Starter or not, you’ve really got to hand it to Matt McGloin. He’s got moxie unseen in these parts since a quarterback by the name of Michael Robinson roamed the sidelines at Beaver Stadium. When he’s not rallying a team from a 21 point deficit or enjoying a friendly game of trashcan football, he’s out there challenging the punctuality of the student section for the big game this Saturday.
PSU student section try to get to the game early on Saturday. This is a big one for us
Quarterback, field general, bench warmer, cheerleader. Number 11 can seemingly do it all. And once you put aside your own personal opinions of the oft-criticized walk-on, its hard not to agree with his challenge to the student section.
#2 Alabama is the highest ranked opponent to visit Happy Valley since top-ranked Ohio State rolled into Beaver Stadium in 2007. Since then, Penn State fans have seen a few marquee non-conference opponents at home, Oregon State in 08, Syracuse in 09, but none that comes close to the cachet or build-up the likes of the Crimson Tide. In fact, Alabama has not crossed the Mason Dixon line to play an opponent since 1989. If that, by itself doesn’t excite students enough to leave their tailgates a little earlier to work their way through the lines in time for a 3:30pm kickoff, nothing will.
Even the players know full well what a win over a top-5 SEC team on national television would mean for Penn State, and if they can recognize the role the student section would play in pulling the upset, the students should too.
Once again, it’s Adam Collyer over at BlackShoeDiaries providing the questions, and we, your humble bloggers, providing the answers. Mine are below, and you can venture off to the remote areas of the blogosphere that are JoePa’s Doghouse and Nittany Lions’ Den to see what those crazy kids have to say.
But enough with the introductions, you know the drill:
Did either QB show you enough to make you confident in our offense for the year? Who’s your guy for this week?
I’m going to be the lone optimist and say yes. I saw enough from Rob Bolden to be confident enough in the offense moving forward. No, his numbers weren’t fantastic–in fact, someone might look at his line and shake their head. 6 of 12 passing for 37 yards is mediocre at best and, well, pretty awful at worst, especially considering the quality of opponent. But the stats never tell the true story, and in the case of Bolden’s performance last Saturday, they do a horrendous job telling it. Had Justin Brown and Derek Moye hauled in perfectly thrown deep ball, all of a sudden, he’s 8 of 12, for 137 yards. If the offensive line holds it together, and gives him time to throw, maybe some of those deeper routes come together. And if the coaching staff calls the screens and curls when Bolden’s under center, like they always have for McGloin, well, the numbers start to look a bit better. The point is, Saturday, I saw a quarterback who put the ball right where it needed to be, despite being under pressure. That throw to Justin Brown, with a defender inches away from his body, couldn’t have been placed better, and Brown dropped it. That’ll happen–a receiver dropping a deep ball–but the poise to stand in there and take the hit, and the ability to put that pass on a string 50 yards downfield doesn’t, not every day.
What’s your preferred offensive game plan headed into this Saturday?
I’d come out throwing. Silas Redd ran over the Indiana State defense, and made everyone forget that he’s replacing a guy who’s #1 in the record books for rushing at Penn State. He was awesome, the offensive line threw around the Sycamore defenders like rag dolls, and in space, well, Redd was electrifying. The obvious thing, then, would be to pound the rock, to not take chances against a fantastic Alabama defense, and to put this game in the hands of your running game. But that’s been Penn State’s M.O. against big-time opponents this past decade, and, well, it doesn’t work too often. The margin of error is just too high, especially when drives flame out in the red zone. When you’re a ten-point underdog, you need to take some chances, and if the Lions can do that effectively, they might just stun the Crimson Tide. Throw the ball down the field, and make your own luck.
Who’s the most important player on our defense this weekend?
Devon Still. Still was pretty solid in that opening game, not only penetrating inside, but generating great push in moving the pocket. But there’s quite a step up from the interior of Indiana State’s offensive line to that of Alabama–and even though that unit struggled a bit against Kent State in their opener, there’s little doubt that they’ll be much improved by Saturday. Still will need to consistently draw double teams against the run for Penn State to slow down Trent Richardson–if Alabama’s offensive linemen can get to the second level, and defensive backs are trying to stop Richardson, they’ll get trucked. And on throwing downs, Jack Crawford and Eric Latimore aren’t great rushers off the edge. A breakdown in the pocket, something Still might be able to accomplish by penetrating, could help create the chaos necessary for Penn State to slow the passing game of Alabama.
How big of an upset is it if Penn State beats the Crimson Tide?
Big, but not huge. It’s not like Penn State is unranked, and picked to finish near the bottom of the Big Ten. We’re not Minnesota, or Purdue. This is a Nittany Lions team that’s going to be competitive, one that plays a brutal schedule, but one that’s talented, if raw. And it’s not like Alabama was infalliable last week–both of the quarterbacks aiming for the #1 job threw two picks against the Golden Flashes, and Richardson ran for all of 37 yards on 13 carries. Yes, that defense is stacked, and there’s a reason they’re ranked in the top 5, but this should be a close, competitive game, and that spread is deceiving. It would be a nice win for the Big Ten to have, and especially for Penn State, to reassert itself as an elite team, but I don’t think it would, or should, send shockwaves throughout the college football landscape.
Predictions?
This, but backwards.
We’ve had this roundtable before. Not for Alabama (though, of course, we have), but one where Penn State took on a more talented, highly ranked opponent, and the smart money was on the other guys. But me, well, I don’t have it in me to pick against the Nits. If I was going to predict a loss, I wouldn’t be spending this week outside Gate A in a tent in the pouring rain. I think it’s a grind-it-out game, and Alabama plays better, but Penn State wins the battle in the red zone. Think the 2010 Capital One Bowl, but without Daryll Clark’s late heroics. I’ll say Penn State 17, Alabama 13, with Bama getting stuffed on 4th and goal from the 1 to end it. Wouldn’t that be something?
It looks like Big Ten is not about to make it easy for first year head coach Patrick Chambers.
In a complete schedule release, the conference announced today that Penn State will open their 20th season of Big Ten play at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan on December 29th followed by a second consecutive road contest against Northwestern in Evanston, Illinois.
But its the single play opponents the Big Ten has drawn for the Nittany Lions that should have them worried. In spite of expansion, the Nittany Lions, like all 12 members of the Big Ten will continue to play a 18-game conference slate this season; 9 home and 9 away. But each member will now have 4-single play opponents instead of the 2 teams had prior to the addition of Nebraska. This season, the Lions will be facing Minnesota (home), Illinois (home), Michigan State (away) and Ohio State (away) in single-play games.
On the one hand, Coach Chambers could be catching a slight break by facing the Buckeyes and Spartans, two of the conferences perennial top dogs just once this season. That is huge for the win-loss column. But on the other, this setup makes the games against the Gophers, Illini, Spartans and Buckeyes that much more important since the Lions will just get the one shot at a RPI-boosting win against each top-notch opponent. And with both the Michigan State and Ohio State games being away, our odds of winning are that much smaller.
THUR, Dec 29
@ Michigan
7:30pm
BTN
SUN, Jan 1
@ Northwestern
7:00pm
ESPNU
THUR, Jan 5
Purdue
8:00pm
BTN
SUN, Jan 8
Indiana
12:00pm
BTN
WED, Jan 11
@ Nebraska
8:30pm
BTN
SUN, Jan 15
Minnesota
4:00pm
BTN
THUR, Jan 19
Illinois
9:00pm
ESPN2
SUN, Jan 22
@ Indiana
12:00pm
BTN
WED, Jan 25
@ Ohio State
6:30pm
BTN
TUES, Jan 31
Wisconsin
8:00pm
BTN
SAT, Feb 4
@ Iowa
3:00pm
ESPNU
WED, Feb 8
@ Michigan State
6:30pm
BTN
SAT, Feb 11
Nebraska
1:00pm
ESPNU
THUR, Feb 16
Iowa
9:00pm
ESPNU
SUN, Feb 19
@ Wisconsin
TBA
TBA
SAT, Feb 25
Northwestern
9:00pm
ESPNU
WED, Feb 29
@ Purdue
6:30pm
BTN
SUN, March 4
Michigan
TBA
TBA
The Big Ten did Penn State no favors scheduling the toughest 2 of Penn State’s 4 single play opponents all within a span of 14 days, Ohio State (away), Wisconsin (home) and Michigan State (away). Even the Iowa game, a welcome breather during that stretch will be an away game. Anyone remember the last time we visited Iowa City? Ouch.
That’s the mantra this squad has adopted for the 2011 season. And on a muggy, 85 degree Fall afternoon, the Nittany Lions put on a display of toughness often lacking from last season’s edition before the 96,461 fans who braved the heat to watch Penn State rout the Sycamores of Indiana State by a score of 41-7.
Sure, the game seemed to be nothing more than a glorified scrimmage on paper, but there was far more riding on the team’s performance against the Sycamores than just the final score. This was finally an opportunity for Penn State to put on their pads, strap on their helmets and answer some unresolved questions surrounding this squad since the final whistle at the Outback Bowl last season.
Specifically, the position battle at quarterback.
In fact, heading into the season opener, Joe Paterno admitted both Rob Bolden and Matt McGloin would receive significant playing time Saturday, a disturbing, but clear indication that neither player has emerged as a clear-cut winner for the starting position. And so 96,461 fans risked heat stroke and packed Beaver Stadium against a subdivision opponent Saturday just for the opportunity to watch the Penn State crown it’s next starting quarterback.
Unfortunately, both Bolden and McGloin offered fans a first-hand glimpse into just how tough the quarterback battle has been all offseason with neither one emerging as a clear cut winner on Saturday. Rob Bolden started the game and managed to lead the Lions to just 1 touchdown drive in 6 possessions. But that number could have easily been 3 touchdown drives, had it not been for first-quarter drops by Derek Moye and Justin Brown on a pair of deep catchable balls that could have easily gone for touchdowns. He eventually finished 6 of 12 for 37 yards.
Drives
Touchdowns
Snaps
Stats
Yards
Rob Bolden
6
1
36
6/12
37
Matt McGloin
4
3
26
6/8
77
McGloin had better stats on the day, completing 6 of 8 passes for 77 yards leading the Lions to 3 touchdowns in 4 drives, though one came on a short field following a turnover. In fact, McGloin’s drives had a better average starting position, at the PSU 43 compared to the PSU 38 for Bolden. Despite recording better stats, McGloin’s decision-making was also suspect at times, including a ill-advised pass attempt right at defensive end Phil Walker while being sacked. Fortunately Walker dropped the ball, but that type of play that could have been a game-breaking touchdown next weekend against Alabama and is reminiscent of of his questionable decision-making when he threw 5 interceptions against Florida in the Outback Bowl. So a virtual dead-heat that puts us back where we started. Even Joe Paterno admitted both quarterbacks played well and suggested the possibility that both will take the field next week. A surprising admission for a coach who is notoriously skeptical about playing multiple quarterbacks.
“I think both of them are going to play, I think both of them can play… They’ve been under an awful lot of pressure because of the media, and everybody else wants to know who’s going to play quarterback… I think that they’re fine. They’ll get better. I think overall they did a pretty good job.”
Aside from the quarterback battle, there were plenty of positives from Saturday on both sides of the ball. On offense, the early development of a punishing running attack was surprising given the early season struggles in the run game during the last few seasons. Even against overmatched early season opponents, the Nittany Lions often struggled to find the right balance on the offensive line, often failing to dominate the trenches as expected. The Lions only managed to rack up 132 yards on the ground against subdivision Youngstown State in last year’s opener. Against the Sycamores, the Penn State run game was absolutely punishing. The Nittany Lions rushed the ball 48 times for 245 total yards and 5 touchdowns. Silas Redd wowed fans Saturday finishing with 104 yards and 2 touchdowns on just 12 carries, an average of 8.7 yards a carry.
The defense, much maligned last season for their lack of intensity was even more impressive holding the Sycamores to 170 total yards and forcing 3 turnovers; interceptions by Drew Astorino and Adrian Amos and a fumble recovery by Jordan Hill. A welcome sign for a unit that had struggled to force turnovers (just 17 total; 7 forced fumbles, 10 interceptions) last season. Penn State played a near-flawless game defensively Saturday, pitching a shutout that lasted 57 minutes before Indiana State scored on a 20 yard touchdown pass against Penn State’s third and fourth stringers with 2:16 left in the game.
Aside from the kicking game, still suffering the effects of losing projected starter Anthony Fera to off-field issues, it was a near perfect outing for the Nittany Lions Saturday. However, with the top-ranked Crimson Tide rolling into town next weekend, the Lions can ill afford the distractions of a quarterback controversy. The idea of playing both quarterbacks next weekend does little to aid continuity at such a key position. Penn State fans should remember 1999 and the quarterback-by-committee battle between Rashard Casey and Kevin Thompson, one that started with a #1 ranking and ended with 3 straight regular-season losses. By this point, the coaching staff should just name a starter, give him the opportunity to take most of the first-team reps and let the chips fall where they may.
I guess it’s true what they say: Meet the same boss, same as the old boss. Anyone in Columbus afraid that Luke Fickell would run a clean ship, well, your fears appear to be allayed. You’ll still beat Akron–you could do that without your entire first team offense and defense–but this certainly doesn’t present a good clean start to the Fickell regime.
It’s an institution of the Penn State blogosphere, and sure enough, it’s back for the 2011 season. That’s right, what we’ve got here is a genuine, bona-fide, electrified Blue/White Roundtable. There might be fewer seats, what with Black Shoe Diaries swallowing up half the blogs that used to participate, but we’ll forgive them, since it’s BSD’s Adam Collyer with this week’s questions, and, I assume, the write-up tomorrow. I’m not sure who else will be participating, but I’d say it’s a safe bet that you can check out William F. Yurasko and Nittany Lions’ Den over the next day or two and read their thoughts.
Now, to the fun part:
1. Let’s get this out of the way right now – how does everyone feel about Robert Bolden and Matt McGloin being even on the depth chart? How do you feel about the proposed time sharing plan for Saturday’s game against Indiana State?
Take your pick, Joe.
It doesn’t surprise me, but that doesn’t mean I like it. Granted, I understand the thinking–practice can only simulate a real game scenario so much, and getting Bolden and McGloin on the field in a real, competitive, scenario will be more telling, even if it is a warm-up game against the most delicious of cupcakes. In theory, one could outplay the other, and prove himself “the guy” moving forward, but that’s not likely. While it would be a story if either quarterback struggled, I doubt that’ll be the case, at least not beyond the usually early season uneasiness as a team starts to gel. To me, the bigger issue is just that–a lack of a true starter means a lack of one quarterback getting all the first team reps. It’s even in the little exchanges–getting the ball from under center, handing it off to the running back–not to mention timing plays, especially on passes–where that kind of experience matters, and denying it from the team could be a form of self sabotage. I’m a staunch member of #teamBolden, but at this point, I’d rather see Matt McGloin named the starter tomorrow than head into Alabama without knowing who’s going to be first off the bus.
2. What are you looking for out of the offense this week? Will the offense we see on Saturday set the tone for the rest of the year?
This week, I just want to see crispness and efficiency. We know how Joe Paterno, Galen Hall, and Jay Paterno like to play this early-season matchups–they’re designed to get the pieces moving smoothly, not to run up the score and impress pollsters. We’ll see guys getting extended playing time who certainly don’t figure into Penn State’s greater offensive plans, and we’ll see plenty from others vying for spots. Neither quarterback will have the benefit of the full playbook, and I’d be shocked to see anything more than the most conservative of offensive schemes. That sad, I’m going to be watching the offensive line most closely–if they can’t bully around an Indiana State front seven, they’ll have no chance against Alabama. I don’t just want to see them play well, I want to see the line dominate. Aside from that, I’m excited to see Silas Redd emerge as the #1 running back this year, and to see guys like Brandon Beachum, Curtis Drake, and Andrew Szczerba coming back from elongated injury absences.
3. Do you expect the defense to be significantly upgraded from last year?
This was three years ago. Woah.
Yes, and for two reasons: Bani Gbadyu graduated, and Chris Colasanti graduated. The last time I was this excited for addition by subtraction was when Anthony Morelli moved on, and it didn’t matter which of Pat Devlin or Daryll Clark would be quarterback, because either would be a giant step up from Morelli. In this case, we don’t have unknowns filling in for Gbadyu and Colasanti, we have Mike Mauti, who’s tantalized Penn State fans for three years and, if healthy, is a legitimate All-America candidate. Gerald Hodges, Glenn Carson, Nate Stupar, Khairi Fortt, Mike Hull…does it get any better than Penn State’s simply unreal depth at linebacker? Last year, Penn State’s biggest problem on defense was injuries. The defensive line was decimated, at times, and so was the linebacking corps. Nick Sukay got hurt just as he was turning a corner, and depth there was lacking. The loss of Pete Massaro hurts, but should this unit stay healthy, I expect a significant step up from last year. If the reports are to be believed, this was one of the toughest, most demanding training camps in recent memory. If the coaching staff was able to impart some much needed toughness, maybe the Penn State defense can get its swagger back.
4. Outside of the money earned, these games are no-win situations for major powers. A win is expected and anything less than complete dominance is a cause for concern. How do you define success for Penn State this week?
Success would be both quarterbacks playing phenomenally, the defense pitching a shutout, Silas Redd breaking tackles and running past outmatched defenders, and the offensive line pushing around Indiana State’s front seven. It’s Mike Mauti flying from sideline to sideline, beheading Indiana State’s skill players, and Jack Crawford finally looking like the player we thought he’d be by now. Frankly, this is little more than a glorified scrimmage, but Penn State is a team with significant question marks. Being able to answer even a few of those would make this game a successful one.
5. Predictions?
Penn State wins, 51-10. McGloin outplays Bolden, and that’s all anyone will talk about.
Stephfon Green, who was dismissed then reinstated to the team by Joe Paterno, is nowhere to be seen. Instead, it’s Brandon Beachum and Curtis Dukes backing up starter Silas Redd at running back.
Shawney Kersey, not Devon Smith, Curtis Drake, or Bill Belton, is listed as the third receiver. Smith is listed behind Justin Brown, and the latter two aren’t on the depth chart at all, in fact. Former walk-on Ryan Scherer is slotted behind Kersey.
DeOn’tae Pannell, Matt Stankewitch, and John Urschel will start at left guard, center, and right guard, respectively, bookended between the already known tackles, Quinn Barham and Chima Okoli. That means the offensive line will feature four seniors.
Eric Shrive is the third team left guard, Johnnie Troutman the backup to Urschel. (Remember when people bitched about Urschel being a late offer, and went gaga over Shrive? Stars aren’t everything?)
Predictably enough, the starter at QB isn’t yet named. Listed at that position is “Rob Bolden OR Matt McGloin.”
The only other OR comes at fullback, where Joe Suhey shares first-line duty with Mike Zordich. And behind them is listed Zach Zwinak.
Andrew Szczerba is your starting tight end, ahead of Kevin Haplea, who swapped in his #82 for Andrew Quarless’ old #80. The depth behind them is non-existent, though, as Nate Cadogan shifted back to tackle–it’s walk-ons Brian Irvin and J.D. Mason.
Defense:
Predictably enough, the starting defensive line will feature Eric Latimore and Jack Crawford on the ends, with Jordan Hill and Devon Still inside. Of course, given Larry Johnson’s tendencies, that’s mostly meaningless.
Anthony Alosi, listed as a third-string defensive tackle, is the only true freshman on the depth chart. Redshirt freshman Kyle Baublitz is a second-team defensive end.
Despite rumors of a lingering knee injury, Glenn Carson is your starting middle linebacker, flanked by Michael Mauti and Gerald Hodges.
The second unit at the position is Mike Hull (#43), Khairi Fortt, and Nate Stupar. Fortt at middle linebacker is intriguing, he’d always seemed like more of an OLB.
Chaz Powell is going to be starting opposite D’Anton Lynn, with Stephon Morris your likely nickel. Derrick Thomas is buried behind Mike Wallace on Lynn’s side of the depth chart, but at least he’s made it back on the depth chart. No Adrian Amos.
Drew Astorino has held on to his starting spot at hero–Malcolm Willis, somewhat disappointing, is listed behind Nick Sukay at free safety. Astorino’s backup, Stephen Obeng-Agyapong, will don number 7 this year.
Special Teams:
Looks like Anthony Fera is back in the doghouse after another alcohol-related incident. Alex Butterworth is the first team punter, and Evan Lewis, who at last glimpse was a walk-on wide receiver, is the first-team kicker.
That means a potential redshirt for Sam Ficken, though for all we know he could be the guy booting the opening kickoff on Saturday.
Chaz Powell and Devon Smith are listed as the kick returners, so no Stephfon Green or Alex Kenney at those positions. At least not yet.
Justin Brown and Smith are your punt returners, though I’m sure we’ll see plenty of Astorino there, too.
Check out the full three-deep here and make your own observations in the comments.
It’s a shame Penn State wasn’t able to capitalize against the Wolverines despite holding 2 double digit leads. That game was as close to a must win as you can possibly get.
And at 5-6 in conference play, the Lions now find themselves backed up against the wall and forced into a situation where an upset win or two is a must to remain on the bubble. We’ve long considered 10 wins to be the magic number to solidify Penn State’s tournament chances, but with 7 games remaining before the B1G tourney, 2 against Northwestern and Minnesota, a game against #1 ranked Ohio State at home and games at Breslin and Kohl remaining, it’s hard to find 5 more wins.
One can’t help but to think about all the missed opportunities that led to this. Of the 6 conference losses, only 2 (@ Michigan, @ Illinois, Purdue) have been by 7 points or more points. The remaining 3 losses have come by gut-wrenchingly close margins; 3 point loss to Michigan, 1 point losses @ Purdue and @ Ohio State.
Those missed opportunities is why tonight’s game in East Lansing is now considered a must win. In order for Penn State to hit 10 B1G wins, the path of least resistance is to sweep both Northwestern and Minnesota and win 1 of the 3 against #1 Ohio State, @ Wisconsin or @ Michigan State.
The reeling Spartans might be the best shot for the Lions to win amongst the 3. Penn State has already beaten then #18 Michigan State 66-62 last month and the Spartans are in a slump, having lost 5 of their last 6 making this the perfect opportunity for the Nittany Lions to come away with a resume building road win.
But it’s always hard to consider a road game at Breslin Center a good opportunity. Michigan State is 267-39 at the venue, a staggering 88% winning record at home. And let’s not forget that the Lions have just 1 win in 7 road attempts thus far. For the Lions to beat the Green and White on their home court would be nothing short of a miracle. Unfortunately, a miracle is exactly what we need now.
Time: 7:00 pm EST TV: BTN Radio: Penn State Sports Network (1450 AM locally), Sirius channel 122 and XM radio channel 143 All Time Record: Michigan State leads 24-6 Last Meeting: Penn State beat #18 Michigan State 66-62
Michigan State
Penn State
Advantage
Off Points /game
70.3 (127)
Def Points /game
63.7 (58)
Rebounds /game
37.3 (60)
Rebounds /game
32.9 (263)
Off Assists /game
15.7 (26)
Def Assists /game
14.5 (280)
Off Field Goal %
43.4 (169)
Def Field Goal %
43.7 (178)
Push
Def Points /game
68.0 (169)
Off Points /game
64.3 (266)
Def Assists /game
11.7 (87)
Off Assists /game
12.4 (199)
Def Field Goal %
42.8 (137)
Off Field Goals %
43.1 (181)
Difference < 25 National Rank = Push
Difference > 25 National Rank =
Difference > 75 National Rank =
Difference > 125 National Rank =
Difference > 175 National Rank =
It’s finally here. Months of in-house visits, phone calls, text messages, and premature panic has led up to today when Penn State officially welcomes the Class of 2011. We will keep you updated as the Letters of Intent (LOI) roll in throughout the day. Although with one of the smaller classes Penn State will sign in recent seasons (you only have 85 scholarships, and we are not the SEC West), it should be a fairly predictable LOI Day.
But like every Signing Day, there will be some drama involved especially across the Big Ten landscape. For the Penn State faithful, keep an eye out for safety/cornerback Adrian Amos, who is scheduled to make his decision at 3pm. Will he stick with his original verbal at UConn despite Randy Edsall’s departure or choose the Blue and White becoming the 16th member of the Class of 2011?
We’ll have it all throughout the day.
RECAP
[Update 3:35] So barring any stunning surprises, this will be it for the Penn State Class of 2011. As expected, every one of Penn State’s verbals signed with the Lions. The only surprise on Signing Day came from Adrian Amos who decomitted from his original verbal to UConn and chose to play for Penn State. For a class that many fans felt was on the brink of disaster just a few months ago, the coaching staff really wrapped this one up nicely. Sure it would have been nice to pick up Kyshoen Jarrett, Albert Louis-Jean or even Blake Countess, recruits that would propel this recruiting class into the Top 25, but considering how limited the number of scholarships we could have given for this class, and that we just signed the B1G’s top ranked class just last season, this was anticipated.
This recruiting season, we saw Penn State address two huge areas of need, and that’s reflected in the final commit list. 9 of Penn State’s 16 signees-and most of their highest profile recruits–will play in the trenches, either along the offensive or defensive lines. But that success didn’t carry over to the staff’s other priority–the defensive secondary. Although Adrian Amos was a nice pickup and fills a key need in this class, CB Shyquawn Pullium was the only other recruit in this class that was projected to play in the secondary. This will make the secondary a critical area of need that the coaching staff will definitely be focused on for next year’s recruiting class.
TIMELINE
[Update 3:16]Donovan Smith – 4 star offensive tackle by both Rivals and Scout just sent in his LOI to Penn State. Given Penn State’s struggles along the offensive line in recent years, it’s encouraging to see them focus on that position in this year’s recruiting. Smith now joins Angelo Mangiro and Anthony Zettel as highly sought after linemen who have committed to Penn State in this year’s class. The 6-6, 280 pound offensive tackle picked the Lions over fellow finalists NC State and UCLA during a break at the Army All-American Bowl last month. He also held multiple offers from the likes of West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, and Michigan State, among others.
[Update 3:11 pm]Adrian Amos – 3 star safety by Rivals, Scout, and ESPN just selected and sent in his LOI to Penn State! Originally a UConn verbal, the Maryland native reopened his commitment following Randy Edsall’s departure for, ironically enough, Maryland. This left less than a month for the Penn State coaching staff to recruit Amos, but it seems as if it has paid off. Amos just announced that he will be trading in UConn’s shade of Blue and White for Penn State’s Blue and White. The first team all-state player, and standout in the Crab Bowl racked up 78 tackles last year, to go along with 4 interceptions and 3 forced fumbles. A true safety, Amos is simultaneously a ball hawk and a heavy hitter, combining solid size–he’s listed at 6’1, 205 pounds–and good speed with nice ball skills. His highlight tape is impressive, and he may be instantly able to step in and improve a very thin Penn State secondary.
[Update 2:49 pm]Shawn Oakman – 4 star DE by both Rivals (#20 DE) and Scout (#19 DE) just sent in his LOI to Penn State. The 6’8, 240 lb defensive end out of Penn Woods in Lansdowne, PA was the first recruit the get the recruiting ball rolling following a long arduous offseason for fans when Penn State had just 1 verbal. Also a highly touted basketball recruit, Oakman has a tremendous frame and can also be slotted in tight end, a position he also played in high school. At Penn Woods, he finished his junior season with 136 tackles, 17 sacks and four fumbles caused. Offensively, he had 20 catches for four touchdowns.
“I couldn’t be happier,” said Oakman, who plans on wearing No. 91 at State College. “It came down to what I thought what college should be and also what college coach was going to push from being good to being great. I think Coach Johnson and Coach Vanderlinden can do that. That’s why I choose Penn State.”
[Update 2:22 pm]Bill Belton – 4 star recruit by both Rivals (#25 ATH) and Scout (#13 WR) just sent in his LOI to Penn State. Like Ben Kline, Belton was originally a Pitt verbal but eventually decommitted following the Dave Wannstedt and Mike Haywood coaching fiasco and elected to go with the Lions shortly after. The 5’9, 180-pounder was one of the top athletes on the east coast, and his offer sheet reflects that. In addition to offers from Pitt, West Virginia, Cincinnati, and Penn State he was courted by programs as far south as Florida and Georgia Tech, and to the west, from Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Oregon. He became the first New Jersian to pass for 2000 yards and run for 1000 in consecutive seasons, completing 61% of his passes with 21 touchdowns through the air. And on the ground, he ran for more than 6 yards a pop with another 16 touchdowns, a pure testament to his elite athleticism.
We should now be just waiting on Shawn Oakman and Donovan Smith. If Adrian Amos picks the Lions at 3pm, that would be icing on the cake.
[Update 12:45 pm]Anthony Zettel – #5 DE in the country by Rivals / #8 G by Scout. A longtime Wolverines fan who was considered a lock for Michigan until his verbal back in December has sent his LOI in to Penn State.
“Just a great education there, the family atmosphere that they have and great coaching,” Zettel said when asked what set PSU apart. “They teach their players to be good guys and good football players.”
“I liked Michigan, I just didn’t feel like the chemistry was there as much as Penn State,” Zettel said. “It’s not like I didn’t like one thing (about Michigan), I just liked Penn State in every aspect.”
Word is because of the increment weather the NCAA is actually allowing prospects to email/photo their LOIs. We are now just down to Bill Belton, Shawn Oakman, Donovan Smith, and Adrian Amos who is scheduled to announce at 3pm.
[Update 10:22 am]Shyquawn Pullium – 3 star CB by both Rivals and Scout has sent in his LOI to Penn State. Originally considered an ATH/DB prospect, Mike McQueary recruited Pullium exclusively for the CB position. The 6-1, 178 lbs player out of Cathedral Prep, Erie, Pennsylvania originally verbaled to the Lions last January, but instead of signing last summer as he had hoped, academic issues sent him to Kiski Prep in Saltsburg, PA for a year before he could finally enroll at Penn State. If that sounds familiar, it is because Kiski Prep was also the rout another Lion great, Daryll Clark took before matriculating at Penn State. Kiski’s football coach Marcus Muster said the Lions never gave up on Pullium. Mike McQueary along with Prep coach Mike Mischler stayed in touch with Pullium all throughout the fall to make sure he was on track to join the Nittany Lions.
[Update 10:16 am]Jordan Kerner – 3 star DE out of Fairview, Pennsylvania just sent in his LOI to Penn State. Following an offseason with just 1 verbal for the Class of 2011, Jordan Kerner became the 2nd commit in less than a week to join the Blue and White back in June.
The 6’5″, 225 lbs DE picked the Lions over offers from Maryland, Boston College, Rutgers, West Virginia, Iowa and Minnesota.
[Update 9:48 am]Ben Kline – 3 star LB out of Dallastown High School, Pennsylvania has sent in his LOI to Penn State. Originally a Pitt verbal, Kline reopened his commitment following the Dave Wannstedt’s dismissal and subsequent coaching fiasco at Pitt. Initially during his recruiting process, Penn State had shown interest but never extended a scholarship offer. Kline eventually received that coveted offer by Penn State which he essentially immediately accepted just 1 day following Wanny’s dismissal. The 6’2″ 220 lb linebacker eventually committed to the Blue and White over offers from West Virginia, Boston College, UConn, Duke, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Rutgers, Pitt and Vanderbilt. He is reported to be able to complete a surprisingly fast 4.5, 40 yard dash considering his size including routinely posting a 100 meter dash in just over 11 seconds on his track and field team.
[Update 9:36 am]Ryan Nowicki – 3 star offensive tackle by both Rivals and Scout has sent in his LOI to Penn State. The furthest recruit in Penn State’s Class of 2011, the 6’5, 275-pound lineman from Arizona picked the Blue and White over offers from Arizona, Arizona State and more than a dozen programs from USC to Syracuse. It’s not often that Penn State snags a commitment from an Arizona native.
“When I went there, I just had a really good experience, I had a gut feeling that I was supposed to be there,” he said. “I liked everything about it. The players were phenomenal, they were great people, the whole town loves them. They had great players, great tradition. I just don’t think you can go wrong with it. I think it’s an amazing place.”
[Update 9:34 am]Angelo Mangiro – #18 G (3 star recruit) by Rivals / #5 G (4 stars) by Scout / #2 G by ESPN. A lifelong Penn State fan even going as far as calling it his dream school, Mangiro was a huge pickup by the Lions at a time when recruiting for the Class of 2011 was struggling badly. But the 6-3, 295 all-conference, all-region, all-county and all-state guard eventually picked the Blue and White over offers from Florida, USC, Boston College, Notre Dame, and just about every other school in the region.
[Update 8:58 am]Allen Robinson – 3 star WR by both Rivals and Scout out of Orchard Lake, Michigan has sent his LOI in to Penn State. He is out of St Mary’s Prep where he played alongside fellow alumnus Penn State QB Rob Bolden just last year. It’ll be interesting to see the dynamic the two will have on the field. The speedster reportedly runs a 4.5, 40 yard dash where he was mainly utilized as a wideout, but also contributed on the defensive side of the ball as a defensive back.
[Update 8:45 am]Deion Barnes – #6 DE (#2 prospect from PA) by Rivals / #31 by Scout. Deion Barnes has sent in his LOI to Penn State, officially becoming the first member of his family to attend college leaving what is considered one of the worst areas of Philadelphia. His pass rushing skills racked up 85 tackles, 35 for a loss including 13 sacks landed him on the second team all-state.
“I am making this decision because of academics and the comfort level. I am not going to be one of those guys that just stays three years, I want to be there for four. For those reasons, I am going to Penn State.”
[Update 8:15 am] Anthony Alosi is already an early enrollee and does not have to sign an LOI. Matt Zanellato and Sam Fricken have sent in their signed LOIs to Penn State.
Who said signing day would be boring for Penn State fans?
Sure, this year’s crop of recruits seemed to decide early–both for and against Penn State–leaving Joe Paterno and his staff without much to do in the final days of the season. There was no Terrelle Pryor, no Jelani Jenkins, no uncommitted 5-star at least publicly considering the Blue and White. And all 15 verbals faxed in their LOIs, in a timely and orderly fashion.
But that doesn’t mean we couldn’t have any excitement, as Adrian Amos will trade one shade of blue and white in for another.
Penn State didn’t have a particularly long time to earn the commitment of Adrian Amos. The Maryland native had announced that he would be playing for UConn early in his senior season, and it wasn’t until Randy Edsall’s departure for, ironically enough, Maryland, that his commitment started to waver. The coaching staff didn’t have more than a month to get Amos on board, but they certainly acted fast, and Connecticut’s loss will be Penn State’s gain. Just minutes ago Sean Fitz of Lions 247 reported that Amos would be a Nittany Lion in 2011, beating out West Virginia, Vanderbilt, and UConn for his services.
He’s rated as a 3-star prospect by pretty much every recruiting service–Rivals, Scout, ESPN, and even 247 Sports. But don’t let the recruiting rankings fool you; Adrian Amos is a player. A first-team all-state player, and standout in the Crab Bowl, Amos racked up 78 tackles last year, to go along with 4 interceptions and 3 forced fumbles. A true safety, Amos is simultaneously a ball hawk and a heavy hitter, combining solid size–he’s listed at 6’1, 205 pounds–and good speed with nice ball skills. His highlight tape is impressive, and he may be instantly able to step in and improve a very thin Penn State secondary. With D’Anton Lynn, Nick Sukay, and Drew Astorino set to graduate after the 2011 season, and Malcolm Willis the only returnee with any experience at safety, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Amos groomed as the hero from day 1.
This recruiting season, we saw Penn State address two huge areas of need, and that’s reflected in the final commit list. 9 of Penn State’s 16 signees-and most of their highest profile recruits–will play in the trenches, either along the offensive or defensive lines. But that success didn’t carry over to the staff’s other priority–the defensive secondary. Penn State struck out on pretty much everyone they recruited there, from Kyshoen Jarrett to Albert Louis-Jean to Blake Countess. This commitment might not turn too many heads now, but it’s one of the more important ones we’ve received all year.
St. John’s was one of many teams to pull off a huge upset this past week
Last week was one of the wildest weeks in the history of college basketball. If you include this past Sunday, fifteen Top 25 teams were upset over the span of last week. Whether it was Duke getting pummeled by St. John’s, Providence stunning Villanova or Nebraska rocking Texas A&M, no Top 25 team was safe last week. Amazingly enough, in terms of who is in the NCAA Tournament, not many teams have changed. There were only two at-large changes from last week’s bracket. Penn State and Duquesne replaced Richmond and once Final Four contender in Kansas State.
On the topic of Duquesne and Penn State, the bubble teams are all very similar and sorting them out has become pretty tough. For me the bubble teams this week came down to Penn State, Duquesne, Wichita State, Gonzaga, Washington State, Richmond, Alabama Birmingham and Colorado State. Out of those teams four teams received bids.
Nittany White Out Penn State Exclusive – If it wasn’t for a loss to Maine and Michigan, Penn State wouldn’t be a question right now for the NCAA Tournament. Their out of conference play was a complete failure, but they have almost completely made up for it with wins over Michigan State, Illinois and Wisconsin in Big Ten play. Their road doesn’t get any easier however. In order to feel somewhat comfortable on Selection Sunday, Penn State will need to win a game in Big Ten Tournament, beat Northwestern twice, Michigan at home and win two road games out of four at Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan State. The Nittany Lions also play Minnesota and Ohio State at home before the season is over. While those games are not must wins, a win in one of those games and a final conference record of anywhere from 10-8 to 12-6 would virtually lock Penn State into the NCAA Tournament. Thinking about how Penn State gets into the NCAA Tournament is so complicated that it can give you a headache. The fact Penn State has gotten to this point after such a sluggish starts tells me that they have the talent to keep their success going.
Gonzaga is battle tested and has been competitive throughout the season, with a strong finish they will once again find themselves in the NCAA Tournament. Wichita State is very similar, led by outstanding head coach Gregg Marshall, the Shockers have been one of the most competitive teams this season. While they have no big time wins, they haven’t lost any bad games. Consistency and a battle tested team is enough for me to put them in the NCAA Tournament. Duquesne is currently undefeated in the Atlantic-10 conference, so it is hard to not put them in the NCAA Tournament. The Dukes have close losses to teams like Pittsburgh, West Virginia and Penn State, but have wins over strong Atlantic-10 teams like Temple and Dayton. Their resume isn’t outstanding, but to be undefeated in a competitive Atlantic-10 conference is enough for me to put them in as of right now. The big question is if Duquesne can keep their surprising success going.
Now for the first four teams that did not make it in - Richmond has fallen back a bit in the NCAA Tournament talk after a blow-out loss to Xavier this past weekend. The Spiders have a big win over Purdue on their resume, but their losses to Iona and Georgia Tech are holding them back. There are still opportunities left for the Spiders to improve their resume, but their time is quickly running out. A team on the rise however is Alabama-Birmingham. The Blazers have a few bad losses, but more than a handful of solid Top 100 RPI victories so far this season. Close losses against teams within the Top 50 of the RPI have legitimized Alabama-Brimingham to an extent, but they need to cash in on almost all of their remaining games to become a solid NCAA Tournament team. Colorado State has also quietly crept onto the bubble with a decent enough resume to survive in a down year for college basketball. The Rams haven’t made the NCAA Tournament since 2003, and a few good wins so far this season have put them in the bubble discussion. Their issue has been trying to overcome two bad sube RPI Top 100 losses. With two games against San Diego State and games against BYU and UNLV before the season ends, Colorado State has many opportunities to make their resume NCAA Tournament worthy. A team I can’t quite understand is Washington State. Most people across the country seem to think that Washington State is already worthy of an NCAA Tournament bid. As much as the RPI matters, the eye test matters more for me. From what I have seen in Washington State, I cannot say I am very impressed. Wins against the likes of Baylor and Portland may look good in terms of RPI, but anyone that has watched those two teams knows they are not considered elite. The other thing I struggle with is the fact that they are in the Pac-10. As of right now they are only 5-4 in a conference that is considered one of the weakest so far throughout this season. Sure, their recent win against Washington was good, but that is the first time they have really impressed me. Out of the three other teams who have just missed the cut, they have the simplest road to the NCAA Tournament. All they need to do is consistently win the rest of the way out, that is just one of the perks of being in a power conference.
Before we go to the brackets, let’s dip into the Final Four teams that I have selected. All year I have said that, depending on the draw, I will put either Brigham Young or San Diego State in the NCAA Tournament. The Cougars get the better draw this week, therefore I got them going all the way to Houston. Both Texas and Ohio State have been outstanding this year, but I struggle to make them my National Champion right now. The Buckeyes have been tested lately by teams like Penn State, Michigan and Northwestern. They did beat Purdue with much ease last month, but it will take a little more dominance from the undefeated Buckeyes to convince me they are good enough to raise the hardware in April. When it comes to dominance, Texas has been able to define what that means so far in Big XII conference play. The Longhorns have won all of their conference games by double digits against competition like Kansas, Missouri and Texas A&M. My only issue with picking Texas to win it all is the Big XII conference. How good is the Big XII? From what I have seen, not very good. I think Texas is an elite team, but they’re like a Big East team playing in the Ivy League right now. It is hard to really gauge how good the Longhorns really are against what appears to be potentially overrated competition in the Big XII. Texas is good though, they had impressive out of conference victories, and close losses to Big East powers Connecticut and Pittsburgh. It is clear that they are good, we will see in March if they are truly good enough. Speaking of Pittsburgh, it is time to talk about the team I have predicted to win it all yet again. The Panthers, inside and out, are the most balanced team in the country, and when they play their game they’re nearly impossible to beat. In the Big East they will get exposed and falter at times, but great teams learn from their tough losses. Their resume that includes eleven Top 100 RPI victories over the likes of Texas, Connecticut, Syracuse and Georgetown, is enough for me to crown them National Champions for the third week in a row.
The bracket and the breakdown after the jump
Who made the bracket:
Conference
Conference Bids
# of Teams last week
Teams
American East
1
1
Maine
Atlantic Coast
5
5
Boston College, Duke*, Florida State, North Carolina, Virginia Tech
Atlantic Sun
1
1
Belmont
Atlantic 10
3
3
Duquesne*, Temple, Xavier
Big East
11
11
Cincinnati, Connecticut, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh*, St. John’s, Syracuse, West Virginia, Villanova
Big Sky
1
1
Montana
Big South
1
1
Coastal Carolina
Big Ten
7
6
Illinois, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State*, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin
Jimmer Fredette and Stephen Curry are similar, but are their teams similar?
Ask any college basketball fan what the best game of the week is and you most likely will not get “BYU vs. San Diego State” as a common answer. Even though it is a matchup of two Top 10 teams, the college basketball world’s focus has not necessarily been on the Cougars or the Aztecs so far this season. BYU’s star guard Jimmer Fredette has gotten a lot of attention, however his team has not gotten the credit it deserves. San Diego State, one of only two undefeated teams in college basketball, also has flown under the radar. They do get press, but tell me the last time the 4th ranked team in the country has flown under the radar as much as San Diego State has. That being said, I have already dissected San Diego State in a post I wrote back in early December. Now we turn to the 19-1, Jimmer Fredette led and 9th ranked team in the country BYU.
The best team to compare BYU to may in-fact be the 2003-2004 St. Joe’s squad led by Jameer Nelson that lost in the Elite Eight to Oklahoma State. That team lost only one game (a week before the NCAA Tournament) and became just the third team since the expansion of the NCAA Tournament to clinch a 1-seed from the Atlantic 10 conference. St. Joe’s may be the better comparison overall, but the 2007-2008 Davidson Wildcats are a more relevant comparison due to the stars players that are pictured above together. Jameer Nelson was good for St. Joe’s, but he was not on the level that Stephen Curry was when he nearly took Davidson to the 2008 Final Four. Curry and BYU star Jimmer Fredette are just one of many similarities that this year’s BYU team, and the 2007-2008 Davidson team have in common.
TALE OF THE TAPE
Before we begin to break down the key elements in comparing these two teams, we need to take a look at the big picture. Below is a chart that compares the two teams as of January 23rd of their respected years.
The only part that may seem like a stretch is the area of comparing schedules. Davidson played one of the hardest non-conference schedules in the history of college basketball back in the 2007-2008 season. Even though they lost all of the games, Davidson had chances to knock off all four of their non-conference juggernaut opponents. Due to their strong out-of-conference schedule, it makes both teams schedules easier to compare. Some of the categories, including schedules, are similar and easy to compare between the two, but three areas of the chart above contain the biggest similarities between BYU and the 2007-2008 Davidson Wildcats. The three things to look at when comparing these two teams are their past NCAA Tournament experiences, their star players, and their important yet unheralded supporting casts.
PAST NCAA TOURNAMENT EXPERIENCES
Both teams are similar in the aspect that they were, and are, led by experienced coaches, and more importantly were and are only a year removed from a tough early exit in the NCAA Tournament. Davidson was just another team for Maryland and legendary coach Gary Williams to knock off back in the 2007 NCAA Tournament. This is when the nation learned who Stephen Curry was. Curry, a freshman at the time, lit up 4-seeded Maryland for 30 points in a hard fought battle in a first round game in Buffalo. Unfortunately for Davidson, they didn’t have the experience and depth required to knock off a top team in Maryland.
How will BYU use its tough second round loss in 2010 to fuel its 2011 run?
In Jimmer Fredette’s first two NCAA Tournament games he scored a combined 28 points, in two losses in the 8-seed vs. 9-seed matchup against Texas A&M. The breakout game for Fredette came last year as he led BYU with 37 points as the Cougars knocked off 10-seed Florida 99-92 in double overtime. Against Kansas State, much like Davidson against Maryland, BYU was overpowered by the relentless up-tempo attack of Frank Martin’s Wildcats. Denis Clemente and Jacob Pullen were the best players on the floor that day, not Jimmer Fredette and his 21 points. BYU would get blown out of the gym in the second half as they lost 84-72 to 2-seeded Kansas State. Davidson returned in the 2008 NCAA Tournament with a deep and battle-tested team led by a star in Stephen Curry. The result? Well the result was Davidson nearly upsetting eventual National Champion Kansas in the Elite Eight.
Past experiences fueled Davidson’s magical run as a 10-seed all the way to the Elite Eight. Had Davidson knocked off Kansas, they would’ve had a rematch with North Carolina and a chance to make the National Championship. Even though Jason Richards game-winning shot against Kansas didn’t go in, the Wildcats will always be one of the most memorable teams in college basketball history. Just like Davidson, BYU will use past NCAA Tournament experiences to spark their run to eternal glory in March.
BYU AND DAVIDSON’S STAR PLAYERS
Jimmer Fredette has shown that no matter what a defender does, he will score
An “I” does not exist in the word team, but there for sure can be a “star” in team. That is exactly what Stephen Curry and Jimmer Fredette were and are to their teams: star players. We will get into the depths of their respective teams, but without Stephen Curry and Jimmer Fredette, Davidson and BYU wouldn’t be relevant towards elite college basketball discussion. Both players can simply be described as a type of glue that keeps, or kept in the case of Curry, together. For those who don’t think star players are that important, simply look at the Cleveland Cavaliers of this current NBA season. After LeBron James left, the team went from the best record in the NBA to being on pace for the worst record in the NBA. There are good pieces on the team, but without the glue and the driving force, they are all but nothing in terms of winning basketball games. Sure teams can win with a team of well balanced players, but a team with a solid supporting cast led by an all-world star like Stephen Curry and Jimmer Fredette are pretty tough to stop. What makes these two players so good though?
Fredette and Curry are very similar players, even Stephen Curry has gone as far to say that he thinks Fredette’s game and skills will allow him to succeed in the NBA. Before going into the NBA Curry had a lot of question marks on whether he had the necessary set of skills to be as successful at the professional as he was in college. The knock on Curry was that he didn’t have the athleticism or explosiveness to succeed at the NBA level. That along with his his slim build and lack of knowledge of the point guard game made him a slight risk in the NBA Draft. The Golden State Warriors “gambled” on Curry with the 7th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft and they would go on to not regret that decision. In his one and a half years of NBA basketball, Curry has started almost every game he has played in, averaged just under 20 points per game and has shot nearly 50% from the floor. For a 20-year old still playing in his second season, it sure seems like those “weaknesses” aren’t quite holding him back. Obviously Curry’s strengths have made him a force in the NBA, the same strengths that made him nearly unstoppable in college. Curry had outstanding ball control and passing ability, but it was his shooting ability that separated him from the rest while at Davidson. There was no fear in the eyes of Curry when he shot the ball, only fear in the eyes of his defenders. Using a lightning quick, yet consistent, release, Curry made it hard for his defenders to contest any of the shots he took. What also made Curry so dangerous was his ability to create his own scoring opportunities. Whether it was threading two defenders in the paint or taking a long-distance three off the dribble, it was simple – Curry found ways to score. No matter where Curry was on the floor, he could score, and that ability made his defenders crumble into nothing. Just ask Wisconsin about how hard it was to guard Curry in the 2008 NCAA Tournament.
Stephen Curry made defenders hesitate with his incredible ball and shot fakes, but his quick and precise passing skills were always a worry for his defenders. With teammates who could also find ways to score, Curry had no problem distributing the ball and getting others involved. The skill set he possessed in college was one of a kind, and was a big part of the 32 points per game he averaged during Davidson’s run to the Elite Eight in the 2008 NCAA Tournament. The question is however, how similar is Jimmer Fredette to Stephen Curry? The answer to that is pretty clear: very similar.
The “weaknesses” that NBA scouts say Jimmer Fredette has are virtually the same as the ones Stephen Curry apparently had during his college career. Fredette is said to have sub-par athleticism and lateral quickness while on the court. If you watch a BYU game, though, you’ll see that if those are indeed his weak points that no one has learned how to exploit them. Jimmer Fredette has consistently found ways to light teams up over the span of the last year as he averaged just under 25 points per game. Just like Curry, Jimmer Fredette finds and creates ways to score on every area of the floor. His range is unlimited when he is shooting. Not just unlimited “with the shot clock winding down” range either, no matter what the clock says, if Jimmer thinks he will make the shot he will take it. TCU learned that the hard way in a game earlier this season.
Much like Curry, he also uses an accurate, consistent and quick release that throws his defenders off and makes him nearly impossible to guard. However, once again much like Stephen Curry, it is Jimmer’s ability to force defenders to guess if he will pass or shoot it when he has the ball. With fast developing point guard skills, Jimmer has turned into a top notch passer and is able to get his large supporting cast involved at any given moment of a game. The only difference between Stephen Curry and Jimmer Fredette is that they have very different builds. In college, and even now in the NBA, Curry had a very slim build and didn’t have the ability to over power any of his defenders. This is not the case for Jimmer Fredette who compliments his precise shooting and passing with superior strength. One of the reasons Fredette can be a force driving to the basket is because he explodes, not just with speed but, with size that allows him to score even with contact. NBA scouts have pointed out that Jimmer is one of the best conditioned players in college basketball, something that has become evident late in games. Jimmer is able to wear down his opponents with his strength and power, while at the same time keeping up his unmatched intensity and consistent shooting.
The biggest similarity between BYU and the 2007-2008 Davidson Wildcats appears to be Jimmer Fredette and Stephen. Both players have similar statistics, similar skills and a similar ability to lead teams to victory. The biggest key in Davidson’s run to the Elite Eight was Stephen Curry’s ability to dominate and take over any game, with Jimmer Fredette, BYU has that same exact opportunity.
THE SUPPORTING CASTS AT DAVIDSON AND BYU
As mentioned earlier, Stephen Curry and Jimmer Fredette have acted like the glue that keeps the pieces of their respected teams together. That is a key in the success of Davidson and BYU, however if those pieces being held together are nothing more than glorified bench warmers then nothing really matters. Without an incredible supporting cast at Davidson, Stephen Curry would most likely not have been as productive and would for sure never have made an unforgettable run through the 2008 NCAA Tournament. Just ask Stephen Curry was his final year at Davidson was like in the 2008-2009 season. With three of Davidson’s biggest contributors in Thomas Sander, Boris Meno and the nation’s leading assist man in Jason Richards all gone, the Wildcats struggled and failed to make the NCAA Tournament after they bowed out of the Souther Conference Tournament. Stephen Curry was, and Jimmer Fredette is, important to making a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, but the supporting casts play just as big of a role.
Jason Richard (middle) and company were a huge part of Davidson’s success
At first glance, BYU appears to be a stronger all-around team than Davidson was back in the 2007-2008 season. This may be true statistically, but that Davidson team has one edge over the current BYU team: Jason Richards. Passing was an art form for Jason Richards, he averaged over 8 assists per game in the 2007-2008 season along with a not-so-bad 12.7 points per game. In the NCAA Tournament, Jason Richards averaged 9 assists per game and even dropped 13 dimes against Wisconsin in the Sweet Sixteen. Jason Richards didn’t just dish the ball to Stephen Curry in that NCAA Tournament, though. When needed, players like Andrew Lovedale, Thomas Sander, Boris Meno and Max Pauhlus Gosselin all were key contributors when needed for Davidson in their run to the Elite Eight.
Did those players make consistent noise throughout games? No they did not, but that wasn’t required of them. When Davidson needed a bucket, Lovedale would supply them with a huge dunk. When Davidson needed a momentum shifting shot, Pauhlus Gosselin would rain threes down on their opponents. None of the smaller contributors outside of Curry and Richards would hurt team for big double-digit scoring games, but they hit teams where it hurt at the right moment for the Wildcats. Davidson was not a team that went six players deep loaded with double-digit scorers, but they were a team with the right amount of production from almost every guy on their roster. That was the ingredient for success at Davidson, and it was almost enough to bring them to the Final Four. The focus was never on Stephen Curry’s supporting cast, and when teams finally learned how good of a team Davidson was, it was simply too late.
BYU is the same, all you hear about in the media is Jimmer Fredette. The headlines, stories and sports reports always talk about Jimmer Fredette and his ability to take over a game and score boat-loads of points. This is what has made BYU so dangerous at this point in the season. Much like Davidson back in the 2007-2008 season, BYU’s entire team is being overlooked when talked about as a serious NCAA Tournament contender. As the saying goes, “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me once, hame on me.” Well if people around the country don’t start to realize how good of a team BYU is, they will be saying “shame on me” come NCAA Tournament time.
Jimmer Fredette is good, but his supporting cast makes BYU a true contender
Where this BYU team differs from the 2007-2008 Davidson Wildcats is that they are as deep, but pack a lot more punch in the offensive department. Where BYU lacks in not having a world-class ball distributor in Jason Richards, they make up by having three stud offensive players in Jackson Emery, Brandon Davies and Noah Hartsock. Combined the three players have helped Jimmer Fredette guide BYU to an outstanding 19-1 start. Emery, Davies, Hartsock combine for an average of just under 35 points per game. Emery is a great compliment to Fredette at the guard position averaging 13 points and just under three assists per game. Standing both around six foot nine, Davies and Hartsock help BYU have a balanced attack inside and out on any given night. Much like Davidson had in Andrew Lovedale and Boris Meno, BYU has an outstanding shot blocker in Noah Hartsock, and a physical rebounder in Brandon Davies. Each player on BYU’s roster sees more than five minutes per game and contributes in their own way. What made Davidson so good in the 2007-2008 season, a deep team, is the same thing that is helping drive BYU to a serious contention for the National Championship in the 2010-2011 season.
FINAL THOUGHTS
There more comparisons between the Davidson squad of 2007-2008 and this BYU team, the more it becomes clear that their paths are very similar. From their stars in Stephen Curry and Jimmer Fredette, to their NCAA Tournament experience and to their very deep supporting cast of players, both teams pack an eerily similar punch. The difference for BYU is that as a whole, they might very well be a more talented, balanced and physical team. If Davidson could make a near Final Four run in the 2008 NCAA Tournament, there is no doubt that BYU could potentially make an even farther run the 2011 NCAA Tournament.
Tonight will not answer a lot of questions when it comes to BYU and San Diego State. Those questions will be answered when the two teams hit the floor for the NCAA Tournament in March. For now, we will watch and observe as they begin to fight for the title of top team in the Mountain West Conference. If you don’t get the CBS College Sports channel, then I would suggest you stream the game online somehow as it is a for sure “must see game.” San Diego State will square off against BYU in Provo, Utah tonight at 10:00pm eastern standard time.
Two teams, UCLA and Central Florida, had very intense weeks. After being on the outside looking in, UCLA vastly improved their NCAA Tournament resume with wins over California and Stanford to launch themselves into the bracket. Central Florida meanwhile continues to fall flat in Conference USA play. They have lost four straight and have a must win against Memphis on Wednesday. Marcus Jordan, the son of Michael, needs to step up and play like his father as he tries to battle the Knights back into the NCAA Tournament picture. San Diego State debuts as a 1-seed for the first time after Kansas blew a gigantic lead to Texas. I have said all year that Texas has been a more impressive team than Kansas. Yeah Texas did lose to USC on the road, but Kansas needed a strong surge in the final minutes at home to knock off USC. I give the edge to Texas and have them above Kansas on the overal seed line. In my write-up about last weekend’s games, I said Kansas needs to do more to impress and convince me that they are really a Top 5 team. Well, I am still waiting for that to happen. I once again have Pittsburgh winning the National Championship, and if you look closely you will see a few upsets. I won’t get into teams like Oakland, Belmont or Coastal Carolina until late February/early March, but keep an eye on those teams for now.
The next post will be in the next 24 hours or so when I finish up a story on BYU.
Nittany White Out Exclusive: Penn State has two huge games this week. Wednesday night is a 100% must win against Iowa at home, and Saturday is a near must win against Wisconsin at home. If Penn State loses to Iowa they will basically guarantee themselves no chance at earning an at-large into the NCAA Tournament. A loss on Saturday would mean that Penn State will almost certainly have to beat Ohio State when they come to town in March. A win on Saturday would put Penn State right back on the line between in the Big Dance and just out of the Big Dance. Their two last second losses to Purdue and Ohio State hurt, but Penn State is still alive in the hunt for the NCAA Tournament.
The bracket and the breakdown after the jump
JeffDLowe Bracket: 1/24/11
Who made the bracket:
Conference
Conference Bids
# of Teams last week
Teams
American East
1
1
Maine
Atlantic Coast
5
6
Boston College, Duke*, Florida State, North Carolina, Virginia Tech
Atlantic Sun
1
1
Belmont
Atlantic 10
3
2
Richmond, Temple*, Xavier
Big East
11
11
Cincinnati, Connecticut, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh*, St. John’s, Syracuse, West Virginia, Villanova
Penn State’s recruiting class has, slowly but surely, continued to build up steam as we head towards LOI day just two weeks away. Despite a few bumps in the road, and though this class won’t be anything to brag about, the impending destruction of the Nittany Lion program has at the least been staved off for another day. At 8 o’clock this morning, one more top prospect committed to Joe Paterno and crew, becoming the 14th commitment to a steadily improving recruiting class–so many of them players who will do the dirty work in the trenches at the next level.
Getting Deion Barnes is no small potatoes, even if the fact that he’s been considered a Penn State lock for months diminishes the impact of his commitment. Though there’s some disagreement between the recruiting services on his true skill level–Rivals ranks him as the #6 defensive end, the #158 prospect in the country, and the #2 prospect from Pennsylvania, while Scout’s sipping the haterade, slotting Barnes in as the the #31 player at his position–he’s still one of the likelier impact players of this recruiting class.
The 6’5, 225 Philadelphian had an impressive offer list–he had narrowed down his selection to Penn State and Georgia, but could’ve taken a scholarship from Michigan, Pitt, West Virginia, South Carolina, or pretty much any other school in the region. It’s not hard to see why he was so highly coveted–he’s got the kind of frame and athleticism that bode well for development into an elite pass rusher.
Barnes’ high school exploits landed him on the second-team all-state, though he was the Philly Public School player of the year, racking up 85 tackles–35 of them for a loss–along with 13 sacks. And he had a straight-out-of-the-movies moment in his final high school game:
He led Northeast to its first city title since 1983, blocking a punt that set up a touchdown and catching the eventual game-winner off of a fake field goal.
But for Penn State, character is often as important as talent, and in Barnes, they’ve got a great kid. The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote a great story over the summer, showcasing his heart and determination–he’ll be the first member of his family to go to college. But it’s gut-wrenching, too, chronicling his escape from one of the worst areas of a dangerous city:
Since 2007, the year Barnes entered high school, 130 people have been shot within a half-mile of his North Philadelphia home, and at least 20 have been slain. Tragedy has also darkened his family. Barnes’ uncle was shot and killed at 21. That uncle’s son was also shot and killed at 21, buried this summer. And Barnes and his brothers have friend after friend who have been killed in gun violence.
With that in mind, it’s not hard to understand why Barnes would choose Penn State. He gets to stay close enough to home so his parents–who’ve watched every football game he’s ever played–can keep seeing him in person. And he’s going to a school where he can do more than just play football, where the school is as committed to his education as he is. As he told Sean Fitz, at Lions247:
“I am making this decision because of academics and the comfort level. I am not going to be one of those guys that just stays three years, I want to be there for four. For those reasons, I am going to Penn State.”
For an effort that started as slowly as it did, to salvage respectability as the coaching staff has is nothing short of a significant accomplishment. But we need to remember that these recruits are kids, too, and the story of Deion Barnes may be even greater than the defensive end, himself.
The initial reason I started blogging about NCAA Basketball, was because of my interest in Bracketology. I have been doing Bracketology for as long as I can remember. That being said, never to the level that I do it right now. Full and past Bracketology posts can be found on my website JeffDBrackets, and my brackets are featured on the website called the Bracket Matrix. The Bracket Matrix compiles all of the brackets from across the internet (ex: ESPN, CBS, etc.) and averages them out each week. I base all of my predictions off the RPI, rankings, standings and most importantly, what I think of the team from the games I have seen them play. It is mostly based off if the season were to end today, however I do factor in my thoughts on how certain teams will end the season (mostly mid-major teams are effected by that thought process).
What makes my Bracketology unique from others is the fact that I predict the bracket that I make.
I already broke down the events of this past week, so I will keep this short and sweet. This season is as unpredictable as it gets. Last season we saw many upsets in the NCAA Tournament, and if this season is any indication of what will happen come March then we may see those same wild results yet again. Enjoy the bracket, the breakdown and all the bubble tidbits. There will be no arrivals and departures, because there has been no bracket since early December. This is also the first time I have not selected Duke to win the National Championship. Pittsburgh just seems like such a dominant team so far this season that it is hard to pick against them. If I could pick, they would be ranked as the #1 team in the country. I struggled to put Ohio State in over Brigham Young. I really think the Cougars compare greatly to the 2007-2008 Davidson team that almost made the Final Four. I won’t go into many details, because I plan on writing an article comparing the two in the coming weeks.
Nittany White Out Exclusive: Now many people are wondering what the chances of Penn State making the NCAA Tournament are. The fact that I have them as one of my “Next Four Out” is still pretty shocking to me. For a team that lost to Maine at home, has no impressive out-of-conference victories and was an after thought only weeks into the season, to even be on the bubble is pretty big.
The question reamins however, what must Penn State do to make the NCAA Tournament? The game against Ohio State most likely helped Penn State even if it was a loss. The Nittany Lions didn’t need the win to make the NCAA Tournament, however it would have a helped. The game against Purdue on Wednesday may indeed be a must win though. Penn State lacks an impressive road victory, actually, Penn State only has one road victory – period.
A win against Purdue would more than likely launch Penn State into the NCAA Tournament (as of right now) by the start of next week. A loss would be a pretty large set-back and require the Nittany Lions to need a win one or two in road games at Wisconsin, Michigan State, Illinois or Minnesota later in the season. All four of those games will be pretty daunting tasks. In order for Penn State to feel comfortable about making the NCAA Tournament, they can only afford to lose really one game at home (Wisconsin or Ohio State, you choose). A game at a stumbling Northwestern will also serve as a must win for Penn State. Those would be six wins for Penn State right there, however 16 wins on the season would not be nearly enough to get in the NCAA Tournament as an at-large. That means of the games at Purdue, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Illinois and Minnesota, the Nittany Lions will need to grab two victories to get them to a grand total of 18 wins on the season.
With the NCAA adding four more teams to the Tournament, Penn State would have a little wiggle room with an 18-10 record. Minnesota finished last season 18-12 and was easily on the outside looking in. How did they get into the NCAA Tournament? By making a big run in the Big Ten Tournament all the way to the title game. If Penn State is 18-10 by the end of the season, which still is asking for multiple huge victories, one or two wins in the Big Ten Tournament might be enough to earn them a bid. With all of that being said, Penn State just needs to focus on one game at a time. Their chances to make the NCAA Tournament seem pretty slim due to the fact that the Big Ten conference is strong, but just the fact they control their own destiny and have an actual shot to go dancing is pretty amazing.
The bracket and the breakdown after the jump
JeffDLowe Bracket: 1/18/11
Who made the bracket:
Conference
Conference Bids
# of Teams last week
Teams
American East
1
Vermont
Atlantic Coast
6
Boston College, Duke*, Florida State, Miami (FL), North Carolina, Virginia Tech
Atlantic Sun
1
Belmont
Atlantic 10
2
Temple*, Xavier
Big East
11
Cincinnati, Connecticut, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh*, St. John’s, Syracuse, West Virginia, Villanova
Before I get into the article, let me introduce myself to everyone. My name is Jeff Lowe, I am a sophomore at Penn State and majoring in broadcast journalism. One of my biggest hobbies for years has been NCAA Basketball and Bracketology. Not until recently however, have I blogged and posted my brackets online. Back in November I entered to blogging world with the creation of my NCAA Basketball blog – jeffdbrackets.blogspot.com. After getting off to a good start, and even having my bracket featured in the Bracket Matrix, I have decided to expand my blog. As a Cleveland sports fan, this is the best way I can put it, “I am taking my talents to Nittany White Out.” Whether they are real talents or not is up to you, but I hope everyone enjoys the NCAA Basketball analysis and weekly Bracketology updates I will be posting on this website. For full Bracketology, past posts and breakdowns just head over to my blog. Thank you for reading, and I hope everyone enjoys my posts.
Ohio State’s win guarantees them a #1 ranking, while Penn State proves to be relevant
Jared Sullinger has been as good as advertised this season for Ohio State
With a Duke loss to Florida State, all Ohio State had to do to secure the title of #1 team in the land was beat Penn State.Sounds easy right? Despite dominating Penn State over the years, Ohio State struggled to put away Penn State on Saturday. All throughout the first half the Nittany Lions stuck with the Buckeyes, and even held the lead for most of the first 20 minutes. The Buckeyes appeared to have put Penn State away early in the second half as they broke out to a quick 10 point lead. However, the Nittany Lions refused to go away as they regained the lead with just under 3 minutes remaining. It was a team effort that got Penn State back in the game against Ohio State. Usually Penn State hangs on one or two players (usually Talor Battle) to carry them to a victory. In Columbus, Penn State used a balanced attack from all five of their starters. David Jackson, Talor Battle, Andrew Jones and Jeff Brooks had 19, 15, 11 and 11 points respectively. Even sophomore guard Tim Frazier contributed with 8 points, 5 assists and a perfect 4 for 4 shooting performance. Unfortunately for Penn State, with under just a minute left in the game, Ohio State’s super freshman Jared Sullinger took over and single handily won the game for the Buckeyes. First, Sullinger backed down Andrew Jones, drew a foul, made the shot and forced Jones out of the game with 5 fouls. Penn State picked up an and-one of their own to tie the game at 66-66, but Sullinger struck once again. With Andrew Jones off the floor, the less athletic Billy Oliver came on for Penn State and for the second straight possession Penn State allows Sullinger to back down in the lane and get an and-one. Sullinger made the free throw and gave Ohio State the 3 point lead with 15 seconds remaining. The Nittany Lions had an unorganized and sloppy final play that resulted in no points and an Ohio State victory. With the win, Ohio State is off to their best start under coach Thad Matta at 18-0, and now owns the #1 ranking in the country. Penn State on the other hand may have lost, but did gain a lot of respect from people across the country with a very impressive win. After a loss to Maine at home in December, Penn State has managed to get their season back on track. Two wins over ranked opponents, Michigan State and Illinois, has given Penn State hope in their chase for an NCAA Tournament berth.
More analysis after the jump
Duke shakes off sluggish first half to knock off Virginia
Duke had their first bad shooting night when they fell to Florida State in Tallahassee on Wednesday.Unfortunately, the 31% shooting performance carried over into their contest with Virginia in Cameron Indoor on Saturday afternoon. Duke shot 34% in the first half and was down 31-25 to a mediocre Virginia team at the half. After three consecutive miserable halves, Duke finally woke up in the second half as they scored 51 points and shot around 65% from the floor. Duke pulled away in the end and won convincingly 76-60. Most people expected Duke to romp through Virginia and bounce back well against Virginia, that being said it is no surprise Duke had a bit of a hangover after a tough loss to Florida State. Nolan Smith led the charge for Duke with 29 points, 6 assists and 7 rebounds. Smith’s improvement as an all-around point guard is going relatively unmentioned throughout the season. Smith had struggled in the past by being too one dimensional at the point guard position. However, since Kyrie Irving went down with his toe injury, Smith has been outstanding for the Blue Devils. That being said, Duke has shown some issues with creating their own opportunities on offense. When the Blue Devils defense exposes teams and forces turnovers they will score loads of points. If a team limits turnovers and plays an efficient game on offense, like Florida State did, then Duke will struggle with some of the more talented teams throughout the year. Duke threw up over 30 three pointers against Florida State and failed to establish an offensive presence in the paint. Florida State is better than their record indicates and bolsters an outstanding defense, but it shows that top teams in the country will be able to have advantages against Duke if they play an efficient game.
Big East powers Connecticut, Syracuse, Georgetown and Pittsburgh roll
Kemba’s supporting cast is slowly becoming more effective
All four teams had fairly easy days on the court as they rolled to victories by an average margin of 16 points. Connecticut did not get tested throughout the game after they jumped to an early 13-4 lead and never looked by. A 15 to 1 run in the second half that launched Connecticut’s lead to 65-41 sealed the deal for the Huskies 14th overall win and 3rd Big East win as they won 82-62. Kemba Walker had 31 points and didn’t play in the last 7 minutes of the game. The good news for the Huskies was that the recent help from Walker’s supporting cast continued against DePaul. Jeremy Lamb, Alex Oriakhi and Roscoe Smith were all big for Connecticut as they used an up-tempo attack to breakdown DePaul’s full-court press and hammer the Blue Demons. Syracuse got tested early by a surprisingly good Cincinnati team, however used a combined effort from Brandon Triche, Rick Jackson and Scoop Jardine who together scored 37 to run away from the Bearcats in the second half to win 67-52. Undefeated Syracuse’s next opponent, Pittsburgh, didn’t have any issues whatsoever from Seton Hall. Despite shooting below their season average in shooting percentage, the Panthers used a big 15 point advantage at the half to bury the Pirates early. Pittsburgh went on to win big 74-53, and improve their record to 17-1 and 5-0 in the Big East. After dropping three straight games in Big East play, Georgetown got back on track with their 74-65 victory over a scrappy Rutgers squad. Austin Freeman’s 25 points helped the Hoyas recover from a poor shooting night against Pittsburgh on Wednesday (38% from the floor) to shoot nearly 50% on the day.
Villanova and Louisville need second half comebacks to grabs impressive wins
Unlike their Big East foes, Villanova and Louisville struggled with their opponents to end their weeks with strong victories. Villanova found themselves down by 12 to un-ranked Maryland with 10:40 to go in the second half when they finally were able to end their shooting slump. The Wildcats ended the game on a 22 to 9 run to close out a 74-66 victory in Philadelphia. Villanova, who does not have a very strong out of conference resume, picked up a good win over a bubble team in Maryland as they now finish the year with only Big East games remaining. Maryland on the other hand drops to 11-6 on the season and has now lost to Pittsburgh, Illinois, Temple, Duke and Villanova by an average of 6 points. It appears that the Terps might be sitting on the bubble the rest of the season. Marquette is another team who appears to be stuck on the bubble, and a win over Louisville would’ve gone a long ways towards their NCAA Tournament hopes. The Golden Eagles found themselves up 65-49 with just over five minutes remaining, however Preston Knowle’s four three pointers helped trigger a 22-9 by Louisville that helped complete the comeback. Kyle Kuric’s layup with 4 seconds left was the eventual game winning basket that sealed a 71-70 victory for the Cardinals.
Kansas and Texas A&M survive Big XII thrillers to stay unbeaten in the conference
Kansas has had its nation leading home court winning streak (now at 69 games) tested throughout the past few years, especially this year. That being said, many people did not expect perennial Big XII basement dweller Nebraska to take the Jayhawks down to the wire on Saturday. Throughout the day both Kansas and Nebraska had a tight battle, however the Cornhuskers at one point built up a 9 point lead. Kansas battled back to regain the lead late in the second half and matched all of Nebraska’s scoring possessions with scoring possessions of their own. Caleb Walker had a chance to tie the game with 13 seconds left, however that hit off the iron and with it fell the Cornhusker’s upset dream. Texas A&M was in a different spot than Kansas was as they were the underdogs in their game at home against Missouri. The Aggies might be the quietest power-conference team in college basketball this season. With a 16-1 record and quality wins over Temple, Washington and Oklahoma State, the Aggies grabbed another resume booster with a gutsy overtime win. An even game throughout the entire second half, Khris Middleton sent the game for overtime for Texas A&M with two clutch free throws. Middelton did the same thing in overtime as he made 3 free throws that helped seal Texas A&M’s 91-89 victory. Kansas and Texas A&M both have to face the Texas Longhorns this week. Kansas gets Texas on Saturday, while the Lonestar Showdown between the Aggies and the Longhorns will take place on Wednesday.
Quick thoughts from the weekend
San Diego State continues to be one of the most impressive teams in the country
San Diego State continues to impress as they moved to 19-0 with a win over New Mexico. The Lobos aren’t quite the team they were last year, however they were a good test for the Aztecs and they were also able to manage the game inside a treacherous and loud Pit Arena. Senior guard D.J. Gay was huge for San Diego State as he had 30 points on 7 three pointers and managed to get to the free throw line 14 times. The Top 10 showdown between San Diego State and Jimmer Fredette’s (the nation’s leading scorer) BYU squad is only nine days away.
Wisconsin continued their up and down Big Ten schedule with a 76-66 win over Illinois. The Badgers, now 3-2 in the Big Ten, have alternated a win and a loss in all five of their conference games. Illinois meanwhile dropped their second straight game after getting upset by Penn State on Tuesday. The road gets tougher for the Illini as they host Michigan State and Ohio State between now and Saturday.
Northwestern looked at the 2010-2011 season as their best chance to make their first NCAA Tournament in their program’s history. After opening the season 9-1, the Wildcats have dropped four of their last six to open to Big Ten play with a 2-4 conference record. That record includes an overtime loss to Michigan State this past weekend in East Lansing. Northwestern has now lost both games to Michigan State by a combined seven points. The Spartans shut down John Shurna, as he was held to only 6 points in Northwestern’s 71-87 loss.
The Dukes are off to a 3-0 start in the A10 after shocking Temple
Two mid-major teams, Central Florida and Temple, were stunned this past weekend as they got run out of the gyms they were playing in. The Golden Knights dropped their second straight game as they got upended by conference foe Southern Miss 86-69. Central Florida is still 14-2 and is led by Michael Jordan’s son Marcus (20 points in the game), but the room for error for the surprising squad from Orlando is slowly becoming smaller. Temple on the other hand was expected to be a Top 25 team this season. What people didn’t expect was for Temple to get blown out by Duquessne. The 78-66 loss for Temple was their first loss in Atlantic-10 play since February 6th of last year.
Tennessee continued their wild season as they won their first game without head coach Bruce Pearl. The Volunteers knocked off cross-state rivals Vanderbilt 67-64 and was led by Scotty Hopson’s impressive flat-top haircut and his 16 points. Tennessee did something they’d struggled to do all year: beat an un-ranked opponent. They are now 7-6 against un-ranked teams, but hold an impressive 3-0 record against Top 25 teams.
Georgia and Colorado have surprised everyone this year
Colorado and Georgia continue to surprise and impress the college basketball world as they improved their NCAA Tournament resume yet again this weekend. Georgia improved to 13-3 and 2-1 in the SEC as they dominated Ole Miss. Colorado meanwhile had wins over Missouri and Kansas State, before beating Oklahoma State in Boulder 75-71. The Buffaloes are now tied atop the Big XII with Texas A&M.
Both Washington and Minnesota picked up easy double-digit victories on Sunday as they took down California and Iowa respectively. The Huskies had a dominating 92-71 win where they saw Isaiah Thomas, Justin Holiday and Matthew Bryan-Amaning score over 20 points each. Minnesota used a big boost from Trevor Mbakwe, as he scored 16 points off the bench for Gophers in their 69-59 victory.
The two biggest games on Saturday, St. John’s vs. Notre and West Virginia vs. Purdue, both ended with huge upsets. St. John’s absolutely pounded Notre Dame in Madison Square Garden. The Red Storm knocked off the Irish 72-54 as Justin Brownlee, D.J. Kennedy, Dwight Hardy and Malik Boothe all helped out with double-digit scoring days. Steve Lavin’s first year at St. John’s continues to be a huge success as they improve to 11-5 and 4-2 in the Big East. It appears that the Red Storm are on the right track to go back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002. West Virginia got off to a very slow start in Big East play with two early losses, but since then the Mountaineers have been on fire. That continued with their huge out of conference victory over Purdue on Sunday. Four West Virginia players had double digits in scoring including Kevin Jones who scored 17 points and had the go-ahead three pointer with just over 6 minutes remaining in the game. West Virginia iced the game with big free throws down the stretch to knock off the Boilermakers for the first time in the schools history with a 68-64 finals score.
Key Games This Week -
Monday
#8 – Connecticut defeats #7 – Villanova – 61-59
#14 – Missouri defeats #24 – Kansas State – 75-59
#4 – Pittsburgh defeats #3 – Syracuse – 74-66
#2 – Kansas vs. Baylor – 9:30PM
Tuesday
#18 – Michigan State vs. #22 – Illinois- 7:00PM
Tennessee vs. Georgia – 7:00PM
Wednesday
#5 – Duke vs. North Carolina State – 7:00PM
St. John’s vs. #15 – Louisville – 7:00PM
Cincinnati vs. #16 – Notre Dame – 7:00PM
Penn State vs. #13 – Purdue – 8:30PM
#10 – Texas A&M vs. #11 – Texas- 9:00PM
Thursday
#25 – Arizona vs. #20 – Washington – 10:30PM
Saturday
George Mason vs. James Madison – 11:00AM
#1 – Ohio State vs. #22 – Illinois – 12:00PM
#7 – Villanova vs. #3 – Syracuse- 12:00PM
Wright State vs. Cleveland State – 2:00PM
Tennessee vs. #8 – Connecticut – 2:00PM
#24 – Kansas State vs. #10 – Texas A&M – 2:00PM
#21 – Saint Mary’s vs. Vanderbilt – 2:00PM
Temple vs. Xavier – 3:00PM
#11 – Texas vs. #2 – Kansas – 4:00PM
Oklahoma State vs. Baylor – 4:00PM
Cincinnati vs. St. John’s – 4:00PM
#12 – Kentucky vs. South Carolina – 6:00PM
Boston College vs. Florida State – 7:00PM
Marquette vs. #16 – Notre Dame – 7:00PM
Arkansas vs. Florida – 8:00PM
#9 – Brigham Young vs. Colorado State – 9:00PM
#18 – Michigan State vs. #13 – Purdue – 9:00PM
Iowa State vs. #14 – Missouri – 9:00PM
#25 – Arizona vs. Washington State – 10:30PM
Note: Bracketology will be released this evening (1/17/2011)
Ishaq Williams may have chosen Notre Dame over Penn State, but that doesn’t mean Joe Paterno and his staff can’t finish up their 2011 recruiting class with a bang. With plenty of Nittany Lion prospects still uncommitted, this year seems downright salvageable. Perhaps the commitment of New Jersey athlete Bill Belton–news first reported by FightOnState’s Cory James–will help re-energize the momentum that seemed momentarily lost.
Belton originally committed to Pitt early in the recruiting process, but we won’t hold that against him. He became one of a number of verbal commits to look elsewhere after the firing of Dave Wannstedt (and the subsequent firing of Mike Haywood), and quickly whittled down his choices to West Virginia, Cincinnati, and Penn State, and today made his intentions clear–he’ll join the Blue and White.
The 5’9, 180-pounder was one of the top athletes on the east coast, and his offer sheet reflects that. In addition to the aforementioned four schools, Belton received scholarship offers from schools as far south as Florida and Georgia Tech, and to the west, from Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Oregon. Rivals ranks Belton as the 25th best “athlete,” as the #8 prospect from the state of New Jersey, and as a 4-star recruit, sentiments echoed by Scout–who calls Belton the #13 wide receiver in this class of 2011.
Belton was a quarterback in his high school days, and his proficiency at that position demonstrates his elite athleticism. He was the Courier Post (a regional New Jersey newspaper) MVP, and his statistics are pretty staggering. He became the first New Jersian to pass for 2000 yards and run for 1000 in consecutive seasons, completing 61% of his passes with 21 touchdowns through the air. And on the ground, he ran for more than 6 yards a pop with another 16 touchdowns, inspiring some pretty awesome quotes:
“He’s an alien. He shouldn’t even be here,’’ Eastern coach Dan Spittal said. “He’s that much better than everyone else.’’
“You just can’t stop him. He’s at a different level,’’ Moorestown coach Russ Horton said. “He’s a man playing with boys. He is that good.’’
“I’ve been coaching for 30 years and he’s the best high school quarterback I’ve ever seen,’’ Spittal said. “He can throw with accuracy, he has poise and he runs when he has to. And when he runs, you couldn’t tackle him in a phone booth.’’
It’s not clear what position Belton will play at Penn State, whether it’s wide receiver or defensive back, but it’s clear that this kid is a football player, and is a big get for Mike McQueary, especially after he whiffed on Bill the first time. Reports were that Belton and his family were enamored with Big Red, and it’s entirely possible that the Penn State WR coach will get 4 or 5 years to work with Bill.
The news doesn’t get better in the midst of one of the toughest television years for college football. Bowl ratings, on average are down 9% from last season including a 11% drop for the BCS title game that went down to the wire between Auburn and Oregon.
Disappointing, but understandable considering that the 4 BCS bowls, plus the title game shifted from Fox and ABC to ESPN, who had to outbid Fox by $100 million to carry the games from 2011-14. A drop in viewership is a usual and expected effect of this broadcast-to-cable shift. Old-line networks (ABC, NBC, Fox, CBS) play to 116 million TV homes while ESPN is limited to about 100 million subscribers, just 86% of the broadcast base resulting in 15-16 million viewers that don’t get satellite or cable who are being disenfrancished.
As sports have moved to cable, we’ve seen the viewership fall. It has happened in the N.B.A., the British Open, “Monday Night Football,” the Breeders’ Cup and Nascar. The nine Chase for the Sprint Cup races that left ABC for ESPN last year had a 20 percent drop in viewers, to 4.4 million.
And on top of that, let’s not forget the matchups that viewers were faced with. The Orange and Fiesta ended in lopsided blowouts between teams that struggle to carry a national audience (UConn, Stanford, Virginia Tech), and even the Granddaddy of them All was handcuffed to a matchup between B1G squad Wisconsin and TCU, a mid major without the cachet of most traditional programs, thanks to a BCS rule requiring them to do so once every 4 years.
So, understandably the ratings for the BCS Title (-11%), Rose (-15%), Sugar (-4%), Orange (-1%) and Fiesta (-25%) bowls are significantly lower when compared to last season. And as much as ESPN would like to spin the numbers in a positive light, the ratings decline remains a tough blow in the fight between broadcasters and cable whose ad-supported networks are battling the advantage of subscriber fees that ESPN charges. It’s tough to sell an unattractive yet overpriced product to prospective sponsors.
But it’s not all bad news. Penn State, onceagain, has dominated bowl ratings. In fact, the Outback Bowl between the Nittany Lions and the Florida Gators rank 4th among all bowls, BCS and non-BCS drawing more viewers than the Orange and Fiesta bowls. The 7.05 rating represents an eye popping 101% increase more than doubling the 3.5 rating earned last season during an OT thriller between Auburn and Northwestern. Amidst a bowl season when 23 of the 33 returning bowls drew lower ratings than a year ago, including 13 that plummeted by 20% or more, the Outback bowl emerged as a clear winner.
There was a bit of hesitation back in December when the Outback Bowl selected the Nittany Lions with the #2 pick of B1G teams passing over fellow programs with identical 7-5 records; Michigan, Northwestern, and particularly Iowa who beat the Lions in their conference opener. But, it’s tough to blame the Outback Bowl for making a fiscally sound decision. And based on the 7.05 rating that doubled last season’s OT thriller, the Outback Bowl committee was right all along.
Sure, Penn State was coming off an emotional 66-62 win over ranked nemesis Michigan State. But to pull off a second consecutive upset against another B1G title contender, now that’s just wishful thinking.
Except someone forgot to send Talor Battle and Andrew Jones the memo. The two connected on a putback basket with barely a second left in the game to clinch the upset for the Nittany Lions.
Coming into the game, the (13-3, 3-0) Fighting Illini were red hot, converting 65% from the field including 64% of their 3s in B1G play. Impressive numbers, yet pales in comparison to the 70.5% shooting performance that set a single-game school record against Northwestern just 6 days ago. It was clear the Lions would be tested defensively by one of the best shooting teams they will be facing all season.
Surprisingly Penn State limited the Illini offense that was shooting 64% in B1G play to just 41% for the game, but Penn State’s own offensive woes (35% shooting) kept Illinois in the game. Even as the two teams traded shot for shot in a game that featured 5 ties and 3 lead changes, the Nittany Lions never backed down, not when the Illini wiped out a 12 point lead in the first half, nor following Bill Cole’s layup to tie the game with 20 seconds left. Most teams wilt under the pressure. But Talor Battle has been in this situation before, he actually thrives on it. A mere 3 days earlier against #18 Michigan State, Battle asked for the ball with Penn State up by 1 and less than a minute to go. It didn’t matter that the senior star was just 2-13 from the field by that point, Battle knew he would make the play. With time running down, and the good guys up by 1, Talor Battle scored on an off-balance jumper that gave the Nittany Lions the 3 point lead they needed to put the Spartans away.
Tonight was no different. Although the Illini fought back to tie the game at 55 with 22 seconds left, Penn State remained surprisingly calm. In fact, Ed DeChellis didn’t even call a timeout following Bill Cole’s game-tying layup. Talor Battle simply dribbled the ball down the court for another off-balanced attempt at the game winning shot. Except it took the help of fellow teammate Andrew Jones tonight. Battle’s shot bounced off the rim into the hands of Andrew Jones who slammed the ball into the basket for the game clinching score with just 0.7 seconds remaining. Even Illinois’ desperation heave downcourt was intercepted by the 6’10″ senior forward. Game, set, match.
And just like it took a team effort (4 different players scored 10+ points) to knock off the Spartans 3 days ago, it took a tremendous defensive performance by Andrew Jones (12 points, 8 rebounds including the game clinching rebound and dunk), Jeff Brooks (10 rebounds) and Tim Frazier (8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals) to upset the Illini. Jones (8), Brooks (10) and Frazier (8) helped the Lions out rebound the Illinois’ size 33-27 increasing the Nittany Lions record to 8-1 this season when it wins the rebounding edge. Battle also recovered from a shooting slump against the Spartans to finished 8 of 15 from the field and 4 of 9 from 3-point territory including his jaw dropping 3 pointer from 35 feet tonight. The 15 turnovers by the Illini, including 9 in the first half didn’t hurt either.
This win marks the 8th time in the last 11 games that a Penn State / Illinois game was decided by 5 points or less, 5th on shots in the final seconds. In fact, 4 of the past 6 prior meetings were decided by a single point. So shame on those who were in town and chose not to attend the game. It was also THON night, and all student ticket sales went towards the Four Diamonds Fund.
The celebration will be short lived though. Penn State will barely have any time to enjoy the program’s first consecutive upset of ranked teams since the 1954 NCAA tournament (No. 14 LSU and No. 6 Notre Dame) with undefeated and #2 ranked Ohio State scheduled for Saturday.
Let’s just hope the Lions are up to the challenge.
As the college football season heads towards its exciting conclusion, and the focus shifts to offseason recruiting, it’s all too easy to think of the recruiting game as simply that: a game. In many cases, the prospects don’t particularly matter to us as individuals as much as their star ranking or offer sheet does. And it’s not just fans who could care less about the players, apparently: it’s coaches, too. A coach who will be quick to yank a high schooler’s scholarship if he doesn’t qualify academically, and who’s counting on a handful to flunk out. A coach who will usher a player out the door for “undisclosed violations” or tell them to fake an injury. That way, you see, they stay on scholarship, but it doesn’t really count.
What’s the culprit? Oversigning, which turns what should be a glorious rite of passage into a damning cattle call. Joshua has been a lone crusader against the procedure on the internet, writing the insightful Oversigning.com website in an effort to spread the word about the deplorable practice. Of course, it’s not easy: many will defend the act as necessary, as fair, or as acceptable, all in the name of winning a national championship. But we at NittanyWhiteOut can’t stand for that crap. We want our success with honor. Joshua was willing to answer some of my questions, and we think you’ll appreciate his candor, his thoughtfulness, and his insight.
NittanyWhiteOut: Can you explain the process of oversigning? Why would a school engage in such a procedure?
The process of oversigning entails a coach accepting more signed letters of intent on national signing day than he is projected to have room for within the NCAA 85 scholarship limit rules. To best understand this youreally need to look at the Big 10′s model for recruiting and then compare it to the SEC’s; the differences will be apparent.
In the Big 10, coaches determine a recruiting budget number that is calculated by taking the total number of scholarship players they have on the roster at the end of the season and then subtracting the graduating seniors and juniors that declare early for the NFL, and then they subtract what they have left over from 85 and that becomes their recruiting budget, or the target number of players they can sign in the upcoming class.
Here is a quick example: 83 players on scholarship at the end of the season; 18 seniors and 2 juniors leaving early for the NFL. That would be 63 returning scholarship players. 85-63 is 22. Therefore, the recruiting budget would be 22 players for the next season.
In contrast, in the SEC, instead of using this method to determine the recruiting class size, schools are only limited in the number of players they can take by the NCAA baseline rules, which are no more than 25 players per year and 85 total on the roster in August.
SEC schools such as LSU and Alabama basically sign the max limit every year, which until the Huston Nutt rule there was no limit on the of players they could sign, only a limit on the number that can enroll, and then they take from February to August sorting out who they need to cut (push into medical hardships or transfers) in order to get down to 85.
Alabama’s current recruiting class and current roster offers the best example of oversigning. They started the year with 85 scholarship players and currently have 8 scholarship seniors on their roster; 3 juniors have declared for the NFL. By Big 10 recruiting rules their budget would be roughly 11 in recruits. Alabama has 21 verbal commitments and 2 greyshirt obligations from the previous year, putting them at 23 total.
As you can see, Alabama is projected to be over their limit by 12 players. They have from February to August to trim the roster and get down to 85.
This simply doesn’t happen in the Big 10.
What are some of the implications, both for the school and the players affected?
If you watched the Outside the Lines piece on Oversigning you saw first hand the implications on the players. These kids are lied to and discarded, and in some cases with nothing more than a form letter saying they are not being renewed.
(if you didn’t watch the piece, now you have no excuse):
This is a one-way street though because coaches and schools hold all the bargaining power. No one seems to be holding the coaches in the SEC accountable for their actions and for running their football programs like farm teams for the NFL.
Give me another reason to be proud of Joe Paterno–what’s Penn State’s track record been on Oversigning?
Outstanding – to the best of my knowledge this is not and has never been an issue at Penn State. Obviously, the Big 10 Conference has additional rules in place that make oversigning illegal so this is really not an issue anywhere.
What kind of rules are in the books to prevent oversigning? What further regulations would you propose?
At the NCAA level there is nothing in the By-Laws to stop oversigning. To be honest, when they created the 85/25 limits I don’t think they ever really considered the topic of oversigning or thought that it would be an issue. This is where the Big 10 has been out in front on addressing this issue. The Big 10 allows its schools to sign 25 players per year and as many as 3 extra with the following provisions: if a school plans to sign more than 25 players they must petition the conference office and get approval to do so they must have 3 player enroll early and count towards the previous class – this also means that the previous class had to be under the 25. In addition, schools are required to prove the Big 10 office that no one will be pushed out of a scholarship in order to make room for the 3 extra players. Simply put, the Big 10 Conference watches this closely and schools are not going to get away with oversigning.
I would propose that the SEC and the other conferences in the country simply adopt the Big 10′s recruiting rules. It’s a working solution that has been in place ever since the 85/25 limits were put in place and the Big 10 has never had a problem with oversigning. I would like to see the NCAA crack down on the SEC and force them and everyone else to adopt the recruiting rules of the Big 10.
Why is oversigning so important to you that you’ve kind of spearheaded the campaign to get this into the public consciousness?
There are several reasons that this is important, but for me personally, I see it as a social injustice and I believe the practice of oversigning is misleading, sends the wrong message to kids, and has no place in college athletics. In the Outside the Lines piece by ESPN, legal attorney, Donald Jackson referred to the actions of oversigning where kids are not told up front about the possibility of a greyshirt or being cut as being very close to satisfying the elements required for common law fraud.
The thing that pisses me off the most is that the coaches, athletic directors, university presidents and the NCAA should all know better and should do a better job of looking out for the best interests of the student-athlete, not looking for the best way to cut them in order to make room for the next big time recruit.
Thanks again to Joshua for helping us out. I strongly recommend that you check out Oversigning.com for more information, no matter which side of this argument your loyalties lie on.
Just moments ago, during a break in the action at the Army All-American Bowl, Donovan Smith made his college decision public. As expected, he will join the Blue and White, choosing Penn State over his other two finalists, UCLA and N.C. State. In choosing Penn State, the 6-6, 280 pound offensive tackle becomes the 12th member of Penn State’s 2011 recruiting class.
“”It looks like I’m going to be playing in State College.”
In addition to those three schools, the Maryland native Smith received scholarship offers from West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, and Michigan State, among others. Rated a 4-star prospect by both Scout and Rivals, Smith is a good get for Joe Paterno and his staff, even if this was one that most saw coming from a mile away. Penn State hasn’t typically had much success in snagging commitments at these nationally televised all-star games, but Smith has been reported as a Nittany Lion lock for a while.
Given Penn State’s struggles along the offensive line in recent years, it’s encouraging to see them focus on that position in this year’s recruiting. Smith joins Angelo Mangiro and Anthony Zettel as highly sought after linemen who have committed to Penn State. Since the regular season ended, Penn State’s recruiting efforts have certainly picked up, and with a number of other, key, undeclared prospects still available, one can only hope this momentum continues into Signing Day.
Devon Still. Still was pretty solid in that opening game, not only penetrating inside, but generating great push in moving the pocket. But there’s quite a step up from the interior of Indiana State’s offensive line to that of Alabama–and even though that unit struggled a bit against Kent State in their opener, there’s little doubt that they’ll be much improved by Saturday. Still will need to consistently draw double teams against the run for Penn State to slow down Trent Richardson–if Alabama’s offensive linemen can get to the second level, and defensive backs are trying to stop Richardson, they’ll get trucked. And on throwing downs, Jack Crawford and Eric Latimore aren’t great rushers off the edge. A breakdown in the pocket, something Still might be able to accomplish by penetrating, could help create the chaos necessary for Penn State to slow the passing game of Alabama.
Toughness.
It’s finally here. Months of in-house visits, phone calls, text messages, and premature panic has led up to today when Penn State officially welcomes the Class of 2011. We will keep you updated as the Letters of Intent (LOI) roll in throughout the day. Although with one of the smaller classes Penn State will sign in recent seasons (you only have 85 scholarships, and we are not the SEC West), it should be a fairly predictable LOI Day.
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Getting Deion Barnes is no small potatoes, even if the fact that he’s been considered a Penn State lock for months diminishes the impact of his commitment. Though there’s some disagreement between the recruiting services on his true skill level–Rivals ranks him as the #6 defensive end, the #158 prospect in the country, and the #2 prospect from Pennsylvania, while Scout’s sipping the haterade, slotting Barnes in as the the #31 player at his position–he’s still one of the likelier impact players of this recruiting class.
And just like it took a team effort (4 different players scored 10+ points) to knock off the Spartans 3 days ago, it took a tremendous defensive performance by Andrew Jones (12 points, 8 rebounds including the game clinching rebound and dunk), Jeff Brooks (10 rebounds) and Tim Frazier (8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals) to upset the Illini. Jones (8), Brooks (10) and Frazier (8) helped the Lions out rebound the Illinois’ size 33-27 increasing the Nittany Lions record to 8-1 this season when it wins the rebounding edge. Battle also recovered from a shooting slump against the Spartans to finished 8 of 15 from the field and 4 of 9 from 3-point territory including his 
