Lines o’ the Weekend
11.14.05
This weekend’s lines are chosen to give the youngsters out there some inspiration. You don’t have to be big to play big.
Friday
FG 3pt FT Reb
Min M-A M-A M-A O-T A F S TO BLK Pts
Aaron Fitzgerald 25 3-6 1-2 1-1 0-1 14 1 3 1 0 8
Result: Win. UC Irvine 94, Mississippi Valley St. 40
The 6-3 Anteater point guard served up 14 assists in only 25 minutes. In fairness, it was against the Delta Devils, whom I now ban from future appearances as an opponent of the Line o’ the Night honoree.
Saturday
FG 3pt FT Reb
Min M-A M-A M-A O-T A F S TO BLK Pts
Mike Gansey 33 10-14 2-5 0-3 7-14 1 3 2 0 0 22
Result: Win. West Virginia 88, Louisiana Monroe 69
The 6-4 small forward not only had a nice evening shooting the ball in the Mountaineers’ opener of the Guardians Classic, but he gets rewarded with Line o’ the Night for his rebounding efforts. Gansey is one of the better small rebounders around, posting the following numbers during his first three seasons:
Season OR% DR% Minutes 05 (WVU) 6.8 14.3 1070 03 (St. Bonny) 6.7 12.7 781 02 (St. Bonny) 8.6 15.1 708
Those are nearly four-type numbers from an undersized three.
Sunday
FG 3pt FT Reb
Min M-A M-A M-A O-T A F S TO BLK Pts
Rajon Rondo 30 7-13 2-4 1-3 5-12 6 0 6 2 0 17
Result: Win. Kentucky 71, South Dakota St. 54
Welcome to D1 basketball, South Dakota State! That line speaks for itself, but I’d like to add that Rondo’s teammates likely cost him a few more assists - and the season’s first triple-double - by shooting 19-of-54 (35%).
Line o’ the Night
11.09.05
In an effort to give myself some regular material to post in this space, I’m introducing a new feature. Every day for the remainder of the season, my team of advanced scouts will be scouring the nation for notable performances. The most notable (not necessarily the best) will be mentioned here. That player’s line may provide the basis for a longer post. It may go without any additional commentary.
For the first few weeks of the season, it will be hard to find anything special out there. But as the season gets going with dozens of games each night, check this space for the best and most bizarre performances around the nation.
FG 3pt FT Reb
Min M-A M-A M-A O-T A F S TO BLK Pts
Ryan Rourke, Cornell 35 7-10 2-3 9-10 1-9 1 0 1 3 0 25
Today, Cornell senior Ryan Rourke gets saluted. Last season, Rourke averaged just 8.6 ppg and made only five three-pointers. But the 6-8 forward took advantage of an increased role in the Big Red offense in the season opener against St. Francis (PA), a 75-54 win. Only five players scored for Cornell, and Rourke was the main reason his team could claim a reasonably efficient offensive game. His teammates shot 17 of 44 from the field (38.6%), but Cornell managed to score 75 points on 71 possessions thanks to Rourke, who finished two points shy of a career high.
Cornell plays Syracuse tonight, a team it has lost 28 consecutive games to. It’s the fifth-longest active streak of futility in the nation.