Tuesday, March 01, 2005
PL BLOGGIES: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
Today's category is Player of the Year and the all PL squads. Let's get to it!
POY: Kevin Hamilton, Holy Cross - How do you judge value? Well consider this: Hamilton accounts for 21% of his teams' field goal attempts, and averages a quarter of a point for every Holy Cross possession. That is, if the Cross has the ball four times, Hamilton has scored at least once. He is tops in both those categories, as well as in most of the crude defensive metrics I can put together. He's also HC's scoring leader, and when your team goes 13-1, the guy who puts points on the board has a lot to do with it. He'll be POY on everyone's list.
All PL Team (enter controversy):
Kevin Hamilton, HC
Jason Thomas, AU - Maybe a sentimental pick, but I gotta think he'll make the real list too. 4 time player of the week, court leader for AU, "heart and soul" etc etc all apply. Pretty good stats, as well. Also the most improved player since last year.
Charles Lee, BU - He shoots 45% from 3PT and 44% overall. Strange. He gets on the list above Bettencourt because he is a better rebounder and had better overall numbers. Bettencourt scores more, but he has more chances to do so.
Andrew Zidar, CU - Needed a big man for this spot, and he gets it done. Not the best shooter out there (or even on his team), but he is a rebounding machine for the Red Raiders.
Chris McNaughton, BU - Will make it on everyone's list by virtue of being the only true center starting in the PL. I've talked about him enough in the past, so you should know why he's good at this point.
2nd Team PL:
Andre Ingram, AU - Hard to keep him off the first team. League scoring leader, but a few down games (albeit due to the flu, teams triple teaming him, or whatever) bump him down to the 2nd team. Could be POY next year.
Joe Knight, LU - Only here because of all the assists he got. I don't actually think he's that good, but he's probably the best PG in the league, so that's got to count for something.
Keith Simmons, HC - This guy is good. Real good. As in, if he played more minutes, he could be POY far and away. For a guard to shoot 52% is ridiculous. He also shoots FTs well and does a host of other things that make you wonder why he's still coming off the bench while Torey Thomas goes out and misses shots a lot. Hopefully someone from HC can fill me in. I get that Thomas is a PG, but I'm not sure he's a particularly good one.
Raimondas Petrauskas, AU - The problem with these lists is you need two post guys, and there aren't 3 good post guys in the league combined. Nonetheless, Petrauskas had a career year, shooting 55%, rebounding well, and playing the big body role that AU needed. He comes in 9th in Adjusted Value in the league, despite playing only 20 minutes per contest. This slot could have been filled by any mnumber of guys, including Matt Fannin, who I may have put one group too low.
Jamaal Douglas, LC - Read about him below in the reasoning as to why he's the best player on LC.
Honorable Mention:
Kevin Bettencourt, BU - Scoring dropped with a few bad games, and the development of Lee and Badmus.
Sean Knitter, LC - I still think my joke about how good he would be in Iowa Girls League basketball is funny. You can't make me think different. I mean c'mon, picture this guy in a skirt. Ask a British person, crossdressing is the pinnacle of comedy.
Matt Fannin, Navy - Tied for league lead in rebounding despite on 26 minutes a contest. The word relentless applies to Navy when discussing rebounds.
Matt Bell, Army - Would star on any squad in the league. As the sportswriters like to say the "lone bright spot in an otherwise dismal season".
Kyle Roemer, CU - He could shine if he got more minutes.
All Freshman Squad
Freshman of the year - Kyle Roemer, CU - see above
Corey Johnson, Navy - Part of a Navy team that could be real, real dangerous next year.
Matt Betley, LC - Every Matt is making this list, baby!
Bilal Abdullah, LC - Every Bilal is making it too!
John (Ford) Griffin, BU - Please kid, get rid of the hair gel. @ 9:31 AM
Today's category is Player of the Year and the all PL squads. Let's get to it!
POY: Kevin Hamilton, Holy Cross - How do you judge value? Well consider this: Hamilton accounts for 21% of his teams' field goal attempts, and averages a quarter of a point for every Holy Cross possession. That is, if the Cross has the ball four times, Hamilton has scored at least once. He is tops in both those categories, as well as in most of the crude defensive metrics I can put together. He's also HC's scoring leader, and when your team goes 13-1, the guy who puts points on the board has a lot to do with it. He'll be POY on everyone's list.
All PL Team (enter controversy):Kevin Hamilton, HC
Jason Thomas, AU - Maybe a sentimental pick, but I gotta think he'll make the real list too. 4 time player of the week, court leader for AU, "heart and soul" etc etc all apply. Pretty good stats, as well. Also the most improved player since last year.
Charles Lee, BU - He shoots 45% from 3PT and 44% overall. Strange. He gets on the list above Bettencourt because he is a better rebounder and had better overall numbers. Bettencourt scores more, but he has more chances to do so.
Andrew Zidar, CU - Needed a big man for this spot, and he gets it done. Not the best shooter out there (or even on his team), but he is a rebounding machine for the Red Raiders.
Chris McNaughton, BU - Will make it on everyone's list by virtue of being the only true center starting in the PL. I've talked about him enough in the past, so you should know why he's good at this point.
2nd Team PL:
Andre Ingram, AU - Hard to keep him off the first team. League scoring leader, but a few down games (albeit due to the flu, teams triple teaming him, or whatever) bump him down to the 2nd team. Could be POY next year.
Joe Knight, LU - Only here because of all the assists he got. I don't actually think he's that good, but he's probably the best PG in the league, so that's got to count for something.
Keith Simmons, HC - This guy is good. Real good. As in, if he played more minutes, he could be POY far and away. For a guard to shoot 52% is ridiculous. He also shoots FTs well and does a host of other things that make you wonder why he's still coming off the bench while Torey Thomas goes out and misses shots a lot. Hopefully someone from HC can fill me in. I get that Thomas is a PG, but I'm not sure he's a particularly good one.
Raimondas Petrauskas, AU - The problem with these lists is you need two post guys, and there aren't 3 good post guys in the league combined. Nonetheless, Petrauskas had a career year, shooting 55%, rebounding well, and playing the big body role that AU needed. He comes in 9th in Adjusted Value in the league, despite playing only 20 minutes per contest. This slot could have been filled by any mnumber of guys, including Matt Fannin, who I may have put one group too low.
Jamaal Douglas, LC - Read about him below in the reasoning as to why he's the best player on LC.
Honorable Mention:
Kevin Bettencourt, BU - Scoring dropped with a few bad games, and the development of Lee and Badmus.
Sean Knitter, LC - I still think my joke about how good he would be in Iowa Girls League basketball is funny. You can't make me think different. I mean c'mon, picture this guy in a skirt. Ask a British person, crossdressing is the pinnacle of comedy.
Matt Fannin, Navy - Tied for league lead in rebounding despite on 26 minutes a contest. The word relentless applies to Navy when discussing rebounds.
Matt Bell, Army - Would star on any squad in the league. As the sportswriters like to say the "lone bright spot in an otherwise dismal season".
Kyle Roemer, CU - He could shine if he got more minutes.
All Freshman Squad
Freshman of the year - Kyle Roemer, CU - see above
Corey Johnson, Navy - Part of a Navy team that could be real, real dangerous next year.
Matt Betley, LC - Every Matt is making this list, baby!
Bilal Abdullah, LC - Every Bilal is making it too!
John (Ford) Griffin, BU - Please kid, get rid of the hair gel. @ 9:31 AM
