High School Hoops - Hoover is GOOD.

It was a great way to start our high school hoops coverage last night, with two close games at Urbandale High School .

In the end, the Hoover girls and boys were both victorious, so we'll give the battle for Aurora Avenue to the Huskies.

A couple of observations - for the Hoover girls, a team with a proud basketball tradition that has struggled the last few years (and the first game of the season), it was nice to see them get into the win column early this season.  They won four games a year ago, and should easily pass that mark this season.  I really liked the way Sunday Duop played last night - she's got a nice move to the basket off the dribble, and has enough size to be a legitimate rebounding threat.

The Urbandale girls struggled to score when they needed points late in the game, and I'll chalk that up to youth more than anything.  Urbandale played a handful of sophomores last night and two freshman.  Even though top scorer Bailey Egger is a senior, the bulk of Coach Tiby's team are underclassmen.  They'll get a lot better as the year progresses, and could be really good in coming years.

Same story holds true for the Urbandale boys... a lot of youth, especially at key positions.  The big men for Urbandale need some seasoning, and will get better as the year progresses.  The point-guard combo of Alexander and Razor will work out well for Coach Bjorkgren...both of them have the ability to make good cuts and get to the rim.  The Jayhawks missed free throws in key situations last night, the mark of a young team.

As for the Hoover boys, look out.  This team is built to win now.  I thought the Huskies would struggle after losing top scorers Kelly Madison and Onterior Brown, but Coach Henderson's bunch has reloaded for another run deep into the state tournament.  We all knew Dwight Sistrunk Jr. would be good this season, but he was lights out last night.  Very few turnovers, several great assists, and he showed the ability to cut to the basket anytime he felt like it, including when he was double teamed.  He has two great shooters in Louie Ingoli and Cameron Woods on the wings, and forward Golat Toang showed flashes of brilliance last night.  Toang has put on some muscle over the off-season, and looks to be poised to jump onto the scene as the next star player in the CIML.  He can jump out of the gym and has good speed - so good, in fact, he over-ran some of the plays last night and got himself out of position.   Hoover is back folks...keep and eye on the Huskies.

Friday night we make our way to Valley High School for the Tigers vs. DM Roosevelt.  6 PM pregame, with the girls tipping off around 6:15.

Read more: http://www.kxno.com/pages/kxnoprepreport.html#ixzz1fDqR9tSW

Oh, and by the way...

Big breaking news from Ferentz's press conference today.  No Mika'il McCall and no Jordan Canzeri on the road at Nebraska this weekend.  McCall violated a team rule, and Canzeri still hasn't been able to practice.  Here's what Ferentz had to say on McCall:

Mikail McCall

Q. Can you elaborate on McCall?
 FERENTZ: He won't be with us. Violated team policy.
Q. Was it something after Purdue, after the game?
COACH FERENTZ: I think the fact he's not going this week, it's probably safe to assume that, yeah, something I learned afterwards, so...
Q. Just a one-week deal with him?
COACH FERENTZ: Haven't made that decision yet. We'll just take it a week at a time right now. I'm just trying to get through Friday. That's where I'm at.

That means Jason White and De'Andre Johnson will take over the #2 and #3 spots on the depth chart at RB.  A scary thought for Hawk fans at two levels: you don't have an explosive "change of pace" back, and you're looking at having to rely on one of those two guys if Coker goes down.

Iowa's overcome injuries and adversity at the RB spot before (remember when Coker was thrust into the spotlight last year?), but it makes you nervous thinking that such a pivotal part of Iowa's offense in one injury away from a big time question mark.

3 Players: Iowa vs. Nebraska

It's Farmageddon time!  (Or whatever you prefer to call it - I like Iowa vs. Nebraska, but you know...)

The Hawks start a new rivalry this Friday, and will come into the game as 9.5 point underdogs. The game seems to have lost a lot of cache, as both teams have failed to live up to their fan's expectations (welcome to Iowa football), but will still end up having an impact on what Bowl games both teams are destined for.  If Iowa is going to win the game, here are the three players that will need to step up.

And for the record, in the previous "3 players" entry for the game vs. Michigan State, McCall didn't see the field, Nielsen had a mediocre game, and Norm was...well...he was Norm and not much else.  Iowa got rolled, so I'll give myself a win.

1. Jordan Bernstine, S
You could make an argument that every player on the Iowa defense is going to have to play lights out if Iowa is going to win.  Against Nebraska, you've got a few extra challenges.  Rex Burkhead is a monster in the backfield, Taylor Martinez can still burn you with his feet, and has finally started to figure out how to throw the football.

When there's a big threat to run, it usually means the front four and linebackers need to step up.  Well, I'm just not sold that the big men in the trenches are capable this season, and the linebackers have been so-so throughout the year with a few flashes of brilliance.  When you start talking about a safety being involved to slow down the run, you know it's not a good thing, BUT, sometimes it's the way things play out.  Bernstine has shown real promise at times this season.  Literally, the difference between a gain of three and a gain of four could be what this game comes down to.  That's where having an active safety can save you. 

2. Keenan Davis, WR
Everyone and their dog knows Marvin McNutt can play.  Nebraska will make sure he's covered up more plays than not.  That means someone else is going to pose a "big play" threat down field, and that someone has to be Keenan Davis.  I like the way Martin-Manley plays, and he has a bright future, but in what's been a somewhat disappointing season, Davis needs to have a big day in Lincoln. 

3. The Iowa Fans
A little cliche, don't you think?  That's why I saved it for the end.  Former ISU QB Austen Arnaud told us that the entire stadium shakes in Lincoln when the crowd gets behind the Huskers, sort of like how an X-Box controller shakes in your hands.  How ever many Iowa fans manage to weasel their way into Memorial Stadium will need to cheer extra loud to help the Hawks feel at home in a hostile environment.       

ISU fans call for no more games vs. Drake? REALLY?

After watching Drake beat Iowa State at the Knapp Center last night, I woke up this morning to this little gem on my daily cruse through CycloneFanatic.com:

Despite our lackluster performance last night, there is still no reason that team should have lost to Drake last night. Our players were recruited to Iowa State because their talent was Big 12 level, not Missouri Valley. When you play in Hilton Coliseum in front of 12k to 14k fans, and the other arenas in the Big 12, it can be very difficult to transition down to play a game in a glorified high school gymnasium full of 4k to 5k fans. This letdown, along with Drake's extra motivation to beat the BCS conference team, plays extremely far into Drake's (and any other mid-major)'s favor. Mizzou does not play Missouri State; Kansas and Kansas State do not play Wichita State.... it's time for Iowa State to only play this game at home, at Wells Fargo, or else not at all. If this team hits its stride in Big 12 play, and develops a tournament resume, last night's game at Drake will be a thorn in our side, and possibly even a burst our bubble. It is time to quit catering to a private school who's success directly hampers our ability to compete and reach the next level. We might as well play a schedule North Carolina or Duke if we're going to lose at Drake, instead.

Nothing against the poster, you're certainly entitled to your opinion.  Now, let me express mine...

Let me shed a little light on the subject.  I agree with your first two sentences - there's no way Iowa State should lose to Drake.  Big 12 talent (especially the likes of Royce White, Chris Babb, and co.) shouldn't be losing games to a middle-of-the-pack MVC school. 

Too bad after that, your analysis totally goes to hell. 

Your contention that the size of the arena somehow contributed to the loss is total crap.  If you can't win in a "glorified high school gym" (your words), then how do you ever expect to win on the road at KU?  Or Baylor?  Or Texas?  The reason Drake is on your schedule in the first place is so you can get a win on the road over a mid-major program from a quality conference.  It would go a ways to help YOUR tournament resume- wins at home over cupcakes aren't going to get you an at-large bid.  

The more important issue here is why ISU lost the game, and in my mind it comes down to two key things. 

First, Iowa State hasn't developed any kind of "chemistry" yet on offense or defense.  Too many times down the court, it wound up being a one-on-one situation - one player brings the ball up the court, tries to make something happen, and ends up settling on an off balance shot driving wildly into the lane.  There was no set play, no scheme, just ballin'.  That won't work against a veteran team like Drake that's played together for a full year. 

On defense, there were some awful matchups.  On at least three occasions, I saw Scott Christopherson guarding Jordan Clarke (PF) while Royce White was on Karl Madison (PG).  Coach Hoiberg hit the nail on the head in the postgame- the team threw the defensive game plan out the window.  They don't understand the concept of "team defense" yet.  There needs to be more organization on both ends of the court.  For the first time since Mark Phelps arrived at Drake, it looked like the Bulldogs were in a solid scheme for all 40 minutes. 

The other red flag for Iowa State is their lack of size.  Royce White (6'9") was the biggest man on the court last night for ISU, and even he got out-muscled inside on a number of occasions.  If you got beat up by Drake, imagine what KU or Baylor will do.  ISU didn't run many fast breaks last night, and they may have to get out of the halfcourt, grind-it-out offense if they don't magically find some size.  

Iowa State may have top-25 talent, but they are far from a top-25 team.  The good news for ISU fans is Hoiberg is a good coach, and knows what has to be done.  By the time January rolls around, it will be a completely different team.  

I doubt Drake will be coming off the schedule any time soon.  And I wouldn't count on Duke or North Carolina coming to Hilton either. 

Can there be a "fair" trial for Sandusky?

For the record, I hate this story.  I wish it would go away and never come back.  That being said...

Bob Costas added yet another tremendous interview to his resume last night, as he had Jerry Sandusky on the phone, lawyer by his side, on Brian William's "Rock Center."  Give credit to Costas, who I consider to be one of the premier sports commentators of our time, for asking the right questions.

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Does Sandusky sound like an innocent man?  No.  Not even close.  Should he have to stop and think about whether or not he's sexually attracted to young boys?  Nope.  That should be an easy one.

What's starting to worry me about this case, is that the United State Constitution provides for a "fair" trial for those accused of a criminal offense.  With all the media hype and strong opinions being floated, they may have to move this trial to Mars to find an impartial jury. 

So while Mr. Costas may have another great interview on his resume, he may have been playing right into the hands of the defense by throwing this lunatic on national TV.  The last thing any of us want to see is a long legal battle that puts Sandusky back on the street through some loophole.    

Six-Pack of Picks

Call it a "sneak peak" if you want, be here's the six games I'm taking a look at for today's show - you can hear the complete breakdown around 6:15 on 1460 KXNO. 

NCAA:

1. Minnesota +27.5 over Wisconsin
Yes, Wisconsin will be leaving Minneapolis with Paul Bunyan's Axe.  And, Minnesota stinks.  BUT, I personally don't think they stink 27.5 points.  The Gophers are coming off their two best games of the season, a win over Iowa and a seven point loss to Sparty on the road.  There's no way Minnesota wins the game, but they play well enough in the rivalry game to keep it close.

2. Iowa +2.5 over Michigan State
Looking back two weeks ago, I liked Iowa's chances over Sparty better than I did against Michigan and Denard Robinson.  The Hawks defense woke up last week, and I like their chances against a pocket-passing Kirk Cousins much better than the mobile QB's they faced against Michigan and Minnesota.  Iowa wins the game outright, and heads to Purdue looking for their first road win of the year.

3. K-State +5 over Texas A&M
A&M has been somewhat inconsistent this year, losing four games, but to four good teams.  K-State has been the biggest surprise in the Big 12, giving Oklahoma State all they could handle last week.  The game is at K-State, and in my mind, the wrong team is favored.  Give me the Wildcats and the points.

NFL

4. Atlanta +1 over New Orleans

Matty Ice?  Yes please!

"Matty Ice" should finally get all of his weapons back this week.  Julio Jones had quite the coming out party last weekend, and Roddy White is finally (and I mean FINALLY) getting close to full speed.  Add in Tony Gonzalez and Michael Turner in the backfield, and this is an offense that can stand up to anyone in the league.  New Orleans isn't without weapons - I love what Darren Sproles has been able to do, and rookie Mark Ingram is on his way back from injury.  If the game was in New Orleans, it might be a different story, but I'll take the Dirty Birds in the Georgia Dome.

5. Green Bay -14 over Minnesota
All the stars have aligned against the Vikings in this one - Rookie QB?  Check.  First trip to Lambeau?  Check.  Prime time TV on Monday Night Football?  Check.  Oh, and the fact you're squaring off against the consensus mid season MVP and the defending Super Bowl champs?  Sorry Vikes fans, it's not going to happen. 

6. KC -3 over Denver

Tim Tebow, say hello to Tamba Hali.  And Derek Johnson.  And Brandon Flowers (yes, I think the secondary will play a role in this one).  An option offense just won't work in the NFL...especially when you go on TV and tell the opponent that's what you're going to do.  I can see the smile on John Elway's face already - my bet is Tebow get speared at some point in this game and is carried off the field.  For his sake, he's just lucky Eric Berry is injured.  KC gets the ship pointed back in the right direction with a win over Denver. 

Enjoy your weekend. 

3 Players : Iowa vs. Michigan State

Coming off their most impressive Big 10 win of the season, the Iowa Hawkeyes will be back in action with another "must win" game against Michigan State to keep their Legends Division title hopes alive. 

For whatever reason, Brady Hoch decided not to utilize his biggest weapon (his mobile quarterback) last weekend, and Iowa got a few lucky breaks down the stretch.  This week, the Hawks will get the stronger defense from the state of Michigan, and my leading candidate for most disappointing player in the Big 10, Kirk Cousins, under center. 

In my view, here are the three key players for the Hawks this weekend:

1. Mika'il McCall, RB
Kirk Ferentz admitted during his weekly press conference that McCall was ready to go last week, but it was the head coach that needed a little push.  Honestly, Ferentz didn't give himself that push because the Hawks didn't need that "change of pace" running back against the Wolverines.  This week will be a different story.  Sparty's defense is much stronger than their in-state brethren, and Coker up the middle 25 times isn't likely to be nearly as effective.  While Coker is a great back, he's not exceptionally great at getting to the edge and making defenders miss- he's a back that runs into contact and bowls people over.  Even if it's just for a series or two, the Hawks will need to spread Sparty's defense out to give Coker some room, and while throwing the ball will do just that, having a back that can get to the edge can help as well.  I'd like to see McCall get 7-10 touches tomorrow and remember what it's like to be on the field before you hit the road the rest of the season.

2. Tyler Nielsen, LB
The move to the middle did him some good.  Maybe it was the switch, maybe he just woke up, but for the first time this season, it looked like the Iowa defense had a player with a "killer" instinct tracking in the Wolverine backfield.  Nielsen was able to run down Denard Robinson on a couple of key occasions and force him into poor decisions.  Kirk Cousins is nowhere near as mobile, and could be on his back more than once this weekend thanks to Mr. Nielsen.  His leadership from the LB position will be key.

3. Norm Parker, Defensive Coordinator
Just when I was ready to write Norm off, he finally decided to break from the same old game plan just enough to pull off a win.  Now, give Michigan 20 more seconds on the clock, and it might be a different story.  Parker will need to continue to mix it up, especially as the second half wears on, to keep Sparty guessing just enough to get the job done.  I used to think Iowa's defense just got fatigued late in games and couldn't finish.  I'm starting to buy into the thought that other teams knew what was coming, and were able to adjust.  Throw in a blitz or two.  Bring the DB's 3 yards closer to the line.  Bring in a nickleback once in a while.  I'm not suggesting a complete overhaul, just a wrinkle here and there.

Prediction: It will be a tall task to come up with another upset this weekend, but that being said, I didn't see last weekend coming either.  The game opened at Iowa +3 in Vegas, and has been bet down to +2.5.  I'll agree with the bookies, and take Iowa plus the points.

Penn State Reaction

Sum it up in one sentence: It makes me sick.

I could probably stop right there and still say everything that needs to be said, but I'm more of a "glass half full" type guy, and want to take a little bit different look at this situation.  The question for Penn State now becomes, how do they move forward?  How do you put this awful chapter in history behind you and start the long process of rebuilding what you've lost?  And trust me...you will lose everything, which is not even close to what the victims have lost.  Before you sit there and whine about having to start with nothing while rebuilding your program, think about the victims for a minute. 

That being said, here's what I would do.

First of all, Joe Paterno, Tim Curly, Schultz, McQueary, the President, all need to go.  In fact, I'd get rid of the entire coaching staff, support staff, basically anyone that had contact with the program - right down to the guy that writes game recaps for the website.  I'd get rid of marketing people, associate AD's, ticket office staff - basically anyone that's not a coach for a different sport.  As for Sandusky?  He'll be in prison for the rest of his life - so off to hell with him. Start completely from scratch. 

Second, I'd tear down the building where these incidents were said to have occurred.  If you can't tear it down, a major renovation should be in order that completely rearranges everything.  Don't even let the thought creep into a recruit's mind that a sex crime might have taken place where he is standing.  Awful.

Third, I'd self-impose a massive penalty on the program.  When you think about it, what happened here makes the Pony Express at SMU look like an extra dinner at a booster's house.  In this era, you obviously can't cancel a season or anything along those lines, but I would self-impose a post-season ban for at least two years, and take all TV revenues (or at least a major portion) and set up a "victim's fund" of some sort.  Don't tell me that's too much money - if that's the case, then let's put your eight year old in a room with this monster - tell me what you would spend to stop that nightmare.  Penn State could've done just that.  They didn't.  Now it's time to pay the piper. 

And that's just to start. You're going to need some good-will on your side as you start the process. 

Finally, I'd make damn sure you learn something from this whole exercise- not just at Penn State, but the entire NCAA.  Cover-ups seem to be more and more common in college sports, and it's time for a major change in the culture.  The days of "internal investigations" into these matters need to be over.  The cost of this lesson has already been too high to bear. 

The clock is running and as of now, we are officially keeping score.  It's time to make a change.