So I haven’t been as prolific a blogger as Rhett, but in my defense I have not witnessed much worth writing about. My college hoops month has consisted of 3 games at EMU watching a team, and coaching staff circle the drain. The silver lining was getting to see Western Michigan come into town and score a much needed W to lift themselves to first place in the MAC west despite a still pitiful 7-11 overall record.
1/7 Temple at Eastern Michigan: Temple wins this game 67-45 over the Eagles while basically sleep walking through the first 31 minutes or so. Eastern goes on a mini run in the second half to cut it to 5 getting the small crowd into the game a little bit. They have a chance to do some real damage when team head case Justin Dobbins breaks in for what looks like a monster dunk, only he slams it hard off the back iron launching the ball to half court where a semi suprised Temple player takes it the other way for two quick ones. After that Eastern scored again maybe twice.
1/13 Central Michigan @ Eastern Michigan: This was by far Eastern’s best game of the year. Thats not just my opinion either, this is the only D1 win the Eagles have had to this point in the season. A complete team effort throughout and a comfortable lead for most of the 2nd half. The only thing was that because of poor free throw shooting, terrible defense, and a sixth sense for coming up short Central was able to overcome an 8 pt deficit with 58 seconds left outscoring Eastern 12-4 over that stretch and sink a buzzer beater to take it into OT. After a few scary moments Eastern finally overtook a lousy Central team 84-77 in double OT thanks to a career day from under utilized swing man Zane Gay.
1/24 Western Michigan @ Eastern Michigan: Eastern opened up an early lead against a Bronco team that is really outmaned when matched up a big physical frontcourt. Western doesn’t have an upperclassmen aboce 6’4″ medically cleared to play at this point. Eastern could have gone into Bowdry and Dobbins all day but for some reason they chose to shot alot of bad jumpers and eventually their double digit lead turned into a double digit defecit. They got it back to within 4 late with posession but squandered their opportunities by taking some ill advised shots, Nothing like watching a Power Forward chuck up a bad three and have it rebounded by a 6’2″ guard after it draws nothing but backboard to put you at ease about a games outcome.
Other notes:
Digger Phelps is obnoixious when he talks about Notre Dame and completely unrealistic.
Wisconsin and Michigan in the lower division of the Big Ten is how things are supposed to be.
I don’t know where Duke, Wake Forest and North Carolina would finish in the Big East if they replaced Depaul, USF, and St. John’s but I don’t think it would be 1,2,3.
Kentucky and Marquette are both way better than I expected.
ESPN is ignoring Stephon Curry now because of the conference he plays in, while fluffing guys like Luke Harangodey who play for also rans. More Davidson and less Notre Dame please!
Michigan State lost to Northwestern. This and other baffling performances (Maryland) makes me nervous they could be an upset victim in March no matter how stellar they play the rest of the year.
