"I Know the Game Like I'm Reffing It"















Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Whitehead Succeeding In Temporary Role

Lost in Sean Kilpatrick’s brilliant 38-point, 14-rebound performance in the Brooklyn Nets’ 127-122 double overtime victory over the Los Angeles Clippers Tuesday night, was the steady, if unspectacular, play of rookie Isaiah Whitehead.

Whitehead, who was playing at Seton Hall this time last year, easily eclipsed his career high in minutes, playing 46. The rest of his stat line looked pedestrian on paper – 6 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists – but he had zero turnovers, while playing the point guard position and guarded Chris Paul for pretty much the entire game.

At Lincoln high school in Brooklyn and then at Seton Hall, Whitehead was known as an alpha dog rugged, do-it-all guard who looked to score. Early in his NBA career, he is showing he can do whatever is asked of him.



“I’m just playing my role,” he said after the game. “When coach tells me to be more aggressive then I’ll be more aggressive, but right now I think my job is really just to play defense and when I have an open shot, take it.”

He is doing a great job in his current role, which should only grow with each solid performance.

“[Tonight’s game] definitely gave me a lot of confidence, just because of the way I played,” Whitehead said. “I think I played some good defense, I think I really helped my guys on defense, I mean, I think I just did a great job on that side, so it’s definitely giving me more confidence.”

Expect bigger and better things to come from Isaiah Whitehead.

Friday, November 11, 2016

2016-17 Preseason Bracketology

Preseason Bracketology

It’s officially that time, the start of the college basketball season. In honor of this wonderful occasion, I bless you with my preseason NCAA Tournament bracket. Take it to the bank!

WARNING:
The predicted field/seeding is highly likely to change from day to day or minute to minute.

*Automatic bids in italics

1 SEEDS: Kansas; Villanova; Oregon; Duke.

2 SEEDS: Wisconsin; Xavier; North Carolina; Louisville.

3 SEEDS: Kentucky; Gonzaga; Virginia; Michigan State.

4 SEEDS: Texas; Arizona; Maryland; Indiana.

5 SEEDS: Purdue; West Virginia; Connecticut; Butler.

6 SEEDS: UCLA; Saint Mary’s; Georgetown; Michigan.

7 SEEDS: Virginia Tech; Rhode Island; Syracuse; Creighton.

8 SEEDS: Dayton; Arkansas; Florida State; NC State.

9 SEEDS: Iowa State; Ohio State; BYU; Georgia.

10 SEEDS: USC; Miami; Seton Hall; VCU.

11 SEEDS: Colorado; Cincinnati vs. California; Oklahoma vs. Utah; San Diego State.

12 SEEDS: Akron; Valparaiso; Harvard; Wichita State.

13 SEEDS: UAB; Hofstra; Belmont; North Dakota State.

14 SEEDS: Long Beach State; Weber State; Vermont; Monmouth.

15 SEEDS: Winthrop; Florida GC; S.F. Austin; East Tennessee State.

16 SEEDS: Lehigh; New Mexico State; Arkansas LR vs. Texas Southern; Howard vs. Wagner.


LAST FOUR IN: Cincinnati; Oklahoma; Utah; California.

FIRST FOUR OUT: Oklahoma State; Baylor; Northwestern; New Mexico.

CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN: ACC (9); Pac 12 (7); Big Ten (7); Big East (6); Big 12 (5); SEC (3); Atlantic 10 (3); West Coast (3); AAC (2).