Higher Post: Put down your dessert. Time for Dinner!
...the new season is sponsored by Milk. How else are you going to wash down those cupcakes!!
Congregation, please stand up….
…because we got a lot to be grateful for!!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!
Yes, the time is now upon us to get the Higher Post fired up for the season….and yes, I‘m a couple of weeks late on that. This year, I had some complications that got in the way of starting the season with Higher Posts. That’s on me. That said, we are here and ready for some hoopses.
This particular time of year is fascinating as it is when we switch from ‘The Magnolia Bakery Season’ to ‘Feast Week’. I know, the rule is, no dessert before dinner, but when you are a power conference, you need your cupcakes.
The switch to Feast Week also means Thanksgiving is here. Growing up, Thanksgiving sports was always about football, and to each their own, but I’m breaking out that second screen, to catch up with the best college hoops time outside of March.
However, we also need to take that time to turn inside and give gratitude for things we are blessed to have in our lives.
Some things I am thankful for:
My UMass Minutewomen for their current undefeated start to the season (6-0) and one step away from a Bay State sweep! This team is fun!
NIL - while I don’t like how the NCAA is handling it, it’s important to allow student athletes to earn money by just being themselves.
Argyle on jerseys…yes, you know who I mean. Its glorious.
Olivia Miles…nuff said.
Any sports bar who doesn’t flinch when I ask for a women’s game, regardless of how much football is happening at the time - (looking at you Field Day Brewing (North Liberty, IA) and The Commissioner (Brooklyn, NY).
The Congregation of the CoB for 20 years of ‘shining moments and madness’
Red Panda - Without you, halftime is just a timeout that is too long.
And of course, this little invention of James Naismith that just keeps bringing the Madness!
While I enjoy many sports, it is this 6 months of fun that really brings me joy every day. But, it’s not just the game. It’s the world around it. The community you build just sitting next to someone at a bar cheering for your team. I have met many of my close friends through the Madness. In this time of extreme division, sometimes it’s just fun to lean over and chat with a stranger about something you both love.
I give thanks for that daily.
And we all live together on a little round ball
We all sing together when the cuckoo calls
“Eclipse” - The Beta Band
Keeping up with the…Season
This next segment is brought to you by Magnolia Bakery, since you gotta get your cupcakes in before conference play!
This young season has indeed given us a series of blowouts, but there are also some good early gems and upsets. Here is a quick run around the court to catch up on the action so far.
3’s the Magic Number - for Arizona: Pop quiz hot shot, how many #3’s have the Arizona Wildcats taken down this season? The answer would be 2 (then #3 Florida on 11/3; then #3 UConn on 11/19). However, they also beat #15 UCLA to make wins over 3 ranked teams into a 6-0 record to start the season. Those wins have Arizona racing up from #13 to #2 nationally.
We’re not on Tobacco Road anymore… The Kansas Jayhawks have had an up and down start to their season so far, but in fairness, they have one of the hardest non-con schedules of any team. They are currently 6-2 with their only losses being against arch rivals Duke and North Carolina. So the enemy of my enemy is still an enemy. They are 3-0 against Orange teams though (Syracuse, Tennessee and Princeton)
Maybe they thought it was UNC? - NC State’s women’s season (3-3) has really been ‘one for me, one for you’ as they have mixed losses at home to #18 USC, #17 TCU between wins against #8 Tennessee, Maine, and Coastal Carolina. However, the one that caught them by surprise was a loss to an upstart Rhode Island team. If you have never watched the Rams before, you will notice that they are really UNC junior. They have the same colors, same mascot and even the same fight song. If the Wolfpack scheduled Rhody as pre-conference practice for a fight with their in-state sister program - 1.) That’s genius! and 2.) they will be in for a big surprise on February 2 when the real UNC squad comes rammin’ in.
Michigan is BACK! Both Michigan squads are looking strong in the early going. On the Women’s side, The ‘Angelines’ are 6-1 with dominating performances averaging 45.5 point wins; including a 93-54 domination over Notre Dame (more below). Their only loss is to UConn by 3. They are the team to watch in the B1G. Meanwhile, the Men’s side is 7-0 with wins over San Diego State, #21 Auburn (by 30) and a 40pt win over #12 Gonzaga. Get your Zingerman’s to-go, Ann Arbor! You have hoops to watch!
There have been amazing blowouts! And I’m defining blowouts here with both teams hitting major CoB markers - the winners score 100+ while the losing squad scores 50 or less. Here are just a few:
WBB:
#5 LSU over SE Louisiana: 115-26 (26?!?)
#10 Maryland over Loyola Maryland: 80-26 (26 again ?!?)
#22 Ok State over New Orleans: 109-48
#13 Michigan over Canisus: 100-40
#23 Michigan State over Mercyhurst: 125-39
#24 Kentucky over Monmouth: 104-46
#2 South Carolina over Bowling Green: 114-47
#21 Iowa over Evansville: 119-43
MBB:
#11 Louisville over South Carolina State: 104-45
#17 Illinois over Jackson State: 113-55
#4 UConn over UMass-Lowell: 110-45
#13 Gonzaga over Southern Utah 122-50
We Got Next: Games to watch this weekend! (all times EST)
This is a tough week for scheduling since the week consists of mini-tourneys all over the country (and some tropical resorts!) For the most up-to-date action, its best to check in on the updated schedules on sites like CBSsports.com or ESPN.com
That said, here are some games of choice to check out when your ‘druncel’ passes out and you can pry the remote away from the football games…
MBB:
Thanksgiving - 4:30p: #16 North Carolina / #11 Michigan State (FOX)
Thanksgiving - 8p: #4 Duke / #22 Arkansas (CBS)
Friday - 12:30p: #5 UConn / #13 Illinois (FOX)
WBB:
Thanksgiving - 8p: #4 Texas / #2 South Carolina (truTV)
Thanksgiving - 9p: Richmond / #8 TCU (FloCollege)
Thanksgiving - 10:30p: Duke / #3 UCLA (truTV)
Sunday - 4:30p: #14 Tennessee / #3 UCLA (FS1)
Keeping up with the Hannahs 2, Electric Hannahloo
Two of my favorite players are not only incredibly fun to watch…but are both named Hannah! I dedicate this section to them.
Ok, I was going to conclude this segment at the end of last season. But, a couple of things happened. One, it’s a new season and therefore, new Hannah stories. And, two, the feedback I got from folks was that they really liked this segment and apparently there are some new #Hannahfans out there now. That makes me happy.
In the interest of keeping things fresh, I will continue this, but it might not be weekly like before. Also, I’m debating just making this its own page on the site to write about the games as they go because I have seen some new excitements in this short season already.
Hannah Stuelke (Senior / Forward / Iowa):
Hannah Stuelke enters this year as the anchor of a young Hawkeye squad in head coach Jan Jensen’s second year in charge. Over the past season, we saw Hannah grow as a post player without the assistance of Caitlin Clark on the point. Hannah needed to come into her own and develop the perimeter game at the 4 (even the 3) to have a good shot at making a roster spot in the W. She is a bit small to play center in the W, but has the drive and talent to make it if she can expand her skill set. However, at times last season, she looked uncomfortable coming out of her office in the paint. It was clear when she would have to transition back to the paint which is where we would see the ‘Incredible Stuelk’ come alive.
Then came the summer, where she was selected by coach Kara Lawson as a reserve for Team USA in the Americup tournament, which also brought her and Hannah Hidalgo together on one team. (Bless Naismith!)
However, Coach Lawson saw in Hannah what fans like us see and was able to unlock something that gave the 6’2” Hannah considerable minutes in that tourney, culminating to a championship showdown against 6’7” WNBA star Kamilla Cardoso, where she reminded everyone that the paint is her office and she is boss. USA takes gold with Hannah contributing over 22mins off the bench! She is a plug and play player who is able to roll up to the 4 and back to the 5 when needed at either.
And from there something has awoken in Hannahland as Stuelke seems to have a new fire burning inside her. She is taking more of a leadership position and with the emergence of Ava Heiden down low, Hannah has been able to move out to the perimeter with confidence, both offensively and defensively. She has been close to double-doubles in all games and shooting almost as many 3s already this season as all of last season. She has not hit many yet, but showing more confidence in her shot, so you know it’s only a matter of time before they really start falling.
Defensively, she is showing more aggression at the perimeter, similar to when she is in the paint. On the night after Hannah Hidalgo broke an NCAA single game record with 16 steals, Hannah Stuelke said, “Hold my Busch Light” and bullied this lil’Drake for all her Cakes.
Remember, don’t make her angry. You wouldn’t like her when she’s angry.
Last season’s Iowa team was in transition, with Jensen developing her style with a young and talented recruiting class. While there were some major departures like Lucy Olsen, Sydney Affoltrer (graduation) and Aaliyah Guyton (transfer to Illinois), newcomers Addie Deal and “Chit Chat” Wright are showing their talent already. Not to forget, the return of sophomore Taylor Stremlow, senior Taylor McCabe and super-senior Kylie Feuerbach, this Iowa squad has shown resilience, but mostly that they just play a fun game of hoops.
Up Next (all times EST):
Sunday 11/30 - Fairfield at #11 Iowa (1p, BiG Net)
Saturday 12/6 - #11 Iowa at Rutgers (6p, FS1)
Hannah Hidalgo (Junior / Guard / Notre Dame):
Meanwhile, over in South Bend, a new Irish team has taken court. Gone are mainstays Sonia Citron, Maddie Westbeld, Liatu King, Liza Karlin, and yes, Sarah Cernugel, to graduation. Transferring out were Kate Koval (LSU) , Emma Risch (Florida State), Kylee Watson (Villanova), and most notably, Olivia Miles, who decided to forgo the WNBA draft, where she was predicted to go 2nd, to stay in school but transfer to TCU.
The news of Miles transfer hit the portal with a thud. Its says a lot about the state of NIL in the college game versus the current pay structure in the ‘W’. (More to come on this in later posts)
While last season brought the question “Will Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles be able to coexist together on this roster?” This season brings the question, “How will Notre Dame do without Miles on the floor?” For most of the year, the Hannah-Liv show was must see TV, including this gem against then #4 Texas (which was basically on loop in my home all season long):
With that depletion of talent, Coach Niele “Pick your Poison” Ivey went portal shopping to reload. This is not the same team as last year, but it’s clearly Hannah’s team now, with Ivey pushing her to be the leader.
And, so far these Irish have feasted on a cupcake buffet with blowout wins over FDU (98-52), Chicago State (116-58), Central Michigan (83-51) and Akron (85-58).
It was this win over Akron where Hannah has the game of her career breaking 3 records in just 27mins of play:
Most Points in a Single Game (ND): 44
(Previously Held: Ruth Riley (1999 vs. Providence) and Jewell Loyd (2014 vs. DePaul) -both 41pts
Most Steals in a Single Game (ND): 16
Previous Held: Hannah Hidalgo - 12
Most Steals in a Single Game (NCAA): 16
Previously Held: Tied by 7 players - 14
Following that performance, ND had their first major test of the season on a ‘neutral’ court against then #14 Michigan at Wayne State Fieldhouse in Detroit. The Wolverines pounced out to an early lead and the Irish had no answers. Hannah Hidalgo was quoted as being “embarrassed” by the outing, which caused my bartender friend to start the Irish wake at the half by sliding us good ole’ fashioned Jameson shots.
Expectations into the season we met with skepticism about how this Irish team really was. Did the real Irish just stand up? Well, just one week later, they would take on their old foe Southern Cal at home and we were treated to a gem, with a HH game winning shot…
…followed by Cassandre Prosper blocking the inbounds pass in the final second to secure the win.
Hannah led the team scoring 22pts with 5stls, 7rebs. This is a great sign of resiliency for this Irish team as they find their path going into conference play.
Up Next (all times EST):
Notre Dame is on break until after the holiday (PTSD from last year’s 2-loss holiday tourney?) The are back in action on 12/3
Thursday 12/4 - #19 Notre Dame at #13 Ole Miss (9p, ESPN2)
Sunday 12/7 - #19 Notre Dame at Florida State (2p, ACCN)
Five Touches: Passing around the sports world
How did the USC Marching Band get on a Fleetwood Mac song? A great story about a recording process that changed music forever.
‘Underdog my ass!’… said Gotham FC forward Jaden Shaw after beating a KC team that dominated the NWSL all through the regular season. But, last team in the playoffs, are still in the playoffs and Gotham rode that opportunity all the way to a second championship in 3 years. I am excited to get that new kit with the updated “2-star” crest!
Not just good ‘on paper’: Nationally ranked as the #2 team in Division 3, the Lady Royals’ of the University of Scranton traveled to Pittsburgh to give the D1 opponent the ‘Royal treatment’ taking the win 69-63. Naismith bless the ACC Digital Network for posting the ‘highlights’. I hope we get to see them against #1 NYU in the final! If it happens, might it be the first all-purple final in NCAA history? (I know NYU are the Violets, but I’m talking hues. Purple is the hue, while violet is a color. #ColorTheory101)
Meet Jayden Bailey: The Athletic posted an amazing and inspiring story about a 16yo who had his arm amputated due to cancer, but is still ballin’. What a story.
Pazzi in Dallas? One can dream right? The Dallas Wings have secured the #1 pick in the upcoming WNBA draft once again. While almost all mock drafts assume Dallas will go for someone down low, since that is what they need to complement Paige Bueckers, so many of us just want them to pick Azzi Fudd and get that reunion (and romance) together again!
Final Seconds
Lastly, I will be ending on a somber note. Over the summer, the Congregation lost someone close to us. Our dear friend Chris Winters, who passed away this past August.
I met Chris close to 20 years ago at our original sports bar temple in the East Village of NYC. A strong and passionate Kansas alum, we shared many great March times together, including watching his Jayhawks win two National Championships (2008, 2012). We got to see the second in-person after the Jayhawks overcame a historic 16pt halftime deficit to beat my UNC Tar Heels. As, much as I wanted to see UNC win, we were driving 5hrs to Houston the next day, and I’m not an alum, while he is. It was going to be a much easier ride if he was happy! Plus, the Tar Heels ‘retired’ Coach K. two days previous, so I was ok with letting the big game go. I’m so grateful we got to experience that together.
Chris, we miss you. We are blessed to have you as part of our crazy gang of hoopsters!
RIP Sweet Jayhawk and Rock Chalk! I love you, my friend.
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