College Basketball by the Tweets: Catholicism in Sports, the Butler Does It Again…
Posted by Nick Fasulo on December 18th, 2012
Fresh off a lesson in efficiency from the Michigan Wolverines, a young and confident West Virginia Mountaineer couldn’t help but offer his two cents on Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway, Jr.
https://twitter.com/Carvelli3/status/280163185355538433
Eron Harris, to his credit, had a respectable night, finishing with 10 points on 3-of-3 shooting. But his team was shallacked 81-66 on national television, while the duo of Burke and Hardaway at the Barclays Center confirmed to many that they may be the most dangerous backcourt in the country. Defining “amazing” in this instance is certainly open to interpretation, but John Beilein has a special tandem to work with, while Bob Huggins has a team in need of a reality check. Oh, to be a freshman in college once again.
Catholic Seven Speak Up
All of a sudden, the infrequently used sports chant “We’ve Got God” has taken on a whole new meaning. The seven Catholic-affiliated schools from the Big East, more commonly known as the seven Big East schools that don’t have a Division I football program, finally used the one bit of leverage they had — a connection with a higher power — as a way out of a decaying conference.
https://twitter.com/BonnieBernstein/status/279383453437407232
https://twitter.com/AdamZagoria/status/279382035297079296
The Catholic Seven will likely add a few more programs that are aligned both religiously and academically, effectively bringing to an end one of the great leagues a basketball hoophead has ever seen. As someone who literally grew up on the Big East, this certainly evokes emotion. Not really the thought of a future with no Big East, but the pause this news gives to remember all those nights you stayed up watching Big East basketball.
https://twitter.com/sharrowsDC/status/279376312668401664
And, yea, bro, sucks to be stuck with that…
https://twitter.com/MDuMont11/status/279411191695159297
Down Goes Indiana
There’s just not a game a Brad Stevens-coached team can’t win. Sure they’ll get blown out by a down Xavier team from time to time, but the Bulldogs have made it clear they’re in this for the long haul with wins over North Carolina and now former No. 1 Indiana… and they’re acutely aware of this.
The word from #Butler center Andrew Smith on #Indiana upset: “It’s no surprise to us.”
— Brian Hamilton (@ChiTribHamilton) December 15, 2012
The game itself was one of two instant classics on the day, as Alex Barlow (who?) provided the game winning shot in overtime to lift the Bulldogs over the then-undefeated Hoosiers. A walk-on sophomore who barely sniffed the floor last season was the center of attention in the college sports media world over the weekend, blowing the minds of his family and friends in native Cincinnati.
I’m amazed that Alex Barlow is out there, making key plays against the #1 team in crunch time. Brad Stevens, ladies and gentlemen
— John Dedman (@JohnDedman) December 15, 2012
His first tweet post-Indiana game?
@yahooforde thanks for the nice article! Just one small thing my dads name is Tom, not Tim! Thanks again!!!!! Nice to meet you
— Alex Barlow (@ABar03) December 16, 2012
Oh you’re so polite, Mr. Barlow
More Unfavorable Attention to Josh Pastner
Alright I give up. Count me in as an official Josh Pastner skeptic. The boyish smile has lost it’s luster, the “precocious young coach” label no longer applicable. Following the Tigers’ loss to Louisville on Saturday, a defeat in which Pastner’s team blew a 16-point first half lead and came up short at home against the Cardinals, the reality that the third-year head coach hasn’t really done anything impressive during his tenure started spreading.
Josh Pastner and I have beaten the same number of top 25 teams.
— Zach Hayes (@zhayes9) December 15, 2012
Tennessee has more wins over top 25 opponents this week than josh pastner ever
— Zach Hodgkiss (@zhodgkiss) December 15, 2012
Yes that’s right, Memphis has never beaten a Top 25 team under Pastner. That’s upsetting, and until Josh gets that monkey off his back, the critics will continue to poke fun at his coaching abilities.
Josh pastner is the anti-Brad Stevens. Plenty of talent but can’t seem to manage it
— Chip Cosby (@chipcosby) December 15, 2012
Josh Pastner’s halftime prep continues. Tickle fights. #energy
— CrumsRevenge (@CrumsRevenge) December 15, 2012
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