is getting some sweet airtime from the 24-hour marathon.  We just saw Saint Peter’s, we’re about to see Niagara, and we’ll see Siena later on.  Niagara is picked 2nd on the average in the MAAC.  Drexel is projected fairly low in the Colonial.  I’d watch for Gerald Colds for Drexel, who hopes not to live up to his name.  Niagara is paced by 5’11 guard Tyrone Lewis and 6’5 forward Bilal Benn.

08:05: I’m wrong.  Tyrone Lewis won’t be playing for Niagara since he injured a hamstring in the opener against Auburn.  The arena looks to be full for this one, too.

08:15: Evan Neisler already has 4 points, 4 boards, and a steal for Drexel at the first TV timeout.  A little more scoring pace to start this one.  Drexel already out to a 9-0 run.  But this is starting to look like a YCMA game.

08:28: I take that back, the scoring has kept up with the pace, for the most part.  Niagara is starting to get serious and they’re forcing some turnovers from Drexel.  Rob Garrison ALREADY has ten points for Niagara…and there’s two missed dunks to this point for Drexel.  That strip just now by Garrison on a semi-breakaway from Drexel was one of the smoothest ones I’ve ever seen.  And a nice dish by Garrison over to Demetrius Williamson for the three.  This is a little more of what we expected from Niagara.

08:40: Gotta give Drexel credit.  They’ve hung in there mostly behind the play of Colds who has 8 now.  It’s been a quick first half…only 4:30 left in the first half.  It looks a little like Niagara may not have expected a game from Drexel and as a result they let them back in it.  Neisler’s line for Drexel is already up to 5 points and 6 boards.  Might be well on his way to a double-double.  What a time to do it!

08:53: Danger time for Drexel.  Niagara has extended it a little to an 8-point lead, and I wouldn’t let them get too far out of my sight, if I were the Dragons.  Now it’s out to 10.  By the way, three Niagara players blocked that last Drexel shot.  Only a minute left in the first half.

08:57: Nice end to the half for Niagara, the breakout and the last-second layup.  The lead is twelve, and Drexel’s going to have to come out hot, but haven’t shown that capability yet.  11/35 from the field and 2/7 from three-point range.  We’re now four and a half games in, and I’m still caffeine-, sleep-, and hallucination-free…so far.

09:14: As we start the 2nd half, WOW, what a slam by Drexel’s Leon Spencer!!  Thunderous.  That man’s head was somewhere around the shot clock, I think.  Still, they’ve let Niagara build a 13-point cushion.  Niagara has two dudes on double-double watch, Bilal Benn (11/9/1/2 blocks) and Kashief Edwards (6/6).

09:29: Now look at this, an 11-2 run for the Dragons.  Niagara hasn’t scored in some time.  It’s down to eight…and as soon as I type that, it’s back up to ten.  Now back to eight.   Still a lot of time, especially when you hit threes like Samme Givens just did for Drexel.  Good golly the pace is nice in this one.  Niagara has successfully let the Dragons back in this.

09:39: Niagara sure has decided to settle for some quick shots.  The selection has suffered.  Now Kashief Edwards is out with 4 fouls…but Austin Cooley just hit a three for Niagara.  Benn just hit another one off a rebound, and in doing so achieved his double-double.  This is why he’s first team all-MAAC.  Niagara back up by nine.

09:45: G. Floyd, I agree.  This should be a tour-de-force for Booker in the next one.  After this game, they presumably get more interesting, meaning some Top 25 teams or some squads just on the outside.

09:53: Bilal Benn is a mann.  Kid’s got 17 and 12.  It’s a ten point lead.  Derrick Thomas has 9/8 for Drexel but Benn has been too much for the Dragons to handle.

09:56:  Correction…Thomas has the double-double with 11/10 now, and he’s at the line.

10:02: My goodness, Drexel gets within four off another three.  Benn’s double-double for Niagara is up to 17/14.  I’m impressed how well he handles the ball for a guy of his size.

10:10: Three point game off the Colds three, and they get it back!  Is Niagara going to blow this?  They’ve done the “play not to lose” thing in ther late-game possessions.

10:15: Nah, this one’s over.  Niagara hit their FTs down the stretch and missed their desparation 3s.  Final is 76-69, Niagara.  Up next…a ranked team!  #23 Clemson at Liberty, who is led by Stephen Curry’s brother, Seth…..oh wait, that’s right.  He’s GONE, and transferred to Duke.

10:22: Uh, yeah, it’s 19 to 3.  David Potter has hit three threes and I’d by jumping around at random, too, David.

10:25: Make it four threes!  Potter is out of his mind right now.  Might want to get someone on him, coach!  This is to be expected…Librety is projected low in the Big South, and Clemson is picked anywhere from 1 to 4 in the preseason ACC polls.

10:44: Clemson has hit seven threes.  This one, I predict, will not end up close, despite the illusions of previous games.

12:43: Hi everyone! It looks like liveblogging for 12+ hours used up all the Internet that was in John’s computer (I think that’s how it works) and he’s having some technical issues. My name is Matt, and I’ll be your host for the next couple of hours. Siena’s pulled this one close–it’s nice to have competitive basketball on the television at half past 12.

12:50: Floater at the buzzer for Northeastern is good, they’re up 26-20. So nice to watch a running floater like that from the FT line–not exactly Barkley at the buzzer, but that touch is impressive.

12:58: With a schedule like this, Western Kentucky could be one of the better teams in the SEC. I think once WKU learns to play without Mendez-Valdez, they can be just as good as those teams (especially if Mississippi St. doesn’t get Sidney playing anytime soon).

13:06: Starting the 2nd half. Nasty block by Ojouboh for Northeastern! And Jackson returns the favor for Siena. Nice defense so far to start the half–I expected NE to come out firing, but both teams look pretty even after a few possessions.

13:13: Ubiles is showing why NBA scouts are looking at him–after his 7 pts. in the season opener, he’s got 17 on 8-14 shooting today, lots of speed and nice touch. Score is 27-26, Northeastern with the lead.

13:18: Siena’s taken the lead–up by two now thanks to smart passing in the lane, but Ojouboh ties it up. Ubiles drives through Northeastern and dishes, Rossiter with the +1. Lots of up-and-down happening on the court now, and Ojouboh goes to the bench with 4 fouls.

13:32: Siena’s opened up a sizeable lead, up by 7 now. Wouldn’t have imagined that after Northeastern led 20-6 early in the game. With Ojouboh in foul trouble, it’s going to be difficult for them to go on large runs unless they start finding 3-pointers.

13:38: Northeaster tries to pull it closer with an acrobatic layup on the baseline, but they just got their seventh team foul and followed that up with a turnover, allowing Ubiles to get his 20th point of the game. At the under-8 TVTO, Siena leads 43-37.

13:42: Andy Katz has to wear a suit for 24 hours? No fun there. Back in the game, Siena is starting to pressure on D and it’s getting to Northeastern. Ubiles hits another shot, but is holding his hand, seems to have hit it on something. Could be big.

13:48: Siena hits a big 3 with less than 5 minutes to go (by Ubiles, who else?) and Northeastern picks up a basket to respond. Bad news is, Rossiter just got another bucket+1 to make the score Siena 51, Northeastern 42.

13:52: Siena was founded by monks on an asparagus field? I recommend a name change: the Fightin’ Asparagi! They can have a rivalry with the UNC School of the Arts Fightin’ Pickles.

13:55: Big rebounds from Rossiter on both ends of the floor keeps the ball away from Northeastern. Both of them were ones he probably shouldn’t have gotten to–in doing so, he’s cut two possessions down from NE. At 1:10 left in the half, Siena leads, 53-45

13:59: NE makes it a seven-point game with ~44 seconds left on the clock, so not quite over yet. They’re going to have to make any and all shots though, because Siena’s been cleaning up on the boards in the last few minutes. Siena’s Moore is fouled, hits em both: 57-48.

14:02: Ubiles hits 1 of 2 from the line and NE’s Allen hits one from downtown with ~10 seconds left. At this point, we’re just waiting for a final score.

14:05: With 0.8 seconds left, Siena leads 58-53. The Saint Bernards win a fun and competitive game on the backs of Ubiles and Rossiter. No stopping though–Arkansas Little-Rock and Tulsa are just starting!

14:10: Four minutes in, AULR’s shooters look comfortable, but Tulsa’s size is going to be a problem. Knotted at 7 at the moment.

14:14: First TVTO, and Jerome Jordan, the 7’0″ 250 lbs. center for Tulsa, has 7 points. He seems pretty lithe for such a big guy. If he can move like that, expect to see him get some NBA workouts.

14:17: At 13:40 in the half, UALR’s big man, Wayne Burton, is on the bench with two fouls. Current score: 10-9, Tulsa. Lots of clangers coming off the rim, but a fast-paced game.

14:21: I was perplexed as to why Tulsa’s team is called the ‘Golden Hurricane’–Oklahoma is landlocked, and then you have that whole ‘golden’ thing. Ends up the tried ‘Golden Tornado’ in the 20’s, but figured out Georgia Tech had already claimed it. So, they went for the closest weather disaster. Reminds me of Ice Twisters, a movie on SyFy (that’s how they spell it now!) last week about tornadoes that shoot out shards of ice.

14:26: With a triple from Medder, Tulsa makes it 15-9. Then Garcia-Mendoza gets three the hard way to make the difference 3.

14:30: Under-8 TVTO, and Tulsa leads 19-12. Jerome Jordan has 13 pts, 7-7 from the stripe. On an unrelated note, UALR’s away uniforms look quite a bit like the Monstar uniforms from Space Jam.

14:35: The fact that Tulsa has a 7-footer and a 6’10” guy in the game at the same time is causing problems for UALR, who was on a run before Idlet came in to compliment Jordan. Idlet has two tip-ins simply because UALR can’t doubleteam both of them. Score is 23-17, Tulsa leading.

16:50: Sorry everyone, but John has had a major internet meltdown at his compound that he has been working on for the last couple of hours.  He hopes to have a connection back by the evening games, but even if he doesn’t, feel free to visit RTC Live for the Hall of Fame Showcase games: Arkansas-Louisville at 7:30 pm and Kansas-Memphis at 10 pm.  In the game above, you probably already know this, but Tulsa outlasted UALR 59-45 behind Jerome Jordan’s 19/9, and Georgetown and Temple are uglifying the game in their usual way out in DC (Gtown up 19-13, ugh).  Check back a little later this evening to find JS finishing up this BGTD.

19:40: Ok. We’re back after some major technical issues. Quick recap of what’s going on outside of our RTC Live coverage…Duke is destroying Charlotte by 35 with 5:44 left, but the big news has to be these ridiculous Blue Devil jerseys. Why can’t they just stick with the classics?

19:45: Apparently, Duke has had these jerseys around for a while as “alternate jerseys“. Honestly they look like the kind of cheap jerseys you see for half the price of the real thing at Foot Locker.

19:50: Wow. Does college basketball have a mercy rule? This can’t be real. There is no way Tennessee is up 57-8 with 3:30 left in the 1st half, right?

19:55: Brian Zoubek puts Duke at 100 for the night. A pretty boring game overall. Duke looked good against inferior competition in November. We’ll start to pay attention to the Blue Devils in late January to see what they are made of before we start hopping on the bandwagon.

20:00: Adam Morrison sighting! And in a uniform. Too bad it’s from 5 years ago. This might be one of the more interesting game of the day with Gonzaga travelling to East Lansing to take on Michigan State. And since it’s November Gonzaga might actually be able to hang with the Spartans. Matt Bouldin will need to be huge tonight with this young Gonzaga team going into a very tough environment. This could be a great game or could be very ugly.

20:10: One interesting score that we will be keeping an eye on is UConn only leading by 7 at home against Hofstra at halftime.

20:20: Gonzaga is up 13-5 early. Mark Few has to be thrilled with this start. His young guys look great. On the other sideline, Tom Izzo looks perplexed.

20:25: Anybody want to put in guesses for the final margin of the Tennessee game? It’s 59 points now with 15:32 left. I’d set the line at 75. At some point Bruce Pearl has to rest his 2nd unit and put in the 3rd team (with a few cheerleaders). I’m assuming he isn’t playing the starters. Actually I sort of wish this was against Isiah Thomas, who would be apoplectic on the other sideline right now.

20:30: Just put the Tennessee game on ESPN360. And we have a Baller Vol sighting! 65-point margin with 12:11 left…

20:35: Gonzaga is dominating Michigan State right now. If they weren’t wearing uniforms with their name across it and I couldn’t see Matt Bouldin’s awful haircut, I would swear that the Spartans were the inexperienced team in East Lansing.

20:40: Ugh. Andy Katz is sort of arguing against the NIT’s format of the winner advancing in their tournament saying it could be tough to sell tickets if UConn loses. While that’s true, I think a tournament should, you know, have the winner advance. Strange concept, right?

20:49:  I hate seeing things like knee tweaks and ankle rolls in slow motion.  Egad, that’s sickening.  But Raymar Morgan is coming back for MSU.  One way Gonzaga built this lead is through VERY physical play, but Michigan State has turned up the physicality themselves, and it’s assisted in their comeback. 

20:53:  Am I having a stroke, or do you guys and gals also hear that amazingly annoying screeching and/or baying sound on the MSU/Gonzaga game?  There’s a chance it’s just me.  The hallucinations have started and I’ve started yelling at strangers out my window for no real reason.  Seriously, it sounds like we’re watching Al-Jazeera.

21:02:  So, for my flip channel I just turned it over to some obscure NY sports channel I’ve never heard of, BUT, they’re showing the UConn/Hofstra game where UConn is up 5 on their own floor with 31 seconds left.  I mentioned this earlier,  but is there any fear regarding this team among the UConn faithful?  Their margins of victory haven’t been too convincing over some fairly unimpressive foes, and now they’re getting a real threat from Hofstra.  I know you take wins any way you can get them, but I’d be surprise if there weren’t at least a LITTLE concern.

21:11:  Have you heard?  ESPN has a college basketball encyclopedia out.  I wanted to make sure you knew, in case the previous 2,487 mentions of it didn’t clue you in.

21:25:  Sorry folks, but Gonzaga’s a top 25 team.  Gonzaga is getting a score whenever Michigan State gets close.  Down to 5, though…

21:35:  What a run by Michigan State to close this lead.  Unless you’re a Gonzaga fan, the only bad thing about it is that lady who evidently has seats right next to one of ESPN’s mics.  I hope she doesn’t have season tickets.  And I don’t want to watch the rest of this on mute, but I might.

21:47:  Whooooa, I don’t know if that was the right call.  That didn’t look to me like it was in the cylinder, and ESPN had the perfect angle to tell. 

21:51:  This Michigan State crowd has been angry all night long.  They’re really letting the refs have it every time a call goes against them.  It’s been a pretty physical game so this can’t be an easy one for the refs to call.  I have no dog in this fight, and it looks fairly even to me.

22:05:  I think we all knew that this one would end up here.  Three minutes left, 1-3 point margin, maybe an alternating lead (Michigan just got it back)…great stuff.  Michigan State might be pulling away a little, here…

22:15:  WHAT a take by Kalin Lucas.  Absolutely clutch.  I don’t know about the shot selection from Gonzaga both when they took the two threes, and THEN when they came down after MSU’s two missed FTs and took it to the hole.  Odd decision, and I know it’s the heat of the moment.  Lavin actually made a good point there by mentioning that you can’t replicate the game pressure, especially in one like this where it has a March-like atmosphere.

22:26:  Make no mistake, people.  That was a big win by Michigan State.  Gonzaga won’t be unranked for most of this year. 

Right now, rtmsf has started his RTC Live of the Kansas/Memphis game.  I’ll be commenting over there, and then come back here at halftime and then after it’s over for a last word.

22:58:  Halftime of the Kansas/Memphis game.  A pretty low scoring affair at 26-20.  Interesting halftime interview with Holly Rowe in which Bill Self states, “Our offense stinks.”  Fairly straightforward.  I’m sure Pastner isn’t too fired up about his, either, with only 20 points.  What was more interesting was that Self looked pretty relaxed, smiling, no worries.  Not the Self I’m used to.  Anyway, back to the RC Live window.  I’ll be back when this game’s over.

 00:20 (11/18):  Kansas just escaped in a fantastic game.  You gotta give props to Josh Pastner for having his team playing at this level so early.  I got to hear Pastner on a conference call this past weekend involving the four coaches in the Hall Of Fame Classic and he was by far the most enthusiastic and bordering on most charismatic of the group.  Not a favorable finish for his Tigers this time, but I think it’s safe to say that Memphis is going to be fine, and you’d be making a mistake to write them off at this point.  They’ll get better as each man learns his role and the team as a whole buys into Pastner’s system and develops a personality.

That, ladies and gentlemen, will do it for the 24-hour live blog.  I apologize for the web connectivity issues earlier, and I can’t believe that happens on a day like this one.  But I REALLY appreciate the help I got earlier while I dealt with that nonsense.  I’m glad we found a way to keep this going.  As for now, it’s off to bed, so I hope you got some enjoyment out of all this.  In the past 24 hours we’ve had representatives live-blogging games on location, we’ve had guys flying on planes around the country to bring them to you, and of course I’ve been doing this thing with that inestimable assistance I mentioned earlier.  We do all of this because we love the game.  We don’t feel we have to prove our love for the game to anyone, but we enjoy proving it.  You’ll pardon me if I get a little cocky by saying this to end the live blog:  quod erat demonstrandum….and we’re not even close to done yet.

Thanks for being here.