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Staff Bios
Craig Stouffer
It's a privilege to experience the thrill of gameday as a primary part of my work.
Teams I cover » Wizards, Georgetown, D.C. United/MLS
Follow me on Twitter @craigstouffer
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Rockets 96, Wizards 88
Published: Mar 09, 2010
The post-All-Star-break, post-apocalyptic-trade Wizards have settled in, and that doesn’t appear to be a good thing.
On Sunday, Washington took the 2008 NBA champions nearly to the wire – if that’s what you can call 41 of 48 minutes – before folding. Tonight, the Wizards didn’t unfold until it was too late in their loss to the Rockets.
“You think we would start the game the same way, and then to come out here and lay an egg, it’s frustrating, disappointing,” said Al Thorton.
Without trying to break the game down too much, a couple ideas jump out:
If there’s one player on the rise, it’s Shaun Livingston. With the...
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Payback time for Hoyas
Published: Mar 10, 2010
Georgetown will play USF in second round
Georgetown's road to Big East redemption after last year's disappointment begins with a rematch against South Florida, which was responsible for one of the Hoyas' two glaring regular-season hiccup losses (the other being Rutgers).
Backcourt
The return of leading scorer Austin Freeman (17.3 ppg) after his diagnosis with diabetes couldn't have been sweeter for Georgetown last weekend. A second strong outing will strengthen the Hoyas' belief that he will be relatively unaffected on the court during the postseason. But stopping South Florida gunner Dominique Jones (21.3 ppg), who had 29 points in the Bulls' win at Verizon Center on Feb. 3, will be...
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Rockets blast past Wizards, 96-88
Published: Mar 10, 2010
The Wizards, brimming with energy and enthusiasm after the spate of trade deadline moves last month, averaged 105 points in their first six games after the All-Star break.
The well has since run dry.
Washington has failed to reach 90 points in five straight games. What's worse, the last four have all been losses, the latest a lackluster 96-88 defeat to Houston on Tuesday night.
With 23 points and 9 rebounds from Luis Scola and 21 points from Kevin Martin, the Rockets (32-31) led by as many as 18 in the second half before the Wizards (21-40) trimmed the deficit to six points down the stretch.
Washington actually led early, going up, 20-13, in the first quarter with a 10-0 run that...
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Rockets (31-31) at Wizards (21-39)
Published: Mar 09, 2010
On a lighter note to start, Wizards head coach Flip Saunders said the team is "going total AAU basketball after this, games every day."
After Washington hosts Houston tonight, they'll have one day to recuperate before playing on three consecutive nights, then departing the next day for a four-game swing out west that includes visits to Utah, Denver, Portland and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Yikes.
With that in mind, the Wizards re-upped Shaun Livingston for another 10-day contract. They need all the bodies they can get.
"In practice he looks good," said Saunders. "I wanted to play him in Boston. But we played so well early, and by the time I wanted to play him, I thought it was too...
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D.C. United preseason becomes defender-ville
Published: Mar 09, 2010
It would seem logical to hazard a guess that D.C. United, for the time being, is basically set at three of the four major positions: forward, midfield and goalkeeper.
But not defender, where in light of the injuries of Marc Burch and Bryan Namoff, trialists continue to be the theme with 18 days to go before the season gets underway.
Former Chicago Fire defender Daniel Woolard, Bolivian veteran Juan Manuel Pena, and Jamaican Jermaine Taylor joined United in Mexico, where they will play a friendly tomorrow against Santos Laguna. Barry Rice, another defender, is still with the team, and don't forget that last year's draft pick, Lyle Adams, and this year's fourth round draft pick, Jordan...
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Comcast SportsNet takes on 15 D.C. United matches again
Published: Mar 09, 2010
CSN will again be the home of D.C. United this season, but not until May. Three of United's first four games don't currently have local TV coverage, only through MLS's packages online and TV.
That said, D.C. has again pulled off some pretty sweet scheduling, such as playing June 10 game at Seattle, a nice appetizer on World Cup Eve on ESPN2. The return leg against the Sounders, with whom United already has struck a nice little coast-to-coast rivalry, is also on the broadcasting giant.
Comcast's best game are D.C.'s visit to Red Bull Arena on July 10 and the first visit by Peter Nowak and the Philadelphia Union on Sunday, Aug. 22.
Here's the list, with home games in bold:
Day...
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Sporting News has Vasquez as 1st team All-American, Hoyas' Freeman 5th team
Published: Mar 09, 2010
Here's what Mike DeCourcy of Sporting News has to say:
First team
G James Anderson, Oklahoma State
G Scottie Reynolds,Villanova
G Evan Turner, Ohio State
G John Wall, Kentucky
G Greivis Vasquez, Maryland
Second team
G Sherron Collins, Kansas
G Jon Scheyer, Duke
F Damion James, Texas
F Wesley Johnson, Syracuse
F/C DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky
Third team
G Jordan Crawford, Xavier
G Jimmer Fredette, BYU
G Jacob Pullen, Kansas State
F Darington Hobson, New Mexico
C Luke Harangody, Notre Dame
Fourth team
G Jerome Randle, California
G Devan Downey, South Carolina
G Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech
G Matt Bouldin, Gonzaga
G Tweety Carter, Baylor
Fifth team
G Andy Rautins, Syracuse
G...
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All-ACC, All-Big East recap; what about All-Americans?
Published: Mar 09, 2010
In case you haven't seen the full All-Big East and All-ACC lists, here they are. Scroll down further to have a go at my picks for All-American:
*unanimous selection
ALL-BIG EAST FIRST TEAM
Greg Monroe, Georgetown
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame
Dominique Jones, USF
Wes Johnson, Syracuse
Scottie Reynolds, Villanova *
Da’Sean Butler, West Virginia
ALL-BIG EAST SECOND TEAM
Austin Freeman, Georgetown
Lazar Hayward, Marquette
Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh
Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall
Andy Rautins, Syracuse
ALL-BIG EAST THIRD TEAM
Jerome Dyson, Connecticut
Kemba Walker, Connecticut
Samardo Samuels, Louisville
Corey Fisher, Villanova
Devin Ebanks, West Virginia
BIG EAST...
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Big East Tournament First Round
Published: Mar 09, 2010
No. 9 South Florida vs. No. 16 DePaul
When » Tuesday, Noon
TV » ESPN2
Big East Tournament
Will Hoyas turn the page?
First round preview
Tourney glance
Georgetown fans know all too well what Dominique Jones (21.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg) is capable of doing for the Bulls (19-11). South Florida briefly was flirting with NCAA Tournament dreams after beating Pittsburgh and the Hoyas in succession. The Blue Demons (8-22) have won just once since head coach Jerry Wainwright was fired in early January. Winner plays No. 8 Georgetown on Wednesday at noon on ESPN.
No. 12 Connecticut vs. No. 13 St. John's
When » Tuesday, 2 p.m.
TV » ESPN2
The Huskies (17-14) lead the Big East in...
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Big East Tournament Glance
Published: Mar 09, 2010
Who's favored?
Big East Tournament
Will Hoyas turn the page?
First round preview
Tourney glance
Anybody have the guts not to back No. 1 Syracuse (28-3)? No matter how they're playing, the Orange always leave something in reserve for their annual downstate visit. Plus, the only team to have beaten them twice, Louisville (20-11), is on the opposite side of the draw. The 2-3 zone will be the tournament's biggest factor.
Who's hot?
No. 5 Marquette (20-10) lost five of its first seven Big East regular season games by an average of 2.2 points -- a figure skewed by a five-point loss at Syracuse. The undersized, but unflinching, Golden Eagles finished the year winning nine of their last...
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Will Hoyas turn the page?
Published: Mar 09, 2010
Georgetown can put bad memories to rest with a couple of wins
When the Big East Tournament was brought up to sophomore center Greg Monroe after Georgetown's win over Cincinnati last weekend, a smiling but unsettled head coach John Thompson III quickly interjected with what has been a season-long refrain: This is a different team than last year.
This week the Hoyas (20-9, 10-8 Big East) can finally put to rest comparisons from a year ago, and they can do so before they even take the court in Manhattan. Their first game in the five-day knockout competition at Madison Square Garden falls one day and one round later than last year, when they were unceremoniously bounced by St. John's.
UP...
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College basketball outlook, March 8, 2010
Published: Mar 08, 2010
TOP 25
No top seed for the Dukies
Despite the imperfect science that are college basketball rankings, the top 16 teams in the final Examiner rankings have a good argument for dividing into the top four seeds in each region of the NCAA Tournament. And no, Duke doesn’t deserve a No. 1. The Devils were one of just six teams in the rankings that lost last week (with Syracuse, Kansas State, Villanova, Vanderbilt and Georgetown). The ghosts of Freedom Hall were on Louisville’s side, but it’s hard not to wonder whether the loss will cost the Orange the overall No. 1 seed. The Jayhawks, of course, are rolling into the postseason. Meanwhile, their in-state rival, Kansas State,...
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Celtics 86, Wizards 83
Published: Mar 07, 2010
Well, that was certainly an epic collapse. But then again, with these Wizards, was it really that unexpected?
This is a team built around Andray Blatche, Al Thornton, Randy Foye, and JaVale McGee. They're the guys getting the major minutes, so whoever they are, that's the personality of the team. But whatever you thought that personality was over the first 41 minutes, 50 seconds in Boston tonight, that isn't it.
Let's peel back the onion from 6:10 left in the fourth, with the Wiz up, 79-66, by looking at those five players and finding out who they really are in a big game against a contender on the road.
Foye: 1 for 6 from the field, 0 for 2 from 3-point, 1 assist.
Blatche:...
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Hoyas roll in Freeman's return, 74-47
Published: Mar 07, 2010
Guard scores 24 points in win over Cincinnati
Five days after learning he had a medical condition that would affect him and his behavior every day for the rest of his life, Austin Freeman went out and did exactly what he has done for Georgetown all season, leading the Hoyas with 24 points in a 74-47 victory over Cincinnati.
With the regular-season finale triumph, the Hoyas (20-9, 10-8 Big East) secured a top-eight finish in the conference and a bye into the second round of the Big East Tournament, which starts Tuesday.
A week before, Freeman struggled in Georgetown's loss to Notre Dame due to what was thought to be a stomach virus. Two days later, the illness forced him home from...
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Young Wizards' hard play not resulting in victories
Published: Mar 07, 2010
The good times are always short-lived.
After winning three of their first four games after the All-Star break and a flurry of moves at the NBA trade deadline, the Wizards (21-38) have lost four of their last five and are now confronting the true picture of what they have become, a group of mostly young, scrappy players that will only go so far with just energy and determination.
"That's what I said right after the trades," said guard Mike Miller. "It's one thing to do it right away for the first couple games. It's another thing to maintain it."
And it won't get any easier, with Sunday's visit to the Celtics (39-21) kicking off a stretch of seven games in 10 days.
"Yeah, I'm concerned...
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No. 19 Georgetown 74, Cincinnati 47
Published: Mar 06, 2010
As one reporter said afterward, sometimes you do get to write a storybook game story. Okay, not me, but here are some postgame thoughts after the Hoyas' pummeling of Cincinnati:
What an afternoon for Austin Freeman. Could it have been more fitting that he was honored for surpassing 1,000 points beforehand, that he scored Georgetown's first bucket, that he led the Hoyas with 24 points, that he even started the game five days after learning he had diabetes?
"Just in general our team is healthy, and we’ve haven’t been in while," said Hoyas head coach John Thompson III. "Now, Austin, what’s going on this week has been for him personally, and for us, emotional,...
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Bucks 102, Wizards 74
Published: Mar 05, 2010
An indispensable part of the good feelings that had cautiously returned to Verizon Center over the past two weeks was simply that the baggage of the team’s former stars – Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison, Brendan Haywood – had been lifted and discarded. It left the revamped squad, led by promoted Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee, and spark plugs Al Thornton and James Singleton, free to play hard, entertain, and perhaps win a few games after a dreadful first 50 games.
And they did win three of their first four, the final one despite losing Josh Howard to a season-ending knee injury.
But with that initial energy wearing off, no Howard, and only a brutal and busy...
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Bucks (31-29) at Wizards (21-37)
Published: Mar 05, 2010
Enough gushing over Andray Blatche, a.k.a. the next Kevin Garnett, and to a lesser degeree JaVale McGee, for a moment. As the Wizards head into their rematch with the Bucks, who beat them easily, 100-87, two nights ago, let's read the tea leaves from tonight's pregame chat with Flip Saunders:
On McGee's matchup with Andrew Bogut, who had just two rebounds in Milwaukee: "Tonight’ll be a different story because I’m sure Bogut’s going to want to come out and establish himself early offensively. He's going through those growing pains. The thing about JaVale, he makes glaring mistakes when he makes mistakes, not getting back on defense, things like that. I thought...
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Vasquez, Reynolds among six finalists for Cousy Award
Published: Mar 05, 2010
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has wielded its original list of 73 candidates for the nation's top point guard down to six. Here's the list:
Greivis Vasquez, Maryland
Scottie Reynolds, Villanova
John Wall, Kentucky
Sherron Collins, Kansas
Jon Scheyer, Duke
Evan Turner, Ohio State
Who ya got?
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Garber and Reyna
Published: Mar 04, 2010
I also saw MLS commissioner Don Garber and former U.S. national team star Claudio Reyna at tonight's gala. (I saw the MLS Players Union's Eddie Pope, but he was the epitome of tight-lipped.)
I asked Garber about the CBA negotiations and the comments he made last week in Manchester. His response: "I don’t think it’s positive or negative, per se. It’s just that we’re very committed to try to get a deal done. I know the players are as well. We’re going to work hard to try to reach an agreement. But I know we’re not going to do a deal that doesn’t make sense for the owners, and I know the players aren’t going to do a deal that...
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Desmond Tutu at the U.S. Soccer Foundation gala
Published: Mar 04, 2010
Maybe it's the equivalent of my spring training, but the more soccer events I get to attend, either D.C. United training or heading downtown tonight for the U.S. Soccer Foundation gala, the more pumped I get for the upcoming soccer season (MLS, WPS, whatever) and the World Cup. Even my son will play on his first team in a few weeks time.
In any case, getting to attend tonight's gala was a treat, highlighted by a fantastic speech by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who was presented with a custom made set of yellow, red and green Adidas boots, and he promptly shed his own shoes to put them on. Priceless.
The gala also celebrated and raised money for the work that D.C. United's charitable...
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For Miller, a season turned on its head
Published: Mar 05, 2010
Vet came to Wizards expecting to contend
The joy on Mike Miller's face couldn't be suppressed when the Wizards opened training camp. Having come to Washington with Randy Foye via predraft trade with the lowly Timberwolves, Miller was on the verge of the playoffs again, where he'd been in five of his first six seasons.
And after three years of being exiled to the NBA's Siberia, with losing teams in Memphis and Minnesota, the 3-point specialist no longer cared about scoring -- he just wanted to be a winner.
"If you were in my shoes and got beat up the last three years, you forget all about that stuff," said Miller on media day in September. "I just want a fun year. I want to enjoy...
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U.S. soccer squad looks for answers
Published: Mar 05, 2010
The U.S. had a chance to make a statement against the Netherlands in their final tune-up before U.S. head coach Bob Bradley names his 2010 World Cup roster. But in Wednesday's 2-1 loss, his squad brought to mind former Arizona Cardinals head coach Dennis Green: "They were who we thought they would be."
To change that outlook, here are two positions, besides forward, where the U.S. team must improve before it heads to South Africa in June:
Central midfield
Frontrunners » Ricardo Clark, Maurice Edu
Others » Benny Feilhaber, Sacha Kljestan, José Torres
Wildcard » Jermaine Jones
Edu, who plays for Glasgow Rangers, returned from a long injury layoff to play in...
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The man behind Bracketology
Published: Mar 05, 2010
ESPN's Joe Lunardi created Bracketology, even if the word itself is a bit like fingernails on a chalkboard, and he now even teaches a college course on the subject.
But while his vast knowledge of how and what will either get teams such as Virginia Tech off the NCAA Tournament bubble, or keep them squarely on it, is intriguing -- "If they get in, they're just going to squeak in," -- Lunardi easily extends his perspective to comment on the state of Division I basketball itself.
Among the topics he covered in a conference call this week:
The strength, or lack thereof, of this year's NCAA Tournament pool » "I don't think the field itself is overly weak. I think what might be giving...
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At Georgetown, a sense of relief
Published: Mar 05, 2010
Freeman practices, may return Saturday
Austin Freeman has been called many things this season, including Georgetown's leading scorer, the hottest player in the Big East, and a guy who's playing as well as anyone in the country.
This week, the Hoyas junior guard added other labels, including under the weather, and eventually, diabetic.
But Georgetown isn't ready to call the junior guard unavailable for Saturday's regular season finale against Cincinnati.
UP NEXT
Georgetown vs. Cincinnati
Where » Verizon Center
When » Saturday, noon
TV » ESPN360
"I don't know if I want to put another label on him," said Hoyas head coach John Thompson III. "He's got enough labels...
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Three thoughts on Netherlands 2, U.S. 1
Published: Mar 03, 2010
Whenever the U.S. gets a chance to play a big-time international opponent, it's the kind of appointment viewing that makes it worth it to skip out early from working or take an exceedlingly long (and late, if you're on the East Coast) lunch. But with the way the U.S. lost, 2-1, to the Netherlands this afternoon, it kind of feels like a couple lost hours that could've been used more productively. Why?
1. With a chance to make a statement, or at least make some progress, in the final FIFA-sanctioned friendly before U.S. head coach Bob Bradley names his team for the 2010 World Cup, his squad could only bring to mind Dennis Green. The top-tier players like Michael Bradley and Jozy...
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D.C. United with three and a half weeks 'til first kick
Published: Mar 03, 2010
Is the season really that close? Hard to believe with the piles of "snow" in Lot 8 at RFK Stadium (can't say anything more than that).
But here we go with a round-up of team news from today and yesterday.
Injuries: Clyde Simms (torn meniscus in left knee) got operated on yesterday and is done for most of the next month. Will he return for the season-opener. Seems highly unlikely.
Marc Burch is getting operated on Thursday on a fractured sesmoid bone (under the ball of the foot) in his right foot. He'll be shelved four months. Yikes, that's July by my count.
Bryan Namoff is making progress on what United general manager Dave Kasper said yesterday is agreed by all parties to be...
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Without Davies, U.S. struggles to find an answer at forward
Published: Mar 02, 2010
U.S. faces Netherlands Wednesday in friendly
Charlie Davies' ill-fated journey on the George Washington Parkway four and a half months ago did more than simply derail his soccer career. The 23-year-old forward sustained multiple serious injuries as a passenger in a one-car crash on the morning of Oct. 13 that killed another passenger.
The ramifications have been far-reaching for the U.S. national team as it prepares for the 2010 World Cup, exposing a lack of depth at Davies' position and sparking a scramble to fill his place on the 23-man squad headed to South Africa in June.
When the U.S. faces the Netherlands at Amsterdam ArenA on Wednesday -- the only FIFA-sanctioned international...
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Injuries will affect United's lineup
Published: Mar 03, 2010
D.C. United likely will begin the 2010 season without three of their regular defensive starters thanks to injuries both new and old.
Defender Marc Burch is looking at a multiple-month layoff due to a stress fracture in his foot, and defensive midfielder Clyde Simms will miss the next three to four weeks with a torn meniscus in his knee.
United has been without right back Bryan Namoff since last fall due to lingering issues connected to a concussion.
D.C.'s first game is at Kansas City on March 27.
"The team's going to have to rally a little bit, and guys are going to have to pick up their games," said defender Devon McTavish, who has slid into Namoff's position.
Quaranta back at...
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Livingston still dusting off the rust
Published: Mar 03, 2010
Point guard thrown into tough position
Few would've expected Shaun Livingston to make a difference in his first game, especially since it came on the first day of his 10-day contract with the Washington Wizards. But he had a chance to make a difference when head coach Flip Saunders sent him to inbound the ball with 45.3 seconds remaining in overtime and the Wizards down two points to the New York Knicks.
When Livingston couldn't find an open man, he turned to referee Scott Foster and called timeout. Foster's reply was immediate: Five seconds.
"The last time I got one of those, I think I was in fifth grade," said Livingston. "I've been in so many game situations, maybe it's the lack of...
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