Some basketball

I haven't posted many basketball-related comments since the season began, so I thought it was about time.

*I'm getting fairly sick of hearing about how dominant the Big East Conference is. I confess that this season I sort of believed it to be true, but I was tired of hearing it anyway.

Turns out it's also not true. According to the numbers at RealtimeRPI, the Big East is the 3rd best conference.

The average ACC team is ranked 51st.
The average Big Ten (+1) team is also ranked 51st (behind ACC by about .2).
The Big East is 3rd, and far behind, with an average rank of 60.

Five Big East teams, from South Florida on down, really, really stink.

Alas, the SEC is the worst of the six power conferences, though the PAC-10 is close.


* All season I've thought point guard was UK's biggest worry. It probably is, but as of late I'm finally noticing that it's not so much the point guard play that's causing the trouble as it is the ball-handling from all 5 positions. They just seem too careless with the ball.

* I can't quite figure out why Jodie Meeks' performance has been such a surprise to the media. Yes, a 54-point game is amazing, and no one expected a 25 ppg average. But before his sophomore season it wasn't outrageous to expect 16 points, and thus 18 this year wouldn't have been outlandish, either. Combine that with the fact that he and Patterson are the only scoring threats, and it's not that big a surprise that he's up over 20 per game. I still expect his average to decline some...probably around 21 or 22 the rest of the year.

* The other day two of my co-workers were discussing that night's Rutgers/Louisville game. One guessed Louisville would win by 20, the other said 'probably about 12 to 15.' They then asked for my prediction.
I asked "who are they playing? Rutgers? Let's see, I'll guess, ummm... 63 to 14."

Not a very accurate guess, but it was fun twisting the knife a little.