Screaming Monkey Research Laboratories

Sometimes I blow past images without even looking at them.  That’s why I like cruising through the archive every now and again.  Found this one from the first few weeks with my old Canon Digital Rebel.

A player you might not have heard of, Al Nolen, scored 13 points from the free-throw line. The Gophers got Samardo Samuels to foul out, wouldn’t let Earl Clark dominate them and defended the 3-point shot well enough that Louisville was 4 of 17. Foul trouble limited the Gophers’ top scorer, Lawrence Westbrook, to only two points; yet the Gophers proved they have balance. Two reserves, Travis Busch and Blake Hoffarber, scored in double figures.

Smith is one of the best coaches in the country. He has a legit shot, like Michigan’s John Beilein, to take his team to the NCAA tournament in his second season at the school. The Gophers should go into the Big Ten opener against Michigan State on Dec. 31 undefeated after playing Southeastern Louisiana and High Point. The Gophers open at home with MSU and Ohio State, two preseason top-four teams. Minnesota could end up being one of the last undefeated teams if the Gophers can protect what is always one of the tougher home courts in the conference.

From ESPN’s Weekly Watch found here.

I’ve got to say that the new admin tools in WordPress 2.7 are much nicer.  They were getting better last build but this new one makes the admin dashboard actually usable.  Nice.

Rookie of the First Trimester
O.J. Mayo (Memphis)
Point guard has always been my favorite position. Derrick Rose is obviously more of a point guard than Mayo.
Still …
I find myself drawn more to Mayo’s start. And no, this has nothing to do with Rose cutting himself on an apple knife.
Maybe it’s because I expected Rose to be in this ballpark. I saw Mayo’s first NBA exhibition game in person and did not see much evidence of a kid who, at 21, would need not even 20 games to prove he’s a top-shelf NBA scorer.
It’s early. I suspect Chicago’s flirtation with a playoff spot ultimately will help Rose win the ROY trophy. Yet to this point, Mayo has the slightest of edges with me, with an opening trimester in the pros sufficiently special to help Grizz coach Marc Iavaroni keep his job … and scorch another hole in Kevin McHale’s draft resume in Minneapolis.

Find the full article here.

Watched the Gophers against Louisville Cardinals yesterday.  Not only did the Gophers win but it didn’t look like they stole the victory.  The improvement from last years is amazing.  The improvement from their play under Monson is staggering.

This Gopher team is for real.  They should make the tournament this year.

They should be helped by a much improved Big Ten.  Seeing a lot of good basket ball out of the conference.

Can you tell I’ve been looking for some BBall to watch that didn’t involve the Wolves?

Rose in jar.