11/20/2004
Josh And Al Have Really, Really, Really Too Much Time On Their Hands
Allright...
My buddy Josh and I frequently send e-mails about sports to one another, so this College Basketball season we have decided to document these e-mails with a little thing I like to call:
Josh and Al Really, Really, Really Have Too Much Time On Their Hands
So, if you don't like College Basketball, don't read these columns. If you do like hearing about stupid stuff that I do...check out http://lifeiniraq.blogspot.com and learn how I got my front two teeth knocked out on Friday night!
So here's the coorespondences: Josh is in red, I'm in blue
Enjoy.
Josh-
It's the start of the College Basketball season, so I think we should start our commentary by talking about the best basketball conference in the country.
As a side note- I hate the East Coast Bias. I hate Duke Vitale, Gay Bilas, and every other pundit that looks down upon any college program west of North Carolina. But as much as it pains me to say this...the best college basketball confrence this year is the ACC.
You're looking at a confrence that has six (six!) teams with the ability to make a run at a national title. Duke, G.Tech, Maryland, NCSU, UNC, and Wake all are fucking loaded.
But who's the best team in the best confrence?
My pick:University of North Carolina:
As strange as things have been up in Chapel Hill this off-season, there is too much talent for this team to fail. Granted, Rashad McCants is a bit of a loon (5 to 1 says he ends up with the Portland TrailBlazers next season. Let's make this happen. Just for comedies sake) but he did average 20 ppg last year and he will again. Even if he's playing in a so called "jail."
And as much as I dislike Sean May for not going to Indiana and playing in front of his hometown, the kid is a stud. He's athletic and chubby. And as Sir Barkley taught us, that is basically the math formula for equalling to be a good rebounder.
Since this years college crop is full of promising point gaurds, UNC's Raymond Felton has slipped quietly under the radar as a great college PG. He averaged over 7 assists per last year as a sophmore and did so in the nations premier confrence. Could you ask for anything more?
Players aside...Roy Williams is at the helm. Maybe he's not as proven as some other college coaches when it comes to winning the big game, but, really, he doesn't exactly make you nervous, now does he? Dean Motherfucking Smith (who UNC's arena is named after for christsake) lobbied for him to take the gig. I'll take god's recomondation any day of the week...twice come sabath.So, UNC is the Uno in my deck. What you got, homie?
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Sorry man, I have been pre occupied. Trying to do some research on basketball, biggest problem being that I have to read everything, they play the fucking nba on afn and not much ncaa. This is very upsetting. However, I am going to take, even though I am very skeptical about this due to the hype they are getting, but they sound awesome from what I have read. Wake. My pick for this season is going to be Wake Forrest.
What is the deal with Pedro, is he leaving Boston, I am trying to keep up, but my lack of resources are proving to prevent me.
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As far as pedro - Yankspedro sat down with george yesterday. it is being described as being very oediphilous, where as pedro tries to (after tipping his cap) hook up with a parent. As far as i'm concerened boston can just let him go...wherever that may be to..he's proved his worth over the last ten years but he's not the same pitcher he once was. Sianara. But, of course, if he goes to the yanks he'll be the winning pitcher in game 7 of next years ALCS.
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Yes, he will, this is very disheartening news. Hell, this could start another fucking curse. This news may help me get my mind back on track. Ever since the WS victory, my mind has been jumbled, and I haven't been able tothink about any one thing for more than five minutes. Although it could also be my sobriety, which is abundant.
I jotted down some stuff today as I was doing some B-ball research here itgoes.
-1st off this is going to be a year dominated by the premier conferences like the ACC, Big 12, and Big East.
-there will be experimentation at the beginning of the season with wider lanes and more distance for the three point line
-my opinion who so ever emerges at the top of the ACC will go on to the national championship, and I wouldn't be surprised if that winner came from tobacco road. I'm convinced that there is to much hype for it to be Wake, and due to it being college ball anything is possible. North Western could come from nowhere as the sleeper, they have done it in football why not basketball too.
-Wake Forest, the preseason conference favorite, plays possibly its toughest rival, North Carolina, only once, on Jan. 15 in Winston-Salem. The Demon Deacons also get ACC tournament champ Maryland only at home. N.C. State doesn't have to go to Duke. The Tar Heels escape a trip to national finalist Georgia Tech.
-my preseason list of teams to watch is as follows: Wake, UNC, Illinois, Kansas, and North Western (towards the end of the season). Also, I am picking NC State as a dark horse for the ACC due to the changes in the conference and scheduling.This is all I have so far today
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NC State is a great pick as a dark horse and also a great segway for my next topic.
My pick for ACC Player of the year: Julius Hodge, NC State Wolfpack
Yes, Chris Paul from Wake is a much better player and Hodge may or may not even start if he was at UNC...but nobody in the ACC is going to do more for their team than Hodge will. I would not be surprised if this kid ends the season with a 25/10/5 average. Also he's been in college longer than Jeremy Piven's "Droz" in PCU.
Whatchagothomie?
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I agree, Hodge will do the most for his team as opposed to Chris Paul for Wake and Jawad Williams for UNC. He has the intangibles much like Pedro did for Boston. Pedro wasn't the best pitcher but the team followed him to victory.
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timeout.
The Boston Red Sox followed three things...
1) Nelson DeLarossa. I'd follow that creepy little guy anywhere. He's bound to attract chicks.
2) A bottle of Jack Daniels. As a functioning alcoholic, I found it encouraging that a team that pregame shots of Jack could win the World Series
3)Curt Schillings bloody sock. 'nuff said.
I submit to you that Pedro may have just been along for the ride (w/ Alan Embree of course)
Now get that dust off yo' shoulder
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I was just stating an example of an intangible, and Pedro was the first name to pop into my head
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allright...intangibles are important.
As long as we can agree that pedro is now more symbollic than talent.
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Alright you dirty hipster. I jotted down some notes last night on the ACC
Since I can't really watch to many games I have to rely on espn.com articles and Sports Illustrated. So this is what I have made out of it all thus far.
-UNC will need to drastically improve its defense from last year, They allowed the second highest field goal percentage in the conference.
-Felton was guarding Duhon (duke) when he hit his buzzer beater to win the game. Jack Jarret of Georgia Tech was guarded by Felton when he beat UNC in the final second. Felton was also guarding Galloway of FSU when he hit the last second shot to send the game into overtime, leading to the FSU victory.
-Wake had the worst defense in the ACC. However Chris Paul is convinced thatthe team is a changed team, defensively. The teams overall well being rests on the shoulders of Paul and his abilityto motivate the front line.
-Julius Hodge has packed on 15 pounds of muscle since the end of last season.
-Maryland is a young team with a lot of ambition. This teams success depends on Travis Garrison's inside ability. He has a soft touch on the ball, but has in the past been unsure of his inside game. This has caused him to be timid on the boards. Since they lost Jamar Smith the second leading rebounder in the ACC has departed the Terps, Travis is going to have to step it up.
-the ACC is tighter than ever at the top, and the Yellow Jackets will need every edge they can muster. They have at least three:
1) Tech defended better last year than the two ACC teams ranked ahead of it this year, North Carolina and Wake Forest
2) Schenscher is the only true center among theleague's elite teams
3) the Yellow Jackets have more starters with NCAA championship game experience (four) than any other ACC team.
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Joshie-
I hate hangovers.
Also, I had forgotten that G. Tech had title game experience. It seems so long ago. I think every (higher-echelon) team in the ACC has pretty good experience.
This may very well be the year that two ACC teams meet for a national title. And if that happens here in my backyard...I'll be uber-pissed.
Now, Back to lying in bed playing ESPN NBA 2K5.
Damn beer.
Al
PS. Kudos on the Felton-big shot scoop. The power of three leads me to believe that it's not a coincidence.
