What is the Best Conference in College Basketball?

ACC is the best. Period. The acc has won 83% of its games against other conferences, incluidng 271-8 against othe BCS conferences. The ACC has 9 wins and 6 losses over the Big East this year. They currently have the rated 1-2 in the country, three in Top 5 and 4 in the Top Ten.

ACC #1

Big East #2

Big Ten #3

That is my opinion.

Teams are doing more tournament hopping at Christmas than ever before. Why? It seems that a team will move to a Christmas tourney because they play one or none of the teams to get more new games on their schedule. Other teams get out and it creeps to two or four. Time to move on to another.

Case in point. Next year Midwest Central will join the field at the Macomb tourney. There they will see only Illini Central and Farmington that is currently on their schedule. they left Williamsville where when they got there, it only had 1 team and now it has five. Macomb will be a good one for the Raiders.

Something is burning in Henderson County, and it’s the play of the Biggsville West Central girl’s basketball team. The newly consolidated school that consists of the former Biggsville Union and Stronghurst Southern high schools has been burning up basketball courts in western Illinois.

Headed up by former Alwood coach Brad Jackson, the Heat have been putting up numbers unseen in girl’s basketball circles. West Central has scored at least 90 points in four contests this season, including a win over Princeville (99-60) in which they came just a free throw shy of the century mark.

Currently carrying a 14-3 record, the Heat have won both tournaments they have played in. A 4-0 record at the Alwood Thanksgiving Tournament gave them that title, with three victories over Olympic Conference schools (Monmouth-Roseville, Rockridge, & Knoxville). The Heat took their show to Abingdon for the Knoxville/Abingdon Pre-Holiday Tournament and swept through some solid competition. An impressive 79-64 score was the final in the tournament championship over Brimfield.

The three losses are to quite impressive talent. Their first loss of the season came at the heels of a very solid 3A Quincy Notre Dame (90-69), with the Heat’s other losses back-to-back by West Hancock (70-62) and Central/Southeastern (64-55).

The Lincoln Trail Conference is in for some tough competition when Biggsville West Central appears on the schedule. Holding a 5-0 record in LTC play through January 5th, the Heat have racked up an impressive 90 points per game in conference action, with wins over Princeville, Wethersfield, Cambridge, Alwood, and Westmer. In those matchups, West Central has outscored their conference cohorts by an average of almost 45 points per win.

In the Heat’s 14 wins this season, they have outscored their opponents by nearly 32 points per game. This week the Heat host Stark County in LTC play. The Lincoln Trail Conference Tournament will be played starting next week. West Central’s post season route will take them through the Avon or Peoria Heights Regional, ROWVA Sectional, and the potential to play at Illinois College in the 1A Jacksonville Supersectional.

Apologies for a late start to the new year! Hopefully everyone is still rolling along on their New Year’s Resolution….or better yet if you didn’t resolute anything….is resolute even a word? Anyways…

The holiday tourney’s are all wrapped up and we begin to see a clearer picture of the contenders and pretenders in the high school basketball ranks. In the coming days, I will dissect each supersectional complex and project my midway favorites.

The lack of substance lately is due to the playing catch up after the holidays. Many things around the radio station (my full time work) get shelved until January due to the bulk of games I broadcast. I am slowly catching up on getting games burned to CD and digging up more cassette tapes…yes cassette tapes! We’re still behind the curve in one of our studios, that happens to broadcast games.

In the coming days, as I said earlier, I will offer up my mid-season picks in both boy’s and girl’s basketball, and also a feature on the  Heat girl’s basketball team. The Heat have been TORCHING their opponents this season.

Enjoy the second half of the season beginning tonight.

The Big Ten this year has lost to these schools :

Tennessee St. Miami (OH) Xavier Bradley Utah State
Louisiana-Monroe Drake Butler (twice) Western Kentucky
Harvard Central Michigan Brown
Rider Central Florida St. Joseph’s WoffordMy last Illini rant said INEXCUSABLE.

This time it is PATHETIC.

Another loss to a lowly. Bruce Weber has lost his magic… his whatever to make this team even respectable.

AT HOME. The ASSEMBLY HALL. No homecourt advantage their. It still remains a tomb.

I reiterate…. Frazier is not a D1 Big Ten caliber player. He gets beat off the dribble too much.

TWO things

1. It is time to find a new coach

2. Glad I didn’t pay to get the Big Ten Network!

Well the three days are over. It can seem long at times, but overall the tournament passes by quickly. I was able to afford much more rest during this year’s tournament. Last year, I broadcasted 14 games from Western Hall (two from the consolation bracket at MHS). This year I called a measley 10 games during the week. Voice was still strong enough to belt out some karaoke following the tournament!

One thing I did miss for the second straight year were the wonderful Chicken Lips from Chicks on the Square. They are a large cut of chicken breaded and drenched in a mild sauce (sauce has a unique taste). If ever in Macomb, I suggest trying one or more. One plate of Lips are sent over each night, and they must sneak them in some hidden back door, because I have yet to see them (and I spent a LOT of time in the hospitality room!).

Speaking of the hospitality room, big kudos once again to Stan Prentice, the Athletic Director at B-PC High School. Stan coordinates the hospitality room, and it gets an A+ in my book. The room is also a great place to watch a game or two with a great balcony view over Western Hall.

As far as tournament play goes, a few surprises. I was very impressed with Lewistown and told many that they should have been a top four seed before the tournament started, I’m just surprised they survived a four overtime game and battled hard in the championship. You could really tell the Indians legs were tiring down the stretch of the title tilt. I’ll offer a little on each team…

Macomb: Very well could have three-peated had Matt Buren been healthy. The Bombers desperately need a quick healthy return.

Pleasant Plains: A couple close losses in this tournament, including a four overtime thriller in day two. This is a VERY strong club and will make lots of noise in the postseason. Don’t let that 6th place finish fool you.

Monmouth-Roseville: Tournament Champions! Titans head coach Chuck Grant was so enthused after the game, he did the WORM at half court!!! Thrilling finish and congratulations to the Titans and tournament MVP Ben Gillen.

Kewanee: This is a talented club, and didn’t get too many calls to go their way in their second round loss to Macomb. You could really tell they were getting frustrated, and those frustrations could very well have cost them that game against Macomb.

Warsaw/Nauvoo-Colusa. What can you say about a team this talented and there are only 13 kids in the ENTIRE system. That’s right…13 from 9-12 combining the two schools. WOW! Could the Wildcats make a cinderella run, ala the late 90′s Nauvoo-Colusa Vikings?

All Tournament Team:
My apologies for a long winded tournament wrap up, but want to finish with the All-Tournament team. It seems every year, there is talk that he should have been on, he shouldn’t, etc. I will say these votes must be turned in by halftime of the title game. Some voters turn them in as they leave which may be earlier than that. I turned my ballot in just before the championship game, and had I kept the ballot until halftime, there may have been a change or two. Here is my ballot for the All-Tournament team and the reason I selected them…

Tourney MVP: Ben Gillen (an obvious choice even BEFORE the trophy! Gillen hands down leads this Titans team, and even if Lewistown had won, it wouldn’t have been fair to pick one Indian as MVP, as there were about three that could have earned it).
Brian Thompson (Monmouth-Roseville). When teams pressured Gillen, Thompson stepped up and led with great defense, and is another scoring option for M-R.
Clayton Hatfill (Lewistown). Senior leader, and he’s been leading since he was a 9th grader. One of the top stat leaders of the tournament.
Brian Flaharty (Lewistown). Had a great tournament, especially in the four overtime game, and against Macomb. I left off Cory Bishop, and had I waited until halftime to turn in my ballot, Bishop probably would have made it.
Luke Bavery (Warsaw/Nauvoo-Colusa). How I choose my team, is picking about 15-20 guys from the program that I think are deserving. From there I look at stats. Bavery and Ben Kearse were two choices for W/N-C, and after looking at stats and watching their final game, I thought Bavery was a better choice.
Jacob Schmudlach (Illini West). Here’s a kid that will probably be on the All-Tourney team in 2008 AND 2009. Just a sophomore, he’s already a seasoned varsity player.
Davis Hendrickson (Macomb). I didn’t feel it was right to put Matt Buren on the team, as he was injured midway throught the Bombers second game. Hendrickson may not have had the stats, but he does all the little things on the floor that lead this team.
David Bergschneider (Pleasant Plains). I believe he was second in scoring in the tournament. A leader for the Cardinals, and a very explosive player.
Evan Baietto (Pleasant Plains). A player that can work it inside, but is a deadly shot from outside the three-point line. This club is better than their sixth place finish.
Nick Andersen (Abingdon). I came away very impressed with Jeremy Anderson’s team, and especially Andersen. I knew coming in this year Abingdon would compete with Lewistown for a Prairieland title, but they could very well make some damage in the postseason. Andersen is an extremely deadly shot from outside and can light up the scoreboard.

And finally…here’s how the All-Tournament team wrapped up…
MVP: Gillen. Team: Thompson, Ben Kearse, Matt Buren, Hatfill, Flaharty, Cory Bishop, Schmudlach, Andersen, Baietto, Bergshneider. There was a tie for the last spot, placing 11 on the team.

Have a Safe & Happy New Year!!!

The Blues were shutout at home for the second time in a row. Now that is worrisome for the Blues. If you can’t win and score at home then problems persist. I feel a crumble coming to another St Louis team

Sharks Bite Blues

The Blues, who were blanked at home for the second straight game, have lost six of seven at the Scottrade Center. Blues goalie Manny Legace stopped 17 shots.

“You can give (Nabokov) credit for a lot of it, but we’ve got to start scoring goals,” the Blues’ Brad Boyes said. “We had chances. You’ve got to bear down. This is the NHL here. We’ve got to start scoring.”

It appeared that the Blues would get at least a point, as the game was scoreless with less than 4 minutes left in regulation. But Michalek took advantage of a clearing pass that bounced off a skate behind the net and went straight to the slot. He beat Legace with a one-timer from the between the circles with 3:55 left.

Joe Thornton got an assist for his team-leading 42nd point.

The teams combined for 28 shots in the first two periods. St. Louis had a two-man advantage for 1:33 late in the second period. But a wide-open Martin Rucinsky fanned on a centering pass from just outside the crease.

Day one at the Macomb-Western Holiday Tournament is in the books. Many blowouts during the first round this season. Here are some notes from Western Hall…

First Session
Abingdon over Hamilton. Low scoring game, despite 18 & 16 points from Nick Andersen and Ryan Thompson, respectively. I expected Hamilton to play Abingdon well, this Cardinal team is much better than the past few years. They could be a big threat in the consolation bracket.

Warsaw/Nauvoo-Colusa over Knoxville. Not even close! Reno Pinkston has the real deal in this team, and could be the team to beat in this tournament. Over the course of the day, I heard many say the Wildcats would have been better off practicing against each other.

Session Two
My 2007 tournament broadcast debut. Unlike the past few years, I have a backup crew at Western Hall. This alleviates much pressure for myself. Monmouth-Roseville dispatched a young Illini Central team. The Cougars are led by a pair of sophomores (Danny Harman & Alex Bradshaw), who saw their first varsity experience on the very same floor a year ago as freshmen. Illini Central could bite some teams this year as they mature at the varsity level. In talking to Coach Chuck Grant, he says his team needs to find some other scoring options besides Ben Gillen (he’s running the point). M-R did so, with Brian Thompson stepping up with 20 points.

Pittsfield over Barry Western. The Saukees took a 19-4 lead after one quarter, but allowed the newly consolidated Western back in, and Pittsfield took this one 43-37. If you would have asked me three weeks ago, I would have said the Saukees would be a top contender for the tournament championship, but after a lopsided loss a couple weeks back to Griggsville-Perry, and an eight-point loss to Carrollton just before the tournament. If I were a betting man, I would have Pittsfield battling it out in the 5th place bracket.

Kewanee over Farmington. The easiest coach to find is sitting on the Boilers bench. The KHS coach stands 7’1″, and I would venture to say he’ll be the tallest man walking Western Hall this week. Tony Ramos went to the University of Iowa on a scholarship from Dr. Tom Davis. That lasted a year as Steve Alford stepped in. Unfortunately, Ramos was gone, and Alford was in. Farmington battled back, but the Boilers and their big man Peter Tanzillo prevailed. Tanzillo scored 16 points, despite playing his first game back from injury. Had a chance to talk to my old buddy Gary Peterson from WKEI in town with the Boilermakers.

Session Three
Macomb over Brown County. The Bombers played an all-around great ball game. Matt Buren had 22 points, 11 rebounds, and electrified the orange clad crowd with a breakaway dunk in the first quarter. Davis Hendrickson was fiesty on both ends of the floor, putting up 15 points, and Ben Pratt, deadly from anywhere on the floor, finished a hot night of shooting with 18 points. Nathan Kunkel and Mark Tracy impressed me with the Hornets. Tracy finished with 21 points.

Lewistown over Illini West. To be honest with you, I expected this to be the best game of the first round. It was just another blow out, with the Indians winning easily. I will say this…the Chargers will be contending for a 2008, 2009, and 2010 Western Holiday Tournament, with a bulk of their talent being freshmen and sophomores.

Pleasant Plains over B-PC/A. Just as advertised, the Cardinals delivered. David Bergschneider made the crowd get excited after a breakaway one hand slam in the first half. The Cardinals are another top team, and face fellow unbeaten Lewistown in the second round.

Random Notes:
Former Wisconsin Badger, and now head coach at Monmouth College Mark Vershaw was in attendance all day long. Flash Flanagan was also in the house. Funniest comment overheard, during the Macomb/Brown County game. Dane Jorgensen (#30) looked to pick up his third foul, but was called on Matt Buren (#32), his second. Bomber coach Danny Watson asked one of the officials if that was right, with the official responding, “Well now they’re even….they both have two (fouls)”.

Just wanted to throw my two cents on what players to watch for over the next three days at Western Hall for the Macomb-Western Holiday Tournament. Here are players to watch for from each team in the field…

Abingdon (Ryan Thompson & Nick Andersen)
Brown County (Quinton Bradbury & Caleb Taylor)
B-PC/A (Skylar Van Tine & Logan Lovejoy)
Farmington (Israel Snyder & Tad Chatten)
Hamilton (Caleb Gray & Dylan Morris)
Illini Central (???) (If memory serves correctly…Alex Bradshaw & Landon Frye)
Illini West (Jacob Schmudlach & Cody Carson)
Kewanee (Peter Tanzillo & Zach Saey)
Knoxville (Chris Schmidt & T.J. Cramer)
Lewistown (Clayton Hatfill & Adam Valencia)
Macomb (Matt Buren & Davis Hendrickson)
Monmouth-Roseville (Ben Gillen & Brian Thompson)
Pittsfield (Jake McNulty & Garrett Howland)
Pleasant Plains (David Bergschneider & Evan Baietto)
Warsaw/Nauvoo-Colusa (Ben Kearse & Luke Bavery)
Barry Western (Tyler Harris & ???)