No introduction is necessary…
12:01AM – For the third consecutive year we are blogging LIVE for the entire (I’m using this term lightly) 24-hour ESPN College Tip-Off Marathon. For the next 24 hours I will consume junk food, tweet, watch basketball, and likely be annoyed to high hell by my extremely socially awkward roommate…and I’m ready to share the experience with anyone willing to read about it.
12:14AM – The second half of BYU at Stanford just started. The story of this game has been the story that will dominate college basketball talk likely for the first and final months of this season. We’re talking about fouls, and I mean LOTS of fouls. Be ready to see a season full of games that turn into glorified free throw shooting contests, and quite possibly at least five NCAA tournament games that get decided at the free throw line or without star player because he’s riding the bench after fouling out.
Tyler Haws dropped 31 points
12:17AM – In other news unrelated to fouling, BYU looked really good in the first half. Not “better than Gonzaga” good, but definitely good enough to make Gonzaga at BYU a game worth watching in the WCC. They’re led by Tyler Haws, a highly skilled off guard who can score from all over the court.
12:38AM – First supportive text message comes from one of my best friends, the legendary character known simply as “Big Money Bunz” while I was in college. He was my roommate for two years while I lived in New York City, and was usually certain to make a guest appearance with food and beer during the later hours of the marathon. I’ve always found it to be pretty cool that people are so excited about me doing the diary. It really does fuel me more than the energy drinks that I pound throughout the course of the 24 hours.
12:40AM – Banks (another former roommate), a prominent character in last year’s diary, also lent his support before the marathon started. I will miss his input on the “kits” of each team. He refuses to call them uniforms because he’s Canadian, a soccer player, and a generally contrary person (he’s also a black Republican).
12:50AM – Dick Weiss (Hall of Fame college hoops journalist) just asked, “How good is BYU?” on Twitter. The answer at this point…damn good. I don’t like their chances of a deep run in the tournament, though. Run and gun teams need more talent and athleticism than what BYU has to be able to make a run in March. Hard to keep up that pace for two games in three days against quality competition AND play at a high level.
12:54AM – Let it be known that the first energy drink was cracked at this moment. For the record, the official energy drink of this year’s diary is something called Nos. It promises to be a high performance energy drink. We’ll see what happens.
1:05AM – BYU justed cracked 100 points, and this game is not even close to over. I am now openly rooting for them to drop 120 for no reason other than it would be a college team dropping 120…which is freaking hilarious.
1:12AM – One of the best aspects of this marathon is getting to listen to the numerous unusual pairings on commentary. Dave Pasch and former Virginia Tech head coach Seth Greenberg are on the call for this one, and Greenberg is incredibly knowledgeable and entertaining on color commentary. I hope ESPN plans to give him more run in the color spot instead of his usual role behind the studio desk.
1:15AM – I also credit Greenberg for his adamant defense of the NCAA’s rule changes on foul calls. This could possibly ruin the entire college basketball season, but Greenberg is being a good soldier with his comments about the rule changes. Pasch continues to ask him if the ridiculous score is a byproduct of the fouling, but Greenberg contends that BYU has dictated the tempo of the game to the point that both teams are going to score a gazillion points. You’re lucky I like you, Seth.
1:19AM – Final Score from Palo Alto: BYU 112, Stanford 103! What the entire hell.
1:22AM – Kudos to ESPN for getting a ranked team to sign up for a midnight local tip. Wichita State is already in progress against Western Kentucky. Plenty of scouts have their eye on CleAnthony Early, the break out performer from last year’s Final Four team, but scouts have also started to buzz about relatively unknown guard Ron Baker. The Shockers resident sharp-shooter could play some point guard this year, which is intriguing because of his solid 6’5 NBA-ready frame.
1:28AM – What’s the over/under for the amount of times that we are informed that Wichita’s Nick Wiggins is the older brother of Kansas’ Andrew Wiggins. Would it be easier to put “Andrew Wiggins is my little brother” on the back of his jersey? Also, at what point did Andrew starting kicking big brother’s ass in one on one? These are the questions we should get answers to.
EPIC! Courtesy of Brett Edgerton (@EditorEdge)
1:41AM – Western Kentucky has no intention of lying down tonight. They’re leading Wichita 24-21 late in the first half and look capable of keeping this one close for the duration. One of the hardest things about staying awake through the midnight hours of the marathon in past years was the fact that there were hardly any close games. This game looks to buck that trend.
1:44AM – When you’re watching college basketball, you get to see anomalies like commercials for TEN (The Erotic Network) leading you back into the telecast. Their ads are actually tasteful, funny, and well produced…everything that porn is not.
1:45AM – ESPN just put a camera on two grandmothers who probably had a combined aged of 196…they’re sharing a Rock Star energy drinks. This marathon is beautiful.
1:56AM – Maybe these new foul rules won’t ruin college hoops. Wichita State and Western Kentucky just went to the half with the Shockers leading 30-28. Western Kentucky somehow went past the under four-minute media timeout before even shooting a free throw.
2:16AM – Second half underway from Wichita, Kansas. Here’s to hoping that the Hilltoppers can keep this close so I don’t have to make the commitment to energy drink number two earlier than necessary.
2:21AM – Western Kentucky has responded to my petition for a close game with a resounding “F you” by coming out for the second half looking completely incompetent. The Shockers have raced out to score the first nine points of the half, and now lead by 11. Toppers just called a much needed timeout. Welp, I might get some cleaning done if this one gets out of hand. Advice from an expert marathon watcher — if the game isn’t close, stay mobile.
2:38AM – More TV coverage of the two senior citizens sharing the rock star. Hopefully that gets turned into a GIF somewhat immediately. I wouldn’t be shocked if they end up getting about 17 minutes of fame out of this deal. There’s also the chance that they may not live for 17 more minutes, since I would assume that octogenarians drinking Rock Star could be fatal.
2:39AM – Dave Flemming, the color commentator for this game, just declared that he believes Wichita State is a top five team. Every year, there’s always one color guy who decides that he’s going to show up for the late night game drunk and ma
WuShock won’t miss a beat with Van Vleet at PG
ke outrageous statements such as this one. Can the Shockers go to the Final Four again? You bet. Are they a top five team? Hell no.
2:52AM – Western Kentucky is trying to hang tough but the Shockers are every bit of a dark horse Final Four contender. They lead by 15 at the moment, and don’t look to be letting up.
3:08AM – Final Score from Wichita: Wichita State 66, Western Kentucky 49! With everyone excited to see Wichita’s CleAnthony Early and the emerging Ron Baker, it was new starting point guard Fred Van Vleet who continued where he left off in the NCAAs last year and left as the team’s most impressive player. The fleet-footed Van Vleet directed tempo and managed the game masterfully, allowing the Shockers to live up to their motto and PLAY ANGRY through out.
3:09AM – Carter Blackburn and Bob Valvano on the call for Akron and St. Mary’s from Moraga, California. Second consecutive game to feature two NCAA tournament teams, an impressive feat for ESPN to accomplish, especially in the 1AM and 3AM time slots.
3:20AM – Our first of many “Kit Updates” sponsored by Samuel Banks and the Order of Canada (it’s something like the Congressional Medal of Honor, but it’s much easier to get) — Akron’s uniforms look awful. They resemble practice uniforms, and it also seems that the designer’s primary goal was to make it very obvious that the word “Zips” starts with a “z” (something that most people are aware of). By the way, if you haven’t noticed, being a Canadian and a supporter of the GOP caused Banks his fair share of ridicule in our household. This is a trend that will live on in this and future editions of the diary.
3:33AM – No matter who St. Mary’s loses from year to year, they always seem to look the same. There’s an obvious talent drop off from the Matt Dellavedova and Micky McConnell back court that they they had two years ago, but the team still operates with the same interchangeable parts.
3:44AM – Commercial number two for The Erotic Network! The Erotic Network is second to the Wichita State grandmas in the Marathon MVP race right now. Tyler Haws is running third, and Van Vleet is fourth.
3:46AM – Bob Valvano commenting on Akron’s “Tree” Treadwell and his footwear choice of pink “foamposite” sneakers with pink and yellow striped socks — “It looks like Walt Disney threw up on his feet.” Valvano just pulled ahead of Van Vleet in the MVP race.
4:00AM – Holding up pretty well at halftime of Akron/SMC. The Gaels lead 38-31 after scoring at the buzzer. Going to try a bit of reverse psychology and say that I think the Gaels will likely pull ahead in the second half.
4:13AM – Back to basketball, but also in the midst of an interesting conversation on Twitter with @RushTheCourt (check out their site). RTC is contending that the Gaels have their weakest team in the past eight years. This might be true, but I think there’s a lot of shock value in watching the Gaels play without Matt Dellavedova, who was such a constant for the program over the past four years.
4:17AM – St. Mary’s usually packs their building for these marathon games, but the gym is looking pretty empty tonight. That hasn’t stopped those present from being raucous, loud, and rowdy. Credit to those in the stands in Moraga getting the job done well after 1AM local time.
4:26AM – Time to break out this year’s official snack of the marathon — Pawleys Island Palmetto Cheese with Jalapenos. Real Cheese, Real Southern, and Really Good! As a general rule of thumb, any food product purchased south of the Mason-Dixon with the depiction of an elderly black woman on the label will taste amazing. Where can you find various foods with depictions of an elderly black woman on the label? Piggly Wiggly. I hate living in Georgia. I promise I’m typing this stuff with a straight face, because I’m actually dead serious.
4:40AM – So much for reverse pyschology. Gaels are on an 11-0 run and now lead Akron by 14. Gaels look ready to absorb the loss of Matt Dellavedova, but Akron looks like they could really backslide after the losses of Alex Abreu and Zeke Marshall.
4:49AM – Gotta love Bob Valvano doing things like pulling up Urban Dictionary during the telecast to decipher Aussie slang from Matt Dellavedova’s Twitter account. One of those quality color guys you don’t see enough of during the season.
4:55AM – “Basketball is hard to play with the veins popping out of your neck…” Valvano still giving an MVP level performance at the table, despite this game reaching full fledged blowout status.
4:59AM – As this game reaches the final five minutes (and I start to stop caring about it), allow me to lob a few points about these two teams. St. Mary’s doesn’t have as much talent as usual, but they do look to be MORE athletic than usual on the wings and with Stephen Holt taking over as the point guard. USC transfer Garrett Jackson and senior James Walker III give the Gaels some speed and quickness that they normally don’t feature. Akron hasn’t played particularly well as a team, but they have two very talented big men that will make them tough to beat in the MAC. Tree Treadwell and freshman big man Isaiah Johnson (all 6’10, 285lbs of him) both look to be impressive inside players with good scoring touch, as well as surprising balance and athleticism.
Stephen Holt leads St. Mary’s
5:14AM – Final Score from Moraga: St. Mary’s 74, Akron 58! The West Coast Conference has been one of the stories of this young season. WCC teams have yet to lose a game up to this point (15-0), and finish the marathon with a perfect 3-0 record (beating the likes of Stanford, Colorado State, and Akron in the process). St. Mary’s also is a perfect 5-0 in their marathon appearances.
5:25AM – My attention span just joined Hawaii and New Mexico State already in progress. First observation — Sim Bhullar, New Mexico State’s gargantuan 7’5 center, who tips the scales at 360lbs. Bhullar’s younger brother, Tanveer, is also on the roster. Little brother is only 7’3 and 330lbs. by comparison (he’s expected to redshirt). The Bhullar brothers are two of four Aggies that hail from Toronto, an interesting pipeline for a school located in a place called Las Cruces. I wouldn’t think of that town being an attractive destination for Canadians. Definitely no hockey in Las Cruces.
5:38AM – #RandomFactAlert Hawaii features players from eight different countries.
5:44AM – It’s looking like nap time for me. I have to be at work at 9am, and this game looks to be a safe bet to be a run away. Another tip from a marathon veteran — identify blowouts early and try to sleep through them. On that note, I bid you a very temporary adieu. Hopefully, I’ll be up in time to catch a bit of DUNK CITY (aka Florida Gulf Coast) flying all over Hartford in the 7am tip.
5:50AM – :::SNORING:::
8:45AM – Just woke up. I had alarms set for 7AM, 7:15, 7:30, 7:45, 8:00, 8:30, and 8:45AM. It was now or never, and my body came through. Another clutch performance from a seasoned marathon watching veteran. Just checked, the New Mexico State at Hawaii result. Final Score from Honolulu: New Mexico State 95, Hawaii 88! However, screw the final score. The story from this game is the 26 points scored by Garrett Nevels, a junior guard from Los Angeles, California. Is Nevels going to average 20+ points per game and be a player of the year candidate in the Big West? After seeing that he was held to a measly six points against Western Michigan, I’d say probably not. So why is he the story, you ask? Well, the last time Garrett Nevels was spotted in a Division I athletic facility, he was at St. John’s University (my alma mater), torching unsuspecting ball players in our intramural league. After disappearing from the planet (aka going to junior college), he has apparently reemerged out west as a snipe and slash two-guard for a Hawaii team that is always fun to watch under former USC assistant coach Gibb Arnold.
8:50AM – Florida Gulf Coast is putting the finishing touches on Hartford. This was brilliant napping on my part. Slept through a game and a half of suspense deprived basketball, but woke up feeling completely rejuvenated. This nap will pay dividends during the home stretch of games that includes Cincy and NC State, as well as the Legends Classic. In other news, I am supposed to be at work at 9AM, but I am currently standing in my bedroom three-quarters naked.
9:15AM – Arrived at work fifteen minutes late, which is bad, but not a fireable offense. I immediately pulled up the ESPN Scoreboard on my desktop (because that’s what every college basketball fan in the world did when they got to their desk this morning). Final Score from Fort Myers: FGCU 65, Hartford 51!
11:26AM – Just got a text message from my boy Big Game James (known for his clutch exploits on and off the court), one of the guys who played intramural ball with Garrett. He wasn’t too shocked by the news. “He was killing at his JuCo and he got much better, so I’m not surprised.” He immediately came to his senses with his next text. “Well…a little surprised. I didn’t think he had 26 in him…maybe 18 max.”
Garrett Nevels
11:45AM – A quick aside from the marathon: The man who coached that intramural team was the aforementioned legend Big Money Bunz. I sent him a text to find out what he thought about Garrett’s big game. “I always knew he had the talent, IQ, athleticism, and work ethic. All he needed was an opportunity, and he finally got it.” Looking back on it, Bunz had it all correct. These are the moments that create the Big Money Bunz legend. Our intramural leagues were highly competitive at St. John’s (it led to the school establishing a club team that competes on the regional and national level). The intensity made “recruiting” and “stealing” players the culture around the gym. Bunz had mastered the politics of the building. We always knew Bunz could sell a ceiling fan to a tornado, but after this morning, I guess we can conclude that Garrett was his best recruit. Bunz had this uncanny ability to recruit the best players in the gym, and then downplay their talents so other players and coaches didn’t bother to question the loyalty of his charges. After he stacked his roster, he finessed the emotions of each individual (even Garrett) like a cross between Barry White, Rick Ross, and Phil Jackson. We probably didn’t appreciate it at the time, but the guy was a mastermind. Basketball is high drama when there’s nothing left to play for but pride and the love of the game, when the only contract you have is a man’s word. There are no dollar signs, just the value that each man places on his own ego. The expert negotiators were those that could add to or diminish someone’s value with just a few words. Seems kind of heavy for an intramural league, but that’s how we played, and for a short while Garrett was one of us — even though he was destined for bigger things. Oddly enough, only one of us really knew that the kid was too good for an intramural league.
12:45PM – Welp, now that my boss has left for the day, it’s time to introduce the Lunch Break Scoreboard Update sponsored by Step Up Savannah (the non-profit organization that I work for). Final Score from Philly: LaSalle 73, Quinnipiac 67! I missed this entire game and could really care less. LaSalle took care of a scrappy team that they should have beat. Nothing to see here. However, this UMass/LSU game that is nearing it’s conclusion is looking really interesting.
2:51PM – Thinking about trying to sneak out of work early, because Virginia Tech and West Virginia are deadlocked at 61 with over eight minutes to play. I could easily make it home before the under four minute media timeout. I’m just saying. Meanwhile that LSU/UMass game went final awhile ago. Final Score from Amherst: UMass 92, LSU 90! Chaz Williams from UMass is one of the best guards in the country that no one knows about.
2:54PM – OK, I’m booking it. My boss has never watched a basketball game in her life. Even if she reads this diary, there’s no way she sticks with it until damn near 3pm. This is just way too much information she doesn’t care about.
3:14PM – Back in time to catch the final moments of West Virginia and V-Tech. I had to shake two clients in the main office on the way out, which meant that I didn’t end up leaving until 3PM anyway. Tech leading 80-77 at the moment.
3:16PM – A three-point play from Adam Smith just put the Hokies up for with 31 seconds left, Smith is one of the candidates to step up his scoring production in the absence of Erick Green, a 20+ point scorer from last year.
3:20PM – Mounties nailed a three and then put Smith on the line. One point game with 16 ticks left.
3:21PM – Two made free throws and a bad three-point shot later, and it looks like Tech is going to hold on to knock off a much improved West Virginia team. Big win for Tech because they dropped their opener.
3:23PM – Final Score from Blacksburg: Virginia Tech 87, West Virginia 82! Not the best ending, but a close hard fought game that featured a 17-point comeback from the Hokies on their home floor.
3:24PM – Jimmy Dykes and Fran Fraschilla on the call from Waco for Baylor and South Carolina. The Bears are ranked No. 23, but have the talent of a top ten program. South Carolina should just be trying not to get blown out, something they look to be on their way to doing since they are currently leading 21-20.
Frank Martin is ANGRY
3:30PM – Frank Martin is absolutely terrifying. I feel like he took the job at South Carolina just because he would have significantly more opportunities to yell at people.
3:59PM – Dykes and Fran just ended a long dialogue about the new rule changes, and they offered some of the best insight I’ve heard on the matter. I still don’t agree with any of the crackdowns, but I agree with the fact that coaches must begin to coach shot blocking and help defense. It was even mentioned that John Calipari had implemented something called the “block the shot or get out the way” drill. I fear that this means that the NCAA tournament could lack some of the Cinderella magic we have seen in recent years. For most mid-major teams, athletes on the inside are at a premium. Which means that if given the option of blocking a shot or getting out the way…a lot of teams are going to be getting out of the way against the Kansas’ and Kentucky’s of the world this year. That may take a lot of the madness out of March.
4:02PM – South Carolina leading Baylor 39-38 at the half, relying on raw toughness and physicality. This looks like the Baylor team that ended up in the NIT last year. For years, Baylor has lost games due to a lack of effort and work ethic. Coach Scott Drew isn’t the problem, but the type of talent he’s bringing in may need to change. Baylor’s stars never seem to improve. Perry Jones III started the trend, Quincy Miller picked up where PJ3 left off, and now Isaiah Austin is carrying the school’s torch of stunted development.
4:19PM – Baylor back on the floor against South Carolina. I’m hoping that the Bears have another level to show in the second half. I’m actually hoping for a blowout in this one. I just want to see Baylor show a glimpse of their potential.
4:33PM – Ladies and gentleman, let’s welcome my socially awkward roommate to the diary. An offbeat slow clap would be appreciated. Him: How was your day? Me: Good. Him: Just good? Not Great? Me: Yea (closes and locks bedroom door). For the record, don’t ask me how my day went unless you’re legitimately concerned or if we’re going to have sex later. Otherwise, walk in the house and give me a head nod if you see me. Throw in a dap if you like, and keep it moving. We’re grown men, and there’s a damn college basketball marathon on. Don’t ask me how my day went like we’re in a committed relationship.
4:39PM – OK, that was not a foul. That was an awful call. I have too much respect for you Fran Fraschilla. Don’t try to defend that call.
4:40PM – Brady Heslip is a rifleman. He’s in the Jimmer, Redick, and McDermott category as far as shooters go (yes, McDermott is that damn good).
4:48PM – The talent difference between Baylor and the Cocks is ridiculously apparent. The Bears should be up 20. Instead, South Carolina is only down four. Frank Martin’s team isn’t completely void of talent. Their most talented player is Oak Hill Academy product Sindarius Thornwell. The freshman has a game-changing first step, while showing excellent aggression and decision-making. Most importantly, since an NBA scout will never wander to South Carolina’s campus, Martin will have him for four years.
4:50PM – “Block the shot or get out of the way” may become the unintentional mantra of this college basketball season.
5:03PM – I just don’t agree with these foul calls. I can’t stomach it. Fran and Jimmy are trying their best to talk up the rule changes, but this is just awful to watch. Baylor still in a dog fight by the way. No separation at all.
5:12PM – South Carolina’s leading scorer, Ty Johnson, just smoked a left-handed layup on a run out. The game is tied at 64 with under three minutes to play.
5:13PM – On the other end, Isaiah Austin smokes a pair of free throws to send us spiraling into the “no one wants to win” zone.
5:22PM – Baylor is 22 of 43 from the free throw line. For this reason, South Carolina has the ball down two, with a chance to tie the game with 16 ticks on the clock.
5:24PM – Of course, we get a foul call with about 0.01 seconds left on the clock. The refs are now reviewing whether or not the foul was committed with any time on the clock. Jimmy Dykes is claiming that we were on triple zeros at the time of the foul. The refs should be looking for indisputable evidence to reverse the call, which they couldn’t possibly find. Gamecocks should be shooting foul shots.
5:29PM – GAME OVER. The call was reversed. Final Score from Waco: Baylor 66, South Carolina 64! That game really left me in a bad place emotionally. I watched two solid hours of ticky-tack fouls being called on both ends, and then on the final possession of the game, all three referees swallowed their whistles and completely forgot about the rules until finally calling
5:30PM – Immediate shift to John Saunders and Sean Farnum in Cincinnati for Cincy and North Carolina State.
5:57PM – NC State and Cincinnati has been a well-played boring basketball game (if that makes sense). They’re at the half tied at 35. NC State is replacing a lot, but they look to have enough talent to be a bubble team if the team gets on the same page early on. That means a potential road win against the Bearcats could have mileage in March.
6:16PM – Pack and Cats underway in the second-half, and it looks like someone in the locker room reminded Cincinnati how good they were. More importantly for me, the first 54 seconds of the second half actually woke me up a little bit, especially the two-hand jam from Justin Jackson that you will probably see a time or two later tonight. The Bearcats are way too fast and athletic to get bogged down in the style of play that the Wolfpack are trying to play.
6:44PM – These two teams are playing a good game of basketball. Somehow they are managing to play something that resembles defense. Offensive players are making impressive moves to score baskets (NCST’s TJ Warren and Cincy’s Titus Robles have two particularly pretty plays), and both coaches seem to have a clear impact on their teams (they picked two perfect coaches to mic up). It’s been legitimately fun to watch, even though it’s putting me to sleep.
Beejay Anya has very long arms
6:48PM – Beejay Anya just got a tip in for NC State, this is important because apparently he has the longest wingspan in the history of college basketball (since such things were measured). We’re not talking about a long and lanky type though. Anya looks like he has two limbs of an oak tree attached to his torso. He boasts a 7’9 wingspan and a 9’3 reach.
6:56PM – I haven’t seen a team that has challenged shots without fouling better than Cincinnati has. The Bearcats look to be playing defense the same way they would have played it last year.
7:02PM – Cincinnati is finally pulling away from NC State with just over two minutes left. These Bearcats have been the most impressive team of the day. The Wolfpack have actually played well, but Cincinnati has challenged shots at the rim and done so with success.
7:06PM – “Too many men on the ice…” John Saunders just referenced his hockey roots when the Wolfpack got T’d up for having too many players on the court. Maybe not the most common fact in the world, but John Saunders played D-I hockey at Western Michigan.
7:11PM – Final Score from Cincinnati: Cincinnati 68, NC State 57! Almost time for the main event…
7:14PM – VCU and Virginia, a great matchup in its own right, is going to get about 15 solid minutes of my time before we switch to the main event. This might be the best game of the year that absolutely no one watches.
7:21PM – VCU will be helped, as well as hurt, more than any team in the country by these rule changes. The Rams are going to shoot thousands of free throws due to the pace that they play at, but I don’t see how they will be able to force turnovers off their havoc defense without fouling at a very high rate themselves. This season will be an interesting barometer for Shaka Smart and his greatness as a coach. If he can still create havoc under these dire circumstances, doesn’t that make him the best coach in the country from a schematic sense?
7:31PM – It’s TIME. Number one versus number two, and depending on how you feel about John Calipari, we could also be talking good versus evil. Michigan State and Kentucky is next.
7:34PM – I understand that I’m a jerk for saying this, but when you put together quite possibly the greatest regular season doubleheader in the history of sports, you might as well splurge on (at least) a semi-famous person to sing the national anthem. Jay Bilas said there was a Final Four atmosphere in the building, well the anthem sort of diminished that.
If we lose, it’s your fault
7:38PM – There he is Spartans fans; the weak link — Matt Costello. There’s no way in hell that Matt Costello should be starting for the number two team in the country. I’m sure more than a few Spartans fans cringed when his name was called during the starting lineups just now.
7:40PM – “You already are a team. They’re trying to become a team.” Those are brilliant words from Magic Johnson in preparation for a game like this. It’s all they have going for them.
7:44PM – Best two minute stretch in the history of Michigan State basketball! Sparty jumps ahead 6-0, and Kentucky looks like a team full of freshmen…wait…oh.
7:48PM – This isn’t apart of the marathon but Indiana is currently in a dog fight with LIU. They’re tied at 58 according to ESPN Score Center.
7:49PM – The best stretch in the history of Michigan State basketball has been extended to three minutes and 14 seconds! 10-0 Sparty and another UK timeout.
7:50PM – “It’s like St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago. All green!” A gem from Jay Bilas as the Spartans go into the first media timeout still pitching a shutout.
7:55PM – Kentucky’s first basket comes from a James Young three-pointer. Young is a Michigan native who chose Kentucky over Michigan State.
8:08PM – Awkward conversation number two with my roommate. Him: Are you OK? Me: Yea. I’m doing a live diary for a college basketball marathon. Him: So is that like watching all of the Star Wars movies back to back? Me: No (shuts door and locks it).
8:14PM – Just noticed that Indiana got past LIU-Brooklyn by a single point 73-72. Remember the Black Birds in March.
8:19PM – I haven’t been this impressed with a Michigan State team since the days of Mateen Cleaves…just don’t put that Schilling guy back in the game. That didn’t go well.
8:27PM – Uh oh. There’s that Schilling guy. Less than 20 minutes into the season and Matt Costello is already off the hook as the Spartans’ weak link.
8:29PM – How many points would Kentucky be down by if James Young had committed to Michigan State? It’s 40-28, but Young has been the best Wildcat on the court offensively.
8:35PM – I don’t think anyone saw this coming, but at the half it’s been all Sparty. They lead 44-32, and they could easily be up more. With scouts from every team in the NBA lurking around the United Center, it seems safe to say that Gary Harris and Adreian Payne have both made themselves a bucket of money so far tonight. Harris looks like an NBA-ready shooting guard in all aspects, while Payne has a dynamic offensive skill set that includes a jump hook, above the rim finishing ability, and multiple ways of scoring from the perimeter. What’s the argument against Payne being able to play both forward spots and a little bit of center on the next level?
The most “Detroit” picture ever taken
8:45PM – In case you were wondering, Jalen Rose is the most Detroitest Detroiter to ever live. If you could liquify Jalen Rose and put him in a bottle, you could label it “Detroit” and sell it. Given the current financial situation of the city, I don’t understand why Detroiters haven’t overthrown the local government and made Jalen Rose the city’s monarch. It ain’t like we have anything to lose.
8:53PM – Second half underway, and Julius Randle came right out and gave us his best play of the night on a strong post move towards the basket.
8:55PM – Julius Randle is possessed. This could be an issue. Six straight points for him out the gate. 44-38 Sparty.
8:56PM – Matt Costello is still pretty bad…
8:58PM – Kentucky can’t stop turning the ball over. Michigan State is out of sync, but the Wildcats are giving Sparty buckets.
9:08PM – Oh crap! I completely forgot about VCU and Virginia. Is that game still going on? Do the Rams still have players that haven’t fouled out? I didn’t even turn the channel during halftime. Oh OK, Virginia by four. Let’s get back to the big boy game.
9:13PM – “This has been the best that Michigan State has run in ten years.” That’s Jay Bilas after a run out basket from MATT COSTELLO! Sparty ahead 59-46 with no sign of Kentucky being able to mount a comeback. Admittedly, Costello has actually played well during this most recent stretch. He has physical limitations, but he’s maximizing his potential.
9:17PM – Just flipped to the VCU/Virginia tilt to find that the Cavs are in the midst of a choke job. Virginia with one free throw to tie, and nine seconds left.
9:18PM – Free throw good…
9:19PM – VCU goes down without a timeout and Treveon Graham nails a three from the non-existent NBA line!!! Rams by three with 1.1 left on the clock.
9:21PM – Cavs got a look, but got nothing but backboard and the Rams get a good road win over an in-state rival.
9:24PM – Meanwhile, Kentucky has went on a mini run while we were sorting out the VCU/Virginia game. The Spartans are only ahead by six. 60-54 with under 10 minutes to play.
9:27PM – Timeout Spartans. Julius Randle has seized the position of best player on the floor and is beginning to score at will, especially with Payne on the bench with four fouls. The Cats are currently on an 11-1 run that has cut the MSU lead to 60-57. Scary moment for State because it looks like the Spartans peaked too early.
9:35PM – Wildcats shooting 12-26 from the line right now. That’ll swing a close game.
Half man, 75% savage beast
9:39PM – The first tie since 0-0 is 66-66 after two free throws from Julius Randle.
9:40PM – Michigan State answers the free throws with a triple from Keith Appling and then a layup from Harris after a stolen pass in the backcourt. Sparty back up by five in the blink of an eye. Kentucky’s talent is rising to the top, but the youth and inexperience continues to give control of the game right back to Sparty.
9:48PM – Spartans are starting to look like they will hold on. Kentucky could never find a third offensive option tonight, and they just don’t have the maturity to close the gap on a veteran team. There’s a lot of time remaining, and of course, a lot of fouls to be called.
9:53PM – Quick timeout from Izzo at the 1:18 mark. Spartans leading by four, and you have to think that Izzo wants to put the game away right here.
9:54PM – Sparty turns the ball over out of the timeout. 76-72 MSU with a minute to play.
9:55PM – Randle scores over a triple-team to cut the lead to 76-74, and Izzo wants a timeout to go over this potential game clinching possession.
9:57PM – Branden Dawson scores on the tip-in with five seconds left to put his team up four! Sparty will survive!
10:00PM – Final Score from Chicago: Michigan State 78, Kentucky 74! That was everything a college hoops fan could have asked for. Julius Randle looked like the best player in the country on an individual level, and Gary Harris showed he has what it takes to be the number one option on a championship team. The losers from the night were the Harrison twins, on a night when Julius Randle and James Young rose to the occasion, neither twin could establish themselves as the third option to take advantage of the double-teams that were being sent towards Randle.
10:07PM – Doesn’t matter what rule change you make, Wisconsin is still going to play 29-26 first halves in the Kohl Center. The Badgers have slowed the Gators down to a crawl.
10:22PM – Sam Dekker just got a a comparison to Adrian Dantley from Dan Dakich, who is on color commentary with Dan Wischusen. Not a bad name to be associated with.
10:25PM – Leaving the Wisconsin game with the Badgers leading 44-34, just in time to catch the tip of Andrew Wiggins vs Jabari Parker (aka Kansas vs Duke). I talked to Big Game James a little bit earlier, and I called for a big win by Duke. I don’t trust the talent around Wiggins and fellow freshman Wayne Seldon. James is picking Kansas. You never want to be on the opposite end of someone named Big Game James, but I’m confident in this pick.
I don’t even think he realizes he’s on TV anymore
10:38PM – Dick Vitale is senile, but it makes for great television. Classic exchange where Vitale goes crazy over Wiggins’ first collegiate basket before Dan Shulman reminds him that this is actually Kansas’ second game.
10:41PM – Are you sure Coach K only has one Plumlee? It seems like he always keeps at least two. There’s a Miles, Mason, and a Marshall…they’ve got to be hiding a Michael Plumlee somewhere. Why wouldn’t there be a Michael?
10:53PM – Kansas and Duke has been very entertaining so far, but Wiggins and Parker have taken a back seat to Wayne Seldon and Duke’s Mississippi State transfer Rodney Hood. Seldon is showing an elite scoring touch, and Hood has been playing like the point forward that we all expected Parker to be. Kansas’ freshman center Joel Embiid has also been impressive in the early going with his vision as a passer.
10:59PM – Switching over to Wisconsin/Florida for the last four minutes, just in time to see Kasey Hill foul out, which is important because his backup (or equal time starter) Scottie Wilbekin is suspended. Hill had a nightmare game, scoring four points on 2-11 shooting, so I’m sure the Gators could use Wilbekin right about now.
11:04PM – Billy Donovan just stopped the clock with 1:33 left. Patric Young has been held to seven points. That’s your difference in a 56-52 game. There’s just no reason why Young shouldn’t be able to assert himself against Wisconsin. Young is one of the more put together players in all of college basketball.
11:10PM – Wisconsin with a three-point lead and the ball with 33 seconds left and about a six second difference, they run it down to nine seconds and Traevon Jackson twists the dagger with a mid-range jumper. Put another one in the books for the Big Ten during the nightcap of the marathon.
11:11PM – Final Score from Madison: Wisconsin 59, Florida 53! Florida looked anemic on offense, and Patric Young still doesn’t look ready to be a go to scorer. This could end up being a disappointing year for the Gators unless significant strides are made in the development of some of their young players.
Lesson #1: Jabari does what he wants
11:18PM – Duke going to the half up by two at 42-40, but the performance from Rodney Hood has Bill Self feeling like he’s playing against two Jabari Parker’s instead of one. The real Jabari Parker has been amazing with 19 in the first half. Kansas protected Wiggins, only playing him for nine minutes because of two early fouls. They will have to let the reigns go in the second half.
11:40PM – At the U16 media timeout, Duke has a slim 60-59 lead, but the Blue Devils look firmly in control. I’m still waiting for Andrew Wiggins to have the takeover moment that Randle had in the second half against MSU and Jabari Parker had in the first half of this game. Wiggins is supposed to be Lebron, let’s hope he doesn’t have THAT part of LeBron’s game. Wiggins doesn’t want that monkey on his back.
11:45PM – Dick Vitale keeps talking about how this is the most athletic Duke team Coach K has ever had. Well let’s address the elephant in the room — this is the blackest team Duke has ever had. I’m not implying anything, it’s definitely a coincidence, but it’s just an observation. No white starters, and only cameo appearances from a Plumlee and a Murphy (Is their a third Murphy? Are they related to Troy?). Things in the game have truly changed.
11:51PM – Bill Self deserves so much credit for the way his players develop. The Jayhawks are like the anti-Baylor. Perry Ellis has come from being a freshman with potential, to actually being a good player. There’s levels to this at Kansas, Thomas Robinson comes to mind as a perfect example. KU is one of the few remaining elite programs that still develops players.
11:55PM – Jabari Parker has the look of a more physically gifted Carmelo Anthony. Melo never toned his body and it limited his dominance at the next level. I’m interested to see whether or not Parker makes a commitment to turning into the tank that he could become if he dedicated himself to his personal fitness.
12:00AM – All 24 hours are in the book, but don’t worry. I’m built for overtime. Kansas and Duke still battling at the United Center.
12:11AM – Dick Vitale just suggested that the NCAA move to six fouls instead of five to go along with the “freedom of movement” rules. He also threw out the idea of changing the shot clock to 30 seconds like in the women’s game. Dickie V might me nuttier than a Payday, but he has always been in touch with what’s best for the game. I’d love to see both of these suggestions implemented in the college game.
12:17AM – Jabari Parker is answering the bell right now. He’s got 27, and he doesn’t look close to being finished. Wiggins just checked back in with four fouls, and he has to be thinking about taking over at this point. He’s supposed to be the best player on the court, yet he has been the third banana on his own team for a good portion of the night.
12:23AM – Down to the final media timeout of the marathon, with Kansas and Duke knotted at 77. Parker, Hood, and Wiggins all playing with four fouls. Still looking for a wow moment from Wiggins. The Jayhawks may turn to Wayne Seldon with the game on the line. He has been more consistent and aggressive.
12:29AM – Rasheed Sulaimon has been a somewhat forgotten cog in the Duke rotation, but he’s getting minutes down the stretch and he’s making big plays offensively. As I pseudo expected, it’s been Seldon making the plays for Kansas. Wiggins has almost been a decoy.
12:31AM – Welcome to the show Andrew Wiggins! He finally gets the ball on the wing and scores with a beautiful step back jumper, and then slams home a dunk off the run out on the next possession. He even controlled the rebound on his missed free throw to buy his team an extra possession. Wiggins came through with the sequence to put the game away.
12:38AM – Final Score from Chicago: Kansas 94, Duke 83! Andrew Wiggins ends the marathon on top, and my boy Big Game James wins again. Can’t wait for the rest of the season. I’m taking my ass to bed.
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