Conference Starts Tonight!

Big East baseball begins play tonight unless of course it rains or snows.  So far the way this baseball season has gone Big East coaches shutter every time they look at a weather forecast because so far this year it has meant  a postponement or cancelation from the schedule.

So far Big East teams  have managed from four to six games played when they all wanted at least ten under their belt heading into the night.  What the limited games has done is coaches will put a starting line up on the field and they will not quite know if these are the best players they have because not every player has had a equal opportunity to see what they can do when they get a start in non-conference play because there simply has not been enough games played for players to get into playing shape much less find out what you can do when it is your time in the game.

Tonight the WHIG TV cameras will be at Rocky Mount for the game with Nash Central.  The Gryphons are 3-1 but who have they played so far?  Normally by this time they would have played Rose twice and any team that plays the Rampants will have some idea how good they stack up with the Big Dogs of high school baseball.

Nash Central comes in to the game having played six times winning only once 1-5.  The question for the Bulldogs are they as bad as their record or will practice time help them get into playing mode since there has been very little practice because when they have had an opportunity to play they have played but not had practice time to help cure mistakes.

Hunt 2-2 heads to Northern Nash 2-4 and if these two are the preseason conference favorites who can tell it with their records so.  A cure all for any team if they have ability is get on the field and practice.  
Any player who has limited ability can only improve so much with practice but if your teams are loaded with talent once you finally get on the field and practice you will come around to playing shape.

Why do you think Major League players spent six weeks in Florida or Arizona getting in shape?
The final game of the night will send Southern Nash 3-3 to Fike 2-4.   What every team in the league faces is it might be a couple more weeks before teams round in to playing conditions and then 40 per cent of conference play will be over by Easter Tournament times for all team.

There is no doubt the Triangle will be going batty over the Sweet Sixteen  by this weekend.  This weekend will feature a local player on the court when State takes on Louisville in Syracuse.  Montrezl Harrell the junior from between Tarboro and Leggett will be the starting power forward for the Cardinals..  Every game Montrezl plays in just might be his last because as a junior of course he just might declare for the NBA draft.

Montrezl is averaging 15.4 points a game for the Cardinals and is pulling down 9.2 rebounds.  Any player is capable of declaring for the draft after any season in college basketball  but his junior year he could be the top big man if he declares. If you are one of the top ten picks as a junior there is not much higher you can go by playing in college as a senior.  I suspect he goes top five and that is hard to turn down that kind of money.