If you’re like us, you probably didn’t even realize it was Valentine’s Day until this morning. By now you’ve been reminded by the random vases of flowers showing up in your office and/or the cooing of your lady friends about their big plans this evening (or, alternatively, rampant complaining if they don’t have plans). So as a public service to our five readers who actually have a spouse or significant other, we’re providing you with an easy out tonight. Our in-house designer has come up with a few simple designs for cards that you can print out and take home to your SO — they’re free of charge and come with these easy instructions (all images and designs are courtesy of jacksmaster.com).
Print out one of the below designs in full, vibrant color (click to open the full image).
Take it home to your significant other.
If significant other likes it, that person is a definite keeper; if not, you may want to reconsider. After all, the V-Day RTC mantra is hoops, then love.
Jesse Baumgartner is an RTC contributor. In this weekly piece he’ll review the five things he loved and hated about the previous seven days of college basketball. This week, Jesse jumps on the St. John’s bandwagon, reminisces about his UNC vs Duke days, and wishes Ohio State hadn’t lost.
The Five Things I Loved This Week
I LOVED…..this tweet from North Carolina freshman Kendall Marshall this past Tuesday, just two days after tearing apart Florida State’s defense: “Just got turned down for Valentine’s Day. Confidence is low right now lololol.” As a buddy of mine phrased it, come on Chapel Hill – 16 assists doesn’t cut it for the ladies?
I LOVED…..the biggest shot of the weekend coming from college basketball’s version of Carrot Top. Wisconsin’s Mike Bruesewitz splashed a monster three from the top of the key with the shot clock running down to seal Ohio State’s first loss of the season. It’s hard to miss his fire-colored curles on a telecast, and even harder when he’s front-and-center in the game’s biggest moment. A few more of those shots and Bruesewitz will have a cult-like following from the fad hair lovers in America.
I LOVED…..a good ‘ol fashioned Duke-UNC throwdown. I was around the rivalry for four years during college, and I’ll never for one second believe that there’s a better annual game than the regular-season matchup at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Like no other rivalry, records seem to go out the window and emotions reach some sort of twisted, chaotic climax. This year we even had the UNC chancellor hatin’ on the campers of Krzyzewskiville — via Twitter no less. Alas, we now have to wait 51 more weeks for the next edition at Cameron.
Take Heart, Kendall. Your Rising APG and the Love of the UNC Nation Will Keep You Warm
I LOVED…..St. John’s continuing its resurgence under Steve Lavin. There’s something extremely cool about reviving a program that has such an amazing history and plays in MSG, the Mecca of basketball stadiums. New York City is so connected with our game’s history that it’s fun to see an energetic coach put some excitement back into the program. Let’s hope this isn’t a one-season deal.
If you are interested in participating in our ATB2 feature, send in your submissions to rushthecourt@gmail.com. We will add to this post throughout the day as the submissions come in so keep on sending them.
Top 25 Games
#11 Wisconsin 71, #1 Ohio State 67: “After opening the 2nd half with a 19-6 spurt to take what seemed like a commanding 47-32 lead with 13:16 to play, Ohio State folded like a 9/2 off suit yielding a 30-8 Badger blitz over the next nine minutes to fall behind 62-55 before eventually losing 71-67 this afternoon in the Kohl Center.” (Eleven Warriors) “Two days after Wisconsin’s mammoth victory over previously unbeaten Ohio State, I still think that might have been the best college basketball game I have seen in person. The immovable object (Wisconsin at home) met the irresistible force (the No. 1 Buckeyes’ unblemished record, balanced attack) and held its ground.” (Bucky’s 5th Quarter)
#2 Texas 69, Baylor 60: “Two streaks came to an end on Saturday afternoon at the Frank Erwin Center. For the first time this season, Texas failed to defeat a Big 12 opponent by double digits, as the Longhorns held off the Baylor Bears, 69-60. That streak really doesn’t matter. What does matter is that the win broke a ridiculous four game losing streak to Baylor.” (Burnt Orange Nation)
#3 Kansas 89, Iowa State 66: “A shorthanded Kansas Jayhawk squad jumped out early on Saturday to take control of the second matchup of the season against Iowa State. In a game where the Jayhawks played without Josh Selby and Thomas Robinson, Kansas seemed to heed the call from their head coach for better defense, at least early. At one point, just under the five minute mark in the first half, Kansas was up by 23 points and had held the Cyclones to just 14 points. While the Cyclones never pushed the game back within reach, Iowa State did start knocking down shots from beyond the arc.” (Rock Chalk Talk: Part 1 or Part 2)
#19 Louisville 73, #12 Syracuse 69: “The Cards used torrid three point shooting from Preston and Kuric and some great interior defense to build a 20-point lead, and then let Syracuse back into it by seemingly trying to just run out the clock. I think we had the ball for 1:48 of the last 2:00 of the game, and a very lucky foul called against Syracuse with the shot clock running down and a risky pass to Kuric at the free throw line gave us some breathing room. It was also the first time I can remember Pitino making a halftime adjustment when UP 10, and we ran a high pick against their zone that let Siva get into the lane and create scoring opportunities. A few key shots and this thing stays a double digit win.” (Card Chronicle)
More impressive than Wisconsin’s victory over visiting Ohio State on Saturday afternoon is the rise of Badger point guard Jordan Taylor, and we don’t mean as an underrated player who suddenly finds himself enjoying accolades he probably should have been enjoying all along over the span of one season. SI’s Luke Winn recounts how Taylor went from being a high school kid lucky to even get a call from the school to being the most important player in Saturday’s win, not to mention one of the top floor leaders in the game. A must-read to start the week.
Minneapolis Star-Tribune columnist Jim Souhan minces no words when criticizing the Tubby Smith era at Minnesota, apologizing on behalf of all Gopher fans for thinking they had pulled one over on what he evidently considers a pretty backwards fanbase and state. We have to say, we’ve attended games over the length and breadth of Kentucky in this and previous seasons, and we’ve driven through all parts of it on our way to other games, and we’ve yet to see one Confederate flag. We’ve been treated incredibly well everywhere we’ve been in the Bluegrass State on our travels, so we wonder if Souhan’s actually made the trip. To our Kentucky readers: do you accept the apology Souhan includes in his article regarding the assessment of Tubby Smith, and should there be one forthcoming because of Souhan’s apparent opinion of your state? Looks like he’s lumping you all into a way of thinking that’s represented by a mere few wingnuts.
Sporting News reporter Ryan Fagan took to the highways of South Carolina on Saturday to watch three games in the Palmetto State within about eight hours of each other. Two of the SC teams he watched lost. The one that won is a team with which you might want to familiarize yourself if you haven’t already. The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers have now won 22 straight games, are 15-0 in the Big South, have only four regular season tilts left, and three of them are at home. What’s more, after Wisconsin’s defeat of Ohio State, CCU now has the longest winning streak in the nation. Get to know them!
It looked like Seton Hall’s Keon Lawrence had straightened himself out after starting his career East Rutherford with the ignominious incident in which he was arrested for driving the wrong way on the New Jersey Turnpike back on November 9th, 2009. He had played in every game this year, averaging 24 minutes a contest. The turnaround evidently didn’t last. Kevin Willard dismissed Lawrence and fellow senior Jamel Jackson from the team on Saturday, just hours before the Pirates’ game at Rutgers.
Things may be tough at Kansas State right now, but you’ll never see Frank Martin give up, that’s for sure. The Kansas City Star has a comprehensive look at the issues that have confronted Martin and his K-State program this year, focusing specifically on the man and why he’s never going to change anything about the way he coaches just because things have hit a rough patch. We’re glad to hear it.
The Lede. Who knew that a medium-sized flyover state known more for its brats and cheese could become the center of the American sports universe, even if just for a bit? But with the top ten seasons of both the Wisconsin Badger football and basketball teams (now including victories over #1 Ohio State in both sports), plus a little Super Bowl-winning team a couple hours to the northeast in Green Bay, a fair argument could be made, couldn’t it? This too shall pass, but what will not is that Bo Ryan is an unbelievable coach and we should just go ahead and slot his teams into the top twenty every season regardless of the personnel he has returning. Honestly, it’s getting a little ridiculous just how successful this guy is year after year.
Jordan Taylor: King of Madison, Wisconsin (Cap Times/A. Mertz)
Your Watercooler Moment. Unbeaten Ohio State Goes Down. When the nation’s #1 team dunks, bombs and outmuscles you in your house on its way to a fifteen-point lead in the second half, most teams wilt as quickly as those flowers you bought for your girlfriend surely will about 48 hours from now. Wisconsin does not wilt. In fact, the Badgers don’t even bend much, at least not in their Big 10 House of Horrors known as the Kohl Center. Matching like with like, Bo Ryan’s team simply upped its resolve, made some stops and ripped off a 15-0 run of its own (ten points by Jordan Taylor) to tie the game at the 9:49 mark. The last ten minutes of this game represented some of the most exciting basketball of the season, with each team taking turns showing how to score until Taylor (and his 24/4/7 assts) created some separation with his fifth three-pointer of the game at the 5:34 mark. From that point on, it was clear that the Badgers were going to win the game and put an end to the Buckeyes’ unbeaten season, in much the same way that their football counterparts had last October 16 at Camp Randall Stadium. When OSU cut the lead to two with just under a minute to go, it was the floppy-haired Mike Bruesewitz direct from central casting who shot-faked and nailed a ginormous three to effectively salt the game away and set the Kohl Center on fire. At the end of the game, there was the obligatory RTC, as it was only the second time in history that the Badgers had knocked off a #1 team, and this particular OSU team was also the last remaining unbeaten. Full and complete coverage of the court was achieved, as viewed in the video below. Well done, Badgers.
This Weekend’s Quick Hits…
Pitt Without Ashton Gibbs. It was one thing to win the Backyard Brawl without Ashton Gibbs on the floor last Monday night; but to waltz into the Pavilion on ESPN Gameday and beat the Wildcats in their on-campus building where they had not lost in four years? Very impressive work, Panthers. We realize that Villanova played with Corey Stokes as well, but on this night it was Jamie Dixon’s team who was simply tougher than Jay Wright’s. The physical play and three technical fouls as a result are characteristic of Pitt’s wheelhouse, and when push came to shove, it was the Panthers showing that they are indeed the Big East’s best team and a possible #1 seed next month. Their toughest remaining game is a trip to Louisville, but would it surprise anyone if the Panthers ran the table the rest of the way to 17-1?
Norris Cole’s He-Man Game. 20/10 nights are damn impressive in the college game, but try doubling it. Norris Cole became just the second player in the last fifteen seasons to drop a 40/20 in a single game — and the other was an athletic specimen you might have heard of named Blake Griffin (40/23 against Texas Tech in 2009). Cole went for an absurd 41/20/9 assts against Youngstown State on Saturday, leaving us to wonder if he also ran the sound system, operated the scoring table and mopped up the soda residue and popcorn stains afterward. Sheesh… We know that Cole has had a handful (three, to be exact) of double-figure rebounding games this season, but how a 6’2, 170-pounder can pull down twenty makes no sense to us — he’s up for the Cousy Award as the best point guard in America, and with Cleveland State near the top of the Horizon League standings, let’s all hope that we get to see this kid play on the biggest stage this March.
Game #141. It’s an unanticipated A-10 battle at the top between Xavier and Duquesne in Pittsburgh this afternoon.
Welcome college basketball fans to snowy Pittsburgh for a match up between Xavier and Duquesne at the Consol Energy Center in what could very conceivably determine the #1 seed for the Atlantic 10 Tournament. Both teams come into the game tied for the lead in the A-10 with Temple and Richmond right on their heels. Xavier has a significant height advantage in this one with seven players 6’7 and taller. Duquesne, who has relied on their speed and ability to distribute the basketball, will once again have to venture into the forest to get it done. Xavier will look to shut down Bill Clark and Damian Saunders for Duquesne, while the Dukes will look to take a page out of UNC Charlotte’s playbook by shutting down leading scorer Tu Holloway. Xavier has a storied history of making the tournament, so they will be comfortable with what is at stake in the A-10, while Duquesne will look to re-write history in their pursuit of getting to the Big Dance.
Game #140. The Hoyas are streaking toward the top of the Big East with Marquette coming to town for a Sunday afternoon matchup.
Georgetown has been the hottest team in the Big East since their 1-4 start in the league. The Hoyas’ Big Three of Austin Freeman, Chris Wright, and Jason Clark have returned to the form that had everyone think that they were one of the best backcourts in the country, but that hasn’t been the difference. Julian Vaughn, the Hoya’s center, has always been a shotblocker and a rebounder but over the last month he’s become a legitimate double digit scoring threat on the block. The other difference in this team has been the move of Nate Lubick into the Georgetown starting line up. Lubick is a bigger body and a better rebounder, while Thompson gives the Hoyas a scoring threat off the bench. Marquette has been one of the most competitive teams in the Big East, but they haven’t been able to win close games against marquee competition. They are in pretty good position in terms of an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, but the Golden Eagles could use a quality win to feel safe. Marquette matches up with the Hoyas very well. Both teams have a ton of backcourt talent, but Marquette’s forwards — Jae Crowder and Jimmy Butler — could be a matchup problem for Georgetown. They can match up with Vaughn on the interior, but Vaughn cannot cover them defensively.
Ray Floriani of College Chalk Talk is an RTC contributor. Last week, he filed a report surrounding St. Anthony’s coach Bob Hurley and his 1,000th victory at the school since taking the reins in 1972.
Bob Hurley takes a rare moment, grandson in tow, to speak with reporters following his 1000th victory.
The game of note was a high school contest, but this was of greater significance, one where Bob Hurley of St. Anthony’s would go for his 1,000th career victory. Parking about a block and a half away and making the way to the gym, I could see St. Anthony’s students getting out of school. Their school in the Hamilton Park district of Jersey City has no gym. The home court is at the Golden Door Charter School, a block north of St. Anthony’s. Entering Golden Door about 45 minutes prior to game time there are already media assembled. By game time there will be more. So much that St. Anthony’s cannot huddle between quarters without a camera or three trying to get inside access.
Game #139. It’s a clash between two surprising teams not named Gonzaga for the conference lead in the West Coast Conference this evening.
Bay Area rivals Saint Mary’s and San Francisco square off in what may be the last good opportunity for someone to knock the Gaels out of first place in the West Coast Conference. Saint Mary’s is 9-1 and San Francisco 8-2 heading into tonight’s 7:30 p.m. Pacific game in San Francisco. A win tonight and Saint Mary’s will have a two-game lead over its nearest rivals with three conference games left on the schedule. An upset by the Dons would give them a tie for first. Join us tonight for the action on RTC Live.
Game #138. RTC Live is back in Seattle for another Pac-10 tilt; can the Huskies continue to show the dominance at home that they lack on the road?
In five Pac-10 home games, the Washington Huskies have dominated its competition by an average margin of victory of 22.2 points. The road has been a completely different story, though, as the Huskies have gone 3-4 in losing to some of the same teams they’ve rolled up at home. Tonight represents one of those situations, as Stanford visits Edmundson Pavilion a mere month after having beaten Washington in Palo Alto, 58-56. It was, in fact, the only team that the Cardinal defeated during a three-week period in mid-January. Since that time Johnny Dawkins’ team has come back to win three of four, including an impressive thirteen-point road win at Washington State on Thursday night. The Cardinal sits at 6-6 in league play, while Washington at 8-4 still has designs on catching UCLA and Arizona for the Pac-10 lead. Given the way the Huskies score in bunches in Seattle, Stanford is going to need to bring its absolute best defensive game to have a chance tonight. Join us for all the action tonight on a west coast edition of RTC Live.
