Duke vs VCU Full game NCAA basketball 2015 / 11.20.2015 Virginia Commonwealth Rams guard JeQuan Lewis (1). Photo by: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
As the VCU Rams look ahead to their Atlantic 10 Quarterfinal matchup with either George Mason or Fordham, there are still a lot of questions marks for a team attempting to reach its seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament.
The Rams head to Pittsburgh with the knowledge that most projections have the Rams in the 68-team NCAA Tournament field. However, this doesnt mean VCU can be complacent in the league tournament. A season ago, when the Rams also were projected to easily make the NCAA Tournament field as an 8 or 9 seed, their run to the A-10 final and subsequent loss to Saint Josephs only landed the Rams with a 10 seed, the last team with a First Four bye. With this in mind and considering the Rams recent struggles against Rhode Island and Dayton, an early loss in the A-10 Tournament would make the Rams have to sweat it out on Selection Sunday. Rhode Island, the fourth seed, and Dayton, the top seed, are on the opposite side of the bracket as VCU. As it stands now, if VCU wins two games in the conference tournament and performs well in the final, the Rams should be safely in the Tournament.
However, the Rams path to the final is a difficult one and the tournament has been won by the top two seeds only two times since 2011. In quarterfinal matchup against George Mason or Fordham, the Rams face two teams who played VCU close this season. In two matchups against George Mason, the Rams won two games that were much closer than the nine and 12-point margins of victory suggest. In their lone matchup against Fordham, the Rams played one of their sloppiest games of the season, turning the ball over 22 times and losing on an Antwoine Anderson overtime buzzer-beater. Presuming the Rams advance, they would potentially face a third matchup against cross-town rival Richmond, who boast the A-10 Player of the Year in T.J. Cline and the Rookie of the Year in DeMonte Buckingham. While the Rams defeated the Spiders twice in the regular season, VCU played Richmond before the rams perimeter shooting slump took effect.
vcu will need big performances from its three stars, JeQuan Lewis, Justin Tillman and Mo Alie-c*x, in Pittsburgh to ensure a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Lewis, Tillman and Alie-c*x will take the court on Friday night with new accolades attached to their name. Lewis was name to the All-Conference First Team, Tillman was an All-Conference Third Team selection and Alie-c*x was named to the All-Defensive Team for third time in his career
Chicagoans talk about the cold weather Chicago weather data and observer FrankWachowski
Dear Tom,You often mention weather data and records coming from Frank Wachowski. Is his an official job so that when he retires there will be someone else appointed to take over? I hate to think that the weather data historian work would ever stop. Joanna, Des PlainesDear Joanna,Frank Wachowski, retired from the National Weather Service, is a cooperative weather observer for that organization. he takes weather observations on a daily basis, supplementing weather information already provided by automated equipment and weather observers at Midway Airport.
Franks detailed weather observations are published monthly by the weather service. Franks data will be sustained by continually upgraded automation and future cooperative observers when he no longer provides the information.
Football Club Barcelona made a historical comeback against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday by beating the French side 6-1 to reach the Champions League quarterfinals.
Sergi Robertos 95th minute strike gave his team a 6-5 victory on aggregate, making Barcelona the first side to overturn a 4-0 first-leg defeat since the current format started in the 1992-93 season.
The match has made it to the history books, along with Manchester Uniteds comeback against Bayern Munich in 1999 and Liverpools 2005 turnaround against AC Milan in Istanbul.
PSG seemed certain to go through after Edinson Cavani scored a valuable away goal in the second half, following Barcelonas opening salvo of three goals, before Neymar turned it all around.
Here are the five key takeaways
Neymar rises to the occasion
Neymar Jr hailed the best game of his career after Barcelona scored three times in the last seven minutes of the game. The Brazilian superstar received a lot of ball on the left wing because of Coach Luis Enriques new experimental lineup and the absence of Barcas first choice left-back Jordi Alba.
Despite the three goals in the first half, Barcelonas dreams were all but shattered after PSG striker Edinson Cavani scored in the 62nd minute, giving the French side a much-needed away goal. And that was it, the deafening silence in Camp Nou felt as if the dream was snatched from those 96,000 Catalan fans.
Then, it was time for Neymars Samba, when at the 88th minute mark, he reinforced that optimism with an astounding free kick. After Luis Suarez was brought down in the box in the 90th minute by PSG centre back Marquinhos. Neymar, cool as ice, stepped up for the penalty and placed it in the bottom corner. It was still not done and dusted, but in the dying embers of injury time, Neymar provided the cross and Sergi Roberto flicked it with his outstretched boot, sending the Catalan side into the quarter finals.
3-4-3 works
It was a subtle change by Barcas outgoing coach Luis Enrique that helped them turn things around. After the humiliating first leg 4-0 defeat at Parc des Princes, Enrique switched the team from traditional 4-3-3 to 3-4-3. Before PSG, Barcelona had beaten Atletico Madrid, Sporting Gijon and Celta Vigo by using the new system.
The advantage of the 3-4-3 is that it gives us more space, more control in the midfield, it puts the defenders in a more fixed position, Luis Enrique said.
PSG still has a long way to go
After the first leg 4-0 rout of Barcelona, the concord was that Paris Saint-Germain had finally become a deadly force in the Champions League. All their hard work was undone during one unforgettable night at the Camp Nou.
The French champions conceded in the opening 120 seconds of the match and the scrappy defence deflected Andres Iniestas backheel for the second goal. Barcelona had tons of goalscoring chances throughout the game, the defence was pushed up into PSGs half and their high pressing, high risk strategy successfully choked PSG.
No one-hero in Barcelonas star-studded performance
All the pre-match hush-hush had been about how Leo Messi who has been in a fine scoring form since the first leg defeat would turn this match around. Undoubtedly, Messi played a significant role in the historic win. The Argentine dropped back playing as an anchor between Neymar-Suarez-Rafinha led Barcas offence and the rest of the team.
Messi scored the matchs third goal by calmly converting a penalty. His presence was enough to keep the defence distracted but we saw a powerful team performance by his side.
Ter Stegan wasnt much busy but pulled few smooth saves. The three-man defence of Pique, Umtiti and Mascherano was rigid and resilient throughout, displaying composure at the back and technical ability on the ball too. While Sergio Busquets performance might be little worrisome for the team, Andres Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic handled the midfield amazingly with their tireless up-and-down performance.
In the front, the poacher Luis Suarez set the ball rolling with his early goal and was a menace throughout the crucial tie. Rafinha worked as a key drifter on the right flank. But of course, Neymar was absolutely sensational throughout the game.
Like a horror film
The scenes at Camp Nou last night were nothing short of a blockbuster. From a cracking start at the very beginning to a major turning point when Cavani scored to the climatic finale, the match was one twist after another.
This is a night which is difficult to explain in words, it had the script of a horror film with a spectacular start with an atmosphere which I have never seen in the Camp Nou, with tension I have never seen before, Luis Enrique said.
S se puede, s se puede, Barcelona fans chanted, which can roughly be translated to Yes we can, Yes we can.
The majestic Camp Nou exploded in ecstasy in the final minute when Sergi Roberto scored. As his teammates from the pitch and bench rushed towards the unlikely saviour, one man took a different path and peeled towards the fans.
It was the usually shy Leo Messi who dramatically rampaged towards the crazy mass, climbed on top of an advertising board and merged in the crowd.
The victory sent shockwaves across the footballing circles, the pundits and of course the social media.
The scenes from the BT Sport studio were unprecedented. Former Real Madrid forward Michael Owen could not contain his excitement alongside Rio Ferdinand, Gary Lineker and Steven Gerrard after the last minute goal. Owen even did a hysterical lap of the studio.
DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author"s own.
George Washington capped an impressive run through the NIT by beating Valparaiso, 76-60, on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. The Colonials clinched the championship of college basketball"s top consolation tournament, sending off a decorated senior class in style at the world"s most famous arena.
A balanced, veteran scoring attack pushed the Colonials over the top. Seniors Kevin Larsen, Patricio Garino and Joe McDonald scored 18, 14 and 13 points, respectively, and junior Tyler Cavanaugh added 12.The game wasn"t an offensive exhibition, but GW outscored Valpo in the second half by a 44-29 margin to earn the win.
The teams played a tight first half, and George Washington headed to the break with a 32-31 lead. The Colonials didn"t distinguish themselves until the second 20 minutes, which they started on a 9-2 run. That gave them the initial separation that set the tone as the game rolled toward the finish, and the gap widened as the half wore on. What started as a tight game turned into a cruise to the finish for GW.
The Colonials put a nice exclamation point on an interesting season. They looked for a while like an NCAA Tournament team, posting a marquee early-season home win against eventual No. 1 seed Virginia and quality wins later on against Seton Hall and at VCU. But they were uneven in the Atlantic 10, finishing with an 11-7 league record and a second-game loss in the conference tournament.
That landed them in the NIT, and they didn"t waste the chance. The Colonials beat Hofstra, Monmouth, Florida and San Diego State to reach the final, before they took care of Valparaiso to end the season.
Under head coach Mike Lonergan, George Washington has come together in a unique way. The Colonials were down when Lonergan took over the program in 2011, and while they"ve still got a long way to go to be a consistent tournament contender, they"ve made notable progress. A key part in that has been international talent, with Lonergan and his staffaggressively pursuing foreign players at U.S. high schools and bringing them to Foggy Bottom, selling them on the school"s international reputation and Washington"s vast cultural offerings.
In the class of 2012, Lonergan added Argentine wing Garino and Danish center Larsen. Both were four-year starters for the Colonials and reached one NCAA Tournament, in 2014. On Thursday, their college careers got a happy ending.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Thad Matta said after Ohio State basketball was bounced from the Big Ten Tournament by Rutgers that he wasn"t sure if the Buckeyes would accept a bid to the National Invitation Tournament.
Turns out he didn"t need to make a decision.
The Buckeyes were not invited to take part in the NIT this year after finishing 17-15.
Asked which two teams were on the outside of the 32-team field, NIT chairman Reggie Minton listed Ohio State and UNC-Asheville.
"Both of those teams were tough decisions for us," Minton said on ESPNU. "They were worthy, but when we matched them up against the other resumes, we just felt they came a little short."
Minton added that no teams turned down an NIT invitation this year.
An OSU spokesperson told cleveland.com that Ohio State would have accepted a bid had the Buckeyes been invited.
Ohio State signed a non-binding agreement in January to take part in the NIT if invited,according to Adam Jardy of the Columbus Dispatch. Under that agreement, Ohio State could still reject an NIT bid if invited, but cannot play in other postseason tournaments such as the CIT or the CBI. A team that signs a non-binding NIT agreement can still play in the NCAA Tournament if selected.
So Ohio State"s season will end at 17-15 with no postseason play. The Buckeyes went 2-5 in their last seven games.
The last time Ohio State didn"t participate in a postseason tournament was 2004-05, its first season under Matta when it wasn"t eligible for postseason play.
How did Ohio State end up here?
The Buckeyes were 15-10 after a win against Rutgers on Feb. 8. That wasn"t a great mark, but Ohio State still had chances left to play its way into the NCAA Tournament if it could pick up some solid road wins.
Instead the Buckeyes lost three straight from that point, playing tough but still failing to pull out wins at Maryland and Michigan State (both tournament teams). Then they blew a lead late and lost at home to Nebraska, 58-57, on Feb. 18. That loss put the Buckeyes in a position where their only shot of avoiding the NIT was to win the Big Ten Tournament.
Ohio State opened Big Ten Tournament play with a 66-57 loss to Rutgers, the lowest seed in the bracket. That was probably the game that knocked the Buckeyes out of the NIT.
The Buckeyes" fate was really sealed before any of that happened, though, because they again struggled in most opportunities to get big wins. Ohio Stats was 3-8 against teams in the top 50 of the RPI, and also had three losses against teams outside of the top 100 (Nebraska, Rutgers, Florida Atlantic).
Lorde isscheduled to appear onSaturday Night Liveas the musical guest this Saturday, March 11. The episode is hosted byScarlett Johansson. In new promos for the episode, cast member Beck Bennett jokes about her finally dropping new music. In another, he makes jokes about buckling up, but ultimately gets stressed out. watch it go down below.
lordeis prepping anew recordcalled Melodrama, which is out this summer (via LAVA/Republic). It follows her 2013 debut Pure Heroine. The album is led by her new single Green Light, which she co-wrotewith Jack Antonoffand Joel Little andco-produced with Antonoff and Frank Dukes.The video was directed by Grant Singer.In an interview with Zane Lowe, she revealed the song was about her first major heartbreak.Earlier today, she shared a new song called Liability.
Read Pitchforks interview with Grant Singer about Green Light.
Golden State Warriors vs Minnesota Timberwolves - 1st Half Highlights | Mar 10, 2017
SAN ANTONIO A few hours before the Golden State Warriors placed in greater peril their hold on the Western Conferences top seed and willingly surrendered a tiebreaker to the San Antonio Spurs, Stephen Curry was seated in front of his locker-room stall, gleefully staring into his smartphone with his headphones in his ears. Coach Steve Kerrs decision to sit his three remaining, healthy All-Stars and a vital reserve drew considerable criticism, but it was a calculated risk worth taking for a team that needed a mental and emotionalbreak from the game.
The physical vulnerability that came from playing eight games in eight different cities in 13 days was obvious. But the Warriors needed to not concern themselves with exerting every ounce of energy to continue compensating for Kevin Durants absence and holding on to a Western Conference lead that they might eventually cede. The Warriors have played one way over the past three seasons, with a level of unprecedented intensity that was unrealistic to sustain, regardless of pulling one of the greatest free-agent coups in NBA history last summer. After churning out wins at an alarming rate and spoiling fans with their sustained dominance, they needed a chance to not care about something important.
Currys joy during that quiet moment, all alone with his phone, revealed the importance of disengaging. Through their unexpected rise to join the NBA elite, the Warriors have gone from heroic underdogs to hated for being on top. They wanted to embrace the role of villain after luring Durant and they certainly have some villainous elements on the roster. But it hasnt been a role in which theyve thrived. There have been moments when Klay Thompson has dropped 60 points in 29 minutes, when Curry strutted after a 3-point barrage or when Durant has simply beenDurant, but there has also been less fun, less magic. And every misstep which continues to be rare has either raised panic or inspired more ridicule.
The Warriors have lost five of seven, their worst stretch of basketball since Kerr became head coach. But every team endures bad stretches, why cant these guys? After their 107-85 loss to the Spurs on Saturday night, Golden State remains on a 65-win pace. And here comes some perspective: There have been 19 65-win seasons in NBA history and the Warriors could potentially have three in a row.
If this is tough, then we dont got it that bad. We dont have much to complain about. Ive been in tougher situations, Warriors reserve Shaun Livingston told The Vertical. But end of the day, its good to get a rest. Guys needed it, to get away from the game, probably. Its been a long season. Always a long season. Probably a little longer this season, considering everything were going through.
Michael Jordans Chicago Bulls had the most incredible three-year stretch in NBA history, winning 72, 69 and 62 games in successive seasons. The Warriors would only need to go 12-4 the rest of the season to have a better regular-season run. Larry Birds Boston Celtics won 60 games each season from 1984-86, peaking at 67 wins in the final season but began to decline every season afterward. The franchise wouldnt win 60 games for another 22 years. Bill Russells Celtics never won more than 62 games. Shaquille ONeals three-peating Los Angeles Lakers won 67 games in the first season under Phil Jackson but never won more than 58 the rest of the way. Magic Johnsons Lakers finished first in the West every season from 1981-90, winning at least 62 games four straight seasons between 1984-1988. They won three championships during that latter stretch but only won 65 games once.
Kevon Looney and other Warriors reserves played extended minutes Saturday. (AP)
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The Spurs have wonfive championships during this 20-year playoff streak but only two of those title runs were attached to 60-win seasons. They have also been that quiet source of motivation the past two seasons. Its often forgotten that the Warriors essentially had to win at least 70 games last season to simply hold on to the top seed. San Antonio didnt have its stars for Saturdays game, but injuries forced coach Gregg Popovichs hand Kawhi Leonard was undergoing concussion protocol, LaMarcus Aldridge was shutdown indefinitely with a heart arrhythmia and Tony Parker had a back injury not his known habit of needling the leagues network partners by putting first the health of his players. Aldridge will continue to have more tests on Monday to determine what comes next. His health scare could have a long-term influence, especially given his past heart problems.
No one should fault Kerr if he decides to scale back a little more over the final 16 games after resting Curry, Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala on Saturday night. Its easy to get caught up in the debate over resting stars, the grueling NBA schedule and shafted fans. But Kerrs decision went beyond not leaving his players susceptible to injury. His Warriors are the overachieving honor student, on the verge of a breakdown, learning that getting an A-plus on every assignment isnt more important than passing the final exam.
You can see, sometimes the physical wear and tear and you can see it, cognitively, as well. You get beaten down, you get worn down, your mind doesnt work as well, either, Kerr said. You can have these wild swings of feeling prepared or feeling wiped out. Yes, you have to play through all that stuff, but if a coach can help you out every once in a while and give you a break, thats a good thing.
The Warriors had no intention of replicating what happened last season. And they wouldnt have been the same had they decided to bring back Andrew Bogut, Harrison Barnes, Mo Speights, Leandro Barbosa, Brandon Rush and Festus Ezili. Golden State played with postseason intensity throughout their run to 73 wins. Currys unfortunate knee injury in the first round disrupted much of the teams flow, but the final two rounds of the playoffs exposed something else that was concerning to the team: When Oklahoma City and Cleveland elevated their level of the play, the Warriors couldnt go higher. Thats why they needed Durant. More than greed, more than a desire to be unfair to the rest of the league, the Warriors needed Durant to remain light years ahead. the warriors struggles without durant have proven his importance to the team.
Before the season began, Draymond Green explained to The Vertical why a team that was about to set the NBA regular-season wins record would even need to consider adding a former league MVP. Obviously, when you add a player like Kevin Durant, you end up with more than just one thing, Green told The Vertical. Its not, Oh, were trying to fill in a gap. You dont fill in a gap with a Kevin Durant. The things he adds to this team, hes going to fill more than one category. Its a bunch of categories. Hes an MVP, scoring champion multiple times, hes done some great things in this league, and we hope to continue to help him do more great things.
Golden State wont win a championship without Durant. The time with Durant sidelined, however, could help Curry, Thompson and Green recalibrate their games and fight through no longer leaning on his consistent brilliance. Or the challenge of wanting to do too much. Curry looks like a flame-throwing pitcher who lost a little off his heater and he appears to be pressing of late. He had the most difficult adjustment of any player on the team, going from All-Star to superstar to all-time superstar before having his ascension disrupted when he slipped on a wet spot in Houston in last years postseason. Another dumb-luck incident Zaza Pachulia getting tossed into Durants knee has raised the expectations for Curry to be that mesmerizing player once again. But thats unfair. For Curry. And the Warriors. They all just need to dial it back a bit. Put their excellence in perspective. Sit back. Smile into a phone. And chill.
People dont understand how hard it is to win in the NBA. Its not easy to do. The last couple of years have been an anomaly, in a sense of putting together so many wins, staying healthy, Livingston told The Vertical. Fantasy owners, if you dont go 82-0, the world is over. But in an NBA locker room, it doesnt work that way. We dont think that way. We dont feel that way.
