PacHoops: Pac-12 round up week 2

[allbuffs]

Here is this weeks round up, as always Adam has a ton of other Pac-12 content on his site:
http://www.pachoops.com

PacHoops: Pac-12 round up week 2
By: Adam Butler

So Buffs Nation…that game happened. But I’d rather not have a football coach than have Charlie Weis, AMIRIGHT?

Look, those games happen and, frankly, there’s not much to take away from them. Sometimes you tip your hat and burn the game tape. The bitter taste will still be there but that’s what’s supposed to stick around. If you harp on the minutiae of such a dismantling you’ll go mad with frustration and self-destruct. Know that it was bad and remember that you don’t want it to happen again.

What I loved is that I saw a great portion of Buffalo faithful traveled to the game. I saw a Tweet (I since can’t find it) from an upstanding person from the college hoops world commenting on the impressive following the Buffaloes garnered. To summarize: The CU contingent is amongst the biggest I’ve ever seen at Phog Allen. Now that’s saying something. That gets me excited on a program level. The support of you – of patrons like us – is often the momentum needed to hop hurdles. A team can win and that’s fine and dandy, but a program? Those stick around and sentences like “first AP ranking since [insert date years-on-years-on-years back]” can go away. And if you were there, briefly take off the black and gold and appreciate how impressive the atmosphere at Phog Allen is? That’s one of college basketball’s meccas. It’s a site, an experience, to behold. You waltzed into the most hostile of environments definitively not in blue and red. Good on you. Of course the game began and then promptly ended but whatever.

Taking a peak at the rest of the conference there isn’t much to positively discuss: Arizona remains undefeated; ASU really is playing at a “fast” tempo; Oregon’s winning. I dunno? Jardan Bachynski recorded ASU’s first triple-double; Josh Scott put up big numbers while matched up against one of the better defensive bigs in the country; Brock Motum is and always will be the most underrated dude in the conference if not country as he and the Cougs gave Gonzaga all they could handle. I guess there’s that for smiles because everything beyond is a whole lot of hand-meet-forehead.

I watched the fantastic final ten-minutes of the Cal-UNLV game and was really into it. I loved Cal’s defense down the stretch and Justin Cobbs’ individual defensive effort against Anthony Marshall that looked to be a clinching stop. It was not as Quintrell Thomas reversed Marshall’s airball into the game winner; a quick turnaround from what appeared to be a big win for the Pac. And there was also, this week, Texas and UCLA putting basketball back a millennia and prompting my good friend and a respected sports mind, Matt, to fire off the following spice, “UCLA v. Texas in basketball: which coach can do less with more talent?” Mull on Matt’s point.

USC continues to bury themselves in a gauntlet of a schedule (two more losses at Nebraska and New Mexico) and complacency has officially moved into Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion (I hate that full title). The Huskies are 4-4 and I don’t quite think I’m buying the “wait until we’re at full strength” commentary LoRo is spewing. Indeed time will tell but there just might not be enough of it. Also, post-Nevada loss, Romar spoke extensively on keeping the spirits of his team high and ignoring the negative buzz. A commentary that feels fearful as opposed to “we’re going to right this ship.”

All of this said, it could always be worse.

Be great.

 

[jgisland]

Good stuff, here was the tweet Adam mentioned about how well CU traveled.

@APdaveskretta: Props to CU fans. Biggest visiting section I've ever seen at Allen Fieldhouse. Not sure how they got so many tix

 

[Scotch]

Good stuff, here was the tweet Adam mentioned about how well CU traveled.

@APdaveskretta: Props to CU fans. Biggest visiting section I've ever seen at Allen Fieldhouse. Not sure how they got so many tix

This is great to hear!

For those who went, how many would you say were there?

 

[RumblinBuff]

This is great to hear!

For those who went, how many would you say were there?

I thought it was about 300. A pocket of 100 by me, another 50-75 opposite us, and scattered people throughout.

 

[pachoops]

Shoot be straight, RumblinBuff, how impressive is Allen Fieldhouse?

 

[RumblinBuff]

Shoot be straight, RumblinBuff, how impressive is Allen Fieldhouse?

I wasn't all that impressed until they played the introduction video. From then on it was eye opening. I really wish I had gone to a game not involving CU, so that I could appreciate it all the more.

All I know is that I want that. All of that.