College Basketball by the Tweets: Tom Izzo, Marcus Paige, TV Ted and More…
Posted by Nick Fasulo (@nickfasuloSBN) on March 4th, 2014Nick Fasulo is an RTC correspondent who writes the column College Basketball By the Tweets, a look at the world of college hoops through the prism of everyone’s favorite social media platform. You can find him on Twitter @nickfasuloSBN.
Congratulations, everyone, we’ve made it to the month of March, which some people are unofficially just straight up calling “Izzo.”
It's March. @MSU_Basketball pic.twitter.com/UaYM5BCsuO
— Kevin Pauga (@KevinPauga) March 1, 2014
I guess if you’ve reached the NCAA Tournament in each of the last 16 years, including six Final Four appearances as the head coach of one team, you can pretty much do whatever you want.
Marcus Paige
There’s perhaps no non-freshman player in the country who has improved as much as Marcus Paige since November. The slender point guard is the clear-cut leader of this year’s Tar Heels, and his play against Triangle rival NC State last week proved as much.
How do you give Paige his left hand?
— Michael DeCourcy (@tsnmike) February 27, 2014
Had to be the single most important item on scouting report. Paige is a stud.
— Michael DeCourcy (@tsnmike) February 27, 2014
Marcus Paige went to the rim in a down one situation! Look at that! Finally some smart basketball.
— Brian Otskey (@botskey) February 27, 2014
That game will go down in history as the least ability shown by two coaches to get the ball out of the ONLY scorers' hands for each team.
— Chris Littmann (@chrislittmann) February 27, 2014
Um …. .Did N.C. State realize that the dude who'd dropped 30 in the second half was probably going to take the last shot?
— Myron Medcalf (@MedcalfByESPN) February 27, 2014
And then a few nights later, Paige sealed a victory for UNC on the defensive end.
He missed two key free throws, but came up with a game-winning block versus Notre Dame.
Just saw that game winning block.. Marcus Paige is the definition of #clutch !!
So … Marcus Paige misses two free throws in the final seconds, but comes up with the game-saving block? Gotcha.
— Ryan Fagan (@ryanfagan) March 4, 2014
TV Ted Valentine Gets Airtime With Mick Cronin
Well known official Ted Valentine loves attention. He’s overly confident and sometimes downright condescending. Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin has a short fuse. A really short fuse. Both men’s polarizing personalities clashed on Saturday during the Bearcats’ loss to UConn.
Oh word? Thanks! RT @LostLettermen: Thanks to @CBSSportsNet @AdamZuckerCBS for shout out on Cronin, Ted V “Notebook” pic.twitter.com/6o8vej7tUC
— Weather Moose (@WXMoose) March 3, 2014
Love hearing Dakich publicly trounce Ted Valentine. TV Teddy has become a millionaire off of ruining basketball. Guy is a complete ass clown
— Luke Blank (@Luke_Blank) March 4, 2014
Ted Valentine is awful at his job and has beome wealthy because of it. Embarassing. Special place in hell for guys like him
— Luke Blank (@Luke_Blank) March 4, 2014
Said it for awhile now and was reaffirmed Saturday, Ted Valentine shouldn't be a referee.
— Zach Felger (@ZachFelger) March 3, 2014
Good OTL topic. But ref Ted Valentine escalated that incident w/Cincy coach Mick Cronin. A coach/player doing that would be ripped by media.
— ChuckyT3 (@ChuckyT3) March 3, 2014
Ted Valentine is such a piece of human garbage (and a horrible official). Mick Cronin is a great guy. Valentine should finally be banned.
— Ryan Phillips (@RumorsandRants) March 2, 2014
31-0 #WatchUs
We finally have it. For the first time since St. Joseph’s did the trick in 2003-04 will a team enter the postseason with exactly zero losses. Much like the Atlantic 10’s Hawks of a decade ago, there is a wide range of #hotspotstakes regarding just how good this Shockers team is compared to the Floridas and Kansases and Dukes of the world.
A collection of the best tweets encapsulating their 31st win of the year is below.
This is our time. #WATCHUS pic.twitter.com/q8tE14ocNb
— GoShockers (@GoShockers) March 4, 2014
"U don't have to play perfect to win. We strive for perfection. If u strive for perfection often u can achieve excellence." -Gregg Marshall
— Eric Musselman (@EricPMusselman) March 3, 2014
Talk about what matchups would trouble them. Why Van Vleet could be exposed. Enough with the schedule. It's "evaluatable," and 31-0 is HARD.
— Andy Glockner (@AndyGlockner) March 1, 2014
To those pooh-poohing #WichitaSt going 31-0: Psst… It's hard to go undefeated. In any league. Cuse lost to BC. Eagles were 6-19
— Bonnie Bernstein (@BonnieBernstein) March 3, 2014
Hypothetical Vegas line for Kentucky-Wichita State right now, on a neutral, would be what?
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) March 2, 2014
What's harder to do: Go 31-0 against meager competition, or win 10 straight titles in the Big 12? #kubball #WATCHUS
— Zach (@zachfromkansas) March 4, 2014
Lack of respect for Wichita State is stunning. Not only are the Shockers undefeated, they went to Final Four last season. They're proven.
— Kyle Rowland (@KyleRowland) March 3, 2014
Give UK fans credit. They called a team going undefeated this season. Just the wrong team… #Shockers
— ZehDuck (@ZehDuck) March 2, 2014
And… oh… man.
@kenpomeroy @MattNorlander #CheerForTheEars #WATCHUS pic.twitter.com/1d679PMnhn
— Rob Hoover III (@robhooveriii) February 26, 2014
Pitt vs. NC State: One Game, Two Narratives
There were two obvious angles to be played following NC State’s take-down of Pitt at the Petersen Events Center on Monday night.
1) Pittsburgh is suddenly not a Tournament lock
Right now, Pittsburgh is not a tournament team.
— Nate Kotisso (@natekotisso) March 4, 2014
Starting with that buzzer-beating loss to Syracuse, Pittsburgh has now been defeated in four of its last six after falling to NC State.
— SB Nation CBB (@SBNationCBB) March 4, 2014
Remember when the Pete was one of the country's best home court advantages? Pitt's now lost 15 games there over the last three seasons.
— Brian Goodman (@BSGoodman) March 4, 2014
Can't wait to run the bracket numbers tomorrow morning. Have a feeling Pittsburgh is going to be long ways from its spot Sunday.
— Brendan Prunty (@BrendanPrunty) March 4, 2014
@PaulZeise Pitt is trying like hell not to make the tourney. This was a bad loss. If one guy is beating you, you might want to double him.
— Ken Baldonieri (@baldonieri) March 4, 2014
There is absolutely NO reason Pitt should make the tournament, barring an ACC tournament run to the finals at least. This team is bad
— Cody Augustine (@cca_1223) March 4, 2014
2) TJ Warren is really good (he dropped 41 on the Panthers)
*inserts TJ Warren tweet here*
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) March 4, 2014
It's silent in the Oakland Zoo. It's NEVER silent in the Oakland Zoo. 41pts will do that to ya.
— Troy Machir (@TroyMachir) March 4, 2014
Maybe TJ Warren can sneak out his first ACC Player of the Week award of the season now. SMH.
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) March 4, 2014
“@WWAYSports: Combined, Lebron James & TJ Warren scored 100 points Monday night" Photo proof just in to the newsroom pic.twitter.com/CKXOXjv9IM
— Holden Kurwicki (@kwicknotes) March 4, 2014
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