COLLEGE BASKETBALL REPORT: WEEK 18
Let the madness of March begin: It's conference tournament time
Mar 10, 2020, 5:46 am
COLLEGE BASKETBALL REPORT: WEEK 18
A career-high 2️⃣0️⃣ piece for @242_jones 🤘 #AllForTexas | #HookEm https://t.co/zQbhlmxzmo— Texas Men's Basketball (@Texas Men's Basketball) 1583775862.0
Last week: (1-1): W - Oklahoma 52-51, L - Oklahoma State 81-59
This week: Thursday Texas Tech
Before dropping a 22-point game in their season finale against the Cowboys, the Texas Longhorns came away victorious in a 52-51 win over the Oklahoma Sooners on Tuesday. In addition to scoring a game-high 21 points, junior guard Matt Coleman III knocked down the game-winning 3-pointer to seal the deal for the Longhorns.
Up next, the Longhorns will open their Big 12 tournament against the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Thursday in Kansas City.
What is invisible, is often the most valuable.. #GigEm #getBETTER https://t.co/B0dZyVamvR— Texas A&M Basketball (@Texas A&M Basketball) 1583766370.0
Last week: (2-0): W - Auburn 78-75, W - Arkansas 77-69
This week: Thursday Missouri
After dropping two straight, the Texas A&M Aggies are riding a two-game winning streak after picking up wins against No. 17 Auburn (78-75) and Arkansas (77-69) last week. In both games, senior forward Josh Nebo led the way averaging 19.5 points, while recording 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks.
The Aggies will return to action on Thursday against the Missouri Tigers to open their SEC Tournament in Nashville.
For the second straight season, the Houston #Cougars are regular-season champions of the American Athletic Conferen… https://t.co/vVMmR61kZP— Coty Davis (@Coty Davis) 1583711052.0
Last week: (1-1): L- UConn 77-71, W - Memphis 64-57
This week: Friday SMU/Temple
The Houston Cougars captured their second straight American Athletic Conference championship following a 64-57 win over the Memphis Tigers inside the Frittata Center in Houston. Sophomore guard Quentin Grimes scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half to lead the Cougars to the comeback win.
Following the win, the Cougars will return to the court on Friday to take part in the American Athletic Conference Tournament in Fort Worth. Houston earned a bye into the quarterfinals and will play the winner of SMU vs. Temple.
BREAKING: Rice to face FIU in Conference USA Tournament. 📰 » https://t.co/qyecxC1SLj #GoOwls👐 x #TheRiceWay https://t.co/K9NLrF3f3l— Rice Basketball (@Rice Basketball) 1583639754.0
Last week: (1-1): W - Southern Miss 72-57, L - UTEP 77-72
This week: Wednesdayvs. FIU
The Rice Owls closed out their regular season in a 77-72 loss to the UTEP Miners. While shooting 35.9% from the field (25.7% from deep), the Owls could not match the production of UTEP. The Miners shot 43.9% from the floor as Souley Boum led the way with 25 points.
Following the win, the Owls will take on the FIU Panthers on Wednesday to begin the USA Conference Tournament.
The @NBCSports National Coach of the Year - @BUDREW‼️ 🔗: https://t.co/XdNqyRWX2N #SicEm 🐻 | #1TGF 🏀 https://t.co/1FHGRaPmEr— Baylor Basketball (@Baylor Basketball) 1583793452.0
Last week: (0-1): L - West Virginia 76-64
This week: Saturday vs. West Virginia
After what was a remarkable season that included a 23-game winning streak, the Baylor Bears dropped three of their previous five games following a 76-64 loss to West Virginia. The Bears defense was a no-show against West Virginia, as Baylor allowed the Mountaineers to score 55 points on 57.6% shooting from the floor during the second half.
Following the loss, the Bears will return to the court on Thursday to take part in the Big 12 Championship Tournament in Kansas City. As the No. 2 seed, Baylor earned a bye into the quarterfinals and will play one of the following three teams: Kansas State, TCU, or Oklahoma.
Desmond Bane's journey from Richmond, IN to @TCUBasketball is uncommon. Raised by his great-grandparents. But he wo… https://t.co/A2o7IYiQh9— Jeff Kolb (@Jeff Kolb) 1583726189.0
Last week: (0-2): L - Kansas 75-66, L - Oklahoma 78-76
This week: Wednesday Kansas State
After picking up their most impressive victory of the season, the TCU Horned Frogs could not strike gold twice. TCU dropped a close one to the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks on Wednesday.
The Frogs held their own against the Jayhawks during the first half, in which TCU held a two-point led before losing the momentum in the second half. During the final period, Kansas outscored Baylor 40-29 while Udoka Azubuike registered 31 points (13-14 FG), 14 rebounds, and five blocks in the win for the Jayhawks — senior guard Desmond Bane led the way with 20 points shooting 60% from behind the arc for the Horned Frogs.
Up next, TCU will open their Big 12 Conference Tournament on Wednesday against Kansas State.
𝐎𝐧 𝐚 🏆 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧. 🆚: Texas Longhorns 📍: #KansasCity ⏰: 11:30 a.m., Thursday 📺: @espn 2️⃣ 📻: @DoubleT973 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖… https://t.co/MUkqWuPPhA— Texas Tech Basketball (@Texas Tech Basketball) 1583800201.0
Last week: (0-1): L - Kansas 66-62
This week: Thursday vs. Texas
The Texas Tech Red Raiders dropped their four consecutive game in a 66-62 loss to the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks. In the loss, Texas Tech never got going on the offensive end, as the Red Raiders only connected on eight of their 26 attempts from behind the arc. Junior forward Davide Moretti scored a game-high 18 points in the loss.
With the hopes of ending their four-game losing streak, Texas Tech will open their Big 12 tournament against the Texas Longhorns on Thursday in Kansas City.
Let’s make @DickiesArena #MoodyWest for the @American_MBB Tournament! 🎟 https://t.co/PAislxxKzw #PonyUp x… https://t.co/TTX8SdnjXA— SMU Basketball (@SMU Basketball) 1583708059.0
Last week: (0-2): L- UCF 61-58, L - USF 61-60
This week: Thursday Temple
After a disappointing loss to the UCF Knights, the SMU Mustangs ended their regular season in a tough defeat to the USF Bulls on Saturday. After an entertaining second half separated by four points, USF's senior Laquincy Rideau sealed the deal for the Knights with a game-winning 3-pointer to close out the game. It was another frustrating loss for SMU, as Ethan Chargois led the way with 20 points on the night Mustangs.
While riding a three-game losing streak, the Mustangs will return to action on Thursday against the Temple Owls to open the American Athletic Conference Tournament in Fort Worth.
Skylar Mays is the CoSIDA Academic All-America of the Year 📄 https://t.co/EXUVshQe9x https://t.co/3bnjWMi7DN— LSU Basketball (@LSU Basketball) 1583770283.0
Last week: (1-1): L - Arkansas 99-90, W - Georgia 94-64
This week: Saturday vs. TBD
The LSU Tigers ended their regular season with a 94-64 win over the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday. In the win, four players scored in double-figures for LSU, as Marlon Taylor scored a career-high 30 points (10-17 FG, 3-7 3PT), to go along with seven rebounds, while Skylar Mays added in 19 points and six boards.
In the midst of ending the season as the No. 3 seed, the Tigers will open their SEC Tournament on Friday.
This is not a column for fanboys or sugarcoating. To this point in the season the Astros stink like rotten eggs. They stink like Angel Hernandez’s umpiring. They stink like Bill O'Brien's general manager skills. The Astros are a bad team right now. That’s notably different from being a bad team. Their 4-10 record is well-earned and it is definitely possible that the Astros’ run of high quality and annual playoff appearances crashes and burns this season. But it’s laughable to declare so after just 14 games of the 162 scheduled have been played.
Last June the Astros had a lousy window in which they went 3-10. In August they had a 4-8 funk. In September it was a 3-9 stretch of collapse. The 2022 World Series Champions had a 3-8 hiccup in April, and a 2-6 blotch overlapping July and August that included getting swept in a three-game series by the then and now awful Oakland A’s.
Now the Astros are back home (Oh No!) for six games, three vs. the Rangers then three with the Braves. The Rangers lead the American League West but are just 7-6, so despite their cellar-dwelling status, the Astros are just three and a half games out of first. A winning homestand is obviously the goal. No, really. 3-3 would be ok, even though that would just about clinch a losing record heading into May.
Mandatory aside: spectacular weather is the Friday night forecast. Stop being stubborn and lame, Astros. Open the roof! I don’t mean just for the postgame fireworks.
On the mend?
The Astros’ track record of downplaying pitching injuries that turned out to be major certainly causes angst as we await Framber Valdez’s return from a sore elbow. If Valdez ultimately winds up out for months, the Astros’ starting rotation is in deep trouble. Even more so if upon the approaching delayed start to his season, 41-year-old Justin Verlander pitches to his age in terms of results and/or durability. However, if Valdez is ok within a month and JV is solid, those two, and Cristian Javier can stabilize the rotation quite nicely.
The Astros started three guys in the last four games who belong in the minor leagues. It was a sad sign of the times that the Astros were reduced to calling up Blair Henley to make the start Monday in Arlington. Except for Rangers fans and Astros haters, it grew uncomfortable watching Henley give up four hits, walk three, record just one out, and wind up charged with seven earned runs. But it’s not Henley’s fault that he was thrust into a role for which he was utterly unqualified.
Last season at Double-A Corpus Christi, Henley’s earned run average was 5.06. Because of the crummy state of the Astros’ farm system, Henley failed up to Triple-A Sugar Land to start this season. After one not good start for the Space Cowboys, “Hey, go get out big leaguers Blair!” Henley turns 27 next month, he is not a prospect of any note. If he never again pitches in the majors Henley forever carries a 135.00 ERA.
But you know what? It was still a great day for the guy. Even if undeserved, Henley made “The Show.” For one day on the Astros’ 26-man roster, Henley made over four thousand dollars. To make him eligible for call up, the Astros first had to put Henley on their 40-man roster and sign him to a split contract. That means that until/unless the Astros release him, Henley’s AAA salary jumps from approximately $36,000 for the season to over 60K.
Lastly, while Henley’s ERA could remain 135.00 in perpetuity, at least he’s no Fred Bruckbauer. In 1961 Bruckbauer made his big league debut and bade his big league farewell in the same game. He faced four batters, giving up three earned runs on three hits and one walk. Career ERA: Infinity! Bruckbauer is the most recent of the more than a dozen pitchers to retire with the infinity ERA.
Spencer Arrighetti’s debut start went much better. For two innings, before it unraveled in a seven run Royals third. Arrighetti has good stuff, but not great stuff. Control has been an issue for him in the minor leagues. Without better command Arrighetti cannot be a plus starter in the majors.
Then there’s Hunter Brown. We could go decades without seeing another pitcher give up nine runs and 11 hits in two-thirds of an inning as Brown did Thursday. It had never happened in MLB history! To this point, Brown is an overhyped hope. ERA last July: 5.92, August: 6.23, September 1 on: 8.74. Three starts into 2024: 16.43.
Jose Abreu watch
It's still early enough in the season that even just a couple of big games can markedly improve a stat line but Jose Abreu continues to look washed up at the plate. Three hits in 37 at bats (.081 batting average), with the most recent hit a questionable official scoring decision. Manager Joe Espada has already dropped Abreu from fifth in the lineup to sixth, then seventh, then eighth. Two more slots down to go, Joe! Continuing to act like Jon Singleton could be a competent bat in the lineup is just silly though.
Catch the weekly Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast. Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and I discuss varied Astros topics. The first post for the week now generally goes up after Sunday’s game (second part released Tuesday, sometimes a third part Wednesday) via YouTube: stone cold stros - YouTubewith the complete audio available via Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.