The first batch of basketball nonsense for the 2019-20 season begins in Greenville, North Carolina with ESPN's November 5 broadcast of VMI-East Carolina.
Evan Lepler & nonsense legend Stan Lewter on the call:
"no ball movement, no people movement"
"people penetration, dribble penetration"
"a cleaner basketball game"
"the threes are falling because of basketball spacing"
"VMI has played with a purpose even when that length has interrupted that purpose"
"ball screen action"
"that's a man move"
"Pirate nation"
"run outs"
"SOS - scared out of shots"
!
Cal Poly-North Dakota State, 11/11, Mid Coast Sports Network
"flew under the radar"
"four out, one in action"
"a shooting-type motion"
"physicality"
"dribble penetration"
"a back to the basket guy" (2)
"the hoop and the harm"
"quality minutes"
"sense of urgency"
"active hands"
"made some big plays on the national stage"
"in traffic"
Evansville-Kentucky, 11/12, SEC Network
"pick and pop"
"cagey veteran"
"fundamental basketball"
**
Commentator Andy Kennedy called Gary Payton "the human glove"
No.
**
"despite the icy roads these guys are leaving everything on the floor, they're not leaving any skid marks"
!
"a show me mentality"
"channeling his inner Dan Majerle"
"they've really been out-executed"
"establish offensive identity in the half court"
"the game of basketball is a possession game"
!
"dribble drive" - ! - Kennedy, 5:10 left in second half
Alice Lloyd College-Eastern Kentucky, 11/19, ESPN+
"too much mustard on that one-handed pass"
"you see it every game, someone steps out of bounds when they don't have good court awareness"
"battle of the boards"
"floor miscues"
"he's got a nose for the ball"
"you have to go put a body on a body"
Columbia-Central Connecticut State, 11/24, espn3.com
"he gets where he wants on the basketball floor"
"if they're gonna win, it's gonna be a rock fight"
"paint touches" (3)
"those guys have been bodying up"
Robert Morris women-Kent State, 11/24, espn3.com
Commentator Austin Arnold had a hall of fame night. Here's the full list, and just a sampling:
"she has absolutely been the engine in the car that keeps them going"
"in the words of many basketball players 'if you keep shooting the shots will come'"
"they've been hitting the three-point ball and that's reflective on the way they play"
!
"ball urgency"
"a lot of the Kent State points have definitely been down in that box area"
"that's just another great awareness play"
"this is gonna start to become a barnburner really soon"
Western Michigan-Seattle, 11/26, ESPNU
"a mid-range assassin"
"score the basketball" (2)
"pick and pop action" (2)
"mental makeup"
"blow by"
"his basketball IQ is off the charts"
"a little rip and go action"
?
"the defense gets caught ball looking"
BYU-Kansas, 11/26, ESPN
"one thing he can do is make challenge shots"
"ball screen continuity"
"his eyes made that lay up"
!
"screen for the screener action"/"he's just going to ball screen those guys to death"
"sloppy with the basketball"/"begging for the basketball"
Charlotte-Georgia State, 11/27, ESPN+
"it's us against the world when you're on the road"
"rim protectors" (3)
"that's what you call playing basketball"
Thanks, commentator Rodney Turner!
"high-level basketball"
"championship culture"
"euro step"
"he's a very important cog in this ecosystem of a team"
[Game tied in overtime] "every possession counts"
Thanks again, Rodney!
Central Florida-Pepperdine, 11/29, ESPN News
Jon Carlson (pxp), Corey Williams (cc)
"big players making big plays in big moments"
"he epitomizes swagger"
"a little pin down"
"isn't that a basketball play?"
Yes. It was.
"post presence"
"versatile bigs"
"a quasi-euro step"
"it's called energy and ego, it's hard to stop that"
"a shot ready pass"
"earned the right to verticality"
"a modified pocket pass"
"throw a monkey wrench into your offensive plans"
"all that camouflage action"
"crab dribble"
"a back to the basket type of big man"
"finish in traffic"
"that's Waves basketball right there"