MARCH 28, 2010
Calipari hasn't figured it out yet
COACHIN' AIN'T EASY
As the madness continued this Saturday my brackets were tenuously grasping on to the tethered string of respectability. As I sat on my most comfortable couch to enjoy the Kentucky vs. West Virginia game I did not think there would be much to watch, for the contest would be over by half time. This plan was perfectly ruined by John Calipari's inability to coach and thus ending Kentucky's tournament run in the most gloriously disappointing fashion.
You see the game that was supposed to be a bounce back win for the clearly the best team left in the field of 8 turned out to be a lesson in how bad coaching can ruin a great freshman class and superior talent. You see I think Calipari is the BEST recruiter in college basketball BUT at the same time is one of the most mediocre coaches in the game.
How can Kentucky, clearly the superior team lose in such a poor showing. Some will say Kentucky players missed shots it's not the coaches fault, he's not playing. But I say different. It is up to the coach to recognize his team's inability to shoot from long range (0 for first 19 attempts) and come up with a different strategy. How about trying shorter range shots, how about driving to the hoop and drawing the foul and how about defending the "3". All these things escaped Calipari.
The Wildcats out rebounded the Mountaineers 45 to 34 and 22 of the 45 were offensive. West Virginia shot 38% from the field that is not good, unless your opponent shoots 34%. It was Calipari's job to figure out how to score, to tell his players to stop taking the three point shot and get closer but NO, he didn't and he lost and with that my champion is gone.
I will make my annual pilgrimage to Sin City (Las Vegas) for the FINAL 4. Maybe a nice 4-way parlay will sooth the pain of holding brackets with not one team that made it to Indianapolis.
MARCH 22, 2010
Kansas
NCAA THOUGHTS
Kansas, What happened!? The #1 team in the country, the overall #1 seed in the entire tourney loses to Northern Iowa. Very disappointing. Bill Self who did a masterful coaching job in winning the championship a few years ago really did not have his team ready to play in this go around.
Villanova What happened!? That aint WRIGHT JAY. St. Mary's going to the Sweet 16 and Notre Dame isn't, maybe Jesus is a basketball fan.
How about the Cornell BIG RED beating Wisconsin (4). One should never underestimate the smart kids especially from upstate New York.
But the most disappointing thing is that I had Villanova and Kansas in the final 4. Here is to Calipari's first championship and for me a saving face win to salvage a minuscule shot at redemption.
MARCH 16, 2010
YOU'RE CERTIFIABLE QUINN!
Well it's been two years and Brady Quinn is shipping out. The team that he followed as a boy, Browns, said SEE YA. That has got to be tough when your childhood team trades you, but this change of scenery may help Brady. Quinn is more suited for the short passing game even though he looked terrible running it in Cleveland missing short pass after short pass.
The problems in Cleveland were mental and the pressure got in Quinn's head to effect him to the point where routine throws were missing the mark. This was coming from a kid who was a star in college. I for one am not sold on Quinn and I don't like McDaniels. McDaniels was right about Cutler, but it's the way he went about the trade that was immature. QB decisions are what makes or breaks you in this business. In Joe Gibbs' second go around QB mistakes cost the Redskins. From acquiring Mark Brunell to picking Campbell in the first round. I can see the same thing happening with the Broncos.
I wish the best for Quinn but I don't see him succeeding unless he has another year of college eligibility, and boy can the Irish use him.
