It is March, and that means everybody is watching college basketball. That means we are watching players like Jared Sullinger, Kemba Walker, Derrick Williams and Harrison Barnes.
Last year, however, we were watching the likes of John Wall and Evan Turner.
They ended up being drafted first and second by the Washington Wizards and the Philadelphia 76ers respectively.
Almost every other team in the league was involved in the draft as well. They combined for the standard 60 draft picks, and 45 of the drafted players are in the NBA as of right now.
Armed with the knowledge we have gathered from watching the season play out, we can now grade each team's draft more accurately.
Let's get to it.
Drafted: Evan Turner (second overall)
The Philadelphia 76ers' only acquisition of draft day was Evan Turner. He was expected to be the most NBA-ready player in the draft, and some even debated whether the Washington Wizards should've drafted him over John Wall with the first overall pick.
Those debates are hard to remember now.
Evan Turner has been nothing less than uninspiring during his career so far with the Sixers. He has lacked consistency and shown mere flashes of the dominance he showed in college. Turner hasn't even been able to prove himself worthy of the Sixers' starting lineup.
Given his youth and potential, it's very likely he could blossom into the player the Sixers thought they were drafting. As of right now, however, drafting Evan Turner looks like a bad move for Philly considering they could've drafted anybody not named John Wall.
Charlotte Bobcats
The Charlotte Bobcats traded away all of their 2010 draft picks prior to the draft and did not acquire any picks or players on draft day.
Grade: N/A
Milwaukee Bucks
Only Larry Sanders remains with the Milwaukee Bucks. Hobson was waived on December 3rd due to an injury and never played for Milwaukee, while Gallon was released prior to training camp. Neither are on NBA rosters as of right now.
Sanders, meanwhile, has mostly come off the bench to support the Bucks' bigs. He has shown potential as a shot blocker. Per 36 minutes, Sanders averages 2.9 blocks per game. He is one of four players to have a game with at least eight blocks this season and is the only one of the players that wasn't featured during All-Star Weekend (the others were JaVale McGee, Brook Lopez, Dwight Howard and Serge Ibaka who has had two such games).
All the other parts of Sanders' game are still a work in progress, but shot blockers are a premium in this league, and Sanders could turn out to be an invaluable presence in the paint for years to come.
2011年3月31日星期四
Aon eyes brighter future
It's easy to make blithe, hard-to-quantify, optimistic statements about buying into Japanese stocks, but I believe the reality's a lot more nuanced. The country already occupied a precarious economic perch, beset by spendthrift consumers, whopping debt, and a declining population. Add a massive natural disaster, and the government spending needed to rebuild from it, and "buy Japan" stops looking like a straightforward slam dunk.
I'd rather a wide-moated business with no direct exposure to the catastrophe, but a clear path to benefit from Japan's recovery. I found all these qualities in Aon (AON), one of the world's premier providers of insurance broking, outsourced HR services, and HR consulting. The stock is currently sandbagged by cyclically depressed earnings, seven years of declines in insurance rates, and misunderstood earnings power -- and the market doesn't seem to be pricing in any of its considerable potential. That's why I'm buying $800 worth of Aon shares for my Rising Stars portfolio.
What's good for you is good for me
Some of the world's best businesses are built on strength of a network. By offering an existing good service or good to a massive number of people, they can improve the offering in question, reduce the overall cost of doing business for end-consumers, and sell more of the product for suppliers. It's a classic win-win.
Aon works exactly the same way. Roughly 60% of its business comes from insurance brokerage, referred to as Risk Solutions, and 40% from HR services, most from the recently acquired Hewitt, which includes benefits administration, outsourced services, and consulting.
Aon is the largest insurance and reinsurance broker, and it enjoys a fabulous business here. The company acts as an intermediary between agents, who place policies, and insurance companies, who write them. There's a classic network effect here, connecting buyers and sellers to mutual benefit: Aon's able to give insurers an audience and better distribution, and grant businesses access to insurance at customized terms and better prices. Here, Aon applies its network and scale to meaningful benefit, using its market position and expertise to help clients structure very specialized contracts.
Because insurance contracts are basically needs -- and the business is an oligopoly, dominated by Aon, Marsh & McLennan (MMC), and Willis Group (WSH) -- it's characterized by stable and recurring cash flows, consistent growth, and pricing power. And since Aon doesn't carry the lurking balance sheet risks of some insurers and reinsurers, it can really bring home the bacon here.
The HR solutions business Aon absorbed through Hewitt benefits from the same dynamic, as a provider of outsourced HR services and HR consulting. The company partners with businesses, mostly small- and medium-sized, to manage HR functions such as health-care benefits and retirement plans. These are complicated, data- and resource-intensive activities, and switching platforms is not easy. Moreover, when small businesses outsource to a capacity player like Hewitt, they're able to benefit from its scale, since Hewitt can negotiate better terms with providers.
On their own, these factors create a fairly stable and recurring revenue base. The three-to-five-year contracts customers typically sign only augment this steady stream of income. It's no surprise, then, that these businesses are also oligopolistic in nature, dominated by Hewitt, Automatic Data Processing (ADP), and Paychex (PAYX). The HR services from Hewitt dovetail nicely with Aon's existing HR consulting group, which provides advice compensation, employee benefits, and investment management -- a trio of equally great businesses.
Brokering a deal
Despite all this, Aon is unbelievably cheap, trading for a mere 10 times my estimate of normalized cash flow. In effect, that valuation assumes Aon will never grow.
Why the bargain-basement price? Even though Aon's insurance brokering operations offer fairly recurring revenues, they're tied to the state of insurance markets. Brokers make money both on volumes and on the size of the contracts they place. Amid the global economy's downturn and a underwriting market, results have been passable, but hardly strong. That, and the market's failure to properly appreciate the Hewitt merger's potential, explain Aon's current stock slump.
Wall Street should think twice. Right now, three massive opportunities seem to await Aon:
* Japan and Australia: In the wake of the past year's unbelievable catastrophes, including the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the floods in Australia, that sucking sound you hear is the capital being drained from insurers' coffers worldwide. To recoup those expenditures, it's highly likely that insurers will significantly raise their rates in the years ahead. Look no further than a recent conference call, where Aon's chief brokerage officer cited insurance rates as much as 25% higher in Asia.
It'd be easy to discount this as an Asia-only phenomenon. But in truth, markets are dynamic, and the biggest insurers are global enterprises. Losses in one corner of the world affect rates everywhere else -- and industry-watchers have pegged tsunami and earthquake losses as high as $60 billion, making it the most costly natural disaster in history after Hurricane Katrina.
* Reversion to the mean: We can't say for sure when Aon's cyclical dry spell will end, but the seven years of declining underwriting we've seen just can't last. The catalysts for a near-term recovery all seem present. AIG (AIG), a capacity player in P&C markets and very aggressive competitor on price from the Hank Greenberg days, recently announced that its competitive nature has come home to roost. Because it dramatically increased reserves for its P&C lines, its smaller capital base means it won't be able to write policy as aggressively or in volumes it previously had; thus, it may need to raise prices. Alongside the recent string of disasters, this bodes well for underwriting rates, which should mean higher revenue for Aon.
* Aon's earnings power and the Hewitt acquisition: I'm normally very skeptical of acquisitions tagged as "transformative," and doubly so for restructurings. I also tend to doubt anticipated cost-savings from job cuts. Such actions rarely create value for shareholders.
But on this count, Aon boasts an impressive track record. Current CEO Greg Case, a former McKinsey partner, has undertaken three major restructurings: one in 2005, another in 2007, yet and another following the Benfield acquisition in 2008. On the first two plans, he delivered cost savings significantly in excess of previously anticipated measures, and the Benfield effort is moving ahead of plan. With the Hewitt acquisition, he's at it again, aiming to deliver $355 million in annualized cost savings by 2013, including $280 million from job cuts and consolidating leased properties.
So while I'd normally be skeptical, management's record bolsters my confidence. Note also that most of the cost savings are more concrete than the type of touchy-feely synergies we've come to expect from mergers. Furthermore, Aon's insurance brokerage and legacy consulting operations overlap nicely with Hewitt's specialties, providing excellent potential for cross-selling.
Valuation and risks
When sizing up Aon's valuation, my preferred scenario assumes that the company will average 6.5% organic revenue growth, as the underwriting market hardens and business volumes grow roughly in line with the world economy. If the company achieves 85% of its targeted cost-savings, operating margins would crest 18% in 2013. Under this scenario, I think the shares are worth $77.
The risks to this thesis are fairly straightforward. Merger integrations are challenging, and statistically speaking, most fail to realize expected benefits. While Aon's success is encouraging, it's hardly a sure thing.
Also, though there's a degree of recurrence to Aon's cash flow, premium volumes and employment fluctuate with business activity, and Aon's profitability and cash flow are tied to the health of the economy and underwriting markets. Organic revenue has hardly budged from 2008 levels, so while I think the shares' downside is relatively limited, that's far from certain. It's also possible that Aon could once again stumble into the regulatory tangles that plagued it in the past.
Still, we're not talking about advanced calculus here. Superb company + misunderstood potential = a great price. That's why I'm buying shares today.
I'd rather a wide-moated business with no direct exposure to the catastrophe, but a clear path to benefit from Japan's recovery. I found all these qualities in Aon (AON), one of the world's premier providers of insurance broking, outsourced HR services, and HR consulting. The stock is currently sandbagged by cyclically depressed earnings, seven years of declines in insurance rates, and misunderstood earnings power -- and the market doesn't seem to be pricing in any of its considerable potential. That's why I'm buying $800 worth of Aon shares for my Rising Stars portfolio.
What's good for you is good for me
Some of the world's best businesses are built on strength of a network. By offering an existing good service or good to a massive number of people, they can improve the offering in question, reduce the overall cost of doing business for end-consumers, and sell more of the product for suppliers. It's a classic win-win.
Aon works exactly the same way. Roughly 60% of its business comes from insurance brokerage, referred to as Risk Solutions, and 40% from HR services, most from the recently acquired Hewitt, which includes benefits administration, outsourced services, and consulting.
Aon is the largest insurance and reinsurance broker, and it enjoys a fabulous business here. The company acts as an intermediary between agents, who place policies, and insurance companies, who write them. There's a classic network effect here, connecting buyers and sellers to mutual benefit: Aon's able to give insurers an audience and better distribution, and grant businesses access to insurance at customized terms and better prices. Here, Aon applies its network and scale to meaningful benefit, using its market position and expertise to help clients structure very specialized contracts.
Because insurance contracts are basically needs -- and the business is an oligopoly, dominated by Aon, Marsh & McLennan (MMC), and Willis Group (WSH) -- it's characterized by stable and recurring cash flows, consistent growth, and pricing power. And since Aon doesn't carry the lurking balance sheet risks of some insurers and reinsurers, it can really bring home the bacon here.
The HR solutions business Aon absorbed through Hewitt benefits from the same dynamic, as a provider of outsourced HR services and HR consulting. The company partners with businesses, mostly small- and medium-sized, to manage HR functions such as health-care benefits and retirement plans. These are complicated, data- and resource-intensive activities, and switching platforms is not easy. Moreover, when small businesses outsource to a capacity player like Hewitt, they're able to benefit from its scale, since Hewitt can negotiate better terms with providers.
On their own, these factors create a fairly stable and recurring revenue base. The three-to-five-year contracts customers typically sign only augment this steady stream of income. It's no surprise, then, that these businesses are also oligopolistic in nature, dominated by Hewitt, Automatic Data Processing (ADP), and Paychex (PAYX). The HR services from Hewitt dovetail nicely with Aon's existing HR consulting group, which provides advice compensation, employee benefits, and investment management -- a trio of equally great businesses.
Brokering a deal
Despite all this, Aon is unbelievably cheap, trading for a mere 10 times my estimate of normalized cash flow. In effect, that valuation assumes Aon will never grow.
Why the bargain-basement price? Even though Aon's insurance brokering operations offer fairly recurring revenues, they're tied to the state of insurance markets. Brokers make money both on volumes and on the size of the contracts they place. Amid the global economy's downturn and a underwriting market, results have been passable, but hardly strong. That, and the market's failure to properly appreciate the Hewitt merger's potential, explain Aon's current stock slump.
Wall Street should think twice. Right now, three massive opportunities seem to await Aon:
* Japan and Australia: In the wake of the past year's unbelievable catastrophes, including the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the floods in Australia, that sucking sound you hear is the capital being drained from insurers' coffers worldwide. To recoup those expenditures, it's highly likely that insurers will significantly raise their rates in the years ahead. Look no further than a recent conference call, where Aon's chief brokerage officer cited insurance rates as much as 25% higher in Asia.
It'd be easy to discount this as an Asia-only phenomenon. But in truth, markets are dynamic, and the biggest insurers are global enterprises. Losses in one corner of the world affect rates everywhere else -- and industry-watchers have pegged tsunami and earthquake losses as high as $60 billion, making it the most costly natural disaster in history after Hurricane Katrina.
* Reversion to the mean: We can't say for sure when Aon's cyclical dry spell will end, but the seven years of declining underwriting we've seen just can't last. The catalysts for a near-term recovery all seem present. AIG (AIG), a capacity player in P&C markets and very aggressive competitor on price from the Hank Greenberg days, recently announced that its competitive nature has come home to roost. Because it dramatically increased reserves for its P&C lines, its smaller capital base means it won't be able to write policy as aggressively or in volumes it previously had; thus, it may need to raise prices. Alongside the recent string of disasters, this bodes well for underwriting rates, which should mean higher revenue for Aon.
* Aon's earnings power and the Hewitt acquisition: I'm normally very skeptical of acquisitions tagged as "transformative," and doubly so for restructurings. I also tend to doubt anticipated cost-savings from job cuts. Such actions rarely create value for shareholders.
But on this count, Aon boasts an impressive track record. Current CEO Greg Case, a former McKinsey partner, has undertaken three major restructurings: one in 2005, another in 2007, yet and another following the Benfield acquisition in 2008. On the first two plans, he delivered cost savings significantly in excess of previously anticipated measures, and the Benfield effort is moving ahead of plan. With the Hewitt acquisition, he's at it again, aiming to deliver $355 million in annualized cost savings by 2013, including $280 million from job cuts and consolidating leased properties.
So while I'd normally be skeptical, management's record bolsters my confidence. Note also that most of the cost savings are more concrete than the type of touchy-feely synergies we've come to expect from mergers. Furthermore, Aon's insurance brokerage and legacy consulting operations overlap nicely with Hewitt's specialties, providing excellent potential for cross-selling.
Valuation and risks
When sizing up Aon's valuation, my preferred scenario assumes that the company will average 6.5% organic revenue growth, as the underwriting market hardens and business volumes grow roughly in line with the world economy. If the company achieves 85% of its targeted cost-savings, operating margins would crest 18% in 2013. Under this scenario, I think the shares are worth $77.
The risks to this thesis are fairly straightforward. Merger integrations are challenging, and statistically speaking, most fail to realize expected benefits. While Aon's success is encouraging, it's hardly a sure thing.
Also, though there's a degree of recurrence to Aon's cash flow, premium volumes and employment fluctuate with business activity, and Aon's profitability and cash flow are tied to the health of the economy and underwriting markets. Organic revenue has hardly budged from 2008 levels, so while I think the shares' downside is relatively limited, that's far from certain. It's also possible that Aon could once again stumble into the regulatory tangles that plagued it in the past.
Still, we're not talking about advanced calculus here. Superb company + misunderstood potential = a great price. That's why I'm buying shares today.
2011年3月29日星期二
Lakers treat 102-84 victory over New Orleans Hornets with businesslike attitude
After placing his shoes by his locker, Lakers guard Derek Fisher walked past the television and shot a glance at the screen.
The Memphis Grizzlies were seconds away from securing an upset victory Sunday over the San Antonio Spurs, the team with the NBA's best record that seemed destined to have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. But Fisher didn't flinch for one second. He simply walked past the monitor and headed toward the exit. There was a game to play.
Three hours later, the significance of San Antonio's loss came into perspective. The Lakers' 102-84 victory Sunday night over the New Orleans Hornets reduced the gap for first place in the Western Conference to four games and secured a one-game lead for the second spot over the Dallas Mavericks, which clinched their fourth consecutive victory with a win Sunday over the Phoenix Suns. Those that want to bristle at Fisher's one-of-eight shooting from the field against New Orleans should've been at Staples Center before the game where Lakers executive Magic Johnson stood in a nearby corridor adjacent to the Lakers' locker room. One by one, several Lakers filed out of that side entrance, including Ron Artest, Derrick Caracter and Lamar Odom. Each of them shared handshakes and brief small talk with the Lakers' Hall of Famer. Johnson reserved a more elaborate conversation for Fisher, however.
Expressing delight over a column penned by The Times' T.J. Simers that explained in great detail Fisher's value to the team, Johnson summed up his sentiments this way: "It said what needed to be said." Fisher smiled, nodded his head and walked away, before turning around and saying, "there's only one stat that matters," the obvious reference to his five NBA championships.
That's why it is fitting that the Lakers maintained a similar detachment to the latest ebbs and flows after improving their mark to 15-1 after the All-Star break. Lakers Coach Phil Jackson spent part of his postgame news conference pointing out the reserves squandering a double-digit lead for the third consecutive game and Carl Landry's 24 points. Those are all afterthoughts compared to how the Lakers' size advantage in Pau Gasol (23 points on nine-of-14 shooting and 16 rebounds), Andrew Bynum (13 points on five-of-six shooting) and Lamar Odom (eight points, four-of-six shooting) proved too overwhelming for the Hornets, which recently lost their leading scorer and second-best rebounder in David West to a season-ending left anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Even so, Jackson even went to say the Hornets' 17-13 effort on the offensive boards would give him cause for concern should the Lakers meet up with New Orleans in the first round of the playoffs. But that's just one example of Jackson ratcheting up the expectations as he hopes the team can sustain its consistency once the postseason approaches.
"I hope we can play as we've played tonight defensively and come back [Thursday] against Dallas," Jackson said.
After all, Johnson acknowledged he's more worried about the Lakers meeting Portland in the first round because of the two teams' familiarity and the Trail Blazers have won nine of their last 11 games at the Rose Garden. Lakers assistant coach Jim Cleamons argued sweeping the regular-season series against New Orleans would strongly derail its confidence should the Lakers host them in the first round. And even if the Lakers remain split on the ability to earn top seeding over San Antonio, all acknowledge the importance of securing home-court advantage over the Dallas Mavericks.
Still, the Lakers expressed more importance in their play itself than how it affects their standing in the West.
"We're motivated about winning," Bryant said. "It doesn't matter to us whether we catch them or not. We try to win every game. If we catch them, so be it. If we don't, so be it."
There's plenty of areas the Lakers should like. Bryant scored 30 points on 11-of-25 shooting, marking the third consecutive game he's scored above his season average, a stretch Jackson said Bryant has played "more aggressively." That's why Bryant couldn't help but laugh when informed that his sprained left ankle remains listed on the team's game notes. "I think I'll manager," he said with a smile.
Bryant's body movement and overall play suggested he can. He noticed a double team coming and switched directions for a fadeaway bank shot in the second quarter. Bryant also went one-on-one against former teammate Trevor Ariza in a sequence that perfectly captured his strong footwork. He jabbed right, drove left into the lane and then banked a shot falling down, giving the Lakers a 92-83 lead with 2:28 remaining.
"Just getting into playoff mode," Bryant said.
In addition to Gasol's efficiency, Bynum maintained the same aggressiveness despite picking up five fouls. When he picked up his last foul with the Lakers leading 78-70 with 9:37 remaining, Jackson summoned Bynum over informing him he'd stay in the game and to remain aggressive, both said afterward. Bynum followed suit, scoring seven of the team's next nine points on plays that indicated his clear advantage in the post. He followed his dunk that gave the Lakers an 85-74 lead with six minutes remaining by performing a chin up on the rim. When New Orleans forward Aaron Gray attempted to shut him off baseline, Bynum jabbed twice and then pivoted to this left to convert on a seven-foot hook shot, extending the lead to 87-76 with 5:07 left.
"I wasn't in foul trouble. I don't think I committed any fouls tonight," Bynum said, joking. "At that point [in picking up the fifth foul], I was just thinking to go hard. If I get a foul, it's to be expected. Luckily, some good things happened."
And defensively, the Lakers' points allowed against New Orleans nearly mirrored the 87 points a game they yielded through the first 14 games following the All-Star break. They held the Hornets to 40.2% mark from the field, a clip that also pointed to them missing open shots. Chris Paul also finished with a non-descript 10 points and nine assists, thanks to constant switching and communicating on screen-and-roll plays, though Jackson conceded he may be holding back for the playoffs.
Jackson had little praise, however, regarding the bench, which was yanked in favor of the starters with exception to Blake and Odom as they nursed an 87-76 lead with 5:07 remaining. Considering the Lakers held as much as an 18-point lead, Jackson sent a clear message he'll favor performance over pacing the minutes of his starters.
The Memphis Grizzlies were seconds away from securing an upset victory Sunday over the San Antonio Spurs, the team with the NBA's best record that seemed destined to have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. But Fisher didn't flinch for one second. He simply walked past the monitor and headed toward the exit. There was a game to play.
Three hours later, the significance of San Antonio's loss came into perspective. The Lakers' 102-84 victory Sunday night over the New Orleans Hornets reduced the gap for first place in the Western Conference to four games and secured a one-game lead for the second spot over the Dallas Mavericks, which clinched their fourth consecutive victory with a win Sunday over the Phoenix Suns. Those that want to bristle at Fisher's one-of-eight shooting from the field against New Orleans should've been at Staples Center before the game where Lakers executive Magic Johnson stood in a nearby corridor adjacent to the Lakers' locker room. One by one, several Lakers filed out of that side entrance, including Ron Artest, Derrick Caracter and Lamar Odom. Each of them shared handshakes and brief small talk with the Lakers' Hall of Famer. Johnson reserved a more elaborate conversation for Fisher, however.
Expressing delight over a column penned by The Times' T.J. Simers that explained in great detail Fisher's value to the team, Johnson summed up his sentiments this way: "It said what needed to be said." Fisher smiled, nodded his head and walked away, before turning around and saying, "there's only one stat that matters," the obvious reference to his five NBA championships.
That's why it is fitting that the Lakers maintained a similar detachment to the latest ebbs and flows after improving their mark to 15-1 after the All-Star break. Lakers Coach Phil Jackson spent part of his postgame news conference pointing out the reserves squandering a double-digit lead for the third consecutive game and Carl Landry's 24 points. Those are all afterthoughts compared to how the Lakers' size advantage in Pau Gasol (23 points on nine-of-14 shooting and 16 rebounds), Andrew Bynum (13 points on five-of-six shooting) and Lamar Odom (eight points, four-of-six shooting) proved too overwhelming for the Hornets, which recently lost their leading scorer and second-best rebounder in David West to a season-ending left anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Even so, Jackson even went to say the Hornets' 17-13 effort on the offensive boards would give him cause for concern should the Lakers meet up with New Orleans in the first round of the playoffs. But that's just one example of Jackson ratcheting up the expectations as he hopes the team can sustain its consistency once the postseason approaches.
"I hope we can play as we've played tonight defensively and come back [Thursday] against Dallas," Jackson said.
After all, Johnson acknowledged he's more worried about the Lakers meeting Portland in the first round because of the two teams' familiarity and the Trail Blazers have won nine of their last 11 games at the Rose Garden. Lakers assistant coach Jim Cleamons argued sweeping the regular-season series against New Orleans would strongly derail its confidence should the Lakers host them in the first round. And even if the Lakers remain split on the ability to earn top seeding over San Antonio, all acknowledge the importance of securing home-court advantage over the Dallas Mavericks.
Still, the Lakers expressed more importance in their play itself than how it affects their standing in the West.
"We're motivated about winning," Bryant said. "It doesn't matter to us whether we catch them or not. We try to win every game. If we catch them, so be it. If we don't, so be it."
There's plenty of areas the Lakers should like. Bryant scored 30 points on 11-of-25 shooting, marking the third consecutive game he's scored above his season average, a stretch Jackson said Bryant has played "more aggressively." That's why Bryant couldn't help but laugh when informed that his sprained left ankle remains listed on the team's game notes. "I think I'll manager," he said with a smile.
Bryant's body movement and overall play suggested he can. He noticed a double team coming and switched directions for a fadeaway bank shot in the second quarter. Bryant also went one-on-one against former teammate Trevor Ariza in a sequence that perfectly captured his strong footwork. He jabbed right, drove left into the lane and then banked a shot falling down, giving the Lakers a 92-83 lead with 2:28 remaining.
"Just getting into playoff mode," Bryant said.
In addition to Gasol's efficiency, Bynum maintained the same aggressiveness despite picking up five fouls. When he picked up his last foul with the Lakers leading 78-70 with 9:37 remaining, Jackson summoned Bynum over informing him he'd stay in the game and to remain aggressive, both said afterward. Bynum followed suit, scoring seven of the team's next nine points on plays that indicated his clear advantage in the post. He followed his dunk that gave the Lakers an 85-74 lead with six minutes remaining by performing a chin up on the rim. When New Orleans forward Aaron Gray attempted to shut him off baseline, Bynum jabbed twice and then pivoted to this left to convert on a seven-foot hook shot, extending the lead to 87-76 with 5:07 left.
"I wasn't in foul trouble. I don't think I committed any fouls tonight," Bynum said, joking. "At that point [in picking up the fifth foul], I was just thinking to go hard. If I get a foul, it's to be expected. Luckily, some good things happened."
And defensively, the Lakers' points allowed against New Orleans nearly mirrored the 87 points a game they yielded through the first 14 games following the All-Star break. They held the Hornets to 40.2% mark from the field, a clip that also pointed to them missing open shots. Chris Paul also finished with a non-descript 10 points and nine assists, thanks to constant switching and communicating on screen-and-roll plays, though Jackson conceded he may be holding back for the playoffs.
Jackson had little praise, however, regarding the bench, which was yanked in favor of the starters with exception to Blake and Odom as they nursed an 87-76 lead with 5:07 remaining. Considering the Lakers held as much as an 18-point lead, Jackson sent a clear message he'll favor performance over pacing the minutes of his starters.
2011年3月28日星期一
Phoenix Forum Announces Social, Networking Events
The Phoenix Forum announced its schedule of social events and networking opportunities today.
Kicking off the Forum will be its traditional annual charity golf tournament sponsored once again by X2K. Tee time is 12:30 p.m. on March 30. The tournament will benefit the Free Speech Coalition and feature a continental breakfast, full day of golf, lunch on the course, post-golf mixer and awards dinner.
Once the Forum begins, the Too Much Media and Nats 4.1 Hospitality Suite will be up and running in suites 2043 and 2045 for all three days of the event, while the JBM Hooters Happy Hour will provide attendees with an opportunity to relax on Thursday afternoon at an attendee-favorite locale.
The highly anticapted XBIZ speed networking event will once again bring attendees together in the Abbey at Tempe Mission Palms, and the always popular Phoenix Forum Welcome Reception will take place in the courtyard on Thursday evening.
Immediately following the Welcome Reception, Cybersocket will once again host its always well-received Webmaster Opening party at the Rula Bula Irish Pub next to the Tempe Mission Palms where traditional Irish food and drink will be served.
Rounding out the first full day of the Forum, the YNOT Grand Prix will help accelerate the networking to new levels at an off-site race track on Thursday night.
Also on Thursday, Video Secrets and OrbitalPay will present The Suite Life — Champagne and Shots, where all attendees are invited to stop by suite 2041 for premium champagne and shots all around. In addition, City Sex Cash Late Night Hospitality Suite and the Smashbucks Latenight Poker Lounge will keep things going into the early morning hours in suites 2040 and 2038.
Starting Friday at 11 a.m. IntenseCash is sponsoring 10-minute licensed massages and MeritCard is bringing in a body painter and opening up a cabana with a Dos Equis lager keg at noon.
At 1 p.m. the NakedSword Surf Shack presented by NakedSword, AEBN, Raging Stallion and Gunz Blazing is open for good times in suite 2047, sponsored by Cybersocket.
The JBM Happy Hour returns on Friday afternoon, and Maleflixxx’s Cock and Tail party gets going Friday evening. Next Door Buddy Profits Friday Night Heat keeps things going into the evening along with the return of City Sex Cash Late Night Hospitality Suite and the Smashbucks Latenight Poker Lounge. The Next Door Buddy Profits Recovery Breakfast will round out things early into the wee hours.
IntenseCash and the the MeritCard body painter and cabana are back again on Saturday with licensed massages as is the Surf Shack. A pirate dunk sponsored by Porn Guardian takes place Saturday afternoon.
Helping the 2011 Phoenix Forum draw to a close will be the Webmaster Dodgeball and Live Photo Shoot courtesy of Lightspeedcash.
Also closing the show is the Aloha Oe party sponsored by NakedSword, AEBN, Raging Stallion and GunzBlazing that begins at 8 p.m., and the Smashbucks Latenight Poker Lounge makes a final appearance.
For a complete listing of these and other events click here and select schedule.
The 2011 Phoenix Forum starts on March 31 and ends on April 2. Registration to attend the Phoenix Forum is $275 per person up until March 30. For those registering onsite, the fee will be $325 per person.
Kicking off the Forum will be its traditional annual charity golf tournament sponsored once again by X2K. Tee time is 12:30 p.m. on March 30. The tournament will benefit the Free Speech Coalition and feature a continental breakfast, full day of golf, lunch on the course, post-golf mixer and awards dinner.
Once the Forum begins, the Too Much Media and Nats 4.1 Hospitality Suite will be up and running in suites 2043 and 2045 for all three days of the event, while the JBM Hooters Happy Hour will provide attendees with an opportunity to relax on Thursday afternoon at an attendee-favorite locale.
The highly anticapted XBIZ speed networking event will once again bring attendees together in the Abbey at Tempe Mission Palms, and the always popular Phoenix Forum Welcome Reception will take place in the courtyard on Thursday evening.
Immediately following the Welcome Reception, Cybersocket will once again host its always well-received Webmaster Opening party at the Rula Bula Irish Pub next to the Tempe Mission Palms where traditional Irish food and drink will be served.
Rounding out the first full day of the Forum, the YNOT Grand Prix will help accelerate the networking to new levels at an off-site race track on Thursday night.
Also on Thursday, Video Secrets and OrbitalPay will present The Suite Life — Champagne and Shots, where all attendees are invited to stop by suite 2041 for premium champagne and shots all around. In addition, City Sex Cash Late Night Hospitality Suite and the Smashbucks Latenight Poker Lounge will keep things going into the early morning hours in suites 2040 and 2038.
Starting Friday at 11 a.m. IntenseCash is sponsoring 10-minute licensed massages and MeritCard is bringing in a body painter and opening up a cabana with a Dos Equis lager keg at noon.
At 1 p.m. the NakedSword Surf Shack presented by NakedSword, AEBN, Raging Stallion and Gunz Blazing is open for good times in suite 2047, sponsored by Cybersocket.
The JBM Happy Hour returns on Friday afternoon, and Maleflixxx’s Cock and Tail party gets going Friday evening. Next Door Buddy Profits Friday Night Heat keeps things going into the evening along with the return of City Sex Cash Late Night Hospitality Suite and the Smashbucks Latenight Poker Lounge. The Next Door Buddy Profits Recovery Breakfast will round out things early into the wee hours.
IntenseCash and the the MeritCard body painter and cabana are back again on Saturday with licensed massages as is the Surf Shack. A pirate dunk sponsored by Porn Guardian takes place Saturday afternoon.
Helping the 2011 Phoenix Forum draw to a close will be the Webmaster Dodgeball and Live Photo Shoot courtesy of Lightspeedcash.
Also closing the show is the Aloha Oe party sponsored by NakedSword, AEBN, Raging Stallion and GunzBlazing that begins at 8 p.m., and the Smashbucks Latenight Poker Lounge makes a final appearance.
For a complete listing of these and other events click here and select schedule.
The 2011 Phoenix Forum starts on March 31 and ends on April 2. Registration to attend the Phoenix Forum is $275 per person up until March 30. For those registering onsite, the fee will be $325 per person.
2011年3月22日星期二
Udoh is far from a perfect Warriors PF, but he's probably a better option than David Lee
There's no doubt the Warriors have a problem on the frontline, and it's obvious that center Andris Biedrins has been a huge part of the problem.
He has regressed. He is an immense percentage drag on offense and–thanks to the loss of confidence–has become a mind-bogglingly negative player on defense, too.
Now Biedrins–due $9M for the next three seasons–is hurt and probably out for most or all of the remaining meaningless games, which means rookie Ekpe Udoh has been the starting C for a few games and probably will be for the rest of the season.
And it hasn't gone so well so far.
Udoh's clearly out of position and he doesn't get many rebounds–and if you don't get rebounds when you're 23 years old in the NBA, you probably won't get many at age 28, 30 or 33 either.
My point here: Udoh has a solid future role for this team, but it's not at center…
It's as a starting power forward WHO ACTUALLY PLAYS DEFENSE.
That is, Udoh could have that role if Warriors management ever gets over its besotted love for David Lee, and that might not happen, I realize.
It's also difficult to factor in all the money the team owes Lee for the next five seasons. There's a PR cost there, and the Warriors do love their PR.
But to use venture-capital lingo, let's consider the remaining $69.2M of his deal a “sunk cost” and work strictly based on what would make the Warriors a better team in the next few years.
Plus, they already have Udoh, so it's not like the GSWs would have to pay more money to put him at PF over Lee.
They'd just have to ignore the politics–for once–and play the more valuable guy at a position that demands defense above all other attributes.
And having Udoh installed as the main PF makes it easier to find a workable, blendable center in free agency or via trade.
Having Lee as the PF means you have to get a superstar center to balance his gaping weaknesses.
Superstar centers, you might have guessed, are almost impossible to get.
–Udoh wasn't my choice for the Warriors with the No. 6 pick. I liked Greg Monroe there because he's younger, more skilled offensively and just simply more valuable, which seems to be proving true.
But the Warriors took Udoh and he has shown three things–he plays hard, he plays defense and he can't do a whole lot of other things.
Stat that won't surprise you: The Warriors play far better defense statistically (and by eyeball test) with Udoh on the floor than with any other main-rotation player.
The GSWs allow 113.9 points per 100 possessions when Udoh is OUT… and just 105.5. points per 100 poss's when he's IN the game.
When Monta Ellis is IN, the Warriors give up 113.9 points per 100.
When Stephen Curry is IN, the GSWs give up 113.5 points per 100.
When Dorell Wright is IN, the GSWs give up 112.7 points per 100.
And when David Lee is IN… the GSWs give up 114.5 per 100.
Repeat: The Warriors only give up105.5 when Udoh is in… and 114.5 points per 100 possessions when Lee is in. (I realize they are often in together. That tells you how good Udoh is defensively when he's in the game without Lee.)
–Quick conclusion: Like Biedrins before him, Udoh suffers at C when he has to play next to Lee, because Lee provides no help at the major responsibilities. Which are defense and low-post scoring.
–Overall conclusion: If Lee is your PF, you need a C who can score on the post, guard big centers and also match up agains tall-quick PFs, since Lee can't do that either.
There are not many of those guys out there who can do that. Biedrins sure isn't one of them.
But as much as Biedrins' limitations have affected Lee (as I keep hearing from Lee supporters), I think Lee's less-discussed limitations totally ruined any shot for Biedrins to contribute.
When was the last time you ever saw Lee providing true help defense at the rim? Hardly ever happens, or if it does, it's mainly to look like he's helping by waving his arms wildly but by no means actually bothering the lay-up or dunk.
This left all of the rim-defense to Biedrins, which leads to fouls and–incidentally–Biedrins being out of position for rebounds.
Those are rebounds that Lee is usually in position to get because he DOESN'T help on defense at the rim. That exposes Biedrins and kills team defense–but it sure is nice for Lee's rebounding numbers.
By the way, the Warriors were the worst % rebounding team last year and they're the worst this year, too. They've bumped up the total, but they're still the worst.
Meanwhile, if Udoh is your PF, you have much of the defensive side taken care of, and what you need is a C who can score and rebound.
That's still a lot, but in my book, it's easier to build your frontline around a PF who can defend the block instead of building it on a guy who can't defend OR score on the post.
Then you still need a center, because Udoh isn't a center.
It's simpler to hunt for a C who can score efficiently and play only moderate defense as opposed to a C who MUST score and MUST play dominant defense.
For instance, Nene would fit very nicely with Udoh, if the Warriors could get Nene. Next to Lee… Nene would help, but the Warriors would have many of the same issues on defense, and if you have frontline defensive issues, you're mostly dead.
Especially if your backcourt can't play D, either.
–OK, you're still worried about Udoh's rebounding and cherish all those Lee “double-doubles”?
A stat that may befuddle you: Though Lee averages 9.6 rebounds per game, the Warriors actually are a WORSE % rebounding team when he's IN (47.3%) than when he's OUT (49.1%).
That, by the way, is the worst % of any member of the Warriors' main rotation except Acie Law.
This suggests that Lee gets the rebounds the GSWs would pretty much get anyway–and that he possibly bumps off his teammates more reliaibly than he bumps off the opposing team for those stats.
So Lee not only has the worst defensive stats… he's a so-called premium rebounder who does not help the team rebounding in any measurable way and in fact statistically makes them worse.
And even though Udoh doesn't have a double-digit rebound game in his NBA career (and is only averaging 2.7 per game in 16.7 minutes per), the Warriors' rebounding is basically the same whether Udoh is in the game or not.
Also, I can throw in the plus/minus, which I know everybody hates, but it still is a look at WHAT HAPPENS ON THE SCOREBOARD when players are in the game, and I think over the breadth of a season, that's sort of important.
He has regressed. He is an immense percentage drag on offense and–thanks to the loss of confidence–has become a mind-bogglingly negative player on defense, too.
Now Biedrins–due $9M for the next three seasons–is hurt and probably out for most or all of the remaining meaningless games, which means rookie Ekpe Udoh has been the starting C for a few games and probably will be for the rest of the season.
And it hasn't gone so well so far.
Udoh's clearly out of position and he doesn't get many rebounds–and if you don't get rebounds when you're 23 years old in the NBA, you probably won't get many at age 28, 30 or 33 either.
My point here: Udoh has a solid future role for this team, but it's not at center…
It's as a starting power forward WHO ACTUALLY PLAYS DEFENSE.
That is, Udoh could have that role if Warriors management ever gets over its besotted love for David Lee, and that might not happen, I realize.
It's also difficult to factor in all the money the team owes Lee for the next five seasons. There's a PR cost there, and the Warriors do love their PR.
But to use venture-capital lingo, let's consider the remaining $69.2M of his deal a “sunk cost” and work strictly based on what would make the Warriors a better team in the next few years.
Plus, they already have Udoh, so it's not like the GSWs would have to pay more money to put him at PF over Lee.
They'd just have to ignore the politics–for once–and play the more valuable guy at a position that demands defense above all other attributes.
And having Udoh installed as the main PF makes it easier to find a workable, blendable center in free agency or via trade.
Having Lee as the PF means you have to get a superstar center to balance his gaping weaknesses.
Superstar centers, you might have guessed, are almost impossible to get.
–Udoh wasn't my choice for the Warriors with the No. 6 pick. I liked Greg Monroe there because he's younger, more skilled offensively and just simply more valuable, which seems to be proving true.
But the Warriors took Udoh and he has shown three things–he plays hard, he plays defense and he can't do a whole lot of other things.
Stat that won't surprise you: The Warriors play far better defense statistically (and by eyeball test) with Udoh on the floor than with any other main-rotation player.
The GSWs allow 113.9 points per 100 possessions when Udoh is OUT… and just 105.5. points per 100 poss's when he's IN the game.
When Monta Ellis is IN, the Warriors give up 113.9 points per 100.
When Stephen Curry is IN, the GSWs give up 113.5 points per 100.
When Dorell Wright is IN, the GSWs give up 112.7 points per 100.
And when David Lee is IN… the GSWs give up 114.5 per 100.
Repeat: The Warriors only give up105.5 when Udoh is in… and 114.5 points per 100 possessions when Lee is in. (I realize they are often in together. That tells you how good Udoh is defensively when he's in the game without Lee.)
–Quick conclusion: Like Biedrins before him, Udoh suffers at C when he has to play next to Lee, because Lee provides no help at the major responsibilities. Which are defense and low-post scoring.
–Overall conclusion: If Lee is your PF, you need a C who can score on the post, guard big centers and also match up agains tall-quick PFs, since Lee can't do that either.
There are not many of those guys out there who can do that. Biedrins sure isn't one of them.
But as much as Biedrins' limitations have affected Lee (as I keep hearing from Lee supporters), I think Lee's less-discussed limitations totally ruined any shot for Biedrins to contribute.
When was the last time you ever saw Lee providing true help defense at the rim? Hardly ever happens, or if it does, it's mainly to look like he's helping by waving his arms wildly but by no means actually bothering the lay-up or dunk.
This left all of the rim-defense to Biedrins, which leads to fouls and–incidentally–Biedrins being out of position for rebounds.
Those are rebounds that Lee is usually in position to get because he DOESN'T help on defense at the rim. That exposes Biedrins and kills team defense–but it sure is nice for Lee's rebounding numbers.
By the way, the Warriors were the worst % rebounding team last year and they're the worst this year, too. They've bumped up the total, but they're still the worst.
Meanwhile, if Udoh is your PF, you have much of the defensive side taken care of, and what you need is a C who can score and rebound.
That's still a lot, but in my book, it's easier to build your frontline around a PF who can defend the block instead of building it on a guy who can't defend OR score on the post.
Then you still need a center, because Udoh isn't a center.
It's simpler to hunt for a C who can score efficiently and play only moderate defense as opposed to a C who MUST score and MUST play dominant defense.
For instance, Nene would fit very nicely with Udoh, if the Warriors could get Nene. Next to Lee… Nene would help, but the Warriors would have many of the same issues on defense, and if you have frontline defensive issues, you're mostly dead.
Especially if your backcourt can't play D, either.
–OK, you're still worried about Udoh's rebounding and cherish all those Lee “double-doubles”?
A stat that may befuddle you: Though Lee averages 9.6 rebounds per game, the Warriors actually are a WORSE % rebounding team when he's IN (47.3%) than when he's OUT (49.1%).
That, by the way, is the worst % of any member of the Warriors' main rotation except Acie Law.
This suggests that Lee gets the rebounds the GSWs would pretty much get anyway–and that he possibly bumps off his teammates more reliaibly than he bumps off the opposing team for those stats.
So Lee not only has the worst defensive stats… he's a so-called premium rebounder who does not help the team rebounding in any measurable way and in fact statistically makes them worse.
And even though Udoh doesn't have a double-digit rebound game in his NBA career (and is only averaging 2.7 per game in 16.7 minutes per), the Warriors' rebounding is basically the same whether Udoh is in the game or not.
Also, I can throw in the plus/minus, which I know everybody hates, but it still is a look at WHAT HAPPENS ON THE SCOREBOARD when players are in the game, and I think over the breadth of a season, that's sort of important.
2011年3月20日星期日
More drama in Friday's NCAA tournament action
What mayhem will March Madness bring on Friday?
After a scintillating day of action Thursday, the NCAA tournament takes the court again today with 16 more games that will complete the second round and get us ready for the weekend.
And once again, USA TODAY is at the ready as Erick Smith and Tim Gardner will bring you updates from all the day's early games right here in Campus Rivalry.
6:58 p.m.: That's all for the afternoon session as Ohio State finishes off Texas-San Antonio 75-46. Enjoy the games tonight and we'll be back tomorrow afternoon.
6:49 p.m.: Last media timeout in Cleveland. Ohio State cruising 70-39 with 3:43 left.
6:40 p.m.: Ohio State's lead is up to 30 after Dallas Lauderdale delivers a thunderous dunk. Just a few minutes away from Kansas and Boston University tipping off in Tulsa.
6:35 p.m.: About halfway through the second half. Ohio State up 57-32 on Texas-San Antonio. Good time for the Buckeyes to start resting people in advance of their third-round matchup against George Mason.
6:28 p.m.: Last game of the afternoon session is Ohio State and Texas-San Antonio. Buckeyes comfortably ahead 50-27 with 14 minutes left in front of the home crowd in Cleveland.
6:24 p.m.: Florida State fans close the game with a Seminole chant as their team beats Texas A&M 57-50. FSU advances to face Notre Dame in the third round on Sunday.
6:21 p.m.: So much for the run by Texas-San Antonio. Ohio State responds with nine unanswered points to push its lead to 46-26 with 15:20 left.
6:19 p.m.: Things looking good for Florida State. Derwin Kitchen hits two free throws with 2:07 left and the Seminoles lead Texas A&M 53-42.
6:15 p.m.: Play back under way in Cleveland. Texas-San Antonio gets the first five points of the second half to pull within 37-37 of Ohio State.
6:11 p.m.: Last media timeout in Chicago. Florida State went up eight on a three-point play by Derwin Kitchen. Texas A&M responded with a Khris Middleton layup off an offensive rebound. Seminoles lead 48-42 with 3:43 left.
6:05 p.m.: Chris Singleton delivers a big three for Florida State in his first game back from a broken foot. Seminoles lead Texas A&M 45-40 with just under seven minutes remaining.
5:59 p.m.: Texas A&M went more than six minutes without scoring and saw an eight-point lead turn into a five-point deficit. But consecutive scores have pulled the Aggies within 36-35 of Florida State with 10 minutes left.
5:54 p.m.: Halftime in Cleveland. Ohio State holding a 16-point advantage at 37-21 led by 15 points from William Buford, and nine apiece from Jon Diebler and Jared Sullinger.
5:50 p.m.: Florida State keeps its surge going with a couple more easy baskets. Texas A&M has hit a scoring drought in the last five minutes, and the Seminoles lead 34-31.
5:46 p.m.: Ohio State now making it look easy. The Buckeyes are on a 22-6 run after a three by Jon Diebler and lead Texas-San Antonio 36-17 with 1:34 left in the half.
5:42 p.m.: Texas A&M looked on the verge of breaking open a close game before a 7-0 run by Florida State left the Aggies ahead 31-30 with 15:16 left. Derwin Kitchen started the move with a three-pointer and Bernard James' dunk capped it.
5:38 p.m.: William Buford is leading the way with 15 points as Ohio State has a 25-17 lead on Texas-San Antonio with 4:54 left in the first half. Buford is 6-of-9 from the field and 3-of-4 from the three-point line.
5:33 p.m.: Second half between Texas A&M and Florida State is under way. Aggies get an early three-pointer Nathan Walkup and lead 29-23 after a slow scoring start in the first half.
5:27 p.m.: Ohio State now taking control against Texas-San Antonio. It's 17-11 in favor of the Buckeyes halfway through the first half.
5:22 p.m.: Duke has finished off Hampton 87-45. After a late scoring binge, Kyrie Irving finished with 14 points to lead all Blue Devils players. A good sign for the top seed, which plays Michigan on Sunday.
5:20 p.m.: No. 1 seed Ohio State is getting an early test from Texas-San Antonio. The Roadrunners lead 9-7 with 15:19 left in the first half.
5:15 p.m.: Lamont Jones drilled two free throws with 7.4 seconds left to put Arizona up 77-74. The Wildcats then fouled to deny Memphis a three-pointer to tie the game. After Joe Jackson made the first shot, he intentionally missed the second. Wesley Witherspoon got the offensive rebound, but Derrick Williams blocked Witherspoon's shot to secure a 77-75 win for Arizona.
5:12 p.m.: Memphis still has hope. Joe Jackson hits two free throws, then a steal and basket cuts Arizona's lead to 75-74 with 12.8 seconds left.
5:09 p.m.: Arizona's Jamelle Horne hits two free throws after barely surviving the Memphis pressure. Wildcats up 75-70 with 24 seconds left.
5:05 p.m.: Arizona clinging to a 73-30 lead with 38.8 seconds left after a bucket by Memphis. Wildcats have the ball and will need to keep possession and make free throws. Tigers want a steal.
5:03 p.m.: Kyrie Irving has his first field goal on a driving layup. Irving showed nice explosion on the play so his toe seems fine. Duke leads 73-39.
4:58 p.m.: Derrick Wiliams is carrying Arizona as he has in most games. The Wildcats forward's three-pointer puts his team ahead of Memphis 68-65. A little less than four minutes left.
4:54 p.m.: Only drama in the Duke game is whether Kyrie Irving will make a field goal. The freshman is 0-for-3 from the field in his return to action. Devils lead Hampton 67-38 with 7:44 left.
4:50 p.m.: Texas A&M has finally shown some signs of life in Chicago. Aggies have tied up Florida State at 12 with 7:35 left in the first half. Some good news for the Seminoles. Chris Singleton has checked into the game after missing a month with a broken foot.
4:46 p.m.: A nice run by Memphis has the Tigers out front of Arizona 65-61 with 7:09 left. Memphis is 6-0f-12 from three, while the Wildcats are 3-of-15.
4:41 p.m.: Points still at a premium in Chicago. Ten minutes into the game, Florida State leads Texas A&M 12-5. Aggies are 2-of-9 from the field and have five turnovers.
4:38 p.m.: Catching up on other action after that wild finish in Cleveland. Duke is rolling against Hampton 55-25 after a 16-3 run to start the second half. Arizona leads Memphis 56-55 with 10:34 left.
4:36 p.m.: George Mason does it again! Corey Stokes missed a jumper in the final seconds, the Patriots rebounded and Mike Morrison dunked to ice a 61-57 defeat of Villanova.
4:34 p.m.: Luke Hancock drilled a three to put George Mason ahead 59-57. Villanova's attempt misses but a jump ball is called on the rebound. Wildcats have the possession arrow and have 9.1 seconds left to tie or win.
4:33 p.m.: Corey Fisher hit three free throws after being fouled on a three-point attempt and Villanova goes ahead of George Mason 57-56 with 31.7 seconds left.
4:30 p.m.: George Mason takes the lead on a rebound dunk by Mike Morrison. That caps a 8-0 run to put the Patriots ahead 56-54 with 54.7 seconds left. Villanova has used its final timeout.
4:28 p.m.: No sign of offense in Chicago. Florida State leads Texas A&M 3-0 at the first media timeout. Seminoles 1-of-5 from the field. Aggies are 0-for-4.
4:26 p.m.: Antonio Pena missed a pair of free throws, and George Mason got the ball inside to Ryan Pearson, who was fouled on a made basket with 1:34 left. Pearson converts the three-point play, and Patriots now are tied with Villanova at 54.
4:23 p.m.: A clutch three-pointer in the corner by Isaiah Tate has pulled George Mason within 54-51 of Villanova. Just 1:54 left. Time for the Patriots to play good defense and get the ball back.
4:21 p.m.: Florida State and Texas A&M have tipped in Chicago. Winner gets to face Notre Dame.
4:17 p.m.: Arizona has some breathing room early in the second half after a 7-2 surge. Wildcats out front 48-40 after Derrick Williams has scored five points in the run.
4:14 p.m.: Timeout in Cleveland with 3:53 left. Villanova up 52-46 after a three by Corey Stokes. George Mason hurt by missing two front ends of a one-and-one in the last two minutes.
4:10 p.m.: George Mason and Villanova trading blows in a tight game with 5:31 left. Wildcats lead 49-46 after a clutch jumper by Corey Fisher, who leads all scorers with 15 points.
4:07 p.m.: A very successful first half for Duke. Blue Devils lead Hampton 39-22, while Kyrie Irving has gotten significant action to knock off some of the rust gained during his layoff. Nolan Smith and Mason Plumlee each have seven to lead a balanced scoring attack.
4:02 p.m.: Villanova with a little breathing room against George Mason. Wildcats up 47-42 with 9:01 left after a pair of free throws by Maalik Wayans.
3:59 p.m.: Kyrie Irving is on the board with two free throws. The Duke guard still waiting for his first field goal as the Blue Devils are rolling against Hampton 33-18 with under four minutes left in the first half.
3:56 p.m.: Arizona has gone to the half with a 41-38 edge on Memphis. The Tigers started fast, but the Wildcats responded behind 22 combined points from Derrick Williams and Lamont Jones.
3:54 p.m.: George Mason has pulled to within 41-40 of Villanova after seven consecutive points by Luke Hancock. About 12 minutes left in Cleveland. Looking like this will go down to the wire.
3:47 p.m.: Notre Dame finishes off Akron 69-56. Methodical victory for the Irish, who never got flustered when the Zips tried to make a run. On to the third round.
3:42 p.m.: It was rusty start for Kyrie Irving. In about five minutes of action, he charged and missed his only shot. Duke leads Hampton 22-12 halfway through the first half.
3:40 p.m.: Notre Dame looks like it will comfortably reach the third round. Irish up 65-53 on Akron with 1:37 remaining. Zips struggling from the field and three-point line.
3:37 p.m.: Arizona has closed within one of Memphis on Kyle Fogg layup. Tigers still ahead at 26-25, but they've lost the momentum from their strong start.
3:33 p.m: Kyrie Irving's first touch came in a fast break situation. The Duke guard tried to go through two Hampton defenders and was called for a charge. Devils lead 18-6.
3:30 p.m.: Coming out of the first media time out, Duke leads Hampton 13-4. Of bigger significance to the Blue Devils is the return of Kyrie Irving. The freshman guard has checked in with 15:19 left.
3:28 p.m.: Akron has gone ice cold for the second time in the game. The Zips last field goal came at 10:05 left in the half. Notre Dame has used that drought to extend its lead to 59-45 with 4:18 remaining.
3:23 p.m.: Memphis started fast and has maintained its lead on Arizona. Wesley Witherspoon has seven points off the bench for the Tigers, who lead 21-16 after 10 minutes.
3:20 p.m.: Coming out of a media timeout, Notre Dame holds a 55-45 advantage on Akron with 7:25 left. The Irish haven't put away the Zips, but the Zips haven't gotten close enough to put a lot of pressure on the Irish.
3:17 p.m.: Minutes way from tip in Charlotte. Duke will face Hampton, but most eyes will be on Kyrie Irving, who returns after 3 1/2 months off due to a toe injury.
3:12 p.m.: George Mason had a nice stretch in the final minutes of the first half before an Antonio Pena jumper gave Villanova a 35-29 edge after 20 minutes. Wildcats guards Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes have combined for 24 points.
3:11 p.m.: Notre Dame hasn't put away Akron as we head to 10 minutes left in Chicago. The Zips trailed by 12, but a 11-4 run has trimmed the Irish lead to 49-44.
3:05 p.m.: Make that 10 of 11 of the first points for Memphis after a three-point play by Antonio Barton. No. 5 seed Arizona trails 10-1.
3:03 p.m.: Memphis has seven of the first eight points in Tulsa. Three minutes into the game, it's the Tigers ahead of Arizona 7-1.
3:00 p.m.: Villanova continues its strong first half against George Mason. Malik Wayans scored five points in a 8-2 run to extend the Wildcats margin to 31-21 with 3:55 left in the first half.
2:58 p.m.: Akron still hasn't scored in the first five minutes of the second half, and Notre Dame has pushed its lead to 43-30.
2:53 p.m.: George Mason calls timeout with 5:55 left in the first half. Villanova out front of the Patriots 25-17. Akron asks for its own timeout in Chicago. Five quick points by Notre Dame in the second half have the Irish up 39-30.
2:47 p.m.: George Mason and Villanova are the only two teams in action right now. Wildcats still leading the Patriots. It's 23-17 with 7:45 left in the first half. Notre Dame and Akron about to start the second half.
2:44 p.m.: Michigan has finished off Tennessee 75-45. A listless second half for the Volunteers, who only trailed by four after the first 20 minutes. Zack Novak led five Wolverines in double figures with 14 points.
2:41 p.m.: A nice first 10 minutes for Villanova, which needed some early success. Corey Stokes has nine points on three three-pointers. Wildcats lead George Mason 21-15.
2:36 p.m.: There may be less than four minutes left in Bruce Pearl's tenure at Tennessee. Volunteers trail Michigan 70-40. Wolverines have four scorers in double figures and will cruise into the second round with a likely matchup against Duke.
2:33 p.m.: First half is over in Chicago. Notre Dame out front 34-30 on Akron. Irish started fast, but the Zips have gotten back into the game after trailing by as much as 11.
2:30 p.m.: Villanova being more aggressive that during its late-season win streak. A three-point play by Corey Fisher has Wildcats up 9-7 on George Mason with 14:24 left in the first half.
2:26 p.m.: Texas has advanced with a 85-81 defeat of Oakland. The Grizzlies battled throughout, but the inside game of the Longhorns was too much. Reserve guard J'Covan Brown led Texas with 21 points.
2:25 p.m.: Akron couldn't hit anything in the early going, but the Zips have started to catch fire. A triple by Alex Abreu pulls them within 34-30 of Notre Dame with 1:35 left in the first half.
2:23 p.m.: Michigan still holding a comfortable lead on Tennessee. Wolverines out front 59-40 with 9:23 left. Not much life in the Volunteers right now.
2:20 p.m.: George Mason and Villanova have started in Cleveland. Patriots looking to make another deep tournament run as they did in 2006. Wildcats looking to turn around a slump at the end of the year.
2:18 p.m.: After a questionable foul call on Oakland, Texas hit one of two free throws. Then a Grizzlies three-point attempt went in and out. Longhorns rebound, and hit two free throws. 83-75 in favor of Texas with under a minute left.
2:15 p.m.: Oakland is now within five of Texas after a three-pointer by Larry Wright. Still 1:21 left for the Grizzlies to try and rally.
2:12 p.m.: It looks like Mike Hamilton's comments about Bruce Pearl's job security have inspired Tennessee. Michigan extends its second half run to 19-2 after a series of three-pointers by Zack Novak. Wolverines now lead 52-31 with 13:40 left.
2:09 p.m.: Oakland is within single digits after a three-point play by Reggie Hamilton. Texas still is up 78-70 with 2:28 left.
2:07 p.m.: Michigan is on a 12-2 run at the start of the second half to extend its edge on Tennessee to 45-31 with 15:34 left. Tobias Harris has 19 points, but nobody else on the Vols has more than four points.
2:05 p.m.: Notre Dame is hot. Akron is cold. No surprise that the Irish are out front 21-10 about halfway through the first half. The Zips are 4-of-18 from the field. Notre Dame has four three-pointers.
2:01 p.m.: Texas still has comfortable margin on Oakland with 5:19 remaining. Led by Jordan Hamilton's 19 points, the Longhorns lead 76-63.
1:58 p.m.: Michigan has built upon is late momentum from the first half and extended their advantage on Tennessee to 40-31. Vols call timeout with 17:46 left after consecutive layups by Jordan Morgan.
1:55 p.m.: Two Notre Dame three-pointers are part of a 10-0 run by the Irish, who lead Akron 16-6. Zips are just 2-for-13 from the field with 12:57 left in the first half.
1:50 p.m.: First media timeout in Chicago. Akron and Notre Dame knotted at 6-6. Tim Abromaitis has all six points for the Irish.
1:48 p.m.: Under 10 minutes left in Tulsa. Oakland has pulled within 66-54 of Texas after being down 17 earlier in the half. Still a lot of work for the Grizzlies, who still cannot control the size of the Longhorns.
1:44 p.m.: Notre Dame and Akron have tipped in Chicago. The Irish got the first points on three foul shots by Tim Abromaitis. Darryl Roberts responded with a jumper and it is 3-2 early.
1:39 p.m.: Texas starting to assert itself with a run taking their lead to 63-46 on a Jai Lucas three-pointer. Oakland needs a response with just under 13 minutes left.
1:33 p.m.: A runner by Darius Morris at the buzzer gives Michigan a 33-29 margin after 20 minutes. Good first half for the Wolverines, especially with Tim Hardaway Jr. only contributing two points.
1:32 p.m.: Oakland and Texas going back-and-forth with the Longhorns up 53-44.
1:30 p.m.: Inside of two minutes left in the first half and Michigan is holding a 31-27 edge on Tennessee. About 10 minutes away from Notre Dame-Akron tip.
1:25 p.m.: Second half under way in Tulsa. Texas has first possession and a 46-38 lead.
1:22 p.m.: Michigan's mini-run became a full-fledged 10-0 run. Wolverines have scored 10 straight and lead Tennessee 27-23.
1:20 p.m.: Michigan responds with their own mini-run capped by a three from Matt Vogrich. Tennessee's lead trimmed to 23-22 with 5:23 left in first half.
1:14 p.m.:Tennessee eases ahead of Michigan 22-17 with 7:14 left in the first half as Tobias Harris scores seven points in a 9-4 run. Harris almost matching with Wolverines with 15 points.
1:07 p.m.: A little more than halfway through the first half between Tennessee and Michigan and it's tied at 13. Wolverines only 30% from the field and 1-of-7 from the three-point line. Also Tim Hardaway Jr. has two early fouls.
1:03 p.m.: Texas is shooting the lights out at 58.8% (20-of-34). But Oakland is hanging around with the Longhorns, who only lead 46-38 against the gritty Golden Grizzlies at half. Will be interesting what happens if Texas cools off.
12:56 p.m.: It took five minutes, but someone other than Tobias Harris has scored for Tennessee. Scotty Hopson's three puts the Vols up 11-9 with 14:15 left in the first half.
12:53 p.m.: Oakland has put together a quick 7-0 run which included by a long three from Travis Bader, who leads all scorers with 10 points. Texas leads 33-28 with 3:50 left in the first half.
12:49 p.m.: First media timeout in Charlotte with Tennessee leading Michigan 8-7 with 15:24 left in the first half. It's been the Tobias Harris show for the Vols. He has scored all eight points, while rest of team is 0-for-3.
12:45 p.m.: Texas pushes its lead to 29-19 with 7:55 left in the first half. J'Covan Brown has seven points off the bench to lead in the Longhorns. Grizzlies are hitting 50% from the field but are 2-of-5 from the free-thrown line and have four turnovers.
12:41 p.m.: Ball is in the air in Charlotte. Tennessee and Michigan, two schools with outstanding fight songs, battling for berth in third round that likely will mean a matchup against Duke.
12:38 p.m.: Hot shooting has Texas ahead 25-17 with 9:52 left in the first half. Longhorns are 10-of-16 (62.5% ) from the field after Cory Joseph hit a three-pointer.
12:31 p.m.: Texas has extended its lead to 19-13 with 11:49 left in the first half. It's been balanced scoring for the Longhorns, who have four players each with four points and J'Covan Brown with a three-pointer that came just before the media timeout.
12:27 p.m.: Interesting matchup in the second game to tip today between Tennessee and Michigan. Volunteers AD Mike Hamilton made some comments earlier this week that cast doubt on coach Bruce Pearl's future. A win against the Wolverines could help Pearl keep his job.
12:22 p.m.: Good back-and-forth action between Oakland and Texas. Longhorns are using their size to dominate the paint and lead 10-7 with 15:03 left in the first half.
12:17 p.m.: Texas guard Dogus Balbay gets the first two points of the game on a driving layup. Oakland misses a three on its first possession.
12:12: p.m.: About five minutes away from the start of Texas-Oakland. Don't be surprised if this is close throughout. The Longhorns lost three of their last five before making the Big 12 tournament final. The Grizzlies have won 18 of 19.
After a scintillating day of action Thursday, the NCAA tournament takes the court again today with 16 more games that will complete the second round and get us ready for the weekend.
And once again, USA TODAY is at the ready as Erick Smith and Tim Gardner will bring you updates from all the day's early games right here in Campus Rivalry.
6:58 p.m.: That's all for the afternoon session as Ohio State finishes off Texas-San Antonio 75-46. Enjoy the games tonight and we'll be back tomorrow afternoon.
6:49 p.m.: Last media timeout in Cleveland. Ohio State cruising 70-39 with 3:43 left.
6:40 p.m.: Ohio State's lead is up to 30 after Dallas Lauderdale delivers a thunderous dunk. Just a few minutes away from Kansas and Boston University tipping off in Tulsa.
6:35 p.m.: About halfway through the second half. Ohio State up 57-32 on Texas-San Antonio. Good time for the Buckeyes to start resting people in advance of their third-round matchup against George Mason.
6:28 p.m.: Last game of the afternoon session is Ohio State and Texas-San Antonio. Buckeyes comfortably ahead 50-27 with 14 minutes left in front of the home crowd in Cleveland.
6:24 p.m.: Florida State fans close the game with a Seminole chant as their team beats Texas A&M 57-50. FSU advances to face Notre Dame in the third round on Sunday.
6:21 p.m.: So much for the run by Texas-San Antonio. Ohio State responds with nine unanswered points to push its lead to 46-26 with 15:20 left.
6:19 p.m.: Things looking good for Florida State. Derwin Kitchen hits two free throws with 2:07 left and the Seminoles lead Texas A&M 53-42.
6:15 p.m.: Play back under way in Cleveland. Texas-San Antonio gets the first five points of the second half to pull within 37-37 of Ohio State.
6:11 p.m.: Last media timeout in Chicago. Florida State went up eight on a three-point play by Derwin Kitchen. Texas A&M responded with a Khris Middleton layup off an offensive rebound. Seminoles lead 48-42 with 3:43 left.
6:05 p.m.: Chris Singleton delivers a big three for Florida State in his first game back from a broken foot. Seminoles lead Texas A&M 45-40 with just under seven minutes remaining.
5:59 p.m.: Texas A&M went more than six minutes without scoring and saw an eight-point lead turn into a five-point deficit. But consecutive scores have pulled the Aggies within 36-35 of Florida State with 10 minutes left.
5:54 p.m.: Halftime in Cleveland. Ohio State holding a 16-point advantage at 37-21 led by 15 points from William Buford, and nine apiece from Jon Diebler and Jared Sullinger.
5:50 p.m.: Florida State keeps its surge going with a couple more easy baskets. Texas A&M has hit a scoring drought in the last five minutes, and the Seminoles lead 34-31.
5:46 p.m.: Ohio State now making it look easy. The Buckeyes are on a 22-6 run after a three by Jon Diebler and lead Texas-San Antonio 36-17 with 1:34 left in the half.
5:42 p.m.: Texas A&M looked on the verge of breaking open a close game before a 7-0 run by Florida State left the Aggies ahead 31-30 with 15:16 left. Derwin Kitchen started the move with a three-pointer and Bernard James' dunk capped it.
5:38 p.m.: William Buford is leading the way with 15 points as Ohio State has a 25-17 lead on Texas-San Antonio with 4:54 left in the first half. Buford is 6-of-9 from the field and 3-of-4 from the three-point line.
5:33 p.m.: Second half between Texas A&M and Florida State is under way. Aggies get an early three-pointer Nathan Walkup and lead 29-23 after a slow scoring start in the first half.
5:27 p.m.: Ohio State now taking control against Texas-San Antonio. It's 17-11 in favor of the Buckeyes halfway through the first half.
5:22 p.m.: Duke has finished off Hampton 87-45. After a late scoring binge, Kyrie Irving finished with 14 points to lead all Blue Devils players. A good sign for the top seed, which plays Michigan on Sunday.
5:20 p.m.: No. 1 seed Ohio State is getting an early test from Texas-San Antonio. The Roadrunners lead 9-7 with 15:19 left in the first half.
5:15 p.m.: Lamont Jones drilled two free throws with 7.4 seconds left to put Arizona up 77-74. The Wildcats then fouled to deny Memphis a three-pointer to tie the game. After Joe Jackson made the first shot, he intentionally missed the second. Wesley Witherspoon got the offensive rebound, but Derrick Williams blocked Witherspoon's shot to secure a 77-75 win for Arizona.
5:12 p.m.: Memphis still has hope. Joe Jackson hits two free throws, then a steal and basket cuts Arizona's lead to 75-74 with 12.8 seconds left.
5:09 p.m.: Arizona's Jamelle Horne hits two free throws after barely surviving the Memphis pressure. Wildcats up 75-70 with 24 seconds left.
5:05 p.m.: Arizona clinging to a 73-30 lead with 38.8 seconds left after a bucket by Memphis. Wildcats have the ball and will need to keep possession and make free throws. Tigers want a steal.
5:03 p.m.: Kyrie Irving has his first field goal on a driving layup. Irving showed nice explosion on the play so his toe seems fine. Duke leads 73-39.
4:58 p.m.: Derrick Wiliams is carrying Arizona as he has in most games. The Wildcats forward's three-pointer puts his team ahead of Memphis 68-65. A little less than four minutes left.
4:54 p.m.: Only drama in the Duke game is whether Kyrie Irving will make a field goal. The freshman is 0-for-3 from the field in his return to action. Devils lead Hampton 67-38 with 7:44 left.
4:50 p.m.: Texas A&M has finally shown some signs of life in Chicago. Aggies have tied up Florida State at 12 with 7:35 left in the first half. Some good news for the Seminoles. Chris Singleton has checked into the game after missing a month with a broken foot.
4:46 p.m.: A nice run by Memphis has the Tigers out front of Arizona 65-61 with 7:09 left. Memphis is 6-0f-12 from three, while the Wildcats are 3-of-15.
4:41 p.m.: Points still at a premium in Chicago. Ten minutes into the game, Florida State leads Texas A&M 12-5. Aggies are 2-of-9 from the field and have five turnovers.
4:38 p.m.: Catching up on other action after that wild finish in Cleveland. Duke is rolling against Hampton 55-25 after a 16-3 run to start the second half. Arizona leads Memphis 56-55 with 10:34 left.
4:36 p.m.: George Mason does it again! Corey Stokes missed a jumper in the final seconds, the Patriots rebounded and Mike Morrison dunked to ice a 61-57 defeat of Villanova.
4:34 p.m.: Luke Hancock drilled a three to put George Mason ahead 59-57. Villanova's attempt misses but a jump ball is called on the rebound. Wildcats have the possession arrow and have 9.1 seconds left to tie or win.
4:33 p.m.: Corey Fisher hit three free throws after being fouled on a three-point attempt and Villanova goes ahead of George Mason 57-56 with 31.7 seconds left.
4:30 p.m.: George Mason takes the lead on a rebound dunk by Mike Morrison. That caps a 8-0 run to put the Patriots ahead 56-54 with 54.7 seconds left. Villanova has used its final timeout.
4:28 p.m.: No sign of offense in Chicago. Florida State leads Texas A&M 3-0 at the first media timeout. Seminoles 1-of-5 from the field. Aggies are 0-for-4.
4:26 p.m.: Antonio Pena missed a pair of free throws, and George Mason got the ball inside to Ryan Pearson, who was fouled on a made basket with 1:34 left. Pearson converts the three-point play, and Patriots now are tied with Villanova at 54.
4:23 p.m.: A clutch three-pointer in the corner by Isaiah Tate has pulled George Mason within 54-51 of Villanova. Just 1:54 left. Time for the Patriots to play good defense and get the ball back.
4:21 p.m.: Florida State and Texas A&M have tipped in Chicago. Winner gets to face Notre Dame.
4:17 p.m.: Arizona has some breathing room early in the second half after a 7-2 surge. Wildcats out front 48-40 after Derrick Williams has scored five points in the run.
4:14 p.m.: Timeout in Cleveland with 3:53 left. Villanova up 52-46 after a three by Corey Stokes. George Mason hurt by missing two front ends of a one-and-one in the last two minutes.
4:10 p.m.: George Mason and Villanova trading blows in a tight game with 5:31 left. Wildcats lead 49-46 after a clutch jumper by Corey Fisher, who leads all scorers with 15 points.
4:07 p.m.: A very successful first half for Duke. Blue Devils lead Hampton 39-22, while Kyrie Irving has gotten significant action to knock off some of the rust gained during his layoff. Nolan Smith and Mason Plumlee each have seven to lead a balanced scoring attack.
4:02 p.m.: Villanova with a little breathing room against George Mason. Wildcats up 47-42 with 9:01 left after a pair of free throws by Maalik Wayans.
3:59 p.m.: Kyrie Irving is on the board with two free throws. The Duke guard still waiting for his first field goal as the Blue Devils are rolling against Hampton 33-18 with under four minutes left in the first half.
3:56 p.m.: Arizona has gone to the half with a 41-38 edge on Memphis. The Tigers started fast, but the Wildcats responded behind 22 combined points from Derrick Williams and Lamont Jones.
3:54 p.m.: George Mason has pulled to within 41-40 of Villanova after seven consecutive points by Luke Hancock. About 12 minutes left in Cleveland. Looking like this will go down to the wire.
3:47 p.m.: Notre Dame finishes off Akron 69-56. Methodical victory for the Irish, who never got flustered when the Zips tried to make a run. On to the third round.
3:42 p.m.: It was rusty start for Kyrie Irving. In about five minutes of action, he charged and missed his only shot. Duke leads Hampton 22-12 halfway through the first half.
3:40 p.m.: Notre Dame looks like it will comfortably reach the third round. Irish up 65-53 on Akron with 1:37 remaining. Zips struggling from the field and three-point line.
3:37 p.m.: Arizona has closed within one of Memphis on Kyle Fogg layup. Tigers still ahead at 26-25, but they've lost the momentum from their strong start.
3:33 p.m: Kyrie Irving's first touch came in a fast break situation. The Duke guard tried to go through two Hampton defenders and was called for a charge. Devils lead 18-6.
3:30 p.m.: Coming out of the first media time out, Duke leads Hampton 13-4. Of bigger significance to the Blue Devils is the return of Kyrie Irving. The freshman guard has checked in with 15:19 left.
3:28 p.m.: Akron has gone ice cold for the second time in the game. The Zips last field goal came at 10:05 left in the half. Notre Dame has used that drought to extend its lead to 59-45 with 4:18 remaining.
3:23 p.m.: Memphis started fast and has maintained its lead on Arizona. Wesley Witherspoon has seven points off the bench for the Tigers, who lead 21-16 after 10 minutes.
3:20 p.m.: Coming out of a media timeout, Notre Dame holds a 55-45 advantage on Akron with 7:25 left. The Irish haven't put away the Zips, but the Zips haven't gotten close enough to put a lot of pressure on the Irish.
3:17 p.m.: Minutes way from tip in Charlotte. Duke will face Hampton, but most eyes will be on Kyrie Irving, who returns after 3 1/2 months off due to a toe injury.
3:12 p.m.: George Mason had a nice stretch in the final minutes of the first half before an Antonio Pena jumper gave Villanova a 35-29 edge after 20 minutes. Wildcats guards Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes have combined for 24 points.
3:11 p.m.: Notre Dame hasn't put away Akron as we head to 10 minutes left in Chicago. The Zips trailed by 12, but a 11-4 run has trimmed the Irish lead to 49-44.
3:05 p.m.: Make that 10 of 11 of the first points for Memphis after a three-point play by Antonio Barton. No. 5 seed Arizona trails 10-1.
3:03 p.m.: Memphis has seven of the first eight points in Tulsa. Three minutes into the game, it's the Tigers ahead of Arizona 7-1.
3:00 p.m.: Villanova continues its strong first half against George Mason. Malik Wayans scored five points in a 8-2 run to extend the Wildcats margin to 31-21 with 3:55 left in the first half.
2:58 p.m.: Akron still hasn't scored in the first five minutes of the second half, and Notre Dame has pushed its lead to 43-30.
2:53 p.m.: George Mason calls timeout with 5:55 left in the first half. Villanova out front of the Patriots 25-17. Akron asks for its own timeout in Chicago. Five quick points by Notre Dame in the second half have the Irish up 39-30.
2:47 p.m.: George Mason and Villanova are the only two teams in action right now. Wildcats still leading the Patriots. It's 23-17 with 7:45 left in the first half. Notre Dame and Akron about to start the second half.
2:44 p.m.: Michigan has finished off Tennessee 75-45. A listless second half for the Volunteers, who only trailed by four after the first 20 minutes. Zack Novak led five Wolverines in double figures with 14 points.
2:41 p.m.: A nice first 10 minutes for Villanova, which needed some early success. Corey Stokes has nine points on three three-pointers. Wildcats lead George Mason 21-15.
2:36 p.m.: There may be less than four minutes left in Bruce Pearl's tenure at Tennessee. Volunteers trail Michigan 70-40. Wolverines have four scorers in double figures and will cruise into the second round with a likely matchup against Duke.
2:33 p.m.: First half is over in Chicago. Notre Dame out front 34-30 on Akron. Irish started fast, but the Zips have gotten back into the game after trailing by as much as 11.
2:30 p.m.: Villanova being more aggressive that during its late-season win streak. A three-point play by Corey Fisher has Wildcats up 9-7 on George Mason with 14:24 left in the first half.
2:26 p.m.: Texas has advanced with a 85-81 defeat of Oakland. The Grizzlies battled throughout, but the inside game of the Longhorns was too much. Reserve guard J'Covan Brown led Texas with 21 points.
2:25 p.m.: Akron couldn't hit anything in the early going, but the Zips have started to catch fire. A triple by Alex Abreu pulls them within 34-30 of Notre Dame with 1:35 left in the first half.
2:23 p.m.: Michigan still holding a comfortable lead on Tennessee. Wolverines out front 59-40 with 9:23 left. Not much life in the Volunteers right now.
2:20 p.m.: George Mason and Villanova have started in Cleveland. Patriots looking to make another deep tournament run as they did in 2006. Wildcats looking to turn around a slump at the end of the year.
2:18 p.m.: After a questionable foul call on Oakland, Texas hit one of two free throws. Then a Grizzlies three-point attempt went in and out. Longhorns rebound, and hit two free throws. 83-75 in favor of Texas with under a minute left.
2:15 p.m.: Oakland is now within five of Texas after a three-pointer by Larry Wright. Still 1:21 left for the Grizzlies to try and rally.
2:12 p.m.: It looks like Mike Hamilton's comments about Bruce Pearl's job security have inspired Tennessee. Michigan extends its second half run to 19-2 after a series of three-pointers by Zack Novak. Wolverines now lead 52-31 with 13:40 left.
2:09 p.m.: Oakland is within single digits after a three-point play by Reggie Hamilton. Texas still is up 78-70 with 2:28 left.
2:07 p.m.: Michigan is on a 12-2 run at the start of the second half to extend its edge on Tennessee to 45-31 with 15:34 left. Tobias Harris has 19 points, but nobody else on the Vols has more than four points.
2:05 p.m.: Notre Dame is hot. Akron is cold. No surprise that the Irish are out front 21-10 about halfway through the first half. The Zips are 4-of-18 from the field. Notre Dame has four three-pointers.
2:01 p.m.: Texas still has comfortable margin on Oakland with 5:19 remaining. Led by Jordan Hamilton's 19 points, the Longhorns lead 76-63.
1:58 p.m.: Michigan has built upon is late momentum from the first half and extended their advantage on Tennessee to 40-31. Vols call timeout with 17:46 left after consecutive layups by Jordan Morgan.
1:55 p.m.: Two Notre Dame three-pointers are part of a 10-0 run by the Irish, who lead Akron 16-6. Zips are just 2-for-13 from the field with 12:57 left in the first half.
1:50 p.m.: First media timeout in Chicago. Akron and Notre Dame knotted at 6-6. Tim Abromaitis has all six points for the Irish.
1:48 p.m.: Under 10 minutes left in Tulsa. Oakland has pulled within 66-54 of Texas after being down 17 earlier in the half. Still a lot of work for the Grizzlies, who still cannot control the size of the Longhorns.
1:44 p.m.: Notre Dame and Akron have tipped in Chicago. The Irish got the first points on three foul shots by Tim Abromaitis. Darryl Roberts responded with a jumper and it is 3-2 early.
1:39 p.m.: Texas starting to assert itself with a run taking their lead to 63-46 on a Jai Lucas three-pointer. Oakland needs a response with just under 13 minutes left.
1:33 p.m.: A runner by Darius Morris at the buzzer gives Michigan a 33-29 margin after 20 minutes. Good first half for the Wolverines, especially with Tim Hardaway Jr. only contributing two points.
1:32 p.m.: Oakland and Texas going back-and-forth with the Longhorns up 53-44.
1:30 p.m.: Inside of two minutes left in the first half and Michigan is holding a 31-27 edge on Tennessee. About 10 minutes away from Notre Dame-Akron tip.
1:25 p.m.: Second half under way in Tulsa. Texas has first possession and a 46-38 lead.
1:22 p.m.: Michigan's mini-run became a full-fledged 10-0 run. Wolverines have scored 10 straight and lead Tennessee 27-23.
1:20 p.m.: Michigan responds with their own mini-run capped by a three from Matt Vogrich. Tennessee's lead trimmed to 23-22 with 5:23 left in first half.
1:14 p.m.:Tennessee eases ahead of Michigan 22-17 with 7:14 left in the first half as Tobias Harris scores seven points in a 9-4 run. Harris almost matching with Wolverines with 15 points.
1:07 p.m.: A little more than halfway through the first half between Tennessee and Michigan and it's tied at 13. Wolverines only 30% from the field and 1-of-7 from the three-point line. Also Tim Hardaway Jr. has two early fouls.
1:03 p.m.: Texas is shooting the lights out at 58.8% (20-of-34). But Oakland is hanging around with the Longhorns, who only lead 46-38 against the gritty Golden Grizzlies at half. Will be interesting what happens if Texas cools off.
12:56 p.m.: It took five minutes, but someone other than Tobias Harris has scored for Tennessee. Scotty Hopson's three puts the Vols up 11-9 with 14:15 left in the first half.
12:53 p.m.: Oakland has put together a quick 7-0 run which included by a long three from Travis Bader, who leads all scorers with 10 points. Texas leads 33-28 with 3:50 left in the first half.
12:49 p.m.: First media timeout in Charlotte with Tennessee leading Michigan 8-7 with 15:24 left in the first half. It's been the Tobias Harris show for the Vols. He has scored all eight points, while rest of team is 0-for-3.
12:45 p.m.: Texas pushes its lead to 29-19 with 7:55 left in the first half. J'Covan Brown has seven points off the bench to lead in the Longhorns. Grizzlies are hitting 50% from the field but are 2-of-5 from the free-thrown line and have four turnovers.
12:41 p.m.: Ball is in the air in Charlotte. Tennessee and Michigan, two schools with outstanding fight songs, battling for berth in third round that likely will mean a matchup against Duke.
12:38 p.m.: Hot shooting has Texas ahead 25-17 with 9:52 left in the first half. Longhorns are 10-of-16 (62.5% ) from the field after Cory Joseph hit a three-pointer.
12:31 p.m.: Texas has extended its lead to 19-13 with 11:49 left in the first half. It's been balanced scoring for the Longhorns, who have four players each with four points and J'Covan Brown with a three-pointer that came just before the media timeout.
12:27 p.m.: Interesting matchup in the second game to tip today between Tennessee and Michigan. Volunteers AD Mike Hamilton made some comments earlier this week that cast doubt on coach Bruce Pearl's future. A win against the Wolverines could help Pearl keep his job.
12:22 p.m.: Good back-and-forth action between Oakland and Texas. Longhorns are using their size to dominate the paint and lead 10-7 with 15:03 left in the first half.
12:17 p.m.: Texas guard Dogus Balbay gets the first two points of the game on a driving layup. Oakland misses a three on its first possession.
12:12: p.m.: About five minutes away from the start of Texas-Oakland. Don't be surprised if this is close throughout. The Longhorns lost three of their last five before making the Big 12 tournament final. The Grizzlies have won 18 of 19.
2011年3月15日星期二
Jittery Over Japan? Make Money on Volatility with this Strategy
The financial fallout from the devastation in Japan has more than a few investors rushing to the sidelines, for fear of making a move in the wrong direction. However, options traders should have no fear -- there's a plethora of strategies out there that allow you to profit from price swings in either direction, without having to gamble a ton of greenbacks.
One such strategy is the long strangle, which is typically implemented by purchasing an equal amount of slightly out-of-the-money calls and puts with the same expiration date, resulting in a net debit.
The strangle will generate a profit as long as the underlying equity breaches one of two breakeven rails before expiration: the put strike less the net debit on the downside, or the call strike plus the net debit on the upside. In either case, the intrinsic value of the in-the-money option is meant to exceed the loss incurred from the losing option, resulting in a boost to your bottom line.
But what if the stock remains stagnant through options expiration? One of the primary appeals of the long strangle is that your risk is limited, with the initial premium paid for the options representing the maximum potential loss on the play (excluding brokerage fees).
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One such strategy is the long strangle, which is typically implemented by purchasing an equal amount of slightly out-of-the-money calls and puts with the same expiration date, resulting in a net debit.
The strangle will generate a profit as long as the underlying equity breaches one of two breakeven rails before expiration: the put strike less the net debit on the downside, or the call strike plus the net debit on the upside. In either case, the intrinsic value of the in-the-money option is meant to exceed the loss incurred from the losing option, resulting in a boost to your bottom line.
But what if the stock remains stagnant through options expiration? One of the primary appeals of the long strangle is that your risk is limited, with the initial premium paid for the options representing the maximum potential loss on the play (excluding brokerage fees).
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2011年3月13日星期日
O’Neill Embraces Motto: Fight On!
With so much at stake heading into Friday night’s semifinals of the Pac-10 Conference Tournament, drama was expected to be at a premium.
True to form, the subplots were many. However, the most interesting storyline developed well before play even started over at Staples Center.
Approximately an hour before the opening tip between USC and Arizona, news broke that Trojans coach Kevin O’Neill had been suspended by the school for the rest of the conference tournament after getting into an alleged altercation Thursday night.
Save the drama for yo mama, right?
Now, with that bit of information out of the way, we can finally talk about something more worthwhile, all the action that took place on the court instead of the shenanigans that took place off the hardwood. Bottom line, that is what’s most important.
ARIZONA 67, USC 62
** Without it’s fearless leader, O’Neill, a statement which can be taken both literally and figuratively, the Trojans actually came out and played some inspired ball.
*** Marcus Simmons was in a groove early on. He buried a three-pointer, a jumper and another three-ball to give USC a 15-9 lead with 14:09 left in the first half.
*** Derrick Williams struggled, at times, in the first half. Luckily for the Wildcats, Lamont Jones was able to pick up the slack. He scored five consecutive points to give Arizona a three-point advantage with 9:36 remaining before the break.
*** Williams woke up just in time, right before intermission. He knocked down a jumper and threw down a breakaway dunk to give Arizona a 33-28 lead at the half.
*** There’s been a a Jordin Mayes sighting. He hits back-to-back bombs from beyond the arc. A mid-range jumper follows. Wildcats have a nice little lead, 50-38, at 11:59.
*** Nikola Vucevic scores in bunches for USC. One has to wonder if it’s too little to late. With 12 points in less than 12 minutes, the Trojans rally and trail by a mere three points with :05 left on the clock.
*** Williams ices the game. He steps to the line and calmly knocks down a pair of free-throws to seal the victory for Arizona. After a particularly slow start, Williams finishes up strong with 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field and six rebounds. Plain and simple, he got the job done.
*** Simmons had 20 points, one of his better games this season, no doubt.
*** Vucevic played well throughout. He ended up with 16 points and 12 rebounds, to go along with five assists and three blocks. Not too shabby, this kid has NBA written all over him.
*** With the loss, the Trojans didn’t do themselves any favors in terms of helping their postseason chances. It will be interesting to see if USC is awarded an at-large berth to the Big Dance.
WASHINGTON 69, OREGON 51
*** Oregon entered this showdown as the prohibitive underdog. Truth be told, the Ducks looked every bit the part. They never had a chance in this one.
*** Terrence Ross makes his presence felt midway through the first half of play. His thunderous one-handed dunk and layup help Washington take a 16-9 lead at the 9:25 mark.
*** Joevan Catron attempts to keep Oregon somewhat close. Actually, there’s plenty to like with regards to the overall skill set that Catron possesses. He works inside and scores to cut the deficit to a basket with 6:16 left before halftime.
*** Washington answers, Scott Suggs in particular. He comes off the bench and scores all eight of his points in the first half to extend the lead to 31-20 at intermission.
*** Justin Holiday scores a pair of baskets and adds a free-throw in the opening minutes of the second half. As a result, the Ducks trail by 14 at the 14:52 mark.
*** It’s the Ross show down the stretch. He gets loose for two dunks. This one is essentially over, the Huskies have a comfortable lead, 67-51, with 44 ticks left on the clock.
*** Turns out, the glass slipper never truly fit Cinderella, which in this case was the Ducks. As the seventh seed, they made a good run. In the end, however, second-seeded Washington proved to be the better program, and accordingly, prevailed with the victory.
*** The finals are set, the Huskies will take on top-seeded Arizona on Saturday afternoon in the championsip game. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m., West Coast time.
True to form, the subplots were many. However, the most interesting storyline developed well before play even started over at Staples Center.
Approximately an hour before the opening tip between USC and Arizona, news broke that Trojans coach Kevin O’Neill had been suspended by the school for the rest of the conference tournament after getting into an alleged altercation Thursday night.
Save the drama for yo mama, right?
Now, with that bit of information out of the way, we can finally talk about something more worthwhile, all the action that took place on the court instead of the shenanigans that took place off the hardwood. Bottom line, that is what’s most important.
ARIZONA 67, USC 62
** Without it’s fearless leader, O’Neill, a statement which can be taken both literally and figuratively, the Trojans actually came out and played some inspired ball.
*** Marcus Simmons was in a groove early on. He buried a three-pointer, a jumper and another three-ball to give USC a 15-9 lead with 14:09 left in the first half.
*** Derrick Williams struggled, at times, in the first half. Luckily for the Wildcats, Lamont Jones was able to pick up the slack. He scored five consecutive points to give Arizona a three-point advantage with 9:36 remaining before the break.
*** Williams woke up just in time, right before intermission. He knocked down a jumper and threw down a breakaway dunk to give Arizona a 33-28 lead at the half.
*** There’s been a a Jordin Mayes sighting. He hits back-to-back bombs from beyond the arc. A mid-range jumper follows. Wildcats have a nice little lead, 50-38, at 11:59.
*** Nikola Vucevic scores in bunches for USC. One has to wonder if it’s too little to late. With 12 points in less than 12 minutes, the Trojans rally and trail by a mere three points with :05 left on the clock.
*** Williams ices the game. He steps to the line and calmly knocks down a pair of free-throws to seal the victory for Arizona. After a particularly slow start, Williams finishes up strong with 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field and six rebounds. Plain and simple, he got the job done.
*** Simmons had 20 points, one of his better games this season, no doubt.
*** Vucevic played well throughout. He ended up with 16 points and 12 rebounds, to go along with five assists and three blocks. Not too shabby, this kid has NBA written all over him.
*** With the loss, the Trojans didn’t do themselves any favors in terms of helping their postseason chances. It will be interesting to see if USC is awarded an at-large berth to the Big Dance.
WASHINGTON 69, OREGON 51
*** Oregon entered this showdown as the prohibitive underdog. Truth be told, the Ducks looked every bit the part. They never had a chance in this one.
*** Terrence Ross makes his presence felt midway through the first half of play. His thunderous one-handed dunk and layup help Washington take a 16-9 lead at the 9:25 mark.
*** Joevan Catron attempts to keep Oregon somewhat close. Actually, there’s plenty to like with regards to the overall skill set that Catron possesses. He works inside and scores to cut the deficit to a basket with 6:16 left before halftime.
*** Washington answers, Scott Suggs in particular. He comes off the bench and scores all eight of his points in the first half to extend the lead to 31-20 at intermission.
*** Justin Holiday scores a pair of baskets and adds a free-throw in the opening minutes of the second half. As a result, the Ducks trail by 14 at the 14:52 mark.
*** It’s the Ross show down the stretch. He gets loose for two dunks. This one is essentially over, the Huskies have a comfortable lead, 67-51, with 44 ticks left on the clock.
*** Turns out, the glass slipper never truly fit Cinderella, which in this case was the Ducks. As the seventh seed, they made a good run. In the end, however, second-seeded Washington proved to be the better program, and accordingly, prevailed with the victory.
*** The finals are set, the Huskies will take on top-seeded Arizona on Saturday afternoon in the championsip game. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m., West Coast time.
2011年3月8日星期二
Nike Dunk Hi AC Vintage Pack
While the Nike Dunk has always been one of the flagship sneakers for the brand, over the past couple of years they have been introducing a lot of new things to the shoe. Some of these changes come to the delight of fans while others not so much so. The soles are the biggest thing to have change with the introduction of the stained sole as well as the addition of the autoclave (AC) sole. Today we are going to be taking a look at a shoe that mixes both of those elements into one shoe, this is the new Nike Dunk Hi AC Vintage Pack.
This pack will come in a total of four different shoes with each of the pairs featuring stained, vulcanized rubber soles below premium suede uppers. They will all feature a stained tongue and the colors included will be yellow, orange, red and blue.
This pack will come in a total of four different shoes with each of the pairs featuring stained, vulcanized rubber soles below premium suede uppers. They will all feature a stained tongue and the colors included will be yellow, orange, red and blue.
2011年3月6日星期日
Copper-plated mergers
The latest copper kerfuffle is exposing the flaw in most deals marketed as mergers of equals. Lundin Mining Corp. and Inmet Mining Corp., two metals miners, wanted a quiet, no-premium marriage. Now a third, Equinox Minerals Ltd., has thrown in a $5-billion hostile bid for Lundin at a 26% premium.
The earlier proposed union offered little that can't be easily trumped.
The occasional airline or utility merger of equals just might add enough value to raise real hurdles for other buyers; so too might an unbeatable geographical or strategic fit. But otherwise it's a cop-out, even if two companies are similarly sized. In the mooted Inmet-Lundin tie-up, Inmet shareholders would take just over half the new company -but there's little, if anything, in the combination that sounds impressive enough to deter an alternative buyer.
Equinox answered the call and plans a hostile offer for Lundin, having been unable to get its hands on non-public information. The new suitor is touting a pure play on the red-hot copper market, whereas the rationale for the Inmet-Lundin deal involved diversification. That such different takes exist underlines the weakness of the original merger-ofequals argument.
Not that the Equinox offer for Lundin is a slam-dunk, either. The headline premium drops to only a little more than 10% against the price of its target's shares before its deal with Inmet -they have fallen since.
Equinox may struggle to go much higher, as it is loading up with debt to fund the half-cash, half-stock offer. And in a sector with several giants stomping around, another buyer could come in -for Lundin, or indeed for Inmet.
Inmet could even do the business itself by matching the price Equinox has offered, as it is entitled to do. That would show Inmet's belief in the strategic value of combining with Lundin. But of course it would also blow the questionable mergerof-equals spin out of the water.
The earlier proposed union offered little that can't be easily trumped.
The occasional airline or utility merger of equals just might add enough value to raise real hurdles for other buyers; so too might an unbeatable geographical or strategic fit. But otherwise it's a cop-out, even if two companies are similarly sized. In the mooted Inmet-Lundin tie-up, Inmet shareholders would take just over half the new company -but there's little, if anything, in the combination that sounds impressive enough to deter an alternative buyer.
Equinox answered the call and plans a hostile offer for Lundin, having been unable to get its hands on non-public information. The new suitor is touting a pure play on the red-hot copper market, whereas the rationale for the Inmet-Lundin deal involved diversification. That such different takes exist underlines the weakness of the original merger-ofequals argument.
Not that the Equinox offer for Lundin is a slam-dunk, either. The headline premium drops to only a little more than 10% against the price of its target's shares before its deal with Inmet -they have fallen since.
Equinox may struggle to go much higher, as it is loading up with debt to fund the half-cash, half-stock offer. And in a sector with several giants stomping around, another buyer could come in -for Lundin, or indeed for Inmet.
Inmet could even do the business itself by matching the price Equinox has offered, as it is entitled to do. That would show Inmet's belief in the strategic value of combining with Lundin. But of course it would also blow the questionable mergerof-equals spin out of the water.
2011年3月2日星期三
Nike SB Dunk High Premium – Family Guy Quagmire: Hot Shoe on eBay
Can you recognize those yellow stars on the red upper of this Nike SB Dunk High Premium? If you are familiar with the animated tv series Family Guy, you really know what I’m talking about. Glenn Quagmire is a character in the said show and is described as "an appalling human being who is still caught in the rat-pack era" based on anachronistic 1950s party-animal clichés. His neighbor and friend, Peter Griffin describes him as a "heartless sex hound" and refers to him as "a rapist" in The Cleveland Show.
Quagmire appears to have dressed up in red short-sleeved shirt with yellow stars print, teal pants, and brown shoes. His most famous identity is his shirt and from there Nike has come up with an idea of implementing it on one of its shoes. The Nike SB Dunk High Premium received the wonderful combination of Quagmire’s attire – the shirt, pants, and shoes. Basically, Quagmire’s shirt inspired the shoe’s side panel while the rest of the upper uses his pants’ color, and the outsole – his shoes.
On eBay, seller thesoleprovider offers this Nike SB Dunk High Premium – Family Guy Quagmire for $179.99.
Quagmire appears to have dressed up in red short-sleeved shirt with yellow stars print, teal pants, and brown shoes. His most famous identity is his shirt and from there Nike has come up with an idea of implementing it on one of its shoes. The Nike SB Dunk High Premium received the wonderful combination of Quagmire’s attire – the shirt, pants, and shoes. Basically, Quagmire’s shirt inspired the shoe’s side panel while the rest of the upper uses his pants’ color, and the outsole – his shoes.
On eBay, seller thesoleprovider offers this Nike SB Dunk High Premium – Family Guy Quagmire for $179.99.
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