11 Temmuz 2012 Çarşamba
Hoyas find a way to put the train back on the tracks with a 69-49 win over St. John's
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10 Temmuz 2012 Salı
9 Temmuz 2012 Pazartesi
Guest Contributor Ray Floriani -- Siena at St. Peter's
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by Ray Floriani
Jersey City, NJ- The MAAC opener for both Siena and St. Peter's was played Thursday night at St. Peter's in Jersey City. While it is still early, the conference teams play two games prior to the new year. Getting off to a good start in league play is vital.
St. Peter's took advantage of home court and some outstanding defense posting a 51-44 victory. The pace and efficiency:
Basic grind it out style of play as noted by the extremely low count of 54 turnovers. The key for St. Peter's in this one…
Defense.
To little surprise St. Peter's limited Siena to an 82 offensive efficiency, the Peacocks forced a 26% turnover rate and limited the visitors to a 38% eFG mark. Siena shot 3 of 18 (16.7%) from three point range.
Siena trailed by 16 early in the second half but was able to tie it in the stretch. They never were able to get a lead which was significant from a momentum standpoint.
The Saints excelled at…offensive rebounding. They enjoyed a 39-25% edge in that area.
Chris Prescott of St. Peter's paced the scorers with 16 points. OD Anosike led Siena with a strong 12 point 10 rebound effort.
Manley efficiency leader.
Yvon Raymond of St. Peter's. Raymond put up a 'Manley' number of 18. He scored 15 points, pulled down 9 rebounds, had 2 assists, one block and only one turnover.
St. Peter's improved to 2-4 while Siena fell to the same won-lost record.
The coveted MAAC Championship Banner
Hangs in the Yanitelli Center in Jersey City
Jersey City, NJ- The MAAC opener for both Siena and St. Peter's was played Thursday night at St. Peter's in Jersey City. While it is still early, the conference teams play two games prior to the new year. Getting off to a good start in league play is vital.
St. Peter's took advantage of home court and some outstanding defense posting a 51-44 victory. The pace and efficiency:
| Off. | ||
| Poss. | Eff. | |
| St. Peter's | 54 | 94 |
| Siena | 54 | 82 |
Basic grind it out style of play as noted by the extremely low count of 54 turnovers. The key for St. Peter's in this one…
Defense.
To little surprise St. Peter's limited Siena to an 82 offensive efficiency, the Peacocks forced a 26% turnover rate and limited the visitors to a 38% eFG mark. Siena shot 3 of 18 (16.7%) from three point range.
Siena trailed by 16 early in the second half but was able to tie it in the stretch. They never were able to get a lead which was significant from a momentum standpoint.
The Saints excelled at…offensive rebounding. They enjoyed a 39-25% edge in that area.
Chris Prescott of St. Peter's paced the scorers with 16 points. OD Anosike led Siena with a strong 12 point 10 rebound effort.
Manley efficiency leader.
Yvon Raymond of St. Peter's. Raymond put up a 'Manley' number of 18. He scored 15 points, pulled down 9 rebounds, had 2 assists, one block and only one turnover.
St. Peter's improved to 2-4 while Siena fell to the same won-lost record.
The coveted MAAC Championship Banner
Hangs in the Yanitelli Center in Jersey City
Hierarchical diagrams read bottom to top; JAGS/BUGS code reads top to bottom
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Consider a generic model for simple linear regression. The data are metric values, modeled as coming from a normal distribution that has mean parameter μ=β0+β1x1 and precision parameter τ (=1/σ2). The priors on the intercept and slope parameters (β0 and β1) are normal, and the prior on the precision is gamma.
Notice that the description of the model started with the nature of the data, then described the likelihood function, then described the prior. This is the sequential order of description that makes sense for communicating to people. First you have to know the nature of the data being modeled. Next, you have to know the choice of likelihood function. For example, the metric data might have been modeled by a normal distribution, or by a log-normal distribution, or by a Weibull distribution, or by a t distribution, or whatever. Each of those likelihood functions has different parameters. Once the likelihood function is specified, with its corresponding parameters, then it makes sense to talk about the prior on those parameters.
The JAGS/BUGS code, in all the book's programs, specifies the model details in that order: from data, to likelihood, to prior. For example, here is the model specification for simple linear regression:
But, unlike the JAGS/BUGS code, the hierarchical diagrams in the book put the data at the bottom and the priors on the top. This might feel "upside down" relative to the JAGS/BUGS code, but the diagrams are forced to be this way because of pre-existing conventions for drawing probability distributions. The convention is to put the parameter axis on the abscissa (x axis), with the probability density on the ordinate (y axis). Therefore the parameter being modeled must be oriented at the bottom, and the parameters describing the density must be at the top, like this:
Therefore, the hierarchical diagrams should always be read starting at the bottom, then working upward.
Notice that the description of the model started with the nature of the data, then described the likelihood function, then described the prior. This is the sequential order of description that makes sense for communicating to people. First you have to know the nature of the data being modeled. Next, you have to know the choice of likelihood function. For example, the metric data might have been modeled by a normal distribution, or by a log-normal distribution, or by a Weibull distribution, or by a t distribution, or whatever. Each of those likelihood functions has different parameters. Once the likelihood function is specified, with its corresponding parameters, then it makes sense to talk about the prior on those parameters.
The JAGS/BUGS code, in all the book's programs, specifies the model details in that order: from data, to likelihood, to prior. For example, here is the model specification for simple linear regression:
But, unlike the JAGS/BUGS code, the hierarchical diagrams in the book put the data at the bottom and the priors on the top. This might feel "upside down" relative to the JAGS/BUGS code, but the diagrams are forced to be this way because of pre-existing conventions for drawing probability distributions. The convention is to put the parameter axis on the abscissa (x axis), with the probability density on the ordinate (y axis). Therefore the parameter being modeled must be oriented at the bottom, and the parameters describing the density must be at the top, like this:Therefore, the hierarchical diagrams should always be read starting at the bottom, then working upward.Graphical model diagrams in Doing Bayesian Data Analysis versus traditional convention
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In this post I contrast conventions for illustrating hierarchical models. On the one hand, there is the traditional convention as used, for example, by DoodleBUGS. On the other hand, there is the style used in Doing Bayesian Data Analysis (DBDA). I explain the advantages of the style in DBDA.
Consider a generic model for Bayesian linear regression. The graphical model diagram in DBDA looks like this:
A corresponding graphical model diagram in DoodleBUGS looks something like this:
The DoodleBUGS diagrams are much like conventional graphical diagrams used in computer science and statistics.
Which diagram is better for explaining the model? For me, it's the diagrams in DBDA.
Which diagram is better for understanding the corresponding JAGS/BUGS model specification? For me, it's the diagrams in DBDA. The key reason is that the diagrams in DBDA have a much more direct correspondence to lines of code in JAGS/BUGS: (Usually) each arrow in the DBDA diagram corresponds to a line of code in the JAGS/BUGS model specificaion. Notice in the DBDA diagram above, there are five arrows. Each arrow has a corresponding line of code in the model specification:
Notice that the DoodleBUGS diagram also has five arrows, but those arrows have no direct correspondence to the model specification! In particular, there is no line of code that says y is related to tau, and a separate line of code that says y is related mu, and a separate line of code that says mu is related to alpha, and another line of code that says mu is related to beta.
The style of diagrams in DBDA are a direct expression of the conceptual distributions and dependencies in the model. And, if you can draw such a picture, it is relatively straightforward to express it in JAGS/BUGS. But the conventional diagrams like DoodleBUGS leave out a huge amount of important conceptual information, and provide little guidance for how to express the model in JAGS/BUGS. Thus, both pedagogically and practically, I prefer the diagrams in DBDA.
One thing that might be improved in the DBDA diagrams is the specification of iteration. In its current form, iteration is indicated ambiguously with an ellipsis that does not indicate explicitly which index is being iterated. In some hierarchical models it can be unclear which index is implied. This could be clarified by using some sort of "plate" notation like what is used in DoodleBUGS, but when plates are drawn in the DBDA diagrams, the overall effect gets visually messy. A simple fix is simply to indicate the index and its limits next to the ellipsis.
Consider a generic model for Bayesian linear regression. The graphical model diagram in DBDA looks like this:
 |
| Graphical diagram in Doing Bayesian Data Analysis. |
 |
| Graphical diagram from DoodleBUGS. |
Which diagram is better for explaining the model? For me, it's the diagrams in DBDA.
- The diagrams in DBDA show at a glance what the distribution is for each variable. By contrast, the diagrams in DoodleBUGS do not show the distributions at all. Instead, you have to cross reference the equations, shown elsewhere.
- The diagrams in DBDA show which parameters "live together" in the same distribution. For example, μi and τ are seen to be the mean and precision of the same normal distribution. By contrast, the diagrams in DoodleBUGS do not show which distributions the parameters "live in". For example, we do not know from the diagram whether μi and τ are in the same distribution or not. To find out, you have to look the equations, shown elsewhere.
- There are other explanatory advantages of the format in DBDA. In particular, the icons of the distributions show directly whether a variable is discrete or continuous, and its range. For example, the icon of the gamma distribution shows that the variable is continuous and has a lower bound. The icon of the Bernoulli distribution (not illustrated here, but repeatedly in the book) shows that the variable has two discrete values. By contrast, conventional diagrams like DoodleBUGS indicate continuous versus discrete by the arbitrary shape of the figure that surrounds the variable: oval for continuous and square for discrete. Or was it oval for discrete and square for continuous? It's easy to get confused by arbitrary conventions.
Which diagram is better for understanding the corresponding JAGS/BUGS model specification? For me, it's the diagrams in DBDA. The key reason is that the diagrams in DBDA have a much more direct correspondence to lines of code in JAGS/BUGS: (Usually) each arrow in the DBDA diagram corresponds to a line of code in the JAGS/BUGS model specificaion. Notice in the DBDA diagram above, there are five arrows. Each arrow has a corresponding line of code in the model specification:
Notice that the DoodleBUGS diagram also has five arrows, but those arrows have no direct correspondence to the model specification! In particular, there is no line of code that says y is related to tau, and a separate line of code that says y is related mu, and a separate line of code that says mu is related to alpha, and another line of code that says mu is related to beta.The style of diagrams in DBDA are a direct expression of the conceptual distributions and dependencies in the model. And, if you can draw such a picture, it is relatively straightforward to express it in JAGS/BUGS. But the conventional diagrams like DoodleBUGS leave out a huge amount of important conceptual information, and provide little guidance for how to express the model in JAGS/BUGS. Thus, both pedagogically and practically, I prefer the diagrams in DBDA.
One thing that might be improved in the DBDA diagrams is the specification of iteration. In its current form, iteration is indicated ambiguously with an ellipsis that does not indicate explicitly which index is being iterated. In some hierarchical models it can be unclear which index is implied. This could be clarified by using some sort of "plate" notation like what is used in DoodleBUGS, but when plates are drawn in the DBDA diagrams, the overall effect gets visually messy. A simple fix is simply to indicate the index and its limits next to the ellipsis.
Courses that use Doing Bayesian Data Analysis?
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Instructors seek examples of using the book, Doing Bayesian Data Analysis, as part of a course. A cursory web search yielded these few listed below, but there must be others. For example, my own course web page did not show up in the search, nor did another course from which a published review of the book arose. Please let me know of other courses that use the book, and I will update this list in a subsequent post.
- Applied Bayesian Modeling for the Social Sciences, Dave Armstrong
- Bayesian Methods, Nick Beauchamp
- Statistical & Cognitive Modeling for Formal Semantics, Adrian Brasoveanu
- Introduction to Bayesian Analysis, Brad Carlin
- Doing Bayesian Data Analysis, John Kruschke
- Applied Bayesian Statistics, Marco Steenbergen
- Statistics VI, Tuerlinckx and Vanpaemel (from which this book review arose)
- Bayesian Data Analysis, Uppsala University
It's getting warmer in Wisconsin!
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As an illustration of how straight forward it is in JAGS/BUGS to fit non-linear trends to data, I estimated the parameters of a sinusoid-plus-linear trend when fit to average daily temperatures. The temperatures are for Madison, Wisconsin, in honor of my Bayesian analysis workshop there next week. Conclusion: Both the approaching workshop and the linear trend in the temperatures indicate that it's getting warmer in Wisconsin!
Here (below) are the data (obtained from the University of Dayton Average Daily Temperature Archive) with a smattering of credible regression curves superimposed on the data. There are 20 curves, each using different parameter combinations from 20 widely-separated steps in the MCMC chain.
The panels at the bottom of the figure show the marginal posterior distributions of the parameters. In particular, the linear trend parameter is credibly non-zero, and suggests that on average over the last 17 years, the average daily temperature has increased by 0.059 degrees Fahrenheit per year (i.e., about 0.59 degrees per decade).
Details:
Here is the JAGS model statement:
model {
for( i in 1 : Ndata ) {
y[i] ~ dt( mu[i] , tau , nu )
mu[i] <- beta0 + beta1 * x[i] + amp * cos( ( x[i] - thresh ) / wl )
}
beta0 ~ dnorm( 0 , 1.0E-12 )
beta1 ~ dnorm( 0 , 1.0E-12 )
tau ~ dgamma( 0.001 , 0.001 )
amp ~ dunif(0,50)
thresh ~ dunif(-183,183)
nu <- nuMinusOne + 1
nuMinusOne ~ dexp(1/29)
}
The predicted value, mu, is a linear trend, beta0 + beta1 * x[i], plus a sinusoidal deviation, amp * cos( ( x[i] - thresh ) / wl ). Notice that the data are assumed to be distributed as a t distribution, not as a normal distribution, around the predicted value mu. The heavy tails of a t distribution accommodate outliers. The df parameter of the t distribution, nu, is estimated from the data. (I put an exponential prior on nu; you can read more about "robust estimation" in this article.) In this version of the model, I assumed a fixed wavelength of 365.24219 days per cycle. That's a "tropical year". Hence the wl parameter in the model was set at 365.24219/(2*pi) to convert to radians. In other versions I estimated wl and it came out to be very close to the duration of a tropical year.
Quibbles:
Maybe the linear trend is an artifact because of the arbitrary alignment of start and stop dates on the cycle. Two reasons to doubt this explanation. First, the sinusoidal component is supposed to "soak up" variance due to the cycle, thereby reducing influence of end points of the data. Second, as a check, I constructed an artificial data set that had zero linear trend, and examined the estimated linear coefficient. To do this, I took the 2003 data and concatenated that cycle to itself 17 times. Therefore the artificial data had the same sort of alignment issues as real data. The resulting estimate of the linear trend had zero very near its mode.
The sinusoid doesn't seem to capture the actual shape of the temperature cycle very accurately. The extremes in the actual temperatures seem to go beyond the peaks in the sinusoidal curve. The tails of the t distribution accommodate the high extremes in summer and the low extremes in winter, but the temperatures are not symmetrically distributed around mu throughout the year. If anyone can tell me a better model of annual temperature trends (that's also easy to write in JAGS for demo purposes), please let me know.
The data violate the assumption of independence in the model. The model assumes that, on each day, the temperature is a random draw from a t distribution centered on mu, with no influence from the temperature of the previous day. Clearly this is wrong as a description of real temperatures. Does this mean the model is utterly useless and uninterpretable? Maybe not. We can think of the likelihood function, which multiplies together the t-distribution densities of all the data points, merely as a measure of fit rather than as a generative model of data. The estimated parameters tell us about the descriptive fit, not about the process that generated the data. Maybe.
Here (below) are the data (obtained from the University of Dayton Average Daily Temperature Archive) with a smattering of credible regression curves superimposed on the data. There are 20 curves, each using different parameter combinations from 20 widely-separated steps in the MCMC chain.
The panels at the bottom of the figure show the marginal posterior distributions of the parameters. In particular, the linear trend parameter is credibly non-zero, and suggests that on average over the last 17 years, the average daily temperature has increased by 0.059 degrees Fahrenheit per year (i.e., about 0.59 degrees per decade).
Details:
Here is the JAGS model statement:
model {
for( i in 1 : Ndata ) {
y[i] ~ dt( mu[i] , tau , nu )
mu[i] <- beta0 + beta1 * x[i] + amp * cos( ( x[i] - thresh ) / wl )
}
beta0 ~ dnorm( 0 , 1.0E-12 )
beta1 ~ dnorm( 0 , 1.0E-12 )
tau ~ dgamma( 0.001 , 0.001 )
amp ~ dunif(0,50)
thresh ~ dunif(-183,183)
nu <- nuMinusOne + 1
nuMinusOne ~ dexp(1/29)
}
The predicted value, mu, is a linear trend, beta0 + beta1 * x[i], plus a sinusoidal deviation, amp * cos( ( x[i] - thresh ) / wl ). Notice that the data are assumed to be distributed as a t distribution, not as a normal distribution, around the predicted value mu. The heavy tails of a t distribution accommodate outliers. The df parameter of the t distribution, nu, is estimated from the data. (I put an exponential prior on nu; you can read more about "robust estimation" in this article.) In this version of the model, I assumed a fixed wavelength of 365.24219 days per cycle. That's a "tropical year". Hence the wl parameter in the model was set at 365.24219/(2*pi) to convert to radians. In other versions I estimated wl and it came out to be very close to the duration of a tropical year.
Quibbles:
Maybe the linear trend is an artifact because of the arbitrary alignment of start and stop dates on the cycle. Two reasons to doubt this explanation. First, the sinusoidal component is supposed to "soak up" variance due to the cycle, thereby reducing influence of end points of the data. Second, as a check, I constructed an artificial data set that had zero linear trend, and examined the estimated linear coefficient. To do this, I took the 2003 data and concatenated that cycle to itself 17 times. Therefore the artificial data had the same sort of alignment issues as real data. The resulting estimate of the linear trend had zero very near its mode.
The sinusoid doesn't seem to capture the actual shape of the temperature cycle very accurately. The extremes in the actual temperatures seem to go beyond the peaks in the sinusoidal curve. The tails of the t distribution accommodate the high extremes in summer and the low extremes in winter, but the temperatures are not symmetrically distributed around mu throughout the year. If anyone can tell me a better model of annual temperature trends (that's also easy to write in JAGS for demo purposes), please let me know.
The data violate the assumption of independence in the model. The model assumes that, on each day, the temperature is a random draw from a t distribution centered on mu, with no influence from the temperature of the previous day. Clearly this is wrong as a description of real temperatures. Does this mean the model is utterly useless and uninterpretable? Maybe not. We can think of the likelihood function, which multiplies together the t-distribution densities of all the data points, merely as a measure of fit rather than as a generative model of data. The estimated parameters tell us about the descriptive fit, not about the process that generated the data. Maybe.
8 Temmuz 2012 Pazar
Delaware Post Game -- The Juniors
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On the Other Hand
In the 78-59 blowout Villanova handed Delaware in late December of last season, a few Blue Hens got a bit chippy at the end. Playing before a mellow crowd in the undersold Wells Fargo Center did not provide the electricity usually associated with Philadelphia's downtown pro venue. Maybe it was the disappointment or maybe it was the fact that the game was uncompetitive virtually from the tip-off, but the Blue Hens, staff and players were unhappy with the experience and made no effort to hide it. This season the game was completely different. The game was scheduled earlier (by a month), the venue a more intimate Pavilion on Villanova's campus and the contest much, much closer. The Hens had a year to focus their frustration and the results showed last night as Delaware still lost by double digits, 79-69, but went down fighting (figuratively speaking), holding the margin to the 8-10 range from the 35:00 mark in. Blue Hen guard Devon Saddler recorded the game-high 27 points on 10-26 (3-10, 7-16) shooting from the court and 2-4 from the line. 'Cat guards Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek notched 21 points apiece, team-high for the host.
The Wildcats took the first 5:52 to jump out to a 14-5 lead, in a tease that hinted at another 20+ win. The flow ground to a halt for the next 5:52 however, as the Blue Hens outscored Nova by a 4-1 margin on an ugly sequence that featured four points on eight possessions by Delaware and one point on seven possessions by Villanova. Though the 'Cats took a 14 point edge into the half-time break, the margin was based on a Villanova 8-3 run in the last 2:21 of the half. The second half featured a 16-6 Delaware run in the first 4:34, and while the two teams did not fall into another high-possession low-scoring funk, the Wildcats were not able to sustain a scoring run that could create the separation necessary to demoralize the Blue Hens. The teams hovered at the ten point margin for much of the last three minutes of play.
My last paragraphs echo the disappointment registered by the bloggers over at VUHoops.com and The Nova Blog, both of whom felt the winning margin should have been greater than 10 points. We should probably shut up; no point in giving Coach Monte Ross more bulletin board material. The University site posted their AP wire story. The official boxscore indicates that Throw Your V's Up blog can tally this one in the 0>10 "Home" column. The blog features an excellent breakdown on how the Wildcats performed in close games last season. The breakdown by halves
Half Time Adjustments
Villanova's first half can be traced to efficient shot (eFG% ) conversion, and tight defense. Note Delaware's 37.9% eFG% (nerves?) combined with low offensive rebounding (30%) and high turnover rate (24%). The Hens had few shot opportunities, and when they shot they neither converted nor did they get many second chances. If Villanova was not as dominant as they were versus Monmouth, they nevertheless converted well, rebounded their misses and did not turn the ball over much. Notice the second half collapse of Villanova's defense. The Blue Hens managed to score 45 points on just over 32 possessions. Last season that would have killed Villanova.
Notes & Observations
1. The staff started four guards for the fourth straight game (last exhibition plus three regular season games), using Wayns at the point with Bell playing the "#4" and Darrun Hilliard along with Dominic Cheek rotating between the #2 and the #3. Hilliard logged 27 minutes last night, down slightly from the tighter La Salle game. The staff shows a lot of confidence in the freshman, keeping him in the game when the score is closer. A total of 10 players were used, alloted playing time ranging from three minutes (freshman Ty Johnson) up to 36 minutes (Wayns). The three junior starters logged an average of 33.3 minutes apiece, as opposed to the other seven players who average 14.3 minutes apiece...remember Hilliard got 24 of those minutes, while freshman JayVaughn Pinkston played for another 19 minutes.
2. Among the junior starters, Yarou stepped into the "offensive engine" role, taking over 30% of the possessions and 33% of the shots in a very un "Guard U"-like performance. Wayns stepped back and worked on setting up the team a bit more (28% assist rate) while taking about 28% of the possessions and 24% of the shots. His efficiency exploded. Cheek (24% Shot%, 23% Poss%) logged numbers consistent with prior games, again suggesting his role will grow this season and he responded with another efficient scoring night (62.5% eFG%). Yarou was not as efficient, most likely due to turnovers (he had two). Pinkston, the other front court option, had a night of growing pains, going 0-6 from the field with two turnovers.
3. Rebounding was an issue for the first time this season as the 'Cats were outrebounded, 34-36, by the Hens. Note the table above, the big letdown was in the second half, where Villanova allowed Delaware to grab 50% of the Blue Hen misses, about 17% more than the Division I average, and 20% more than usual for Villanova.
On the Other Hand
In the 78-59 blowout Villanova handed Delaware in late December of last season, a few Blue Hens got a bit chippy at the end. Playing before a mellow crowd in the undersold Wells Fargo Center did not provide the electricity usually associated with Philadelphia's downtown pro venue. Maybe it was the disappointment or maybe it was the fact that the game was uncompetitive virtually from the tip-off, but the Blue Hens, staff and players were unhappy with the experience and made no effort to hide it. This season the game was completely different. The game was scheduled earlier (by a month), the venue a more intimate Pavilion on Villanova's campus and the contest much, much closer. The Hens had a year to focus their frustration and the results showed last night as Delaware still lost by double digits, 79-69, but went down fighting (figuratively speaking), holding the margin to the 8-10 range from the 35:00 mark in. Blue Hen guard Devon Saddler recorded the game-high 27 points on 10-26 (3-10, 7-16) shooting from the court and 2-4 from the line. 'Cat guards Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek notched 21 points apiece, team-high for the host.
The Wildcats took the first 5:52 to jump out to a 14-5 lead, in a tease that hinted at another 20+ win. The flow ground to a halt for the next 5:52 however, as the Blue Hens outscored Nova by a 4-1 margin on an ugly sequence that featured four points on eight possessions by Delaware and one point on seven possessions by Villanova. Though the 'Cats took a 14 point edge into the half-time break, the margin was based on a Villanova 8-3 run in the last 2:21 of the half. The second half featured a 16-6 Delaware run in the first 4:34, and while the two teams did not fall into another high-possession low-scoring funk, the Wildcats were not able to sustain a scoring run that could create the separation necessary to demoralize the Blue Hens. The teams hovered at the ten point margin for much of the last three minutes of play.
My last paragraphs echo the disappointment registered by the bloggers over at VUHoops.com and The Nova Blog, both of whom felt the winning margin should have been greater than 10 points. We should probably shut up; no point in giving Coach Monte Ross more bulletin board material. The University site posted their AP wire story. The official boxscore indicates that Throw Your V's Up blog can tally this one in the 0>10 "Home" column. The blog features an excellent breakdown on how the Wildcats performed in close games last season. The breakdown by halves
| Opponent | Delaware | |||||||||
| 1st | 2nd | Game | ||||||||
| Pace | 33.3 | 32.6 | 65.9 | |||||||
| Offense | Defense | |||||||||
| 1st | 2nd | Game | 1st | 2nd | Game | |||||
| Rating | 114.2 | 125.7 | 119.9 | 72.1 | 138.0 | 104.7 | ||||
| eFG% | 51.9 | 58.6 | 55.4 | 37.9 | 58.3 | 49.2 | ||||
| TORate | 15.0 | 15.3 | 15.2 | 24.0 | 15.3 | 19.7 | ||||
| OR% | 27.8 | 42.9 | 34.4 | 30.0 | 50.0 | 39.5 | ||||
| FTA/FGA | 51.9 | 27.6 | 39.3 | 13.8 | 8.3 | 10.8 | ||||
| FTM/FGA | 37.0 | 24.1 | 30.4 | 6.9 | 8.3 | 7.7 | ||||
| ARate | 75.0 | 66.7 | 70.4 | 70.0 | 64.7 | 66.7 | ||||
| Blk% | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 6.9 | 5.6 | 6.2 | ||||
| Stl% | 3.0 | 12.6 | 7.6 | 18.2 | 6.0 | 12.1 | ||||
| PPWS | 1.13 | 1.25 | 1.19 | 0.78 | 1.20 | 1.01 | ||||
| 2FG% | 53.3 | 57.9 | 55.9 | 50.0 | 52.9 | 51.5 | ||||
| 3FG% | 33.3 | 40.0 | 36.4 | 15.4 | 42.1 | 31.3 | ||||
| FT% | 71.4 | 87.5 | 77.3 | 50.0 | 100.0 | 71.4 | ||||
| %2FG | 42.1 | 53.7 | 48.1 | 66.7 | 40.0 | 49.3 | ||||
| %3FG | 31.6 | 29.3 | 30.4 | 25.0 | 53.3 | 43.5 | ||||
| %FT | 26.3 | 17.1 | 21.5 | 8.3 | 6.7 | 7.2 | ||||
Half Time Adjustments
Villanova's first half can be traced to efficient shot (eFG% ) conversion, and tight defense. Note Delaware's 37.9% eFG% (nerves?) combined with low offensive rebounding (30%) and high turnover rate (24%). The Hens had few shot opportunities, and when they shot they neither converted nor did they get many second chances. If Villanova was not as dominant as they were versus Monmouth, they nevertheless converted well, rebounded their misses and did not turn the ball over much. Notice the second half collapse of Villanova's defense. The Blue Hens managed to score 45 points on just over 32 possessions. Last season that would have killed Villanova.
Notes & Observations
1. The staff started four guards for the fourth straight game (last exhibition plus three regular season games), using Wayns at the point with Bell playing the "#4" and Darrun Hilliard along with Dominic Cheek rotating between the #2 and the #3. Hilliard logged 27 minutes last night, down slightly from the tighter La Salle game. The staff shows a lot of confidence in the freshman, keeping him in the game when the score is closer. A total of 10 players were used, alloted playing time ranging from three minutes (freshman Ty Johnson) up to 36 minutes (Wayns). The three junior starters logged an average of 33.3 minutes apiece, as opposed to the other seven players who average 14.3 minutes apiece...remember Hilliard got 24 of those minutes, while freshman JayVaughn Pinkston played for another 19 minutes.
2. Among the junior starters, Yarou stepped into the "offensive engine" role, taking over 30% of the possessions and 33% of the shots in a very un "Guard U"-like performance. Wayns stepped back and worked on setting up the team a bit more (28% assist rate) while taking about 28% of the possessions and 24% of the shots. His efficiency exploded. Cheek (24% Shot%, 23% Poss%) logged numbers consistent with prior games, again suggesting his role will grow this season and he responded with another efficient scoring night (62.5% eFG%). Yarou was not as efficient, most likely due to turnovers (he had two). Pinkston, the other front court option, had a night of growing pains, going 0-6 from the field with two turnovers.
3. Rebounding was an issue for the first time this season as the 'Cats were outrebounded, 34-36, by the Hens. Note the table above, the big letdown was in the second half, where Villanova allowed Delaware to grab 50% of the Blue Hen misses, about 17% more than the Division I average, and 20% more than usual for Villanova.
Guest Contributor Ray Floriani -- At the Coaches vs Cancer
To contact us Click HERE
by Ray Floriani
NEW YORK CITY -- The Coaches vs. Cancer final could be analyzed and dissected in several ways. The point that stands out is the second half effort by Mississippi State.
Lady Antebullum can wait
for two days it was college hoops at MSG
The Bulldogs expanded a one point half time lead, held Arizona to 23 second half points and went on to post a 67-57 championship game winning performance.
The possessions and efficiency:
A further look at the two halves is necessary to illustrate the job Mississippi State on both ends of the floor those final twenty minutes.
Both teams cared for the ball very well as Mississippi State was 14% in TO rate while Arizona came in with a creditable 16%. Bulldogs of the SEC were a bit stronger in the paint. They had a29-24% in offensive rebounding percentage and made more trips to the line with a 19-9% advantage in free throw rate.
Victorious, Mississippi State celebrates
There was one tie and Arizona never led. Still, the Wildcats were right there until Mississippi State pulled away in the waning minutes. Largely on defense as the second half efficiency shows.
Ray with Arizona cheerleaders
The Scores:
Observations of the Tempo Free Variety:
Following the consolation loss to Texas A&M, St. John's coach Steve Lavin noted how his team did a better job in the turnover (commission) department. Not that much better. An analogy would be if 70 is a passing grade, a student getting a 45 on a test then next time out getting a 60, shows improvement. Yes the latter exam was better , but both grades are failing.
Against Arizona the Red storm coughed the ball up 17 times. The number was 14 against A&M. But getting a better look at turnover rate, the percentage of possessions ending in a TO, we get the following numbers:
Granted the rate decreased but 20% is the cutoff. Twenty per cent or over is an unacceptable TO rate for an offense.
In the huddle
St. John's Steve Lavin and assistant Mike Dunlap (r)
go over adjustments during a time out.
Good defense by Mississippi state in the semifinal as well. They limited Texas A&M to an 88 offensive efficiency. State's big man Renardo Sidney received praise from coach Rick Stansbury for his hustle. Sidney, however, had a forgettable 3 point night against A&M, fueled by 0 for 8 shooting from the floor.
A 109 offensive efficiency usually wins games. In the semifinal meeting with Arizona, it didn't do the job for St. John's. The Wildcats of the Pac 12 posted an outstanding 127 offensive efficiency.
St. John's shot 51% from the field while Arizona was checking in at 42%. The eFG gives us a better read. Red Storm did go for 54% in that category but the Wildcats were 53% thanks to a 14 of 29 mark from beyond the arc. In fact 48% of Arizona's points came from three. While St. John's had only 13% of their points from a similar range.
Those 'first four' can often set the tone and tell us something important. First four minutes of the Texas A&M-Mississippi state game were crucial and eventually proved decisive. State hit three shots from long distance en route to a 15-5 lead . Texas A&M was never able to recover.
Free throw rates jumped off the stat sheet when assessing St. John's. they were 45% against Arizona and 51% in the consolation. The free throw rate divides made free throws by field goal attempts. Against A&M, St. John's shot 22 of 38 9no typo) from the line while the Aggies were 2 of 3.
St. John's has outstanding, aggressive dribble penetration that draws fouls and gets them to the line. Texas A&M Coach Billy Kennedy did not complain about the disparity but when asked simply smiled and said, "I really like New York so I won't get into it ."
Both games St. John's allowed a +40 in offensive rebound percentage. Arizona was 43% while Texas A&M came in at 46%. With a smaller lineup and limited depth, inside play will be a challenge for St. John's. Especially in Big East contests.
Both nights, Arizona's TO percentage was right on 16%. One of the main positives coach Sean Miller took from these games.
Tournament Honors (with their two day "Manley efficiency averages")...
Ray with the
the St. John's cheer squad
NEW YORK CITY -- The Coaches vs. Cancer final could be analyzed and dissected in several ways. The point that stands out is the second half effort by Mississippi State.
Lady Antebullum can wait
for two days it was college hoops at MSG
The Bulldogs expanded a one point half time lead, held Arizona to 23 second half points and went on to post a 67-57 championship game winning performance.
The possessions and efficiency:
| Off. | ||
| Poss. | Eff. | |
| Arizona | 62 | 92 |
| Mississippi State | 64 | 105 |
A further look at the two halves is necessary to illustrate the job Mississippi State on both ends of the floor those final twenty minutes.
| Efficiency by... | |||
| 1st | 2nd | Gme | |
| Arizona | 103 | 79 | 92 |
| Mississippi State | 103 | 107 | 105 |
Both teams cared for the ball very well as Mississippi State was 14% in TO rate while Arizona came in with a creditable 16%. Bulldogs of the SEC were a bit stronger in the paint. They had a29-24% in offensive rebounding percentage and made more trips to the line with a 19-9% advantage in free throw rate.
Victorious, Mississippi State celebrates
There was one tie and Arizona never led. Still, the Wildcats were right there until Mississippi State pulled away in the waning minutes. Largely on defense as the second half efficiency shows.
Ray with Arizona cheerleaders
The Scores:
| Semifinal Games... | ||||
| Mississippi St. | 69 | 60 | Texas A&M | |
| Arizona | 81 | 72 | St. John's | |
| Consolation Game... | ||||
| Texas A&M | 58 | 57 | St. John's | |
| Championship Game... | ||||
| Mississippi St. | 67 | 57 | Arizona | |
Observations of the Tempo Free Variety:
Following the consolation loss to Texas A&M, St. John's coach Steve Lavin noted how his team did a better job in the turnover (commission) department. Not that much better. An analogy would be if 70 is a passing grade, a student getting a 45 on a test then next time out getting a 60, shows improvement. Yes the latter exam was better , but both grades are failing.
Against Arizona the Red storm coughed the ball up 17 times. The number was 14 against A&M. But getting a better look at turnover rate, the percentage of possessions ending in a TO, we get the following numbers:
| vs. Arizona | 26% |
| vs. Texas A&M | 22% |
Granted the rate decreased but 20% is the cutoff. Twenty per cent or over is an unacceptable TO rate for an offense.
In the huddle
St. John's Steve Lavin and assistant Mike Dunlap (r)
go over adjustments during a time out.
Good defense by Mississippi state in the semifinal as well. They limited Texas A&M to an 88 offensive efficiency. State's big man Renardo Sidney received praise from coach Rick Stansbury for his hustle. Sidney, however, had a forgettable 3 point night against A&M, fueled by 0 for 8 shooting from the floor.
A 109 offensive efficiency usually wins games. In the semifinal meeting with Arizona, it didn't do the job for St. John's. The Wildcats of the Pac 12 posted an outstanding 127 offensive efficiency.
St. John's shot 51% from the field while Arizona was checking in at 42%. The eFG gives us a better read. Red Storm did go for 54% in that category but the Wildcats were 53% thanks to a 14 of 29 mark from beyond the arc. In fact 48% of Arizona's points came from three. While St. John's had only 13% of their points from a similar range.
Those 'first four' can often set the tone and tell us something important. First four minutes of the Texas A&M-Mississippi state game were crucial and eventually proved decisive. State hit three shots from long distance en route to a 15-5 lead . Texas A&M was never able to recover.
Free throw rates jumped off the stat sheet when assessing St. John's. they were 45% against Arizona and 51% in the consolation. The free throw rate divides made free throws by field goal attempts. Against A&M, St. John's shot 22 of 38 9no typo) from the line while the Aggies were 2 of 3.
St. John's has outstanding, aggressive dribble penetration that draws fouls and gets them to the line. Texas A&M Coach Billy Kennedy did not complain about the disparity but when asked simply smiled and said, "I really like New York so I won't get into it ."
Both games St. John's allowed a +40 in offensive rebound percentage. Arizona was 43% while Texas A&M came in at 46%. With a smaller lineup and limited depth, inside play will be a challenge for St. John's. Especially in Big East contests.
Both nights, Arizona's TO percentage was right on 16%. One of the main positives coach Sean Miller took from these games.
Tournament Honors (with their two day "Manley efficiency averages")...
| MVP | Arnett Moultrie, Miss. State | 20.0 |
| All Tournament Team: | ||
| Kourtney Roberson, Texas A&M | 10.0 | |
| Nurideen Lindsey, St. John's | 10.5 | |
| Jesse Perry, Arizona | 14.5 | |
| Dee Bost, Miss. State | 12.5 | |
Ray with the
the St. John's cheer squad
Guest Contributor Ray Floriani -- Legends Classic
To contact us Click HERE
by Ray Floriani
East Rutherford, NJ - The attendance on both nights of the Ticketcity Legends Classic was, to put it politely, sparse. Too bad. There were four close games that got sloppy at times, remember it is not even Thanksgiving, but were not short on excitement coming down to the wire.
outside the Izod Center
The Scores:
We will look at the final evening's consolation and championship games from the Izod Center.
The possessions and efficiency:
For the second straight night the Longhorns showed an efficiency that should win you a basketball game. But came up short. Unfortunately that was the case in each of Texas' games here. On Saturday they posted a gaudy 117 OE only to generously allow a 127 OE to Oregon State in that overtime affair. Both teams shot the ball well (Texas 52% eFG, NC State 50%) and cared for the ball rather well. Texas had a 19% TO rate while the Wolfpack of the ACC came in at 16%. Both numbers are what you would love to have in March, and are ecstatic about in November. Achilles heel for Texas, and it was noted by coach Rick Barnes, was the persistent fouling. NC State had an off the chart 75% FT rate. They shot 33 of 44 from the line.
NC state came back from 18 points down. They made the decisive run the latter part of the second half after Texas' J'Covan Brown fouled out. With the Texas lead guard exiled on fouls, the Longhorns were a different team. And one who could not hold off the surging Wolfpack.
Leading scorers:
Championship Game
Resilience was the key. Vanderbilt by as much as nine but in a game with nine ties and lead changes, Oregon State was determined not to go away. The decision was sealed in the final seconds on a jumper by Vanderbilt's Brad Tinsley. Chalk it up to Oregon State's persistence coupled with Vanderbilt's 'bull in a china shop' care of the basketball. The Commodores were guilty of 22 turnovers, translated, a ridiculously high 32% TO rate. Oregon State wasn't much better with a 24% TO mark. The SEC representatives also outshot Oregon State from the field with a 54-45% eFG mark. In a one possession outcome that is a big factor.
John Jenkins' 14 points for Vanderbilt, included a huge three pointer in the stretch. Jared Cunningham of Oregon State, entered the game with a 26 ppg scoring average, was held to nine points but did have seven steals.
Vanderbilt is a very good club at this juncture. One would be safe to assume, they will be even better when 6-11 Festus Ezeli returns from a knee injury and rejoins the Commodores in a few weeks.
Leading Scorers:
Upper press view of the Izod Center court
Jenkins' Manley number was affected by 5 of 13 shooting from the field, no assists and three turnovers. Make no mistake though, Jenkins' came up big both nights for coach Kevin Stallings and Vanderbilt.
Official Jim Burr and Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings
share a lighter moment
Vanderbilt raises the championship trophy
And Then There is...
-- Good officiating friend Guy Pagano, who lives in Northern New Jersey, worked the final with Jim Burr and Mike Stephens.
-- Had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with one of the tempo-free 'Gods', John Gasaway. John was covering with Basketball Prospectus colleague Andrew Cannon.
East Rutherford, NJ - The attendance on both nights of the Ticketcity Legends Classic was, to put it politely, sparse. Too bad. There were four close games that got sloppy at times, remember it is not even Thanksgiving, but were not short on excitement coming down to the wire.
outside the Izod Center
The Scores:
| Semifinal Games... | ||||
| Vanderbilt | 86 | 79 | North Carolina State | |
| Oregon State | 100 | 95 | Texas | |
| Consolation Game... | North Carolina St. | 77 | 74 | Texas |
| Championship Game... | ||||
| Vanderbilt | 64 | 62 | Oregon St. | |
We will look at the final evening's consolation and championship games from the Izod Center.
The possessions and efficiency:
| Off. | ||
| Poss. | Eff. | |
| Texas | 67 | 111 |
| North Carolina St. | 68 | 113 |
For the second straight night the Longhorns showed an efficiency that should win you a basketball game. But came up short. Unfortunately that was the case in each of Texas' games here. On Saturday they posted a gaudy 117 OE only to generously allow a 127 OE to Oregon State in that overtime affair. Both teams shot the ball well (Texas 52% eFG, NC State 50%) and cared for the ball rather well. Texas had a 19% TO rate while the Wolfpack of the ACC came in at 16%. Both numbers are what you would love to have in March, and are ecstatic about in November. Achilles heel for Texas, and it was noted by coach Rick Barnes, was the persistent fouling. NC State had an off the chart 75% FT rate. They shot 33 of 44 from the line.
NC state came back from 18 points down. They made the decisive run the latter part of the second half after Texas' J'Covan Brown fouled out. With the Texas lead guard exiled on fouls, the Longhorns were a different team. And one who could not hold off the surging Wolfpack.
Leading scorers:
| Manley | ||
| Points | Efficiency | |
| CJ Leslie, NCSU | 17 | 13 |
| Sparked Wolfpack off the bench each game | ||
| J'Covan Brown, Texas | 17 | 17 |
| Shot 7-14, 1 turnover & 7 assists | ||
Championship Game
| Off. | ||
| Poss. | Eff. | |
| Vanderbilt | 69 | 93 |
| Oregon State State | 71 | 87 |
Resilience was the key. Vanderbilt by as much as nine but in a game with nine ties and lead changes, Oregon State was determined not to go away. The decision was sealed in the final seconds on a jumper by Vanderbilt's Brad Tinsley. Chalk it up to Oregon State's persistence coupled with Vanderbilt's 'bull in a china shop' care of the basketball. The Commodores were guilty of 22 turnovers, translated, a ridiculously high 32% TO rate. Oregon State wasn't much better with a 24% TO mark. The SEC representatives also outshot Oregon State from the field with a 54-45% eFG mark. In a one possession outcome that is a big factor.
John Jenkins' 14 points for Vanderbilt, included a huge three pointer in the stretch. Jared Cunningham of Oregon State, entered the game with a 26 ppg scoring average, was held to nine points but did have seven steals.
Vanderbilt is a very good club at this juncture. One would be safe to assume, they will be even better when 6-11 Festus Ezeli returns from a knee injury and rejoins the Commodores in a few weeks.
Leading Scorers:
| Manley | ||
| Points | Efficiency | |
| Devon Collier, Oregon St | 19 | 25 |
| John Jenkins, Vanderbilt | 14 | 6 |
Upper press view of the Izod Center court
Jenkins' Manley number was affected by 5 of 13 shooting from the field, no assists and three turnovers. Make no mistake though, Jenkins' came up big both nights for coach Kevin Stallings and Vanderbilt.
Official Jim Burr and Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings
share a lighter moment
| MVP | John Jenkins, Vanderbilt |
| All Tournament Team: | C.J. Leslie North Carolina St. |
| Sheldon McClellan, Texas | |
| Jared Cunningham, Oregon St. | |
| Jeffrey Taylor, Vanderbilt |
Vanderbilt raises the championship trophy
And Then There is...
-- Good officiating friend Guy Pagano, who lives in Northern New Jersey, worked the final with Jim Burr and Mike Stephens.
-- Had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with one of the tempo-free 'Gods', John Gasaway. John was covering with Basketball Prospectus colleague Andrew Cannon.
Guest Contributor Ray Floriani -- St. Peter's at FDU
To contact us Click HERE
by Ray Floriani
Teaneck, NJ - In women's basketball, FDU defeated St. Peter's 55-46 on Tuesday at Stratis Arena. The efficiency and pace (kind of tells it all):
Visiting St.Peter's of the MAAC pushed the pace on both ends as the mid-seventies possession count shows. FDU, with point guard Amanda Andrades out with an ankle injury, struggled at the lead guard spot. FDU was guilty of 24 turnovers. Coach Peter Cinella credited St. Peter's defense but did admit his club needs work on cutting down on turnovers. Part of the problem was FDU accelerating when there was need to sporting a double digit lead and just under ten minutes to go. The TO rates are as follows:
Not an artistic gem of a game on either end. FDU entered the game with a 31% TO rate, so there is work to be done.
Mariyah Laury of FDU (3-5) led all scorers with 14 points. Laury did have 4 assists, but 8 turnovers as she was making the transition from two guard to the lead. Laury came through in the clutch, scoring two crucial baskets as St. Peter's rallied to get it to a one possession game in the stretch with two minutes to play. Jesika Holmes led St. Peter's (0-4) with 13 points.
Shooting, was a sore spot for St.Peter's. They shot 26% for the game including 9.5% (2 of 21) from three. The foul line wasn't much better as St. Peter's was only 44%. It was that kind of night for the Peahens.
Stat Stuffer: FDU forward Desiree Crawford with a Manley efficiency of 17. Crawford scored 7 points (3 of 8 shooting) but offset the under 50% shooting with 11 rebounds, 'only' two turnovers (not bad considering FDU's TO woes) and 7 blocks.
Stratis Arena interior during the game
Teaneck, NJ - In women's basketball, FDU defeated St. Peter's 55-46 on Tuesday at Stratis Arena. The efficiency and pace (kind of tells it all):
| Off. | ||
| Poss. | Eff. | |
| St. Peter's | 75 | 61 |
| FDU | 73 | 75 |
Visiting St.Peter's of the MAAC pushed the pace on both ends as the mid-seventies possession count shows. FDU, with point guard Amanda Andrades out with an ankle injury, struggled at the lead guard spot. FDU was guilty of 24 turnovers. Coach Peter Cinella credited St. Peter's defense but did admit his club needs work on cutting down on turnovers. Part of the problem was FDU accelerating when there was need to sporting a double digit lead and just under ten minutes to go. The TO rates are as follows:
| TO% | |
| St. Peter's | 21% |
| FDU | 33% |
Not an artistic gem of a game on either end. FDU entered the game with a 31% TO rate, so there is work to be done.
Mariyah Laury of FDU (3-5) led all scorers with 14 points. Laury did have 4 assists, but 8 turnovers as she was making the transition from two guard to the lead. Laury came through in the clutch, scoring two crucial baskets as St. Peter's rallied to get it to a one possession game in the stretch with two minutes to play. Jesika Holmes led St. Peter's (0-4) with 13 points.
Shooting, was a sore spot for St.Peter's. They shot 26% for the game including 9.5% (2 of 21) from three. The foul line wasn't much better as St. Peter's was only 44%. It was that kind of night for the Peahens.
Stat Stuffer: FDU forward Desiree Crawford with a Manley efficiency of 17. Crawford scored 7 points (3 of 8 shooting) but offset the under 50% shooting with 11 rebounds, 'only' two turnovers (not bad considering FDU's TO woes) and 7 blocks.
Stratis Arena interior during the game
Guest Contributor Ray Floriani -- Siena at St. Peter's
To contact us Click HERE
by Ray Floriani
Jersey City, NJ- The MAAC opener for both Siena and St. Peter's was played Thursday night at St. Peter's in Jersey City. While it is still early, the conference teams play two games prior to the new year. Getting off to a good start in league play is vital.
St. Peter's took advantage of home court and some outstanding defense posting a 51-44 victory. The pace and efficiency:
Basic grind it out style of play as noted by the extremely low count of 54 turnovers. The key for St. Peter's in this one…
Defense.
To little surprise St. Peter's limited Siena to an 82 offensive efficiency, the Peacocks forced a 26% turnover rate and limited the visitors to a 38% eFG mark. Siena shot 3 of 18 (16.7%) from three point range.
Siena trailed by 16 early in the second half but was able to tie it in the stretch. They never were able to get a lead which was significant from a momentum standpoint.
The Saints excelled at…offensive rebounding. They enjoyed a 39-25% edge in that area.
Chris Prescott of St. Peter's paced the scorers with 16 points. OD Anosike led Siena with a strong 12 point 10 rebound effort.
Manley efficiency leader.
Yvon Raymond of St. Peter's. Raymond put up a 'Manley' number of 18. He scored 15 points, pulled down 9 rebounds, had 2 assists, one block and only one turnover.
St. Peter's improved to 2-4 while Siena fell to the same won-lost record.
The coveted MAAC Championship Banner
Hangs in the Yanitelli Center in Jersey City
Jersey City, NJ- The MAAC opener for both Siena and St. Peter's was played Thursday night at St. Peter's in Jersey City. While it is still early, the conference teams play two games prior to the new year. Getting off to a good start in league play is vital.
St. Peter's took advantage of home court and some outstanding defense posting a 51-44 victory. The pace and efficiency:
| Off. | ||
| Poss. | Eff. | |
| St. Peter's | 54 | 94 |
| Siena | 54 | 82 |
Basic grind it out style of play as noted by the extremely low count of 54 turnovers. The key for St. Peter's in this one…
Defense.
To little surprise St. Peter's limited Siena to an 82 offensive efficiency, the Peacocks forced a 26% turnover rate and limited the visitors to a 38% eFG mark. Siena shot 3 of 18 (16.7%) from three point range.
Siena trailed by 16 early in the second half but was able to tie it in the stretch. They never were able to get a lead which was significant from a momentum standpoint.
The Saints excelled at…offensive rebounding. They enjoyed a 39-25% edge in that area.
Chris Prescott of St. Peter's paced the scorers with 16 points. OD Anosike led Siena with a strong 12 point 10 rebound effort.
Manley efficiency leader.
Yvon Raymond of St. Peter's. Raymond put up a 'Manley' number of 18. He scored 15 points, pulled down 9 rebounds, had 2 assists, one block and only one turnover.
St. Peter's improved to 2-4 while Siena fell to the same won-lost record.
The coveted MAAC Championship Banner
Hangs in the Yanitelli Center in Jersey City
7 Temmuz 2012 Cumartesi
I Can Get You To The NBA
To contact us Click HERE
Moe Harkless stands to become 60th St. John's player in NBA history when he is selected in tonight's draft. (Photo courtesy of New York Daily News)
This submission comes from Rumble In The Garden columnist Quinn Rochford.
The day St. John's fans have been patiently waiting for has finally arrived.
When Moe Harkless walks across the Prudential Center stage and shakes David Stern's hand on Thursday night, it won't just be a 19 year-old kid realizing a childhood dream. A bearing weight will be pulled off of an entire program's shoulders - one that has kept a team and its fans grounded for 11 years.
Harkless, who is projected to be drafted anywhere in the mid- to late-first round of the NBA Draft, decided to leave St. John's after one season to turn professional. The fanbase, at first, gave a mixed reaction, claiming the forward was not quite ready to make the jump now.
But as Harkless has impressed mightily in pre-draft workouts with a bevy of possibly suitors, his stock has rapidly risen and St. John's fans have quickly gravitated to the positive, excited end of the spectrum.
Once the NBA team hat is put on, once Moe Harkless shakes Stern's hand and poses in his draft day suit, his captivating smile lighting up televisions across America, Harkless will have proven the "haters" wrong.
He will be a first round selection. And it's the best thing that could have ever happened to Steve Lavin's Johnnies.
If you're questioning just how important Harkless' draft selection is to St. John's, look at these facts.
The Red Storm have not had an NBA draftee since 2001, when the Orlando Magic chose Omar Cook (also a one-and-done) in the second round. On top of that, St. John's hasn't provided the NBA with a first round pick since Erick Barkley went to the Portland Trailblazers in 2000.
But, the landscape of basketball has changed dramatically in a decade. When St. John's last had players drafted, it was nice to see one of your own make it to the league. Sure, it helped recruiting and meant the staff was developing talent.
Getting players to the NBA was never the sole measurement of a successful basketball program. Now, in the age of Derrick Roses, Blake Griffins, and Anthony Davises, it means everything.
When coaches enter the living rooms of prospective high schoolers, they have much to sell. A chance to play on ESPN, to be treated like a king, to compete at the highest level - it's all desirable. But nothing means more to an aspring basketball player than the words "I can get you to the NBA."
Whether you think it's good or bad, elite college basketball has transformed into a virtual development league for aspiring pros. With the rule that high school seniors must wait at least one year before entering the NBA Draft, players have entered the NCAA on a strictly temporary basis.
Young kids all over the world watched LeBron James capture his first title, and every one of them wished they could be him. With a multi-million dollar contract, a South Beach lifestyle, and never-ending national praise, they know James has it all. And they're right.
When St. John's hired Steve Lavin, they knew what they were getting. Lavin brings that unique Hollywood style to New York, but more importantly, his ties to the pros are strong. He's had his players get drafted many times before during his days at UCLA. Now he can say he's done it in Queens.
Along with sending his top assistant Mike Dunlap to the NBA as a head coach, Lavin has now placed the Red Storm on the map. Even with playing in the same building as the Knicks, the association of St. John's with the NBA had been lost for a long stretch of time. And combined with barren win columns, the Red Storm lost ground in the hearts and minds of New Yorkers, and in the eyes of major-conference basketball.
You can sell whatever you want to get kids to come to your school. Heck, you can sell the NBA to anyone - but if you can't prove that it is realistic with concrete results, you are just one of the masses. When Moe Harkless gets selected by whomever on Thursday night, St. John's will make that huge step forward.
So, Johnnies fans, when you hear Harkless' name called by David Stern, you should applaud. Applaud for the young man, for getting the opportunity to live a dream.
And applaud for the bright future unfolding.
Moe Harkless stands to become 60th St. John's player in NBA history when he is selected in tonight's draft. (Photo courtesy of New York Daily News)This submission comes from Rumble In The Garden columnist Quinn Rochford.
The day St. John's fans have been patiently waiting for has finally arrived.
When Moe Harkless walks across the Prudential Center stage and shakes David Stern's hand on Thursday night, it won't just be a 19 year-old kid realizing a childhood dream. A bearing weight will be pulled off of an entire program's shoulders - one that has kept a team and its fans grounded for 11 years.
Harkless, who is projected to be drafted anywhere in the mid- to late-first round of the NBA Draft, decided to leave St. John's after one season to turn professional. The fanbase, at first, gave a mixed reaction, claiming the forward was not quite ready to make the jump now.
But as Harkless has impressed mightily in pre-draft workouts with a bevy of possibly suitors, his stock has rapidly risen and St. John's fans have quickly gravitated to the positive, excited end of the spectrum.
Once the NBA team hat is put on, once Moe Harkless shakes Stern's hand and poses in his draft day suit, his captivating smile lighting up televisions across America, Harkless will have proven the "haters" wrong.
He will be a first round selection. And it's the best thing that could have ever happened to Steve Lavin's Johnnies.
If you're questioning just how important Harkless' draft selection is to St. John's, look at these facts.
The Red Storm have not had an NBA draftee since 2001, when the Orlando Magic chose Omar Cook (also a one-and-done) in the second round. On top of that, St. John's hasn't provided the NBA with a first round pick since Erick Barkley went to the Portland Trailblazers in 2000.
But, the landscape of basketball has changed dramatically in a decade. When St. John's last had players drafted, it was nice to see one of your own make it to the league. Sure, it helped recruiting and meant the staff was developing talent.
Getting players to the NBA was never the sole measurement of a successful basketball program. Now, in the age of Derrick Roses, Blake Griffins, and Anthony Davises, it means everything.
When coaches enter the living rooms of prospective high schoolers, they have much to sell. A chance to play on ESPN, to be treated like a king, to compete at the highest level - it's all desirable. But nothing means more to an aspring basketball player than the words "I can get you to the NBA."
Whether you think it's good or bad, elite college basketball has transformed into a virtual development league for aspiring pros. With the rule that high school seniors must wait at least one year before entering the NBA Draft, players have entered the NCAA on a strictly temporary basis.
Young kids all over the world watched LeBron James capture his first title, and every one of them wished they could be him. With a multi-million dollar contract, a South Beach lifestyle, and never-ending national praise, they know James has it all. And they're right.
When St. John's hired Steve Lavin, they knew what they were getting. Lavin brings that unique Hollywood style to New York, but more importantly, his ties to the pros are strong. He's had his players get drafted many times before during his days at UCLA. Now he can say he's done it in Queens.
Along with sending his top assistant Mike Dunlap to the NBA as a head coach, Lavin has now placed the Red Storm on the map. Even with playing in the same building as the Knicks, the association of St. John's with the NBA had been lost for a long stretch of time. And combined with barren win columns, the Red Storm lost ground in the hearts and minds of New Yorkers, and in the eyes of major-conference basketball.
You can sell whatever you want to get kids to come to your school. Heck, you can sell the NBA to anyone - but if you can't prove that it is realistic with concrete results, you are just one of the masses. When Moe Harkless gets selected by whomever on Thursday night, St. John's will make that huge step forward.
So, Johnnies fans, when you hear Harkless' name called by David Stern, you should applaud. Applaud for the young man, for getting the opportunity to live a dream.
And applaud for the bright future unfolding.
Waiters A True Understatement In Draft
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Syracuse guard Dion Waiters may have been a reserve, but still has one of highest potentials in NBA Draft. (Photo courtesy of ESPN)
Seven years ago, the Atlanta Hawks selected North Carolina's Marvin Williams second overall in the NBA Draft. Williams may not have started a game in his only season in Chapel Hill, but was clearly one of the most talented prospects available.
Now turn the clock ahead to 2012. Kentucky's Anthony Davis is a surefire No. 1 selection, and guys like Thomas Robinson and Bradley Beal are also can't-miss prospects. Yet rising up the board is a player who, similar to Williams, did his collegiate work off the bench, yet managed to make enough of an impression to both resemble a two-time NBA champion and earn the distinction of being one of the Big East's best players.
Syracuse's Dion Waiters was voted the Big East Sixth Man of the Year last season, and should become Jim Boeheim's third Top 10 draft pick in the last ten years. If Waiters is indeed considered with Cleveland's fourth overall choice as ESPN's Andy Katz reported, the Philadelphian becomes the highest Orange player selected since some guy named Anthony won them a national championship in 2003.
Think about that for a second, my friends. A player who never started a single game, yet is good enough to be taken at the same professional level as the man who was quite possibly one of the greatest Syracuse players in recent memory, and is now adding to his legacy in the NBA.
UConn coach Jim Calhoun said that "no one can take over a game" the way Waiters can. Having seen Syracuse destroy St. John's at Madison Square Garden this past February, I would be hard pressed to disagree with the Hall of Fame head man. College basketball insider Jon Rothstein has compared the guard to Dwyane Wade several times, highlighting that his potential and explosiveness is reminiscent to that of the Miami Heat star.
Regardless of where Waiters ends up, (I have him going seventh to Golden State) the team who drafts him gets a major steal in the 20-year-old, and will notice his impact right away as he sends his future employer onto the fast track to NBA success. For all of Jim Boeheim's success stories in his thirty-six seasons at the helm, this one could be one of the better ones the legend has authored.
The story writes a new chapter for itself tonight.
Syracuse guard Dion Waiters may have been a reserve, but still has one of highest potentials in NBA Draft. (Photo courtesy of ESPN)Seven years ago, the Atlanta Hawks selected North Carolina's Marvin Williams second overall in the NBA Draft. Williams may not have started a game in his only season in Chapel Hill, but was clearly one of the most talented prospects available.
Now turn the clock ahead to 2012. Kentucky's Anthony Davis is a surefire No. 1 selection, and guys like Thomas Robinson and Bradley Beal are also can't-miss prospects. Yet rising up the board is a player who, similar to Williams, did his collegiate work off the bench, yet managed to make enough of an impression to both resemble a two-time NBA champion and earn the distinction of being one of the Big East's best players.
Syracuse's Dion Waiters was voted the Big East Sixth Man of the Year last season, and should become Jim Boeheim's third Top 10 draft pick in the last ten years. If Waiters is indeed considered with Cleveland's fourth overall choice as ESPN's Andy Katz reported, the Philadelphian becomes the highest Orange player selected since some guy named Anthony won them a national championship in 2003.
Think about that for a second, my friends. A player who never started a single game, yet is good enough to be taken at the same professional level as the man who was quite possibly one of the greatest Syracuse players in recent memory, and is now adding to his legacy in the NBA.
UConn coach Jim Calhoun said that "no one can take over a game" the way Waiters can. Having seen Syracuse destroy St. John's at Madison Square Garden this past February, I would be hard pressed to disagree with the Hall of Fame head man. College basketball insider Jon Rothstein has compared the guard to Dwyane Wade several times, highlighting that his potential and explosiveness is reminiscent to that of the Miami Heat star.
Regardless of where Waiters ends up, (I have him going seventh to Golden State) the team who drafts him gets a major steal in the 20-year-old, and will notice his impact right away as he sends his future employer onto the fast track to NBA success. For all of Jim Boeheim's success stories in his thirty-six seasons at the helm, this one could be one of the better ones the legend has authored.
The story writes a new chapter for itself tonight.
Harkless Drafted By 76ers
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Maurice Harkless meets David Stern after NBA commissioner announces him as 15th overall selection in tonight's NBA Draft, taken by Philadelphia 76ers. (Photo courtesy of Comcast SportsNet Philly)
The wait is over.
St. John's University finally had a player selected in the NBA Draft again after an eleven-year drought, as forward Maurice Harkless was taken fifteenth overall by the Philadelphia 76ers tonight. The Queens product joins a young and rising Sixer team led by Jrue Holiday and Andre Iguodala in the backcourt, with fellow wing Evan Turner developing into a blossoming star in his own right after just two seasons. Harkless said of his new team that they are "really young and they play really fast. I think that's the type of game that I like to play, and I think I'll fit in well."
"Maurice is the most well-rounded and complete player I've coached relative to this juncture or stage of a playing career," said St. John's coach Steve Lavin. "His intellect, size, skill set and athleticism set him apart from others."
The 6-8 Harkless, who worked out for Philadelphia among the many teams that showed an interest in him, is a developing talent with an expanding perimeter game that will endear him to the blue-collar fan base in the City of Brotherly Love right away. He is every bit as good going inside and attacking the basket offensively as he is blocking shots and causing matchup problems on the defensive end, and in an Atlantic division that is still the Boston Celtics' to lose, this pick has helped the 76ers close the gap.
Harkless is the 60th Red Storm player to be drafted, and fourteenth for head coach Steve Lavin, who can now say that he produced a professional player on the corner of Union and Utopia. The swingman capped off a sensational freshman season at St. John's by winning the Big East's Rookie of the Year award, becoming just the second Red Storm player to do so. The 19-year-old also gets to remain relatively close to his New York home with the selection, something he is very ecstatic about.
"That's really cool to me because I've pretty much been close to home my whole life," said Harkless of the close proximity between New York and Philadelphia. "Having my family close and being able to come out to games is definitely a great feeling."
Harkless should also have his St. John's family out in full force, as they have just as much to celebrate; for tonight, a program that was once great has again been resurrected.
Maurice Harkless meets David Stern after NBA commissioner announces him as 15th overall selection in tonight's NBA Draft, taken by Philadelphia 76ers. (Photo courtesy of Comcast SportsNet Philly)The wait is over.
St. John's University finally had a player selected in the NBA Draft again after an eleven-year drought, as forward Maurice Harkless was taken fifteenth overall by the Philadelphia 76ers tonight. The Queens product joins a young and rising Sixer team led by Jrue Holiday and Andre Iguodala in the backcourt, with fellow wing Evan Turner developing into a blossoming star in his own right after just two seasons. Harkless said of his new team that they are "really young and they play really fast. I think that's the type of game that I like to play, and I think I'll fit in well."
"Maurice is the most well-rounded and complete player I've coached relative to this juncture or stage of a playing career," said St. John's coach Steve Lavin. "His intellect, size, skill set and athleticism set him apart from others."
The 6-8 Harkless, who worked out for Philadelphia among the many teams that showed an interest in him, is a developing talent with an expanding perimeter game that will endear him to the blue-collar fan base in the City of Brotherly Love right away. He is every bit as good going inside and attacking the basket offensively as he is blocking shots and causing matchup problems on the defensive end, and in an Atlantic division that is still the Boston Celtics' to lose, this pick has helped the 76ers close the gap.
Harkless is the 60th Red Storm player to be drafted, and fourteenth for head coach Steve Lavin, who can now say that he produced a professional player on the corner of Union and Utopia. The swingman capped off a sensational freshman season at St. John's by winning the Big East's Rookie of the Year award, becoming just the second Red Storm player to do so. The 19-year-old also gets to remain relatively close to his New York home with the selection, something he is very ecstatic about.
"That's really cool to me because I've pretty much been close to home my whole life," said Harkless of the close proximity between New York and Philadelphia. "Having my family close and being able to come out to games is definitely a great feeling."
Harkless should also have his St. John's family out in full force, as they have just as much to celebrate; for tonight, a program that was once great has again been resurrected.
2012 NBA Draft: A Running Diary
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NBA commissioner David Stern displays his self-deprecating humor by addressing Celtics fan prior to Boston's first selection in NBA Draft. (Photo courtesy of the author's personal collection)
This was a pretty interesting NBA Draft.
About 30 minutes before game time, I made the conscious decision to avoid Twitter after having the 2011 draft ruined by reporters scooping draft picks minutes before they were announced, and instead decided to pay homage to Bill Simmons with the following. So without any further ado, I give you a running diary of the 2012 NBA Draft.
7:32 – David Stern booed as usual and says “Thank you for the warm welcome.”
7:33 – Stern channels his inner Hulk Hogan circa 1996 and even does the hand-cupping to his ear motion when referencing the Miami Heat’s NBA championship win, prompting even louder boos from the Newark crowd. A few years ago, this could have counted as a WWE SmackDown opening segment until Vince McMahon moved the show to Friday.
7:37 – Stern officially inducts Anthony Davis into the NBA. Love this year’s draft hats by the way. Any time you can get an old-school style into a sport that desperately needs it, you’ve done something right.
7:39 – We get our first “wingspan” reference from Jay Bilas, who triples the effect by saying it thrice. Ever the entertainer, Bilas says “three times, America” – a nod toward the drinking game that most fans play whenever listening to his analysis.
7:41 – Heather Cox interviews Davis’ parents. Not seeing Craig Sager looking like a blackjack dealer is quite refreshing.
7:42 – Rece Davis points out the Bobcats are “coming off a historically bad season.” We knew that already.
7:43 – The Bobcats shock the critics by selecting Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, but as CBS’ Jeff Goodman pointed out before the draft, it’s not really a shock since Kidd-Gilchrist and new coach Mike Dunlap share the same agent. Also not shocking: Stern hails the kid as being from New Jersey for a cheap pop from the crowd.
7:44 – Daly Dose superfan David Rochford boldly points out that there are more fans at the Prudential Center tonight than there are for a Seton Hall game. Sadly, he may be right.
7:47 – The run on SEC players continues as the Wizards draft Florida’s Bradley Beal, who turned 19 tonight.
7:50 – Impressed with the fact that ESPN hasn’t made a big deal out of Twitter the way most other networks do. Not one @(insert name here) graphic yet.
7:53 – I wouldn’t be surprised to see Cleveland take Thomas Robinson and then trade him to Charlotte for Kidd-Gilchrist.
7:54 – ESPN’s Andy Katz was all over this last night: The Cavaliers take Dion Waiters out of Syracuse fourth overall. One of the best players in the draft, Waiters is Syracuse’s highest draft pick since Carmelo Anthony went third overall in 2003.
7:56 – With Irving and Waiters, Cleveland has their best backcourt since Mark Price and Terrell Brandon in the mid-‘90s.
7:57 – Am I the only one who thinks John Calipari looks like Robert De Niro? Think about it: They even have the same mole on their right cheek.
7:59 – Steal number two as Robinson goes to the Kings. I’m a little surprised to see Harrison Barnes fall out of the top five, but most critics called this; so as Chris Russo would say, “that’s a great job in a big spot.”
8:02 – I’m just hearing about Thomas Robinson having lost both grandparents and his mother three weeks apart. For him to be doing this and supporting his sister speaks volumes about the kid. From someone whose parents separated when I was 13 and was raised by a single mother, I can somewhat relate. This kid has my respect and support even more now than he did when he was just a great player at Kansas.
8:05 – Portland takes Damian Lillard sixth overall. For Portland fans praying he doesn’t suffer the same fate as Sam Bowie or Greg Oden, remember this: He’s a guard.
8:08 – First Twitter sighting with a tweet from South Carolina coach Frank Martin appearing on screen. New York fans get to see Martin twice, as he takes on St. John’s at Carnesecca Arena and Manhattan at the Barclays Center this season.
8:09 – I’m curious as to the reaction of my good friend Evan Roberts, the WFAN midday show co-host who is a long-suffering Nets fan. (Remember, the Nets traded the pick Portland just took Lillard with to get Gerald Wallace.) Roberts is on vacation at the moment, so I’ll post his reaction if I get it.
8:11 – North Carolina’s first draft pick is Harrison Barnes, who goes seventh to the Warriors. As a die-hard Carolina fan, I hope Barnes turns out better for the Warriors than Brandan Wright did, because that kid would have been something special if he would have stayed in school rather than leaving after one year.
8:12 – Is it me, or is Rece Davis starting to look like Jay Wright?
8:16 – The Raptors take Terrence Ross from Washington eighth overall. Bryan Colangelo may have spit it up again with this pick, passing up on Jeremy Lamb and Austin Rivers.
8:17 – From David Rochford in regard to Washington having Ross and Tony Wroten, but missing the NCAA Tournament: “#1BidPac12.” (Thank Sports Illustrated’s Andy Glockner for spreading that hashtag to the masses)
8:19 – My friend and fellow college basketball insider Jon Rothstein said the Pistons were doing last-minute research on Andre Drummond in case he fell to them at No. 9. Guess what: The UConn big man is still out there.
8:20 – I can’t tell you how much I love Fran Fraschilla’s analysis of international players. I forgot about Jonas Valanciunas before tonight, to be honest with you.
8:21 – ESPN defying Roger Goodell’s vision of not tipping picks by showing Drummond on camera.
8:22 – The boos for Stern never get old. Neither does him eating up the reaction. Pistons take Drummond by the way.
8:23 – Another three shots if you’re playing the Bilas drinking game. Drummond has a 90-inch wingspan for those of you scoring at home.
8:25 – Drummond tells Mark Jones he made the right call leaving UConn early. Due to the Huskies’ APR problems, next season really wouldn’t count for much, would it?
8:28 – Jon Rothstein is 2-for his last-2 now that the Hornets drafted Austin Rivers tenth overall. The man had this in an interview yesterday with WFAN’s Joe Benigno.
8:35 – Portland takes Meyers Leonard at No. 11. Will the 7-1 big man be as good as Arvydas Sabonis, or as average as Chris Dudley?
8:41 – With their first of three picks, Houston takes Jeremy Lamb at No. 12 rather than a big man. A surprising pick, but the UConn guard will make up for it with his mounds of talent and potential.
8:48 – I didn’t know Kendall Marshall turned into Roy Williams!
8:49 – Marshall’s selection by the Phoenix Suns is great because he’s just as good a passer as Steve Nash. This kid will be great in that system. My mock draft was also vindicated with this pick, but nobody really cares, right?
8:53 – John Henson goes from the best North Carolina player over the last three years to the Milwaukee Bucks’ best frontcourt player with the 14th overall selection.
8:54 – Wingspan AND Bill Simmons references? Great work, Mr. Bilas.
8:58 – With the 15th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers select Maurice Harkless, forward from St. John’s University. Harkless is the first St. John’s draft pick since Omar Cook in 2001, and first opening round selection since Erick Barkley in 2000. It’s about time my alma mater is back.
9:01 – WSJU host and play-by-play announcer Jon Perez, who also does a great Marv Albert impression, texts me to remind me that he called Harkless to the Sixers earlier in the day. Be sure to listen to “Jon and John in the Morning,” which Perez co-hosts with fellow St. John’s student John Sudolsky, next semester when they return to the air.
9:05 – The Rockets take Royce White of Iowa State with the 16th overall pick. This kid is a star in the making if he can replicate his NCAA Tournament performance against Connecticut.
9:10 – Mavericks take Tyler Zeller, but will reportedly trade the rights to the North Carolina center. It’s a shame too, because he would have been great alongside Dirk Nowitzki.
9:18 – Rockets complete their trifecta with Terrence Jones in the No. 18 spot. With Lamb, White and Jones, it’s safe to say that Daryl Morey had yet another excellent draft.
9:23 – Speaking as a Magic fan, I’m very happy with this Andrew Nicholson pick. Got to see him against Fordham last year, and this kid is freaking amazing. Scored 30 with no effort at all against the Rams, and with a little seasoning, he could be a Tim Duncan-esque pro.
9:27 – Denver takes Evan Fournier, a French swingman. Best part of this pick: We get a detailed scouting report from Fran Fraschilla.
9:33 – David Rochford: “Let’s see how much the Celtics kill Bill Simmons.”
9:34 – Stern points to a fan holding a sign stating “In Danny (Ainge) we trust.” You just have to love a guy who can play along with his never-ending criticism. Boston drafts Jared Sullinger in the No. 21 spot for those of you scoring at home.
9:42 – Celtics take Fab Melo at 22. After how much of a force he was defensively for Syracuse, this will help the Celtics get the foul calls they should have got in the Eastern Conference finals against Miami. This kid should be a solid pro in Beantown.
9:48 – Atlanta gets the best shooter in the draft at No. 23, taking Vanderbilt’s John Jenkins. An Allan Houston clone in terms of shooting, Jenkins will keep Atlanta in close games and adds a reputation for success in the clutch to a backcourt that includes Jeff Teague and Joe Johnson.
9:52 – Picking for Dallas as a result of the Tyler Zeller trade, Cleveland takes Jared Cunningham out of Oregon State. Considering he played for Michelle Obama’s brother in college, this is shaping up to be a pretty good night in the White House.
9:59 – Kentucky’s fifth player still on the board after Tony Wroten goes to the Grizzlies at 25, eliciting another “#1BidPac12” reference from David Rochford.
10:04 – Miles Plumlee to the Pacers? Seriously? This kid has to be getting traded. Not sure what the Pacers are thinking if they keep this pick.
10:06 – ESPN really can’t go more than an hour without mentioning LeBron, huh?
10:08 – Rece Davis on Stern taking forever to come out: “I promise he’s back there.”
10:09 – Stern REALLY knows how to work a crowd. If Vince McMahon needs a new bad guy, all he has to do is have Stern announce the “NBA champion” Miami Heat the way he just did in Newark tonight. The reigning champs get a solid pick in Mississippi State’s Arnett Moultrie, who I had going twelve spots earlier.
10:10 – Lost in the shuffle of draft night is the fact that the festivities are being held in an arena that no longer hosts an NBA franchise after the Nets decided to make it real and trade in these wings on some wheels. (For those of you unsure of that reference, watch the following video)
10:14 – Oklahoma City selects Perry Jones at No. 28. After playing at Baylor, he instantly upgrades the quality of his jersey.
10:21 – Chicago gets their backup to Derrick Rose, and it’s Marquis Teague of Kentucky, who surprisingly fell to 29. Bulls were going to take Tyshawn Taylor if Teague wasn’t there, but this is a better choice.
10:25 – Another trade, as Miami sends Arnett Moultrie to Philadelphia for the 45th overall pick.
10:26 – David Stern’s swan song announces Festus Ezeli to Golden State.
10:27 – Stern reminds us that Adam Silver will conduct the second round. Is that really a good thing?
10:28 – WE WANT GRANIK! For those of you scoring at home, that’s a reference to former deputy commissioner Russ Granik, who never should have retired.
10:32 – Adam Silver comes out to a rousing ovation and announces Jeffery Taylor as the Bobcats’ second-round selection.
10:33 – WE WANT GRANIK.
10:36 – Tomas Satoransky from the Czech Republic joins countryman Jan Vesely after he is drafted by the Wizards. Cue Fran Fraschilla’s always-refreshing analysis. I wonder if Satoransky can top this.
10:40 – Cleveland drafts Bernard James for Dallas. Solid pick for a guy who is a true defender on and off the court, the latter for serving three tours of duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and Qatar during a six-year stint as a member of the Air Force.
10:43 – The third of Cleveland’s picks for Dallas goes to one of the best players in the draft, Marquette’s Jae Crowder. The unheralded junior college transfer was the Big East Player of the Year last season, and now gets to learn from one of the best small forwards in the NBA in Shawn Marion.
10:50 – Draymond Green goes to the Warriors at No. 35 overall. The kid is simply a winner. He’ll make this team better the first time he shows up for practice.
10:51 – Sacramento selects Orlando Johnson at No. 36, keeping him in the state of California for just a few minutes before they trade him to the Pacers.
10:52 – Raptors may have taken their replacement for Chris Bosh if they hold on to him, drafting Baylor’s Quincy Acy with the 37th pick.
10:54 – Two guys named Quincy from Baylor go back-to-back, as Quincy Miller gets drafted by the Nuggets.
10:55 – Jay Bilas speaks for the nation when he says “those (Baylor) uniforms are burning my retinas.” Well done once again, Jay.
10:58 – ESPN goes to break and misses the Pistons’ second-round pick, who turns out to be Khris Middleton of Texas A&M.
11:02 – Portland continues a surprisingly solid draft by adding Will Barton and Tyshawn Taylor to their first-round haul of Damian Lillard and Meyers Leonard.
11:03 – Well, maybe just Barton now that Andy Katz reported that Taylor was traded to the Nets.
11:04 – Moving right along as Milwaukee picks up Doron Lamb to join Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis in a star-studded backcourt.
11:05 – Still waiting for Iona’s Scott Machado to get selected. When he does, there may be a few fist pumps to commemorate it.
11:06 – A graphic shows Kentucky has a 5-4 lead on North Carolina in players selected. Carolina isn’t going any higher than four. Justin Watts is not getting drafted, people. Even though I like the kid, it’s just not happening.
11:08 – Silver announces a trade we knew 10 minutes ago. WE WANT GRANIK.
11:12 – Mike Scott (forward from Virginia) and Kim English (guard from Missouri) taken 43rd and 44th by the Hawks and Pistons, respectively. ESPN shows the Scott pick but misses the English pick.
11:14 – While the Worldwide Leader is again away doing a little business with America, (in the words of the late great Gene Rayburn) the Sixers draft another big man, LSU center Justin Hamilton, but send him to Miami to complete the Arnett Moultrie deal.
11:16 – Hornets take the sixth Kentucky player by going for Davis’ teammate Darius Miller at No. 46.
11:17 – Machado could be in play for Utah after he worked out for the Jazz last week.
11:18 – So much for that, as the Jazz go for Tennessee Tech’s Kevin Murphy.
11:19 – Knicks on the clock. The NBA’s answer to the Jets on draft day, but not quite as raucous.
11:20 – The Knicks would do something like that, taking Greek forward Kostas Papanikolaou. This looks like Frederic Weis all over again. At least we get a Fraschilla scouting report.
11:21 – David Rochford: “Maybe James Dolan can solve the Greek financial issue.”
11:22 – Machado to the Magic would be a dream come true since Jameer Nelson has an option at the end of next season.
11:23 – Magic take Kyle O’Quinn from Norfolk State. Somewhat anticlimactic, but the kid is legitimate. Got to see him in person when Norfolk State beat St. Francis before they shocked the world against Missouri.
11:24 – Nuggets draft Izzet Turkyilmaz out of Turkey. They tried this in 2002 when they took Nikoloz Tskitishvili fifth overall. Didn’t work then, may not work now.
11:25 – Celtics take Kris Joseph at No. 51, reuniting him with Fab Melo. Great pick in a tricky spot.
11:26 – Nine picks to go and Machado is still on the board. Starting to get a little uneasy here.
11:27 – Another “wingspan” reference from Bilas, and another shot for those who haven’t already passed out.
11:30 – Mavericks/Cavaliers trade announced by Silver an hour after it was initially reported. WE WANT GRANIK. Who is Ognjen Kuzmic? The Warriors just drafted him from Bosnia.
11:31 – THANK GOD FOR FRAN FRASCHILLA.
11:33 – Clippers select Furkan Aldemir from Turkey during a commercial break.
11:34 – GIVE ME FRASCHILLA OR GIVE ME DEATH.
11:35 – The bottom line inexplicably disappears from my screen. If Machado gets picked here, I may go on strike against ESPN.
11:36 – Bottom line and ESPN return with the Sixers still on the clock at No. 54. No pick during the break.
11:37 – Fraschilla earning his money yet again. This guy needs to get a coaching gig though. He’s too good not to have one.
11:38 – Tornike Shengelia? At least we get more Fraschilla analysis.
11:41 – Dallas gets a great pick in Marquette’s Darius Johnson-Odom. Mavs also reunite him with Jae Crowder, who was taken for them by Cleveland earlier in the night. (Note: Johnson-Odom was traded to the Lakers shortly after the draft went off the air)
11:42 – Five more picks left. Hopefully Machado is one of them.
11:44 – Fran Fraschilla has one more to give us when ESPN comes back from break now that Raptors have taken Tomislav Zubcic of Croatia at No. 56.
11:45 – Brooklyn Nets on the clock. Would love to see Machado stay home.
11:46 – Robbie Hummel cracks Jay Bilas’ best available list. If anyone really does deserve to be drafted, it’s him.
11:48 – Nets add to the Fraschilla workload drafting Turkey’s Ilkan Karaman.
11:49 – Seven of the last ten players taken are European. This is unbelievable.
11:50 – Minnesota on the clock. Let’s see what rabbit David Kahn pulls out of his hat this time.
11:51 - Silver announces the Moultrie-for-Hamilton swap before announcing the Timberwolves’ pick, which is Robbie Hummel.
11:52 – David Kahn gets it right taking Hummel. The kid deserves every minute of this.
11:53 – Down to the Spurs and Lakers now. Will Machado go to one of them?
11:54 – Magic Johnson not in attendance in Newark can only mean one thing: He’s working on fixing the Dodger Stadium parking scenario.
11:55 – A typical Spurs pick: Marcus Denmon of Missouri. Excellent pick of a shooter who fits right into Gregg Popovich’s system.
11:56 – The Lakers wrapping it up with…hopefully Machado.
11:59 – One final montage played before the announcement of Mr. Irrelevant. Really tense moments here waiting for Machado to hopefully get what he deserves.
12:00 – Mitch Kupchak was at the Hynes Center this season. Could it be?
12:01 – Lakers draft Robert Sacre out of Gonzaga, a deserving pick that will make Andrew Bynum even more expendable.
12:02 – Thank you, NBA salary cap. Your restrictions have turned general managers onto the concept of stashing picks overseas and depriving deserving players of their rightful moments in the sun.
This was a pretty interesting NBA Draft.
About 30 minutes before game time, I made the conscious decision to avoid Twitter after having the 2011 draft ruined by reporters scooping draft picks minutes before they were announced, and instead decided to pay homage to Bill Simmons with the following. So without any further ado, I give you a running diary of the 2012 NBA Draft.
7:32 – David Stern booed as usual and says “Thank you for the warm welcome.”
7:33 – Stern channels his inner Hulk Hogan circa 1996 and even does the hand-cupping to his ear motion when referencing the Miami Heat’s NBA championship win, prompting even louder boos from the Newark crowd. A few years ago, this could have counted as a WWE SmackDown opening segment until Vince McMahon moved the show to Friday.
7:37 – Stern officially inducts Anthony Davis into the NBA. Love this year’s draft hats by the way. Any time you can get an old-school style into a sport that desperately needs it, you’ve done something right.
7:39 – We get our first “wingspan” reference from Jay Bilas, who triples the effect by saying it thrice. Ever the entertainer, Bilas says “three times, America” – a nod toward the drinking game that most fans play whenever listening to his analysis.
7:41 – Heather Cox interviews Davis’ parents. Not seeing Craig Sager looking like a blackjack dealer is quite refreshing.
7:42 – Rece Davis points out the Bobcats are “coming off a historically bad season.” We knew that already.
7:43 – The Bobcats shock the critics by selecting Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, but as CBS’ Jeff Goodman pointed out before the draft, it’s not really a shock since Kidd-Gilchrist and new coach Mike Dunlap share the same agent. Also not shocking: Stern hails the kid as being from New Jersey for a cheap pop from the crowd.
7:44 – Daly Dose superfan David Rochford boldly points out that there are more fans at the Prudential Center tonight than there are for a Seton Hall game. Sadly, he may be right.
7:47 – The run on SEC players continues as the Wizards draft Florida’s Bradley Beal, who turned 19 tonight.
7:50 – Impressed with the fact that ESPN hasn’t made a big deal out of Twitter the way most other networks do. Not one @(insert name here) graphic yet.
7:53 – I wouldn’t be surprised to see Cleveland take Thomas Robinson and then trade him to Charlotte for Kidd-Gilchrist.
7:54 – ESPN’s Andy Katz was all over this last night: The Cavaliers take Dion Waiters out of Syracuse fourth overall. One of the best players in the draft, Waiters is Syracuse’s highest draft pick since Carmelo Anthony went third overall in 2003.
7:56 – With Irving and Waiters, Cleveland has their best backcourt since Mark Price and Terrell Brandon in the mid-‘90s.
7:57 – Am I the only one who thinks John Calipari looks like Robert De Niro? Think about it: They even have the same mole on their right cheek.
7:59 – Steal number two as Robinson goes to the Kings. I’m a little surprised to see Harrison Barnes fall out of the top five, but most critics called this; so as Chris Russo would say, “that’s a great job in a big spot.”
8:02 – I’m just hearing about Thomas Robinson having lost both grandparents and his mother three weeks apart. For him to be doing this and supporting his sister speaks volumes about the kid. From someone whose parents separated when I was 13 and was raised by a single mother, I can somewhat relate. This kid has my respect and support even more now than he did when he was just a great player at Kansas.
8:05 – Portland takes Damian Lillard sixth overall. For Portland fans praying he doesn’t suffer the same fate as Sam Bowie or Greg Oden, remember this: He’s a guard.
8:08 – First Twitter sighting with a tweet from South Carolina coach Frank Martin appearing on screen. New York fans get to see Martin twice, as he takes on St. John’s at Carnesecca Arena and Manhattan at the Barclays Center this season.
8:09 – I’m curious as to the reaction of my good friend Evan Roberts, the WFAN midday show co-host who is a long-suffering Nets fan. (Remember, the Nets traded the pick Portland just took Lillard with to get Gerald Wallace.) Roberts is on vacation at the moment, so I’ll post his reaction if I get it.
8:11 – North Carolina’s first draft pick is Harrison Barnes, who goes seventh to the Warriors. As a die-hard Carolina fan, I hope Barnes turns out better for the Warriors than Brandan Wright did, because that kid would have been something special if he would have stayed in school rather than leaving after one year.
8:12 – Is it me, or is Rece Davis starting to look like Jay Wright?
8:16 – The Raptors take Terrence Ross from Washington eighth overall. Bryan Colangelo may have spit it up again with this pick, passing up on Jeremy Lamb and Austin Rivers.
8:17 – From David Rochford in regard to Washington having Ross and Tony Wroten, but missing the NCAA Tournament: “#1BidPac12.” (Thank Sports Illustrated’s Andy Glockner for spreading that hashtag to the masses)
8:19 – My friend and fellow college basketball insider Jon Rothstein said the Pistons were doing last-minute research on Andre Drummond in case he fell to them at No. 9. Guess what: The UConn big man is still out there.
8:20 – I can’t tell you how much I love Fran Fraschilla’s analysis of international players. I forgot about Jonas Valanciunas before tonight, to be honest with you.
8:21 – ESPN defying Roger Goodell’s vision of not tipping picks by showing Drummond on camera.
8:22 – The boos for Stern never get old. Neither does him eating up the reaction. Pistons take Drummond by the way.
8:23 – Another three shots if you’re playing the Bilas drinking game. Drummond has a 90-inch wingspan for those of you scoring at home.
8:25 – Drummond tells Mark Jones he made the right call leaving UConn early. Due to the Huskies’ APR problems, next season really wouldn’t count for much, would it?
8:28 – Jon Rothstein is 2-for his last-2 now that the Hornets drafted Austin Rivers tenth overall. The man had this in an interview yesterday with WFAN’s Joe Benigno.
8:35 – Portland takes Meyers Leonard at No. 11. Will the 7-1 big man be as good as Arvydas Sabonis, or as average as Chris Dudley?
8:41 – With their first of three picks, Houston takes Jeremy Lamb at No. 12 rather than a big man. A surprising pick, but the UConn guard will make up for it with his mounds of talent and potential.
8:48 – I didn’t know Kendall Marshall turned into Roy Williams!
8:49 – Marshall’s selection by the Phoenix Suns is great because he’s just as good a passer as Steve Nash. This kid will be great in that system. My mock draft was also vindicated with this pick, but nobody really cares, right?
8:53 – John Henson goes from the best North Carolina player over the last three years to the Milwaukee Bucks’ best frontcourt player with the 14th overall selection.
8:54 – Wingspan AND Bill Simmons references? Great work, Mr. Bilas.
8:58 – With the 15th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers select Maurice Harkless, forward from St. John’s University. Harkless is the first St. John’s draft pick since Omar Cook in 2001, and first opening round selection since Erick Barkley in 2000. It’s about time my alma mater is back.
9:01 – WSJU host and play-by-play announcer Jon Perez, who also does a great Marv Albert impression, texts me to remind me that he called Harkless to the Sixers earlier in the day. Be sure to listen to “Jon and John in the Morning,” which Perez co-hosts with fellow St. John’s student John Sudolsky, next semester when they return to the air.
9:05 – The Rockets take Royce White of Iowa State with the 16th overall pick. This kid is a star in the making if he can replicate his NCAA Tournament performance against Connecticut.
9:10 – Mavericks take Tyler Zeller, but will reportedly trade the rights to the North Carolina center. It’s a shame too, because he would have been great alongside Dirk Nowitzki.
9:18 – Rockets complete their trifecta with Terrence Jones in the No. 18 spot. With Lamb, White and Jones, it’s safe to say that Daryl Morey had yet another excellent draft.
9:23 – Speaking as a Magic fan, I’m very happy with this Andrew Nicholson pick. Got to see him against Fordham last year, and this kid is freaking amazing. Scored 30 with no effort at all against the Rams, and with a little seasoning, he could be a Tim Duncan-esque pro.
9:27 – Denver takes Evan Fournier, a French swingman. Best part of this pick: We get a detailed scouting report from Fran Fraschilla.
9:33 – David Rochford: “Let’s see how much the Celtics kill Bill Simmons.”
9:34 – Stern points to a fan holding a sign stating “In Danny (Ainge) we trust.” You just have to love a guy who can play along with his never-ending criticism. Boston drafts Jared Sullinger in the No. 21 spot for those of you scoring at home.
9:42 – Celtics take Fab Melo at 22. After how much of a force he was defensively for Syracuse, this will help the Celtics get the foul calls they should have got in the Eastern Conference finals against Miami. This kid should be a solid pro in Beantown.
9:48 – Atlanta gets the best shooter in the draft at No. 23, taking Vanderbilt’s John Jenkins. An Allan Houston clone in terms of shooting, Jenkins will keep Atlanta in close games and adds a reputation for success in the clutch to a backcourt that includes Jeff Teague and Joe Johnson.
9:52 – Picking for Dallas as a result of the Tyler Zeller trade, Cleveland takes Jared Cunningham out of Oregon State. Considering he played for Michelle Obama’s brother in college, this is shaping up to be a pretty good night in the White House.
9:59 – Kentucky’s fifth player still on the board after Tony Wroten goes to the Grizzlies at 25, eliciting another “#1BidPac12” reference from David Rochford.
10:04 – Miles Plumlee to the Pacers? Seriously? This kid has to be getting traded. Not sure what the Pacers are thinking if they keep this pick.
10:06 – ESPN really can’t go more than an hour without mentioning LeBron, huh?
10:08 – Rece Davis on Stern taking forever to come out: “I promise he’s back there.”
10:09 – Stern REALLY knows how to work a crowd. If Vince McMahon needs a new bad guy, all he has to do is have Stern announce the “NBA champion” Miami Heat the way he just did in Newark tonight. The reigning champs get a solid pick in Mississippi State’s Arnett Moultrie, who I had going twelve spots earlier.
10:10 – Lost in the shuffle of draft night is the fact that the festivities are being held in an arena that no longer hosts an NBA franchise after the Nets decided to make it real and trade in these wings on some wheels. (For those of you unsure of that reference, watch the following video)
10:14 – Oklahoma City selects Perry Jones at No. 28. After playing at Baylor, he instantly upgrades the quality of his jersey.
10:21 – Chicago gets their backup to Derrick Rose, and it’s Marquis Teague of Kentucky, who surprisingly fell to 29. Bulls were going to take Tyshawn Taylor if Teague wasn’t there, but this is a better choice.
10:25 – Another trade, as Miami sends Arnett Moultrie to Philadelphia for the 45th overall pick.
10:26 – David Stern’s swan song announces Festus Ezeli to Golden State.
10:27 – Stern reminds us that Adam Silver will conduct the second round. Is that really a good thing?
10:28 – WE WANT GRANIK! For those of you scoring at home, that’s a reference to former deputy commissioner Russ Granik, who never should have retired.
10:32 – Adam Silver comes out to a rousing ovation and announces Jeffery Taylor as the Bobcats’ second-round selection.
10:33 – WE WANT GRANIK.
10:36 – Tomas Satoransky from the Czech Republic joins countryman Jan Vesely after he is drafted by the Wizards. Cue Fran Fraschilla’s always-refreshing analysis. I wonder if Satoransky can top this.
10:40 – Cleveland drafts Bernard James for Dallas. Solid pick for a guy who is a true defender on and off the court, the latter for serving three tours of duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and Qatar during a six-year stint as a member of the Air Force.
10:43 – The third of Cleveland’s picks for Dallas goes to one of the best players in the draft, Marquette’s Jae Crowder. The unheralded junior college transfer was the Big East Player of the Year last season, and now gets to learn from one of the best small forwards in the NBA in Shawn Marion.
10:50 – Draymond Green goes to the Warriors at No. 35 overall. The kid is simply a winner. He’ll make this team better the first time he shows up for practice.
10:51 – Sacramento selects Orlando Johnson at No. 36, keeping him in the state of California for just a few minutes before they trade him to the Pacers.
10:52 – Raptors may have taken their replacement for Chris Bosh if they hold on to him, drafting Baylor’s Quincy Acy with the 37th pick.
10:54 – Two guys named Quincy from Baylor go back-to-back, as Quincy Miller gets drafted by the Nuggets.
10:55 – Jay Bilas speaks for the nation when he says “those (Baylor) uniforms are burning my retinas.” Well done once again, Jay.
10:58 – ESPN goes to break and misses the Pistons’ second-round pick, who turns out to be Khris Middleton of Texas A&M.
11:02 – Portland continues a surprisingly solid draft by adding Will Barton and Tyshawn Taylor to their first-round haul of Damian Lillard and Meyers Leonard.
11:03 – Well, maybe just Barton now that Andy Katz reported that Taylor was traded to the Nets.
11:04 – Moving right along as Milwaukee picks up Doron Lamb to join Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis in a star-studded backcourt.
11:05 – Still waiting for Iona’s Scott Machado to get selected. When he does, there may be a few fist pumps to commemorate it.
11:06 – A graphic shows Kentucky has a 5-4 lead on North Carolina in players selected. Carolina isn’t going any higher than four. Justin Watts is not getting drafted, people. Even though I like the kid, it’s just not happening.
11:08 – Silver announces a trade we knew 10 minutes ago. WE WANT GRANIK.
11:12 – Mike Scott (forward from Virginia) and Kim English (guard from Missouri) taken 43rd and 44th by the Hawks and Pistons, respectively. ESPN shows the Scott pick but misses the English pick.
11:14 – While the Worldwide Leader is again away doing a little business with America, (in the words of the late great Gene Rayburn) the Sixers draft another big man, LSU center Justin Hamilton, but send him to Miami to complete the Arnett Moultrie deal.
11:16 – Hornets take the sixth Kentucky player by going for Davis’ teammate Darius Miller at No. 46.
11:17 – Machado could be in play for Utah after he worked out for the Jazz last week.
11:18 – So much for that, as the Jazz go for Tennessee Tech’s Kevin Murphy.
11:19 – Knicks on the clock. The NBA’s answer to the Jets on draft day, but not quite as raucous.
11:20 – The Knicks would do something like that, taking Greek forward Kostas Papanikolaou. This looks like Frederic Weis all over again. At least we get a Fraschilla scouting report.
11:21 – David Rochford: “Maybe James Dolan can solve the Greek financial issue.”
11:22 – Machado to the Magic would be a dream come true since Jameer Nelson has an option at the end of next season.
11:23 – Magic take Kyle O’Quinn from Norfolk State. Somewhat anticlimactic, but the kid is legitimate. Got to see him in person when Norfolk State beat St. Francis before they shocked the world against Missouri.
11:24 – Nuggets draft Izzet Turkyilmaz out of Turkey. They tried this in 2002 when they took Nikoloz Tskitishvili fifth overall. Didn’t work then, may not work now.
11:25 – Celtics take Kris Joseph at No. 51, reuniting him with Fab Melo. Great pick in a tricky spot.
11:26 – Nine picks to go and Machado is still on the board. Starting to get a little uneasy here.
11:27 – Another “wingspan” reference from Bilas, and another shot for those who haven’t already passed out.
11:30 – Mavericks/Cavaliers trade announced by Silver an hour after it was initially reported. WE WANT GRANIK. Who is Ognjen Kuzmic? The Warriors just drafted him from Bosnia.
11:31 – THANK GOD FOR FRAN FRASCHILLA.
11:33 – Clippers select Furkan Aldemir from Turkey during a commercial break.
11:34 – GIVE ME FRASCHILLA OR GIVE ME DEATH.
11:35 – The bottom line inexplicably disappears from my screen. If Machado gets picked here, I may go on strike against ESPN.
11:36 – Bottom line and ESPN return with the Sixers still on the clock at No. 54. No pick during the break.
11:37 – Fraschilla earning his money yet again. This guy needs to get a coaching gig though. He’s too good not to have one.
11:38 – Tornike Shengelia? At least we get more Fraschilla analysis.
11:41 – Dallas gets a great pick in Marquette’s Darius Johnson-Odom. Mavs also reunite him with Jae Crowder, who was taken for them by Cleveland earlier in the night. (Note: Johnson-Odom was traded to the Lakers shortly after the draft went off the air)
11:42 – Five more picks left. Hopefully Machado is one of them.
11:44 – Fran Fraschilla has one more to give us when ESPN comes back from break now that Raptors have taken Tomislav Zubcic of Croatia at No. 56.
11:45 – Brooklyn Nets on the clock. Would love to see Machado stay home.
11:46 – Robbie Hummel cracks Jay Bilas’ best available list. If anyone really does deserve to be drafted, it’s him.
11:48 – Nets add to the Fraschilla workload drafting Turkey’s Ilkan Karaman.
11:49 – Seven of the last ten players taken are European. This is unbelievable.
11:50 – Minnesota on the clock. Let’s see what rabbit David Kahn pulls out of his hat this time.
11:51 - Silver announces the Moultrie-for-Hamilton swap before announcing the Timberwolves’ pick, which is Robbie Hummel.
11:52 – David Kahn gets it right taking Hummel. The kid deserves every minute of this.
11:53 – Down to the Spurs and Lakers now. Will Machado go to one of them?
11:54 – Magic Johnson not in attendance in Newark can only mean one thing: He’s working on fixing the Dodger Stadium parking scenario.
11:55 – A typical Spurs pick: Marcus Denmon of Missouri. Excellent pick of a shooter who fits right into Gregg Popovich’s system.
11:56 – The Lakers wrapping it up with…hopefully Machado.
11:59 – One final montage played before the announcement of Mr. Irrelevant. Really tense moments here waiting for Machado to hopefully get what he deserves.
12:00 – Mitch Kupchak was at the Hynes Center this season. Could it be?
12:01 – Lakers draft Robert Sacre out of Gonzaga, a deserving pick that will make Andrew Bynum even more expendable.
12:02 – Thank you, NBA salary cap. Your restrictions have turned general managers onto the concept of stashing picks overseas and depriving deserving players of their rightful moments in the sun.
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