Class of '66 Old Fart

  He seems like an intelligent kid who can recognize that his game isn't ready for the pros despite the lure of $$ and is willing to spend another year in college to make his NBA value that much higher.  Hope that's the case anyway.

Sadly, I have to agree.  Women's D-1 basketball has not nearly reached the level of parity that we're seeing on the men's side and there is a very definite distinction between the 'haves' and the 'have nots' and at this point in time, ND is very definitely one of the 'haves'.  I think we can put up a good fight early on, but our 8 rotation players simply won't be able to hang with ND for a full 40 minutes.

#5 seed IU crushes Chattanooga and then knocks off #4 pUKe to advance to the Sweet 16.  In the meantime, the IU women knock off Georgia for the IU women's first NCAA tournament victory since 1983.  Absolutely shocking when everyone knows we're a football school.  :laugh:

Indianapolis Star: RICHMOND — New Albany basketball coach Jim Shannon took a seat at a table in front of the media after Saturday’s Class 4A semistate game. Before he took a question, he put his hand on the shoulder of the sophomore seated to his left. “Special kid, man,” Shannon said to him. “You are so, so special.” Romeo Langford is the kid. The Kid. The Man. Whatever. Langford, New Albany’s 6-4 super sophomore, put on a show at the Tiernan Center on Saturday afternoon that will go down as one of the all-time tournament performances in top-ranked New Albany’s 82-64 win over No. 9 Southport. Langford scored 46 points to break the school record, including 43 in the first three quarters. He was 8-for-12 from the 3-point line and 15-for-24 overall from the field. He was 8-for-10 from the free-throw line and grabbed nine rebounds. The numbers, though, are just numbers. The crowd, which nearly filled the 8,100-capacity Tiernan Center and included Louisville coach Rick Pitino, was buzzing when Langford fired in a 3-pointer from 22 feet in the opening seconds. And again when he swooped in for a rebound, scored and was fouled. And again when he pulled up in transition and buried a 15-foot jumper. And again. And again. Southport fans asked at halftime, after Langford had scored 25 points to stake New Albany to a 42-32 lead: “He can’t keep shooting like that, can he?” Langford’s answer was a resounding “Yes.” He buried back-to-back 3-pointers to start the second half to push the lead back to 16. He scored 18 points in the third quarter alone. “He’ll do something crazy and you’ll think, ‘It’s just another day for Romeo,’ ” Shannon said. “But I thought he went up another rung again today. I think the competition brought it out of him.” Langford did it all with the same emotionless expression, a big part of his appeal to New Albany’s rabid fans. He never seems bothered by any amount of physical play. He just keeps playing. “Once in a lifetime a kid like this comes along,” Shannon said. “He’ll be mentioned with the greatest names out there by the time he leaves.” New Albany will look to win its first state title since 1973 – and second in program history – when it meets either McCutcheon or Warsaw next week at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. New Albany Bulldogs celebrates their win in the IHSAA Class 4A Semi-State Boy's Basketball game Saturday, Mar 19, 2016, afternoon at Richmond High School in Richmond IN. The Southport Cardinals lost to the New Albany Bulldogs 82-64.  There appeared little Southport (22-7) could do, other than tip its cap to Langford after the game. The Cardinals, playing in their first semistate since 1990, got as close as 64-52 with 6:34 left. But the offense dried up for the next 3 minutes and New Albany pushed its lead back to 20. Southport coach Kyle Simpson was asked if his team could have done anything different to slow down Langford. “Obviously you’re going to second-guess yourself and analyze the tape,” Simpson said. “He’s a tremendous player and he had a great day. Better than a great day. He had an outstanding day. We pushed him farther out and he hit deeper 3s. It happens. He got in the zone.” It seems to happen often for Langford, who came in averaging 29.7 points as a sophomore and now has 1,275 career points. Earlier this season, he had a stretch of eight consecutive games with more than 30 points. That mark broke a Hoosier Hills Conference record previously shared by Damon Bailey and Pat Graham, who had five. But Saturday was something else entirely, considering the stage and the stakes. Teammate Isaac Hibbard said it was his best performance. “When he pulled up from the ‘R’ on the first shot of the game, I knew he’d be on,” Hibbard said. “I knew (Southport) was going to have a problem.” Though his expression never showed it, Langford said he was a bit more juiced than usual. “I knew it was going to be a packed house,” he said. “I knew I had to bring my ‘A’ game. I knew I had to be on and the results were wonderful. Southport has two Division I players and that made me step up my game even more.” Joey Brunk, Southport’s 6-10 senior and Butler recruit, finished with a team-high 22 points. Junior Paul Scruggs added 19 points. Brunk said after the game that he’d like to see Langford playing with him at Hinkle Fieldhouse in the future. “He’s a heck of a player,” Brunk said. “My hat’s off to him for how he played. I won’t be mad if he comes to Butler. I’ll start working on that now as my next project.” Good luck. But college is still off in the distant future for Langford. He’s still a sophomore, as crazy as that may seem to those who watched him Saturday. “I’m telling you,” Shannon said. “He’s one in a million. You won’t see the likes of him for a while.”

Mike Miller ‏@MikeMillerHT 3m3 minutes ago Found this to be an amusing post-game exchange between Tom Crean and OG Anunoby: #iubb  

4A championship game will feature Robert Phinisee and McCutcheon vs. Romeo Langford and New Albany.  McCutcheon defeats Warsaw 40 - 37.  Phinisee with 16 pts.   Although McCutcheon gave Warsaw a dose of its own stall ball medicine, that is not McCutcheon's normal style of play as they typically score around 70 pts./game.  Should be a great game next weekend.  This was Rick Peckinpaugh's 516th coaching victory.

McCutcheon gave Warsaw a dose of its own stall ball medicine and held the ball for the first 4 1/2 min. of the 4th quarter before making a move and scoring.  35 - 29 with 3 min. left.

Good game in Lafayette.  End of 3, McCutcheon 33   Warsaw  29.  Phinisee with 14 pts.   IHSAAtv.org

Zach Osterman ‏@ZachOsterman 1m1 minute ago Tom Crean says Juwan Morgan isn't hurt as badly as he has been at other points. #iubb

Halftime at Lafayette, McCutcheon leads Warsaw 21 - 18.  Warsaw started out with a version of stall ball and got an early lead but McCutcheon's defense forced 11 first half Warsaw turnovers and took the lead and held it through the end of the half.  Announcers didn't provide any first half stats.

Head of the IHSAA, Bobby Cox, interviewed at halftime of the McCutcheon-Warsaw game.  Reiterated no fatalities or life threatening injuries.  Bumps, bruises, scrapes and some broken bones.  No decision on the scheduled game will be made until Tuesday.

Our freshmen all made significant contributions at one time or another this season.  We wouldn't be in the Sweet 16 without them.

Surely you jest!

I don't know if my aging heart can handle OT!

3 misses in crunch time.  Oy!

I'm getting a flashback to a reverse Wat shot for pUKe.

Dammit Troy, you're a junior; think like one.

Don't leave points on the line.

OG's only a freshman and he's already halfway to becoming an IU legend.

No more TO's the rest of the game and score on every possession.  pUKe' gonna try to take it to the hole on every possession and get 3 point plays.

Make-up call against Yogi.

Of all things, Troy with the assist just when I thought he was going for the ESPN highlight reel!   Good Troy.

Hadn't heard.  Not surprised.

Wonder if JM will have to have any off-season surgery on his shoulder?