Staff Blog
Where's the best sledding hill in Philly? (1 Answer)
Morning Rounds, February 11th
Last night the Villanova Wildcats hung 100 on their second straight ranked Big East opponent, a feat which seems impossible. That stretch when it seemed like the 13th-and-rising wildcats couldn’t take care of a ranked team seems years ago.
They’ve been able to jump that level not because of the emergence of Dante Cunningham - every good Big East team needs one guy to make the leap every year, Dante was that guy for Nova and if hadn’t they’d be in serious trouble – but because of dynamic pint-sized wunderkid Corey Fisher. When Dom and I were putting together our rankings this weekend I argued that he takes too many chances, gives the ball away too much, and has an erratic jumpshot. I think all of that is true, but it’s beginning to miss the point.
Fisher, when on, is electric. Most players, even most quick players, attack the basket in a linear progression. They’re at point A, they want to get to point B, so they take the nearest possible route. They’ll sway course to avoid defenders, or because defenders push they off, but their single-minded in the their. To me, it seems like Corey attacks the basket more like a waterbug, hopping back-and-forth for its own ends. The jump stop isn’t a big part of his game, but I think if it were legal to continuously jump shot he would. His flaws are energy flaws, made not because he’s lazy or stupid but because he knows he can do too much – the way he’s playing you want him to force the action 1 on 2, and you need him to believe he no one on the court can stop him. Maybe that will catch up with him one of these days, and maybe it’ll cost the Cats a game, but the more he comes into the more I’m realizing that you his ‘mistakes’ are not only ones you can live with, but ones that you can live on.
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| Ron Cortes | Philly.com |
“Sometimes you’ve just got to outscore people.” – Jay Wright
Three lines on their world:
- Antonio Margarito and his trainer get a year off for the plaster incident
- Cleveland fans can finally quiet their little yap-holes, enough real All Stars finally dropped out of the game that Mo Williams will get his first and last appearance.
- and Florida and Kentucky played a barnburner
Three lines on ours:
- Villanova took down Marquette in the Pavillion
- Cameron Ayers and GA took down CHA to clinch the Inter-Ac
- and a local product committed to St. Joes
Phillies, Birds,
Sixers, Flyers and what everybody is
talking about after the jump
PHILLIES
READ
David Murphy reports that a couple guys who know a thing or two against baseball seem really high on Jason Donald.
Jim Salisbury completes his Charlie Manuel profile.
SKIP
Peter Mucha talks tickets.
SIXERS
READ
Tom Moore says the Sixers are shocked by how good Speights has been.
SKIP
Phil Jasner thinks this is going to be Andre Iguodala’s last All Star break off.
Kevin Tatum reports that the Sixers had a slow practice day.
EAGLES
READ
SKIP
Rich Hofmann thinks T.J. Houshmandzadeh is too small to be an Eagle.
FLYERS
READ
Sam Carchidi, determiined to create a controversy, points out that Nittymaki sure looks like the Flyers’ #1 goalie.
Wayne Fish looks at Nittymaki’s future with the club.
Ed Moran says that the media’ attention has caught Ryan Parent by surprise.
SKIP
TODAY and MORE
Once again, the columnists go for the national. Oh February, if I was an AD at an elite prep school I’d sure be pissed when you come around. Anyway, Sam Donnellon takes the MLBPA to task, Stan Hochman has finally finished Joe Torre’s book (uh, Stan, hate to break the news here but that isn’t exactly priority 1.a for the Yanks’ PR department anymore), John Gonzalez blames parents for letting their kids look up to anyone but them, and Wayne Fish says Sean Avery is headed back to the ice (about time, I love that guy).
The Sixers host Kyle Lowry, Hakim Warrick, and the Memphis Grizzlies. We’ll be meeting up with an old friend and headed down to the building, but like the rest of the week shouldn’t have a terrible amount up here before.
As always, feel free
to email
with any questions, suggestions, comments or complaints.
Me and the Kid took the pilgrimage to the Wack last year and watched Marquette blow Nova’s doors off. It was deflating, looked like Nova was wearing Tims.
This year I came into the season with the expectation of moderate success for the Wildcats, then was happily surprised to see Dante playing at the level of a damned good college player.
Now, with Corey emerging as the talent Jay felt sure he recruited, Nova has emerged as a force. My hopes are high, not sky high, but high for sure. And here comes March ….