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FYI:
-This was my early plays I released on my CBB-Card for "Showtime Sunday" ... which is being posted and documented in this Running Service Thread here like always....
SUNDAY'S PLAYS (03-19):
{CBB-Plays}
Special-TOP RATED PLAY OF THE DAY ON: (5 Units)
Pitt -4 (buy .5pt)
-Yes I to overlooked this Bradley team...but it wasnt because I thought they werent good, but that I felt the Jayhawks was the better team who was playing their best ball of any team coming into the dance...
Still, even with that impressive upset win over the Big 12 Tourney Champs, I cannot side with them vs this Beast from the East...and below are several KEY reasons why I see Pitt handing this mid-major their walking papers today..
*KEY #1: Pitt is not inexperienced and they dont start 3 Freshmans and 2 Sophs....
Yes, the Jayhawks have won 15 of their last 16 games, including an easy 80-68 win over Texas in the Big 12 tournament championship...before they faced Bradley...But alot of people including myself, forgot that this team is still made up of 10 underclassmen..and their starting lineup consist of 3 freshmans and 2 sophomores...And although it is still impressive what they were able to accomplish before the Dance...A major disadvantage they had was their youth and inexperience with playing on one of the biggest stages there is in sports...
On the biggest stage, the Kansas kids did what kids often do...they forced things, tried to do too much and turned the ball over..ie, 18 turnovers committed down the stretch...Thus, by the time the inexperienced Jayhawks finally got acclimated to the NCAA Tournament pressure and intensity, it was just too late...
The Braves themselves are a young team as well...and they also was making their appearance in the Dance for the first time in 10 years...So it wasnt like they were experienced with handling the hoopla surrounding the tournament...eventhough they did look like tourney veterans against Kansas...However, one thing they did have on their sides was motivation to prove everyone wrong...The Braves used that disrespect and criticism they were getting after the ttournament committee gave them the final ticket to the dance, which now equaled the same amount of teams in the Dance as the ACC, Big 12, and the Pac 10...Furthermore, they had the benefit of facing a team, not only younger then they were, but one who most likely were also looking past them...as many higher seeds most times do..
However in todays game vs Pitt...the Braves will not have the same luxury of facing an inexperienced team, in age or playing experience in the NCAA Tournament...And furthermore, the now have to face a team whos upperclass players still remember the sting they felt last season when they to overlooked a mid-major team and was sent packing in the 1st round...Based on Pitts demolishing of the MAC conf champs in the 1st round...I say that they are fully aware and determined to not make that same mistake this year.
*KEY #2: The Braves beat youth....now they must face experienced players and leadership..
Pitt, like the Braves, comes into the dance on a roll winning 4 or their last 5 games to increase there record to 25-7 overall...And although some see it as an advantage coming into the tournament on a positive run ending the regular season....The majority who know the hoops, will trade that all to come into the tournament with experienced upperclassman...who played on this stage before...and who is led by a proven and solid senior G to lead the way..
Unlike the young Jayhawks who had no tourney experience and who also were led by a freshman guard...The Panthers, on the other hand, have returning tournament players...and one of the best guards in the land to run the show for them, in senior G Krauser...
How big of an advantage is it to have experienced players in the dance...Well, I like how Pitts F Kendall stated, "It's big," "Obviously we're a little less star-struck than guys who haven't been here before. It can catch you off-guard at first."
As mentioned, the Braves may have looked like tourney veterans against Kansas...but now they face a Panther teams that is gunning for their fourth regional semifinal appearance in the last five years...and this kind of experience in the Dance is something thats hard to beat...
*KEY #3: Pitt's Style of Play...with Kruser outside and Gray inside..
The Braves were successful vs Kansas...not only because the Jayhawks were playing under alot of pressure...but also because they allowed the Braves to control the games tempo by allowing them to run....Kansas likes to run as well..but again, their youth and inexperience created alot of poor judgements which led to alot of turnovers....In fact, at one point in the game the Braves recorded 20 pts to the Jayhawks 0 pts off of turnovers...And they also allowed them to hit 11-of-21 three point shots as well...Not being able to disrupt an opponents transition game is what the Jayhawks guards couldnt do...
Pitts success has been due to senior point guard Krauser.....who leads them in scoring and assist....But moreso important is his toughnest and leadership he brings to this team...Kruser running the floor should be no match for Bradley to contain....And, he should be able to help Pitt keep this Bradley team in a half-court game and also disrupt them in transition, when they want to run...Both teams have quickness...but another advantage Pitt will have is on the inside with C Gray..
Yeah, all the talk of late is one Bradley's 7'0 center O'Brant...but not so fast, my friend...He didnt look that good against Kansas, although grabbing 10 rebs..he only scored 8 points....and he came very close to fouling out as well...O'Bryant is prone to getting into foul trouble, which takes away the team's best shot-blocking presence in the middle...Today, he faces the Big East best big man in Pitts C Gray, who was the only Big East player to average a double double (14 pts and 10 rebounds), earning him all-conference 1st team honors....Not to mention, like Krauser, he has also played on this stage before...
Pitts success starts with their senior point guard Krauser...who leads them in scoring and assist...and also continues with C Gray on the inside...But, it doesnt end their as this Panther team is also deep, as 9 players are averaging 10 minutes or more....And they have a lot of players who also can do damage if they get hot on the outsides...
The Braves today will face a veteran team who plays a much more physical defense than what Kansas does...and a team who no one has been able to completely dominate or overwhelm all year....as the largest margin of defeat was by just 5 points....More importantly though is how impressively Pitt has played in their last 5 games coming into this 2nd round match-up....Pittsburgh 61, Louisville 56....Pittsburgh 68, West Virginia 57....Pittsburgh 68, Villanova 54....Syracuse 65, Pittsburgh 61 (ran into a very Hot Cuse team, not to mention coming off a big win over Nova)....Pittsburgh 79, Kent State 64 (NCAA Tournament first round)....In this game, Pitt had 6 players score in double figures and set a school record for NCAA tournament games by shooting 67.4 percent (31-for-46) from the field...Solid!.
Side Note: Aaron Gray notched his 18th double-double of the season with 17 points and 13 rebounds to go with five blocks and five other players scored in double figures as Pitt routed Kent State, 79-64...Pitt shot a school-record 67.4 percent to bury the Golden Flashes, who won the Mid-American Conference tournament championship
Side Note: Senior Carl Krauser finished his Big East tournament career third in school history in both points and assists at the Garden. He totaled 134 points and 42 assists in 11 Big East tourney games...Impressive.
Side Note: The Panthers, who connected on 31 of 46 field-goal attempts, also received 16 points from Ronald Ramon; 12 from Sam Young; 11 from Carl Krauser, who also had nine assists; and 10 each from Levon Kendall and Levance Fields.
Situational Advantages and Edges...
-One big weakness of the Braves has been with their consistancy on the offensive end....And, it was evident in the MVC tournament title game ...where they went for long stretchs and scored very points, especially when S Ill kept them out of there transition game...Kansas provided them a perfect opponent because they like to run as well...but Pitt will keep them in a half court set...and that is where they will get frustrated and go through scoring slumps again..
-The Braves made 11 three pointers in their win over Kansas...This from a team that only averages 6 threes on the road and shoot just 30% from behind the ARC overall....I am suppose to believe that they can do it again..and also while playing on a bigger stage in the 2nd round as well....Oh hell no!
-The Braves made their first appearance in the dance for the first time in 10 years...and there win over Kansas is the first in the tourney in 20 years...If they think that getting the first win was the hardest part, then they are very much mistaken...It took they 10 years to get back to the dance..and 20 years to get a win....now they are expected to get their 2nd win in the same tourney..I dont think so!.
-The Panthers are known to play their best ball when they do it with a chip on their shoulders...And this is exactly how they have started to play and what I see them continuing to do....as they still remember how they were taken out in the 1st round last year...And, they still know and have the history in the tournament on their sides..which will be big in this game...
-Pittsburgh is one of only 15 programs to reach the NCAA Tournament in each of the past five seasons. The Panthers, making their 18th NCAA Tournament appearance, won their fourth NCAA Tournament first-round game in the past five seasons.
Bottom line, is that the Braves exposed themselves with that upset over Kansas....and they did so by benefitting from the youth of the Jayhawks, not to mention, with a big motivation to prove everyone else wrong...But, today they meet a team who knows about what they just did...and also one who is not only experienced in dealing with the pressures that the NCAA tourney brings...but one who is not going to allow themselves to get knocked out of the tourney by a mid-major, like Pacific did to them last year.
Furthermore, they are facing a team that plays tough Big East style basketball..and not soft Big 12 style...The Braves stated that they werent intimidated by Kansas...well, I dont know to many who would be when facing a team filled with 10 underclassmen, including 3 freshman in the starting lineup...Bradley is coming into this one way to disrespectful and it seem very overconfident..which is a sign that the hangover effect is in play....Today, the Braves get eaten by the Panthers....and Pitts experience and proven floor general in Krauser, along with the Big East best Center in Gray, will be the reason why their run in the tourney ends.....All PITT!
*please disregard any typos and grammatical errors as I had no time to edit this book...thxs.
**TOP RATED PLAY ON: (3 Units)
North Carolina -5.5 .................................................. ........... comp play
Gang...my "BIG GAME PLAY"-2nd Rd Tourney Game of the Month goes later today ....Dont miss out on this 8 Unit Bad Boy....Time to hit the Man hard....Aloha CC.
Cont Info: COCAPTAINSPORTS@YAHO*.COM
-This was my early plays I released on my CBB-Card for "Showtime Sunday" ... which is being posted and documented in this Running Service Thread here like always....
SUNDAY'S PLAYS (03-19):
{CBB-Plays}
Special-TOP RATED PLAY OF THE DAY ON: (5 Units)
Pitt -4 (buy .5pt)
-Yes I to overlooked this Bradley team...but it wasnt because I thought they werent good, but that I felt the Jayhawks was the better team who was playing their best ball of any team coming into the dance...
Still, even with that impressive upset win over the Big 12 Tourney Champs, I cannot side with them vs this Beast from the East...and below are several KEY reasons why I see Pitt handing this mid-major their walking papers today..
*KEY #1: Pitt is not inexperienced and they dont start 3 Freshmans and 2 Sophs....
Yes, the Jayhawks have won 15 of their last 16 games, including an easy 80-68 win over Texas in the Big 12 tournament championship...before they faced Bradley...But alot of people including myself, forgot that this team is still made up of 10 underclassmen..and their starting lineup consist of 3 freshmans and 2 sophomores...And although it is still impressive what they were able to accomplish before the Dance...A major disadvantage they had was their youth and inexperience with playing on one of the biggest stages there is in sports...
On the biggest stage, the Kansas kids did what kids often do...they forced things, tried to do too much and turned the ball over..ie, 18 turnovers committed down the stretch...Thus, by the time the inexperienced Jayhawks finally got acclimated to the NCAA Tournament pressure and intensity, it was just too late...
The Braves themselves are a young team as well...and they also was making their appearance in the Dance for the first time in 10 years...So it wasnt like they were experienced with handling the hoopla surrounding the tournament...eventhough they did look like tourney veterans against Kansas...However, one thing they did have on their sides was motivation to prove everyone wrong...The Braves used that disrespect and criticism they were getting after the ttournament committee gave them the final ticket to the dance, which now equaled the same amount of teams in the Dance as the ACC, Big 12, and the Pac 10...Furthermore, they had the benefit of facing a team, not only younger then they were, but one who most likely were also looking past them...as many higher seeds most times do..
However in todays game vs Pitt...the Braves will not have the same luxury of facing an inexperienced team, in age or playing experience in the NCAA Tournament...And furthermore, the now have to face a team whos upperclass players still remember the sting they felt last season when they to overlooked a mid-major team and was sent packing in the 1st round...Based on Pitts demolishing of the MAC conf champs in the 1st round...I say that they are fully aware and determined to not make that same mistake this year.
*KEY #2: The Braves beat youth....now they must face experienced players and leadership..
Pitt, like the Braves, comes into the dance on a roll winning 4 or their last 5 games to increase there record to 25-7 overall...And although some see it as an advantage coming into the tournament on a positive run ending the regular season....The majority who know the hoops, will trade that all to come into the tournament with experienced upperclassman...who played on this stage before...and who is led by a proven and solid senior G to lead the way..
Unlike the young Jayhawks who had no tourney experience and who also were led by a freshman guard...The Panthers, on the other hand, have returning tournament players...and one of the best guards in the land to run the show for them, in senior G Krauser...
How big of an advantage is it to have experienced players in the dance...Well, I like how Pitts F Kendall stated, "It's big," "Obviously we're a little less star-struck than guys who haven't been here before. It can catch you off-guard at first."
As mentioned, the Braves may have looked like tourney veterans against Kansas...but now they face a Panther teams that is gunning for their fourth regional semifinal appearance in the last five years...and this kind of experience in the Dance is something thats hard to beat...
*KEY #3: Pitt's Style of Play...with Kruser outside and Gray inside..
The Braves were successful vs Kansas...not only because the Jayhawks were playing under alot of pressure...but also because they allowed the Braves to control the games tempo by allowing them to run....Kansas likes to run as well..but again, their youth and inexperience created alot of poor judgements which led to alot of turnovers....In fact, at one point in the game the Braves recorded 20 pts to the Jayhawks 0 pts off of turnovers...And they also allowed them to hit 11-of-21 three point shots as well...Not being able to disrupt an opponents transition game is what the Jayhawks guards couldnt do...
Pitts success has been due to senior point guard Krauser.....who leads them in scoring and assist....But moreso important is his toughnest and leadership he brings to this team...Kruser running the floor should be no match for Bradley to contain....And, he should be able to help Pitt keep this Bradley team in a half-court game and also disrupt them in transition, when they want to run...Both teams have quickness...but another advantage Pitt will have is on the inside with C Gray..
Yeah, all the talk of late is one Bradley's 7'0 center O'Brant...but not so fast, my friend...He didnt look that good against Kansas, although grabbing 10 rebs..he only scored 8 points....and he came very close to fouling out as well...O'Bryant is prone to getting into foul trouble, which takes away the team's best shot-blocking presence in the middle...Today, he faces the Big East best big man in Pitts C Gray, who was the only Big East player to average a double double (14 pts and 10 rebounds), earning him all-conference 1st team honors....Not to mention, like Krauser, he has also played on this stage before...
Pitts success starts with their senior point guard Krauser...who leads them in scoring and assist...and also continues with C Gray on the inside...But, it doesnt end their as this Panther team is also deep, as 9 players are averaging 10 minutes or more....And they have a lot of players who also can do damage if they get hot on the outsides...
The Braves today will face a veteran team who plays a much more physical defense than what Kansas does...and a team who no one has been able to completely dominate or overwhelm all year....as the largest margin of defeat was by just 5 points....More importantly though is how impressively Pitt has played in their last 5 games coming into this 2nd round match-up....Pittsburgh 61, Louisville 56....Pittsburgh 68, West Virginia 57....Pittsburgh 68, Villanova 54....Syracuse 65, Pittsburgh 61 (ran into a very Hot Cuse team, not to mention coming off a big win over Nova)....Pittsburgh 79, Kent State 64 (NCAA Tournament first round)....In this game, Pitt had 6 players score in double figures and set a school record for NCAA tournament games by shooting 67.4 percent (31-for-46) from the field...Solid!.
Side Note: Aaron Gray notched his 18th double-double of the season with 17 points and 13 rebounds to go with five blocks and five other players scored in double figures as Pitt routed Kent State, 79-64...Pitt shot a school-record 67.4 percent to bury the Golden Flashes, who won the Mid-American Conference tournament championship
Side Note: Senior Carl Krauser finished his Big East tournament career third in school history in both points and assists at the Garden. He totaled 134 points and 42 assists in 11 Big East tourney games...Impressive.
Side Note: The Panthers, who connected on 31 of 46 field-goal attempts, also received 16 points from Ronald Ramon; 12 from Sam Young; 11 from Carl Krauser, who also had nine assists; and 10 each from Levon Kendall and Levance Fields.
Situational Advantages and Edges...
-One big weakness of the Braves has been with their consistancy on the offensive end....And, it was evident in the MVC tournament title game ...where they went for long stretchs and scored very points, especially when S Ill kept them out of there transition game...Kansas provided them a perfect opponent because they like to run as well...but Pitt will keep them in a half court set...and that is where they will get frustrated and go through scoring slumps again..
-The Braves made 11 three pointers in their win over Kansas...This from a team that only averages 6 threes on the road and shoot just 30% from behind the ARC overall....I am suppose to believe that they can do it again..and also while playing on a bigger stage in the 2nd round as well....Oh hell no!
-The Braves made their first appearance in the dance for the first time in 10 years...and there win over Kansas is the first in the tourney in 20 years...If they think that getting the first win was the hardest part, then they are very much mistaken...It took they 10 years to get back to the dance..and 20 years to get a win....now they are expected to get their 2nd win in the same tourney..I dont think so!.
-The Panthers are known to play their best ball when they do it with a chip on their shoulders...And this is exactly how they have started to play and what I see them continuing to do....as they still remember how they were taken out in the 1st round last year...And, they still know and have the history in the tournament on their sides..which will be big in this game...
-Pittsburgh is one of only 15 programs to reach the NCAA Tournament in each of the past five seasons. The Panthers, making their 18th NCAA Tournament appearance, won their fourth NCAA Tournament first-round game in the past five seasons.
Bottom line, is that the Braves exposed themselves with that upset over Kansas....and they did so by benefitting from the youth of the Jayhawks, not to mention, with a big motivation to prove everyone else wrong...But, today they meet a team who knows about what they just did...and also one who is not only experienced in dealing with the pressures that the NCAA tourney brings...but one who is not going to allow themselves to get knocked out of the tourney by a mid-major, like Pacific did to them last year.
Furthermore, they are facing a team that plays tough Big East style basketball..and not soft Big 12 style...The Braves stated that they werent intimidated by Kansas...well, I dont know to many who would be when facing a team filled with 10 underclassmen, including 3 freshman in the starting lineup...Bradley is coming into this one way to disrespectful and it seem very overconfident..which is a sign that the hangover effect is in play....Today, the Braves get eaten by the Panthers....and Pitts experience and proven floor general in Krauser, along with the Big East best Center in Gray, will be the reason why their run in the tourney ends.....All PITT!
*please disregard any typos and grammatical errors as I had no time to edit this book...thxs.
**TOP RATED PLAY ON: (3 Units)
North Carolina -5.5 .................................................. ........... comp play
Gang...my "BIG GAME PLAY"-2nd Rd Tourney Game of the Month goes later today ....Dont miss out on this 8 Unit Bad Boy....Time to hit the Man hard....Aloha CC.
Cont Info: COCAPTAINSPORTS@YAHO*.COM
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