A Team Without Stars

It’s time to begin posting regularly about this year’s basketball team. And let’s start by counting all the good things we can take away from Saturday’s game. It was a road win; it was a road win against a conference rival; they beat not just Louisville, but Louisville and Pitino; they beat a ranked team on the road (great for the RPI); and lastly, the Cuse beat the number one team in the nation, in their own house.  (Somehow, that win didn’t move the Orange up in the RPI rankings; they still sit at number 11. I don’t really care how high they go in January, but I don’t quite figure how beating number one on the road didn’t change their standing.)

 

Saturday’s win was even sweeter when you consider the following: Cuse won without James Southerland, their sixth man, who has already been voted national player of the week one time, after the Arkansas game; they lost the turnover battle; and Carter-Williams had a terrible first half, committing six turnovers and barely scoring. So it’s not like they needed their best game of the season in order to beat Lousiville.  Best of all, though, was that they didn’t wilt; when they were behind at the end, when all twenty-two thousand fans were going bonkers, and the rafters were shaking, the Orange were calmer and more collected than Louisville over the final two minutes. Carter-Williams especially redeemed himself, and made a series of really big plays down the stretch.

 

The other thing worth mentioning is that this is a team without stars. It’s maybe even a team without a single future NBA starter. Triche may have a chance at playing in the league, especially if he continues to hit threes; same for CJ Fair if his jumper becomes more consistent; Carter-Williams might play at that level if his game continues to improve (but see Jonny Flynn, who played so well for the Orange, but had a very disappointing and brief NBA career), and the one guy who I think has the best chance at making it in the NBA – DaJuan Coleman – the immovable object  -- who, incidentally, has a nice touch around the basket. In 2007, when the Celtics won the title, they claimed their go-to guy was whoever was open. Cuse reminds me of that; each night, their star is the guy who is hitting shots. One night Southerland, the next night Fair, and on Saturday afternoon, it was Brandon Triche. The good news, of course, is that there is no one guy on whom the opposition can focus. The bad news, however, is that there is no one guy on whom the team can rely. There is no Carmelo Anthony, who can put the team on his back, and carry them along, when everyone else gets cold. Think of the Ohio State loss in last year’s tourney. Particularly in the second half, the Orange needed that go-to guy, someone who could put the ball in the hoop, or draw a foul, when the rest of the offense was as cold as ice.

 

Lastly, although they won without Southerland on Saturday, I think they need him in March. I hope this is not the third time in the last four years that a team with championship potential gets hobbled by the loss of a key player. For now though, let’s enjoy the big win against number one ranked Louisville – Go Orange.

 

Saving the Best for Last - Port Ellen 27 and Caol Ila 30

So here are the other two whiskies G-Man brought to welcome the New Year. First is a thirty-one year old Carn Mor bottling of Caol Ila. It's cask strength -- 55.3%. The color is surprisingly pale for a malt that had spent that much time in a cask. It was a bright golden yellow - straw in the summer sunlight. The nose was sweet, with just a hint of smoke. On the tongue, this whisky was buttery and smooth, and the taste surprised us also -- mildly peaty, not overwhelming us with smoke. There were some bright citrus notes, mixed in the the peat. And despite the high alcohol content, the malt was not at all fiery, but was remarkably mellow.  But with some water, the flavor blew up, and the peat and pepper came to the forefront, dominating the taste of this Islay whisky. So slightly diluted, this Caol Ila became not only smoother, but far more flavorful.  The finish was perhaps the only characteristic that didn't live up to expecdtations. Not quite as long as one might hope for in a whisky of this age.

Finally, at the conclusion of another great weekend in Great Barrington, we have Port Ellen, one of the legendary Islay whiskies which, unfortunately, is no longer available, the distillery having been closed since 1983.  Chuck brought a Connoisseurs Choice bottling, twenty-seven years old, 43%. We've tasted Port Ellen at Keens, several years ago, but this whisky is fast on the way to extinction. It's been an endangered species for some time, and it's no easy task to find a dram, let alone a full bottle.

The Port Ellen had an even lighter yellow color than the Coal Ila, again a big surprise for a malt this old, and this strong. Its nose was bigger than the Caol Ila -- peaty, smoky, shoe leather, woody, but at the same time, a touch floral. Like a walk in the woods. The taste was really complex, hard to describe, with layers of smoke, sweetness, pepper, and just a little hint of citrus. The palate was velvety smooth, with peat and pepper opening up slowly at first, and then blowing up. The key word here is luxurious. This malt was luxurious in every sense -- the nose, the mouthfeel, the taste, and especially the finish. The finish went on and on, exactly what you'd hope for in a 27 year-old whisky.

Many many thanks, on behalf of all whisky lovers, to G-Man's friends, the Carey's, who have brought these exceptional malts from across the sea, allowing all of us to welcome in the New Year -- 2013  - in fine fashion. Happy New Year to all my many readers.