Morning Five: 01.19.10 Edition
Posted by rtmsf on January 19th, 2010
- Purdue’s Matt Painter is not pleased at all with his team’s effort over the last few games (three straight losses for the Boilers). Great quote: “I’d like to start E’Twaun Moore, E’Twaun Moore, Robbie Hummel, Robbie Hummel and Robbie Hummel. No one else deserves to start…” The defensive efficiency numbers bear him out, as their three worst performance of the year on that end have been in the last three contests.
- Charlotte forward RaShad Coleman injured his knee on Sunday (fractured patella) and will miss the rest of the season. He only averaged 4/3 in fourteen minutes per game, but with the corollary loss of guard Shamarr Bowden to transfer last week, Bobby Lutz will have to keep the rest of his wing rotation healthy if he expects to compete for the A10 title.
- Seth Davis outlines the eight teams that helped themselves and eight teams that hurt themselves with their non-conference schedules. Also some good insider information in the hoop thoughts section, as always.
- Interesting that Gonzaga might get to play its first and second round NCAA games at the nearby (as in 1.6 miles) Spokane Arena if it becomes a home-protected seed (h/t S. Davis, above). The arena is not their home venue, having played only one game there this season. Here’s the bigger question, though: why does Spokane (pop: 200,000) have two basketball arenas (including the on-campus Kennel)?
- Fear the Beard. Over 1,000 fans received and wore fake beards to honor Jacob Pullen’s scruffy facial hair, and even Frank Martin got into the act last night as Kansas State knocked off the #1 Texas Longhorns in Manhattan.
A More Hirsute Frank Martin (AP/Charlie Riedel)
Seth Davis is always a great read. The point about Tony Bennett is spot on. People criticized that hiring but he is going to get it done there. He’s a tremendous basketball mind.
Just a couple criticisms for Seth on this article though:
One, he gives Seton Hall too much credit. I’m a Hall fan and I do not agree we’re a tournament caliber team. The Pirates MUST beat Louisville AND Pitt this week to have ANY chance at all. Even then it’s a slim chance. The non-conference schedule was a joke as Seth points out and even worse they didn’t take care of business against Temple and Va Tech, two of the three good teams on the schedule.
Two, I’m not on the Siena or Northwestern bandwagon. Can’t see how he has them both in his top 25 over teams like Baylor and Vanderbilt or even Butler (I’ve been very critical of them).