First, there will be a liveblog of the Long Beach State-Pitt game tonight. The game is at 9pm, on ESPNU
Second, there is no shortage of concern that Long Beach State is capable of the upset. They have a dangerous, slashing, scoring point guard in Casper Ware, Jr. The LBSU squad is a veteran mid-major group. The kind of team that always causes problems for major programs — whether in the non-con or the NCAA Tournament.
LBSU has scheduled to be battle-tested, high RPI and Pitt is the first stop on a non-con torture fest. UNC, Louisville, Xavier and Kansas are also on the list of teams they will play on the road. Their head coach Don Monson, is the college basketball version of Dan Hawkins — only less weird.
Hawkins was the guy to help get Boise State national attention before eventually being lured by the money to Colorado where he had to clean up after a program in shambles ethically and on-the-field. Succeeding only in the off-the-field clean-up Hawkins was fired after last year. Meanwhile, Boise rose to greater heights under the assistant who took over and has stayed. Now Chris Petersen is widely considered the true genius behind the Boise success.
Monson coached Gonzaga to the NCAA Tournament. Got the program noticed, but eventually was lured to Minnesota where a scandal had wrecked their program. Monson cleaned up the off-the-court issues, but didn’t win. Eventually losing his job. Meanwhile, his assistant Mark Few took over and has succeeded and stayed in Spokane, Washington.
The failure of Minnesota, though, hurt Monson’s career. He was practically throwing himself out there for any and every job. Nothing was happening for a few years. Monson finally got a job, taking over scandal-ridden Long Beach State. He’s done a good job in making them a team to beat in the Great West Conference.
LBSU will challenge Pitt. And there is probably a little extra concern/angst/panic coming off Pitt’s less than impressive defensive effort against Rider (depending on your personal level of reaction). I’m not saying I’m overconfident in Pitt winning this game, but I feel rather good about how Pitt will do — in no small part to how bad the defense was on Sunday.
Pitt got a scare. There’s enough youth and inexperience on this team that talking about the need to play the right way isn’t always going to be enough. To stay focused and play the way they are being coached. Seeing what can happen on any bad night (while the other team is having a good night) — even against an average (at best) low-major — in college probably made that point better than any other lesson. I just think that Pitt, as a team, is going to come out with a really strong effort tonight.
We don’t get watchESPN either. Otherwise a live blog will be great to stay tuned.
This post is a breath of fresh air, even if it regards a possible monumental upset at the Pete tonight.
I doubt it.
DaveD
Note a Pitt law professor comments on the actions. I am sure the delusional PSU fan or two will suggest it’s bias.
link to bucks.blogs.nytimes.com
DaveD
Dave D, the act of selling your house to your relative for a minimal amount is legal and a common practice to avoid certain inheritance fees and other issues.
sure. Nothing strange about the timing of this with the Grand Jury?
I don’t think they are random chance.
DaveD
Depending on who your ISP is, is whether or not you’ll be able to view it on ESPN3. I have ATT DSL so therefore I can not. Which is really crazy because when you go to ESPN 3, one of their advertising sponsors is ATT. Insane.
Anyway I have used these two websites to view college & pro games streaming online.
This is going to be a real test tonight. Casper Ware is not only a very good offensive player, he was also the BigWest Defensive player of the year.
So since Pitt’s strength is the back court tandem of Gibbs & Woodall. Will Ware’s defensive ability negate some of Pitt’s back court strength?
Because at this point, The Beach might have a better front court than us. The Zoo better be primed ! We should have the advantage due to jet lag at least. haha
Not per me, per a law professor from our fine alma mater (as well as two unnamed lawyers)
Lawrence A. Frolik, a law professor at the University of Pittsburgh who specializes in elder law, said that he had “never heard” of a husband selling his share of a house for $1 to his spouse for tax or government assistance purposes.
“I can’t see any tax advantages,” Frolik said. “If someone told me that, my reaction would be, ‘Are they hoping to shield assets in case if there’s personal liability?’ ” He added, “It sounds like an attempt to avoid personal liability in having assets in his wife’s name.”
Two lawyers examined the available documents in recent days. Neither wanted to be identified because they were not directly involved in the case or the property transaction. One of the experts said it appeared to be an explicit effort to financially shield Joe Paterno. The other regarded the July transaction, at least on its face, as benign.
So fair enough, I have no facts to support this. But for it to happen in the middle of a Grand Jury investigation in which Mr. Paterno gave testimony is just a weird coincidence.
DaveD
Pauly is under renovation this year. They have a temporary home — which contributes to their problems, but hardly explains it. UCLA, when it comes to basketball is not going to take much more of this. Not sure how hot his seat will get at the moment. But if the recruiting isn’t excellent this year, his seat gets really warm.
.. for now….
