#give him a shot to do it early in game 81 and then sit him for 82 for an extra day of rest makes most sense to me

[3416]

Emma I'm so worried about people saying Auston could be benched the last couple games, do you think there's actually a chance of that?

it's very common for a lot of the guys who play top minutes to be out for a couple of games in the weeks before the playoffs. my theory is that keefe will play auston next game to let him try for 70, and then if he gets it, he'll sit for the last game. if he doesn't get it, that's where it gets hairy, but i think auston's personal input matters the most to keefe in that situation so we'll see.

last year they healthy scratched mitch and auston in the penultimate game w mitch sitting at 99 points, so it's not like they're unafraid of that, but i think 70 is SUCH a milestone and even keefe is out here wanting him to get it that..... idk, i think it will be okay.

[havendance]

20 Questions for Fic Writers Tag Game

Thanks to @androxys for the tag!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

81! A fair number of those are drabbles, but still. Writing fic for (checks notes) 8 years really adds up.

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

335,515

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently, I am very invested in writing for DC comics and not doing much else, but in the past I've flitted from fandom to fandom, writing for various cartoons/tv shows and video games mainly.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

v) #Justice4Gotham -- My NML epistulary/blog fic. I think this one has the advantage of being a social media AU of sorts, but I really am quite happy that one of my No Man's Land fics made it into the top five. I still think this one is very fun.

vi) You Can't Spell Kuzon without Zuko -- My Zuko and Aang are childhood friends fic. I do like this fic and I'm glad that I was finally able to finish it after sitting blocked on it for nearly two years, but I honestly don't consider it one of my top fics in terms of response. It clearly has picked up a good number of kudos, but it felt like commenters were more interested what potentially happened next rather than the Aang and Zuko of what I'd put on the page that was what compelled me to write it in the first place.

iii) One Scar to Find Them -- This was my AtlA platonic soulmate AU where the entire gaang shares scars. I really liked soulmate AUs when I was younger, mainly because I liked all the various mechanics and I think this was the last hurrah of that. And also I thought it would be wild if everyone had Zuko's scar. I remember writing this all out in my notebook in bright pink pen and then letting it sit there for ages before I finally cleaned it up.

ii) Let's Steal a Fire Prince -- My Leverage x AtLA crossover. This was the first multi-chapter fic I actually finished so I am proud of it for that, even if looking back I can see some of my growing pains. I was really glad that other people loved this crossover idea as much as I did and I would've loved to come back to this universe more if I a) could actually write heists and b) didn't get sucked into other fandoms 😅

i) Former Hopes and Future Scars -- Another AtLA fic. I'm not surprised that this is my top fic since it's a) focused on Zuko, b) features Time Travel, and c) is a contained one-shot under 2k .

All but one of these are for Avatar: the Last Airbender which I think is a reflection of me writing during the pandemic-era AtLA renaissance and it also just being more broadly approachable compared to my comics stuff.

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yep! I wasn't always super consistent with it, but I try and respond to every comment now.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Oh, this one's a hard one, there are so many good contenders! Probably You Will Live Forever (the dragonslayer!Willow fic I co-wrote with my bro Baz for the Owl House), but I would also like to give an honorable mention to I just keep falling now that you're gone the angsty next generation Miraculous Ladybug fic I wrote early in my fanfic writing career in which Adrien becomes the next Hawkmoth and his and Marinette's kids have to go up against him.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Probably some supremely fluffy fic I wrote for a ship event back when I was doing those. Other than that, maybe Robins Don't Make Great Roommates or Top 10 Secret Identity Fails? I don't think I really write super fluffy/happy endings.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I've never really gotten hate per se on the fics themselves. I did get a review on a fic I posted to fanfiction.net once that was complaining that I had rated it K but used like, a single swear word I think. I also got a couple of anons on tumblr that were really didn't like the premise of one of my fics, but I just thought it was kind of silly that they were that upset about it.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Not my thing.

10. Do you write crossovers?

Yes. I have written so many crossovers. I'm honestly a little surprised the crossover bug hasn't bitten me for my comics fic more. I've done a couple Batman/Sandman crossover fics, but it feels different with them both being comics and also both published by DC.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of fortunately!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I have written several Owl House fics with my beloved bro and co-conspirator @horatiocomehome. I'd love to cowrite something with him again some time but we are sadly currently obsessed with different fandoms. I'm also not opposed to trying co-writing with someone new!

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

I'm not super into shipping so this one's kind of tricky. If I had to choose maybe Ireneides from the Queen's Thief series or Celes/Locke from FFVI. I was also deeply committed to Sakura/Kaze from Fire Emblem: Fates, when I was younger, but the secret super AU version with a ton of lore from the elaborate AUs I daydreamed up.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will?

For wips I have published, I'm either confident in my ability to finish them, or else have just excepted that I won't. In terms of wips that haven't made it to the light of day: Black Queen. I started writing this and got stuck but oh, it would be so fun.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think coming up with AUs. I like playing with all the pieces and figuring out how things ripple and change.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I don't think I've done much with this, but if I did I'd probably use dialogue tags so like "'My name is john," John said in Chinese' if the narrator knew the language and "John said something in Chinese' if they didn't.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Fire Emblem: Fates, baby

20. Favourite fic you've written?

Picking favorites is so hard ;; It would be a lie to say I love all my fics equally, but I do think I can say that I do love them all, even the very first ones I wrote. I guess for purposes of this game, I'll go with World Gone MAD because I am still very satisfied with how it turned out, but because I can't just pick one, I'd also like to give a shout out to Neither Heir nor Spare (The Sole Survivor) for being the fic that I think is pretty up there in terms of ones I reread the most and Turnabout Traitor! for being a very fun She Ra x Ace Attorney crossover.

Tagging, uhhh, @horatiocomehome, @acediscowlng, @dustorange and if anyone else is interested, consider yourselves tagged in spirit!

[mostlikelyshutup]

thoughts while watching the first harry potter:

listen i started this list a little late im ngl but notable thoughts so far are me thinking of dumbledore as a gay idiot and still loving hagrid

do you think hes speaking in parseltongue in the zoo when hes speaking to the snake

forgot boats existed

these idiots do scream a lot dont they

i forgot how light hearted this universe really is in the first couple movies

yer a wizard harry, okay hagrid maybe slide him into it a little better

we get it tuney you have fucking trauma, doesnt mean you should abuse a child

hasnt everyone had their name down since they were born, hagrid? theres a list

i like that his umbrella is pink

are you paying for those damages hargid? stop taking the door off the hinges

though, if the dursleys are, keep breaking shit

speaking about dragons on the the fucking tube, its a miracle harry didnt get in trouble with the ministry sooner

what is hagrid's usual? does anyone know???

fucking Quirrell, cant wait for your epic love story with the dark lord

maybe we should tell the 12 year old how the fuck everyone knows his name, just maybe

they do a great job of getting the wonder down pat

how much money and licensing do you think it took for them to get all these owls on set

ahh yes, antisemitism the bank

how many vaults are in gringotts?? also if harry's vault is the potters vault, a literal like sacred 28 family, one of the original families, and its number 600 something, how many were there before the potters?? did the potters get a vault recently? or is this james and lily's vault?? how rich were james and lily if so??

look at ollivander, crazy tinker uncle, love him

this might be the socialist in me but why do people have to pay for wands if everyone needs one??

why is the dark lords twin wand just sitting around on the shelf, ollie me boy??

do you think thats Harry's true wand or do you think thats because of the horcux thing?? do you harry had to get another wand after he died?? did he? i dont remember the last movie

is ollie me boys actor wearing contacts or are his eyes just like that??

thats a very weird way of showing Halloween 81, very misleading

hagrid said ill predict voldys rise in the first movie so we can have some plot development

hagrid is late to everything isnt he? i can feel it in my bones

i swear ive seen these movies, and ive even read the first book, i just dont remember shit

youd think theyd have someone in the know stationed close to the entrance for the platform, for any muggleborns

ginnys actress really had no fucking lines in this movie did she, just had to stand there

oh wait she said good luck

amazing work ginny

ooh a warm filter

can muggles see the express? like just running from london to scotland

wicked!

you didnt have to show the woman the sad sandwich ron

i think the trolly replenishes magically, i think thats how thats how that works, i want to believe that

god i cant tell if i would love or hate hermione, shes pretentious but so was i at that age

god dont fucking point your wand right in someones face mione

how does mione know who harry is?? why does she care?

look at the tiny first years, might just go and pinch theyre cheeks

MINNIEEEE i love you minnie

looking stunning minnie, the green brings out the sternness in your brow

you go minnie, give your speech, thats my head of house

shut up draco, youre not bond

you pretentious fuckwit, your hair is brassy anyways

if this is a class of kids born in the middle of a war, how big are the usual class sizes wtf

THE FUCKING CLAP

fucking propaganda ron, you slytherin hater

what order are these names going in, did they just randomized the list

oooh we get quiet for the boy who lived, jesus let him keep living

the fact that for the rest of these people its just silent is so fucking funny to me, Harry's just fucking whispering to himself

get their attention minnie

me dads a muggle, mums a witch, bit of a shock for him when he found out

NICK, love to see you buddy

i have no emotional attachment to peeves but i feel i should mention him here

the stairs still piss me off, why the fuck would you make moving stair cases

who sets out gloves for the next day? am i the weird one who doesnt??

Minnie, you are the love of my life

shut up snape you dramatic bloodpurist incel

i know theyre setting him up to be mistaken as the villain but jesus christ hes still an asshole

your robes Neville, you forgot your robes

its weird how they have to learn all these latin charms yet only have to say up to get their brooms to work

why wont you go after him, hes obviously not exactly in control, Hooch

does Hooch only teach first years? she is quite literally the equivalent of a history teacher who coaches football

what the fuck is Quirells classroom

they dont make the house teams because no first years can try out, Ron

MINNIE PLAYED QUIDDITCH?!?!? WHY DIDN'T I KNOW THIS

why didnt you speak up earlier Mione wtf

bc the fire wont give you away, harry, better hide

FLUFFY, WHOS A GOOD BOY

they have much worse things locked up in the school, Ron

Oliver wood is a bloody liar because i still dont fuckign understand quidditch, also theres like 500 rules, wtf

thats a shitty explanation of how the game works, Oliver

BLOW IT UP SEAMUS

SHES TWO FEET BEHIND YOU RON YOU IDIOT

carrot cake? on halloween?

dont shrug as if you didnt literally bully her ron

thought youd oughta know, bit of an understatement Quirell

no duh the trolls left the dungeon ron

lying: the best start to any friendship

we're at a net zero points for gryffindor for the year at the moment

the amount of interaction these kids have with professors is so weird to me, is this what small class size do to kids?? its weird

not comforting Oliver

Okay i understand Oliver simps now, I get it okay

are there no backups or subs for quidditch? feels like there should be, like of all the games

set him on fire mione, i know hes not the villain of the movie but god he sucks

fancy flying from harry fucking potter

okay but also i feel like there are some things we should not trust hagrid with, like hes not that great at keeping secrets

why is harry excited about christmas if he thinks hes not getting presents? i knw there are other aspects but like thats the only reasont o get up early

i always remember this scene at night for some reason??

not just an invisibility cloak, THE invisibility cloak ron

btw who gives it to harry? is it remus? is it dumbledore? is it like an inheritance thing? whats up with that?

there are jumpscares in harry potter

he very much can hide, filch

stop being a narc mrs norris

does harry even know what his parents look like at this point? how does he know who the fuck is in the mirror of erised?? he doesnt have that stupid scrapbook yet does he

oh they nod, sure lets clear up that plot hole

they shouldve put sirius and remus in the mirror in that scene, shown his whole family, wouldve been a nice setup

how does rupert grint already look so tired as a twelve year old

big speech to give to a twelve year old Dumbledore, when you wont even tell him what you see

Emma really does just slam that book on Daniels hand, thats mustve fucking sucked

the fact that ive watched two movies that had Nicholas Flamel in two very different roles this year is very strange to me

well thats probably on account of it being a fucking dragon egg hagrid, now isnt it?

was hagrid a hufflepuff? i think he was, maybe a ravenclaw

yes four, you blonde idiot

that shot is really nice, it sets them apart

what happened to filch to make him such a miserable man?

ooh mention of werewolves, awooo werewolves of london

yeah just dip your whole hand in hagrid, dont be scared of the strange liquid, take a nice little bath

i loev that dog, i want that dog, i want to hug that dog

god just the look of that forest is so bloody cool

wait so is that quirell walking fucking backwards?

maybe ask who the fuck youre talking to before asking other questions??? wtf harry

why are yout talking to the centaur like hes your old friend harry, youve literally never met him before

snape doesnt want the stone at all Harry

god hagrid you sweet stupid man

snape is completely valid for that, if a twelve year old ever looked at me like that i would punch them

Do you think people ever loose invisibility cloaks? like theyre invisible do you think they ever just never get found again

i hate the look of the dog spit, that is so gross

they really left everything in except for the fucking potions didnt they, damn

harry potter walked so queens gambit could run

hermione, posted up

rons stupid in the later movies because he got a concussion as a twelve year old

god harry really posted up to beat up snape in fucking khakis

"I knew you were a danger to me!" Hes twelve, Quirell

let me wait for this weird dude to unravel his head scarf instead of running away

the magic in this movie is real fucking conditional isnt it

just some casual necromancy for the stone? you sure about that voldy, you two faced bitch?

let me choke out this twelve year old real quick

oh yeah why is he able to just avengers endgame Quirell? is there an answer to that? like was that ever found out

do you think voldy passing by him while he hold the stone actually killed him but since he holds the stone hes functionally unkillable and then some magic gets put into him and thats why he can return to life later when he actually goes to the whole afterlife place?

ohhh we're vouching on the blood magic for the endgaming of Quirell

do you think dumbledore came across the vomit flavored bean before or after his sister died?

Mione's got a headband! Looking snazzy!

how did Hufflepuff only get 352 points? Gryffindor literally lost 150 points this year and they only beat them by 50, wtf, is it because they kept getting caught with weed

I wont even speak on the fucking outrage that is this point awarding, its already been spoken on. However, Neville shouldve gotten more points

What if someone just stood up and started challenging Dumbledores math, that would be so funny

some of these extras are really attractive

but james potter is somehow so fucking ugly why did they do that to my mans

hagrid deserves the last shot of this film, i love him, he deserves everything, that stupid sweet man

[katsmoviechats]

Why I’m Never Joining a Sorority (a review of Mike De Leon’s Batch ‘81)

“All art is propaganda. It is universally and inescapably  propaganda; sometimes unconsciously, but often deliberately, propaganda.” 

An allegorical treatise on the nature of facisim, Mike de Leon’s “Batch ‘81” makes its argument largely through facist means. Here he tells the story of Sid Lucero, a first year University of the Philippines Biology student, who is aspiring to enter the fraternity of Alpha Kappa Omega and is subjugated to a six-month long initiation where he and six other applicants undergo initiation rituals that have them endure extraneous humiliation, and physical and psychological pain. In the opening shot we are introduced to Sid, we get a sense of his character, how he thinks, how he sees Alpha Kappa Omega. Sid’s initiation was  told and divided into 4  different pagsusuboks or trials, each part preceded by a title card that indicated the name of the trial. The narrative was organized in such a way that it was almost like a storybook, we have our introduction,  body, rising action, climax, falling action, and the denouement. Despite the fact that the film was narrative heavy and less stylistic, it made sense for the type of film that it is. The events in the film  happened in such rapid succession of each other that it worked in favor of the film, and supported the story as a whole, and made it more true to life, almost comparable to the 2017 film “Lady Bird”, wherein the events in the main character’s life happen so quickly, where the moments felt fleeting at times, much like real life. The tone of the film was set very early on, and my expectations had already began to form as soon as Sid said he wanted to join a fraternity. 

As soon as Sid makes his mind up about joining the illustrious Alpha Kappa Omega fraternity, we see the first title card: “Unang Pagsusubok: Pakikisama” or “The First Trial: Fellowship”, here we are introduced to the other pledges; Pakoy Ledesma (the virgin), Santi Santillian (the professor), Ronnie Roxas Jr. (a legacy), Arni Enriquez (Sid’s roomate), Pete Matibay, and Ding Quintos, who are all being interrogated by the members of the fraternity while being blindfolded. The members who are interrogating and conducting the initiation, brothers Vince and Gonzalez, establish their relationships with the pledges immediately, ordering them to call them “masters” whenever they are going through the initiation rituals .  It’s interesting to note that Sid addresses the pledges and himself as “neophytes”. A neophyte is described as someone who is new to a subject, skill, or belief; a new convert, and that’s exactly what they are. A new convert. As the film progresses we see them converting into “brods”.  The neophytes and the audience are then introduced to the ideals of the fraternity, then the neophytes are told by Gonzales that they aren’t doing this to hurt them, they’re doing this for the good of the fraternity.

The next title card was “Ungguyunguyan….Pagsasama” (Monkeying Around… A Coalition). In this chapter we see more of who the characters are. We’re introduced to characters outside of the fraternity, like Sid and Arni’s girlfriends, Mariel and Tina,  and the guys in the other fraternity . The neophytes are presented with more rituals and they begin to bond with one another. We see them streak, go to a dance class, and go to a birthday party that turns into the grossest beer drinking session ever. Roxas becomes convinced that the masters are just making fools out of them and don’t really care about them, while the other neophytes-mostly Sid-try to convince him that it’s all for the brotherhood, and reminds him that his father would be disappointed if he leaves, and basically talks him down from leaving AKΩ.

In this chapter we see Sid adapting the principles and the ideals of the frat, he speaks to Roxas as if he’s convinced that the frat is doing this for their own good, and if feels as if he really does believe the lies they’re feeding him.  

We also see how the masters “forced” the other neophytes to turn on Ledesma, and how easily they were persuaded to him. Ledesma then has hurt feelings, and gets mad at his so-called friends. He opens up to them and says that all he wanted was friends, and that feeling of belonging. Santillian opens up and says that if he wants friends, this is where he’s supposed to be.

I found it really ironic that these guys decided to join a fraternity called AKΩ when they were all looking for brotherhood and friendship, when the whole point of brotherhood and friendship is being selfless, but as the story progresses the neophytes act on their selfish intentions.

The third chapter in our film is “Kaisahan...Isang Kalooban, Isang Katuwiran”  (Unity...One Will, One Reason) it opens with the neophytes (minus Roxas) all blindfolded as the masters do a roll call. They are ushered into a small room with a table, a couple of chairs, and an electric chair. Roxas enters and the masters explain that because Roxas thought of leaving, he will sit in the chair as a penance for his thoughts of backing out and all of the “sins” that the other neophytes committed against the fraternity. The masters explain that there will be an interrogation and if Roxas answers wrong, he will get electrocuted. A couple of questions were asked until  Santillian speaks up against it, and he and his fellow neophytes were asked to be the ones who pressed the button that would electrocute Roxas. And they did what they were asked, Sid pressing the button the longest while holding eye-contact with Vince. Then Magpatibay  is called and the masters ask Roxas, “Ang Martial Law nakabuti sa taong bayan, tama o mali?”, Roxas gives no reply and gets shocked anyways.  Ledesma is called up and Roxas is asked the same question again. Ledesma frantically calls to a lifeless Roxas to answer and refuses to push the button, he runs to Roxas’ side and stood his ground. The masters yell at him to come back and push the button, but a fight breaks out between the masters and the neophytes (expect for Sid, who stayed behind the masters while his fellow neophytes were fighting with the masters)  until Roxas says that enough is enough, and the masters applaud. The neophytes looked confused,  because let’s be honest,  who wouldn’t be after being told to electrocute your friend, and the masters tell them that they aren’t being told to follow mindlessly, they should still know what’s right and wrong, that they aren’t being tested beyond what they are capable of overcoming.

This film draws parallels to facism, and by extension, the Marcoses regime over the Philippines.

The serious tone of the film is lessened as we witness a musical number that the fraternities have prepared for their annual showcase. The whole sequence feels so out of place with the tone and the story (but for some reason, it works). the AKΩ fraternity puts on a show with Bob Fosse’s decadent musical Cabaret, with Nazi flags and “Berlin 1931” as their backdrop, making another reference to another facist we all know and loathe, Adolf Hitler. It totally reminded me of a number fromThe Rocky Horror Picture Show.

The rival fraternity of  ΣOΣ decided to take things differently music-wise they perform this rock and roll number complete with them bringing a dummy on stage and stabbing it mercilessly multiple times on stage.  

It then cuts to Sid and Arni making their way home, and they happen to cross paths with Tina (Arni’s girlfriend) on the side of the road. They try to take her home, but the  ΣOΣ fraternity show up, and things go south quickly. The three are forced into cars and are taken to a building, upon arriving they dash out and it becomes a game of cat and mouse. The  ΣOΣ fraternity finally catch up to them and beat the crap out of Sid and Arni, separating them from Tina, who is hysterical at this point. They then take Arni and drown him, left with a lifeless Arni, the fraternity leaves Sid to grieve his best friend. We really see Sid turning into a loyal member of the fraternity. He seems like he’s so desensitized, he starts blaming Arni and Tina for Arni’s death.

Fueled by rage, the neophytes demand blood, and this is it, the moment we’ve been waiting for, the fight between the fraternities.  In a gruesome sequence, all that pent up masculine energy is released, an orgy of gore if you will.

De Leon ends the film the same way  Kubrick ended his film 2001, with the Star Child gazing straight through the screen at us, only where the Star Child radiates an air of serene transcendence, Sid Lucero's face-head slightly lowered, eyes level and direct-seems utterly drained of emotion, his lips mouthing the frat's principles with mechanized fluency ("Ang simula at wakas ay kapatiran!"). He is cured all right-of all reason, all intelligent thought, all sign or taint of humanity. He has evolved in the opposite direction from the Star Child, towards total obedience, and has done so of his own free will.

I had no knowledge about this movie beforehand, so I really didn’t have any expectations  going into it, but when I found out that it was a film about a fraternity, I instantly felt this sort of dread in the pit of my stomach, and it stayed there for the entirety of the movie. I noticed that there was a lot of foreshadowing that happened during the movie, from the video game that Sid was playing, that conversation that he has with Mariel, to the musical number that the ΣOΣ fraternity put on. The tone of the movie definitely shifts as well, it gradually becomes much darker and more serious.

I had high hopes for Sid, I  thought at  some point that he would have said enough is enough, but after learning more about the conditions on which the movie was made, it made more sense to the story, that being said, Sid didn’t really show that much in terms of character development, he wasn't completely flat, but he just didn’t exhibit that much of a drastic change, so I felt a little detached from his character, and sort of saw the entire group as the main character instead of just Sid.  

Overall, this was a great movie, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I enjoyed it for its allegorical approach to such a serious subject matter, it definitely made it an easier pill to swallow. It was made during a time where it was a silent propaganda, and now how many years later, the message is still as relevant as ever.

[auburnfamilynews]

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Talking some actual football

Somehow, someway, fall camp is here.

No, starting practice does not guarantee there will be football this fall but it does at least keep the dream alive. After what has been one of the strangest off-seasons of all time, it’s nice to have a little taste of normalcy. The season still hangs in the balance but for now we can at least imagine what this Auburn team could like look this season.

Usually with these depth chart projections, I try to give a snapshot of where I think things might stand right now. Without spring practice though it seems kind of silly to use that criteria. Instead, I am going to give my best shot at predicting the depth chart we will see come game 1. Also, unlike the cowardly coaching staffs around the country, I will not resort to the easy out of using `OR`s to keep everyone on the roster happy. Call your shot or shut off your laptop. That’s what my dad would always say.

Let’s go.

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Quarterback

#10 Bo Nix | 6’2” | 213 lbs | Sophomore

#14 Grant Loy | 6’5” | 230 lbs | Senior

#24 Cord Sandberg | 6’3” | 222 lbs | Sophomore

#15 Chayil Garnett | 6’1” | 216 lbs | Freshman

One of the biggest questions facing this Auburn football team in 2020 is whether or not Bo Nix has taken the next step. As a true freshman, Nix was thrown into the fire against one of the toughest schedules in America. He performed admirably but far from spectacularly. There were incredible moments where you could see the All-American potential and frustrating lows that had fans wondering if he was the right quarterback for the job.

He completed less than 50% of his passes in 3 of Auburn’s biggest games last fall. That can’t happen this season. He averaged 6.7 yards per attempt, one of the worst for quarterbacks under Gus Malzahn since Jeremy Johnson. That must improve this fall. He had only 3 games where he threw multiple TDs. He needs to double that number in 2020.

But there is also plenty of positives to build on. When Auburn needed him most, he often rose to the occasion. Nix seemed at his best when the Tigers upped the pace of play and took his handcuffs off. Even in losses against LSU and UGA, Auburn stormed back in large part due to Nix carving apart elite secondaries. It’s up to Chad Morris to find a way to harness all of Nix’s raw talent and elevate his play from “good for a true freshman” to “one of the best in the SEC”.

Running Back (4)

#21 Mark Antony-Richards | 6’1” | 208 lbs | rFreshman

#4 Tank Bigsby | 6’0” | 204 lbs | Freshman

#3 D.J. Williams | 5’10” | 216 lbs | Sophomore

#8 Shaun Shivers | 5’7” | 179 lbs | Junior

#22 Harold Joiner | 6’4” | 215 lbs | rSophomore

I am still clinging on to my early summer prediction of Mark-Antony Richards being Auburn’s RB1 in 2020 but my confidence has faded dramatically. Why? Well it has nothing to do with Richards who I still believe is immensely talented. It has more to do with Tank Bigsby. It’s hard to ignore the buzz building around the true freshman who has apparently impressed coaches and teammates alike with his attitude and work ethic since arriving on the Plains. I won’t be upset in the least if my Richards prediction is wrong because it likely means Bigsby has lived up to the hype.

However, entering fall camp, D.J. Williams is absolutely the man to beat. Having him at #3 doesn’t mean I think he’s bad. It means I think that highly of the ability of the two freshman listed ahead of him but it wouldn’t be a stunner if the rising sophomore held onto the top spot. He showed flashes in 2019 of his big play ability but he also failed to snatch the #1 spot from Boobee Whitlow when given the chance. I will add that if DJ Williams is Auburn’s 3rd best running back this fall that’s a testament to how quickly Carnell Williams has elevated the talent in that room.

Shaun Shivers and Harold Joiner are the veterans of the group and the biggest wildcards. Shivers will always be an Iron Bowl legend but I still don’t see him as an every down back. I am still not sure if Harold Joiner even is a running back. The Tigers seemed more apt to use him as a pass catcher than a ball carrier in 2019. We will see if that changes this fall. I’m ok with him making me look really dumb though with a breakout season.

Tight End (3)

#87 Brandon Frazier | 6’7” | 270 lbs | Freshman

#47 John Samuel Shenker | 6’3” | 241 lbs | Junior

#86 Luke Deal | 6’6” | 247 lbs | rFreshman

#85 Tyler Fromm | 6’5” | 237 lbs | rFreshman

#89 JJ Pegues | 6’2” | 300 lbs | Freshman

That’s right, calling my shot here folks. The tight end position is about to become MUCH more involved in Auburn’s passing attack and I think the man leading the charge will be a true freshman. Brandon Frazier was Chad Morris’s #1 TE target last cycle. He landed his pledge while head coach at Arkansas and then landed him again when named offensive coordinator at Auburn. You don’t work that hard for a kid to sit him on the bench. He’s a big man at 6’7” 270 lbs but is a legit vertical threat and has the ability to make plays after the catch. He might not start the season as the #1 guy but I wouldn’t be shocked if he’s a starter by season end.

Pegues is the biggest wildcard of the bunch. 6’2” 300 lbs is not something you usually see at tight end but you also rarely see 6’2” 300 lb kids with Pegues’s athletic ability. He more fits the mold of Malzahn’s preferred athlete at the 3-back and Gus seemed almost giddy about this kid on signing day. I expect the Tigers to draw up some specific packages to get him involved but not sure he sees regular time at tight end out the gate.

Wide Receiver (9/Split End)

#18 Seth Williams | 6’3” | 211 lbs | Junior

#9 Ze’Vian Capers | 6’4” | 194 lbs | Freshman

#81 J.J. Evans | 6’3” | 210 lbs | Freshman

The 9 spot has been a gateway to the NFL under Chad Morris. DeAndre Hopkins, Martavis Bryant, Mike Williams and Courtland Sutton all starred at this position for Morris. All four were NFL draft picks with Hopkins and Williams both going in the 1st. Might Seth be next?

The Tuscaloosa native emerged as Auburn’s most potent offensive weapon in 2019. Despite missing some time with a shoulder injury the rising junior caught 59 passes for 830 yards and 8 touchdowns. Williams excelled at winning 1 on 1 matchups and should get even more opportunities to eat under Chad Morris. What might matter most is whether or not Auburn can establish a #2 threat to take some of the pressure off Williams and give him more space to work in 2020.

With Zach Farrar transferring out and Matthew Hill moving to defense, I expect a pair of true freshman to see most of the work behind Williams at the 9. Capers has drawn some early comparisons to Williams and seems the likeliest of the freshman class to become the next dominant outside WR for the Tigers.

Evans was a big play receiver in high school and would give the Tigers some more speed at this spot ala Darius Slayton/Sammie Coates. He’s a big kid too at 6’3” 210 lbs so he’s got the frame to beat press coverage on the outside. I am excited about this freshman crop of wideouts and interested to see who can start to emerge as the next man up behind Seth.

Wide Receiver (5/Big Slot)

#11 Shedrick Jackson | 6’0” | 201 lbs | Junior

#17 Elijah Canion | 6’4” | 213lbs | Freshman

With Sal Cannella departure and Chad Morris’s arrival, I expect to see some changes at this WR spot moving forward. Under Malzahn, the 5 was initially the tight end before merging into some sort of tight end/wide receiver hybrid featuring bigger framed athletes who excelled as blockers. That could still be the case under Morris but he’s also used this position as the grooming ground for the next 9 man so don’t be surprised if someone like Ze’Vian Capers gets some work here this fall.

However, it’s pretty obvious Shedrick Jackson will be the man heading into the season. I am still high on Jackson’s potential and am hopeful the Tigers find more ways to use this kid to stretch defenses vertically. He excelled in high school at taking the top off of defenses. He’s shown he will put in the work as a blocker now it’s time to reward him with some deep balls.

Keep an eye on Canion. He was the lowest rated wideout of the bunch but might be the freakiest athlete. I also expect Auburn to cross train wide receivers more under Morris so don’t be surprised if you see Jackson and Canion get some action at the 9 as well.

Wide Receiver (3/Slot)

#12 Eli Stove | 6’0” | 191 lbs | Senior

#6 Ja’Varrius Johnson | 5’9” | 160 lbs | rFreshman

#23 Caylin Newton | 5’11” | 201 lbs | Junior

Ok so I am cheating a bit on this one. By adding a fourth WR on the depth chart, I can avoid the traffic jam at the 2 and list both Stove and Schwartz as starters.

Eli Stove had his most productive season last fall and will look to build on it with a strong senior campaign. To do that, Chad Morris needs to find a way to get him, Williams and Schwartz all on the field at the same time more often. Last season, Auburn’s three best WRs did not play double digit snaps together. That needs to change in 2020.

Johnson is a breakout player to watch. He’s got a similar skillset to Ryan Davis with possibly more explosiveness. 160 is pretty damn light though for SEC football but it doesn’t matter if no one can get their hands on you.

You know Newton is going to attempt at least one pass on some sort of trick play this fall. I am interested to see if he can find a way onto the field. My guess is his snaps will be limited this season but he will have a chance to see more regular playing time in 2021.

Wide Receiver (2/Flanker)

#1 Anthony Schwartz | 6’0” | 179 lbs | Junior

#5 Kobe Hudson | 6’1” | 196 lbs | Freshman

Malcolm Johnson Jr | 6’1” | 185 lbs | Freshman

The player that was likely the most excited to see Chad Morris arrive on the Plains was probably Anthony Schwartz. Injuries have slowed things but it’s also felt like Malzahn isn’t quite sure how to harness all of Schwartz’s speed. I expect Morris to use him like he did Sammie Watkins back in 2011. Lots of designed concepts to get the ball in his hands in a variety of ways from speed sweeps to deep shots to quick hitting concepts over the middle. For Auburn’s offense to reach its full potential the Tigers must find a way to truly establish Schwartz as one of the scariest offensive weapons in the SEC.

Behind him are two freshman. I have high hopes for Kobe Hudson but I suspect he’s a year away from being heavily involved in the offense. Malcolm Johnson Jr is supposed to be playing his senior year of high school this fall instead he will be playing an SEC only schedule. That’s a large jump for any kid.

Left Tackle

#68 Austin Troxell | 6’6” | 312 lbs | Junior

#65 Alec Jackson | 6’5” | 315 lbs | Junior

#77 Kilian Zierer | 6’7” | 294 lbs | Junior

#72 Prince Michael Sammons | 6’7” | 313 lbs | Senior

The biggest question mark at the position with the most question marks heading into fall camp is the left tackle position. Despite Auburn’s struggles to recruit highly rated prep offensive tackles, they have found a way to pretty consistently have an NFL calibre player at this key position each season. That doesn’t look so certain heading into the 2020 campaign.

There is no question Austin Troxell has SEC level talent. But three major knee injuries in six years is hard to ignore. If he’s truly 100% and can stay healthy all fall, I would expect him to be Auburn’s starting left tackle and to have a strong season. However, he will be facing some fierce competition this fall camp.

Kilian Zierer was my pick to be Auburn’s starting left tackle back in the fall but he too is recovering from a serious knee injury. Malzahn says he’s “almost” back to 100% which is good but given his little experience at the position along with most of his time on Auburn’s campus to date focused on rehab, I doubt he’s Auburn’s day 1 starter. He might emerge later in the fall.

That means former defensive lineman turned tackle, Alec Jackson, has a tremendous opportunity in the coming weeks to make a move up the depth chart. It also wouldn’t be unprecedented considering Auburn’s most recent starting left tackle. He worked at the position all last season so hopefully he enters camp more focused on elevating his game than learning the position. It will be fascinating to see how things play out at left tackle.

Left Guard

#71 Brandon Council | 6’4” | 325 lbs | Junior

#56 Tashawn Manning | 6’3” | 324 lbs | Junior

#62 Kameron Stutts | 6’4” | 325 lbs | rSophomore

It’s still early but there’s been a lot of positive buzz surrounding former Akron standout Brandon Council. The graduate transfer has two years of eligibility remaining and is likely the most versatile piece on Auburn’s offense line. He’s reportedly worked at guard to start his Auburn career but he’s played both center and tackle previously in his career. That flexibility makes it likely he starts somewhere on the offensive line. If Troxell and Zierer struggle to get their legs underneath them and Jackson proves not ready, don’t be surprised to see Council bump outside.

Behind him are two intriguing players. Tashawn Manning, like Alec Jackson, arrived on campus as a defensive lineman but has now transitioned to the offensive side of the ball. When Auburn’s 2nd team offensive line entered the games last fall, Manning manned the left guard position. The competition is stiff in the interior of Auburn’s offensive line but I expect Manning to be very involved. If he doesn’t earn a starting spot chances are good he will be the first guard off the bench after an injury.

There’s also Kameron Stutts who wasn’t a highly regarded recruit coming out of high school but a kid who I really feel like has a chance to develop into a solid player on Auburn’s offensive line. I would be surprised if he earns a starting gig this fall but we’ll see if he can make some noise in the coming weeks.

Center

#52 Nick Brahms | 6’3” | 299 lbs | Junior

#79 Kamaar Bell | 6’2” | 325 lbs | rFreshman

#57 Avery Jernigan | 6’3” | 306 lbs | Freshman

The one position that seems certain starting camp is the center position. After playing merry go round with Kaleb Kim the past two seasons, Brahms finds himself the lone returning starter and the likely leader of Auburn’s front five. He struggled as a freshman due in large part to so much strength lost after a gruesome leg injury but improved as a sophomore. Now it’s about taking the next step from “good enough to start” to “being one of the best centers in the league”.

Behind him are two kids that will likely be battling out to be Brahm’s incumbent in two years. Kamaar Bell was the last player to make it to campus in 2019 and took a redshirt without seeing any action. Now with a year of strength training under his belt, Bell looks poised to emerge as Auburn’s backup center this fall. He’s a powerful kid who will add some bulk to the interior of Auburn’s offensive line.

But Bell will face some stiff competition from one of the more underrated members of Auburn’s 2020 signing class. Avery Jernigan ain’t flashy but he loves hitting folks and has the skillset to be a really good player for the Tigers in the very near future. I am really intrigued to watch this position battle unfold over the coming years between Bell and Jernigan.

Right Guard

#58 Keiondre Jones | 6’3” | 335 lbs | rFreshman

#50 Jalil Irvin | 6’2” | 310 lbs | Sophomore

#54 Tate Johnson | 6’3” | 309 lbs | Freshman

Before a concussion sidelined him for the fall, Keiondre Jones was turning heads as a true freshman. That buzz returned during bowl practice and I think he’s the frontrunner to take over Mike Horton’s old spot.

But he’s far from a lock. Jalil Irvin was Auburn’s backup right guard last fall and probably enters the fall as the #1 guy. I thought Irvin’s future would be at center for the Tigers but Auburn slid him over to guard last spring and the results have been positive. Depending on what happens at right tackle these two could also see competition from Brodarious Hamm if Jack Bicknell decides to bump him back inside.

Right Tackle

#59 Brodarious Hamm | 6’5” | 330 lbs | Junior

#65 Brenden Coffey | 6’5” | 279 lbs | Junior

#76 Jeremiah Wright | 6’5” | 340 lbs | Freshman

Despite never having started for the Tigers, Brodarious Hamm is the name that keeps coming up when folks talk about offensive lineman with the highest ceilings. Hamm started his career at guard but slid outside last season and looks poised to be Jack Driscoll’s replacement this fall.

The biggest wildcard at offensive tackle this fall has to be Brenden Coffey. The JUCO signee looked destined to be a Tiger over the summer before Zierer’s commitment seemed to end any chance of it happening. Then when Jonathan Buskey’s academic status became uncertain, Auburn pushed for and eventually landed the big man. Coffey is a tremendous athlete who could also slide inside if needed. If he shows out this fall, it would give Auburn the flexibility to move Hamm back inside. I suspect though he starts his career off as the #2 guy

Looking at Auburn’s offensive skill players, it’s easy to see the incredible potential of this offense. But examining the offensive line quickly makes it hard to get too high on this offensive attack until the abundance of questions are answered up front. I think there’s talent on this OL but all of it is unproven. With no spring, a new offensive line coach and just a few weeks from kickoff, building and developing this new offensive line is this offense’s biggest challenge to reaching its ceiling.

Tomorrow, we will take a look at the defensive side of the ball where a number of super stars are gone but a ton of proven talent remains.

War Eagle!

from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2020/8/20/21267024/2020-depth-chart-offense-fall-camp-edition

[drarrylovebot-blog]

I love you (And the Other 100 Ways of Saying It.)

Prompt: I love you (And the other 100 ways of saying it.)

It’s Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter Eight Year in Hogwarts. The new blooming friendship has started since the very next day after Voldemort died. Harry has visited the Manor to give Malfoy his wand back. They forgave each other. They let go. They moved on. Rebuilding Hogwarts for four months is also a good way to build a friendship, you know? Once school started, they have been quite close, closer than expected because apparently Hermione and Ron don’t come back. Somehow The Hogwarts Express has been awfully late.

1.      The next compartment is empty, but you’re alone. “You mind sharing a compartment? The rest is already full.”

2.      “Happy belated birthday, Potter.” Puts a small gift on his lap.

3.      It’s awfully late, I bet you haven’t eaten anything. “Stop staring, Potter, it’s rude. Here, I’m full anyway.”

4.      Idiot, stop kicking your blanket to the floor, it’s cold. Put the blanket in place and cast a sticking charm over it.

5.      “Here’s your trunk.”

6.      Cast a warming charm for the whole carriage. “What? The thestrals must be cold too.”

7.      “Welcome home.”

8.      Nonchalantly sit beside Harry in the Great Hall.

9.      Put two treacle tarts on Harry’s plate. “What? You like them.”

10. “Goodnight, Potter.”

11.  “Morning, Potter.”

12.  Slides a cup of coffee towards Harry.

13.  “Don’t forget your Charm books.”

14.  “See you later.”

15.  “How’s the day?”

16.  “Stop hogging the food, Potter.” Eat slowly, you git, you’ll get a stomachache.

17.  Casually put two glasses of water on their bedside drawer.

18.  Put an apple beside Harry’s breakfast. “You’ll die early with your diet.”

19.  Our first class is potion, will you be okay after Severus’ death? “You’re helpless, Potter. Sit back and observe, maybe you’ll learn something by being my partner.”

20.  Slap Harry’s hand away. “Idiot. Clean your hands.”

21.  “Remember, 7 times clockwise, Potter.” It will be dangerous if you stir only 6 times.

22.  “Finally, a decent result.” It’s a really good result, but let’s not feed your ego.

23.  You look extremely tired. “Stop being unmotivated git. Long day?”

24. “Don’t forget to work on your charm essay.”

25.  Smiles softly when he has finished his homework only to find Harry’s asleep on the sofa.

26.  Take off Harry’s glasses and fix his blanket.

27.  Check Harry’s charm essay and gives some pointers on wrong statements.

28.  Levitates Harry and tucks him in bed. Essay and glasses neatly put in their bedside drawer.

29.  “Wake up, Potter. Finish your essay.”

30.  “Your mood puts me in a bad mood, Potter. See you in DADA.” Cheer up, you git.

31.  “Fancy a duel?”

32.  “Impressive, Potter.”

33.  “That’s your best shot? Aim better.” Stop channeling your power without precision.

34.  “Focus, Potter. I could kill you.” Fuck you, Potter, that’s a fucking lethal curse. Thank Merlin you move.

35.  Grinning with twinkle in his eyes. “Nice duel.”

36.  I would love to see that expression on your face everyday. Don’t lose it.

37.  “Knackered?”

38.  “It’s Friday tomorrow, fancy a seeker match?”

39.  Your nightmares are getting worse.

40.  “You wish you’re the better seeker.” Whatever, of course you are better.

41.  “Nice game, Potter.”

42.  “We’ll crash the library tomorrow, Potter.” Your homework are piling, stop procrastinating, you git.

43.  Pointing the answer on the book. Rolls eyes exasperatedly.

44.  “Potter, accompany me tomorrow in the Room of Requirement?”

45.  “I’m brewing a potion. You’re here to distract me from sleeping.”

46.   You need this as much as I do, you git, that’s why you’re here. “Stop whining, Potter.”

47.  “Of course, you’ll sleep eventually.” Transfiguring the chair into something more comfortable.

48. ‘Modification of Dreamless sleep that doesn’t give you an addiction. Your nightmares are getting worse. –DM’

49.  “You are welcome, Potter.”

50.  Your nightmares are not getting any better. Are you okay? “Do the dreamless sleep at faulty?”

51.  Then why do you keep having nightmares?! “You’re still having nightmares.”

52.  “I’m so sorry, Potter. For all it’s worth, it didn’t fair.” I’m sorry. I hope they’re happy and proud wherever they are right now.

53. ‘Happy Halloween, Potter.’ Put a bag of Honeydukes sweets on the edge of Harry’s bed.

54.  “Happy Thanksgiving, Potter.” Put a large piece of Turkey meet on Harry’s dinner plate.

55.  “Look, it is finally snowing. First snow this year.”

56.  Throw a snow ball on Harry’s back.

57.  Have a happy snowballs fight.

58.  “Happy Christmas, Harry.” Put a Christmas present on Harry’s lap before leaving to the Manor.

59.  Put the charmed snow globe from Harry on the bedside drawer in the Manor. Thank you, it’s pretty. Mother and I’s miniatures look happy, playing in the snow.

60.  ‘Happy new year, Harry. May this year be good to you. –DM’

61.  “Stop slopping around, NEWT is just around the corner.”

62.  “Come on, I’ll help you with Potion.”

63.  “You don’t work hard enough.” Come on, Potter, you need to be better than this if you want to be an Auror.

64.  “Have you decided on your future career?”

65.  You’re one of the few who don’t think it’s an impossible job for me. Thank you.  Smiles softly.

66. “Do you ever think of applying to be a DADA teacher here? Or being recruited into a Quidditch league?” I just need you to know there are other options that will give you less stress.

67.  Well whatever your future job is, Harry Potter, please be safe and happy.

68.  “Stay away from dragon scale, it will trigger an explosion on your calming draught.” Stop being an idiot please, you could actually lose your life.

69.  “Good luck on your NEWTs.”

70.  “Potter, tomorrow is Charm, not Transfiguration.”

71.  “Here, have some.” Slide a box of Narcissa chocolates for Harry.

72.  “She’ll love that.” Yes, she also has been asking about you. I believe your visit would be good for Mother. Thank you.

73. “Ready for Potion? Relax, you’ll do well.”

74.  “How’s potion? Don’t tell me you blow anything.” Please remember potions can be lethal sometimes.

75.  “Remarkable, Potter.”

76.  “Cheer up, tomorrow is the last day.”

77.  “Thank Merlin and Salazar, it’s all done! How are you holding up, Potter?”

78.  “Can’t sleep either?”

79.  “Fancy a night stroll?”

80.  Rolls eyes swiftly and casually fixes the scarf on Harry’s neck.

81.  “You see that star? That is the reason Mother named me Draco.” Maybe you’ll remember the star, and you’ll remember me each time you look at the sky.

82.  “You’re a good company, Harry.” It’s nice being like this with you.

83.  Thank you for deciding in befriending me that day, you give me a new purpose to keep fighting. “Thank you.”

84.  For saving me again and again, from Voldemort, from the Fiendfire, from my own demons. For giving me a common sense to keep living. For offering your hand in friendship that day after the war. For trusting in my ability to become a Potion Master.  “Just for everything and anything, really.”

85.  You really are beautiful under the moonlight.

86.  “What do you think will happen after Hogwarts?” Would we still be like this? Could we? Is it ridiculous for hoping?

87.  “You really believe that?” Because I want that to happen too, for us to not stop being friends, maybe even more?

88.  Yeah, I like that very much. “Okay.”

89.  “Don’t forget your spare glasses, Potter.”

90.  “Seriously, you need to stop procrastinating and panicking on the last second.” Seriously, you don’t forget anything, just lock your trunk.

91.  “Tomorrow would be very different, wouldn’t it?” I’m afraid to go back to the real world. Are you?

92.  It might just be our last day meeting each other. “Accompany me to Hogsmead?”

93.  “Fancy a butterbeer? Come on, drinks on me.”

94.  “You what?” God, it must be a dream, right?

95.  “You’re being serious right now?” Cause if you’re not, I’ll saw off your balls and ship it to America right now, Harry Potter. If you’re joking, you’re a dead man.

96.  “Okay then, I would like that very much.”

97.  “Sleep fine?” You sleep as peaceful as a baby, I almost stop the train so that the bumpy ride doesn’t wake you up.

98.  “Mother said she will pick us up.” You sure want to visit Mother? It doesn’t have to be today, you know.

99.  “Mother, you remember Harry Potter? Harry, Mother. Mother, my boyfriend.” You git, stop smiling like you need to impress someone. You have a life debt toward Mother, just act normal. Salazar, help me, this is embarrassing,

100.  Marry me. “Scared, Potter?”

*

Bonus:

101.  “You wish.” Fuck you, I’ll be damned if I’m scared. I love you, you git.

[junker-town]

The first college basketball weekend after the Super Bowl lived up to the hype

Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

Duke-North Carolina was nuts, but it was far from the only noteworthy event of the weekend.

As is usually the case, the first college basketball weekend after the Super Bowl was loaded with high-profile matchups, rivalry showdowns, and some ridiculous finishes.

Here are the 10 things you need to know from the most jam-packed weekend of the 2019-20 college hoops season to date.

1. Duke-North Carolina

We don’t need to rehash the two buzzer-beaters or the comedy of hours that set the stage for both to take place. We also don’t need to dive too deeply into how Saturday’s loss probably doomed any hope North Carolina had of salvaging something out of this mess of a season. What does need to be discussed is how the top-16 reveal earlier in the day showcased why this win for Duke might wind up being massively important.

Ever since the NCAA tournament Selection Committee abandoned the standard S-curve in favor of geographical preference for the top four seeds, the top line has typically been a battle for the East, South and Midwest regions, typically in that order. That’s looking like it won’t be the case in 2020. All four teams currently pegged as No. 1 seeds are schools located west of the Mississippi River. This resulted in a situation where on Saturday we found out that if the tournament began today, San Diego State, by virtue of being the “worst” No. 1 seed would be forced to play its Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games at Madison Square Garden in New York.

We also discovered on Saturday that Duke is currently regarded as the strongest of the No. 2 seeds, which would also result in the Blue Devils heading to the Big Apple for the tournament’s second weekend. The Garden is like a second home for Coach K’s program, and the Dukies would almost certainly have a crowd advantage at MSG over whatever two teams it would play inside the building.

Duke already has two non-Quad 1 losses on its resume. Adding a third — North Carolina is currently No. 89 in the NET Rankings — would have almost certainly put the Devils behind at least Dayton and Louisville on the Committee’s updated seed list.

Winning round one with UNC may not ultimately wind up the difference between Duke getting New York and San Diego State as its one seed vs. Duke getting sent to the Midwest and having Baylor as its one seed, but for now at least, that’s precisely the situation.

2. Bob Knight back in Bloomington

On a college basketball weekend that saw nearly all of its ranked teams take care of business, the sport’s biggest upset may have been Bobby Knight finally returning to an Indiana game at Assembly Hall for the first time since being unceremoniously fired two decades ago. The eight minute halftime ceremony was touching, it was awkward, and it would have taken on a completely different tone had Knight punched Dick Vitale in the face, which seemed like it might happen for a brief moment.

Definitely thought Bob Knight was going to knock Dick Vitale smooth out on national television. pic.twitter.com/Osv25c3XKb

— Kyle Boone (@Kyle__Boone) February 8, 2020

Oh, by the way, Purdue dominated its arch-rival and won a pretty big game for both teams, 74-62.

3. Seton Hall is running the Big East

Three weeks ago, the Big East appeared to have a strangle-hold on the title of “top to bottom, the most competitive conference in college basketball.” Instead, the league now has a 10-1 team at the top and a 1-10 team at the bottom.

The team at the bottom, of course, is DePaul. At the top is Seton Hall, which went on the road Saturday and took down Villanova, 70-64. The result of that win is that the Pirates are now a full three games ahead of everyone else in the Big East, and remain undefeated in conference road games.

Not only do Myles Powell and company look capable of becoming the first Seton Hall team since 2000 to make the Sweet 16, they look like they have the potential to be the Final Four-caliber squad Pirate fans have spent more than two decades waiting for.

Villanova, meanwhile, has suddenly dropped three straight and is in desperate need of finding its footing before this slide becomes a free fall.

4. Michigan State is reeling

Speaking of high-profile slides, preseason No. 1 Michigan State has now also lost three in a row following Saturday’s 77-68 setback at Michigan.

The good news if you’re a Sparty fan? MSU went through a three-game slide at almost this exact point in the season a year ago. They responded by winning 14 of their last 16 games on their way to winning the Big Ten regular-season title, the Big Ten tournament title, and a trip to the Final Four.

We’re likely going to know pretty quickly if recent history is going to repeat itself in 2020. The Spartans will hit the road to face Illinois — currently tied for second-place in the Big Ten — on Tuesday, and then host league-leading and ninth-ranked Maryland on Saturday.

5. Madness in the Missouri Valley

With all due respect to both of Duke’s buzzer-beaters, this from Southern Illinois was the most impressive finish to a game of the weekend.

MARCUS DOMASK @SIU_Basketball wins a thriller over Missouri State with this buzzer-beater from the freshman! pic.twitter.com/bSkJjOxzrm

— MVC Basketball (@ValleyHoops) February 9, 2020

That’s Ronnie Suggs with the ridiculous pass and Marcus Domask with the even more absurd catch and shoot to lift Southern Illinois past Missouri State. The Salukis continue to be one of the most pleasant surprises in all of mid-major basketball. Picked to finish dead last in the Missouri Valley Conference before the start of the season, they’re now 9-3 in the league, all alone in second place, and just one game behind first-place Northern Iowa.

6. Louisville breaks its Virginia curse

After losing nine straight games to Virginia, Louisville finally got over the hump against the reigning national champions on Saturday. As is typically the case when these two get together, the game was weird.

Virginia entered Saturday having not scored more than 65 points all season and ranked 348th in the country in three-point percentage (27.2 percent). It promptly canned 11-of-22 from beyond the arc and hung 73 points on a Louisville team that entered the day No. 18 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency. None of it was enough, as the same Cavalier team that came into Saturday allowing opponents to score just 50.4 PPG let Louisville go off for 80. The previous high for an ACC foe against Virginia had been 63.

On Ken Pom, where massive ranking shifts are typically limited to the first two months of the season, Virginia’s offense jumped from No. 274 in the country to No. 228. Louisville’s offense moved from No. 15 to No. 8, and its defense fell from No. 18 all the way down to No. 31.

The projected final score for the game going into the day had been Louisville 59, Virginia 49.

7. Humanity in the Pac-12

Early in the second of what would ultimately be an 81-74 Colorado win, Stanford’s Oscar da Silva was momentarily knocked unconscious after being inadvertently elbowed by the Buffaloes’ Evan Battey. The elbow sent da Silva to the floor, where his head slammed against the court and began bleeding.

Battey, who suffered two seizures and a stroke in 2017, immediately broke down and began crying. Seconds later, players from both teams and both head coaches huddled on the floor to say a prayer for da Silva.

It was humanity, not just sportsmanship, that took center-stage this past weekend. Must-read from @TheAndyKatz: https://t.co/dA8nMrJ2jH ( - @Pac12Network) pic.twitter.com/4jkMRjc2w6

— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) February 10, 2020

“I saw how shook up Evan was,’’ Colorado coach Tad Boyle told NCAA.com’s Andy Katz. “I told McKinley (Wright) to get them together. It was spontaneous, not choreographed. Both teams connected. Everybody who knows Evan knows how special person he is, a caring human being. He’s like that in his everyday life. Nobody appreciates being on the basketball court like him.’’

“Sportsmanship isn’t the right word (for what happened),’’ said Stanford coach Jerod Haase. “It was human decency. This was a human story, not sportsmanship. There were real emotions with real people. There was so much high character on both teams.’’

Da Silva, who is Stanford’s leading scorer, was taken to the hospital where he was diagnosed with a head laceration and stitched up. There’s been no initial word on when he’ll be able to return to the court.

8. Auburn-LSU gets nuts

Until Duke-North Carolina happened, it didn’t seem like anything was going to be able to surpass the madness we saw in the battle for first place in the SEC between Auburn and LSU.

Though each team tried to give the game away at the end of both regulation and overtime, it was Auburn, which trailed by as many as 15, which walked away with the 91-90 OT win. The winning basket came off the hands of J’Von McCormick, who needs to practice his post-shot celebration for the next time this happens.

A+ shot by J’Von McCormick. F- celebration. pic.twitter.com/Q4acKE78ag

— Mike Rutherford (@CardChronicle) February 8, 2020

“Never leave your feet without a plan” is solid basketball advice for both in-game action, and break in the action celebrations. If you’re going for the mid-air bump, you better be damn sure your leaping partner is just as committed to the act as you are. If he’s not, you’re gonna end up looking like a small fish leaping out of water.

9. Gonzaga makes its case

We’re into the heart of the annual national debate over Gonzaga basketball. With the Zags once again sitting as a top contender to be a No. 1 seed on Selection Sunday, the “they’re actually good” and the “they don’t play in a real conference” sides have once again loaded themselves down with all the familiar ammo and are set to fire back and forth for the remaining few weeks of the regular season.

The “they’re actually good” side received a jolt late Saturday when Mark Few’s team went into UCU Pavilion and absolutely hammered arch-rival Saint Mary’s by 30. Gonzaga had five players score in double-figures, it led by 25 at halftime, and was never remotely threatened by a Gaels team that is No. 39 in the NET.

The Zags are now 25-1 overall, 11-0 in the West Coast Conference, and have won those 11 league games by an average of 20.6 points per contest.

10. Darrell Walker can dance

One of the best stories in college basketball right now outside of the power conferences is what Little Rock is doing in the Sun Belt. Picked to finish 11th in the 12 team conference before the start of the season, the Trojans are currently 12-2 in the league and in first place by a full three games.

After winning a 90-87 nail-biter over rival Arkansas State on Saturday, Little Rock head coach Darrell Walker had to let his guys know that he can still move.

Had to show the young fellas some real moves after a rivalry win. pic.twitter.com/rIHduCoOmh

— Darrell Walker (@CoachWalker_LR) February 9, 2020

That’s the look of a head coach who hasn’t lost since Jan. 11.

[another-fo4-blog]

“Companions react to snowy winter and being dragged by Sole to ride a sledge, please. <3″

Love this! I may have gone a bit off track from your request, so I hope this is what you wanted. Where I’m from people often use the word “sled” instead of “sledge”, so I hope it’s alright if I use that instead.

Cait: Snow was an uncommon sight in the Commonwealth, and even when it did fall, almost no one viewed it as a good thing. Cait had a particular problem with it, given her hard lifestyle. To her, snow meant cold, and cold could mean death in the poorly-heated and half-ruined buildings of downtown Boston. She had been traveling with Sole for a while now, and had grown accustomed to the nicer accommodations in most of the settlements, but couldn’t help but cringe a little at the sight of a thick blanket of snow when they left Sanctuary early that morning. She was just about to comment on the hard times to come, and how much she disliked the snow, when she looked over at Sole. They were grinning, fucking grinning.

“What the hell are you smilin’ at?” she asked, as they walked towards the bridge, “It’s gonna be a lot harder to fight off raiders and ghouls in the damn cold!”

Upon hearing this, Sole’s smile faded. They stopped, thought for a moment, and began grinning madly again.

“Come on!” they said, and ran back towards Sanctuary.

When Cait caught up to Sole they were sifting through a pile of junk. Before she could comment on their apparent mental break, Sole pulled out a warped old board, laughed gleefully, and ran off towards the hillside leading up to Vault 111. Baffled by the strange turn of events, she followed them up the hill.

When Cait met them at the top their only words were “Get on!” as they sat her down. Before she could ask what the hell was going on, she felt a firm push, and began sliding down the hill. She hadn’t gone ten feet before she rolled off the side and marched back up to demand answers. Once Sole explained that pre-war families used to do this for fun during the colder months, she agreed to try it again.

She began to enjoy the thrill of larger and larger hills, and after that sledding became one of her favorite winter activities…so much so that Sole always had to come with her to make sure the hills were exciting, but not insane.

Codsworth: In all his years hanging around Sanctuary Hills, Codsworth had seen snow many times. In the early years after the bombs fell, there was very little in the way of precipitation, except the lethal radiations storms that would blow in from the Glowing Sea. It took quite a while before snow reappeared in the Commonwealth, and even then it was a rarity.

Until recently, he had only viewed snow as an obstacle-something that interfered with his ability to keep the house tidy-because he never got the chance to spend a winter with the Mr. and Mrs. before the bombs dropped. During this most recent snowfall, however, Sole had gone all-out with the decorations, hot chocolate, and as much seasonal music as they could find. To ensure that Codsworth got the full winter experience, Sole tried to take him sledding. The sled promptly caught fire from his thruster, so Sole decided to make a sled just for Codsworth so he could participate. The result was a metal sled with “arms” that could be attached to his body so that the sled would carry him down the hill.

Although Codsworth appreciated the effort Sole went to in making the sled, he found the experience disorienting.  He contented himself to make hot cocoa for the group when they finished for the day. He did participate occasionally though, because he loved to see the others laugh at the sight of a Mr. Handy sliding down the hill.

(He did once accidentally slide towards the Sanctuary bridge just as raiders were attacking, which confused them so much they ran off.)

Curie: Curie had heard the scientists in Vault 81 reminisce about snow and the cozy winters they spent with their families, but she had never actually seen snow until she began travelling with the Sole Survivor. When she emerged from her house in Sanctuary that cold morning, she was greeted by the sight of several children already engaged in a snowball fight. Sole-likely the one who started the fun-was among them. Quite content to let others play such a violent game, she spent a few minutes examining the snow and quickly tested it. She was surprised to find it was somehow radiation-free.

She was about to remark on this revelation when a badly-aimed snowball missed it’s intended target and knocked the sample right out of Curie’s hands. She was began instructing the children on the potential dangers of hurling objects at one another when Sole quickly intervened and offered to show her an activity she might enjoy. Curious, she followed them up to the hill overlooking the town. When they reached the top Sole handed Curie one of two curved boards they had apparently scavenged sometime that morning.

“What is this for?” she asked, confused.

Sole explained that people sometimes slide down the hill for fun, and offered to show her how to do it. Concerned that Sole might get injured taking an old board down the uneven hill alone-and a bit too scared to do it herself-she decided it would only happen if they could go down together. Sole agreed to this sent them racing down the hill.

Curie found she liked the feeling of letting gravity pull them along, but was too concerned for Sole to fully enjoy the experience. While she spent most of her time during the snowfall making sure others-namely Cait and Strong-didn’t hurt anyone with snowballs, she did occasionally ask Sole to take her sledding again.

Danse: Throughout his childhood and during his time with the Brotherhood, Danse had seen snow several times, but most of the people he’d grown up with were too scared of mutants or ghouls to go out and enjoy it and no one in the order seemed to think it was a source of fun either. Snowfalls in the Commonwealth and the Capital were few and far-between, and civilians and soldiers alike normally saw them as something they had to endure and get past in order to survive.

When Sole was visibly excited at the sight of snow blanketing the landscape, Danse was a bit confused. They seemed unperturbed by the somber looks from the settlers, and actively tried to get people engaged in snowball fights, building snowmen, and finding things to use as sleds. When sole found an old board in a junk pile that would serve their purpose, they immediately ran over and insisted Danse go with them. He began to ask about the group of ghouls they were supposed to track down today, but before he could finish, Sole was already halfway up the hill. Flustered, he followed them to the top, and Sole was already sat down on the sled when he arrived.

“Okay,” he said firmly “I’ll go down once with you but then we have to find those ghouls before they hurt anyone. Deal?”

Sole, apparently unfazed by the strict tone, eagerly agreed. Danse hopped on the back of their makeshift sled and pushed them down the hill. He had a bit more fun than he’d like to admit, and they went a few extra times before he remembered their mission. After they dealt with the ghouls and made sure that no one else needed help, they spent the rest of the day finding suitable hills and better sleds for the following day.

Deacon: Deacon had been in the Commonwealth for most of his life and he’d seen several snowfalls in that time. While many people in and around Boston viewed winter as a burden or a time of hardship, he saw the potential fun to be had. Back before he joined the railroad, he’d done his fair share of winter activities, but often prefered a good snowball fight over sledding.

It was early in the morning at Railroad HQ when one of the runners reported one of the first snowfalls in quite a while. They did this to notify Desdemona that operations might take longer than usual, but Sole had other ideas. Tinker Tom had found a way to increase the power of the thrusters used in Super Sledges, but it was too dangerous for use in a handheld weapon. Sole proposed that the thruster could be used for something more fun, and they began quietly working on their new project. A few days later Sole told Deacon there was a surprise waiting outside, and led him out the escape tunnel to the open street.

“We’re a little exposed out here...what’s this big surprise you have for me?”

With a flourish, Sole lifted the tarp covering their new invention: a rocket-powered sled.

“Tinker gave me some amped-up Super Sledge rockets to help us get around in the snow!” they said excitedly “This way we don’t even need a hill, we can just ride it on the snow-covered streets!”

Deacon was unconvinced, “I’m all for having a little fun, but this is just crazy.”

After several minutes, a lot of pleading, and a small bribe Deacon agreed to give it a test run. Sole activated the over-powered rockets and away they went. Later, when Deacon would tell the other Railroad agents about the ride, he would say he kept his cool, but in reality he actually yelped at the burst of acceleration from the little boosters. The sled went faster than even Sole had anticipated, and Deacon insisted that they use it to get around as long as there was snow on the ground.

(Desdemona shot down his proposal that all Railroad agents should use high-powered sleds in the winter)

Dogmeat: Dogmeat had seen snow plenty of times before, and while winters were cold, he loved to run around and roll in the soft, powdery drifts that would pile up around the Commonwealth. Once they met Sole, his affinity for winter only increased, and they spent their free time together enjoying it.

He was a bit confused, however, when his master found a seemingly normal piece of sheet metal, and ran excitedly towards the nearest hill. The energy was infectious, and Dogmeat chased after them, racing to the top. Once their, Sole sat on their newfound sled and motioned for Dogmeat to sit on their lap.

Confused, but excited, he hopped onto the sled with Sole and felt them push the metal sheet down the hill. The feeling of falling frightened Dogmeat a little and he jumped off before they reached the bottom, following the sled to make sure his master was alright. Once he saw Sole’s wide grin he ran back to the hilltop so they could do it again. He started having more and more fun each time, until eventually he was comfortable staying on the whole way down. Eventually some of the nearby settlers joined in, and that was how they spent the rest of the day.

Hancock: Hancock had seen snow a few times during his days of adventuring across the Commonwealth, and tried to avoid it as often as he could because it stung slightly when it touched his rough skin. One of his favorite things to do in the winter was take some jet and watch the snow slowly descend to the ground.

Lately, though, he had been travelling with  the Sole Survivor, and at the sight of the first snowfall he could feel their growing excitement. Once the snow had truly covered the landscape Sole was insisting that they go out and enjoy it, not just endure it. They casually mentioned the idea of sledding, and suddenly Hancock brightened up and agreed to go. Sole wasn’t sure what brought about the change of heart, but they didn’t care as long as Hancock was excited about it. They found a warped old door that would serve nicely, and set out to find a suitably large hill. 

Once they arrived, Sole was about to get on their new sled when Hancock pulled some Daytripper out of his jacket.

“I always wanted to try this!” he said casually “Wanna try it with me?”

Sole had no problem with Hancock’s use of chems, but they were hesitant because Daytripper was pretty rare, and they’d never tried it. They looked up from the pills to Hancock and saw how excited he was, and agreed to give it a shot. They each took a few, and Hancock pushed their makeshift sled down the hill.

They went down several times before the Daytripper kicked in, but once it did the two had trouble making it back up the hill. When they staggered to the top the stumbled down onto the sled and began sliding before they had sat down properly. The result was more of a tumble than a smooth slide and they rolled to a stop at the base of the hill. Enjoying the chems and the soft snow, they laid at the bottom, giggling, for the next half-hour.  

Once it wore off they headed home for the day, but they did take a few more “trips” down the hill before the snow melted away.

Nick: Nick wasn’t particularly fond of snow because of it’s tendency clog up his more-mechanical components, which made it harder to get around during the winter months. Fortunately snow didn’t last long in the irradiated wasteland, and normally he could get by with a thick scarf and some gloves. Over time he noticed that the children of Diamond City loved to play in it, which always brought a smile to his face. Winter had come to the commonwealth once again, and while Nick was dreading the fact that he would have to wear extra clothes for protection, he could tell that his travelling companion was more than excited for the snowy fun to come.

They were on a routine trip to Diamond City to trade and see if any more cases had rolled in, and decided to stay for the night. The next morning they awoke to the sound of a commotion in the market, and rushed out to see what was happening. Far from an attack or a synth sighting, they were greeted to the sight of the city’s children playing in the first sprinkles of snow, while their parents were engaged in numerous conversations about the hard times they faced. After getting what they needed from “Crazy Myrna”-as Piper was fond of calling her-they left the city and set out for Sanctuary.

As they travelled cautiously through the dangerous streets of Boston and Lexington, the snow began to pile up further and further. They passed several normally threatening creatures, including a pack of wild dogs and a Yao Guai, but all seemed to be settling in and preparing for the cold in the coming days. As they entered Sanctuary the snow was well past their knees and Nick was grateful for the literal Sanctuary that was his local home.

While he took a moment to clear out some of the accumulated snow and let the meager heat of the house melt some of the ice off his skin, Sole was out trying to get the adults excited about the cold, and showing the kids how to build snow walls to protect against raiders. When Nick completed his maintenance he exited the shack just in time to see Sole uncover a badly bent piece of sheet metal from a nearby snowdrift. He had an idea of what the were about to ask and went to walk back into the house when Sole rushed over and grabbed them by the arm.

“You have to go sledding with me!” they said excitedly While Nick was pleased to see his friend so happy, he wasn’t fond of the idea of cleaning up all over again. 

“I don’t know kid...” he began, but they were insistent, and dragged him up the hill behind the town. Once there they hopped on the dangerous-looking sled and waited for him to join. He could see how eager they were to take the old synth sledding, so he agreed.

“Alright...I’ll go with you, but you have to fix anything that breaks.” Sole saw this as fair and nodded enthusiastically, then motioned for him to get on. Nick tightened his scarf in an attempt to keep the snow out, and boarded the damaged sled behind his friend. With a light push, he sent them off the bank and down towards the town.

As they picked up speed more and more snow began to fly up, and by the time they reached the town the poor synth was practically buried in in the stuff. The two tumbled, laughing, out of the sled and Sole helped Nick get back to the warmth of a nearby house. After that Nick tried to stay away from sledding and contented himself to watch the others enjoy the fleeting winter fun. (Sole did manage to convince him to go a few more times, but the rides always ended with Nick needing a hand back to get back home.)

Piper: It had been quite a while since Piper had seen a snowfall in the Commonwealth, but she always enjoyed used to enjoy taking Nat out to play in it. Since they had moved to Diamond City it had only snowed once, but it was too dangerous to take her outside the Wall to enjoy it. She had recently begun travelling with Sole, and they had cleaned up much of the area around the city, but she still wasn’t comfortable with taking Nat out to go sledding.

One day, when the snow was falling particularly hard, Sole told Piper that they had an idea on how they could still have fun in the winter, and led her up to the empty stands behind the market. When they arrived Piper was surprised to find that Sole had somehow constructed a ramp out of wooden boards that led from the top of the wall, down the stands, over the railing, and into the City’s garden.

“See? Why go outside the city to sled when we have an excellent hill right here?” Sole was clearly excited about their creation. Ignoring the fact that they somehow did this without any of the guards noticing, Piper thought the ramp looked way too dangerous.

“There’s no way I’m taking Nat down this! It’s a deathtrap!” she said, gesturing to the haphazardly placed boards.

Sole was unconvinced, “Come on! Won’t you at least give it a test run?”  Piper looked from her friend to the slope down the stands and admitted to herself that it did look like fun.

“...alright, I’ll try it...but you have to go with me. If I’m gonna get hurt, then you are too.” Sole nodded eagerly and pulled a sled seemingly out of nowhere. ;) They clambered onto the sled and Sole gave them a light push onto the ramp. 

At first they slid gently down the ramp, but the further they went the sled picked up more and more speed. Sole had tested the ramp the previous night and it seemed safe enough, but this time, with the weight of two, they went much faster. By the time they reached the small jump over the railing they were practically flying towards the ground, and flew clear over the end of the ramp, smashing through several of the City’s mutfruit plants before they came to a stop.

Later, after being yelled at by Piper, some of the nearby civilians, and several city guards, Sole offered to replant the mutfruit and begrudgingly disassemble the ramp. They never did get to take Nat for a ride, but Piper admitted some time later that it was a lot of fun.

Preston: Preston had lived in the Commonwealth-in one place or another-his entire life, and he’d seen snow plenty of times throughout the years. Often times settlers would groan about the cold and the wet and eagerly wait for the snow to melt so they could carry on with their lives. He had met a few lighthearted civilians that enjoyed the colder months, and he had tried out sledding before. Once he joined the Minutemen he was often too busy helping the inhabitants of the Commonwealth to take part in the fun, but during this latest snowfall, there didn’t appear to be anyone in need of help. 

Since he had recruited Sole to lead the Minutemen they had done an excellent job cleaning up the area. Most of the local threats had been taken care of, and the raiders were probably too busy preparing for the cold to cause trouble. Finally able to relax and enjoy the snow, Preston engaged in a few snowball fights with the settlers, and had started building a snow wall around Sanctuary with some of the local kids for fun. 

The General had been doing much the same, and while they were clearing out some of the snow by the road they uncovered an actual pre-war sledge sticking out of a small junk pile. They raced over to Preston, took him by the arm, and led him up to the nearby hillside. Without hesitation he joined his friend on the sledge and pushed them down the hill, enjoying the simple fun in the experience.

They managed to go several times before some of the kids noticed and asked if they could go. They gave up their new(ish) sledge to the kids and returned to the town for the day.

Strong: While Strong had seen snow before, he never gave it much thought other than “Cold”. To him, it didn’t seem helpful in his quest to destroy all humans, so it wasn’t worth thinking about. When snow began to fall that year, he noticed that his new friend had some kind of fascination with it. Sole had tried to explain that you could have fun sliding around in the snow, but Strong didn’t really understand what was fun about it. (They didn’t mention the concept of throwing snowballs because they didn’t want their super mutant friend to hurt anyone.)

Once the snow had piled up enough, Sole retrieved an old car hood that seemed big enough, and tried to get Strong to try sledding. He did try it several times, but he would get angry if he fell off, so Sole decided it was probably best for everyone if Strong avoided it in the future.

X6-88: Similar to Strong, X6-88 had seen snow a few times in the past, but never gave it much thought. It impeded his ability to carry out his mission, and therefore he disliked it. Snow had begun to fall in the Commonwealth and he noticed that his latest traveling companion was growing more and more excited as it piled up further.

“Why does this excite you?” he asked, “It’s going to take us at least twice as long to complete missions, and if it gets any higher we may have to stop altogether. This question was greeted by a puzzled look from his companion.

“Well, yeah...but now we can do other things...like...sledding!” 

X6 knew what sledding was, but didn’t understand why his partner was so excited about it. “Doesn’t it seem pointless to slide down a hill, just to climb back up?” Sole, determined to make X6 see the fun in the activity, grabbed a nearby board that could function as a sled, and led him up the hill.

At the top they sat the sled down and motioned for him to sit. Confused, X6 did so, and Sole hopped on behind him. With a shove, they slid off the bank, and down the hill. At the end X6 was covered in snow and seemed more annoyed with it than he had before. Sole tried several times to get the synth to see the fun in sledding, but to no avail.

This dragged on a lot longer than I anticipated, so in the future I’ll either write short reactions for every companion, or longer, more detailed stories if you specify which one you would like. Sorry MacCready didn’t make the list, I haven’t spent that much time with him, but I will rectify that in the future.

[idemandoolong]

When You Can Handle The Lies, Backstabbing, and Unfair Treatment, Then You're Allowed To Be Famous

Most of us have fantasized about what it’d be like to be rich and famous. The paparazzi, the photoshoots, the money, the power, the adoring fans…but what we don’t seem to think about is what famous people tell us ALL THE TIME:

Being famous is unfair, AND it’s every person for himself/herself.

Now, most celebrities don’t flat out say this, but they’ll say it in roundabout ways or with cute little slogans like “Ain’t no friends in the game.”

We romanticize this and think it’s cool and trendy, but that shit would destroy 99% of us. The majority of us can’t handle the negative aspects of fame, and I’m not talking about the rumors and loss of privacy. I’m talking about how you’re essentially forfeiting loyalty and trust–which are things we regular folks take very seriously.

Allow me to explain.

In 2007, during Cycle 9 of “America’s Next Top Model,” Ebony Morgan was in the bottom two with Ambreal Williams. Ambreal was sent home, but Ebony opted to go home instead, thus allowing Ambreal to stay.

Now, five years later, during Cycle 18, Eboni Davis and Alisha White were in the bottom two. Eboni was eliminated, but Alisha opted to forfeit. Same situation, right? Well Eboni was told she’s still going home.

You may explain this away by saying “Well maybe the rules changed.” But THAT’S why you can’t handle fame, silly rabbit. You just don’t get it:

There are no rules in Hollywood.

You’re so used to rules and laws and consistency, but in the fame game, that doesn’t exist. It is solely up to Tyra Banks (and the producers) to decide whom to eliminate. It doesn’t matter if all of America says you’re the best. It doesn’t matter if the “judges” are being hypocrites. Nothing matters. You don’t matter. They don’t care about you, and that’s something most of us can’t deal with.

In fact, the winners of “Top Model” have come out and said they’re not taken seriously in the modeling world, so it’s hard for them to book jobs and gigs. And it’s not like Tyra Banks is using her name to get them jobs. She doesn’t give a damn. Their usefulness is over as far as she’s concerned. Boom. Bye. On to the next wannabe model.

I’ll give you another example.

Janet Hubert portrayed Vivian Banks on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” from 1990-1993. She once told a story how Countess Vaughn (Moesha, The Parkers, Hollywood Divas) once auditioned for a role on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and was given the part. Now, before taping a show, the actors and actresses sit around and do what’s called a table read.

They literally sit at a table together and read the script aloud while the writers and executives and producers are there taking notes to decide what they want to change.

Anyway, Countess is there reading her lines and everyone is laughing. They love her. She’s perfect for the role and she’s excited about taping her episode. She goes home…and they never call her back. She doesn’t know what happened. Some time later, she runs into Janet and asks what happened. Janet explained that Will Smith was afraid she’d upstage him, so he had her dropped.

Nobody fought for Countess. When she got dropped, they just went on with their lives. Nobody even tried to contact her and say “Hey, look…this is what’s happening…”

Now before you say Janet is making up lies and is bitter, Countess alludes to this very story in an episode of Hollywood Divas:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04cTELr5Fxc

We regular folks aren’t used to be being treated like that. Imagine if you got a job and were told on your way home from the interview, “Actually we want somebody of a different race.” You’d sue, and win. But you can’t do that in Hollywood.

You can get fired from a movie for being too young (Stuart Townsend from “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring”).

You can get fired and have your scenes re-done by a replacement (Chloe Grace Moretz in “Bolt”).

You can spend months recording all your lines AS THE MAIN CHARACTER and get fired because the gender of the character changes (Holly Hunter in “Chicken Little”).

It doesn’t even matter. As I said, in Hollywood, you don’t matter. Very few people actually give a damn about you. Now take this a step further and imagine being a person of color in Hollywood. Those three people I just mentioned are all white. If they’ll do that to white folks, imagine what people of color endure.

Even your bandmates who you’ve grown up and were your best friends for ten years will leave you in the dust at the drop of a hat. Remember what happened to Destiny’s Child?

If you don’t, long story short, best friends Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett formed a band known as Destiny’s Child. After two platinum-selling albums, one day in early 2000, their music video “Say My Name” premiered with two new members, Farrah Franklin and Michelle Williams in the band, lip-synching over LaTavia’s and LeToya’s vocals.

There was no announcement. No press conference. No nothing. Just boom. LaTavia and LeToya didn’t even know they had been fired until, like everyone else, the video premiered. After a whole bunch of back and forth and “he said, she said,” it later came out LaTavia and LeToya were having disagreements with their manager, Mathew Knowles, the father of Beyoncé. He was the group’s manager AND the manager of the four singers individually.

LaTavia and LeToya fired Mathew as their personal managers due to financial reasons and for the way he was allegedly mistreating them. He responded by hiring two new singers and the show went on until Farrah Franklin quit due to Mathew’s alleged mistreatment five months later. Destiny’s Child told the public for years that Farrah couldn’t “handle” being famous, but the truth is she asked too many questions like why was Solange Knowles (Beyoncé’s younger sister) getting a cut out of the band’s paycheck as a backup dancer when she not once danced….until after Farrah quit. She also didn’t like that she, Michelle, and Kelly had to go to tanning salons to appear darker so Beyoncé would be the lighter one, she became sick overseas and nobody seemed to care, Mathew would literally yell at her and verbally abuse her….she couldn’t take it anymore so she left.

How would you feel if you quit a job due to unfair treatment, but everyone was told it was because you “couldn’t handle” the job?

Still think you could handle it?

Ok, big shot. Try this on for size.

Karan Ashley portrayed Aisha Campbell on “Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers” from 1993-1995. It’s a bit complicated, but the creator of the show was making millions of dollars from the success of the show, and the actors weren’t paid very much. Keep in mind, “Power Rangers” was one of the most successful shows in the US, and the actors’ likenesses for toys, video games, and all sorts of merchandise was being used…and they didn’t get a dime for it. In fact, Walter Emmanuel Jones portrayed Zack Taylor from 1993-1994 in 81 episodes, and lived with roommates the entire time. That’s how little he was paid.

When 20th Century Fox approached “Power Rangers” to make a movie, the actors were severely lowballed with how much they’d get paid. He, along with co-stars Thuy Trang and Austin St. John asked for more, they were rejected, so they quit. Karan Ashley, Steve Cardenas, and Johnny Yong Bosch (who is half-Korean and was told by producers to use his mother’s maiden name of Yong in his name to seem more Asian…because, I guess, nobody can tell you’re Asian unless your mother says so) were immediately hired as replacements and filmed the movie.

Anyway, in 1995, Karan Ashley wants to be let go from the show. Not only do they film for about 16hrs per day, but again, the pay is low. She’s told her character will be given a ten-episode story that will have her leave the series.

So the actors go on a much needed two-week break after 61 episodes, and when they return, Karan is told “Oh, we don’t need you anymore. You can go.” Just like that. No ten-episode story. No going-away party. No nothing. Boom. Gone. Bye. And the show just went on without her.

I could go on and on with similar stories.

Mo’Nique’s show being cancelled despite being the top-rated show on BET at the time of its cancellation.

Cree Summer being fired from playing Meg on “Family Guy” as she’s on her way to work.

John Amos and Esther Rolle being fired from “Good Times” after complaining the JJ Evans character was stereotypical, but the press being told they were envious of the character’s success.

Jamie Lynn Spears getting pregnant at 16 years old, so all the actors lose their jobs on “Zoey 101.”  

But I’m telling you these stories to say being famous is simply not fair.

You get fired from jobs for reasons that aren’t your fault. Promises are routinely broken. Your friends and co-workers don’t stick up for you. There’s no consistency. People say one thing and do another all the time. You’re lied to all the time. And nobody cares because it’s done to them, too.

Think of all the times you were treated unfairly or lied on or lied to or did a whole bunch of work for nothing…now imagine that happening pretty much every single day.

That, ladies and gents, is what it’s like to be famous.

[thrashermaxey]

Top 10 surprises of 2018-19

Opportunities.

That’s what it takes for a player to have a successful year. Every player on this list had their opportunities this past season, whether it be on the power play, getting top-six minutes or finally getting a chance to play with elite linemates.

Last week, we used a basic math formula to figure out who the top 10 disappointments were. This week, we’re using the same formula to figure out the surprises. At the start of the season, I compiled the points projections of almost 300 players from 13 separate prognosticators. To figure out who was the most surprising, I looked at the average of all 13 predictions and compared them to the final point numbers.

With an increase in scoring, many of the top players saw higher than projected numbers. Nikita Kucherov, for example, had an average projection of 96 points and wound up with 128. While that is 32 points higher, most had Kucherov finishing in the top three in points. I won’t be including those players on this list.

One interesting note is that three players on this list (numbers 1, 3 and 5) had such low point projections that I didn’t even track them before the season began.

  10. David Krejci

Krejci went from barely draftable to a must-own. Only drafted in three per cent of Yahoo leagues, and projected to get 49 points on average, Krejci finished the season with 73 points, 24 points higher than anticipated. It helped that he generally moved up the lineup anytime someone on the top line was injured. His most frequent linemates at 5-on-5 were Jake DeBrusk and David Pastrnak and a vast majority of his power-play points came with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand on the ice.

  9. Timo Meier/Tomas Hertl

I’m combining these two for the obvious reasons: Both are former first-round picks that play with the Sharks and had a major breakthrough this season. They were also both 25 points above their average projection. Hertl had 74 points against an average projection of 49 and Meier had 66 points against an average projection of 41. For the most part, they had pretty identical seasons (Hertl had 57 even-strength points vs Meier’s 54 and there was only nine seconds difference between their even-strength ice time). These were the breakout seasons we’ve been expecting from Hertl for a while and thought Meier was still a couple of years away from having.

  8. Brayden Point

After the top couple of Lightning forwards, it was pretty tough to gauge who was going to be the great Tampa breakout player going into the season. There were plenty of options, and it all depended on who was going to play on that top line with Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. J.T. Miller had a great tryout there at the end of last season and many thought Yanni Gourde could build on a great 2017-18 rookie season. Instead, Point got that plum spot and wound up with 92 points, 27 above the average projection.

  7. Jonathan Toews

I’ve mentioned this quite a bit in these columns, but I’m a big believer in winning hockey pools by letting others overpay for young talent while you pick up older established talent at a much cheaper price. It’s tough to project which of those older players are going to rebound, but you basically need to look at guys who will continue to get tons of opportunity even when they go through cold snaps. Although with older players, you can’t guarantee consistent great seasons but you can easily put together a championship team focusing on players 27 years and older. After three seasons averaging 56 points, Toews set a career high at 81 points, 25 points higher than his average projection of 56 points.

  6. Zach Parise

We shouldn’t have been that surprised by Parise’s shocking season as there were promising signs going into last October that he could rebound. In 2017-18, he missed 39 games because of a microdiscectomy surgery for his back and it took him a while to get back into things. However, he had 12 goals and 17 points in the final 21 games. He continued that hot streak into this season, finishing with 28 goals and 61 points in 74 games. That was 22 points higher than the 39-point average projection, and no prognosticator had him at more than 45 points.

  5. Thomas Chabot

Chabot was one of the biggest surprises in the first half of the season, as he put up 38 points in 38 games and made losing Erik Karlsson a lot easier for Sens fans. He cooled off somewhat in the second half thanks to injuries, but still finished with 55 points, 16 of which came on the power play. It will be interesting to see what happens with Chabot the next couple of years as he could be usurped by Erik Brannstrom.

  4. Elias Lindholm

One of the best things about Dobber’s annual fantasy guide is the fact it is continuously updated until the regular season. But even so, Dobber had Lindholm finishing with 60 points when the Guide was released August 1 and stood pat on that number throughout the preseason. Only one other projection had him above 50, and the average was 48. Of course, Lindholm went off for 78 points playing on Calgary’s top line, 30 points higher than the average. Many of the other prognosticators, which goes to print in the early summer, had James Neal finishing with more points than Lindholm. Of course, Neal was one of the top disappointments in last week’s column.

  3. Dylan Strome

Strome is probably the easiest example when it comes to showing how opportunity can change a player’s value. In 20 games with Arizona, Strome averaged 13:32 per game with little power-play time and inferior linemates. After two-and-a-bit seasons of this, Strome was finally dealt. In Chicago, his ice time jumped to 17:04 per game, he saw more power-play time and had much better linemates. He wound up with 51 points in 58 games in Chicago and 57 points on the season. He’s only 22 years old and a good example of why you shouldn’t necessarily give up on young players after a couple of subpar seasons.

  2. Mark Giordano

In any other year, Giordano would have been easily the top guy on this list. His average projection was 38 points, which would have put him in in the barely draftable category. Former Dobber writer Steve Laidlaw had Giordano ranked the highest at 51 points. Giordano blew away all those projections with an amazing 74 points (and would probably have had a few more if the Flames didn’t sit him out for most of the final week of the season). With the average projection at 38 points, Giordano had the highest missed average missed projection of all players. Remember, Gio’s previous two seasons saw him post 38 and 39 points, so there was nothing that screamed he was going to challenge for the Norris trophy. He’ll be tough to gauge for next season, as he didn’t really do anything differently this season compared to last (his shots, shooting percentage, time on ice and power-play ice time were mostly static), so it will be difficult to figure out if this was a one-time thing or not.

  1. Erik Gustafsson

It’s sometimes interesting how smaller decisions can have such a huge impact on a player. As of Dec. 14, Gustafsson had just come back after missing two games with an illness and was a healthy scratch for another game in early December. Although he flirted with time on the top power-play unit, he was mostly entrenched on the second group. Also at the time, the Hawks had the worst power-play in the league. Then Henri Jokiharju went to the World Juniors tournament. He wasn’t having the greatest season, but he was given an opportunity at times on the top man-advantage unit. So when the Hawks made a switch on the power play, it fell to Gustafsson. Would Jokiharju have been given that opportunity had he still been in Chicago? There’s no way to know, but what we do know is that on Dec. 16, Gustafsson became the Hawks top power-play quarterback. The Hawks then had the second-best power play the rest of the year and Gustafsson put up 46 points in 48 games the rest of the season, finishing with 60 points.

  from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-home/fantasy-hockey-top-10/top-10-surprises-of-2018-19-2/

[buddyrabrahams]

10 most impressive freshmen this college basketball season

The period between Christmas and New Years acts as a handy moment to redefine the college basketball season. Conference play for nearly every league kicks off, meaning we can really start to assess which teams are fighting for top seeds, which have a shot at an at-large tournament bid, and which are in some serious need of a turnaround.

College basketball’s increase in newcomers has been one of the main reasons it takes a few months to sort out all of those details. Transfers, both those moving as a graduate or those who looked for a new path as undergrads, are everywhere in college hoops. The rising importance of freshmen has been an even more crucial change.

One-and-done freshmen, or those who think they have a chance at a shot at the NBA this spring, are major players in the basketball landscape. Even freshmen with uncertain professional prospects are entering college more physically and mentally ready to play than ever before.

By now, it’s clear which first-year players will be factors in March and which need time to sort things out. Here is a look at 10 freshmen who have impressed this season so far:

10. Talen Horton-Tucker, Iowa State

Iowa State has been riddled by both injuries and suspensions early in the season, leaving coach Steve Prohm with a short bench to date. It has mattered far less than many expected thanks to the emergence of freshman Talen Horton-Tucker.

The freshman is a do-everything glue guy for the Cyclones, standing only 6-foot-4, but a solid 240 pounds. Though Horton-Tucker is averaging 14.8 points per game, it’s his all-around game that has impressed. He is adding 11.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 3.1 steals per 100 possessions. Even as a freshman, he’s been arguably the most efficient player on the floor for Iowa State.

In just his fifth collegiate game, Horton-Tucker posted 26 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 assists against Illinois at the Maui Invitational. If Prohm and his staff didn’t have Horton-Tucker at the forefront of their gameplans before that performance, they do now.

9. Devon Dotson, Kansas

Freshmen point guards have a mixed history of success. Even when they shine, there are errors to look past and overcome. Even Trae Young, while leading the nation in scoring and assists, caught flack for his high level of turnovers. It’s rare to see first-year ball-handlers display a high basketball IQ and make few mistakes.

Dotson has been a steadying presence for the undefeated Jayhawks. He initiates the offense, pushes the ball in transition, and finds teammates in areas where they can score. When he does attack the basket, Dotson has been remarkably smart about when and where to shoot the ball. That discerning attitude has led him to 52 percent shooting from the field, 43 percent from outside the arc, and 81 percent from the free throw line.

Although Dotson’s box score lines won’t make your eyes pop out of your head, he has been one of the key reasons Kansas spent time atop the polls this December.

8. Bol Bol, Oregon

There may not be another player on Earth with Bol Bol’s skillset. I don’t just mean a college basketball player – I mean anyone.

Bol, whose father Manute played in the NBA, is 7-foot-2, with a wingspan of 7-foot-8. He’s one of the nation’s best rim protectors, averaging more than 5 blocks per 100 possessions and posting the 14th-best block rate among major conference players.

Bol’s offensive game is what truly sets him apart. He is scoring 21 points per game, pouring in buckets from all over the floor. Despite his size, Bol is shooting 2.8 three-point attempts per 40 minutes, and sinking 52 percent (!) of those attempts. In the 26 years searchable on Sports Reference, Bol is one of only two players listed as a forward or center to shoot at least 2.5 threes per game and make more than half those shots. (The only other player to qualify for those thresholds, Toledo’s Luke Knapke is also doing so this season).

A stretch-five is not unheard of in 2018’s basketball landscape, yet no one in college basketball plays that role as effectively as Bol Bol. He’s not perfect and still raw, figuring things out in many respects. On the season, Bol has twice as many turnovers as assists and can look lost in certain situations.

Once he feels more comfortable on the court, his talent can lead him to great heights.

7. Luguentz Dort, Arizona State

While we’re on a run of giving high compliments to players with fun sounding names, let’s talk about the Canadian combo guard that’s making waves down in the desert. Dort plays like a 19-year-old Dwyane Wade, injected with about 20 extra pounds of muscle.

Though he stands just 6-foot-4, Dort is taking more than half of his field goals at the rim, per Hoop-Math.com. That aggressive nature leads to eight free throw attempts per game for Dort. Playing for former Duke point guard Bobby Hurley, Dort has been the driving force of the Sun Devils offense.

At times, the freshman has had a bit of tunnel vision and a tendency to force the issue. When things are going his way, that feels like proactive offensive basketball. When things start to slip out of control, Dort can struggle to get efficient shots at the basket. His ability to stay within himself and attack the right opportunities will decide how successful Arizona State can be this season. Even with Dort shooting just 3-for-14, the Sun Devils were able to knock off top-ranked Kansas. When he’s making shots, the Arizona State offense gets scary good.

6. Romeo Langford, Indiana

To date, Indiana has only faced one team that sits within the KenPom top 25. The rest of the Hoosiers’ schedule has been challenging, but that one game at Duke felt like a chance for Indiana to make a statement. Just the opposite happened, with the Blue Devils dominating for 40 minutes. Romeo Langford was bottled up by a difficult situation, shooting 3-for-15 from the field.

Aside from that game, most of what we’ve seen from Langford has been intriguing. He’s scored in double-figures every game and made some very exciting flash plays. At other times, Langford has looked like a freshman. He’s shooting almost four threes per game and barely making 20 percent of them, hitting just 10 of 47 long range attempts this season. His assist-to-turnover ratio is only a whisper north of 1-to-1.

The game should slow down as Langford gains experience, yet the gauntlet of a Big Ten schedule is approaching.

5. Cam Reddish, Duke

No player in basketball history has faced what Reddish is currently going through. Thanks to the top three ranked recruits choosing the same school for the first time in history, Reddish is the first ever top three recruit to be the third-most heralded player in his own freshman class.

At times, Reddish has truly looked like an elite prospect. He has scored 20 or more points three times and made 10 of his first 21 three-point attempts as a Blue Devil.

At other times, Reddish has felt like an afterthought behind two players still to come on this list. He has scored in single-figures on four separate occasions. He came to college billed as a knockdown shooter, and it showed early on, as Reddish shot over 43 percent from long range in his first 8 games. In Duke’s last four games, Reddish is just 5-for-29 from outside the arc, a dismal 19 percent. In two of those games, Reddish failed to reach the free throw line and twice in that four-game span, he failed to score a two-point basket.

Reddish was supposed to be a good shooter, among other things. Playing alongside a superteam has limited him and made him only a shooter, and one who has been streaky at times. His development as a slasher and creator is one of the most important things when determining Duke’s ceiling this season.

4. Coby White, North Carolina

If his 33-point outburst against Texas didn’t catch your eye, surely you’ve taken note of Coby White by now. The freshman point guard was the catalyst of the Tar Heels’ crucial win over Gonzaga, not to mention, he’s hard to miss thanks to the giant afro he sports on the court.

White has taken to Roy Williams’ up-tempo style like a fish to water, driving the high-powered Carolina offense. To date, White is the only freshman in college basketball making more than 40 percent from long range while taking more than 5 hrees per game and adding more than 3.5 assists per game. Those are some specific benchmarks but they speak to how successful White has been as both a scorer and a creator for his teammates.

3. RJ Barrett, Duke

Last year, Trae Young did absolutely everything for Oklahoma. He was both criticized and defended for his abnormally high usage rate. It led to bad shots and turnovers, but also amazing plays and got him drafted in the top five picks of the NBA Draft.

Last year, Young attempted 28.5 field goals per 100 possessions. This year, RJ Barrett is averaging 32.5 field goal attempts per 100 possessions. He is one of just five players in college basketball attempting more than 19 field goals per game. Most of the time, that’s been a good thing for Duke. Barrett is incredibly skilled and athletically gifted. He is averaging 23 points and 7 rebounds per game.

Barrett has also hampered Duke at times by looking to the rim a little too frequently. At the end of Duke’s only loss (to Gonzaga), Barrett shot the ball five times in the game’s final minute while the rest of the team managed just two shots combined, including none by Zion Williamson.

A player like Barrett shooting too much is a problem only Duke could have, yet it has been one of the only definable issues with Duke so far this season. Barrett is shooting nearly 20 times per game, converting under 50 percent from the field and under 32 percent from outside the arc. In fact, Barrett has missed his last 11 three-point attempts (and made just 3 of his last 29 long range attempts).

RJ Barrett is a spectacular basketball player on a very good basketball team. He is at his best, though, when he is not only looking to score, but using his teammates’ skills to his advantage. When Barrett stares down the rim, he is overlooking how effective the offense can be when he uses his scoring ability and court vision to create wide open shots for the Blue Devils, for him or a teammate.

2. Ignas Brazdeikis, Michigan

Last March, if you’d told us that one of the teams in the national championship game started the season 12-0 and that streak included three blowout wins over top 20 teams, I think we’d all believe you. I tend to think we’d all assume it was Villanova, but even if we guessed Michigan started this season so efficiently, no one could have guessed a freshman would be leading them in scoring

For Ignas Brazdeikis to be playing like the best player on arguably college basketball’s best team this season has been nothing short of shocking. The Canadian freshman has been a seamless fit into John Beilein’s motion offense, hitting threes and attacking the glass with a swagger not seen at Michigan since the days of the Fab Five.

Michigan lost three starters from last season’s national runner-up, and Brazdeikis has been able to recreate much of what those players brought to the table. He stretches and confounds defenses like Moritz Wagner. He slashes to the bucket like Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, and he shoots like Duncan Robinson.

If he can continue to play at this level, Michigan is the team to beat in the Big Ten.

1. Zion Williamson, Duke

My argument about RJ Barrett being a little shot-heavy earlier in this post is predicated heavily on the fact that Barrett shares a lineup with Zion Williamson. College basketball hasn’t seen a physical marvel like Williamson since at least Anthony Davis or Blake Griffin, both of whom won National Player of the Year honors.

Due to Williamson’s skill set, it makes sense that he doesn’t necessarily need to lead Duke in field goal attempts. His profile works with the ball, but also attacking the offensive glass, cutting without the ball, as a screener, or simply pushing the envelope in transition. That being said, Williamson shouldn’t be attempting eight fewer field goals per game than any teammate. Barrett is taking 37 percent of Duke’s shots when he’s on the floor (12th-most in Division I), while Williamson shoots just 26 percent of the team’s looks when on the court. That needs to balance out for Duke to be at their peak offensively.

Williamson is too talented and efficient for that to be the case. He is shooting 65 percent from the field, though that stat is dragged down by Williamson’s struggles from outside the arc, where he hits under 20 percent of his shots. Inside the arc, Williamson is a runaway freight train unable to be stopped. He leads college basketball in 2-point shooting percentage among players with at least 100 attempts. Williamson is also drawing 6.4 fouls per 40 minutes. Getting him more chances in transition or in the flow of the offense will open up more shots and better scoring opportunities for Barrett, Reddish, and the rest of the Blue Devils.

Shane McNichol covers college basketball and the NBA for Larry Brown Sports. He also blogs about basketball at Palestra Back and has contributed to Rush The Court, ESPN.com, and USA Today Sports Weekly. Follow him on Twitter @OnTheShaneTrain.

from Larry Brown Sports http://bit.ly/2ETzN39

[flauntpage]

What I’d Like to See From Markelle Fultz (and Brett Brown) Tonight

Ah yes, we still have 81 games left in the season. It didn’t seem that way after the incessant bitching and whining on Wednesday morning, but maybe we’ve come to our senses now.

The Sixers are going to commit to Markelle Fultz in this early part of the schedule, and they certainly should, but they need to be 100% in. You can’t half-ass this thing, and it starts with Brett Brown giving Markelle consistent second half minutes so that he finds rhythm and continuity with the first unit.

Fultz played 24 minutes on Tuesday night, 21 of which took place in the first half. The problem is not his minute total, because that’s a good overall number, but you have to distribute those minutes better so that he’s not sitting on the pine for most of the second half.

One thing you can do is split Fultz and JJ Redick in a front/back manner, meaning that Markelle can start each quarter before giving way to JJ to finish out the period.

It would look something like this:

1st quarter: Fultz 7 minutes, Redick 5 minutes

2nd quarter: Fultz 6 minutes, Redick 6 minutes

3rd quarter: Fultz 5 minutes, Redick 7 minutes

4th quarter: Fultz 4 minutes, Redick 8 minutes

That gives you 22 minutes for Markelle and 26 for JJ, who can then finish out the 4th quarter with the starters.

Fair? Unfair? Smart? Dumb? It’s just one way to move forward, depending on what the injury and bench situation looks like with Landry Shamet and T.J. McConnell in the mix. You’re going to have Zhaire Smith, Mike Muscala, and Wilson Chandler back at some point, so the rotation is going to look MUCH different than what we saw in the season opener.

Markelle took seven shots against Boston, a number I’d like to see in the 8-10 range moving forward. He passed twice on longer looks to bring the ball closer to the rim, which definitely can’t continue to happen.

His strongest look was obviously the mid-range jumper he hit off a half pick and roll while guarded by Terry Rozier and Aron Baynes:

That’s really a smooth shot right there, no over-thinking it. Boston generally likes to fight over the top of screens and aggressively defend the perimeter, so Markelle sees the Rozier over-play, pushes to the foul line, and hits the pull-up while sandwiched between two dudes. There’s a lot of “feel” in that sequence, with Markelle doing a nice job to sense Rozier as he pushes closer to Baynes.

Likewise, I thought he had a nice look on this play, which brought him to almost the exact same spot on the floor:

That’s a solid look.

Ben Simmons just dumps the ball to Markelle at the extended foul line, then instead of running a UCLA cut towards the rim, he instead becomes the screener in a pick and roll that also sees Joel Embiid pop out to the three point area.

Those are two good ways to get Markelle involved.

I know the Sixers are not a pick and roll team, but if you have to run 4-6 per game to get Markelle going, then do it, absolutely. There are enough possessions to go around, and you can wrap those PNR looks into combinations where Simmons can earn mismatches and post up smaller guys in the paint. The only real issue is that it sort of leaves Embiid hovering on the perimeter instead of in the paint, but we’ll see how they can evolve that look.

Those two clips I showed above were Markelle’s longest attempts of the game. He missed another elbow-ish jumper and went 1-4 in attempts at the rim:

Markelle didn’t shoot a ton of jumpers last year on his spring return, but he did have some games where he hit the totals I suggested above.

He had three games of double-digit shot attempts, the first of which was his first game back when he went 5-13 for 10 points against the Denver Nuggets. Here you see a cluster of stuff at the rim, but some similar elbow distance jump shots:

  That’s a good pickup point for tonight – four to six attempts around the rim, three to five shots near the foul line, and maybe he’ll open it up for a three point try tonight.

Whatever happens against the Bulls, I hope it’s not this shit:

If Markelle Fultz plays poorly again tonight, should Sixers fans boo?

— WIP Morning Show (@WIPMorningShow) October 18, 2018

No, they shouldn’t boo, not after two games. If it gets to 10-15 games and we continue to see nothing from Markelle, then go for it, boo him out of the building. I certainly don’t think you can afford this experiment taking up 15% of the season, but to even bring up booing right now is corny as hell and predictably lazy.

The post What I’d Like to See From Markelle Fultz (and Brett Brown) Tonight appeared first on Crossing Broad.

What I’d Like to See From Markelle Fultz (and Brett Brown) Tonight published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

[generouslyeclecticpenguin-blog]

Sexual preference Discrimination In Sport.

Parkinson's illness is a neurological condition in which neurons in dopamine-producing cells within a region of your brain referred to as the substantia nigra, which is needed for normal motion, begin to die. I have actually had duplicated surgeries on my ankle joint and my knee as well as should exercise to reduce the discomfort. An additional 12-year-long Swedish study, 6, 7 which included nearly 43,400 people, ended that six hours of modest exercise weekly may lower your risk of developing Parkinson's condition by 43 percent. If you are attempting to slim down as well as maintain it off, most people should do closer to 60 mins of cardio exercise per day. As you might have thought, you do not get exercise benefits by strolling around with a plume duster. If this is the first you're reading about this, pay attention up: by making a couple of particular changes to your exercise regimen, you could reduce your exercise time substantially while getting far better results. A morning exercise may be just exactly what you need after an uneasy evening to improve your power degree and also obtain you prepared for the day," Rothstein states. Current study has revealed that very early consumption after workout (within the first hour) of essential amino acids from high quality healthy protein foods helps to advertise the rise in healthy protein restoring.. Because it does not typically determine individuals who say they are targets of sex-related abuse, the AP is not calling the female. Sit up straight in a chair as well as put the rear of your head in the loop of the resistance band, the ends of which ought to be firmly connected to a close-by stationary things that is degree with your head. We continuously encourage those who have been the sufferer of youngster sexual abuse to report it, despite how much time ago the misuse might have happened. Nonetheless you should be very careful and hear your body, as well as not do your complete, regular workout routine, as that might clearly worry your immune system even more and prolong your ailment if you are not cautious and wind up overdoing it. Unfortunate to see beta-males having to compromise exactly what THEY desire just to get sexual supports from their woman (which the lady need to be offering by default). Battling unwanted sexual advances in sporting activity has actually been a battle waged for decades, claimed Karin Lofstrom, the former exec director for the Canadian Organization for the Improvement of Women and Sport. While we're on the topic of food as well as workout, an intriguing research provided at the 2011 meeting of the Culture for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB) revealed that exercise might help control your body weight by modifying the hormones launched by your intestine after a dish. The football ball has a lot more in common with volley ball, netball as well as possibly also basketball spheres. That these events took place as Baylor was dealing with analysis for its handling of sexual offense situations makes them a lot more mind-blowing. This doesn't indicate, the scientist stated, that exercise is a cureall for each instance of anxiety Seeking out the research showed motivation, as well as inspiration can be difficult to find by when you're dispirited. Exercise mats are terrific for developing an at-home yoga studio, or merely giving you a comfortable area to learn your house. Static stretching before workout can damage performance, such as sprint rate, in studies. The suspects supposedly uploaded a picture on social media revealing the supposed sexual offense. There are nevertheless various leg press variants that you can experiment with that may call for different types of leg press devices or maye also call for no devices in any way. The grasshopper is an exercises and pilates exercise that mainly targets the glutes and also to a lower degree also targets the reduced back as well as hamstrings. The push-up is a workout for those with a newbie level of physical fitness and workout experience. Hassan Saada, 22, was arrested by authorities on Friday morning after allegations of sexual offense were made against him by two Brazilian females that work in the Olympic Village in Barra da Tijuca as waitresses. Useful workouts are those that aid your body to carry out real-life activities, as opposed to merely being able to run items of gym equipment.Squats are just one of the very best useful workouts around, as humans have actually been bowing because the hunter-gatherer days. The rarely reported aspect of football is the gamers in positions where they may repeatedly going the ball have actually revealed rise signs of brain damage. The truth is you could get benefits from several kinds and levels of workout. The 35-year-old appeared in the Cardiff Crown Court today, where he encountered one fee of sexual assault, records news website Walesonline. Reasonable ball physics now figures out the trajectories of rounds in game, enabling players to strike the round with pressure from distance or drill reduced climbing shots with precision. Leading specialists from around the globe were invited to speak, including professionals from Australia, Poland, Iran, UK, and also India that attended to subjects such as chronic condition in kids, city design to boost exercise, and long term sitting and also its effect on wellness. Extra reasonable physics-driven movement supplies more practical activity as the general transfer of power from the ground up supplies more impactful and also credible takedowns and strikes. OVER 81: AUS 263/3 (Watson 166 Smith 50) The new round readily available is offered however Graeme Swann proceeds.

And allow's have a 50k rectangular shape stadium in Melbourne to obtain the round rolling and not a stupid 20-30k white elephant. Exactly what you might not have access to is a fitness center, personal fitness instructor, or any type of workout tools. They included indecent attack, prompting a child to devote an act of gross lewdness and also assault with intent to devote buggery. The author wraps up that workout ought to be promoted regardless of its impact on psychological wellness, as it brings substantial reduction in dangers for a range of conditions and also disorders. have a peek here has actually faced scrutiny for greater than a year about just how it handled sexual offenses including athletes. Inning accordance with a report provided on Monday to Ohio State sports supervisor Gene Smith and human resources director for athletics Kim Heaton, Handrahan made raunchy comments to numerous" players on the team. On Saturday, Chelsea-- the current leader of the English Premier League and one of the largest clubs in the nation-- apologized to a previous player that was sexually abused while a member of the club's youth group and that was paid 50,000 extra pounds ($ 77,500) to keep the matter out of the public domain name. Get bike equipment from your favored brands, like Diamondback ®, Nishiki ® as well as more. Body dimension, gender, exercise intensity, ecological conditions, the amount of apparel used, level of aerobic fitness and also the acclimation standing of the professional athlete will certainly all affect sweat prices.. If you already have heart disease, exercise could aid normalize your heart rhythm along with assisting your body broaden smaller vessels in order to help maintain blood moving around an area that is blocked. The woman's match additionally affirmed that college officials carried out just a brief investigation that was composed mostly of those witnesses coordinated by Swilling and his guidance to recommend that plaintiff was a promiscuous lady and also for that reason likely consented to sexual infiltration." Amongst the proof were affidavits sent by Swilling's colleagues. I can relocate this bike around wherever I desire it. It does not take up a lot of area like a big exercycle, and it maintained me active and fit while recovering from injury. Starr, who resigned as head of state in June after an external record criticized Baylor's handling of sexual offense problems, resolved Columbia University law students previously Thursday in New York. He claimed his sustained energy has improved, as well as his body-fat percent has gone from about 15 percent to 13 percent. Please obtain clearance from your health and wellness treatment specialist before beginning a Sprint 8 exercise session if you have a history of heart condition or various other health and wellness issues.

[investmart007]

NCAA Latest: Auburn holds off Charleston's upset bid

New Post has been published on https://goo.gl/YMGZPW

NCAA Latest: Auburn holds off Charleston's upset bid

/March 16, 2018 (AP)(STL.News) —

The Latest on the NCAA Tournament (all times Eastern):

9:50 p.m.

Fourth-seeded Auburn is moving on in the NCAA tournament. Barely.

Mustapha Heron had 16 points and Auburn hit some key late free throws to hold off No. 13 seed Charleston 62-58 in the first-round of the Midwest Region on Friday.

The Tigers were in a fight the entire second half and trailed 55-54 with 3 minutes left after a 3-pointer from Charleston’s Marquise Pointer. But Bryce Brown’s 3 put the Tigers back in front and Jared Harper added a 3-pointer with 1:14 left to give the Tigers a 59-56 lead. Charleston had chances in the final minute to close the gap but missed three key free throws and Grant Riller’s attempt at a tying 3-pointer in the final 10 seconds was well short. It appeared Riller was fouled but no call was made.

Jarrell Brantley had 24 points to lead Charleston.

__ Tim Booth reporting from San Diego.

___

9:35 p.m.

Miles Bridges scored 29 points, and third-seeded Michigan State outlasted 14th-seeded Bucknell 82-78.

The Spartans advance to play the winner of the TCU-Syracuse game.

Michigan State led just 44-40 at halftime but held the Bison to 10-of-28 shooting in the second. Zach Thomas scored 27 points for Bucknell before fouling out on a technical with 6:06 remaining.

Bucknell made five 3-pointers in the last 90 seconds or so to make the final score close —a flurry that seemed to impress even the Michigan State fans in Detroit — but the outcome wasn’t really in doubt late.

— Noah Trister reporting from Detroit.

___ern):

9:04 p.m.

Barry Brown scored 18 points, and ninth-seeded Kansas State led wire-to-wire to post a 69-59 victory over No. 8 Creighton on Friday night despite playing without leading scorer Dean Wade.

Mike McGuirl added 17 points and Kamau Stokes had 11 as the Wildcats reached the final 32 in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012. Wade had been expected to play after suffering a stress fracture in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament, but never saw the floor.

His teammates picked him up, particularly on defense.

Creighton came into the game ranked 10th in scoring in Division I at 84.3 points per game but tied a season-low with 59 points after shooting 33.8 percent from the field, including 26 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.

Leading scoring Marcus Foster, who spent two seasons at Kansas State, was held scoreless for the first 28 1/2 minutes and finished with five points on 2-of-11 shooting.

___

8:45 p.m.

The Xavier Musketeers are looking every bit of a No. 1 seed thanks to senior guards J.P. Macura and Trevon Bluiett.

Macura scored 18 points and Bluiett added 17 as the Musketeers took a 49-37 lead into halftime over No. 16 seed Texas Southern. Macura took care of the scoring early, hitting seven of his first eight shots, including all four beyond the arc. He scored 15 points during a 21-2 run by the  Musketeers as Xavier responded to falling behind 20-13. Macura capped the run with a 3 putting Xavier up 34-22 with 7:12 left.

Bluiett scored seven down the stretch, including his third 3-pointer for a 49-29 lead with 1:39 left.

But the Tigers, who won their first NCAA Tournament game in the First Four to advance, finished the half scoring the final eight points. Guard Demontrae Jefferson stole the ball for a layup that not only beat the buzzer but drew a foul. He hit the free throw to pull Texas Southern closer at halftime.

— Teresa M. Walker reporting from Nashville, Tennessee

___

8:40 p.m.

Auburn is trying to avoid becoming the second No. 4 seed to lose at San Diego State’s Viejas Arena in the NCAA Tournament.

The Tigers are tied at 25 with College of Charleston at halftime of their Midwest Region matchup on Friday night.

The Tigers are shooting horribly. They’ve made only 9 of 32 field goals for 28.1 percent, and have missed all 13 3-pointers.

Charleston is shooting 40.7 percent and has rallied from an early deficit.

The Cougars’ Grant Riller has 12 points and is the only player in double figures.

In an East Region game earlier Friday at Viejas, No. 13 seed Marshall upset No. 4 seed Wichita State 81-75. Another No. 4, Arizona, lost Thursday night to Buffalo, bouncing the Pac-12 from the tournament.

— Bernie Wilson reporting in San Diego.

___

8:09 p.m.

The injury to Purdue center Isaac Haas changes the complexion of Sunday’s matchup between the Boilermakers and in-state rival Butler.

Haas is out for the rest of the NCAA Tournament with an elbow injury.

“Obviously the first thought goes out to Isaac and his family and Purdue and their program,” said Butler coach LaVall Jordan, whose team beat Arkansas immediately after Purdue’s win over Cal State Fullerton. “You hate that for anybody, but especially a senior and his last run, for that to take him out when they had a really good team, a really good chance to make a deep run.”

That’s not to say the Boilermakers can’t go far without Haas. Backup Matt Haarms is actually an inch taller at 7-foot-3.

“I think our mentality doesn’t change. It’s not like they’re going to play four guys,” Jordan said. “They have other players that are really good. We’ve got to be prepared for them.”

— Noah Trister reporting from Detroit.

___

8:05 p.m.

Looks like playing the nation’s toughest schedule has helped Texas Southern prepare for the NCAA Tournament.

When No. 1 seed Xavier took a 13-4 lead, Texas Southern answered with an even bigger run of its own and reeled off the next 16 points hitting all five shots. Robert Lewis’ 3 capped the run and put the Tigers up 20-13 with 12:18 left in the first half.

The Tigers played their first 13 games on the road to earn money for the SWAC program, and that schedule included visits to Gonzaga, Ohio State, Kansas, Clemson, Oregon and Baylor. Texas Southern lost all 13 of those games. But coach Mike Davis says that schedule was planned to prepare his Tigers for March and the games that matter most.

— Teresa M. Walker reporting from Nashville, Tennessee

___

8:05 p.m.

Scrappy Bucknell is hanging right with third-seeded Michigan State through 20 minutes.

In front of a partisan crowd of Spartans fans in Detroit, the Bison rallied from an 11-point deficit and actually took a 28-27 lead at one point, delighting the small but spirited group of Bucknell supporters in attendance.

Michigan State leads 44-40 at halftime, but that’s not a huge margin considering the Spartans shot 59 percent from the field.

Bucknell’s Zach Thomas has 20 points.

— Noah Trister reporting from Detroit.

___

7:46 p.m.

No Wade? No problem for Kansas State.

The ninth-seeded Wildcats lead No. 8 seed Creighton 32-26 at halftime despite playing without leading scorer Dean Wade, who spent all 20 minutes sitting on the bench cheering on his teammates.

Dean suffered a stress fracture in his left foot in the Big 12 Conference tournament, but coach Bruce Weber said earlier this week that he expected Wade to be ready for the first round.

Wade is suited up and does not have a protective boot on his foot.

He is averaging 16.7 points per game.

___

7:45 p.m.

The Texas Southern Tigers started the season losing their first 13 games. They’re in Nashville for their first-round game trying to see if they can extend their eight-game winning streak by doing something that’s never been done.

Knock off a top seed as a No. 16 seed.

The Tigers of the Southwestern Athletic Conference won the first NCAA Tournament game in the program’s history Wednesday night knocking off North Carolina Central in the First Four in Dayton.

They tip off against Xavier, which is playing its first game ever as a No. 1 seed, in the first round of the West Region.

— Teresa M. Walker reporting from Nashville, Tennessee.

___

7:23 p.m.

Creighton’s Marcus Foster was struggling in the first half against his former team, Kansas State. The senior guard was 0 for 3 from the field and had yet to score as the eighth-seeded Bluejays trailed 25-16 to the ninth-seeded Wildcats with 4:36 left in the first half.

Foster spent two seasons at Kansas State before being kicked off the team for disciplinary reasons in 2015.

He transferred to Creighton, where has played the last two seasons after sitting out a year. He’s the team’s leading scorer this season with 20.3 points per game.

___

7:05 p.m.

Nevada coach Eric Musselman was pumped up after his team beat Texas in overtime in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and his locker room speech that was broadcast live ended up being rated PG-13.

The CBS/Turner cameras caught Musselman three times, twice loud and clear, dropping an obscenity while excitedly congratulating his team. After the third time, the cameras cutaway.

Musselman then opened his postgame news conference by apologizing for his language.

___

6:50 p.m.

Caleb Martin made three clutch 3-pointers in overtime for Nevada and the seventh-seeded Wolf Pack came from behind to force overtime and then beat 10th-seeded Texas 87-83 in the East Regional.

Nevada erased a double-digit second-half lead by the Longhorns and fouled out Texas star Mo Bamba at the end of regulation.

Martin made the biggest shots, but Nevada could not miss, going 6 for 6 in OT and scoring 19 points. The Wolf Pack advance to the second round against No. 2 seed Cincinnati by earning its first NCAA Tournament victory since 2007.

Meanwhile, Texas coach Shaka Smart fell to 2-6 in the NCAA Tournament, including his time at VCU, since a Final Four run in 2013.

___

6:40 p.m.

West Virginia did its part and has set up one crazy Mountain State showdown way out on the West Coast.

The fifth-seeded Mountaineers ousted No. 12 seed Murray State 85-68 in the first round of the East Region. The victory sets up a round of 32 matchup with in-state rival Marshall on Sunday. The 13th-seeded Thundering Herd upset No. 4 seed Wichita State earlier Friday.

West Virginia’s do-everything star Jevon Carter led the way with 21 points and seven assists. Carter was also part of a tremendous defensive effort on Murray State standout Jonathan Stark. Stark entered the game averaging 21.8 points per game but was held to nine points on 1-of-12 shooting.

Terrell Miller led the Racers with 27 points. The Racers had won 13 straight entering the NCAAs, the second-longest win streak in the country.

— Tim Booth reporting from San Diego.

____

By Associated Press – published on STL.News by St. Louis Media, LLC (Z.S)

___

[plms-hockey]

Leafs @ Penguins - Game 30 - Dec.9.17

KEY NARRATIVES

Toronto Maple Leafs ( 18-10-1) vs Pittsburgh Penguins (16-11-3)

Tonight the Leafs will get their first chance of the season to face the reigning Stanley Cup Champions. I'd be remiss if I didn't disclose the soft spot I have for the Penguins. As a relatively new hockey fan, Pittsburgh has been dominant since the first time someone explained what a line change was to me. Evgeni Malkin was the first player I could pick out in a swarm of skaters just by the way he moved. Love them or hate them, there was no better introduction to the sport than Penguins Hockey.

The person who got me into hockey analytics was a diehard Penguins fan. What I'm really saying is that I know someone much more qualified than myself to tell you exactly how Pittsburgh is doing after consecutive Championship runs and almost three years of so much hockey that even Sidney Crosby may have trouble swallowing it:

3 Storylines in 3 Minutes

1. The Stanley Cup Hangover is Real and the Metro Sucks

As we approach the halfway mark of the season, the Pens are sitting on a respectable record of 16-11-3. These 35 points are good enough for… the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

The disparity between the divisions is at fault for this. As you can see below, by points, both the Penguins and the Islanders would be chasing second place if they were in the Atlantic.

Basically, the Metro is a clusterf*ck.

The Pens did not do themselves any favors with a few disastrous early season showings (the 10-1 loss to CHI, 7-1 loss to TBL and 7-1 to WPG all spring to mind). While the lopsidedness of these blowouts can be blamed in part on the baffling offseason acquisition of Antti Niemi for a backup goalie, the Pens have had noticeably slow starts and lackadaisical, lopsided possession for extended stretches that was only remedied by well-timed power play goals (sound familiar, Leafs fans?).

Nevertheless, they persisted. And the Pens are finally starting to look more like themselves.

2. Phillip Joseph Kessel, Jr. Is A Back-To-Back Stanley Champion…

…and also the most consistently excellent Pens’ player by a country mile (1.6 country kilometers).

By now, the Kessel trade has been as picked over as the cookie tray at Christmas dinner (seriously, Aunt Mary, no one is going to eat your peanut butter-quinoa balls). The general consensus is that this trade is a rare win-win-win: the Pens got an elite scorer and beloved, awkward meme as a face of the franchise; the Leafs got some exciting young prospects and the first round pick that enabled them to trade for franchise goalie Freddie Andersen; and the city of Toronto got rid of the locus of Steve Simmons’ misguided, hot dog-inspired rage.

This is now the seventh time that Phil has faced his former team, in which Pens have gone 3-3-1. His first points against the Leafs since the trade (1G, 1A), poetically, came in the second-to-last season Leafs’ home game that clinched the Leafs’ playoff spot.

Quietly, Phil the Thrill has been having what is shaping up to be a career season. After slow and inconsistent starts from fellow stars Sid, Geno, and Kris Letang, Phil has been racking up points and is currently at in eighth league-wide points with 35 (14G [4PPG], 21A); he leads the team ahead of Sid’s 31 points (12G,19A) and Geno’s 26 (8G, 18A).

With 3 goals in the last 3 games, Phil has been on a tear. With apologies to John Keats, a thing of beauty is a joy forever; a Phil in the prime of his powers is definitely a beautiful thing.

3. It’s that time of year…when the Penguins start succumbing to injuries

Ahh, December, full of holiday cheer, time with family and loved ones, and the complete and utter collapse of a healthy Pens’ core.

Matt Murray has been week to week on IR since the 11/27 Flyers game, since Jakub Voracek lost an edge and awkwardly pushed Murray’s right leg into the goal post. Justin Schultz was placed on IR with a lower-body injury after a collision with Rick Nash in the 12/6 Rangers game. Schultz has arguably been the Pens’ most consistent defenseman; while the Pens were able to win a Cup last year without their number one defenseman Kris Letang, his return has been…somewhat rockier. In Schultz’s stead, the Pens have called up a freed Frankie Corrado from the WBS Baby Pens, although he is not projected to make the lineup.

Even with the injuries, there are more than enough storylines to keep this game interesting: Speed Team v. Speed Team. Superstar Sidney Crosby v. emerging superstar Auston Matthews. Former Leafs Phil Kessel and Matt Hunwick v. former Pen Ron Hainsey.

This should be a fun one, yinz!

--Laura (@werewolfbrmtzvh)

In the Leafs camp, the lineup remains infuriatingly unchanged. Polak is still holding Carrick's spot and Willy is still in the doghouse after his winning shootout goal against the Flames on Wednesday. Though, I suppose it hasn't been Nylander's offensive play that's been earning him Babcock's ire. While the whole team made some serious mistakes against Calgary, Willy definitely had a couple of slip-ups that didn't earn him any love from a coach with high defensive standards like Babcock.

Implying less trouble in paradise, this lineup (minus Polak's presence ever) does work well on the road and against teams facing depth troubles like the Penguins are this year. If he's on his game, Willy should be able to prove he can at least help keep Pittsburgh's already offensively struggling bottom six off the board.

Some Key Numbers

87 - Sidney Crosby - Center - Captain 71 - Evgeni Malkin - Center 81 - Phil Kessel - Right Wing 58 - Kris Letang - Defenseman

THE HIGHLIGHTS

THE POST GAMEHappy Sunday, everyone. Today's trivia question is as follows: Who is really good at hockey?Sidney Crosby is really good at hockey. Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel can come, too. And damn if Coach Sullivan wasn't trying to give them every opportunity to exercise those skills. Not one of those players was on the ice for less than 22 minutes. Malkin was out for 24.1 minutes which was more than every single Leafs player, including the defensemen, except for constant penalty killer Nikita Zaitsev who had nearly 26 minutes of ice time (Babcock - what are you doing??).Kessel and Malkin were productive in this game but were defensively shakey which put them in a different category than their Captain last night. Simply put, nobody could touch Crosby, even though he only got on the board once. He ended the night with a 5v5 CF% of 96.30. When he was out with the Matthews line, for around 10 minutes of this game, the Leafs were outshot 18-0.While this does speak to Crosby continuing his dominance through his thirties, I don't think this was a pure comparison or evaluation of Auston's current abilities. He's looked a bit off since his injury but, from nothing more than my own speculation, I'm wondering if he might be sick instead of injured. He was out of practice a while back with a "cold" but this is reminding me a lot of when Marner's production dropped off at the end of last year and we later found out he had mono.But who knows. We can only hope he bounces back soon.Unfortunately for the Penguins, Crosby's dominance didn't reflect on the rest of the roster. It was almost as if there were multiple teams playing mini-games of hockey throughout the evening. Below is a matchup chart from HockeyViz.com. Explained fully in this post game, it shows how much time players spent facing opposing skaters, and then breaks down the shot share in each matchup.

Basically, the Crosby line dominated, mostly against the Kadri and Matthews lines. The Malkin line fought head to head with Kadri and Matthews, and then Marner, Bozak, and JvR cleaned house against Penguins depth (and notably the Malkin line when they were out together).Also - not particularly important, but I find it hilarious that Babcock didn't let Polak touch the ice at 5v5 against Crosby.The shot share didn't look good for the Leafs in this one, but it's a good example of a game where you can't judge a game on shots or attempt share in a vacuum because the scoring effects were too aggressive. The Leafs spent only 4 minutes and 55 seconds without a two-goal lead in this game, scoring two goals in the first two minutes of the game. When teams have that kind of lead they always play more conservatively which usually results in significantly fewer shot attempts made as they avoid risky plays.The Leafs ended the night with a CF% of 42.55 at 5v5 which I'm actually comfortable with considering the above. What's surprising is, once again, the Leafs dominated in Expected Goals For. While making significantly fewer attempts on net, the Leafs had a 5v5 xGF% of 74.53. They had about three-fourths of the expected goal share, and once again the shot maps show why. I feel like I've used these in every post-game recently, but I'll quit talking about this when I stop being fascinated by it.

What's interesting about the heat right in front of the net is that it doesn't seem to be one or two skaters who are lighting a fire there and skewing numbers. All three of Toronto's scoring lines have names in this pile more than once, which shows this is a strategic decision and something the whole team has practiced. While there have been quotes from the team that confirm this, it's nice to see it's not just a solid plan, but that they're executing on it as well.On another good note, Mitch Marner and the Bozak line is back. JvR had a goal, Bozak had two and assist, and the Marner had three assists. The Mouse needed a good night like this, as bad luck can often be compounding as confidence gets shaken -- especially for a player who relies on creative plays like Marner. With his poor primary assist luck shaken, now we just have to wait for some goals to start coming, too.Speaking of, while Marner is a known playmaker (passer), there's often call for him to shoot more. While I don't disagree entirely, I think it's slightly overblown and the fact that he only has two goals on the season is due to his unsustainably low shooting percentage, not his shot count. Marner currently has a team worst shooting percentage of 3.4%. League average is currently 9.3, and Mitch should probably be shooting even a little above that. And while he should shoot a bit more, he's actually still shot the seventh most of any Leaf.Finally, while I won't be discussing this much today, I'd be remiss if I didn't note that William Nylander had a career-low 8.7 minutes of ice time last night. It's one thing to put a skilled, young guy on the fourth line to get him going and then play him as needed on other lines and on special teams.This... is not that -- and I'll have a lot more to say about it if Babcock doesn't do something about it tonight against Edmonton. Statistics and visuals courtesy of HockeyViz.com, NaturalStatTrick.com, Corsica.Hockey, Hockey-reference. com, and Hockeystats.ca.

[madpicks]

New Post has been published on https://www.madpicks.com/sports/soccer/juventus-vs-monaco-final-score-2-0-gonzalo-higuain-gives-bianconeri-big-champions-league-lead/

Juventus vs. Monaco: Final score 2-0, Gonzalo Higuain gives Bianconeri big Champions League lead

The exciting young energy of AS Monaco has taken them a long ways in the Champions League, but against the experience and guile of Juventus they came up short, losing 2-0 at home in the first leg of their semifinal tie thanks to a brace of goals from Gonzalo Higuain.

The match started with Juventus having to weather a bit of an early storm from AS Monaco, with the younger team coming out strong out of the gates. Juventus looked prepared for such an instance, though, with a strong defensive showing from the veteran trio of Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, and Andrea Barzagli — and of course, Gianluigi Buffon was on point whenever he was challenged in goal.

Weathering that storm lead to some opportunities on the counter attack for the Italians, and Juventus struck gold on one of them just before the half-hour mark, with Dani Alves easily beating Djibril Sidibe on the right side of Juventus’ attack and playing a one-two with Higuain that gave the Argentine striker a clear run to the top of the box to hammer Alves’ return pass home. It was a perfect example of the kind of dynamic football Juventus can bring to the table, something that surprises people who expect to just see an Italian team sit back and defend.

That goal knocked Monaco off balance for a spell of the match, and allowed Juventus to establish a measure of sustained control for a spell that saw them make it through to halftime with their lead intact, through a flurry of attacking play from Monaco at the end of the half made that a near thing. That flurry was sustained at the start of the second half with young star Kylian Mbappe putting significant pressure on veteran Italian defender Leonardo Bonucci that nearly saw Juventus crack at times. The rest of their defense were able to starve Mbappe of support, though, and despite how excellent their young star was playing, he couldn’t quite get the job done all on his own.

Once Monaco’s momentum started to slow, Juventus started seeing openings show up to try and take advantage of. They did just that, with another counter attack striking up the pitch in eerily similar fashion to their first goal: Paulo Dybala feeding a Dani Alves run, and then a ball served up on a platter for Higuain to finish. They finished the chance with just as much poise as they had earlier in the match, and Juventus held a huge 2-0 lead on the road.

Juventus went into a bit of a defensive mode from there, looking to take what chances were offered to them when they could, but focusing more on frustrating Monaco’s efforts to chase down a goal of their own. Those efforts worked quite well, with Monaco struggling to create chances in front of goal, and when they did create chances, whoever was taking the shot generally had three Juventus players around him. Radamel Falcao was able to create a few half-chances, but never managed to get that degree of control he needed to take advantage of them.

The win is an important one for Juventus, who can go into the second leg in Italy with the tie all but won. With two away goals in hand and a clean sheet so far, they already have one hand on a place in the Champions League final in Cardiff — now it’s up to Monaco to see if they can find a way back into this tie and shock the world by taking that place for themselves.

AS Monaco: Danijel Subasic; Djibril Sidibe, Jemerson, Kamil Glik, Nabil Dirar, Thomas Lemar (Valere Germain 67’), Tiemoué Bakayoko (João Moutinho 67’), Fabinho, Bernardo Silva (Almamy Toure 81’), Kylian Mbappe, Radamel Falcao

Goals: None

Juventus: Gianluigi Buffon; Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Barzagli, Alex Sandro, Miralem Pjanic (Mario Lemina 89’), Claudio Marchisio (Tomas Rincon 81’), Dani Alves, Paulo Dybala, Mario Mandzukic, Gonzalo Higuain (Juan Cuadrado 77’)

Goals: Higuain (29’, 59’)

Three things we learned

Juventus made the right adjustments

We saw Juventus throttle Barcelona last month in the Champions League quarterfinals, but Monaco represented a much different kind of challenge than the Spanish giants. Juventus would need to come into this match with a different approach against the speed and suddenness of Monaco’s attack — and they seemed to have found exactly the right setup.

The 3-4-1-2 that Juventus deployed gave them the right mix of defensive surety, putting all three of their excellent veteran center backs on the pitch, and added to the dynamism of an attack that’s exceeded many people’s expectations this season. Their ability to put layers into both defense and attack left Monaco struggling for answers in the first half, and struggling even more after that layering lead to an excellent team goal finished off by Higuain. Max Allegri pulled all the right strings in this match, and it worked wonderfully.

Monaco got beaten at their own game

Leonardo Jardim probably saw something terrifyingly familiar in how Juventus went about their performance. The use of quick twitch counters that moved the ball up the pitch at extreme pace — using overlapping runs and switching the ball rapidly to keep the defense off balance — is exactly how Monaco got to this point in the Champions League. It’s also how Juventus scored both of their goals.

The difference between this match and Monaco’s previous Champions League battles is that Juventus was ready for what was coming against them. Their defense was prepared to deal with what Monaco were going to throw at them, and they decided to give them a taste of their own medicine in reply. It was very clearly not what Monaco were expecting from the Italians, and they’re staring at a big deficit in the tie because of it.

Dani Alves has still got it

Many wondered how much Alves still had in the tank when he joined Juventus last summer. At 33 years old — turning 34 in just a few short days on Saturday — and with a long string of leg injuries, the Brazilian fullback appeared to be nearing the end of his career. But of late and especially against Monaco, Alves has seemed to find a piece of his youth again, because he still looks very much like one of the best right backs around.

Alves made a superb run to help set up Juventus’ opening goal, was instrumental in creating their second, and constantly got involved in helping set up their attack. But more than that, he had an excellent game on defense, keeping Thomas Lemar almost entirely contained, and even doing well against the audacious talents of Mbappe when the two went head-to-head. It was one of the best matches we’ve seen from Alves in a long time — but instead of just being a nice moment for an older player on his way out, it was simply a continuation of the excellent form he’s been in.