February 2009 - Posts
Memphis hasn’t lost a Conference USA game in nearly three years.
Let that sink in.
Since losing Thursday, March 2, 2006, the Tigers have ripped off 55 consecutive conference wins, including the C-USA tourney. No, it’s not the Big East, ACC or even the Mountain West in terms of overall league status.
But 55 victories. Three years. (Whistles) That doesn’t seem right. Even great teams stumble occasionally in conference play.
CONTINUED >>
Moments after Pitt’s loss to Providence Tuesday, my buddy Marty calls.
“If you had to pick one team, right now, to win the NCAA tournament, who would it be?”
I think about it, then settle on North Carolina. Without seeing any matchups, I’ll stick with their offense.
“OK,” he says, clearly ready for that answer. “If I took Carolina and UConn and gave you the other 64 teams, would you take that bet?”
CONTINUED >>
When Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun defended his $1.6 salary during a state budgetary crisis from a freelance reporter on Saturday, it made for entertaining theater. Calhoun didn’t mince words, telling him to “shut up” and “get some facts.”
Calhoun was, to my knowledge, roundly considered right by various pundits, bloggers and commentators, though a touch rude. Tuesday, Connecticut governor M. Jodi Rell agreed.
CONTINUED >>
Monday erased any lingering doubts about Blake Griffin’s importance to Oklahoma. Back-to-back losses will do that.
Not that the No. 3 Sooners are a lost cause without Griffin. They showed as much during Monday’s 87-78 loss to Kansas. They jumped out to an early lead and when they started to struggle, they showcased an aggressive, pressing defense and even displayed some impressive outside shooting.
But without Griffin, Oklahoma’s merely a good team.
CONTINUED >>
One thing about Jim Calhoun. The guy isn’t afraid to speak his mind.
The Connecticut men’s basketball coach showed as much in 2004 when he had a colorful (Read: Profane) rant about not recruiting Ryan Gomes because the Huskies already had Emeka Okafor and Caron Butler. (He later apologized. It was all moot since UConn won the title that season.)
Saturday, Calhoun had a refreshingly candid response to a question posed by a freelance reporter wondering if Calhoun’s reported $1.6 million is too much given the state’s financial shortfall of roughly $944 million this year.
CONTINUED >>
Ken Mink's return to college basketball has turned sour — just like it did 53 years ago.
Mink was kicked off the Lees College (Ky.) team as a freshman in 1956 when he was accused of spraying the coach's office with shaving cream. He says he was wrongly blamed.
Now 73, Mink became a minor celebrity when he made the roster at Roane State, a junior college outside of Nashville. When he made his debut in November, he was the oldest person to ever play college basketball.
A few months later, Mink has been ruled ineligible to play by the National Junior College Athletic Association because of what Mink calls "a total miscarriage of justice."
CONTINUED >>
Anyone with a Facebook account’s seen the latest note making the rounds: 25 things about me. I haven’t written one yet, but the guys over at Storming the Floor put together 25 things about the college basketball season so far.
CONTINUED >>
Wednesday didn’t have any matchups featuring ranked teams, but something a little bit better: Several games had NCAA tournament implications.
Is there anything better this time of year?
CONTINUED >>
DeJuan Blair could be the most crucial post player for a national champ since Sean May.
At the least, Blair is trying to join the likes of Kevin Love, Greg Oden and Glen Davis as big, bruising rebounding machines who helped propel their teams to the Final Four.
But if the Panthers hope to cut down the nets in Detroit come April, May would be the ideal.
CONTINUED >>
If it wasn’t clear before, it is now. Run with North Carolina at your own risk. Just ask Duke.
We’d already seen the Heels’ awesome offense at work in wins against Michigan State and Notre Dame earlier this season. A week ago, they dropped 108 on Maryland.
But this 101-87 road win against Duke – an exceedingly efficient defensive team – was about as good as it gets.
CONTINUED >>
The pregame hype for Duke-North Carolina is inescapable.
If you’ve watched a college hoops game on ESPN in the last week, you know that sport’s greatest rivalry has its first game this season on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET. OK, maybe the showdown itself doesn’t always live up to that hype, but it’s still No. 3 vs. No. 6, Hard to overlook a game like that.
But the bigger question is if Wednesday’s game gives us any indication about which team will fare better in March.
CONTINUED >>
Ah, Rivalry Week.
It’s not perfect. Kentucky-Louisville was last month, and Xavier-Cincy was back in December. Traditionalists don’t get to see Indiana-Purdue until Feb. 21st. Still, there’s plenty for even the most discerning hoop fans who love a good rivalry.
Like Monday’s primetime game between Kansas and Missouri. Few things build drama in college hoops like regional rivalries.
CONTINUED >>
The setup: Connecticut’s ranked No. 1. The Huskies (21-1) just dismantled No. 5 Louisville on the road, prompting some to wonder if the merry-go-round atop the rankings is over. They’re balanced, experienced, efficient on offense and defense and figure to a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance.
The question: If UConn is the nation’s best team, should its best player garner Player of the Year talk?
CONTINUED >>
North Carolina fans knew this was coming.
Sure, some still hoped for Marcus Ginyard’s healthy return, but knew the chances were slim. Tuesday’s announcement that the UNC senior swingman would miss the rest of the season because his left foot still hasn’t healed from offseason surgery was just a confirmation of nagging doubts.
And the rest of the NCAA men's field just got a little more confident
CONTINUED >>
No more distractions. The Super Bowl’s over. Spring training hasn’t started yet. It’s not a Winter Olympics year.
It’s time for college hoops.
For those who’ve been NFL-centric, it’s time to catch up. Here’s what you’ve missed.
CONTINUED >>
