Gerald Smith – Rush The Court

Checking In On… the SEC

Gerald Smith — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:10:02 +0000

Gerald Smith (@fakegimel) is the RTC correspondent for the Southeastern Conference.

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The Week That Was

That’s Why You’re Mad: Kentucky was seeing red on Saturday as they dropped a game to Indiana. Coaches across the country (especially in the SEC) had a good look at the blueprint to upset Big Blue: Hot outside shooting, strong post play, and good interior defensive positioning to take charges on driving Wildcats. Much has been made about Terrence Jones‘ malaise and Marquis Teague‘s resurgence. Although the Wildcats have plenty of time to lick their wounds the pride of being the last undefeated SEC [...]

SEC Set Yer TiVo: Dead Week Edition

Gerald Smith — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:15:26 +0000

Students across SEC schools are finishing up their term papers and cramming for finals before the Christmas break. To help their students, most schools have scheduled a bunch of high-calorie cupcakes for this week’s game. Beware of the sugar crash! A team might sleep through their on-court exam and end up with an embarrassing grade.

Which games are worth the extra case of Red Bull, and which you should just sleep through?

Tennessee at Charleston — Wednesday, December 14 at 9 PM on ESPN2 and ESPN3 (***)

In the midst of a three-game losing streak — including an embarrassing 74-70 home loss to [...]

Crosstown Shootout 2011: Overwhelmed By Passion

Gerald Smith — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 22:56:34 +0000

Gerald Smith is an RTC correspondent. He filed this column from today’s Crosstown Shootout game between Cincinnati and Xavier.

Our Alma Mater, proud and strong. Fight to the finish, never give in.

We want athletics to be our battleground: My team versus your team, my color better than yours. Local foes — the enemy you know best — often extract the most passion. The one game of the year that secures bragging rights. It’s definitely more than just a game for the players, coaches and fans. Xavier’s 76-53 victory against Cincinnati in today’s Crosstown Shootout, like most deep-seated rivalries, brought out the [...]

SEC Morning Five: 12.08.11 Edition

Gerald Smith — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:30:02 +0000

Another set of games, another entry in the archive of “OH NO, SEC!” Tonight’s folly is provided by Alabama in its 74-62 loss to Dayton. The Crimson Tide’s 2-3 zone defense was pounded by 10-19 shooting from three by the Flyers. Similar to the Georgetown game, ‘Bama let themselves get behind early (down 38-27 at halftime) and couldn’t score enough in the second half to overcome the deficit. In its two losses this season, Alabama has allowed 41.2% (Georgetown) and 52.3% (Dayton) three-point shooting for their opponents. Anthony Grant’s team is not built to pour in the points through up-tempo [...]

SEC Morning Five: 12.07.2011 Edition

Gerald Smith — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 13:30:45 +0000

When you hang banners in Rupp Arena, then you make that money! On Tuesday the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees approved a contract extension for basketball coach John Calipari, making him the highest paid college basketball coach in the nation. Including money for broadcasting and endorsements, Calipari will make $3.7 million the first year; if he stays through the eight-year duration, he will make $4.5 million in his final year. Compared to college football’s highest-paid coaches, the Kentucky basketball coach’s salary is less than Texas’ Mack Brown ($5.2 million/yr) and just five other coaches, including the SEC’s Nick Saban [...]

Checking In On… the SEC

Gerald Smith — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 19:55:46 +0000

Gerald Smith is the RTC correspondent for the Southeastern Conference.

Reader’s Take

Take Our Poll

The Week That Was

Big East Beatdown:The SEC left this past weekend’s Big East/SEC Challenge battered and bruised. Despite a tight road win for Mississippi at DePaul, the SEC only won four of the twelve games of the Challenge. Several of the high-profile swing games were close but did not turn in the SEC’s favor: Florida‘s three-point barrage wasn’t enough to lift it over Syracuse’s offensive rebounding and free-throw rate; Alabama could not slow down Georgetown’s offense enough to catch up; and Vanderbilt folded late in regulation and offered [...]

SEC Set Yer TiVo: 12.5.2011 Edition

Gerald Smith — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 19:35:44 +0000

SEC Set Your TiVo will take a look ahead at each week’s key games. See bottom of the post for the Official RTC Star System.

Two days. The SEC has given us two whole days of no basketball action. Take Monday and Tuesday to spend time with your significant other and/or children. Tell them you love them and that you enjoy their company. Then on Wednesday night, you have a choice: Shall you spend an unprecedented third day with the people-that-you-love-the-most-after-March? Or is there a game that needs to be seen?

Arizona at Florida – Wednesday, December 7, 7 PM on ESPN3 [...]

A Quick, Fake Summary: There Ain’t No Easy Way Out of Rupp Arena

Gerald Smith — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 20:20:50 +0000

Seven or more potential NBA Lottery picks! The new #1 team in the nation versus the old #1 team! Jim Nantz put on his extra-stretchy pants! Almost everybody in college basketball was excited for this afternoon’s tilt between Kentucky and North Carolina. Would the teams bring the kind of effort and execution that the nation would expect from them?

Absolutely!

North Carolina took a 43-38 lead at halftime thanks to incredible 3-point shooting (6-8) and great execution from junior forward John Henson, who had six points, three rebounds, and three blocks in the 1st half. Kentucky missed tons of lightly-contested jumpers and [...]

Big East/SEC Challenge: Arkansas @ Connecticut, LSU @ Rutgers

Gerald Smith — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 16:34:30 +0000

To preview the match-ups in the Big East/SEC Challenge, the Big East & SEC Microsites are facing off in conversational analysis. Gerald Smith and Patrick Prendergast butt heads once last time over the final two games of the series: Arkansas @ UConn (2:15 PM EST on ESPN) and LSU @ Rutgers (7PM EST on ESPNU).

Arkansas @ Connecticut

Patrick Prendergast: We know Mike Anderson and his Arkansas Razorbacks want to play fast and outgun their opponents. They are averaging 83.7 points per game in their 5-1 start. Their lone defeat was an 87-78 setback to Houston and I just happened to catch [...]

The MOST ANTICIPATED North Carolina at Kentucky Preview!

Gerald Smith — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 15:00:13 +0000

The game that nearly every college basketball fan has circled on their calendars is finally here: #4 North Carolina visiting #1 Kentucky. The hype for the game started with Kentucky’s defeat of UNC in the 2011 Elite Eight. Then anticipation turned into a frenzy when upperclassmen — sophomore Harrison Barnes, senior Tyler Zeller, and junior John Henson for the Tar Heels, sophomores Doron Lamb and Terrence Jones for the Wildcats — passed on the 2011 NBA Draft. Instead the NBA will be coming to them (if they can get the media credentials) Saturday at Noon EST. Plebeians like the rest [...]

A Quick Fake Summary: Florida Heard the Sound of Inevitablity

Gerald Smith — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 03:13:38 +0000

In order to beat the Syracuse system, Florida needed to come out guns blazing. Specifically they needed their big forward Patric Young to be enough of a post threat to score and draw collapsing Orange defenders. They also needed their collection of long-range snipers — both old (junior Kenny Boynton, senior Erving Walker) and new (junior Mike Rosario, freshman Brad Beal) — to exploit the seams in Agent Orange’s zone defense.

Boynton (22 points) and Walker (17 points, five assists) did their part. Young (six points, five rebounds) was pinned down, controlled by Syracuse’s interior defenders and played just 25 minutes. [...]

Big East/SEC Challenge Face-Off: Florida @ Syracuse

Gerald Smith — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 21:15:02 +0000

To preview the match-ups in the Big East/SEC Challenge, the Big East & SEC Microsites are facing off in conversational analysis. Gerald Smith and Patrick Prendergast are going one-on-one to break down Florida facing Syracuse at the Carrier Dome.

Patrick Prendergast: In the battle for the right to wear bright orange where ever one goes and, oh yeah, to solidify a position near the top of the national rankings, #10 Florida (5-1) will take on #3 Syracuse (7-0) in a heavyweight battle at the Carrier Dome tonight. Syracuse has proven as tough and focused as they are deep, remaining undefeated despite [...]

A Quick, Fake Summary: St. John’s Cannot Hide or Ever, Ever Escape

Gerald Smith — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 04:05:44 +0000

Most folks wouldn’t be surprised if St. John’s lost tonight; any young team without their head coach in attendance would be rightful underdogs visiting a #1 team on their home court. It also wouldn’t be surprising if Kentucky finished the game with lot of blocks. They’ve been swatting them at an excellent pace for most of this early season. But the combination of Red Storm youth and Kentucky defensive length and intensity created the perfect environment for freshman forward Anthony Davis to wreak havoc.

Davis accumulated eight blocks through the second half of Kentucky’s 81-59 victory tonight. Kentucky fans in Rupp [...]

Big East/SEC Challenge Face-Off: St. John’s @ Kentucky

Gerald Smith — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 17:59:31 +0000

Gerald Smith: They’re young now, they’re wild now and they want to be free; Kentucky and St. John’s have got the magic power of freshmen in them! The Johnnies gathered the third-best recruiting class in the nation which included Maurice Harkless, D’Angelo Harrison and Sir’Dominic Pointer. The Wildcats managed yet another number one recruiting class of Anthony Davis, Marquis Teague, Michael [...]

Big East/SEC Challenge Face-Off: Providence @ South Carolina

Gerald Smith — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:46:49 +0000

To preview the match-ups in the Big East/SEC Challenge, the RTC Big East & SEC Microsites are facing off in conversational analysis. Gerald Smith and Patrick Prendergast will battle one-on-one to break down Providence’s visit tonight at South Carolina.

Gerald Smith: The first Big East/SEC Challenge matchup is a cold, calculated move by the WORLDWIDE LEADERS at ESPN: After 30 minutes of Providence at South Carolina, fans nationwide will be eager to jump into the St. John’s @ Kentucky game 30 minutes later. Prior to Providence’s better performance against Holy Cross Tuesday night, both teams scored less than 62 points their [...]