Morning Five: 05.03.12 Edition--Rush The Court
Round and round and round we go… coming on the heels of Tuesday’s announcement that Butler will join the Atlantic 10 beginning in the 2013-14 season, the Mountain West leaked on Wednesday that Utah State and San Jose State are set to join its ranks on Friday of this week. While bolstering the MW in light of its pending losses of TCU, San Diego State and Boise State, this move may effectively finish off the WAC, a high-mid major conference with just shy of 50 years of history behind it. The league may be left with only two football-playing members (New Mexico State and Idaho) and it appears that the remaining schools are likewise off to greener pastures. Such is the natural consequence of every school acting in its own self-interest.
While on the subject of conference realignment, everyone has had a little time to digest the Butler move to the Atlantic 10 by now, and Luke Winn writes that much of the media got it wrong in suggesting that the “Butler Way” will need to change in order for the Bulldogs to find success in their new conference. His argument makes total sense — while the Atlantic 10 as a whole is a clearly better league than the Horizon, it’s really only better at the top. Now, instead of having to rely on non-conference play to build its overall NCAA resume, the Bulldogs will have enough games against the likes of Xavier, Dayton, Richmond, St. Louis, et al, by which to impress the selection committee. As Winn notes, efficiency metrics suggest that Butler would have finished in one of the top two positions of the A-10 standings in five of the last six years, and while those metrics don’t actually play the games, there’s not a compelling piece of evidence we’ve yet seen that would suggest Brad Stevens or Butler will have trouble in their new league.
Butler will be just fine in the A-10--Run The Floor
Tony Parker on Jazz plan to get physical with him: Come at me, bro (basically)--Ball Don't Lie
One option for Corbin might be to try shifting Harris or Tinsley over to cover whichever two-guard's sharing the floor with Parker for stretches and let second-year Utah guard Gordon Hayward take a shot at using his 6-foot-8 frame and long arms to make life a bit more difficult for the Frenchman. If Utah can have more on-ball success on Parker before he gets around the pick or reaches the lane, that could slow the San Antonio draw-and-kick game without having to try to get all goon-y. If they can't, though, it might be another long night full of quick-as-a-hiccup drives, trailing defenders and taking the ball out of the basket for the Jazz.
Jazz-Spurs: Report card--Deseret News
Guards: Devin Harris and Gordon Hayward combined to shoot just 5-of-17, meaning Harris alone has shot just 5-of-16 in two games. He had one assist while committing two turnovers in less than half the game. Hayward's eight points on 3-of-10 shooting was a far cry from his 17-point, two-steal Game 1. On the other side, the Jazz backcourt allowed Tony Parker and Danny Green to combine to shoot 11-of-18, with 31 points and eight rebounds. They did it in less than 49 combined minutes. Parker had nine assists to complement his point total. GRADE: D
Not even close: Utah Jazz get hammered and humiliated in San Antonio--Deseret News
The night was inexplicable for Paul Millsap — the worst he'd ever been part of during his NBA career. "Tough" was the description Gordon Hayward uttered a few times. Devin Harris admitted it was "a little demoralizing."
Jazz notebook: Players hope to get ignited by home crowd, turn series around--Deseret News
"They were hitting shots. We weren't," Jazz shooting guard Gordon Hayward said. "They went on a big, huge run (20-0 in the second quarter). From then on, it was just downhill for us. But we've got to put this one behind us and go home ready to fight."
...
"It's two tough losses, but we play a lot better in our building and with our fans," Hayward said. "We're going home fighting for our lives, ready to compete."
Jazz prognosis isn't for quick recovery--Deseret News
"You've got to do something, try to learn from it," said the Jazz's Gordon Hayward. "You can't just take nothing from this."
OK, how about a migraine?
Utah Jazz embarrassed by Spurs in Game 2 blowout--Salt Lake Tribune
"We go home to our home building and you have to treat it as though we are fighting for our lives," Jazz guard Gordon Hayward said. "We lose and we are done."
Kragthorpe: Jazz usually recover in Game 3, but Spurs look too tough--Salt Lake Tribune
Point guard Devin Harris has been completely ineffective against the Spurs, after his brilliant April. Al Jefferson and Millsap shot a combined 9-for-26 from the field in Game 2. Gordon Hayward is not the same player lately.
Buler's move to Atlantic 10: School has adjustments to make--The Indy Star
Butler's pluses outweigh minuses in move to Atlantic 10--The Indy Star
Conference Realignment: Winners and Losers from Butler's Move to Atlantic 10--Bleacher Report
Home Stretch: Rob Demovsky--Home Stretch Phoenix Basketball Top-25: The Best Photos of 2011-12--GreenBayPhoenix.com
Milwaukee has two visitors--PantherU
Broekhoff Named to Australian Boomers, Will Vie for Spot on Olympic Team--valpoathletics.com
Report: Fifth year transfer Julius Mays listing Michigan among others--UM Hoops
Kentucky Wildcats Basketball: John Calipari Looking to Add Wright State Transfer--Bleacher Report Commentary: Not all is lost for Wright State--Dayton Daily News
Is UD’s answer over at Wright State?--Wright State University Sports
Mary Perry Evans Added to YSU Women's Basketball Staff--ysusports.com
Broekhoff Named to Australian Boomers, Will Vie for Spot on Olympic Team--Horizon League Network
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