Men’s Basketball 23-24

[Weder]

Penn beats Villanova, stop sleeping on the Ivy League. Also, how in the world did Penn manage to get Villanova and Kentucky to come to their house this year? I would kill to just get Syracuse to come to Newman once.

Penn-Villanova is a Big 5 game, so those get rotated around all the Philly schools' home courts. (Though I think at one time all Big 5 games were played at the Palestra?)

I thought Villanova quit the Big 5

Nope, and they let Drexel in so now there are six teams in the Bjg 5.

I think Villanova no longer commits to playing all four other teams in the Big 5, claiming it took up too many NC slots on the schedule

I think that's why they switched to a format this year with two three-team groups. Each team plays the other two teams in their group and then one crossover game.

[Trotsky]

The Palestra is a remarkable place for basketball history.  I would compare it to Matthews Arena.

Went to Matthews Saturday night.  The wall at the west end is being held up by a forest of girders propped against the outside of the wall.  Fans not allowed to sit in the balcony sections against that wall.  Not a good sign.

Well they need to refurb it, because other than Gutterson and Appleton it's the most (only) beautiful barn left in the US.

[upprdeck]

Wait Barton is still in use..

[Al DeFlorio]

George Mason up 43-42 at halftime.

[Mr. Niss]

I thought that was a good first half.  Guy had a fantastic first half.  I like that version of him better.  Naz had a terrible half, which is not like him.  I can't believe his second half won't be better.  Mason's team looks substantially better than Fordham's to me.  Our rebounding really improved as the half went on.  And we didn't have many free throws so we couldn't miss many.

[Mr. Niss]

The first minute of this half reminds me of Kentucky being down 10-2 and Calipari telling them "you gotta be kidding", and Cousins and Wall and the rest of them just out-athleted us.  That's what it looks like Mason is trying to do.  If we can fend it off they'll tire themselves out.

[Mr. Niss]

Other than missing an obvious walk on Ragland, the officiating in this game has seemed decidedly one-sided.  And not for the good guys.

[Mr. Niss]

OK this is now ridiculous.  An ordinary loose ball foul is a flagrant 1 at a critical juncture.  Laughable.

[ugarte]

Cornell dropping threes and cut it to 1. I think they called a charge right before the commercial break but the announcers seemed to think that Manon fouled out on the play. We'll see!

[ugarte]

Cornell dropping threes and cut it to 1. I think they called a charge right before the commercial break but the announcers seemed to think that Manon fouled out on the play. We'll see!

It was Manon's 5th. Ugh.

[Mr. Niss]

Their big guy Kelly pushes the defender away on every move in the paint.  Not a whistle.

[ugarte]

Terrible sequence. GM hits the free throws, Naz with a clumsy pass to a cutting Gray, GM scores an easy layup. Hanson throws a dunk off the back rim. Down 5, GM ball with 2:45 left.

[ugarte]

Their big guy Kelly pushes the defender away on every move in the paint.  Not a whistle.

That's basketball. Come on, man.

[ugarte]

Damn. Cut it to 3, fouled out their big man, and they hit a dagger 3 with the shot clock expiring before swiping the ball on a backdoor cut. Down 8 with 1:26 left.

[ugarte]

Damn. Cut it to 3, fouled out their big man, and they hit a dagger 3 with the shot clock expiring before swiping the ball on a backdoor cut. Down 8 with 1:26 left.

90-83 final. They were too tough in the paint and we were sloppy with the ball when we had to rush. Our perimeter game was good though.