soft and sloppy
-- Without mincing words, the Lawrence (KS) Journal-World's Chuck Woodling suggests the start of yesterday's second half against Villanova was "the worst 12 1/2-minute stretch in Kansas University's storied men's basketball history." For Woodling's behind the stat sheet analysis, read on. The number I found most interesting? Of Kansas' 22 turnovers, 15 were a result of Wildcat steals. In other words, Kansas may have been sloppy with the ball, but it was Villanova's aggressive defense that enabled Jay Wright's club to seize the day and rout the Jayhawks.
-- Last week's costliest loss? George Washington's defeat at the hands of the Massachusetts Minutemen. On January 11th, the Colonials were number 18 in the RPI. On January 22nd, number 53. Ouch.
-- Is Bob Knight going soft? According to St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz, the General invited Dan Graville, a 93-year-old basketball fan, to watch Texas Tech's walk-through before a recent game against Missouri. After the pregame practice, coach signed autographs and posed for photos with Graville.
-- There are leads and then there are leads. The Washington Post's Mike Wise begins a piece on Maryland's coach with the intro of the day: "The great thing about a seemingly miserable guy like Gary Williams is, at his core, he craves the hardship. Given the choice between prosperity and a cigarette and blindfold, he might ask for a match..."
