Blog # 38

My Beloved 83 Bloggees (Welcome Eric):

 

The Gators offered "free basketball" to its fans and TV viewers again, playing overtime to beat the talented Vanderbilt Commodores 65 - 61 on Tuesday night http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=19709 . Kenny Boynton showed why he can be one of the best defensive players in the conference. After shutting out Arkansas's Rotnei Clarke 10 days ago, he did a remarkable job on the SEC's number one scorer, my favorite, John Jenkins.  

 

If you look at the box score you would see that Jenkins scored 22 points on 8 for 14 shooting and say to yourself that he had a solid game against his defender. But if you watched the game, you would conclude differently. Jenkins only was able to get off 6 three-point shots. He made just two of them and they were both ridiculous with Boynton in his face. Most of his 6 two-point baskets were on a fast break or when Boynton was not guarding him, either on a switch because of a tough screen or Boynton was not in the game. Freshman Scottie Wilbekin, two months from his 18th birthday, also played some smothering defense on Jenkins.

 

Some final thoughts on the game:

 

1. Assistant Coach Larry Shyatt should be commended for a wonderful defensive plan that also led to outrebounding the 'Dores by 25 on Florida's defensive boards.

 

2. If Boynton can be more consistent with his outside shooting, this Gator team can be scary. He did have the clutch game-winning three in overtime. No doubt, the energy expended with his shadowing defense does take away from his offense and the Orange and Blue needs to have others step up offensively like Chandler Parsons did last night with 18 points, including a much improved 5 for 6 from the free throw line..

 

3. On a sour note, the Gators centers (Vernon Macklin, Will Yeguete and Patric Young) shot a combined 2 for 10 from the free throw line and many of them weren't even close. I am running out of suggestions. Do any of you former coaches have Billy D on your speed dial and can offer him ideas?

 

4. I still love Vandy as a Sweet Sixteen team with my guy Jenkins leading the way. Orlando bloggee Richie was at the game and he indicated that Vandy 6' 11 275 lb center, Festus Ezeli,  was constantly disruptive in the middle before fouling out in 20 minutes. The Commodores will need him to stay on the floor to make some March inroads for the team (and for my expected bracket). NEXT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Tuesday night I turned to ESPN at 7:55 Central to see if the early game was going beyond two hours, interfering with the start of the Vandy - Florida game. (Sometimes when that happens, on ESPN non-HD, the network will start its second game as scheduled).  I saw a crawl that indicated Kentucky was ahead of Mississippi on ESPNU by 1 point with less than 20 seconds. I quickly switched over and saw Chris Warren hit the game-winning three for the Rebels with a few seconds left in Mississippi's 71 - 69 thrilling victory at the Tad http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/recap?gid=201102010365 . 

 

Warren is a player in the John Jenkins category of "hate to face him" and I will certainly be glad when he graduates this year. Can you imagine if he went to the University of Florida, just 110 miles north, joining Boynton and Erving Walker in the backcourt?  Why didn't that happen? NEXT

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uh-Oh. North Carolina freshman Harrison Barnes is starting to live up to his pre-season first team All-American potential. He scored 25 points on Saturday against NC State. On Tuesday night in Chestnut Hill, the Tar Heels smashed Boston College 106 -74 http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=201102010058 led by Barnes and his 26 points on 9 for 15 shooting, 4 for 7 from deep. The Heels' starters were 13 for 14 from the gift lane (including Barnes 4 for 4) and you know how I admire that stat, especially on the road.

 

Carolina Blue has now won 9 of 10 and the smell of Durham and the Blue Devils is just 8 days away. In between, the Tar Heels host FSU on Sunday which could be a "trap game", but it is being held in Chapel Hill which will help. After an NIT trip last year and a 4 - 3 November, Roy Williams is ready to make his traditional NCAA run. NEXT

 

 

 

 

 

In prior blogs, it was mentioned how rare it is to see a player shoot 10 or more times beyond tha arc in a game and convert on none of them. Well, Birmingham bloggee Terry reminded me of a famous game in Birmingham two years ago when nemesis Memphis defeated UAB 71 - 60. The Blazers' Robert Vaden was 0 for 17, 12 of those attempts were deep ones  http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?page=instant0226 . Vaden is currently playing for the Tulsa 66ers in the NBDL trying to climb up to the "show" . You can get up close and personal for a minute with Vaden by clicking here  http://www.nba.com/dleague/video/2011/01/31/RobertVadenmov-1539711/index.html . THAT'S IT

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy.....next blog will include a dynamic website full of stats to evaluate every college player....you will want to budget some time this weekend to spend time on it,

 

 

 

Barry