Cornell NCAA Basketball

[YankeeLobo]

I don't think it's overconfidence to believe that Kentucky will handle Cornell easily. Kentucky has an unbelievable amount of talent on their roster.

Did you guys actually watch the game this weekend?  Cornell played virtually PERFECT basketball over the weekend.  They shot 60% from the field.  It doesn't matter who you are, if you shoot 60% you're almost guaranteed to win.  Can they sustain that pace of play?  That's the big question mark.  I'm not trying to put them down, I'm just saying they won games in which they played mistake free, perfect basketball for 40 minutes.  They'll need to play like that against Kentucky for it to be close.  If they play their "average" game (<50% shooting), they're toast.  That's why this game has the potential to be a close battle or a colossal blowout if Cornell loses the fairy dust from last weekend.

I expect them to show up and play like they did last weekend, but I wouldn't be surprised if they went cold and lost by 25 points.  You live by the 3, you die by the 3.

[ugarte]

I don't think it's overconfidence to believe that Kentucky will handle Cornell easily. Kentucky has an unbelievable amount of talent on their roster.

Did you guys actually watch the game this weekend?  Cornell played virtually PERFECT basketball over the weekend.  They shot 60% from the field.  It doesn't matter who you are, if you shoot 60% you're almost guaranteed to win.  Can they sustain that pace of play?  That's the big question mark.  I'm not trying to put them down, I'm just saying they won games in which they played mistake free, perfect basketball for 40 minutes.  They'll need to play like that against Kentucky for it to be close.  If they play their "average" game (<50% shooting), they're toast.  That's why this game has the potential to be a close battle or a colossal blowout if Cornell loses the fairy dust from last weekend.

Great, now I'm on the negative side of YankeeLobo.

Cornell shot 60% (and was lights-out against Temple) because neither of those teams could simultaneously guard the perimeter and single Foote in the paint. Stanford could in '08, Missouri could in '09 - both because Foote wasn't as good then and because both Stanford and Missouri were both much more athletic than Cornell. I get the sense that Kentucky can as well, and Cornell's shooting percentage will drop.

The only advantage Cornell has is maturity. That is not a small advantage but I don't think it is going to be enough. I want so badly to be wrong and I'll be happy to eat my words if it comes to pass. Right now the line is at 9 and if I were a betting man I'd lay that number.

[ebilmes]

Jon Jaques was on NPR a few minutes ago.

Audio will be available in a couple of hours.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125030061

[YankeeLobo]

I don't think it's overconfidence to believe that Kentucky will handle Cornell easily. Kentucky has an unbelievable amount of talent on their roster.

Did you guys actually watch the game this weekend?  Cornell played virtually PERFECT basketball over the weekend.  They shot 60% from the field.  It doesn't matter who you are, if you shoot 60% you're almost guaranteed to win.  Can they sustain that pace of play?  That's the big question mark.  I'm not trying to put them down, I'm just saying they won games in which they played mistake free, perfect basketball for 40 minutes.  They'll need to play like that against Kentucky for it to be close.  If they play their "average" game (<50% shooting), they're toast.  That's why this game has the potential to be a close battle or a colossal blowout if Cornell loses the fairy dust from last weekend.

Great, now I'm on the negative side of YankeeLobo.

Cornell shot 60% (and was lights-out against Temple) because neither of those teams could simultaneously guard the perimeter and single Foote in the paint. Stanford could in '08, Missouri could in '09 - both because Foote wasn't as good then and because both Stanford and Missouri were both much more athletic than Cornell. I get the sense that Kentucky can as well, and Cornell's shooting percentage will drop.

The only advantage Cornell has is maturity. That is not a small advantage but I don't think it is going to be enough. I want so badly to be wrong and I'll be happy to eat my words if it comes to pass. Right now the line is at 9 and if I were a betting man I'd lay that number.

Yes, a smart betting man would pound the crap out of Kentucky at -9.  But I'm not a betting man.

Just enjoy watching the Red in the Sweet 16 on the same court with arguably the best program in NCAA history.  The lead up and hype will be fun.  Seeing Louis Dale vs John Wall and Jeff Foote vs Demarcus Cousins will be interesting to watch.  Whatever happens afterwards is irrelevant - if we lose, no big deal, if we win, the dream stays alive!

[nyc94]

"Cornell, a team full of slow, unathletic white guys

Anyone else find that quote amusing coming out of Kentucky?

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

A co-worker of mine is a Kentucky grad and a BBall fan.  His analysis was that if Cornell was stupid enough to try to run with Kentucky or to try a man-to-man D, we'd get our heads handed to us.  But if we slowed the tempo and and threw a lot of zone at them, we had a reasonable chance.  He said they are awful against a good zone defense.

[Al DeFlorio]

"Cornell, a team full of slow, unathletic white guys

Anyone else find that quote amusing coming out of Kentucky?

Yep.  Texas Western, anyone?

[2]

Great article about the basketball team from the perspective of Kevin Boothe, the Cornell grad and reserve offensive lineman for the Giants.  Also has a mention of Cornell's great weekend in athletics and positive note on Cornell's chances.

Of all the BCS players on the Giants, Boothe is the only Giant whose college is still in the tournament.

www.Giants.com

[Swampy]

"I'll put it to you this way...I refuse to be worried about freaking Cornell!!! All I know is our season is not ending to them! Come on guys we're better than this. No way in hell we are losing this game. Worry about WVU or Duke beating us, but Cornell?! Come on! We are Kentucky and we're playing like Kentucky. They don't have a prayer!"

AND

"If UK was playing Cornell in Chess I would give the edge to them, but in baskeball I say the Cats roll."

These cats are obviously not history majors.

[KenP]

There are lots of reasons to think Cornell won't win.  That being said, there is no reason to think Cornell can't win.

[ugarte]

There are lots of reasons to think Cornell won't win.  That being said, there is no reason to think Cornell can't win.

Well put. The mantra, in basketball as much as hockey, is just win. It worked in the ECACs.

[Trotsky]

There are lots of reasons to think Cornell won't win.  That being said, there is no reason to think Cornell can't win.

Precisely.  But if Kentucky wants to be overconfident, I'm down with that.

[Greenberg '97]

These cats are obviously not history majors.

If Cornell can beat Pat Riley, they can beat John Calipari.

[Willy '06]

Ugh, the guy on ESPN leading into the story by Jeremy Schaap called Ryan Wittman Randy Wittman.

[scoop85]

Francesa now discussing the spate of suicides on the FAN