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Cool Hand Lucroy

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Everything posted by Cool Hand Lucroy

  1. Cool Hand Lucroy
    This was the stretch they needed to roll through. So far, so good. Hoping they keep it going vs. OSU then split the CA trip (though with UCLA in a total mess, maybe it's time to get greedy).
  2. Cool Hand Lucroy
    I've been shocked at how bad the BEast looks. Marquette looks excellent. UConn will figure it out. Saint John's is good. After that, I'd expect Creighton to get it together, but the rest of the league has looked pretty disappointing. Villanova looks okay, but didn't do enough noncon. How improved are DePaul and Georgetown? Can't be dropping home games in this league, because most of those are going to be Q2 and Q3 L's. Road games will provide some Q1 chances, but you really need a couple of teams to get that NET into the 50s and 60 instead of the 70s and 80s to solidify that.
  3. Cool Hand Lucroy
    Nice stop-the-bleeding win for the Badgers against a decent opponent in what will officially be a neutral game. Butler never really got in it, despite looking occasionally threatening. I gotta give Gard some credit for smart NC scheduling. Played a lot of Quad 2ish games that allowed us the chance to pick up some wins without really offering the chance for a major losing streak. It worked out well. As others have said, dropping the home game to Michigan was really tough. Hopefully they can hold serve most of the rest of the way at the Kohl and picking off more than a few on the road. Getting to the FT line is obviously huge for this team. Maybe the most telling stat for them overall. Drawing fouls and getting their athletic guards to the rim is key. We did that well today and hopefully can carry it over to the B1G schedule. First four after Detroit are very winnable games. I'm going to be disappointed if they don't go at least 3-1. Good news is, the Pitt win on a neutral looks AWESOME. Bad news is Arizona stinks. That's a Quad 2 win right now. Hopefully the Wildcats get it together in a tough Big XII. My expectation is this team ends up in that 7-10 seed range, but, who knows? Maybe they improve and manage to bump that up.
  4. Cool Hand Lucroy
    Definitely seems like a bet on Durbin with Nestor the throw-in. For one year of Devin, the Crew gets an MLB-ready infielder who seems like a good fit. Obviously, there are question marks, but the Devin's value for next year is basically fixed. Our return value is variable, but looks like it should certainly exceed what we gave up, maybe even next year. I think it's definitely better than keeping Devin + draft pick, especially when you consider how well we do at finding, developing, and improving relievers. Gonna trust the FO on this one. I see the thinking, and they've earned it.
  5. Cool Hand Lucroy
    Yeah, this is a thoughtful discussion. The politics of pro sports unions are fascinating. Not sure there's another industry where the spread between senior members and entry-level members is so wide. And MLBPA has clearly sided mainly with more veteran players in its negotiations. That makes sense on some level, as those players are more veteran, have more experience, and are probably more willing to speak up in meetings and such.
  6. Cool Hand Lucroy
    Totally right about getting them in foil trouble and then really committing to getting to the basket. Good coaching by Gard. This was the most impressive win I have seen since last year @ MSU. Never panicked, played together, outlasted them down the stretch.
  7. Cool Hand Lucroy
    Just a really good game from the Badgers. Tonje got to the basket at will. UCF never got into a groove (despite what I thought was a pretty friendly whistle in the first half at least). Defense made them take tough shots, and they couldn't finish. McGee really sparked the Badgers early. That was nice to see after a tough one on Monday. Posting this with the Badgers in front by 23, five minutes to go, so if things get crazy, my fault I guess. Pitt will be a great neutral court test early. Guessing the Badgers will be underdogs, but it's the kind of game you hope for in these MTEs.
  8. Cool Hand Lucroy
    I hate those games. They had the same thing at the Bahamas tournament last night. Great Saint John's-Baylor game, but a weird environment, especially lighting-wise.
  9. Cool Hand Lucroy
    Agreed, but, weirdly, it might be better positioned in March than it was last year. UCONN, Creighton, Marquette, and St. John's should all compete for a top-5 seed. Xavier looks like they could be pretty good. If Providence can join them, that could mean 6 teams in pretty good shape come tourney time. Villanova being in a down cycle hurts, and Seton Hall looks pretty bad out of the gate. I don't have a lot of faith in Butler. Could Holtmann do something at DePaul? Maybe, but that's a BIG ask. Point is, I think there'll be a clear top 5 or 6, and that's better than the muddle going into the tournament last year. Makes it easier to separate teams close to the cut line.
  10. Cool Hand Lucroy
    They'll have to deal with a loaded McNese (Will Wade coached) roster to get out of the Southland, but yeah, I agree. They look like a difficult matchup. Back to the Badgers, the Greenbrier interests me deeply. I think UCF is the kind of team that can give UW fits. They've already got home wins over Fla Atlantic (who should be decent, despite a lot of departures) and Texas A & M. Both at home, but that's a tournament team if they can do anything at all on the road in the B12. Badgers should be favored, but I bet it'll be by just a possession.
  11. Cool Hand Lucroy
    Yeah, I took a look at UTRGV's games against Nebraska and Creighton, and it made me feel a bit better about the Badgers clawing out a win. That team has sped up everyone they've played and kept first halves tight against decent competition (down eight at Creighton, who's going to contend in the BEast). They seem legit tough to defend. Creighton beat them by shooting 60% from 2. Nebraska beat them by turning them over 20 times (and UTRVG shot less well from deep). I guess my thought is that a low-end outcome seems like the Badgers could be a poor man's Creighton. Neither team turns people over. Both can be extremely efficient offensively. Creighton is more comfortable playing quickly, and they have Kalkbrenner, who brings rim-protection and improves the defensive efficiency quite a bit. A more optimistic outlook is that the Badgers just get better defensively and end up as comfortable in 65-possession games as 75- or 80-possession ones. I'll be hoping for that. The FT shooting is a HUGE difference maker compared to the last couple years. Having a team that can convert at the line, especially when it seems like games are being officiated tightly, at least early on, is going to help them put games away more easily than in the recent past.
  12. Cool Hand Lucroy
    Essegian was on the bench as Nebraska trailed Saint Mary's by three in the dying seconds on Sunday. Tells you a little bit about where he stands when he's not on the floor even when his best skill is the thing his new team needs most at the end of a game. Not trying to be snarky there. It's just maybe a little bit of evidence for why Gard seemed to trust Essegian so little last year. I wasn't sure about it at the time, and I'm still not. But maybe he's just a more limited player than he appeared at times as a Badger frosh.
  13. Cool Hand Lucroy
    Avoided the let down. Lots to work on before a tough one on Friday.
  14. Cool Hand Lucroy
    First half tonight against Rio Grande Valley is a big part of why I am still unsure about this team. Can they defend? That's going to be a big question. They don't really make it difficult on teams on that end of the floor, which is an adjustment as a fan. Fully expect they'll come back and win, maybe by a wide margin. But they do need to find a way to create turnovers. That's long been a struggle under Gard.
  15. Cool Hand Lucroy
    I think the Badgers shooting 44% from 3 to Arizona's 17% is the story of this one, even beyond the fouls and FTs. I'm not going to get TOO excited about this one just based on it being at home and in some weird/fluky circumstances. That said, it's going to count as a high-quality Q1 win, and, as others mentioned, the ability of the team to respond after 65-65 was incredible. If these guys can have that kind of identity all year, we're going to be better than people think. I LOVE John Blackwell. I think he's going to really shine this year, and one thing I really like is that this year's team is probably going to more athletic than last year's. I know Storr was a serious athlete, but Blackwell, Tonje, and Amos bring a lot to the table on that front too. Honestly, it's harder to defend that backcourt than one that involves Chuckie, as much as I liked Chuckie. His strength was on the defensive end of the floor. Klesmit should get a lot of open looks, and if he shoots it, look out. It's really hard to win in this version of NCAA basketball without a lot of very good, very athletic guards. The Badgers being better and deeper on that front is going to help. Who knows how they do in the Big Ten (which is going to be good), but this is a great win to bank and build on.
  16. Cool Hand Lucroy
    Nice for fans in major Midwest blackout territory, though I think I'll still be blacked out from games vs. the Cubs, Cardinals, and White Sox (so, like 30 games a year). Worth it for me, though! As others have said, since we start from the lowest TV contract value (or one of), this hurts less and allows for some opportunities. Let's hope we innovate with this like we do with everything baseball-related!
  17. Cool Hand Lucroy
    Sometimes it really does feel like whoever the Brewers draw becomes the magic team in the playoffs. The Mets sure have it right now. Of course, the Brewers played better than the Phillies have these three games. Small consolation.
  18. Cool Hand Lucroy
    Judging teams by small sample, playoff success is so intrinsic to American sports, but it's a big part of why I enjoy following soccer. Generally, everyone understands that the system is unfair. And teams know they're competing for different things. Brighton is just not going to judge their year by whether or not they win the Premier League. That would be crazy. You judge your year by a) whether you finish high enough to qualify for European competition (the playoffs), b) whether you make a deep run in a domestic cup competition (sort of like winning a division title), or c) you avoid relegation. The goal, really simply, is to have more good days than bad. American sports aren't set up in that way, but baseball runs closer to that model that just about any other professional league (even the MLS!). I think that's a difficult thing for folks to accept, but it also feels true to me. The "October defines you" narrative seems like a bad story to me. Buying into it seems more logical in a sport like the NFL, which is really about the perpetual present because careers are so short, and the revenue system is more egalitarian. In baseball, buying that story just seems to undercut the nature of the sport, which is all about long-haul, large-sample, daily outcomes.
  19. Cool Hand Lucroy
    The catch Profar just made in the Dodgers-Padres series was pretty awesome. Leaps into the stands, pops back out and starts jawing with the fans, and the broadcast is showing the "Home Run" graphic while Mookie runs around the bases. Of course, Profar caught the ball. Kind of love that his first reaction isn't to show the catch to the umpire, but to give the business to the Dodgers bleacher fans.
  20. Cool Hand Lucroy
    I imagine we'll pick up a few "change of scenery" bulk guys to compete, and you know we'll be running a six-man rotation for a good chunk of the year. Let me say a word on behalf of Hall. I think he's going to be more of a candidate than people think. His injuries this year really kept him from getting in any kind of groove, but I thought I saw some flashes there, and he's a lefty. I would guess Ashby is going to be a bullpen piece, potentially a piggy-back or multi-inning guy, a la the old Hader, and I would bet the Brewers put him in that role. That means Hall's going to be given every chance in the rotation. And he's going to be in the pitching lab, and guys with his prospect pedigree usually manage to be more than just a guy. I'd be in on Joe Ross as an FA if the price is right. He's a good signing for Milwaukee. I doubt there's a huge market for a 31-year-old with his pedigree, and you'd figure he'd just as soon stick with a team like the Brewers than get only slightly more on a mediocre team. We're going to win with pitching depth. A lot of guys who keep you in games equals a lot of wins with this much offensive talent on the roster.
  21. Cool Hand Lucroy
    For what it's worth, I think Andre Jackson is going to have a breakout year. He'll defend too.
  22. Cool Hand Lucroy
    I have no idea how that call at first (Mets-Phillies Game 1, 3rd inning) stands while Marte is ruled safe in our series. That was a much closer play, and it was overturned. I don't understand MLB replay. Seems like soccer where different review crews have different standards. It just seems weird that it ends up so inconsistent, even in super important games.
  23. Cool Hand Lucroy
    Somehow, the Guardians only went 8-5 against the White Sox. But the Twins, Royals, and Tigers were all pretty flawed teams bolstered by winning like 12 games against the Sox, so yeah. I mean, we got Colorado in 2018, so definitely helped us then, but this year I think the NL is clearly the stronger league on the whole. Still, I like Vogt. I don't begrudge Cleveland any success.
  24. Cool Hand Lucroy
    I second this. I'd probably rather have Bryse at 1.5 than Milner at nearly twice that, despite Milner being lefty. I like Hoby, but he seems like "just a guy."
  25. Cool Hand Lucroy
    Lol. Yeah, forgot about them! I still think the point stands that it is REALLY HARD to win titles these days, even for the big market teams.
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