It will be interesting to see if there are any repercussions from the controversial flagrant foul called on Murray State guard Isacc Miles in Saturday's ESPNU-televised Ohio Valley Conference rival Austin Peay, and the manner in which the officials arrived at the call.
This is the scenario which led up to the call: Murray had cut a 15-point Austin Peay lead to three and had possession of the ball with less than two minutes remaining. Miles caught pass from a teammate and, defended closely by Austin Peay's Josh Terry, held the ball over his head and turned into him in an effort to clear some space.
Terry fell back as if he had taken an elbow to the face, although television replays were inconclusive as to the extent of the contact. An official blew the whistle to stop play, but the play was later ruled an inadvertent whistle and a media timeout was called.
During the timeout, according to ESPNU announcer Mark Adams, a former college coach, he called an official to him to ask for an interpretation of the call — not an uncommon action among media types. I've done it myself on occasion.
According to Adams, the official then asked him if there was contact on the play, and Adams replied that there was and then asked the official "The call is reviewable, correct?"
Sometime, in the aftermath of the discussion, the officials decided to review the call. Miles was later assessed the foul, his fifth of the game, and Austin Peay was awarded two free throws and possession of the ball, standard procedure for an intentional or flagrant foul.
Did Adams' query intitate the review? Judging solely by his comments — Adams told the story three or four times during the ESPNU broadcast — it appears that may have been the case.
Adams isn't out of bounds for doing what he did — after all, he's simply doing his job. I wonder, however, if the OVC and perhaps the NCAA might review the situation and issue a clarification on the proper procedures for reviewing the call.
In these situations, my mantra is consistent — as long as the officials get the call right, nothing else matters. But I'm not sure that there was actual contact, and Miles' action seemed rather innocuous. Regardless of whether or not that is a point of emphasis for officials this season, as Adams maintained, Miles' actions certainly didn't appear to have any intent.
Murray coach Billy Kennedy was gracious in his postgame comments, refusing to blame the officials for the loss, and I'm not making that claim, either. But there is little doubt that the events changed the game on three levels — instead of Murray having possession of the ball and trailing by just three points, Austin Peay was shooting free throws and had possession.
Miles, who was 6-for-8 from the field and had 14 points and three assists, was done for the day, and the call also sapped any momentum the Racers may have garnered during its run.
Strange things often happen when the Governors and Racers get together, and this one just adds another chapter to the story.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
Cubs still chasing ...
The Chicago Cubs traded five players, including a pair of high-profile prospects, to Tampa Bay for pitcher Matt Garza, continuing general manager Jim Hendry's ongoing charade of attempting to steer the team into contention.
Garza has been a good pitcher for the Rays for three seasons, going 34-31 with a sub-4.00 ERA each year and helping Tampa win two divisional titles. He was especially good in the ALCS in 2008, beating Boston twice and holding the Red Sox to two runs in 13 innings.
Still just 27, he's still three years away from free agency, although he is likely to get a little pricey in arbitration if the Cubs don't work out a long-term deal with him.
But — and you knew there would be a "but" here — is this really the kind of deal the Cubs need to be making?
The Cubs gave up Chris Archer, a pitcher that was part of the Mark DeRosa deal and blossomed last season, going 15-3 with a 2.35 ERA in high-A and Double-A. Hu-Jak Lee is a 19-year-old shortstop with a good looking bat and defensive tools and Brandon Guyer looks like a decent fourth outfielder, a right-handed hitter than can play all three spots with speed and a little pop.
Hendry seems to feel the Cubs, who went 75-87 last season and finished 16 games behind division champion Cincinnati, are a legitimate contender. That seems to be the reason behind the signing of former Tampa first baseman Carlos Pena to a one-year, $10 million contract, and the push to trade some high-level prospects for Garza.
Garza should help the Cubs — he's a reliable guy that can make 30-plus starts and work around 200 innings a season. And with Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, Randy Wells, Tom Gorzelanny and possibly a push from rookie Casey Coleman, the Cubs have plenty of rotation depth.
Kerry Wood's amazingly cheap signing helps back Carlos Marmol and lefty Sean Marshall in the bullpen, but more help is needed — perhaps top prospect Andrew Cashner fits in there for the time being.
But are the Cubs really a contender of any stripe? Milwaukee has improved immensely, fortifying a shaky rotation with trades for Zack Greinke and Shawn Marcum — the Brewers now have as good a top four as anyone in the division. St. Louis has some questions (we'll deal with those later this weekend) and the Reds' young pitching only figures to get better.
The offense still has plenty of question marks, and Pena probably isn't going to fill the need for a reliable lefty bat. Pena had two good seasons with the Rays, but you have to be scared of a slugger that, at age 32, slumped to .196 and 28 homers after averaging 39 in the previous three seasons. Pena isn't getting any younger, and his bat isn't picking up any speed, either.
St. Louis signed Lance Berkman for $8 million, but the Cubs paid more for Pena. Both need platoon partners to face left-handers, and frankly, I would much rather see the Cubs move Aramia Ramirez across the diamond or Alfonso Soriano to first base and try to put together a representative defense.
Instead, Hendry is acting like he has a team on the verge of contention. All the indicators, trending downward as they are, seem to differ.
Garza has been a good pitcher for the Rays for three seasons, going 34-31 with a sub-4.00 ERA each year and helping Tampa win two divisional titles. He was especially good in the ALCS in 2008, beating Boston twice and holding the Red Sox to two runs in 13 innings.
Still just 27, he's still three years away from free agency, although he is likely to get a little pricey in arbitration if the Cubs don't work out a long-term deal with him.
But — and you knew there would be a "but" here — is this really the kind of deal the Cubs need to be making?
The Cubs gave up Chris Archer, a pitcher that was part of the Mark DeRosa deal and blossomed last season, going 15-3 with a 2.35 ERA in high-A and Double-A. Hu-Jak Lee is a 19-year-old shortstop with a good looking bat and defensive tools and Brandon Guyer looks like a decent fourth outfielder, a right-handed hitter than can play all three spots with speed and a little pop.
Hendry seems to feel the Cubs, who went 75-87 last season and finished 16 games behind division champion Cincinnati, are a legitimate contender. That seems to be the reason behind the signing of former Tampa first baseman Carlos Pena to a one-year, $10 million contract, and the push to trade some high-level prospects for Garza.
Garza should help the Cubs — he's a reliable guy that can make 30-plus starts and work around 200 innings a season. And with Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, Randy Wells, Tom Gorzelanny and possibly a push from rookie Casey Coleman, the Cubs have plenty of rotation depth.
Kerry Wood's amazingly cheap signing helps back Carlos Marmol and lefty Sean Marshall in the bullpen, but more help is needed — perhaps top prospect Andrew Cashner fits in there for the time being.
But are the Cubs really a contender of any stripe? Milwaukee has improved immensely, fortifying a shaky rotation with trades for Zack Greinke and Shawn Marcum — the Brewers now have as good a top four as anyone in the division. St. Louis has some questions (we'll deal with those later this weekend) and the Reds' young pitching only figures to get better.
The offense still has plenty of question marks, and Pena probably isn't going to fill the need for a reliable lefty bat. Pena had two good seasons with the Rays, but you have to be scared of a slugger that, at age 32, slumped to .196 and 28 homers after averaging 39 in the previous three seasons. Pena isn't getting any younger, and his bat isn't picking up any speed, either.
St. Louis signed Lance Berkman for $8 million, but the Cubs paid more for Pena. Both need platoon partners to face left-handers, and frankly, I would much rather see the Cubs move Aramia Ramirez across the diamond or Alfonso Soriano to first base and try to put together a representative defense.
Instead, Hendry is acting like he has a team on the verge of contention. All the indicators, trending downward as they are, seem to differ.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
All A Classic girls seedings ...
No surprise that Murray and Ballard Memorial are the top two seeds in the All A Classic girls' First Region basketball tournament, which is Jan. 17-22 at Graves County's Eagles' Nest.
Heath's double-digit win over St. Mary wasn't enough to leapfrog the Lady Pirates into the No. 3 spot, but it might have pushed Heath over Mayfield, Community Christian and Carlisle County into the fourth slot — only 2.5 points separate the three teams in the Louisville Courier-Journal's Litkenhous Ratings, which are used to determine the seedings.
One other interesting note: the Litratings have Murray as the state's No. 15 team, with Calloway County at No. 20.
Here are the seedings:
1. Murray
2. Ballard Memorial
3. St. Mary
4. Heath
5. Mayfield
6. Community Christian
7. Carlisle County
8. Hickman County
9. Reidland
10. Fulton County
11. Fulton City
Heath's double-digit win over St. Mary wasn't enough to leapfrog the Lady Pirates into the No. 3 spot, but it might have pushed Heath over Mayfield, Community Christian and Carlisle County into the fourth slot — only 2.5 points separate the three teams in the Louisville Courier-Journal's Litkenhous Ratings, which are used to determine the seedings.
One other interesting note: the Litratings have Murray as the state's No. 15 team, with Calloway County at No. 20.
Here are the seedings:
1. Murray
2. Ballard Memorial
3. St. Mary
4. Heath
5. Mayfield
6. Community Christian
7. Carlisle County
8. Hickman County
9. Reidland
10. Fulton County
11. Fulton City
Seeding doesn't matter ...
Ballard Memorial proved the point a year ago, knocking off three higher-seeded teams en route to the school's first All A Classic regional title.
This year, the shoe could be on the other foot.
A little over 24 hours after the Bombers were awarded the top seed in this year's small-school meet, the Bombers were beaten 59-49 at Carlisle County, which had dropped to the No. 7 seed after a disastrous three-game visit to Allen County's Christmas tournament.
"I wouldn't be surprised if we dropped a spot with every loss," said Carlisle coach Brian O'Neill, whose club went into the tournament with a 6-2 record and shot less than 30 percent in losses to the host school, Christian Academy of Louisville and Gallatin County "Going up there, I thought we had a chance at being either three or four, and on the way back, I knew we could be anywhere down to seven."
Ballard, Fulton County and Heath are the top three seeds and considered nearly equals, but Carlisle's win is an indication that one of the middle-tier clubs could rise up and knock off a top-tier team in a couple of weeks.
Mayfield is starting to get healthy, with guard William Higginson and forward Jonathan Jackson recovering from football injuries. St. Mary, which took Heath to the wire on Tuesday night, plays solid defense but has problems putting points on the board.
There will be a few more key matchups to watch in the week leading up to the All A Classic. Mayfield takes on district rivals Ballard and St. Mary next week and Carlisle hosts Fulton County on Thursday.
This year, the shoe could be on the other foot.
A little over 24 hours after the Bombers were awarded the top seed in this year's small-school meet, the Bombers were beaten 59-49 at Carlisle County, which had dropped to the No. 7 seed after a disastrous three-game visit to Allen County's Christmas tournament.
"I wouldn't be surprised if we dropped a spot with every loss," said Carlisle coach Brian O'Neill, whose club went into the tournament with a 6-2 record and shot less than 30 percent in losses to the host school, Christian Academy of Louisville and Gallatin County "Going up there, I thought we had a chance at being either three or four, and on the way back, I knew we could be anywhere down to seven."
Ballard, Fulton County and Heath are the top three seeds and considered nearly equals, but Carlisle's win is an indication that one of the middle-tier clubs could rise up and knock off a top-tier team in a couple of weeks.
Mayfield is starting to get healthy, with guard William Higginson and forward Jonathan Jackson recovering from football injuries. St. Mary, which took Heath to the wire on Tuesday night, plays solid defense but has problems putting points on the board.
There will be a few more key matchups to watch in the week leading up to the All A Classic. Mayfield takes on district rivals Ballard and St. Mary next week and Carlisle hosts Fulton County on Thursday.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Superman Classic pairings ...
Seedings and pairings for the Superman Classic were determined today. The tournament is Jan. 17-22 at Massac County. Madison, which finished third in the Illinois Class A state tournament a year ago, is the defending champion.
There is a slight change in the tournament format, the first since it became an eight-team bracket tournament in 1988. Because certain teams can only play on certain nights for travel reasons and potential scheduling conflicts, one semifinal will be played on Thursday night and another on Friday night instead of both being played in the Friday session.
These are the seedings, with each team's record (as of today) in parentheses:
1. Paducah Tilghman (9-3)
2. Carbondale (8-5)
3. Martin Westview, Tenn. (12-3)
4. Massac County (10-6)
5. Madison (8-4)
6. Calloway County (5-7)
7. St. Louis Sumner (3-7)
8. Vienna (6-6)
This is the schedule:
Jan. 17
Game 1: Carbondale vs. St. Louis Sumner, 6:30 p.m.
Game 2: Calloway County vs. Martin Westview, 8 p.m.
Jan. 18
Game 3: Paducah Tilghman vs. Vienna, 6:30 p.m.
Game 4: Massac County vs. Madison, 8 p.m.
Jan. 20
Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 6:30 p.m.
Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 8 p.m.
Jan. 21
Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 6:30 p.m.
Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 8 p.m.
Jan. 22
Seventh-place game, 1 p.m.
Fifth-place game, 2:30 p.m.
Third-place game, 6:30 p.m.
Championship, 8 p.m.
There is a slight change in the tournament format, the first since it became an eight-team bracket tournament in 1988. Because certain teams can only play on certain nights for travel reasons and potential scheduling conflicts, one semifinal will be played on Thursday night and another on Friday night instead of both being played in the Friday session.
These are the seedings, with each team's record (as of today) in parentheses:
1. Paducah Tilghman (9-3)
2. Carbondale (8-5)
3. Martin Westview, Tenn. (12-3)
4. Massac County (10-6)
5. Madison (8-4)
6. Calloway County (5-7)
7. St. Louis Sumner (3-7)
8. Vienna (6-6)
This is the schedule:
Jan. 17
Game 1: Carbondale vs. St. Louis Sumner, 6:30 p.m.
Game 2: Calloway County vs. Martin Westview, 8 p.m.
Jan. 18
Game 3: Paducah Tilghman vs. Vienna, 6:30 p.m.
Game 4: Massac County vs. Madison, 8 p.m.
Jan. 20
Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 6:30 p.m.
Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 8 p.m.
Jan. 21
Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 6:30 p.m.
Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 8 p.m.
Jan. 22
Seventh-place game, 1 p.m.
Fifth-place game, 2:30 p.m.
Third-place game, 6:30 p.m.
Championship, 8 p.m.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
BluegrassPreps.com basketball rankings ...
Paducah Tilghman checks in at No. 16 in the BluegrassPreps.com rankings. All three of the Tornado's losses are to ranked teams — No. 3 Louisville Ballard, fifth-ranked Christian County and 12th-ranked Warren Central.
On the girls' side, I believe it's the first time in the nine-year history of BGP's rankings that two First Region schools have cracked the top 20.
Boys
1. Jeffersontown
2. Louisville Eastern
3. Louisville Ballard
4. Clark County
5. Christian County
6. Scott County
7. Lexington Catholic
8. Lexington Tates Creek
9. Bowling Green
10. Louisville Trinity
11. Louisville Moore
12. Warren Central
13. Louisville Western
14. Bullitt East
15. Pleasure Ridge Park
16. Paducah Tilghman
17. Dixie Heights
18. Covington Catholic
19. Louisville Seneca
20. Simon Kenton
Girls
1. Louisville Mercy
2. Rockcastle County
3. Louisville Manual
4. Louisville Sacred Heart
5. Boone County
6. Marion County
7. Scott County
8. Madison Central
9. Bowling Green
10. Perry Central
11. Ryle
12. Elizabethtown
13. Calloway County
14. Anderson County
15. Franklin-Simpson
16. Franklin County
17. Grayson County
18. Monroe County
19. Clay County
20. Murray
On the girls' side, I believe it's the first time in the nine-year history of BGP's rankings that two First Region schools have cracked the top 20.
Boys
1. Jeffersontown
2. Louisville Eastern
3. Louisville Ballard
4. Clark County
5. Christian County
6. Scott County
7. Lexington Catholic
8. Lexington Tates Creek
9. Bowling Green
10. Louisville Trinity
11. Louisville Moore
12. Warren Central
13. Louisville Western
14. Bullitt East
15. Pleasure Ridge Park
16. Paducah Tilghman
17. Dixie Heights
18. Covington Catholic
19. Louisville Seneca
20. Simon Kenton
Girls
1. Louisville Mercy
2. Rockcastle County
3. Louisville Manual
4. Louisville Sacred Heart
5. Boone County
6. Marion County
7. Scott County
8. Madison Central
9. Bowling Green
10. Perry Central
11. Ryle
12. Elizabethtown
13. Calloway County
14. Anderson County
15. Franklin-Simpson
16. Franklin County
17. Grayson County
18. Monroe County
19. Clay County
20. Murray
Monday, January 3, 2011
All A Classic boys seedings ...
Ballard Memorial, which won its first All A Classic regional boys' basketball title after being seeded sixth, is the No. 1 seed for this year's event, which begins Jan. 15 at Graves County's Eagles' Nest.
The seedings are determined by the Litkenhous Ratings, which were released on the Louisville Courier-Journal's website on Monday afternoon.
Fulton County and Heath, as expected, round out the top three seeds. Fulton City is the No. 6 seed, which sets up a potentially very interesting quarterfinal-round game between the Bulldogs, coached by Jimmy Long, and his former Heath squad, coached by longtime assistant Burlin Brower.
Here are the seedings:
1. Ballard Memorial
2. Fulton County
3. Heath
4. Mayfield
5. St. Mary
6. Fulton City
7. Carlisle County
8. Hickman County
9. Murray
10. Community Christian
11. Reidland
The seedings are determined by the Litkenhous Ratings, which were released on the Louisville Courier-Journal's website on Monday afternoon.
Fulton County and Heath, as expected, round out the top three seeds. Fulton City is the No. 6 seed, which sets up a potentially very interesting quarterfinal-round game between the Bulldogs, coached by Jimmy Long, and his former Heath squad, coached by longtime assistant Burlin Brower.
Here are the seedings:
1. Ballard Memorial
2. Fulton County
3. Heath
4. Mayfield
5. St. Mary
6. Fulton City
7. Carlisle County
8. Hickman County
9. Murray
10. Community Christian
11. Reidland
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