Basketball phrases 2017-2018 tour diary

Basketball season is underway, so it's time we also move over to the hardwood & continue our sports phrase diaries.

Here's part 1 from games played between November 1 - November 16

Philadelphia-Atlanta, 11/1, Fox Sports Southeast

"broadcaster's jinx"

"defending by committee" (2)

"the engine that drives this Hawks team"

"youth will be served"

Carver College-Georgia State, 11/10, espn3.com

"chip on their shoulder"

"floor vision"

"basketball IQ" (2)

"heat check"

"he's a coach's son" (2)

Loyola Marymount-UT Arlington, 11/11, espn3.com

"very athletic big"

"physicality on the boards"

"got down and got a floor burner or two"

"the complete glue for UTA"

"post depth"

"the Mavericks have scaled the mountain!"

"they're long....and they're not just long, their fresh!"

"both teams have tightened the screws"

"very heady"

"ice in the veins"

!

our first of the season - :16 to go in the second half

Howard-Indiana, 11/12, Big 10 Network

"the pressure cooker that is the Indiana Hoosiers"

"integral cog in the attack"

"rise and fire"

"he's got a lot of city in his game"

"Bob Hurley at St. Anthony's" (2)

"tear drop" (2)

"volume shooters"

"court vision"

"and now a teaching moment"

"on NBA scouts' radar"

"hoops hotbed"

"old school"

"tremendous upside"

"the Butler way"

NC Central-Evansville, 11/13, thevalley.com

"it's brunch basketball in the Crescent City"

"hoop and harm" (2)

"played overseas"

"posterized"

"shot prowess"

"basketball IQ between the ears"

"dribble drive" (3)

!

our first of the season, 6:28 left in second half

Rhode Island-Nevada, 11/13, ESPNU

"spin cycle"

"energy in the building"

"that's KYP, know your personnel"

"isos"/"isolation ball"

"play within yourself"

"that's a really good basketball play"

"they're body hunting"

Montana-Penn State, 11/15, Big 10 Network

"point of emphasis" (3)

"shot blocking presence" (5)

Auburn-Indiana State, 11/16, ESPNU

"power 5 schools"

"bodying up"

"the pick and pop" (2)

"this team has the green light...neon green"

"survive and advance"

"feast week is upon us" (6)

"that's an NBA body" (2)

"in Hoosierland"

"verticality"

"fundamental basketball"

"that's Sycamore basketball"

Appalachian State-Iowa State, 11/16, ESPNU

"he's a shot seeker"

"face of the program"

"incredible upside"

"he's a Toronto Raptor baby"

"stretch four"

"floor burns"/"if you go by skin burns"

"post presence" (3)

"basketball hot spot"

"faceupability"

"a high IQ transition play"

"fabric of your program and your culture"

"hard hedge"

"he's long at the rim"

Football phrase diary, part 6

Games played from 10/30 - 11/11


Denver-Kansas City, 10/30, ESPN

"Denver jumped into their NASCAR package"
"out-flanked"
"in traffic"
"hard count" (2)
"like a coach on the field"
"bunch formation" (2)
"a nose for the ball"
"directional kicking"
"hybrid safety"
"edge rushers"
"two minute offense" (2)
"dime package"
"run the rock"
"ball skills"
"effort plays"
"showcases after the ball skills"
"high motor"
"circus catch"
"a glum John Elway"
"what a grinder"


Ohio-Miami (Ohio), 10/31, ESPNU

"dual threat guy"
"feast or famine"
"Frank Solichesque"
"circus catch"
"he leaps out of the stadium and plucks that ball out of the night sky"
"tackle in open space"
"tough sledding"
"four down territory"
"slant window"
"stack the box"
"inching their way closer to pay dirt"


Oklahoma-Oklahoma State, 11/4, Fox Sports 1

"zone concept"
"it's a schematic issue"
"skinny post"
"quality route runner"
"five star recruit"
"bedlam" (13)
"they have a no-flinch mentality"
"helmet to helmet contact"
"the legend of Baker Mayfield"


Michigan-Minnesota, 11/4, Fox Sports 1

"by the nose of the football"
"play power football downhill"
"eye discipline"
"run conflict situation"
"ball hawking"


BYU-Fresno State, 11/4, ESPN

Roy Phillpott and Tom Ramsey on the call:

"the two deep"
"a mash unit"
"pick six"
"McMaryion has been the conductor in the Bulldogs' orchestra"

!

"plus territory"
"the cream of the crop of the Mountain West Conference"
"touchdown saving tackle"
"an extra set of eyes"
"prescribed route"
"that's good body position"


Miami Ohio-Akron, 11/7, ESPN2

"move the chains" (2)
"this guy's got moxie"
"laundry on the field"
"Akron trying to bow down"
"a sideline to sideline kind of guy"


Georgia State-Texas State, 11/11, CSN

"route design"
"overcome adversity"
"showing physicality"
"out of the shadow of their own goal line"
"trickeration" (2)
"taking it to the house"
"gap containment"
"the film room"
"and Mr. Ripley, believe it or not, is on to punt it away"

clock

"internal clock"
"manage the clock"
"the clock is your enemy" (2)

"a next level guy"
"the Andy Reid school of burning timeouts"
"a whale of a ballgame"
"move the sticks" (7)
"victory formation"

Top 5 Mondays

Our first Top 5 Monday takes us to West Point and the Army mens basketball team. The Black Knights haven't had much of a history on the hardwood - no NCAA Tournament appearances and 20+ wins in just four of their 115+ seasons - but the school has produced some great coach names.

That's the subject of this week's top 5.

5. Dino Gaudio. Gaudio started his three-school coaching career at Army and won just half of his 72 games from 1993-97, including a pair of 20-loss seasons. 

* Went 3-0 against Division III Hobart

4. Valentine Lentz. Coached from 1939-44 with two winning seasons (11-4 and 10-6) and two losing ones (5-11 and 5-10). Forward Dale Hall was a second-team All-American under Lentz in 1944.

George

Went 2-6 against Georges (Georgetown, George Washington) and named George Rebh one of the captains for the '43 season.

3. Orvis Sigler. Spent four seasons (1954-58) on the sidelines, compiling a 39-47 record. Sigler's best year - 13-12 in 1957-58 - was his last before moving on to coach nine seasons at Centenary. Only coach Orvis in Division 1 history, though not the only Orvis: guard Heath Orvis played in 17 games and averaged 1.6 points for St. John's in 1999-00.

George

Went 0-2 against George Washington

2. Elmer Ripley. Elmer coached six schools from 1927-1953, finishing up with a two-year stint at West Point where he compiled a 19-17 record. Looking over Ripley's career, which concluded with a Hall of Fame nod, I'm not sure any coach, and certainly not any other Elmers, could provide a resume such as this: Army, the Harlem Globetrotters, Georgetown, Notre Dame, the Israeli Olympic Team & the Canadian Olympic Team.

Other coaching Elmers, Division 1 history

Elmer Gross, 1949-54, Penn State. Was 80-40 in five years with the Nittany Lions, making the Final Four and losing to eventual NCAA champion LaSalle in the national semifinals in his final season. 

Elmer Capshaw, 1921-22, Colorado School of Mines. Went 8-2 in his only season.

Elmer Mitchell, 1917-19, Michigan. Second coach in the program's history (and first to coach a varsity team), went 18-6 in his two seasons.

Elmer Hoefer, 1909, Wyoming. The Cowboys went 3-3 under Hoefer.

Elmer Holm, 1933-36, Washburn. The Washburn Ichabods (!) won seven games in each of Holm's three seasons.

Elmer Lampe, 1938-46, 46-47, Georgia; Dartmouth 1946-47, 47-50. According to College Basketball Reference, Lampe somehow coached at both Georgia and Dartmouth during the 1946-47 season, which makes him by far the most talented Elmer in college basketball history.

1. Ernest Blood. A Naismith Hall of Famer for his legendary teams at Passaic (NJ) High School and his overall high school career, Blood coached just one season at West Point, going 11-6 during the 1925-26 season. Also, his nickname was "Pop". Ernest Pop Blood! That's our No. 1.

George

Went 1-0 against Georgetown

Football phrases diary, part 5

Games played from 10/23 - 10/28


Washington-Philadelphia, 10/23, ESPN

"a great motor and a great get-off"
"that's right down Broad Street"/"the bullies from Broad Street"
"burst route"
"gut pressure"/"gut check"
"Cinderella story"
"he's North Dakota tough" (2)

!

"two minute drill"
"natural route runner"
"got their sea legs under them"
"fresh as daisies"
"he comes from a football family"
"selling out for his football team"
"the medical evaluation tent"


South Alabama-Georgia State, 10/26, ESPNU

"1-2 punch"
"stable of backs"
"a bend but don't break outfit"
"getting beat like a drum"
"concussion protocol"
"football math"
"head on a swivel"
"flip the field"
"at times he throws perfect dimes"
"they're a football family"
"rugby-style punter"
"ready to lay some lumber"
"big body type"
"go routes"
"50-50 balls"
"cat and mouse game"
"their M-O is bend but don't break"
"they got hit in the mouth"
"four down territory" (2)
"coverage sack"
"scissors route"


Stanford-Oregon State, 10/26, ESPN

"they gave up some significant real estate"/"they have lost significant real estate"
"stretch the field vertically"
"he got trucked"
"right in his hip pocket" (2)
"double cadence"
"a time out in your pocket"


Florida State-Boston College, 10/27, ESPN

Mack Brown! Welcome to the diary. Up to this point, you've been missed.

"heavyweight fight"
"we're talking about a field position game"
"hidden yards" (2)
"Chestnut Hill" (2)/"people have been restless in Chestnut Hill"
"every hat is in the right place"
"it's gap control" (2)
"plus territory" (4)
"boots and nakeds"
"move the chains going north and south"
"body language on the south boundary"
"he just pancaked the guy"
"this is rare air"
"right at the sticks"
"keep our foot on the gas"
"the tutelage of Paul Pasqualoni"
"football is a game of attrition"


Nebraska-Iowa, 10/28 Fox Sports 1

"the heartbeat of this Minnesota defense"
"steps into a clean pocket" (2)
"seize the opportunity"
"utilize a little pump action"
"jet sweep action" (3)
"boot action"/"Nate Stanley booting"
"grind some clock"


Mississippi State-Texas A&M, 10/28, ESPN

"tip drill"
"Ford tried to lower his hat"
"chunks of yardage"
"play recognition"
"play fast"
"home of the 12th man"


New Mexico-Wyoming, 10/28, ESPNU

"roll the pocket" (2)
"it's a powder puff cupcake schedule"
"draft stock"
"loaded the box" (3)
"quick strike"
"between the hashmarks"
"in search of their identity" (3)
"the Pokes" (2)
"they'll show the power 1"
"went the junior college route"

Basketball phrases!

Memphis at Dallas, 10/25, Fox Sports Southeast

Excellent night for the broadcast team of Pete Pranica and Brevin Knight.

Gentleman......?


"the Grizzlies wrap up their Texas two step"/"the Big D" (2)
"defensively is where we're buttering our bread"
"that's been his stock and trade"
"marksman"
"attack mode"
"sense of urgency"
"bully basketball"
"dribble drive"

! - first one of the night/season, 8:03 left in the second quarter

"situational basketball"
"an Xs and Os situation"
"textbook defense"
"finish through contact"
"extend the chicken wing"
"a kiss off the windowpane"
"the Beale Street Bears"
"fourth quarter wizard"
"sharpshooter"

Football phrases diary, part 4

Games played from 10/13 - 10/22


California-Washington State, 10/13, ESPN

"near the sticks"
"paid dividends"
"pick six"
"chunk plays"
"Pac 12 after dark" (3)


Ohio State-Nebraska, 10/14, Fox Sports 1

"puts on the after burners"
"keeps the chains moving"
"from the shadow of their own end zone"


Georgia State-Louisiana Monroe, 10/14, espn3.com

"on all cylinders" (2)
"amp it up"
"the RPO area of their offense" (2)
"a jack of all trades"
"that has been the bugaboo"

"pre-snap read"
"they're very vanilla on defense"
"turf toe"

Our first turf toe of the season!


"he moves chains"
"the bubble set up"
"third and manageable"


Louisiana-Arkansas State, 10/19, ESPNU

"vocal leader"
"these two camps describe this rivalry as 'healthy hatred'"
"50-50 balls"
"double digit gallop"
"lowered the pads"
"wall of blockers"
"ran out of gas"
"razzle dazzle"
"plus territory"
"we're still more than a week away from Halloween, but the bag of tricks for the Redwolves!"


Memphis-Houston, 10/19, ESPN

Color commentator Andre Ware:

"quarterback pitch man relationship"
"hybrid linebacker-defensive end"
"third and medium"


Third And rankings
[updated Oct. 19, 2017]

1 - Third and manageable
2 - Third and forever
3 - Third and California
4 - Third and medium



"chomping at the bit"
"getting a receiver in space"
"they mash the gas"


bumper sticker:

"fleet of foot"
"that's just film study"


Idaho-Missouri, 10/21, SEC Network

"it has to be a building block game"
"clean pocket"
"they've leaked points"
"Mel Kiper's draft board"
"flip the field"
"hybrid linebacker"
"throwing under duress"


Atlanta-New England, 10/22, NBC

"there's Belichick's number two pencil, sharpened"
"a slot player"/"pure slot player"
"power football"
"run stuffer extraordinaire"
"win a finesse game"

Draft analysis

2017 draft - 1st round

1 - Portland. Elliot Torkelson, Maglio Technical Institute. Torkelson's breath held under mustard set the combine-record (17 minutes, 23 seconds).

2 - Huntsberry. Illio Olladiaye (EEL-EE-O  OLL-UH-DEE-A), no college. Huntsberry takes a gamble with the native of the Woozz Jungle as Olladiaye was a hippopotamus from 1994-2015. To improve his draft stock, had his ears surgically removed and replaced with potato chips.

3 - Sork Valley. Qwan Attley Jr., Queh College and Raisin Bar. Expansion Watersquirrels take the youngest player in the draft, Attley, a third-generation piece of sandpaper. Signability is an issue as agent, pecan, said Attley wouldn’t sign “for anything less than 13 grade school children’s drawings of tomatoes”.

4 - British Columbia. Miles Lemmick, Pepano University. The Skypencils take Lemmick, who made a name for himself when on the final day of the combine bathed in gravel.

5 - Jasper County. Ewing Zeeble, Vweetley University. As a senior at Vweetley, Zeeble set national records, including most beard hair eaten (1.3 pounds) and purplest bruise thigh or below.

6 - Tallahassee. Ollie, Schlofko University. Scout: “Carries enough goldfish in his socks to make an impact right away, but if it comes down to late-game situations, will he be able to shake off the ’15 national title match loss when he put his fish, Juwon, in his ear?”

7 - San Antonio. Ross Oberman, Poog Cronin College Online. The Ceilingdragons take Oberman, who was last seen in March propositioning with an oak tree for a ride to the airport. While at PCCO, Oberman spent a conference-record 13 consecutive days living in a washing machine.

8 - Lewisville. Hakeem Ernack, Queh College and Raisin Factory. The second Queh College graduate selected, Ernack is expected to compete for one of Lewisville’s vacant leaf pointer positions. Had all 10 of his fingers surgically removed and replaced by green beans as a Christmas present to his former wife, pillow (December, 2006).

Advertisements

Football phrases diary part 3

Games played from 9/29 - 10/7


Nebraska-Illinois, 9/29, FS1

"walk off under his own power"
"speed rush"
"bubble screen"
"eyes to the tuck"

?

"scoop and score"
"that's a make your quarterback look good moment"
"trying to overwhelm Illinois, like waves on a beach - over and over again until they break"

!

"gang tackled"
"power football"
"wheelhouse" (2)


USC-Washington State, 9/29, ESPN

"USC, are they battle-tested, or battle-scarred?"
"the 'it' factor"
"fresh legs"

Our first 'fresh legs' of the season!

"that's all want-to and willpower"
"prototypical NFL pocket passer"
"violent hands"
"plus territory" (2)
"he's very cerebral"
"un-Mike Leachesque"

Again -

"un-Mike Leachesque"


Clemson-Virginia Tech, 9/30, ABC

"stem the tide"
"the linebackers are trying to eat tonight too"
"ball hawking safety"


Indianapolis-Seattle, 10/1, NBC

"the 12th man" (3)
"the legion of boom"


Washington-Kansas City, 10/2, ESPN

Hello again, Jon Gruden:

"edge player"
"grinder"
"this Hogs 2.0 outfit"
"situational awareness"

This phrase is 100% nonsense.

"the Toledo Rocket rockin' the NFL!"
"bells and whistles"
"he's been selling chemistry"

I was a boy scout for a couple years, and once a year we'd go around to houses and try to sell items from this giant suitcase to make money for the troup. One of those items was a chemistry set.

THAT'S selling chemistry.

"hard count"
"they bring juice on the opposite side"


Boise State-BYU, 10/6, ESPN

"I love this guy as a football player"
"extremely high football IQ"
"dragged down in space"


Minnesota-Purdue, 10/7, ESPN

Welcome to the Kelly Stouffer Hour, sponsored by Nonsense

"ball hawks"
"continuity up front"
"chip on their shoulder"
"big body tight end "(2)
"splash plays"
"gadget plays"
"RPO - run, pass option"
"multiple personnel groupings"
"hard count"
"pre-snap intel"
"third and forever"
"legacy Boilermaker"
"he's a game manager"


Fresno State-San Jose State, 10/7, ESPN

"rivalries are just what they are: rivalries"

You can say that about absolutely everything, commentator Forrest Conoly. Look:

Cupcakes are just what they are: cupcakes.
Train schedules are just what they are: train schedules.


"handed the keys to the offense"
"a team that plays through the whistle"


Western Illinois-Northern Iowa, 10/7, Panther Sports Network

"bend but don't break"
"a fresh set of sticks"
"pocket awareness"
"change of pace back"


Michigan State-Michigan, 10/7, ABC

"legacy game"
"move the sticks"
"in the trenches"
"exotic pressure"
"the Paul Bunyan Trophy"


San Diego State-UNLV, 10/7, ESPN

"he's going to have to grow up fast in a hurry"

!


Rest of San Diego State-UNLV game

"student of the game"
"play the sticks"
"hat on a hat"
"old school power back"
"Big 12 flag bearer"
"throwing window"



Previous diaries

9/16-9/23
9/1-9/4