Thanks for the link mdb1. Not that I don't enjoy a good Super Bowl, but this my favorite time of the year is when the NFL comes to an end so ESPN can focus on the best sport in America: College Hoops! For those of you who are fans of the Illini (or just recent joiners of the growing bandwagon) feel free to drop by: Illini Wonk BTW tieguy, Illinois is averaging 81.5 ppg :-)
posted by illiniwonk at 02:07 PM on February 07, 2005
Awesome, baby!
tieguy, There's no question that the ACC plays a more up-tempo style of play and I guess the beauty of college b-ball is there's something for everyone. I don't think that faster tempo=more interesting. For instance, seven of the top ten teams in KenPom's tempo ratings aren't even in the top 200 in offensive efficiency. Translated: that means that most of those teams will look a lot like the pick-up basketball games you see at your local YMCA. When you turn to KenPom's overall ratings, a more complete ranking of what kind of team they are, you see five Big Ten teams in the top 26. I thought the Grinnell game was one of the most painful things I've watched in my entire life. Besides, for anyone who has watched Illinois play this year, what kind of tempo ranking would list them 202nd when they average better than 81 ppg? Thanks for the thought-provoking. I hope Illini Wonk is deemed a good enough non-ACC blog to make your list.
posted by illiniwonk at 08:40 PM on February 07, 2005