Our favourite Englishman - Dan Place - will be leaving our tiny island soon.
He plans to mash on the streets of Singapore one last time come Friday.

So make your way down to Haji Lane this Friday and make sure you kick Dan’s shin one last time before he bids us goodbye.
One thing’s for sure though, we are definitely gonna miss this son of a gun!

Make sure you come visit The Lion City soon my good man!

*photos by Bum

One.
-Yasin-

Want some excitement in college basketball this week?

Too bad.

Only one non-tournament game features ranked teams, and it’s Minnesota  Butler.  Yuck.

Duke is on a path to play UConn for the NIT Tip Off title in the Garden Friday night.  Two days before that, Arizona State and LSU will put up respective tests before falling in the semis.

None of e games were on the staff’s schedule, because we didn’t know what the results would be.

Wing Tong a.k.a The One-Armed Bandit.
Undoubtedly one of the most hardcore riders around.
Why you ask? He f**in’ mashes on the road with only one hand! That’s why!

He loves drawing and designing but his real talent lies in breaking bones.
His own bones!
To date, he has broken his right arm, left arm, collarbone and God knows what other limb.

Let’s hope that dumb plastic thingy on your left arm can be removed just in time for the T.O.S!

One.
-Yasin-

“Delicious!”

Win No. 1991 for the University of Kentucky men’s basketball program came against Sam Houston State in a  102-92 offensive explosion. DeMarcus Cousins led the Cats with 27 points on a night when all starters were in double figures, but the bench failed to score a single point.

Corey Allmond of Sam Houston State broke two Rupp Arena records by hitting 11 of 16 three-pointers and led all scores with 37.  You might recall earlier this week, Nick Winbush of Miami (OH) made eight shots from beyond the arc and broke the Rupp Arena record for threes hit by an opposing player.

Allmond had made five of 15 from beyond the arc this season before his career night against UK.

Allmond shattered that record and beat Tony Delk’s record of 10 threes in one game at Rupp.

In his post game interview with Tom Leach, head coach John Calipari said that his team needed to work on defense in practice tomorrow.

“This may be the worst defensive team I’ve had since 1988,” Calipari said. This is the most points Sam Houston State has scored this year thus far.

Communication and inexperience are to blame for the poor defense, Calipari said.

“If you don’t like to talk (on the court), you can’t do it,” said Calipari. “We can’t win playing that way defensively.”

When the final horn sounded, UK had given up 18 threes total. The Cats only forced 12 turnovers while giving up the ball 22 times to the Bearkats.

“My two point guards had six (turnovers) each,” said Calipari. “Just sloppy.”

Sloppy, out of control, overly aggressive, forcing the issue, call it what you like, but 22 turnovers will not win you games against good teams.

After voicing a bit of frustration, Calipari made it clear that his team was sloppy not because of a lack of talent.

“I’m not saying they’re bad,” said Calipari. “We’re just young.”

However, UK’s perimeter game did improve. The Cats made 11 of 22 from three-point range, including five from Eric Bledsoe and three from Darius Miller.

UK also had 12 blocks and out-rebounded SHSU, 43-30, but gave up 13 offensive boards.

Cousins also led the Cats in rebounds with eight offensive rebounds and 18 total. Patterson was one board short of another double-double.

Big Blue will face Rider on Saturday. Rider is 2-1 with a signature win over Mississippi State, 88-74. Rider’s led by super sophomore, Novar Gadson, and senior guard Ryan Thompson. Both are over 6′6″ and could create a tough defensive matchup.

The game tips-off at 1 p.m. in Rupp Arena.

なにこれすごいおしゃれ

Rider Reel Time with Nick Barbati. Guest co-host Scott Phillips. Part 1 of 3.

Rider Reel Time with Nick Barbati. Guest co-host Jill Shockley. Part 3 of 3.

Rider Reel Time with Nick Barbati. Guest co-host Jill Shockley. Part 2 of 3.

Rider Reel Time with Nick Barbati. Guest co-host Jill Shockley. Part 1 of 3.

auch diese jahr wird die homegrown tour fortgesetzt.
termine stehen leider noch nicht fest.

We’re in the midst of our 22 straight hours live blogging ESPN’s College Basketball Marathon, although you probably should have inferred that from the title. If you want to catch up and take a stroll down Timmy Chang Memory Lane with John S, check out the Overnight Post. Tim will handle the 6 a.m. game between two of his favorite Jersey schools, Monmouth and St. Peter’s, and the 8 a.m. contest matching Drexel and Niagara. John S will be back at 10 for No. 24 Clemson and Liberty.

11:55: Well, Liberty screwed that up too. They’ll end up with 39 points, as Clemson wins the game by 40 points. Get ready for Northeastern and Siena, today’s noon game. We’ll be starting a new post at NPI, and Tim will be taking the reins back for the start of that game.

11:48: At this point, I’m basically just rooting for the teams to put up identical halves. Clemson needs to close the game on a 12-2 run, and they would have won each half 42-19. That would be pretty cool, right?

11:43: It’s a little hard to know how much to take away from a game like this, but Clemson looks like a pretty deep team. They’ve had eleven players score and are getting some nice contributions from Devin Booker, Andre Young, Milton Jennings, and Noel Johnson. If some of those guys can contribute in ACC play and tougher nonconference games, then the Tigers could be a pretty dangerous team.

11:35: The game’s getting pretty sloppy as we head into the final 8 minutes. Both teams are turning the ball over (Liberty’s got 18 on the game) and taking, and missing, bad shots. Clemson hasn’t been much better than the Flames over the last few minutes, but I think their 34 point lead is still safe. I know it’s not over till it’s over and all, but…..this one’s over.

11:25: By the way, Adrian Branch. Was that whole “willingness to compete” thing a veiled shot at Coach Taylor of East Dillon?

11: 24 Adrian Branch’s take on what Liberty can take away from this game: The negatives: They are getting outplayed in every aspect of the game. The positives: They still have “their willingness to compete.” Congratulations Liberty! You guys haven’t forfeited yet!

11:18: Booker comes out strong in the second half, scoring seven of the team’s 11 points before the first TV timeout. He’s also added a couple rebounds to give himself 11 total, along with his 12 points. Liberty got a three from Tyler Baker and not much else offensively. They kind of remind me of the Duke offense from three years ago: They’re very good at working it around the perimeter, and not much else.

11:08: I finally got one of ESPN’s Encyclopedia Trivia Questions right. Clemson has lost 54 straight times at UNC. Great, the one thing I get right is another reminder of the Tar Heels’ dominance. And this less than a week after the Harrison Barnes debacle.

11:05: The new ESPN halftime crew of Jason Williams and Doug Gottlieb is discussing the almost-upset of Kentucky last night. Apparently, John Calipari was “ecstatic” that Kentucky fell behind by 18 last night. He got to see what the team was made of. I mean, God forbid the Wildcats cruise to an easy win against an inferior team. How on Earth would we know what they are made of in that case?? Man, I still really don’t like Calipari.

10:52 AM: I don’t claim to be Bobby Knight or anything, but it seems to me that if you’re going to get outrebounded 24-11, then you ought to win the turnover battle, or shoot better than 30% from the field. Liberty doesn’t agree with me, though. I’m going to go ahead and question that strategy, since they’re down 42-19.

10:47: You know what makes a college basketball program great? The ability to replace talent. Right now, Clemson sophomore Tanner Smith seems determined to fill the gap left in Clemson’s “blindingly pale white guy with a reddish face who has a deceptively good jump shot” spot since Oglesby’s departure. He’s got five points, as the Tigers lead 39-15 at the under-four minute TV timeout.

10:40: Adrian Branch just went over the keys to playing a game this early, which apparently include “loving the game,” “shooting the ball” and “dribbling.” A bit reductive, but I can’t really say he’s wrong. I predict shooting the ball will play an integral role in this game.

10:37: Eric Collins is really enjoying this whole “no books, but a lot of Booker” thing. Apparently, Liberty cancelled classes in honor of this game. Get it? No books.

10:35: In case you wondering if Liberty replaced their departed “younger brother of a college basketball star” with another, well they did! They’ve got Eric Gordon’s younger brother Evan, who’s pulled down two rebounds, but missed three free throws already. Meanwhile, Adrian Branch is calling David Potter a “Allan Houston-type,” which makes me very excited. I, as basically anyone who ever even kind of rooted for the Knicks in the late ’90s did, loved Allan Houston.

10:28: David Potter has been Clemson’s best player for the first half of the first half (or, as the pros call it, the first quarter). He’s 4-4 behind the three-point line (shades of Mickey McConnell from Saint Mary’s). Apparently he’s a senior. But I don’t remember him at all. Either he’s made the leap, or Liberty isn’t very good.

10:22: We join the game already in progress and Clemson is already in control. They take a commanding 17-1 lead with 13:00 minutes left in the first half.

10:19: John S here again, bringing you Game #5 of ESPN’s Season Tip-Off. If you’ve been completely ignoring the ESPN announcers, we’re on Hour Eleven of the 24 Hour Marathon. Tim did a great job of bringing you the Battle of New Jersey and the Niagara-Drexel game. But now he has to prepare himself for Bill Raftery and Sean McDonough, who are calling noon game.

The 10 AM game brings us our first ranked team of the marathon, in #22 Clemson. ESPN might have Clemson at #23, but the AP has them at #22. And nobody cares about ESPN’s ranking except ESPN. Clemson lost K.C. Rivers and Terrence Oglesby from last year, but returns their leading scorer, forward Trevor Booker. He’ll be joined by his younger brother Devin this year.

Liberty, meanwhile, lost its leading scorer Seth Curry, brother of the great Stephen, to transfer (to Duke!). The Flames are pretty small, so it’ll be hard for them to be physical with the traditionally physical Tigers.

10:15: Dragons miss a three (Colds penetrated and kicked), and Benn atones for his mistake with two free throws on the other end. Niagara adds two more from the charity stripe for the final margin, 76-69.

10:10: After another Colds-activated three, Benn turns it over, deciding that, instead of calling a timeout, it would be easier to jump in the air, turn 180 degrees, and throw it off a Drexel defender. Clearly, you need those two timeout for the stretch run. Dragons have the ball down three with 20 ticks to go.

10:06: The Dragons’ actual plan: fadeaway three! And LaPhonso just referred to the “Duke Blue Demons.” He now compares favorably to Adrian Branch and simply compares to Stephen Bardo.

10:04: Drexel played defense for 20 of the 35 seconds of the shot clock, then fouled. I can’t stand teams that do this. Are players really that dumb? Niagara hits one of two and leads by five with 57 ticks left. Dragons’ plan should be for a quickish two, a defensive stop, another quick two, then you can start fouling with 20 or so left on the clock.

10:02: Looks like I spoke too soon: NU missed both freebies and Colds buried a trifecta on the other end. Between that and the free throws, you could say he’s Colds-blooded. Yeah, I went there.

10:01: Niagara just had about the best possession possible, running the shot clock down, missing a shot, getting the rebound, running the shot clock down, drawing a foul, making the first free throw and missing the second, getting the rebound, and then fouling out Leon Spencer. They’ve had the ball for over a minute, scored a point, and are going back to the line with a seven-point lead.

9:55: Austin Cooley swishes a backbreaking three at the shot clock buzzer to give the PEs a double-digit lead again. Niagara has turned the switch back on, it seems, and looks about ready to put Drexel away. It’s 67-59 at the under-4 timeout. Benn leads the way with 17 and 12 for NU.

Surprise of this game? LaPhonso Ellis. He’s done a nice job. I’d even go so far as to say he compares favorably to other swingmen-turned-analysts such as Stephen Bardo and Adrian Branch.

9:42: The Niagara fans chanted “You won’t make this!” at Gerald Colds, who proceeded to nail two free throws. Boy, do they have egg on their faces. Spencer, meanwhile, missed another chippy in the lane–the second time this half he’s missed something Sciambi described as “point-blank.” Each time, NU has scored the next possession. Those are killer changes of momentum. Spencer’s layup could have made it a two-point game; instead, it’s 60-51 Niagara with 7:50 to go.

9:37: Drexel has missed a few open looks that could have really tightened the score. On the other end, Niagara’s interior passing–which was very impressive in the first half–has not been crisp in the second half. More turnovers (four) than assists (one) this half for the PEs.

9:32: We’ve got ourselves a basketball game. A Shannon Givens three pulls the Dragons within five at 51-46, taking advantage of an extended Niagara drought. (Ha, you see the irony there? How could Niagara have a drought? There’s literally tons of water there!)

9:24: After closing the first half with a buzzer-beating layup, Bilal Benn opened the second period with a three to put NU up 15. The Purple Eagles have looked a little sluggish since that opening possession of the half, but the same could be said for Drexel. The Dragons have pulled it back to 47-36, although they can’t keep missing free throws. Look for them to try to go through Leon Spencer on the block, now that Bruiser decided he didn’t need to keep him on the bench with two fouls anymore. (I’m not a fan of coaches who automatically sit guys with two fouls for the entire half.)

9:20: The best thing I’ve seen today is easily that blocks are being called a lot more often than charges. I’m not lying or being sarcastic when I say the 1:1 ratio at which those calls have been made the last few seasons is my least favorite thing about college basketball. They instituted a new rule this year where you can’t slide under the basket for a charge, which is basically like having the semi-circle they have in the NBA without actually going to the effort of painting it on the court. While I haven’t seen any calls made because of the new rule, maybe making that call correctly (it’s not a charge unless the guy has some semblance of position) is a point of emphasis this year. Correctness should always be emphasized, in my opinion.

9:05: How dare you, ESPN? You just ran the exact same halftime show you ran two hours ago. Rece, Hubert, Digger, and Jay aren’t actually awake right now! I am outraged!

In the meantime, since you can’t get their first-half thoughts, you’ll have to settle for mine:*

• Even when it was behind early, Niagara established the pace it wanted. It got Drexel in foul trouble, wore down the shorter bench, and started pulling away later in the half.
• Bilal Benn was held down for much of the half but really came to life toward the end. You can see why he’s a first-team guy in the MAAC.
• The Purple Eagles look good enough to hang with a team for about 25-30 minutes come March, or until their lack of size is exploited. Of course, that’s if they can top Siena in the MAAC.
• Drexel doesn’t exactly look bad, but when you can’t hang athletically with a team from the MAAC, it probably doesn’t bode well for its chances in the CAA.

*Or go searching for some other blog commenting on the 8 a.m. Niagara-Drexel game. Yeah, good luck.

8:56: Now, I was blocked a lot of times in my career. Like I said, I was no “Bruiser” in the paint. But I was NEVER blocked by two people simultaneously, let alone THREE as Jamie Harris just did. Seriously, he went up for a layup, and no fewer than three Purple Eagles made contact with the ball. Jamie Harris shouldn’t drive the rest of the game.

A Benn layup at the buzzer gives Niagara their largest lead of the game at a dozen. It’s 42-30 at the break, and the Purple Eagles outscored the Dragons 34-13 after falling behind by nine early.

8:52: NU has stretched it to 10, as Bruiser Flint calls a timeout. What are the physical prerequisites to earn the moniker of “Bruiser”? I’m pretty sure 5-foot-8, 160 pounds, and white probably doesn’t cut it for me.

8:46: Preseason MAAC first-teamer Bilal Benn scores his first points from the line before getting his first field goal a possession later to put the Purple Eags up six. LaPhonso Ellis explains that Drexel is “doing what we would do” in denying Benn the ball. Who is the “we” in that sentence? Him and Sciambi? Him and the 1994 Nuggets? It can’t be the latter: You don’t need to deny the ball when you have Dikembe Mutombo. You funnel to the middle.

8:40: NU by two with just over five to play in an entertaining first half. Drexel has managed to stay close despite some foul trouble and multiple missed dunks.

8:32: Rob Garrison just went cookie jar on Chris Fouch before assisting on a Demetrius Williamson to give the Purple Eagles a 23-18 lead. Garrison already has 10 points, which is two shy of Travis Taylor’s game-high in the last contest. I’ll stop harping on how bad that game was now and move on to the issue of nicknames. Has anyone ever seen a purple eagle? And what’s going on with Niagara’s logo?

I think Bilal Benn pulled off a rare triple-dribble a few possessions ago.

8:27: After a 9-0 run pushed Drexel out to the lead, Niagara has responded with a 9-2 spurt of its own to cut the deficit to a bucket at 17-15.Already, this game is being played at a much higher level than its predecessor in Jersey City (due mainly to Monmouth, btw). Niagara scored off a nice inbounds play; I don’t think Monmouth ran an inbounds play in their game. The pace is fast, players are finishing in traffic… you might even say this is a more “organized” basketball game.

P.S. If I’m a minor college basketball player and my name were Derrick Thomas, I’d definitely wear No. 58.

8:14: It’s 9-6 Drexel early, but the game is being played more at Niagara’s pace. This is the first of two matchups between the MAAC and Colonial today, with Siena and Northeastern coming up at noon. It’s a big day for the two conferences. The Colonial has more respect nationally, but the MAAC has been on an underreported rise (checking if you read the Monmouth-St. Peter’s portion of the live blog) and is favored in both games. Niagara is picked No. 2 in the MAAC while the Dragons are picked to finish seventh in the CAA.

My favorite part about Niagara basketball coach Joe Mihalich is that he isn’t afraid to sport a hairstyle hair not seen since Edward R. Murrow took down Sen. Joseph McCarthy. The Purple Eagles are wearing gray this morning, which doesn’t look terrible, but doesn’t look good either. Drexel’s navy unis, meanwhile, look like a Nike S.o.D., which I oppose, although I’ll admit they have some pretty cool font on the last names.

Niagara is playing without its leading returning scorer, Tyrone Lewis. Talking about Lewis’ defensive prowess, Ellis says, “At 5′10″, he had eight blocked shots…” (ME: WHAT? THAT’S INSANE! AGAINST WHO?) “…last season.” (ME: oh).

8:04: Game 2 of our Morning Session (and No. 4 of our marathon) pits Drexel and Niagara against each other at the Gallagher Center in upstate New York. Jon Sciambi–ESPN’s Atlantic-10 guy and the Atlanta Braves’ play-by-play guy not named Chip Caray–and LaPhonso Ellis–who hasn’t been heard from since the 1994 NBA Playoffs–are manning the mikes this morning.

7:55: SPC ekes it out, 58-34. Welsh credits the Peacocks’ defense, but I think the list of reasons Monmouth only scored 34 points looks like this: THE GAME WAS AT 6 A.M.!

Waite missed four more field goals and a free throw before the end of the morning, meaning he attempted 21 shots today to score his four points. He’s comically bad right now; you know, like Manos: The Hands of Fate. Welsh still credits him for “making things happen.” He neglects to define those “things” as “missed shots” and “changes of possession.”

I’m looking forward to Drexel and Niagara.

7:45: Peacocks are on a 20-7 run; more problematic for Monmouth, SPC has been on a 53-30 run since the start of the game.

Ed Waite is 1-for-11 from the field. If you add in his (I think) 1-for-4 from the foul line, I think it becomes safe to say that Ed Waite has a had a poor game this morning. More like Ed “Dead” Waite, am I right?

Oh, Bobby Wischusen called out the guy behind him dancing to “Seven-Nation Army.” He’s getting fussy about being up so early.

7:36: I haven’t seen this many airballs since I attended a JV girls’ basketball game at my grade school when I was in sixth grade. That game ended in a 19-0 shutout. Monmouth has almost twice as many turnovers as field goals, and we’re 30+ minutes into this game! That’s a weird stat when a team has four turnovers and two FGs. But it’s still a one-score game, so long as we use Abraham Lincoln’s definition of “score.”

By the way. the Star-Ledger’s Steve Politi really beat me to the punch on Ryan Bacon jokes this morning on his Twitter. Clearly a cornucopia of material I missed.

Welsh mentioned that Kentucky-Miami (Ohio) thriller and talked about how the RedHawks are pretty good, and what a tough opener that was for UK. But nobody talks about how tough an opener it was for Miami (Ohio). They had to play at Kentucky!

7:28: It’s 38-23, SPC, and I have nothing to say about what’s happening on the court. So let’s discuss commercials!

Hockey player Fernando Pisani now does ads for ulcerative colitis? The fact that Fernando Pisani is doing their ads just tells me: Cool. Not that many athletes have ulcerative colitis.

ESPN also advertised for the MLS Cup between the LA Galaxy and Real Salt Lake, the latter of whom became the second “crossover” team in as many years to make the finals. You know why “crossover” teams are never respected? Because leagues like MLS use them. I expect Pierre to take this up shortly.

7:19: St. Peter’s ran its patented “aborted alley-oop in which the leaper tips it back to the guy cutting to the basket” play. Nobody does that better than the Peacocks. They follow it up with a transition dunk from Ryan Bacon to build their largest lead of the game at 37-23.

Waite’s last post pass to Taylor looked like a throw from JaMarcus Russell; a 10-foot pass was about four feet off-target.

7:15: It’s 31-18 SPC after four minutes of play in the second half. Let’s say the halftime “adjustments” haven’t been readily apparent yet. Here’s some more criticism of Travis Taylor: In his three touches this half, he’s missed a layup, had a shot blocked, and missed a dunk. He has almost no presence on the defensive end. He is still Monmouth’s best player.

The Hawks have a tall, lumbering white guy wearing No. 2 who was just called for an over-the-back foul; I didn’t realize Josh McRoberts had fallen this far! His real name is Dutch Gaitley, and if he spelled his last name differently, I’d call him Don for the rest of the game.

7:07: Since, unlike John S, I’ve got no qualms with the halftime performance of Rece and Co., here’s a list things I couldn’t believe John S didn’t mention in the overnight:

• That Northern Colorado punting scandal. I would have led with that!
• Hawaii’s on-again, off-again relationship with the “Rainbow” qualification of its Warriors.
• That apostrophe in Hawai’i. How do we feel about that?
• Steve Fisher is STILL coaching San Diego State???
• The potential for June Jones’ SMU team to return to Hawaii for the Aloha Bowl.
• St. Mary’s Australian connection.

6:59: My analysis of the first half: St. Peter’s is a lot better than Monmouth. The Peacocks have moved the ball crisply on offense for much of the half, and their aggressive man-to-man defense has really taken MU out of anything it wants to do offensively.

The biggest (viz. long-term) problem for the Hawks is that what they want to do offensively is work the ball through Travis Taylor, who is good enough to draw a double-team at this level but not good enough to exploit it. Taylor’s passes out of the double are rarely prompt or delivered with accuracy. Of course, it doesn’t help when the guys you’re kicking to are regularly airballing trifectas.

I was serious when I said St. Pete’s looks about as good as I’ve ever seen them (take that with a grain of salt), but the MAAC is really in the midst of an underrated rise–it’s probably one of the top 15 most underreported stories in college basketball. Siena, who we’ll see at noon, has won a Tourney game two straight years; Niagara is a strong No. 2 in the conference; and Rider, who boasts the conference’s preseason POY in Ryan Thompson (younger brother of Rider alum and current Sacramento King, Jason), already beat Mississippi State.

6:52: Nice sequence at the end of the half, as an airballed three from Monmouth is answered on the other end by an airballed three from St. Peter’s. Maybe they should do these marathons in January, when the teams are actually playing well?

Peacocks, 27-16, at the break.

6:50: The Hawks are 4-for-20 from the field, including Taylor’s 3-for-5. But they’ve been getting to the line, where they’re a in-relative-terms-just-as-bad 8-for-14. Even the Jersey City crowd recognized this, chanting “We make free throws” since the Peacocks are 3-for-4. I’m gonna call small sample size. Not coincidentallly, MU is down 11.

Speaking of free throws, after badly one, Waite launches a corner three the next time down. Yeah, because if you can’t make a shorter shot with no one guarding you, you should probably move back and try a harder one.

6:38: The Peacocks’ 16-2 run over nine minutes comes to a merciful end, but St. Pete’s is still up, 24-14. The key for Monmouth since the last TV timeout has been that it’s taken a shot on a majority of its possessions. That’s really an underrated aspect of basketball games. Can’t win if you’re not taking shots.

The Hawks’ Ed Waite was a standout high school football player at Pinecrest High in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., which is where my college roommate went. I have nothing to add.

St. Peter’s’* coach is John Dunne. If that were an “o” instead of a “u,” I would have had a better joke here. MU’s Dave Colloway could be on the hot seat, having finished in the bottom half of the NEC the last three seasons after giving Villanova a run in the NCAA Tourney as a 16-seed in 2006.

*Lost on the proper punctuation here.

Wischusen kicks it to Marysol Castro from Good Morning America for a weather report: Nice cross-promotion, ESPN/ABC! Welsh talks about how “New Jersey people want it all.” I’m sensing an unfair generalization. I only want some of it.

6:29: St. Peter’s is really working MU’s matchup zone right now. I’m probably not qualified to make this argument, but I’d say this is the best Peacocks’ team since Keydren Clark graduated. Remember Keekee?

The Hawks, meanwhile, are doing things like committing offensive fouls and dribbling off their feet. I wouldn’t really call it “organized basketball,” if you know what I mean.

Welsh mistakenly calls Monmouth’s new stadium the “Multipurpose Athletic Center.” This is a forgivable mistake given that it’s actually the “Multipurpose Activity Center,” which sounds like a special corner of a kindergarden classroom. Yeah, we’ve got an easel with some crayons right next to some fingerpaint and a few sleeping bags for nap time.

6:23: The Peacocks have an early 12-7 lead, getting some easy looks on their end of the floor on the inside while Monmouth has been running its offense through Travis Taylor, who, though he may be the Hawks’ best player, isn’t very good. If it looks like Taylor doesn’t really understand “organized basketball,” it’s probably because this is his fourth year of playing it.*

*I don’t really understand the phrase “organized basketball.” Am I more experienced in “organized basketball” than Travis Taylor because my intramural league had refs?

Wischusen and Welsh are well-stocked on coffee, which I imagine Bob needs to help recover from that Jets’ loss on Sunday. Plus, he’s sneaking this in before calling the MAC Football Game of the Week tomorrow night on ESPN, matching Central Michigan and Ball State. Welsh mentions that he saw both teams play Seton Hall, which is his coy way of hinting to the Seton Hall administration that if Bobby Gonzalez doesn’t work out, Timmy Welsh has a lot of time on his hands.

This is probably where I should mention that I’ve actually attended a Monmouth-St. Peter’s game in person: Back in November 2004, the hometown Hawks prevailed on a Marques Alston buzzer-beater by one. Good times.

6:14: This is the second game of an apparent NJ Round Robin, with both teams having lost to Seton Hall. Monmouth lost by 15 while the Peacocks had the Pirates down late, only to lose on a buzzer-beating running three by Eugene Harvey. In the controversial NJBCS, St. Pete’s is third and Monmouth fourth, behind the Hall and Rider, who knocked off Mississippi State.

Early highlight from Bob Wischusen and Tim Welsh* calling the game:

WISCHUSEN: Here’s Monmouth’s starting lineup, but this is a team that could bring its two best players off the bench.

WELSH: Well, Travis Taylor is certainly Monmouth’s best player, but (some guys whose names I didn’t catch do come off the bench and are pretty good).

*The killer W’s. Can we call the them the Quads?

6:05: Top of the mornin’ to you on this, well, I can’t tell what the weather is: It’s 6 a.m. and dark. There’s not a whole lot that gets me awake this early on a Tuesday, but a battle of Jersey powerhouses Monmouth and St. Peter’s is clearly near the top of that list.

It’s really a contrast in styles: Sprinsteen vs. Sinatra, the Parkway vs. the Turnpike, the Suburbs vs. the Urbs. Needless to say, it’s one of the biggest rivalries in Jersey college basketball, largely because these are two of only eightteams that play Jersey college basketball–and that’s including NJIT.

Of course, we hard-core Garden Staters are stuck having to watch this crappy NoCo-Hawaii game. Can’t college basketball institute that NFL rule; you know, the one where they take you away from the end of an exciting game to show you the start of a local one? We need more of that rule.

The Bulldogs won the SEC West and contended for a National Title – in the preseason.  Of course, justdays after I slot them into one of my valuable Final Four slots, they lose at home to Rider by 14.  The loss in itself should not hurt them dramatically.  Rider is respected as a tough-out this season, as they were ranked 19th in the preseason CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25.  After the victory over MS State, they were moved up to ninth. 

The loss won’t hurt the Bulldogs as far as their tournament chances are concerned. Their RPI shouldn’t take a major hit, unless Rider sucks it up this season.  The only real issue that could come out of this loss is Kodi Augustus’ toxic attitude (from AP recap).

“This is Rider,” Mississippi State forward Kodi Augustus said. “[We're] preseason ranked No. 18 [in the AP] in the country. We’re not supposed to lose our first game, home opener. Wow. It’s crazy

“I talked to my dad.  He said we got outcoached. I don’t know. But I looked at it, I only played 15 minutes the whole game. Yeah, I’m [upset], but like I said, I can’t do nothing about it. I played all those minutes the exhibition games and then you come and play me 15 minutes? Wow!”

My thoughts after the jump.

Other than a blatant disregard for a talented opponent, there are some obvious issues present.  Augustus and Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury have a questionable history.  Augustus has threatened to transfer multiple times in his career, most recently after their loss in the NCAA Tournament to Washington.  Stansbury would not comment on Augustus’s criticism of the coach.

With Renardo Sidney still awaiting a ruling on his eligibility, the Bulldogs desperately need Augustus to contribute.  He is a very talented player, averaging 6.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in only 13.1 minutes last season.  He says he stayed in Starkville because he only wants to help the team, and if that is true, he should probably not call his coach out in the media.  Keep your mouth shut in public, handle it internally and reap the benefits.  That is what will help your team the most.  

The Bulldogs play again on Thursday, the 19th when they host Southeastern Louisiana.  This game should not even be close, but it will be interesting to see how many minutes the combustible forward is out on the court.

Saturday morning we decided to attend the Whidbey Island Kennel Club’s All Breed show.  We weren’t sure how easy it would be to see all the dogs,  having lost Rider such a short time ago.  But we surprised ourselves by having a good time (oh there were moments when the tears welled up) and even enjoyed seeing the obedience classes where Rider might have been competing had he lived.  Many of our friends from the Monroe Valley Dog Training Club were there and were generous with their hugs and kind words… what an awesome group!  A little later we visited the Breed ring to watch the English Springer Spaniel class.  There were several lovely dogs from Ramblewood English Springer Spaniels entered so we had a chance to see them and then visit with the breeder from whom we had purchased both Rider and our “little old lady” Poppy.  That, too was wonderful but made us want to sneak a couple of the dogs out into our car.  (smile) We will eventually get another Springer but aren’t ready yet, and it wouldn’t be fair to our blind and deaf dog to bring another dog into the household as long as she’s with us.  Time will pass and the pain of losing Rider (and eventually Poppy) will be less sharp… then we’ll be ready for another Springer.

Susan J. Edminster,  Granite Falls Washington,   November 16, 2009.  All rights reserved.

big shout out to kaleb jones, this kid is killing it in the skate scene. kaleb one the ES game of skate contest back on the east coast a month or so ago, and ES flew him out to cali for a week for the finals. unfortunately kaleb was unable to skate the finals to an ankle injury, but he had a good ass time in cali . heres a few shots from his trip out here !

the crib

baker boys dist.

1st place for the east coast finals !

I don’t know how often you can expect weekend blogging from us, but I’m sure it will occur more as the season progresses. We did give you a dose of it today though, with Rider’s upset over reigning SEC champion Mississippi State.

So in honor of Rider’s early-season trouncing of a ranked team, today’s Site of The Day is Keepin’ Track of the MAAC, a blog “dedicated entirely to Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference basketball news, features, insights, perspective and opinions.”

So go check out that site, and enjoy the rest of your weekend, folks.

Well, that was quick. The reigning SEC champions — and many people’s sexy pick to win the conference again this season — started this season on the wrong foot. Friday night the Bulldogs lost to Rider. Yes, Rider. Your eyes do not deceive you.

The Bulldogs, who returned all five starters from last year’s team, came into the season ranked 18th in the AP poll and 19th in the Coaches poll. But that didn’t phase the Broncs, as they knocked off Miss. St 88-74 behind 21 points each from Mike Ringgold and Novar Gadson (who might just earn a spot on the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference All-Name Team).

The game marked the first major upset of the (very) young season, and can best be summed up by this quote from Miss. St’s Kodi Augustus:

This is Rider. [We're] preseason ranked No. 18 in the country. We’re not supposed to lose our first game, home opener. Wow. It’s crazy.

Yup. Crazy seems like the right word for it.

Check out a video we had made for Shon Dee’s song “Ima Rider”

If you need promo or videos, hit us up.

Unless you’re one of the lucky fans whose team is playing in the 2K Sports Classic Benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer — as per us at The Rafters — then tonight begins the best four and a half months of the year.

And unless you are a Master of your Domain (DVR), you’re going to have to miss some of the action as many teams are playing at the same time.

SCHEDULE SNAFU:

Six Top 10 teams are playing overlapping games tonight. Kentucky (5)– perhaps one of the most anticipated debuts — plays at 6:30 p.m., while Michigan State (2), Villanova (6), Purdue (7) and Duke (8) play at 7 p.m. To top it off, the preseason No. 1 Kansas plays at 8 p.m., further complicating things  for the second half of the 7 o’clockers.

As an ACC junkie, and Tar Heel alumnus, naturally I’ll be glued to the Duke game “just to see if they lose.” It’s amazing how many Duke games I watch under that pretense. I’ll also watch the first half of the first half of Kentucky, because I desperately want the Calipari experiment to fail.

But what about during breaks in the despised Durhamites’ matchup?

Of course, when there are multiple games on, it’s inconceivable that one would watch commercials. Here’s my hierarchy of channel flippage for tonight. (We ordered the college hoops package, so yes, be jealous. Or order it, too!) If No. 1 is at commerical, I proceed down the list until I find a game.

6:30 p.m.

1. Kentucky vs. Morehead St.

7:00 p.m.

1. Duke vs. UNC Greensboro – For Obvious Reasons
2. Kentucky vs. Morehead St. – I told you I want him to fail!
3. Michigan State vs. Florida Gulf Coast – Love Kalin Lucas
4. Purdue vs. Cal State Northridge – Is it me, or is the Big 10 scary this year?
5. Villanova vs. Fairleigh Dickinson – Will Jay Wright continue to wear pinstripes for an entire season!?

7:30 p.m.

Otherwise same as above:

5. UConn vs. William and Mary – Down year in Storrs?
6. Penn State vs. Pennsylvania – Hopefully I won’t make it down this far
7. Villanova vs. Fairleigh Dickinson – Just not that interested for some reason

8:00 p.m.

1. Duke vs. UNC Greensboro – Still anticipating failure!
2. Kentucky vs. Morehead St. – See above
3. Kansas vs. Hofstra – Are they really THAT good?
4. Clemson vs. Presbyterian – ACC with a capital A!
5. Michican State vs. Florida Gulf Coast – Remember when UNC beat them twice last year?
6. Purdue vs. Cal State Northridge – Again, I hope I don’t make it down this far.
7. UConn vs. William and Mary – Kemba Walker is fast

9:00 p.m. and on

1. Kansas vs. Hofstra – I will never forgive you, Cole Aldrich
2. Clemson vs. Presbyterian – Can Trevor Booker carry you guys?
3. UConn vs. William and Mary – W&M has a nice campus
4. Georgetown vs. Tulane – Greg Monroe should be beastmode
5. Tenneessee vs. Austin Peay – It rhymes!
6. Mississippi State vs. Rider – Blocks, blocks and more blocks

Griffon Enterprises’ Rider is now available for Pre-Order!

Price: $130 NZD

Due Date: 02/10

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Please check the “Information” post for shipping costs and payment methods.

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Flying Kick Aaron’s face!