November 2007 - Posts
Some things in life are certainties. Like the ACC winning the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, for starters.
What else is certain? That John Gasaway writes an article that makes sense, then comes true. Like in North Carolina’s win over Ohio State.
CONTINUED >>
Some things never change. Another year, another stumble for the Big Ten to start their Challenge against the ACC.
The good news? The rest of the games should be better. Should, because of the talent on the courts.
CONTINUED >>
Even during a hoops-happy week like this, I’ll soon be spending the evening watching a college football game. Maybe you heard or read a little bit about Kansas-Missouri this week? Loser will be depressed until March.
On that note, I offer a pair of hoops links, both of which should inspire some hope for teams looking to make their mark.
CONTINUED >>
Go figure. On a day when two of the fab five freshmen play starring roles in UCLA winning a tournament title (over a game Michigan State) and helping Indiana flirt with the century mark, it’s another freshman that upstages them both.
And this freshman wasn’t even on most people’s radar. And by most people, I mean mine. That’s what I get for ignoring Australian hoops.
CONTINUED >>
It’s time to give thanks. Thanks for the second-best time of year in college hoops.
Only the first few weeks of March can match the next 10 days (starting Monday) in college basketball for good hoops, amount of games and the chance to see random matchups we normally wouldn’t get.
Seven tournaments this week, then the ACC-Big Ten challenge next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Seriously, let’s all give thanks.
CONTINUED >>
Call it Year of the Freshmen, part II.
We’ve already seen plenty of star freshmen (Eric Gordon, Derrick Rose, etc.) showcase their skills this season. But in the post Durant & Oden Era, get ready for even more freshmen to step into the spotlight. Those fab five freshmen may be the best of this year’s class, but they’re far from the only ones to watch.
CONTINUED >>
When an announcement of another men's basketball tournament in March hit Wednesday, I wanted to throw up. Nothing major, just a little upchuck.
Another tournament? Does college basketball need a 16-team tournament to augment a 65-team NCAA Tournament and a 32-team NIT? Like I said, upchuck, because the idea sounds as good as late night shot of Jäger.
CONTINUED >>
It’s a funny thing about Florida. The 2004-05 squad won 24 games, won one NCAA Tournament game and 58 percent of their offense left for the NBA.
No one thought they'd be a title contender after that. Back-to-back crowns later, shouldn't we have second thoughts about not giving this year's group a chance?
CONTINUED >>
Things keep looking up for the Atlantic Sun.
Just days after Gardner-Webb stunned Kentucky in Lexington, the conference snagged two more marquee wins. Belmont, coming off its second-straight NCAA Tournament berth, ripped Cincinnati at home, while Mercer turned O.J. Mayo’s USC debut into one big debacle in Los Angeles.
CONTINUED >>
The sky isn’t falling in Lexington, Kentucky fans. A loss to Gardner-Webb just feels that way.
There’s no glee or Schadenfreude behind that sentence, either. I may think Tubby Smith got the short end of the stick, but that doesn’t mean I can’t empathize with an unexpected, frustrating loss. Every fan can. Just last season, my Jayhawks lost at home to Oral Roberts, Old Dominion handed Georgetown its first on-campus loss since 1982, and Missouri State shocked Wisconsin.
CONTINUED >>
Who’s the face of college basketball?
That’s the question posed by ESPN’s Andy Katz. Without the fab five at Florida, Greg Oden, Kevin Durant, Katz wonders who will be this year’s face of college basketball. It’s a far cry from two years ago when one couldn’t escape the J.J. Redick and Adam Morrison highlights.
This year the focus is on guys like Tennessee’s Chris Lofton, UNC’s Tyler Hansbrough, Georgetown’s Roy Hibbert or Michigan State’s Drew Neitzel, all preseason All-Americans and upperclassmen.
CONTINUED >>
Jeff Green never put up big stats for Georgetown last season, but everyone knew how integral the junior swingman was to the Hoyas’ Final Four run. The Big East player of the year was arguably the nation’s best defender, Georgetown’s go-to guy in the clutch and set the tone for efficient, solid play that typified a 30-7 Georgetown squad.
But was Green so good that his early departure to the NBA is scaring off supporters for another run to the Final Four?
CONTINUED >>
It's a funny thing about this year's freshman class. There may be some disagreement about the No. 1 recruit (some say USC's O.J. Mayo, others go with K-State's Michael Beasley), but there's very little disagreement about the top 5.
Whether it's Beasley or Mayo at No. 1 (take your pick between rivals.com and scout.com for that), the rest of the top 5 almost always includes Memphis point guard Derrick Rose, Indiana shooting guard Eric Gordon and UCLA center Kevin Love. Rivals has Duke's Kyle Singler ahead of Love, but that's about the only variant.
CONTINUED >>
