C’s Continue to Struggle

With 12 games remaining in the regular season, a playoff bound team is usually starting to set into a nice rhythm that will help them transition into a postseason run. That is where the Doc Rivers and the Celtics want to be, but right now the Celtics are not really sure where they are at. Since the loss of Rajon Rondo, the Celtics seemed to be a new team that were showing they had a run in them that was ready to come out during playoff time.

Since going 16-6 without the All-Star point guard, the C’s have lost 5 straight and cannot find any sort of rhythm as the season winds down. In and out of the lineup the past 6 games, Kevin Garnett has been ruled out for a “few weeks” with a sprained ankle. According to Doc and the Celtics, this injury is not too serious but they want to make sure he is healthy come playoff time.   

After last night’s loss to the Knicks, which looked like more of a pick up game between a bunch of old men, it is apparent that the Celtics cannot perform to its potential without the competitive edge the Kevin brings to the table.  Without their defensive anchor in the middle of their defense, the C’s lack size and defense awareness which is not helping them shake this losing streak. 

So, now what?

With 12 games to go, the Celtics need to find an answer. With all the injuries throughout the season, it seems as if they have a lineup that was just thrown together night after night with no real chemistry keeping the team going. Each game is crucial and at this point is a playoff game from the viewpoint of the Celtics as they do not want to slip in the playoff rankings.

Currently, at the seventh spot in the rankings, the season ended today the Celtics would play the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs. If they do not find any type of rhythm in the home stretch of the season they will not be able to stay with the Pacers and will see an early exit out of the playoffs. Ideally they would want to take over the sixth seed and take their chances with the Knicks, as they have had pretty good luck against them in the playoffs.

Look for the Truth to rally the troops and put his captain face on. He has to lead this time in this tough time if they plan on making any type of run. Along with Paul, Jeff Green needs to keep attacking the basket and taking control when the ball is in his hands. Everyone in Boston wants to see him drop 43 points again as he did against Miami and he is more than capable of doing that. With Bradley tightening the defense and everyone else doing the little things, the Celtics can help stop the bleeding a bit as they wait for Kevin Garnett to come back and patch up the team.

4 Days. 48 Games. Endless Amounts of Madness.

Once again, the most wonderful time of year has arrived and did not disappoint. The round of 64 started competition on Thursday afternoon and March Madness officially began. After 48 games and numerous upsets, the Sweet Sixteen has been set, making this another tournament of success for some and disappointment for others. For the first time in the history of the tournament, three teams seeded 12 or lower have advanced to the Sweet Sixteen. The bracket buster of the whole tournament has to be Harvard taking out 3 seed New Mexico. Having produced more presidents than NCAA Tournament wins, Harvard shocked the basketball world by upsetting a good New Mexico team. My bracket has a lot of red marks up and down it but at the end of the day I root for the upset, not my bracket.

There were so many headline stories from this weekend which makes it hard to pick the favorites but the one that has to stand out for everyone is the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles. Watching them in their games this past weekend, you saw a bunch of guys just playing team basketball and having fun. Taking out the heavyweight Georgetown Hoyas, they went on a 21-2 run in the second half and did not look back. As you can imagine, a 2 seed losing in the first round is extremely rare but this Florida Gulf Coast team looked better than the Hoyas. In their next matchup they took on San Diego State and again they looked to be the better team and pulled off another upset as they ran circles around the Aztecs in the second half of their game last night. After their game Sunday night the FGCU head coach Andy Enfield said, “Our goal was to make history and we did it.” Being the first 15 seed to make it to the Sweet Sixteen, they did make history and they plan on continuing this Cinderella story in their matchup against the Florida Gators. FGCU will come to play against the Gators and with their team play and high enthusiasm anything can happen.

Barely making the tournament, the LaSalle Explorers had a play in game to get to the actual tournament and after taking out Boise St. in that matchup they went on to take out the 4 seed Kansas State, an outcome not too many people saw coming. The highly athletic team was not done there when they ended up taking out Ole Miss in the next round sending another seed lowering then a 12 to the Sweet Sixteen. The way this team is playing they have a very good chance of extending their tournament run as they take on Wichita State. The fast paced, athletic bunch did some damage to brackets (including my own) and are out to prove a lot of people wrong. If you are near a television you will not want to miss the matchup between the Explorers and Shockers.   

One upset I am proud to say is on my bracket is the Oregon Ducks. In the past 12 out of 13 years, a 12 seed has taken out a 5 seed and the Ducks were one of three to help continue the trend.  The 12 seed will be advancing to the Sweet Sixteen after taking out 5th seed Oklahoma State and 4th seed St. Louis. After watching them in their conference tournament, this was a team you had to look out for to do some damage and they did just that. Both games they played this past weekend were won easily and the Ducks are going to look to cause some trouble for the 1 seed, Louisville in their Sweet Sixteen match-up. Although they have had a great past couple games, Louisville is going to be too much and will have a good chance to end their run.

One team that could not get away from being upset was Gonzaga. The first 1 seed to exit the tournament was bounced by Wichita State and proved just because you have a good record does not mean you are a good team. The Bulldogs were 32-3 overall and 16-0 in their conference which had many people picking them to go far in the tournament. Even though they had such a solid record, when you look at their schedule they only beat one ranked team the whole season which was against Oklahoma State who exited the tournament in the first round to Oregon. Personally, I think the committee messed up on this one and Gonzaga did not deserve the 1 seed. Regardless of their record, the strength of schedule was lackluster and someone like Miami deserved that 1 seed. The early exit in the tournament was a disappointment but was expected.

On the other side of the West bracket opposite of Gonzaga holds the 2 seed Ohio State. A proven team now has a road to the Final Four that holds seeds 6 or lower which helps the Buckeyes emerge as the favorite in the West. Most teams have some sort of bump in the road as they try to get to the Final Four and Iowa State was that bump in the road for OSU. With some late game heroics from Aaron Craft they were able to advance to the next round as he hit a three-pointer with 0.5 seconds remaining in the game. Earlier in that game there was a controversial offensive foul called against Iowa State that many thought should have been called a blocking foul which would have given Iowa St. a basket and free throw for a three point play which could have put them up four but instead was sent the other way. Although this call may or may not have been missed, you have to play through the calls and make plays late in the game regardless of what the refs call. Aaron Craft and OSU made those plays and that is why they are moving onto the Sweet Sixteen and are emerging as a team that could make a run to the finals.

Another team that is the real deal and could be cutting down the nets in a few weeks is the Kansas Jayhawks. Facing a tough North Carolina team that has been up and down all season, the Jayhawks did not know what team they could face. The Tar Heels finally found a rhythm come March as they went all the way to the ACC tournament final eventually losing to Miami. With the 8 seed, UNC posed as an early problem for the Jayhawks as they had a chance to catch fire and take out Kansas. In the first half of the matchup against UNC, it seemed as the game would come down to the wire but when the second half started, Kansas turned up the intensity and ran away with the game. It seemed as if they were scoring on every possession as their size and strength was too overwhelming for the Tar Heels. After watching the second half of that game, Kansas showed us that they will wear you down with their defense and turn that defense into offense. Look for them to continue their run to the Final Four.

After 48 crazy games, the stage has been set for the current sixteen teams. The Sweet Sixteen will start on Thursday and hopefully we will continue to see more madness.

My Bracket

The best day of the year has finally arrived. Let the madness begin.

The Season of Firsts

After finishing 2-28 last year, the Bryant Bulldogs were the laughing stock of the NEC. Loss after loss can take a toll on a team and with the wrong people it can break a team. For the right people it could be the best motivation moving forward to next season. The Bulldogs took that 2-28 season and went to work. After a long summer of hard work and dedication, Bryant recorded the biggest turnaround in NCAA history by improving by 17 wins and finishing the season at 19-11 earning them a 4th seed in the NEC Tournament and sending a message to their conference that Bryant means business. This was the season of firsts; their first season as a tournament eligible Division 1 school, their first big press as they took on the #1 Indiana Hoosiers, their first big Division 1 win against Boston College, and finally their first invitation to a postseason tournament; the College Basketball Invitational.

It has been a long journey and head coach Tim O’Shea knows that and could not be happier for his guys to put in the work and turn the program around. He was seen in tears after their win against Boston College because he knew they had finally turned a corner and was starting to see daylight after years and years of being in the dark. With Coach O’Shea racking up the wins, the seats slowly began to fill with the rowdy students of Bryant University.

For most students it was the first time being in a student section for a successful season but if you were in the Chace Center you would think they have been doing it for years. Packed from wall to wall, the students stand for 40 minutes screaming “Defense” and yelling extra loud on opponents free throw attempts. The students began to get creative with it and coordinated to have a white out in the first half and a black out in the second half of the first round of the NEC Tournament against Mount St. Mary’s. These gestures have not gone unnoticed as Coach O’Shea sent out a personal email to all Bryant students thanking them and encouraging them to keep helping him and his players as they take on Richmond in the CBI tonight at 7pm.

“Bulldog Nation:

You may not be aware of it, but the men’s basketball team will play its very first postseason tournament game tomorrow at 7pm in the Chace Athletic Center and we need your support!  This game is part of the 16 team College Basketball Invitational, a yearly event that has included some of the very best programs in America such as Butler, Pittsburgh, Virginia Commonwealth, Texas, Purdue, Oregon, Princeton, Davidson, Creighton, George Mason, and Washington to name a few.  This is a historic moment in our Division 1 transition.  Our opponent, The University of Richmond represents the Atlantic 10 Conference and is the highest rated team to ever set foot in the Chace Athletic Center.

The Richmond Spiders enjoy playing in a multimillion dollar facility and they travel to all their games on a private jet – yesterday they asked for directions to our Arena.  I think it behooves us all to make sure they receive a warm Bulldog Nation reception at the Chace Athletic Center.  Let us pack the bleachers, loudly sing the National Anthem, and demonstrate that it is not about the size of your budget that determines victory but it is the determination and spirit of our players and fans that really makes the difference.

Please arrive early and continue to make our humble home the toughest place to play in America.

Go Bulldogs,

Tim O’Shea

Head Basketball Coach”

The Bulldogs know they cannot do it without their student body rallying behind them and that is exactly what they will be doing tonight as Bryant plays in their first Division 1 tournament. With senior Frankie Dobbs and junior Alex Francis leading the charge on the court, they will have their dog pound right behind them as they try to advance in the CBI.

Coach O’Shea has not been the only one to express his gratitude for what the students have done in the stands for the Bulldogs. President Ron Machtley has emailed the student body countless times to rally us together and to thank us for our support. The following email came after a loss to Mount St. Mary’s in the NEC Tournament and immeditaley after it was sent Bryant students began to blow up Twitter expressing their love for their president and their school.

“Dear students,

Again you have just amazed me with your enthusiasm, character, and collective energy.

From the champions on the court to the fans in the stands, last night was another a special moment I can remember when I am old, rocking on a porch with Kati.

You brought tears to my eyes, first when you joined in proudly singing our national anthem and then chanted “USA! USA!” before the game. And later, when you stood until the very end watching our two seniors, Vlad and Frankie, leave the court after a hard-fought effort, Frankie in the embrace of his father/ coach.

These are memories that touch the heart and will never be forgotten. They are the things that make this an extraordinary university.  They happen because Bryant is home to very special people of immeasurable talent and character.

Thanks again for making a president very proud to be a Bulldog!  Have a safe and enjoyable spring week and return ready to engage in the remainder of the academic year.

And good luck Bulldog women as you go forth in your quest for a basketball championship on Sunday.

Go Bulldogs!

Prez”

It’s amazing what one basketball season can do to an entire university. I do not think President Machtley, Coach O’Shea or any member of the Bryant Community saw this coming but it has put a spark into our campus and has given everyone another reason to love Bryant.

Bryant Basketball has made me a believer and proud to be apart of this community we call Bryant University. With this being the season of firsts, lets keep the firsts coming, with our first win in tournament play.

Go Bulldogs.

UConn Tribute

Follow up to my previous post. This will never fail to give me the chills. Go UConn

An Ode to the Season That Did Not Matter

Due to sanctions brought on by the NCAA, the UConn Men’s Basketball team faced a postseason ban keeping them out of the Big East Tournament and the NCAA Tournament. With those bans came the retirement of their Hall of Fame coach, numerous transfers, and a couple players leaving for the NBA. The players and staff that were left to fend for themselves in the upcoming season could have racked up the balls, shut off the gym lights and said “see ya next season.” They decided not to do that. A man by the name of Kevin Ollie came to take the job of head coach and by the end of the season he had earned the respect of all of Connecticut.

Although the season ended Saturday and this post is extremely late, it was needed as I consider myself a very big UConn basketball fan. I myself had been doubting the team seeing Drummond, Lamb and Oriakhi leave to pursue other basketball opportunities. How was this team going to compete in the powerful Big East conference? Kevin Ollie came in and changed the script. He coined the motto “ten toes in, not five.” and his team had ten toes in the whole season. They didn’t always bring the best team on paper into the game but they always brought their heart and their determination to win which helped them be the success that they were.

The season I witnessed this year was one I will never forget and will be up there in most memorable seasons in my mind because at any time they could have quit and checked out but with their mental toughness they put the time in and got better and to Ollie’s hope, they helped build on the UConn foundation. The season will be memorable in more ways than one. Not only being able to witness them defeat Syracuse at the XL Center for the last time in a scheduled Big East game, I was also able to witness them huddle around their coach in the post-game interview as a family and then proceed to thank their student section who had stuck behind them the whole game. Ollie has been saying this whole season “Play for the name on the front” and at the moment I had seen that he had gotten through to his players and was the right man for the job.

Kevin Ollie is in his dream job and it excites me to see how he made a season that did not matter into such a great season for his players and the state of Connecticut. If he can make a season with no importance such a memorable one for the fans, it has to make you excited for what we are about to experience in the Ollie Era.

I want to thank Coach Ollie and his players for making this one of the more memorable seasons I have had the privilege of experiencing as a fan and I cannot wait for next season.