Thoughts on NCAA seeding

As the tourney approaches, I'm beginning to think that it's really not that important to get a #1 seed. There's probably 6-7 teams in the running for #1 seeds - Duke, UNC, UCLA, Kansas, TX, TN, and Memphis. I think what's really important for us is getting favorable matchups. We really don't want to face athletic teams with a low-post scoring threat. The worst matchup for us would probably be UCLA, then Kansas. We can't face UNC in the regionals, thanks God. Even if we were a 1-seed, it would be tough if we had to face teams like this.
On the other hand, being a 2-seed wouldn't be so bad if we drew a team like TN or TX. I think we can match up with certain teams that look and play like us, more guard-oriented teams.
Of course being a 1-seed, staying in NC, and drawing a really weak 2-seed would be ideal. But the 1-seed with a bad draw might be worse than a 2-seed in a easier region. Besides, we've failed to take advantage of 1-seeds plenty of times lately.

Is that confusing enough for everyone?

Josh has started his training to earn an athletic scholarship to Duke. I don't see how he can go there otherwise. :)

Hopes and Expectations

The loss to Wake shouldn't be too much of a surprise to anyone. It's been obvious for a while that we have certain glaring weaknesses on this year's team. Unfortunately, they all seemed to merge in this particular game. An off-shooting night, esp. from the free throw line by DeMarcus, lack of interior size, and inability to stop quick, athletic guards are the Achilles' heel of this team. And I also think Zoubek is a huge liability. Who cares if he's 7 ft? He can't play.

Of course, sooner or later, we'll have to play a team similar to Wake in the tournament, and we'll likely struggle. While I still think we have a chance to beat anyone on a given night, it's highly unlikely that we'll be able to reel off 6 in a row and claim the title.

Having admitted as much, I think my hopes for the season are now to just beat Carolina at home and win the ACC regular season crown. Anything more would be gravy. If we do manage to beat UNC at home, it'll probably give us the #1 East seed and the best possible road to the Final Four. And it will give UNC a pretty tough road in the NCAAs. And then we'll just see what happens.

Last thoughts - keep Zoubek planted on the bench and play Smith more. He's clearly our best PG. Paulus is basically a SG now.

Prayer

I couldn't help but notice what Betty said about prayer and its impact on her life in her blog. That was really encouraging, Betty.

I just happened to finish reading this book on the subject of prayer. It didn't necessarily answer all my questions about prayer, but it was a pretty good discussion about the topic.

One of the main points I took from the book was how prayer can really change us, not necessarily our circumstances. I won't give away the whole book, but check it out if you're looking for a good book on prayer.

Duke-Carolina!!!

I never thought we would be up on UNC in the ACC standings or national rankings coming into this game, but what a pleasant surprise this team has been so far.
I did anticipate better overall team play than last year. And I knew our freshmen could all play. But I've been surprised by our ability to fight bigger, athletic teams. And Paulus has been really locked in the past few games.
Our depth and balance have been key as well. In the games when we've lost DeMarcus or Singler's in foul trouble, we don't seem to lose much going to our bench. We're legitimately 9 deep.
I am concerned about a few things, however. DeMarcus and Gerald are bricking too many free throws, and considering how often they get to the line, this could come back to haunt us. And I still don't know if we can handle a legit post man like Kevin Love or Hibbert or even Psycho-T. I guess we'll find out this Wednesday. I don't know how bad his ankle is, but I sure wouldn't mind if Lawson missed this game. I would love nothing more than to grab the 1 seed in the East and send UNC to another region to deal with UCLA or Kansas.
Game on!!!