Momentum buried

Coming off a quality road win at Florida State, and a demolition of North Carolina, the Terps had that loving feeling heading into Wednesday’s game with Virginia.  Mother Nature put an end to that.

Maryland and Virginia will now play Monday Feb. 15th at Comcast Center, leaving the Terrapins to cool their heels (wait, didn’t they just do that?) and next face Duke at Cameron.

A true test for sure, but if Maryland can find a way to knock off the Devils whom are not exactly bullet proof, then they just about lock up a bid to the NCAA Tourney,  and do it by mid February.

The pair of impressive wins for the Terps had me bring them back to the A.P. Top 25 for the 3rd time this season, curious to see if they can stick around.

Here’s my vote for February, 8th:

1.       Kansas

2.       Kentucky

3.       Syracuse

4.       West Virginia

5.       Villanova

6.       Purdue

7.       Georgetown

8.       Kansas State

9.       Ohio State

10.   Wisconsin

11.   Duke

12.   Michigan State

13.   Tennessee

14.   Texas

15.   New Mexico

16.   Gonzaga

17.   Texas A&M

18.   Northern Iowa

19.   Butler

20.   St. Mary’s

21.   Charlotte

22.   Cornell

23.   Rhode Island

24.   Maryland

25.   Georgia Tech

AP Top 25 Vote for January 31

1.    Kansas

2.    Kentucky

3.    Villanova

4.    Syracuse

5.    Michigan State

6.    West Virginia

7.    Purdue

8.    Texas

9.    Georgetown

10. Kansas State

11. Wisconsin

12. Ohio State

13.  Pittsburgh

14. Tennessee

15.  Duke

16. Vanderbilt

17. Georgia Tech

18.  New Mexico

19.  BYU

20. Gonzaga

21. Baylor

22. Temple

23.  Northern Iowa

24.  St. Mary’s

25. Butler

AP Top 25 Vote 1/18/10

1. Texas

2. Kentucky

3. Kansas

4. Villanova

5. Syracuse

6. Michigan State

7. Duke

8. Tennessee

9. Wisconsin

10. Pittsburgh

11. West Virginia

12. Purdue

13. Georgetown

14. Gonzaga

15. BYU

16. Kansas State

17. Georgia Tech

18. UAB

19. Clemson

20. Temple

21. Virginia

22. Baylor

23. Northern Iowa

24. Rhode Island

25. Vanderbilt

AP Basketball Vote for 1/11/10

I contemplated the return of Maryland to my AP vote this week.  The Terps knocked off Florida State, which I had ranked 16th and owned now similar resumes to Clemson and Miami.  The loss though at home to William & Mary still left me a little gun-shy.  If Maryland though could go on the road and beat Wake Forest, then I’d have them back in poll. 

And last night, they made a rather incredible run at that win.  Greivis Vasquez and Eric Hayes led a stirring comeback to force overtime.  Then with a minute to play, trailing but in a one possession game, the Terps had the ball.  Vasquez, whom again had played a great game, looked in from the left-wing and saw 6′9″, 245 pound Jordan Williams on the block, guarded by 6′0″, 175 Ismael Smith.  This was a mismatch of comical proportions.  Vasquez looked Williams in the eye, dribbled to the baseline where he was cut off, and forced up a jumper that hit the side of the back board. 

Maryland lost 85-83.

I can’t say enough that Vasquez was the driving force that had the Terps to overtime in the first place, but if he fails to trust his teammates Maryland will garner nothing more than bubble team status.  Williams had missed a pair of free throws in overtime, and maybe that’s why Vasquez didn’t go back to him again.  But that’s the exact time a leader needs to give his talented freshman another chance.  Williams isn’t going anywhere.   Maryland must learn to win with him executing at key times.  Vasquez didn’t play the role of senior leader, and the Terps suffered from it.

Anyway, here’s how I had them laid out as of Monday morning, but after watching Kentucky get a huge win on the road at Florida, the Cats may be poised for a return to the top once again.

1.       Texas

2.       Kentucky

3.       Kansas

4.       Villanova

5.       Syracuse

6.       Michigan State

7.       Purdue

8.       Georgetown

9.       Duke

10.   Tennessee

11.   Wisconsin

12.   West Virginia

13.   Pittsburgh

14.   Georgia Tech

15.   Gonzaga

16.   Baylor

17.   BYU

18.   North Carolina

19.   Kansas State

20.   UAB

21.   Temple

22.   Connecticut

23.   Miami

24.   Clemson

25.   Northern Iowa

Top 25 Vote for January, 4th

Wanted to make sure I posted my AP vote this week, you know, for consistency sake.  And by the time I’ve gotten around to it this week already a loss for North Carolina and Georgia Tech.  The Heels defeat to College of Charleston is mind boggling.  Very talented, but even younger will have North Carolina sliding farther from their current spot at number ten, and preseason position of number 4.

Duke is right now the class of the ACC as the Blue Devils typically are this time of the year.  But recent runs of post season futility make you wonder what’s going on in the “best basketball conference in the land”.   The Big 12 owns five spots in the poll including the top two and the Big East owns numbers six through nine.

The hard part now for the ACC, the conference has very few opportunities to improve in the rankings or RPI.  Beating up each other won’t help, and for teams like Maryland without a marquee non-con win, what can the Terps do to even make the tournament much less get back in the rankings.

I don’t have an answer, I mean that.  What can they do?  And don’t bring up “get rid of Gary”.  If the Terps won’t pay to have 2-8 Ralph Friedgen not coach their team, Gary Williams will decide when Gary Williams has had enough.

Anyway, here’s my first vote of 2010, could be the best of the decade.  We’ll have to see…

1. Kansas
2. Texas
3. Kentucky
4. Purdue
5. Duke
6. Villanova
7. W. Virginia
8. Syracuse
9. Georgetown
10. N. Carolina
11. Michigan St.
12. Wisconsin
13. Tennessee
14. Kansas St.
15. Connecticut
16. Florida St.
17. Florida
18. New Mexico
19. Baylor
20. Ole Miss
21. Texas Tech
22. Gonzaga
23. Georgia Tech
24. Washington
25. UAB

Deep in their shell, and the Top 25

Watching the Maryland Terrapins right now get blown out at home by William & Mary, and it’s just amazing how they can’t even compete tonight in regards to not just execution, but athleticism with the Tribe.  I’m not sure what has gone wrong since the Terps won a game in the NCAA Tournament last season, but with a better cast of characters Maryland looks completely woeful.

I need to point out that W&M is a quality team as the Tribe already owns a win at Wake Forest.  But Maryland has played four quality teams thus far (can’t put Indiana in that category) and lost to all of them.

So going forward and looking at how Maryland might make a return trip the the NCAA’s and there margin for error is gone.  They, at minimum need a winning conference record and a good showing at the ACC Tourney.  The Terps are without a single non-conference win for the resume.  When the selection committee compares Maryland to other at-large teams, the Terps will have nothing on which to hang their hat.

So on that jolly note, here’s my AP vote this week.  Not much action at the top, but several new appearances towards the bottom.  Happy New Year!

1. Kansas
2. Texas
3. Kentucky
4. Syracuse
5. Duke
6. Purdue
7. Villanova
8. W. Virginia
9. Georgetown
10. N. Carolina
11. Connecticut
12. Michigan St.
13. Wisconsin
14. Tennessee
15. Ohio State
16. Kansas St.
17. Texas Tech
18. Florida St.
19. Florida
20. Baylor
21. Northwestern
22. Temple
23. Ole Miss
24. Dayton
25. Seton Hall

Puzzling Playoff Picture

Several different national sports websites have different playoff standings for the AFC Wildcard scenario.  Puzzling to say the least, so I went to the source.  Yep, the Ravens are in with a win.

Here is your scenario heading into week 17 per the league office of the NFL.

2009 AFC PLAYOFF SCENARIOS
_______________________________________________________________________

December 27, 2009

For Week 17

AFC

CLINCHED:   Indianapolis – AFC South and homefield advantage throughout AFC playoffs

San Diego – AFC West and first-round bye

New England – AFC East

Cincinnati – AFC North

NEW YORK JETS

New York clinches a playoff spot with:

• NYJ win

BALTIMORE RAVENS

Baltimore clinches a playoff spot with:

• BAL win

TEAMS STILL IN CONTENTION FOR PLAYOFF SPOT

Denver, Miami, Pittsburgh, Houston and Jacksonville

December 20th AP Ballot

I neglected to post my ballot this week, but not because of possible ridicule from my college friends about why Syracuse isn’t higher.  Too many darn presents for which to shop, and too many sports casts to produce.  However, I did have the time to check out Loyola University’s stunner Tuesday night in Bloomington.

A fascinating game as the Greyhounds blew a 24 point lead to Indiana, fell behind with two minutes to go, and then saw Brett Harvey apply the Heimlich Maneuver with his 2nd four point play of the half that sealed the win for Loyola.  Arguably the best in in school history, and entirely entertaining as well.  Thank you cable tv for having the Big Ten Network at my disposal.

1. Kansas
2. Texas
3. Kentucky
4. Syracuse
5. Duke
6. Purdue
7. Villanova
8. W. Virginia
9. Michigan St.
10. Georgetown
11. N. Carolina
12. Connecticut
13. Wisconsin
14. Florida
15. Tennessee
16. Ohio State
17. Kansas State
18. Texas Tech
19. New Mexico
20. UNLV
21. Ole Miss
22. Butler
23. Florida St.
24. Baylor
25. Texas A&M

Top 25: Week 5

New movie  out called It’s Complicated. Not necessarily my genre (thank God I’m still too young for that), but the trailer made me think about basketball.

In the movie, Alec Baldwin falls in love with his ex-wife Meryl Streep.  Reminds me of me falling back in love with Kentucky.

Watching the Wildcats nearly lose to Miami, OH this year and struggle to defend the three against everyone the first three weeks had me drop the Cats fast from 1st to 8th.  But now, watching a very young team learn a fairly complicated system from John Calipari, and watching John Wall become an icon before my eyes, I have goose bumps.

Can’t put UK in front of KU just yet, but the Wildcats make a heart go pitter patter nationwide.

Another team to praise this week, the Georgetown Hoyas.  A pair of wins over ranked teams, including winning out west against Washington has me believing John Thompson III has all the wrongs from last season completely righted.  At least he does in December.

Now my list for December 13th:

1. Kansas
2. Kentucky
3. Texas
4. Syracuse
5. Purdue
6. West Virginia
7. Georgetown
8. Villanova
9. Duke
10. Tennessee
11. North Carolina
12. Florida
13. Michigan State
14. Texas Tech
15. Wisconsin
16. Cincinnati
17. Ohio State
18. Connecticut
19. Texas A&M
20. UNLV
21. Butler
22. Kansas State
23 Memphis
24. Baylor
25. Georgia Tech

Top 25 Vote for Week 4

Having not voted before, I may not have noticed this but wow, it is hard to get a grasp on who’s any good in November / December.  Five new teams in the ranking this week for me.  More and more preseason tournaments pitting good teams against each other for TV purposes helps the chaos, also that with the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee favoring those that play a tough schedule more and more, it is rare that a top program only plays one or two quality opponents early on.

What I firmly believe after a few weeks in, the Big XII is Marianas Trench deep.

Here’s a list of my vote,  and for comparison sake, the actualy A.P. Ranking: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/polls?poll=1

1)      Kansas

2)      Texas

3)      Villanova

4)      Purdue

5)      Kentucky

6)      Florida

7)      Syracuse

8)      West Virginia

9)      Duke

10)  Tennessee

11)  Ohio State

12)  North Carolina

13)  Michigan State

14)  Cincinnati

15)  Georgetown

16)  Wisconsin

17)  Texas Tech

18)  UNLV

19)  Texas A&M

20)  Butler

21)  Miami, FL

22)  Connecticut

23)  Washington

24)  Baylor

25)  Georgia Tech