When you play it with a team consisting of many freshman, it becomes a migraine.
Colorado is discovering that as the Buffs couldn't keep up with the video-game offense of Texas nor could it win on the road, a historical condition, at Oklahoma.
Now comes a home game with eighth-ranked Texas A & M, who is the team in College Station these days who gets recognized for playing defense and winning. The Aggies know how to "D" it up and how to win under coach Billy Gillispie.
Acie Law will be a difficult matchup at the point, Joseph Jones is too big for CU inside, sophomore forward Josh Carter, like Jones, is an excellent shooter, and Antanas Kavaliauskas (how many letters is that?) also knows how to convert with the ball in his hands.
Texas A & M not only plays defense, it takes and makes good shots and more importantly plays with chemistry and purpose.
Yes, fans will watch wanting nothing less than a win but maybe they can also watch and see what makes a team strong, too and then dream of that kind of team for themselves one day down the road.
Richard Roby has picked up his game in conference play and despite the poor team record, the home team is not without talent and potential. Lighting the match to that potential, forming it, instilling confidence and belief is the mighty task of coach Ricardo Patton and his staff. Many don't believe that is his strength yet Patton still has time to change that perception before the conclusion of the season.
The Buffs must value possessions, as in not be the Sloppy Joe's they were in Norman, must pass the ball better, must do what it takes to get good shots. Defensively, if it doesn't play with emotion, the Aggies will run away early.
Sixth-ranked Kansas, fresh off a steamrolling of Oklahoma State travels to Ames to play Iowa State. The Cyclones seemingly are overmatched but maybe the Jayhawks are human and have a letdown after their big win and allow ISU to play with them, get confidence and have a chance at the end.
Or maybe I'm baked.
KU's depth of talent is going to be difficult for the Cyclones to meet but guard Mike Taylor, forward Rahshon Clark and especially freshman forward Wesley Johnson can all play. The Black and Gold Truth must-see part of this game is seeing how Johnson, who already has nine double-doubles, fares against the athleticism and height of the Jayhawks.
In the backcourt, while Taylor has talent, KU has the distinct advantage with Mario Chalmers, Brandon Rush and Sherron Collins.
Oklahoma State was shellacked by Kansas in Lawrence this week, is likely hungry to get back on the court and Nebraska must look like raw meat. The Cornhuskers, however, are unbeaten at home (8-0) and look strong on paper but the ninth-ranked Cowboys are a different animal than what Nebraska has been playing.
Alexs Maric is the force in the middle for the Huskers but, quick, who guards Mario Boggan inside and JamesOn Curry on the perimeter?
Answer: Nebraska doesn't have anyone who can do those things.
If OSU gets lazy on defense, the Huskers have enough offensive talent and depth to put the hurt on but the BGT doesn't see that happening.
Do you?
Oklahoma is at no. 25 Texas and the Sooners will quickly find out that the Longhorns will test their defense a little more than Colorado did.
The Sooners have little chance in this game with the way the Longhorns are playing on offense, especially freshman forward Kevin Durant, who is a Big-12 Player-of-the-Year candidate. Throw in the double-barrell firepower of backcourt short ends A.J. Abrams and D.J. Augustin and UT is already forcing OU into a desperate situation.
Jeff Capel's Sooners will have to be other worldly on defense to keep the game close while also generating balanced offense.
Texas Tech is playing well early in the Big 12, having topped Oklahoma and Kansas State -- Baylor is in that league of good but not powerful.
Jarrius Jackson is the big man on campus for the Red Raiders, averaging 21.1 points a game and Martin Zeno is a good supporting actor, averaging another 16.5. After that, the talent drops off precipitously.
The Bears have forward Kevin Rogers, an above-average forward and rebounder, and four guards around him who can play in Henry Dugat, Curtis Jerrels, Aaron Bruce, and Tweety Carter.
Texas Tech is 4-0 on the road and playing with confidence. Baylor is an effective team on offense but has struggled in Big 12 play. Thy have, however, also been playing the better teams -- Texas A & M and Oklahoma State -- but playing them competitively.
The Red Raiders might be the better team in the standings but the Bears, with their offensive balance, depth and guard play, might be ready to get their first conference victory.
Kansas State is at Missouri in a game that seems like it should be all Tigers.
With Bob Huggins coaching the Wildcats though, nothing can be taken for granted. The issue for Kansas State is not so much that freshman forward Bill Walker has been lost for the season due to injury but that the able-bodied Wildcats are disjointed on offense and not living up to their potential.
Missouri is hardly intimidating any longer in Columbia but they might be against a shaky Wildcats' team.
Off the court
Oklahoma center Longar Longar has been benched for two games by the Big 12 for elbowing Texas Tech's Esmir Rizvic last week, fracturing his eye socket.
BGT: Is this a suspendable offense, especially when the Big 12 did not think the move was intentional? Difficult question to answer here. Even basketball is physical and accidents do happen so why kick a player from games for it?
Because what could have been a serious injury occurred. Rizvic did not get a sore muscle, he got his eye socket fractured.
Longar overplayed himself in attempting to create space offensively and Rizvic was punished so Longar himself deserved corrective action as well.
Comments and questions to thebgtruth@yahoo.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment