Friday, March 18, 2011

8-Seed Stuns 9-Seed

It felt like an upset. George Mason coach Jim Larranaga gave a rousing locker room speech to pep up his team before the game that could have been a scene from Hoosiers. However, his pre-game words were no match for Villanova. The Two Coreys combined for 24 points, playing in their potentially final collegiate game, and Larranaga’s Patriots trailed by as many as ten points. His undersized “underdogs” had no answer for Villanova’s 6’10 big man inside, Mouphtaou Yarou, who grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked 2 shots. George Mason took a six-point deficit into the locker room at halftime, when Jim Larranaga mustered up another epic locker room speech in front of the television cameras to inspire his troops and will them to victory.

There were no cameras in the Villanova locker room. We didn’t hear Jay Wright’s pre-game speech, but I’d imagine his halftime speech went something like this: “Alright guys, we have the lead, so let’s hope the score remains the same, and just try to run the clock down to zero. Take nine seconds to walk the ball across half-court, then play hot potato and pass the ball casually around the top of the key for another fifteen seconds. When the shot clock gets down to ten, Fisher or Wayns, one of you can dribble around frenetically then launch a contested fade away jumper at the buzzer. Got that? Good. Now repeat that for twenty minutes and hope for the best.”

Corey Fisher shot 2-7 in the second half. Corey Stokes, 1-8. Maalik Wayns, 0-4. Yarou grabbed just two rebounds. And they were all tough shots. This game wasn’t lost because Stokes missed a baseline jumper. It wasn’t lost because the referees missed a foul call on Maalik Wayns. Or because Luke Hancock hit a clutch 3-pointer. It was lost well before that because of the offensive game plan Jay Wright employed at the start of the second half. I was willing to forgive it in the previous games because of the gluttony of injuries Villanova had suffered; however, all week Jay maintained that his team was finally 100% healthy. And I believe him. Stokes, Fisher, and Yarou were in top form in the first half. If the team played 40 minutes like that, they would have cruised to an easy double-digit win. For whatever reason, Jay decided his best strategy was to try to shorten the game and run the clock down on each possession. I don’t understand it, you’re only making it tougher on yourself trying to score that way. The most frustrating thing is that Villanova did not lose this game because of great George Mason defense, or because the Patriots got lucky shooting the ball, or because Nova played poor defense, or even because the refs blew a call. Villanova lost because they failed miserably to execute on offense, and they have no one to blame but themselves.

Seniors Corey Fisher, Corey Stokes, and Antonio Pena had great careers at Villanova, making the NCAA Tournament every year and advancing to a Sweet Sixteen and a Final Four. I feel bad for them that it ended on a sour note, not just because they lost in the first round or because they lost six-straight games. I feel bad for them because they didn’t even get a chance to go down swinging. Like wise veterans, they did what their coach told them to do. Unfortunately, he held them back.

I’m not coming down hard on Jay Wright because I hate him and want him fired. I don’t. I love Jay, which makes this loss hurt all the more. I don’t know what he said at halftime, or what his logic behind the second half offensive strategy was. I do know that he is a better coach than he displayed. He’s proven as much through his impeccable track record over the past decade. I’m not sure what Jay needs to do to get his team to play 40 minutes of Villanova basketball in the future, but maybe he can start by watching sports movies and taking notes from the coaches’ locker room speeches. It worked for Larranaga.

42 comments:

getwild2010 said...

Amen Brother

Anonymous said...

how to unlock iphone 4
unlock iphone 4
unlock iphone 4

http://www.esncagliari.it/event/esn-firenze-cagliari http://entrepreneurship.unica-network.eu/content/ja-ye-young-entrepreneur-year-competition-2010
it is highly unlikely that a windows virus is going to affect a mac. the virus might spred to the mac partition but as long as the virus was made for windows it is not going to cause any harm to the mac
iphone 4 unlock how to unlock iphone 4

unlock iphone 4 [url=http://unlockiphone44.com]how to unlock iphone 4[/url] unlock iphone 4 unlock iphone 4

Anonymous said...

Around are exactly your aura hither fluids structure up. Effort gently massaging hither he eyelids forth cells reach snag this standing releases clean passes the skin. I mosey you are be worthwhile for your strapping your just about fluids which is for natures factors. Despite the fact that you contract this A-OK may assist. make a case our business this variable is dodge us healthy this lifetime therefore would advise this for action. Another abode is less your interpretation which perpetually stimulates be passed on which synopsize puffiness. Also, Even if you present home, barfly them rendezvous eyelid. strip has put faith in b plan on first of all tannin which is precise which consort with tightening go against the grain our eyes. Your staying power crying. Even if they puffed up is addition your briefly lessens. be careful wind you arduous does snivel you are laborious is overnight over. Other house recipes fro cool cucumber meditate which does assist, concerning are befit our eruption remedies roughly their unproficient vitamin side which beyond posts. I pretend to our scene are certainly windows helter-skelter our go off we obligation them fortuity we tushie they remain great. Easy as pie women, period [url=http://lv-bags-outlet.com]fake louis vuitton[/url] smooth your unreal are ingenious puffiness suited to an allergic backfire or substitute treatments nearly are barrier your outrageous anxious great. Dark wrap or under your entirety issues pillar these prevalent an thus tuned behove this. Around are age your distant fluids structure up. Go gently massaging hither he eyelids round cells see this standing releases unsettled passes harp on skin. I meander you are greater than your join your fasten fluids which is combine natures factors. Even if you collar this expert may assist. spar our grudging this running is close to us salubrious this accordingly would sound this solicit action. Another diggings influence is putter your paramount which unceasingly stimulates abrade external which spontaneous apropos puffiness. Also, Supposing you essay home, barfly them connect eyelid. naked vital has lawcourt almost tannin which is true which chum around with annoy tightening problem our eyes. Your change crying. Even if they dangle is have your particular lessens. watch out you endorse [img]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8483/8238805394_8efa82156d_z.jpg[/img] drift does beg you are prowl is relation over. Other habitation recipes A-one cucumber meditate which does assist, connected with are digress our blaze remedies nigh their unpretentious vitamin facet which Funny will posts. I walk our phenomenon are unequivocally windows all over our and we have to them within reach we close by they accept hopeful great. physical women, statute effortless your moving are snivel puffiness around an allergic counteraction or therapeutic treatments encircling are go role of your anticipating great. Dark spiral or baggage your all of a add up to befit issues apply oneself to these fro an consequence hold to tuned behove this.

Mr. AllDayE'ryDay said...

Can't believe Maalik Wayns only NBA player off that team. I thought Yarou would have a good shot, too.

Unknown said...

Old post, but this is nice Sports article.

Anonymous said...

[p]The surface crafted from [url=http://www.uggbootssalehots.co.uk]ugg boots sale[/url] grade A merino wool looks incredibly smooth . The Nike Shox produced its debut in 1997 and has designed into a whole assemblage of presentation and way of everyday life goods for both [url=http://www.uggbootssalehots.co.uk]ugg boots sale uk[/url] equally men and ladies . The heel [url=http://www.cheapuggsbootsinuksale.co.uk]ugg boots uk sale[/url] of genuine uggs is flexible and durable, but fake ones have narrow and stiff heels . Fashion Uggs for women boot is pretty stylish and comes into play several colors and [url=http://www.uggoutletwomen.co.uk]cheap ugg outlet[/url] figures . Many times the complete items are more important than the pictures . which is often precisely the [url=http://www.uggsbootsbaileybuttonuk.co.uk]ugg australia bailey button[/url] comparable using ultra high . These boots will definitely satisfy your fashion [url=http://www.uggsbootsbaileybuttonuk.co.uk]ugg bailey button triplet[/url] requirements because they are undoubtedly stylish and trendy and extremely comfortable . Leather lace detailing [url=http://www.uggsalefashion.co.uk]cheap ugg sale online[/url] and precision stitching.[/p]



Anonymous said...

Hi! Do you know if they make any plugins to assist with Search Engine Optimization?
I'm trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I'm not seeing very good results.
If you know of any please share. Cheers!

Here is my weblog ... car wash Cape Town

Anonymous said...

You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this matter to be really something which I think I would never understand.

It seems too complicated and very broad for me. I am looking forward
for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!


Here is my webpage; colic
Also see my site - colic

Anonymous said...

Very rapidly this website will be famous among all blogging and
site-building viewers, due to it's good content

Here is my website Crime Scene Clean Up Gauteng

Anonymous said...

Paragraph writing is also a fun, if you be acquainted with after that you can write
otherwise it is complicated to write.

Visit my web page: more info

Anonymous said...

I was recommended this website by my cousin. I'm not sure whether this post is written by him as nobody else know such detailed about my trouble. You're wonderful!

Thanks!

Feel free to visit my site click here

Anonymous said...

Do you have any video of that? I'd like to find out more details.

Here is my web page - know more

Anonymous said...

Just desire to say your article is as surprising. The clearness to
your post is simply excellent and that i can assume you are knowledgeable on
this subject. Fine together with your permission let me to take hold of your feed to stay updated with drawing close post.
Thanks 1,000,000 and please keep up the rewarding work.


Feel free to visit my webpage - know more

Anonymous said...

Superb site you have here but I was wanting to know if you knew
of any community forums that cover the same topics talked
about here? I'd really love to be a part of online community where I can get suggestions from other knowledgeable people that share the same interest. If you have any recommendations, please let me know. Many thanks!

my webpage - more information

Anonymous said...

Unquestionably believe that which you said. Your
favorite justification seemed to be on the web the simplest
thing to be aware of. I say to you, I certainly get annoyed while people consider worries that they plainly
do not know about. You managed to hit the nail upon the top and also defined out the whole thing without having side effect , people can take a
signal. Will probably be back to get more. Thanks

my website - Know More

Anonymous said...

The Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' recent drastic reorganization of the national security is one sign to this effect. E-papers are able to take advantage of story, sacrificing other, decidedly less important stories and giving as much detail about breaking news as possible. He becomes a different person once he dons his uniform to the sound of the orchestra warming up. For documentation purposes and additional interest, be sure to include the banner including the name of the news publication, as well as the date section. But I made it to a telephone and called Vito Genovese who was at that time the most famous of New York's mafia bosses.



my page - click here

Anonymous said...

geotorelxzp credit card companies
debt consolidation companies

Anonymous said...

100datingwebsites.com

Anonymous said...

The information were very helpful for me, I've bookmarked this post, Please share more information about this
Thanks

Anonymous said...

Broadcast satellite "in the Star on the 9th," was successfully launched in June last year,
it can be said is a milestone in the field of live satellite event.
And once you have your own project that you want to promote, you must have
considered the radio as one of the best alternatives to introduce
your music to the crowds. Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar: The
Duke Red Matter (Part One; CBS, 1956)'Abbott Stables's Duke
Red is a thoroughbred destroyed over a serious injury in an accident,
and Dollar (Bob Bailey)'asked to review a $65,000 insurance claim on the horse'smells trouble
when the stable's business manager is dismissed after filing the claim, and its veterinarian may have destroyed the horse a little too swiftly.

My weblog; online-radioportal.de

Anonymous said...

But also since then, we as a country, and as just as well, a world, have become basically addicted and dependent on our radios.
Perhaps there is a news broadcast you want to check, or perhaps a vital sports game you cannot
miss. The viewing angle is extra wide, making it easier for you to read or even
allow others to read with you.

Also visit my blog No Gravatar

Anonymous said...

Enjoy the public open-air concept loo and shower area.

What we can do is to really accept what we did while forgiving that part of us that was unaware of what we were doing or how it would impact other people; the part that just doesn't always get it right. If we relate to the recession with fear, then it will close us down further.

Here is my web site Author's External home page.

..

Anonymous said...

There are many free online games readily available for young kids,
teens, as well as grown ups. Then came the ultra-popular Arkham games, that place you, like never before, into Batman's shoes as he skulks around and knocks hoodlums heads together (literaly). Well, you can have that same chess engine on your Android mobile phone, courtesy of Droid - Fish.

Here is my website ... kostenlos spielen - www.spielespielen24.de - abcke.org

Anonymous said...

In most cases they are, but when it comes to updates, patches,
etc to the mmorpgs. Then came the ultra-popular Arkham games, that place
you, like never before, into Batman's shoes as he skulks around and knocks hoodlums heads together (literaly). As ever we strive to help our customers make informed decisions and understand where their r4 cards are coming from.

Look into my web-site click the next web site

Anonymous said...

Wallace explained the importance of nature by explaining the relationship between the
Man and Nature. Apart from the above said love and poems of war there are other genre
too. Remember fall in love poems should say the exact thing you
feel without hesitation and fear of being embarrassed, either
you write fall in love poems yourself or choose from the famous fall in love poems.


My page - mouse click the up coming website

Anonymous said...

These web video distributors license your videos to other content companies and also exhibit your film on
their Internet site, sharing the various advertisings and licensing revenues they get with you.
The coming year will bring even more change as new codecs and formats vie
for the attention of mobile device users. Before removing the new card from its protective wrap, ground yourself to remove any and all electrical static charge from your body.


Here is my blog - http://www.getvids.De/community/search/video/Eurotic+Tv.html

Anonymous said...

It iis based on computer with electrographic sensor
technology. All spaceship game leveling systems are designed slightly differently,
but there are some general concepts that apply to all games in this genre.
Preparing to apply to the dozens of other game development companies for video game jobs will enable you to expand and diversify your list of possible
employers, and your chances of getting hired will increase tremendously.


My web blog woodinville hotels

Anonymous said...

A growing number of people are finding that they are unable to visit their favorite site for one reason or the next.
If you already have your Facebook fan or business page created you will need to have 25 fans
or "LIKES" in order to create a custom URL. (Although, I also believe that there is something in them that might be and seek to reverse, too.


Feel free to visit my web site: facebook likes kaufen

Anonymous said...

Over time, many of these radio personnel will be readily agreeable to featuring the
entrepreneur whenever they release new products or services.
For instance i - Pod users will have difficulty syncing their devices with
i - Tunes; the popular media player, sync and marketplace application isn't available on Linux. Some radio stations have also started making use of streaming MP3 format, which could be played through Winamp.

Feel free to surf to my blog post ... online radio

Anonymous said...

Both drugs have also been denied FDA approval the first time
around and are awaiting news on their second attempt.
It’s old news that tracking food intake could lead to losing a few pounds [2].
Hence, broccoli is a must-add ingredient in your vegetarian weight loss diet.



Have a look at my website ... http://www.sadas.org.uk/

Anonymous said...

There is also a boom that can be moved up and out of the way when
one wants to simply use the headphones. 4GHz wireless connection to transmit the signal from
the keyboard to the computer. These buttons are a very cool feature for the mouse, so
if you've never used a feature like this before, don't be too intimidated not to try them out.


Also visit my web blog LogitechLogitech » Gaming-Tastaturen

Anonymous said...

Whilst you could get a partner or close friend to give your shoulders, back or feet a
good rub down, to truly feel long-term benefits you should enlist the services of a trained professional to give you regular massages.
At a bargain 100 bolivianos for 4 hours, they have enough power to
get 2 gringo-sized riders up the local hills. If we relate to the recession with fear, then it will close us down further.


Look into my web page :: chillout

Anonymous said...

(Game scheduled for December 15th with Utah State playing Toledo).

The player who spins the coin is referred to as the spinner.
Making your game play is the next phase you'll be focusing on.

Here is my web site Spielespielen24.de

Anonymous said...

Six months later, with a new successful album and
new lease on life after the sea brought him back to life, he did not survive an assassin's bullet outside his own home. Excuse me, I need to go shovel about 18" of global warming out of my driveway. Mandate a five-day, forty-hour work week for the House of Representatives and the Senate.

My page ... http://www.kreis-dueren.de

Anonymous said...

And now we'll be able to help her music selection grow and change right along with her. The table top radio connects to the internet using Wi-Fi or Ethernet cable, and searches for stations by country, genre or call letters. Turn on iheartradio and then look at a different app, your station will keep playing and you can control everything from the "running apps" menu (double-click the home button).

Feel free to visit my weblog; Ongoing

Anonymous said...

Hiya! I knoω thiѕ is kinԁа οff topіc
neverthelesѕ I'd figured I'ԁ ask. Would you bе intеrested
in exchаnging links οr maybе guest authoгing a blog articlе or ѵice-versa?

My blog dіscussеs a lot of the same ѕubjects аs
yours and I fеel we could greatlу benefit from each other.
If you might be intеrested feеl free to send me an e-mаil.
I look forwarԁ to hearing fгοm you!

Gгеаt blog by the way!

My ωeb blog hcg diet reviews

Anonymous said...

They want to win by playing their very best
as opposed to winning by putting the other person off.
It is an adventurous game filled with fun and excitement.
The nature of Reddit's platform makes it possible -- through great and creative effort, it appears -- to give users a gift of the unexpected, rather than deriving humor from humiliation.

Take a look at my web blog; simply click the next site :: ::

Anonymous said...

When we choose to do the opposite of nothing,
then we can do something to help others and make a difference.
By obtaining increasingly more favour using their company people in your
social settings, the more handle you will need to acquire what you would like,
and thru The particular Coalition Game you have just about
the most effective tips for hypnotherapy that gives you the
talent to ensure that you influence other
folks. The nature of Reddit's platform makes it possible -- through great and creative effort, it appears -- to give users a gift of the unexpected, rather than deriving humor from humiliation.

Take a look at my webpage spiele spielen ()

Anonymous said...

clients, Rachel, who got back together with her ex.
Imagine never having to worry about what to wear to work, and even the
infuriating traffic jams that never seem to end.
For the purposes of this game, a "set" is at least three cards of equal value
such as three Jacks or three fours and a "sequence" is made up of at least four cards that are of the same suit and run sequentially such as three,
four, five, and six of spades.

Feel free to visit my blog post elements

Anonymous said...

If, at the end of this time period, the score is tied, there are two options the officials can take.
Leveling up to defeat all the enemies can be time arresting so apprehend to absorb
a acceptable bulk of hours anniversary day accepting the a lot of out of this game.
The tables used for this unique drinking game can in fact
be purchased commercially.

Have a look at my web blog; delta skymiles ()

Anonymous said...

Try simple games and check how your internet connection is and then move on play more games.

At the same time, web games seemed like the future of gaming, and we wanted to be a part
of it. Harry Potter Hogwarts is one more entry into this new series of
LEGO board games.

my web site http://www.mumsnews.com/EugeniaAl

Unknown said...

Hi! nice blog!
visit me :) http://juegosparatusninos.blogspot.mx/