Ego CBB Saturday

[Ego74]

26-17 ytd

Regular play
Kentucky +4....Louisville's lack of depth in the frontcourt catches up to them today. Call this a "homer" pick if you like, but i root for both these squads, just a bit partial to UK. I follow these teams closer than any other in CBB. The UNDER may also be a nice parlay play. Pitino has taken two straight and Tubby really needs this one. If UK can work the inside like I believe they will, UL could be in foul trouble all day. Pitino is usually the coach with the deeper bench, but not today. The key for UK today defensively is to guard the perimeter, no open 3's. Also, getting back on defense, even after a made hoop. Tubby has been stressing defense since the N Carolina loss. Look for a Kentucky win, somewhere in the range of 71-63.

 

[Ego74]

here are some game notes...

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Favored Cardinals don't feel that way
But they feel like underdogs vs. Cats
<!---##CCI#[Text Tag=byline Group=All Convert=BylineConv]--->By Eric Crawford
ecrawford@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal
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<!---- 300x250 -----------------><SCRIPT language=JavaScript> OAS_AD('Frame1');</SCRIPT><IFRAME style=\"DISPLAY: none; VISIBILITY: hidden\" marginWidth=0 marginHeight=0 src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N3603.Integrent/B1452653.10;sz=300x250;click0=http://gcirm.courier-journal.com/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/news.courier-journal.com/stories/sports/louisville/15709/Frame1/Integrent_Bose002/bose_300x250.html/33663665663835663431633432303930?;ord=15709?" frameBorder=0 width=300 scrolling=no height=250 bordercolor="#000000">&ltscript&gt&lt/script&gt&ltNOSCRIPT&gt&ltAHREF="http://gcirm.courier-journal.com/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/news.courier-journal.com/stories/sports/louisville/15709/Frame1/Integrent_Bose002/bose_300x250.html/33663665663835663431633432303930?http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/N3603.Integrent/B1452653.10;abr=!ie4;abr=!ie5;sz=300x250;ord=15709?"&gt&ltIMGSRC="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/N3603.Integrent/B1452653.10;abr=!ie4;abr=!ie5;sz=300x250;ord=15709"BORDER=0 WIDTH=300 HEIGHT=250 ALT="Click Here"&gt&lt/A&gt&lt/NOSCRIPT&gt</IFRAME></TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle><!---------------------------------------------------------------------><!---------------------------------------------------------------------></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- START BODYTEXT --><!---##CCI#[Text Tag=body Group=All]--->The University of Louisville men's basketball team has won back-to-back games against the archrival University of Kentucky. The Cardinals are ranked No. 13 nationally and will be playing at home.

They are four-point favorites, according to Las Vegas oddsmakers.

But the Cardinals (6-1) still feel like underdogs heading into today's noon matchup against the No. 9 Wildcats (6-1) at Freedom Hall.

"Yeah, I'd say we do feel like we have something to prove," senior Ellis Myles said. "I felt like we were the underdogs when we went down to Florida, even though we were ranked and they weren't."

Maybe it's the injuries, which once again have left their frontcourt more depleted than Dick Vitale's hair-care kit. Maybe it's something in the air, or even on the air — with WHAS Radio having signed a deal to carry UK over U of L in 2007. Maybe it's nothing.

But U of L coach Rick Pitino and his team have been talking this week as if a win over Kentucky might be a task more monumental than the relatively small disparity in the teams' national rankings would indicate.

"This is the deepest, most talented Kentucky team we will have faced," said Pitino, who is 2-1 against his old employer since coming to U of L. "Whether it's the best or not remains to be seen, because last year's team was quite extraordinary. But we have more challenges to worry about this year than last year. Their size is a major factor."

History says that beating a Pitino-coached team on its home floor in a big game is a difficult proposition. At U of L, it's even more difficult to do in December. He's 25-1 with the Cards in December games and is 19-0 in Freedom Hall in December.

He is 7-1 against nationally ranked visitors to Freedom Hall, with wins over ranked teams from Florida, Cincinnati and Memphis last season.

"It just seems like the last few years we've always been overcoming obstacles," senior Larry O'Bannon said. "That's what happens when you rebuild. The last two years we had great starts and then had injuries. This year we've had some injuries at the beginning, and I don't think we're rolling like we were this time last year. But we still have a lot of confidence, and we still think we can be a great team."

Much has changed since the teams met last season, a 65-56 UofL win in Rupp Arena. The Wildcats' bench was outscored 33-10 by U of L's reserves in that game. Now U of L is searching for bench production. For the first time in his Louisville tenure, Pitino's bench is being outscored by the opponent's reserves, 18.4 to 17.1. In its last game, the Cards' bench was outscored by North Carolina A&T's.

Conversely, UK is a much deeper team than it was a season ago. And that stat has been a key in the past five meetings. The team with the edge in bench points has won all five contests.

U of L's bench got a boost when senior forward Otis George was cleared to play after sitting out three games with a foot injury. Pitino said George won't be at 100 percent but will provide the Cards a little breathing room.

"Against Florida it was the most uncomfortable I've been as a head coach, every second of that game," Pitino said. "We had no subs for the frontcourt. I felt like my brain was going to erupt — I really did — on every possession, with each foul, looking at matchups. I'm just glad that game is over. We're still thin. Playing against Kentucky with only one sub is bad enough, but at least we can substitute a frontcourt player."

Just as worrisome to Pitino have been his team's rebounding struggles. They gave up 19 offensive rebounds to North Carolina A&T. Florida outrebounded the Cards by 16 but still lost.

A year ago U of L beat UK with defense and rebounding. But Pitino expects a different storyline in Freedom Hall today. Though the Cards have less depth, they're likely to try and push the tempo even more than UK.

"We can play at either pace," Pitino said. "But certainly, Kentucky's a very good running team. ... I don't know what the key is. We didn't play good offense last year. We rebounded very well in that game. At home we play a different type of game offensively, so this game is different."

And with three seniors and two talented juniors as its nucleus, this U of L team knows the game is special.

"The big thing for us is to execute and follow our plays to the end," Myles said. "It's a big challenge for us. If I were them, I'd pound it inside on us because we're a small team and we don't have a lot of depth. But Otis coming back will help us. ... This game is really big stuff. We had two of our best practices of the season on Thursday, and that's what we need. So I feel good about this game."

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[Ego74]

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Wildcats want bragging rights
They know they'll have to control tempo in order to get them back

<!---##CCI#[Text Tag=byline Group=All Convert=BylineConv]--->By Michael Smith
mssmith@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal
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BILL LUSTER / THE C-J​

Kelenna Azubuike, going to the basket against Tennessee Tech earlier this season, expects the Wildcats to pound the ball inside today. "I'm going to be aggressive, trying to get to the basket," he said. </TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle><!---- 300x250 -----------------><SCRIPT language=JavaScript> OAS_AD('Frame1');</SCRIPT><IFRAME marginWidth=0 marginHeight=0 src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N3603.Integrent/B1452653.10;sz=300x250;click0=http://gcirm.courier-journal.com/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/news.courier-journal.com/stories/sports/louisville/1668/Frame1/Integrent_Bose002/bose_300x250.html/33663665663835663431633432303930?;ord=1668?" frameBorder=0 width=300 scrolling=no height=250 bordercolor="#000000">&ltscript&gt&lt/script&gt&ltNOSCRIPT&gt&ltAHREF="http://gcirm.courier-journal.com/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/news.courier-journal.com/stories/sports/louisville/1668/Frame1/Integrent_Bose002/bose_300x250.html/33663665663835663431633432303930?http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/N3603.Integrent/B1452653.10;abr=!ie4;abr=!ie5;sz=300x250;ord=1668?"&gt&ltIMGSRC="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/N3603.Integrent/B1452653.10;abr=!ie4;abr=!ie5;sz=300x250;ord=1668"BORDER=0 WIDTH=300 HEIGHT=250 ALT="Click Here"&gt&lt/A&gt&lt/NOSCRIPT&gt</IFRAME></TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle><!---------------------------------------------------------------------><!---------------------------------------------------------------------></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- END IMAGES, CREDIT AND CAPTION --><!-- START BODYTEXT -->LEXINGTON, Ky. - Chuck Hayes' social calendar will be determined today by the outcome of the University of Kentucky's basketball game at the University of Louisville.

"After a loss against Louisville, you don't show your face. You just sit in your room and be bored," said Hayes, UK's senior forward.

Hayes has spent enough time the last two seasons studying the four walls in his room at Wildcat Lodge. No. 9-ranked UK hasn't beaten the No. 13 Cardinals since Hayes' freshman season, and the idea of three straight losses goes down like a gulp of castor oil.

"It's depressing," senior guard Josh Carrier said of the Cats' two straight losses to U.of.L. "It hurts after any loss, but it hurts a lot more when you lose to Louisville."

None of UK's players or coaches would admit to feeling more pressure because of the mini-losing streak but agreed that it needs to end promptly.

"I don't want to say payback, but we know what we have to get done," Hayes said.

What the Wildcats have to get done today is own the inside, just as they did against Indiana University in last week's 73-58 romp.

Kentucky's front line of Hayes and Randolph Morris, along with Shagari Alleyne off the bench, controlled the middle as the Cats outscored IU 38-10 in the paint.

UK's players have heard coach Tubby Smith say "inside-out" so many times that they no longer look at their warmups to see if they committed a wardrobe faux pas. Around UK, "inside-out" means that the top priority on offense is working the ball inside, with the next option going outside.

The Cats' offensive approach seems to make them the antithesis of the undersized Cards, who fight taller opponents by raining in three-pointers and running the foe into the ground with a relentless pace.

Florida had its way inside against U of L last week, outrebounding the Cards 40-26. But it wasn't enough in a 74-70 home loss that included a 30-12 margin for U.of.L on three-pointers.

"We pounded it inside for twos, and they ran back at us for threes," Florida coach Billy Donovan said. "That's a pretty good trade-off for Louisville, to trade threes for twos. And we hurt them on the backboard, but we couldn't finish enough of our opportunities."

Donovan said the Cards didn't utilize as much fullcourt pressure defensively as past teams, but the pressure from their attacking offense presents a familiar problem for the Cats.

"They push it upcourt and look for wide-open threes in transition," Donovan said. "They catch you off guard."

Nothing from Donovan's scouting report should catch the Cats sleeping. The last two games showed UK's players that they can't get into an up-and-down, three-point shootout.

Kentucky will run when the opportunity is there, but expect to see Smith stomping his foot and telling his point guards to slow it down, just as he did in the IU game.

The Cats were efficient in their halfcourt offense against the Hoosiers, pitching it inside and then using their ball movement to work free for open shots. UK's 49 percent shooting marked its second-best effort of the season.

"We're going to pound the ball inside," UK guard/forward Kelenna Azubuike said. "I'm going to be aggressive, trying to get to the basket, trying to get to the line and scoring a lot of points in the paint."

When asked about the danger of falling into U of L's game of launching three-pointers from everywhere, Hayes replied, "The danger is that you'll lose.

"If you do what they want you to do, you'll come away with a loss. It's happened the past two years. Hopefully we've learned." <!-- END STORY --><!---##CCI#[Text Tag=body_listing Group=All]---><!---##CCI#[/Text]---><!-- ########## Footer ########## -->

 

[Ego74]

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Pitino, Louisville Wary of Kentucky's Size

Big Wildcat front line could cause matchup problems for the Cardinals.


Dec. 17, 2004

Associated Press



Louisville coach Rick Pitino almost never loses to a former assistant coach or player.

Tubby Smith is the exception.

Pitino and Smith will renew acquaintances on Saturday when No. 13 Louisville (6-1) hosts No. 9 Kentucky (6-1).

Pitino, 19-1 all-time against former assistant coaches and players, is 7-1 against Smith, with the loss coming in 2001. Louisville has won the last two matchups in the series, including a 65-56 victory last season in Lexington.

However, this meeting could be entirely different. Kentucky has a serious height advantage up front in 7-foot-3 Shagari Alleyne and 6-10 Randolph Morris, while Louisville doesn't have anyone taller than 6-8.

The Cardinals also know they have to play much smarter than they did in Tuesday's 85-51 win over North Carolina A&T.

Though 6-4 swingman Larry O'Bannon shot 10-of-14 and had 25 points and 11 rebounds, Louisville was mediocre from the floor, connecting on just 43.2 percent (29-of-67). The Cardinals were just 18-of-33 from the free-throw line and committed 22 turnovers.

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<!-- STORY AD ENDS HERE -->The Cardinals won the rebounding battle decisively (58-40) and forced 24 turnovers, but Pitino said his players got away with a lot of things against inferior North Carolina A&T that they will not be able to pull against Kentucky.

"We called a timeout to specifically talk about blocking out, and the very next time down the floor, we didn't do it," Pitino said. "We're still not blocking out like we are supposed to. We got a 'W' but we didn't play our 'A' game."

Otis George could provide some help on the boards for the Cardinals as he may return from a right foot injury. The 6-8 senior forward averaged 8 points and 6.5 rebounds in four games before suffering a pre-stress fracture in his right foot at practice on Nov. 28.

"It's going to have to be there for us for us to have a chance to win," Pitino said of the importance of rebounding. "This is the deepest, the most talented Kentucky team we will have faced. Whether it's the best or not remains to be seen because last year's team was quite extraordinary. But they've got more challenges this year than we had last year. We didn't have to worry about their size last year as a factor."

In addition to the lackluster effort in their last game, the Cardinals are also dealing with a bit of off-the-court turmoil. On Wednesday, Pitino dismissed 6-10 freshman center Terrance Farley from the team for a violation of team rules. However, on Thursday, Pitino said Farley may be able to return to the team at a later date.

Kentucky is playing its second straight game at Freedom Hall. Last Saturday, the Wildcats used their strong interior presence to defeat Indiana 73-58. Chuck Hayes, Morris and Alleyne combined for 35 points on 14-of-20 shooting as the Wildcats won their second straight game following a loss to then-No. 9 North Carolina on Dec. 4.

Alleyne has 14 blocked shots in the last three games and is shooting 15-of-21 from the field.

"We feel like that's one of the things were doing better," Smith said about his team's interior play. "I just mentioned we're not shooting the ball well from the outside. We're shooting it better inside. We'll have to find ways to maybe get the ball to our post players."

Kentucky leads the all-time series 23-12.


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[Ego74]

play #2

regular play

Wake Forest -6....This is Texas' first real road test, very bad place to have it. Wake coach Skip Prosser has been VERY disappointed in his team, and he's let his team know it (see notes below). I expect Wake to come in breathing fire early in this one. These teams met last year in Austin, and Wake had early foul problems and lost by 14. Their big men were stuck onthe bench while the Longhorns controlled the boards. Now, they get Texas on their home turf. Prosser has sent a "wake" up call to his squad, especially Vytas Danelius, whom was sent to the locker room 3 minutes into the 2nd half vs. Elon. The last two days of practice have been a test of Wake's toughness. Wake should be itching to get back onto the court. These two teams are very similar, it'll come down to the battle of the backcourts, and battle on the boards. Look for Wake to pull this one out at home by double digits.

 

[Ego74]

game notes.....





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Wake Forest Hopes to Bounce Back


By KEITH PARSONS
AP Sports Writer
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.
Like most of his peers, Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser wants more than victories from his early schedule.

Consistency, improvement and just plain enjoyment are all things he would like to see from his team. When that doesn't happen, Prosser lets his players know.

"Sometimes, playing well is more important," he said Friday. "At times, we haven't played to our abilities. As a coach, as a teacher, as a mentor, if you will, your job is to get them to play the best they can.

"I think it would be irresponsible on my part not to point that out to our kids."

Prosser has done that a lot so far this season, even while the sixth-ranked Demon Deacons (8-1) got off to a great start. They won the Preseason NIT, and their lone loss heading into Saturday's game against No. 14 Texas was inflicted by top-ranked Illinois.

But Prosser hasn't seen the quality performances he expected, particularly in a lackluster victory over underdog Elon earlier this week.

Wake Forest trailed early in the second half before eventually winning by 18 points, but the real excitement began afterward. Prosser slammed the locker room door so hard that it jammed shut, leaving him and the team trapped for about 20 minutes.

That was OK, since he had plenty to say. When asked exactly what he told his players, Prosser offered only a thin smile.

"I think you guys can guess that one," he told reporters. "You've seen enough games."

The message continued Thursday, when the Demon Deacons practiced for about three hours and Prosser met with forward Vytas Danelius. In the game against Elon, Prosser banished Danelius to the locker room with about 16 minutes left; neither would discuss the reason.

On Friday, Prosser said only that Danelius' status as a member of the team hadn't changed and that he would play against Texas. Center Eric Williams and forward Jamaal Levy will, too, despite injuries sustained against the Phoenix.

They certainly will be needed to avenge a 94-81 loss to the Longhorns last season.

"It should be a great college basketball game for this early in the year," Prosser said. "Last year, we proved we had more than our hands full. They're very, very good. Hopefully, we'll play well and it'll be a great game."

This is Wake Forest's third game this week, including a trip to Temple on Monday, so perhaps Prosser's players simply looked past Elon.

"Coach doesn't let us overlook anybody," said point guard Chris Paul, who had a career-high 11 assists against Elon. "That didn't happen."

Prosser hopes Paul and his teammates can get back to having fun on the court. The high expectations might have something to do with that, and making sure that changes is another of Prosser's goals.

"I've seen it, where no matter what you do, it's not enough," he said. "You're supposed to enjoy it. I don't want it to become stressful, even when we're playing in pressure-packed situations."

 

[Ego74]

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</TD><TD width="3" nowrap="nowrap"></TD><TD valign="top">Got Game? Horns Test Mettle At Wake Forest
By Bill Frisbie
Date: Dec 17, 2004

Small forward and Raleigh-native P.J. Tucker knows all about North Carolina basketball, and he knows how to get inside teammates' heads when Texas travels to No. 5/6 Wake Forest Saturday. He simply reminds them that East Coast hoopsters are convinced they are the only ones who "got game."
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"He's just trying to get us motivated by throwing the 'east coast' word out there," freshman G <!--Default NodeId For Daniel Gibson is 1501101,2004-->Daniel Gibson said.



As if motivation was necessary. Consider this: half of the teams currently ranked in the Associated Press Top 10 are from the ACC and<!--Default NodeId For Wake Forest is 361,2004--> Wake Forest is the pre-season pick to win it all (as in league title and national champs). The Demon Deacons boast what is widely considered the best backcourt in college hoops with sophomore G<!--Default NodeId For Chris Paul is 1581205,2004--> Chris Paul and junior G <!--Default NodeId For Justin Gray is 1581234,2004-->Justin Gray.

Need additional motivation? Gray and Paul gave Tucker an earful about Saturday's matchup last summer as teammates on the USA Basketball World Championship for Young Men qualifying team, even though<!--Default NodeId For Texas is 371,2004--> Texas upset No. 4 Wake Forest 94-81 in Austin last January.

"They were talking a lot of trash," Tucker grinned, "but it was friendly stuff."

The "friendly stuff" will take a temporary hiatus when the two nationally ranked teams (Texas is No. 12/14 this week) tip-off at 1 p.m. (CST) on an ESPN national broadcast.

Winston-Salem is about an hour's drive from <!--Default NodeId For Rick Barnes is 1292856,2004-->Rick Barnes' hometown of Hickory, but the Texas coach is more concerned with throwing his young team into the kind of hostile hoops environment that Texas will face on nearly every Big 12 road game starting next month.

"I don't think there's going to be a better game to get us ready for the Big 12 than what we're going to see Saturday," Barnes said. "It's going to be a great atmosphere and it's a great arena. It's loud. They've got a great student support section there. It's going to be sold out. It'll be as good of a contest that we can get in to get us ready for the Big 12."

Until now, Texas has not played in front of a truly hostile crowd in forging a 7-1 mark. But Gibson said part of the reason he signed with Texas is to play in a game like this.

"I think that's the reason a lot of us chose to come to Texas because they know we'll play against a lot of powerhouse schools and teams that are ranked tops in the country," Gibson said. "That's what you're looking for. You want to be in that type of environment."

More than a homecoming for Tucker, the game represents another chance to show ACC schools that he's "got game". None of the ACC programs offered a scholarship and the sophomore has done well against a couple of their universities. As a true freshman, Tucker scored 21 points in Texas' win over Wake and then 10 points in Texas' NCAA Tourney victory over<!--Default For North Carolina is to ignore-->North Carolina to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.

"He had a great game against Wake here a year ago and he had a great game against North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament," Barnes said. "I hope he has a great game Saturday on Tobacco Road. I think he's played enough now to know that it doesn't matter about any of that but that he's got to go out and let his instincts work for him."

This is Tucker's first road game in the Tar Heel state since enrolling at Texas.

"I haven't been home in a while so I can't wait," Tucker said. "I know a lot of guys on the Wake Forest team. We beat them last year so they're hyped about playing us."

Paul was named the ACC Freshman of the Year last season, beating out Duke's <!--Default For Luol Deng is to ignore-->Luol Deng. He was also named National Freshman of the Year by several publications and is considered one of the nation's top point guards. He is his team's third-leading scorer at 12.1 ppg.

A first-team All-ACC selection in 2004, Gray leads his team in scoring with 15.3 ppg. The pre-season All-American candidate is one of the top three-point specialists in the country (hitting 45-of-106 this season, 43 percent). Gibson will draw his toughest defensive assignment (this side of<!--Default For Oklahoma State is to ignore--> Oklahoma State) when he matches up with Gray, but at least it will be a familiar draw. Both were teammates at the Nike All-American Camp last summer.

"I'm pretty familiar with him so it's going to be a lot of fun," Gibson said.

Wake Forest was ranked No. 1 in both major wire service polls but got tumped at No. 3/5 <!--Default For Illinois is to ignore-->Illinois, 91-73. The Illini took over the top spot while Wake has struggled as of late. The Demon Deacons eked out a 'W' at <!--Default For Temple is to ignore-->Temple, 67-64, and did not pull away from lowly regarded Elon College until late in the game Wednesday, 85-67. So incensed was coach<!--Default For Skip Prosser is to ignore--> Skip Prosser at his team's sloppy performance that he delivered a 30-minute tongue-lashing following the contest. In that one, Prosser sent starting forward Vytas Danelius to the lockerroom with 16 minutes left in the game, furious at Danelius for shouting an expletive as he came to the bench. Presumably, Prosser reminded his squad that a nationally ranked team which beat them badly last January would be in their house on Saturday.

"To go into their place and win a game like that would say a lot about the type of players you have on your team and the type of program you're trying to build," Gibson said. "Texas is trying to be an elite program. To do that, you've got to win."

Texas will tag-team three-year starting center <!--Default NodeId For Eric Williams is 1581209,2004-->Eric Williams (6-9) with fifth-year C Jason Klotz and freshman F LaMarcus Aldridge. The junior is Wake's second-leading scorer (15 ppg) and has seven blocked shots on the season.

"Williams is definitely the best post player we've played against up to this point," Barnes said. "They're a quick team that's going to put a lot of shooters out there so we're going to have to defense a lot of different things."

For my money, Aldridge is Texas' most-improved player since the start of the season. He'll grow up in a hurry Saturday.

"Coach Barnes will have everyone ready," Aldridge said. "He's letting us know that the defense needs to be strong, we need to box out, run the floor, play our game and we should be good."

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[Ego74]

play 3

Depaul -5 1/2......Depaul looks to bounce back after a disappointing loss at Northwestern, a game in which they were in control of most of the game. Depaul doesn't play again until dec 30th, so look for an all out effort today. UIC coaches and alumni have been claiming for years that Depaul has been "afraid" to play them, so this one should been intense.
UIC is 3-4 on the year, most people remember their near upset of Ga Tech in the opener. They have been mediocore since. Most recently, pounded at Duke by 33. Wonder how they bounce back. They are a less experienced team than recent Jimmy Collins coached teams, and it's shown as they are prone to scoring droughts on the road (51 pts @ bowling green, 55 @ duke, 60 @ ill. st)
Depaul has been improving with each game, thanks to big NBA Prospect Quintin Greer. Drake Deiner looks to regain his shooting touch. Both are experienced seniors. So. Sammy Mejia is also a key contributer. Also, they are sharing the ball and playing better as a team. More balanced than early on. The keys for Depaul today will be getting Deiner on track early, and to be the more aggresive team on both ends of the court. I believe they will and pull away in the 2nd half, when Ill Chi goes into one of their 2nd half droughts.

 

[Ego74]

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[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]DePaul, UIC ready to rekindle rivalry

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[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]December 18, 2004[/font]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]BY TONI GINNETTI Staff reporter <!-- Empty line is needed --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SCRIPT language=JavaScript src="http://a3.suntimes.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_jx.ads/www.suntimes.com/output/campus/@Top,Top1,TopLeft,Middle,Middle1,Bottom,x01,x02,x03,x04,x05,Frame1,Right1%21Middle"></SCRIPT><NOSCRIPT><AHREF="http://a3.suntimes.com/RealMedia/ads/click_nx.ads/www.suntimes.com/output/campus/@Middle?x"></a></NOSCRIPT>
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<!--publication CST -->[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]<!--pub_section SPT last modified 12/17/04 10:12 PM-->[/font]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]It might as well have been called ''rivalry week'' for DePaul.[/font]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]It ends today when DePaul hosts Illinois-Chicago, the newest but closest in proximity of the three ''rivals'' the Blue Demons will have faced in the last seven days.[/font]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]UIC and the Blue Demons have met only once -- in 1981, when Ray Meyer faced his son Tom, then the coach at UIC. The game was played at the then-Rosemont Horizon, but as UIC's home game. Father defeated son in that game.[/font]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Renewing the game was something UIC officials and coach Jimmy Collins have wanted for a long time, but it took a new administration at DePaul to bring it about -- along with a mutual respect between Collins and DePaul's Dave Leitao, who courted Collins assistant Gene Cross for his staff with Collins' blessing.[/font]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Their meeting today comes as the last members of the class Cross helped recruit to UIC are seniors, including Cedrick Banks and Armond Williams. Those Public League products will get a chance to play against DePaul's city products -- senior LeVar Seals, junior Marlon Brumfield and sophomore Lorenzo Thompson -- and the adrenaline is sure to be pumping for them.[/font]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]For DePaul (5-3), coming off two emotional games in a victory at Notre Dame and a loss at Northwestern, the game isn't about bragging rights. As it is for the Flames (3-4), it is about a necessary victory.[/font]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]''I'm from New York, so I don't care [about bragging rights],'' DePaul sophomore Sammy Mejia said. ''But people will hype it. It means something to me because I'm here now, but it probably means more to the guys who are from here. Everyone wants to feel they're the best in their city.''[/font]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Brumfield (Collins) and Thompson (Crane) are friends with and have played against many of UIC's players. ''I'm friends with Justin Bowen [6-6 junior from Marshall] and some of those guys,'' Brumfield said. ''I know it'll be a big game for them [playing DePaul].''[/font]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The Blue Demons have seen how emotions can affect outcomes. At Notre Dame, where they had not won since 1994, they kept the Joyce Center crowd from motivating the Irish by maintaining a lead and withstanding an Irish run in the second half.[/font]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]That they didn't do the same Wednesday at Northwestern helped the Wildcats gain an important 56-52 victory.[/font]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]''We didn't do a good job of keeping our composure,'' Mejia said. ''We took our foot off the gas pedal when we got [an eight-point lead] and took a back seat and didn't stay aggressive. We opened a door we should have closed, and they were in their home.[/font]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]''I'm upset because it's a game we lost, not a rivalry game we lost.''[/font]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The Demons won't play again until Dec. 30, when they host Rhode Island. They will have one more nonconference game Jan. 2 vs. Old Dominion before starting their final Conference USA season.[/font]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]''Last year coming into January, our record wasn't that great [6-4],'' Mejia said. ''But we got better. It boils down to how we practice, and we just haven't been consistent in practice. There's a correlation between how you practice and how you play.[/font]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]''But you can't do anything about the past. You only learn from it -- one step at a time.''[/font]

<!--captionMarlon Brumfield (44) is one of several Blue Demons familiar with many of UIC's players from their days in the Public League. --JON SALL/ SUN-TIMES -->



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[Ego74]

<!--StartFragment --> uiet but effective
By Lindsey Willhite Daily Herald Sports Writer
Posted Saturday, December 18, 2004

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</TD></TR><TR><TD class=caption align=right>Associated Press</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>The story sounds so out of character for Quemont Greer, it has to be false.

Eyewitnesses insist that, during a crucial second-half juncture in last Saturday's unexpected win at Notre Dame, Greer pulled up at the top of the key and swished a 3-pointer.

Then, as he headed back down the court, Greer allegedly put his index finger to his lips and told the Irish's sellout crowd to shush.

No way. Not this DePaul senior.

In this era of "look-at-me" players - guys who'd rather play to the camera or the crowd than play for their school - Greer has been a combo forward from a yesteryear when players shot first and asked questions never.

When the 6-foot-7, 240-pound Milwaukee native arrived at DePaul four years ago, the national top-50 recruit was quiet. Almost painfully so.

"When we got here," said DePaul assistant Gene Cross, "he was really to himself. He would come around to the office and not say anything."

"He's probably one of the more introverted people I've ever come across in the gym," said DePaul head coach Dave Leitao, who has been part of the college game for 25 years.

Last season, during an intense DePaul practice down the stretch, Leitao rode and rode the starters until Greer finally boiled over. For him.

Without making eye contact, Greer mumbled an angry retort to one of his coach's critiques. Leitao felt he had finally broken through.

"I've been waiting all year to see something like that from you!" Leitao yelled.

What started with that trickle has gradually grown into a stream.

"Now he'll come around to the office and sit down and talk about whatever," Cross said.

Or, maybe, it's just a creek.

"Mostly, I keep quiet," Greer said. "When it's needed, I'll be there and I'll say things. But most of the time, I'm still my same self."

But Greer's game isn't remotely the same.

Last year, he worked the post and the baseline to score 12.6 points and grab 7.4 rebounds per night. He strayed outside occasionally, but his 7-for-51 shooting from 3-point range (13.7 percent) suggested he didn't belong there.

This year, after shedding 10 pounds of flab and spending extra time on his perimeter game, Greer has become a player everyone loves to talk about.

He heads into today's intracity game against Illinois-Chicago averaging 20.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. He's shooting 57.7 percent from the field, including 8 of 14 from 3-point range.

With NBA scouts watching Wednesday's game at Northwestern, Greer reeled off 9 points in a 2-minute, 37-second stretch as he scored every which way.

He took a larger defender off the dribble and pulled up for a 10-foot jumper, swished an 18-foot jumper, posted up and hit a 12-foot fadeaway and capped his spree with a rainbow 3-pointer from the corner.

Greer finished with a game-high 20 points and 9 rebounds, and NU coach Bill Carmody lauded him for his yesteryear style.

"He's a very good player," Carmody said. "He can hurt you outside, he can hurt you inside. He seems more mature than a lot of guys out there. He's not the most athletic guy in the world, he's just good.

"When he's 32 or whatever happens, he's going to be good when he's 40, that guy, because he's skillful and he's tough. We didn't really have any answers for him."

None of DePaul's last five opponents have. Greer has scored at least 20 points in each of his last five games, and he tacked on 14 rebounds against Notre Dame.

But what about that other thing that happened at Notre Dame? Did he really tell the fans to hush?

"That's true," Greer said, a slow smile spreading across his face. "That's true."

Care to elaborate?

"It was a key point in the game," he said. "They were making their run. I hit a big shot to just quiet the crowd."

Quiet. Just how Greer likes it.

 

[Southpaw]

ego great stuff as usual...making h-capping easier for us all...any feel on a hard fought REAL low scoring game in KY?
I can't trust the decons...i think they may get pushed around on the boards in this spot. i will pass due to your opinion though
no opinion on chicago matchup here yet.

 

[Ego74]

leaning to the under, afraid the refs will take over ,and it'll turn into a FT shooting contest. Or both teams come out knocking down 3's. last yr. was VERY low scoring, the defenses clearly were ahead of the offenses. think it'll be a game in the 60's.

 

[Ego74]

adding Ga Tech -6.....Only concern is the late start on the West Coast. Ga Tech reminds me of the UK/Arkansas teams of the mid90's, ball pressure, guard play, athletic....belive they are even better than Illinois, and you know what the Illini did to the Zags. Turiaf will have be domnate. Zags are a nice 2nd tier team, but Jackets are the REAL DEAL.


UCLA -4 1/2.....Wolverines banged up and were exposed somewhat vs. Boston U. UCLA will be playng a smaller, quicker lineup with Thompson back in the lineup (at power forward). He won't play 35 minutes, but the smaller, quicker Bruins (at home) will give Michigan fits. UCLA beat a good Pepperdine team without Thompson. This will be a top 10 team this time next year. Rowland's got this team headed in the right direction. Amaker is no Coach K.
Purdue -4 1/2...Yeah, yeah, yeah, Purdue has stunk this yr. Everything points to the "balanced" Evanville Aces. Oh Yeah, Evansville beat Western Ky. at home last weekend. NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND!!!! Don't forget how bad Evansville was last yr. away from home. Evansville isn't ready to beat a gring it out Purdue team on neutral (if you wanna call it that) turf. This willbe a pro Purdue crowd, and remember, Associate coach Matt Painter is VERY familiar with Evansville. He never lost to them whle at Southern Illinois. Purdue is more physical and will play their hearts out for Gene Keady the rest of the season.