Preseason NCAA Basketball Poll is released

[ProudestAnt]

When you're hitting shots like that last shot by GMU, you're not losing this game...

[HolyCow]

Unbelievable! How the hell did that ball hang on the rim like that? Too bad Gus Johnson wasn't calling that.

I think that during every close game. He has set the bar way to high for announcers.

[DMBfan41]

how the hell is that a jump??

[HolyCow]

how the hell is that a jump??
I swear. Against UW, the officials all but gave UCONN the game, and they are trying to take it away from the team that wants it way more.

Every close call has gone UCONN's way it seems.

It doesn't matter to Mason, because these guys have solid, cast iron balls.

[ProudestAnt]

I swear. Against UW, the officials all but gave UCONN the game, and they are trying to take it away from the team that wants it way more.

Every close call has gone UCONN's way it seems.

It doesn't matter to Mason, because these guys have solid, cast iron balls. The reason Mason is winning is because they are having fun. They've already FAR outplayed their expectations. But UConn has the pressure of playing as the pre-season pick to win it all on their shoulders. It's starting to show...

[ProudestAnt]

Surprised that wasn't a walk...

[HolyCow]

The reason Mason is winning is because they are having fun. They've already FAR outplayed their expectations. But UConn has the pressure of playing as the pre-season pick to win it all on their shoulders. It's starting to show...

:thumbsup

yes sir. I honestly can't believe this game.

[DMBfan41]

OHH MY GOD.

What a game!

[skatcat]

Brackets officially busted for most!

[justinandimcool]

They did it. Oh my Rael. AMAZING! Now where is George Mason? Are they the lowest seed ever in the FF?

[HolyCow]

I was 100% sure that Brown's shot was going in. I can't believe this.

[haildmb]

un.be.lievable.

They should have won this in regulation, but my god what heart this team has. They are so SO solid, wow, i'm thrilled!

[haildmb]

They did it. Oh my Rael. AMAZING! Now where is George Mason? Are they the lowest seed ever in the FF?

lsu went as an 11 once

[trey9]

They did it. Oh my Rael. AMAZING! Now where is George Mason? Are they the lowest seed ever in the FF?

tied for lowest. LSU made it as an 11 seed in 1986.

[DMBfan41]

If Villanova wins, I will actually have ONE final four team

[haildmb]

we haven't had a non-power conference team in the final four since 1991 until today, and that team is... George Mason? Unreal!

[skatcat]

I'm rooting for an sec final, or GM to win it all.

[reds24]

This is great, the whole country is going to be behind GM unless they are fans of the other 3 schools.

[DMBfan41]

George Mason is located in Fairfax, Virginia.

Just for the record.

Them playing in the D.C. bracket was very good

[ousooner]

Good thing I put $2 on George Mason at a billion to one before the tournament started.

[ousooner]

If Villanova wins, I will actually have ONE final four team
I need Florida to have one.

[HolyCow]

I have zero.

And to think, they past two years, I have been 6 for 8.

[RJ2kWJ]

congrats to Mason Holy shit.

I had them in the elite 8 but definitely losing to UConn. Its so neat to see shit like this. Its amazing how much heart these kids have.

I realize I said that "this is going to be the most open tourney we have seen in the past 10 years" before it started... but damn... its that PLUS more.

[seekupig]

UCLA is my only Final Four team left. i lost my chance at the money with Texas losing, so i was happy to see George Mason beat UConn.



Dear Julie,

am i a bandwagon fan if i'm pulling for George Mason in the Final Four? i won't buy a shirt or anything silly like that. these are crazy circumstances that fall into the grey area of pulling for a team. your input and clarification by next Saturday would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Dustin

[DMBfan41]

it's the year of the mid-majors.

Missouri Valley showing they deserve some publicity, and George Mason damn.

Maybe the Northeast Conference will get some more attention next year.

It's looking like Nova is not winning this.

No #1 seeds in the final four, and all of the teams in the final four knocked off the #1's

Could we possibly get an SEC final? Or one big Cinderella story? Should be an interesting final four

[haildmb]

UCLA is my only Final Four team left. i lost my chance at the money with Texas losing, so i was happy to see George Mason beat UConn.



Dear Julie,

am i a bandwagon fan if i'm pulling for George Mason in the Final Four? i won't buy a shirt or anything silly like that. these are crazy circumstances that fall into the grey area of pulling for a team. your input and clarification by next Saturday would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Dustin


:lol

Since Nova lost, good god I hope GMU wins the whole thing

[HolyCow]

I would like to see a Florida, UCLA final. I think those two are the most talented teams remaining, that could possibly play.

[seekupig]

I would like to see a Florida, UCLA final. I think those two are the most talented teams remaining, that could possibly play.

i want George Mason vs. anybody. by bracket is screwed, Kansas is gone, might as well pull for Cinderella.

[clayj41]

0/4 as far as the Final Four goes. I've never done this bad, then again I guess everyone else is having a tough time as well. Fuckin' George Mason.......:lol

[clayj41]

I would like to see a Florida, UCLA final. I think those two are the most talented teams remaining, that could possibly play.

:thumbsup I think that would be the best game.

[bothedmbfan]

Brackets officially busted for most!

I've done just fine thank you.

I've won 1 bracket, and am close in another, despite my National Champion losing in the seconmd round.

[DMBfan41]

I'm pulling for a George Mason - UCLA final

[unccrombie]

so, im going to throw something out there. ala the bcs. are the teams remaining the "best in the country" since that is what this tournament is supposed to do? or do you guys still think "so and so" is the best?

[seekupig]

so, im going to throw something out there. ala the bcs. are the teams remaining the "best in the country" since that is what this tournament is supposed to do? or do you guys still think "so and so" is the best?

no i don't think they're the best. but the tourney is about winning six games in a row. you've just got to get in, and be the best for six days.

if the NCAA used a 2 out of 3 format, GMU wouldn't have beat Mich St., UNC, or UConn. but they don't, and that's what makes college basketball great. if they did use that format, KU would have a couple more national titles to their credit. :D

[SteelerMan]

I'm pulling for LSU since I live in the state. The funny thing is nobody here cares about basketball at all... it's all about football. I'm hoping that if LSU can pull this out, people will start paying more attention to basketball.

I've also heard a couple people mention that LSU shouldn't have been allowed to play in Atlanta. During the LSU-Duke game, Jay Bilas said LSU had an advantage because it was closer to Atlanta... Baton Rouge is 525 miles from Atlanta! Durham is only 384 miles from Atlanta. Perhaps people should look at a map sometime.

[SteelerMan]

Not to sound like Skip Bayless, but... is it just me, or does George Mason being in the Final Four sort of cheapen the whole thing? They have definitely played great basketball in the tournament and they outplayed UConn yesterday when UConn wasn't even having a horrible game, but I definitely don't feel like I'm going to see the best teams in the country play each other next weekend. George Mason lost to SIX teams that didn't even make the tournament during the regular season... and they're in the Final Four? It just doesn't feel right to me. I wish I didn't feel that way, but I do. I'm still excited about the games and I'll definitely watch, but I feel like I'm watching the finals of the Maui Invitational more than I'm watching the Final Four of the NCAA tournament.

[unccrombie]

Not to sound like Skip Bayless, but... is it just me, or does George Mason being in the Final Four sort of cheapen the whole thing? They have definitely played great basketball in the tournament and they outplayed UConn yesterday when UConn wasn't even having a horrible game, but I definitely don't feel like I'm going to see the best teams in the country play each other next weekend. George Mason lost to SIX teams that didn't even make the tournament during the regular season... and they're in the Final Four? It just doesn't feel right to me. I wish I didn't feel that way, but I do. I'm still excited about the games and I'll definitely watch, but I feel like I'm watching the finals of the Maui Invitational more than I'm watching the Final Four of the NCAA tournament.
hence why i asked my question

[SteelerMan]

hence why i asked my question

To answer your question, I'd say these definitely aren't the four best teams. They may be the four teams playing the best basketball over two weekends, but based on talent and their work for the entire season, I don't think they're the four best.

What I find very interesting is that each of the #1 seeds had their biggest flaws exposed in the tournament. Duke was essentially a two man show, UConn rarely put forth their best effort, Villanova was just too small and didn't have an inside presence, and Memphis was overrated at #1 because of their easy schedule.

[unccrombie]

To answer your question, I'd say these definitely aren't the four best teams. They may be the four teams playing the best basketball over two weekends, but based on talent and their work for the entire season, I don't think they're the four best.

What I find very interesting is that each of the #1 seeds had their biggest flaws exposed in the tournament. Duke was essentially a two man show, UConn rarely put forth their best effort, Villanova was just too small and didn't have an inside presence, and Memphis was overrated at #1 because of their easy schedule.
ill deffinatly agree with those points. the #1 teams finally had to play teams that were able to expose those flaws. granted other teams had the potential to do it, and here is where it get's tricky. i think the teams able to expose flaws on that grand of a stage show a better body of work than all through the season.

[41ravens]

i don't think george mason making it cheapens anything. i think it's awesome that they made it and i'll be cheering them on. it's fun and exciting to see what this team can do next and if they come away with the championship, more power to them. like some analyst said, if you started this tournament over, you would probably have 4 completely different teams. the tourney is set up to try and get the best teams to meet up and see who deserves it, but if a team has a great 6 game run i think it exemplifies what the tourney's all about. it's a one-and-done tournament and george mason is taking full advantage of it, not to mention playing their asses off. to me, they are playing like one of the four best teams in the country right now.

[ousooner]

no i don't think they're the best. but the tourney is about winning six games in a row. you've just got to get in, and be the best for six days.

if the NCAA used a 2 out of 3 format, GMU wouldn't have beat Mich St., UNC, or UConn. but they don't, and that's what makes college basketball great. if they did use that format, KU would have a couple more national titles to their credit. :D
If that were the format they wouldn't have one that they have either :D

[seekupig]

If that were the format they wouldn't have one that they have either :D

true, but they've lost more that they should have won than they've won that they should have lost. :D

[DiggingMyDitch]

In no way does George Mason cheapen the tourney. The Tourney, like all playoffs, are about the teams who come to play in the most pressure situations under the harshest circumstances.

I would have felt cheated if UCONN was in the final four. They are the most underachieving team I've ever seen. Their season was great, but every game in the tournament looked lethargic and mediocre. Washington and George Mason were both better than UCONN.

I'm pulling for a George Mason-UCLA final. Don't care who wins, but I'll enjoy the game.

[siserilla]

All I have to say is Go LSU and Go Gators!!!!!!

[cmdace18]

**************go Gators!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!***************

[RJ2kWJ]

**************go Gators!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!***************

And Another one...

Im going to start count of how many people we get.

[clayj41]

And Another one...

Im going to start count of how many people we get.

What are we counting.....the number of people who decide to poke their heads into this thread as soon as their team makes it to the Final Four?

[chiznaz]

so, im going to throw something out there. ala the bcs. are the teams remaining the "best in the country" since that is what this tournament is supposed to do? or do you guys still think "so and so" is the best?

yes I think the best teams are remaining.

For example, if UConn of all teams can't bring it and beat freakin George Mason for a trip to the Final Four, then they aren't even close to being the best team in the nation. UConn (or Memphis) might be the most talented and athletic team in the country, but they aren't the BEST teams. I don't see the best team as the school with the best players only. I see it as the school with the players who work best together, superior coaching, better preperation (a combination of all of those). If a school is going to recruit kids who will just jump everyone else right out of the gym, then they aren't going to win the NCAA Championship. You have to recruit kids who can play the coaches style of ball and tailor them to that offense. Some kids just won't fit in best with a certain schools offense (im not necessarily saying that was the case with UConn)

I really like George Mason. They have some big men that compliment their gaurds real well. They beat UConn inside on the boards and made a bunch of good shots. To me, it seems like a lot of schools thought they could beat Geroge Mason/Bradley/Wichita St just because they are more talented and have the hype, but in basketball that definitely is not the case.

College basketball is a lot more level talent wise than a lot of people think. A team that prepares themselves well and limits mistakes, regardless of talent level, will always have a better chance at winning.

[RJ2kWJ]

What are we counting.....the number of people who decide to poke their heads into this thread as soon as their team makes it to the Final Four?

Yup. Im up to 6 I think. Im also including the guy that came in for the first time talking shit about Duke and talking up his team, UConn. Also the person who made the UCLA thread.

[clayj41]

Yup. Im up to 6 I think. Im also including the guy that came in for the first time talking shit about Duke and talking up his team, UConn. Also the person who made the UCLA thread.

It's inevitable!:BANG

[DMBfan41]

Having George Mason is great for the final four, great for college sports alltogether.

The Mid-Majors are getting more and more into the spotlight. And although the teams aren't filled with future pros, they have kids that have a a lot of heart.

Yes, college football has the best two teams play for the national championship.

And the final four does not have the best four teams playing. But, these four teams deserve to be there, it is college basketball. Even if you aren't in one of the power conferences, you have a chance to win.

I hope GMU wins it all

[bothedmbfan]

UCLA v.s. GMU, with a UCLA win, would be perfect(I love GMU, but uhhh, UCLA is my team)

[SteelerMan]

http://articles.news.aol.com/special1/article.adp?id=20060327203209990004&ncid=NWS00010000000001

This guy picked the Final Four correctly... but only because he got George Mason mixed up with George Washington! Am I the only one who isn't really impressed by people who picked George Mason to go this far?

[rconverse]

And Another one...

Im going to start count of how many people we get.

That's funny. Add one to your total. I am officially jumping on the LSU bandwagon. If they win the NC, I win $80. Still pretty pissed about Duke losing and now I have to cheer for the team that knocked them out.

[seekupig]

http://articles.news.aol.com/special1/article.adp?id=20060327203209990004&ncid=NWS00010000000001

This guy picked the Final Four correctly... but only because he got George Mason mixed up with George Washington! Am I the only one who isn't really impressed by people who picked George Mason to go this far?

one of the pools i'm in at a local sports bar had a guy pick George Mason to the final four. i'm not impressed though, the rest of his final four was Arizona, Kentucky and Kansas which tells me he had absolutely no idea what the fuck he was doing.

[RJ2kWJ]

That's funny. Add one to your total. I am officially jumping on the LSU bandwagon. If they win the NC, I win $80. Still pretty pissed about Duke losing and now I have to cheer for the team that knocked them out.

Well theres a difference in that. I would like to see GMU win to see such a low seed win. That is COMPLETELY different from coming in to these threads for the first time talking up "your" team when you probably dont even know the coaches name, or two of the players names.

[clayj41]

According to Sportscenter, there are 4 people who played the tournament challenge who correctly predicted the Final Four. They just spoke to one of them on Cold Pizza, and he'll win the $10,000 if Florida wins it all. He has them beating UCLA in the championship.

[SteelerMan]

Well theres a difference in that. I would like to see GMU win to see such a low seed win. That is COMPLETELY different from coming in to these threads for the first time talking up "your" team when you probably dont even know the coaches name, or two of the players names.

Yeah... I feel a little guilty pulling strongly for LSU considering I'm a diehard UNC fan, but at least I have a good reason for wanting them to win (I live in Louisiana and am an alumni of an LSU school) and know a lot about the team. I fully expected people to show up out of the woodwork this month though.

[clayj41]

Yeah... I feel a little guilty pulling strongly for LSU considering I'm a diehard UNC fan, but at least I have a good reason for wanting them to win (I live in Louisiana and am an alumni of an LSU school) and know a lot about the team. I fully expected people to show up out of the woodwork this month though.

I really don't care who wins.....I think all of the teams are fun to watch. I don't really want UCLA to win another championship though.:shrug

[seekupig]

I don't really want UCLA to win another championship though.:shrug

i don't either. could be worse though. could you imagine being around here if Kentucy were to win another title? :eek

[clayj41]

i don't either. could be worse though. could you imagine being around here if Kentucy were to win another title? :eek

:thumbsup Hopefully the UK program will become similar to the UCLA program, and they only win the title once every decade or so.....if at all.:lol

[41ravens]

the local newspaper from where i'm from (rockford, IL) had some preschoolers fill out a bracket before the tourney and they had LSU beating George Mason in the championship. i'd link the story, but you have to be a subscriber.

[clayj41]

the local newspaper from where i'm from (rockford, IL) had some preschoolers fill out a bracket before the tourney and they had LSU beating George Mason in the championship. i'd link the story, but you have to be a subscriber.

Ah......to be young and naive again. Apparently it sometimes pays off.

[ousooner]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2387372

Sources say Sampson replaces Davis at Indiana
By Andy Katz
ESPN.com

Oklahoma's Kelvin Sampson is expected to leave the school to become the next head coach at Indiana, multiple sources told ESPN.com.

Sampson already told OU athletic director Joe Castiglione of his plans and was scheduled to meet with the Sooner team Tuesday afternoon.

A news conference announcing his hiring at Indiana could take place as early as Wednesday afternoon in Bloomington.

Sampson replaces Mike Davis, who took over for Hall of Fame coach Bob Knight in 2000.

[41ravens]

interesting. how does that make you feel as a sooner?

[ousooner]

interesting. how does that make you feel as a sooner?
He said last week on Rome's show that he hoped to retire at OU, but I didn't really buy it. I think after the disappointing season and with the recruiting violations and just watching him on the sideline that it might be time. I love the guy, but it's probably a good thing for him and the university. If it's true it will be interesting to see who OU can pull in.

Edit: My biggest concern would be the effect on recruiting. OU has a top 5 class coming in and I don't think they come here because of the name on the jersey. OU is not one of the historically elite programs.

[HolyCow]

He said last week on Rome's show that he hoped to retire at OU, but I didn't really buy it. I think after the disappointing season and with the recruiting violations and just watching him on the sideline that it might be time. I love the guy, but it's probably a good thing for him and the university. If it's true it will be interesting to see who OU can pull in.

I am really bummed about it. Though I remember Billy Tubbs, I grew up with Kelvin Sampson. It will be weird.

Rumors are flying about Billy Gillespie, but I don't think so.

[UNLTrpt]

wow. as a big 12 bb fan this makes me happy. to not have to deal with the caliber coach in Sampson is a good thing for my team.

[HolyCow]

wow. as a big 12 bb fan this makes me happy. to not have to deal with the caliber coach in Sampson is a good thing for my team.

I am worried that OU won't be able to replace such a quality coach.

OU is not a very goo basketball school. Sure Kelvin had success, but I am a little worried.

[UNLTrpt]

I am worried that OU won't be able to replace such a quality coach.

OU is not a very goo basketball school. Sure Kelvin had success, but I am a little worried.

I'd feel the same way if I were you...and you'd feel the same way if you were in my shoes.

oh and watch out Big 10. This guy is good.

[chiznaz]

I am really bummed about it. Though I remember Billy Tubbs, I grew up with Kelvin Sampson. It will be weird.

Rumors are flying about Billy Gillespie, but I don't think so.

Yeah it's not going to happen.
http://www.aggieathletics.com/pressRelease.php?PRID=10967

We're putting in a new jumbotron, digital ribbon banners around the arena, and just passed this new basketball facility plan all for Gillispie. He's suppossed to be getting a new 7 year contract extension with a fat bonus at the end of it if he stays all 7 yrs. The contract is almost a done deal, but everything else has been approved. A lot of money is being poured into the bball team now because of Gillispie. We're doing all we can just short of building a new basketball arena(Reed Arena is not that good). Now the fans just need to sell out the majority of games from now on.

[mizzoudmbfan]

wow. as a big 12 bb fan this makes me happy. to not have to deal with the caliber coach in Sampson is a good thing for my team.

I don't know, we never really had much trouble against Kelvin...except in March.

[ousooner]

I am worried that OU won't be able to replace such a quality coach.

OU is not a very goo basketball school. Sure Kelvin had success, but I am a little worried.
Hey Royce, what are they saying on the Sports Animal and what has Dean Blevins had to say?

[clayj41]

UNC wins.........women that is!

[DMBfan41]

damn I had Tennessee

[HolyCow]

Hey Royce, what are they saying on the Sports Animal and what has Dean Blevins had to say?

I barely heard anything. I heard the breaking news, but didn't really hear what Traber or Blevins or anybody had to say.

I plan on listening all day tomorrow though.

[clayj41]

damn I had Tennessee

Eh....you also had Duke in the men's bracket!:D

[DMBfan41]

Eh....you also had Duke in the men's bracket!:D

i know, i know.

Next year, I'm gonna do something different.

I'm gonna pick two brackets, one that will have Duke winning and then one in case they lose. I hurt myself everytime by going with my team

[seekupig]

i know, i know.

Next year, I'm gonna do something different.

I'm gonna pick two brackets, one that will have Duke winning and then one in case they lose. I hurt myself everytime by going with my team

Duke will not be a good pick to win it all next year.

[DMBfan41]

I pick Duke every year, ha ha.

Gotta support the team :)

[clayj41]

Anybody else watching the Duke-UConn game right now?

[Third Floor]

i tried to, but i realized it was women's basketball

[clayj41]

i tried to, but i realized it was women's basketball

:lol I usually don't watch either, but this is a really exciting game. Duke's leading 63-61 but it's UConn's ball with about 13 seconds left.

[seekupig]

i tried to, but i realized it was women's basketball

there's not many things more exciting than a 40 minute layup drill broken up by the occasional 3 inch vertical leap for a rebound.

[Third Floor]

:lol I usually don't watch either, but this is a really exciting game. Duke's leading 63-61 but it's UConn's ball with about 13 seconds left.
i gre up really close to the university of tennessee, ive been force fed women's basketball for years. ive put in my time

[HolyCow]

Rumor has it either Dana Altman or Wichita State's Mark Turgeon could be OU's next coach.

I have faith in Joe C. He is the best athletic director in the country.

[seekupig]

Rumor has it either Dana Altman or Wichita State's Mark Turgeon could be OU's next coach.

I have faith in Joe C. He is the best athletic director in the country.

the same Dana Altman that was at K-State in the early nineties?

[ousooner]

Yeah, I don't like the Dana Altman idea at all.

[HolyCow]

Yeah, I don't like the Dana Altman idea at all.

Me neither. Just the rumors I heard.

I wouldn't mind Turgeon. He seems good.

Jim Les from Bradley wouldn't be bad either.

I would like to see a midwest guy that is building a strong mid-major program. I am not a big fan of going and getting a big name...plus I don't think OU has enough prestige to do that.

[ousooner]

Royce, what do you think of Sportcenters John Anderson? I love his Oklahoma references that nobody else gets. A few minutes ago he was doing NBA highlights and he said "Etan Thomas pride of Booker T Washington highschool." I actually saw him and Ryan Humphrey play at the Tournament of Champions tourney in Tulsa the year he was a senior and Humphry was a junior at Booker T.

[gbs3769]

one of the pools i'm in at a local sports bar had a guy pick George Mason to the final four. i'm not impressed though, the rest of his final four was Arizona, Kentucky and Kansas which tells me he had absolutely no idea what the fuck he was doing.
You realize that is impossible, right?

George Mason and Kentucky were both in the Washington DC Region.

- Primo

[seekupig]

You realize that is impossible, right?

George Mason and Kentucky were both in the Washington DC Region.

- Primo

yeah, he had George Washington. those damn George's get me confused.

[rconverse]

the local newspaper from where i'm from (rockford, IL) had some preschoolers fill out a bracket before the tourney and they had LSU beating George Mason in the championship. i'd link the story, but you have to be a subscriber.

I'm going to need to get a hold of those kids to start making my football bets this year. :rolleyes

I heard that one of the people who have the final four teams in the ESPN bracket thought George Mason was George Washington. Just goes to show that the less you "know" the better.

R-town?? That's awesome. Where do you roll? Elixer? Stash O'neal's? LT's? State Street Station????

[DMBfan41]

so apparently, i suck as much at the women's tournament. I was doing so good, but i took the traditional powerhouses over the ACC powerhouses.

So i got 1 out of 4 final four teams.

Here's hoping for a Duke-UNC final, that would just be intense, even if it was just women

[seekupig]

so apparently, i suck as much at the women's tournament. I was doing so good, but i took the traditional powerhouses over the ACC powerhouses.

So i got 1 out of 4 final four teams.

Here's hoping for a Duke-UNC final, that would just be intense, even if it was just women

c'mon, everyone knows that the horse race usually goes according to seeds. :D

[SteelerMan]

UNC owns Duke in women's basketball lately. The best possible finals matchup will actually happen in the semi-finals: UNC vs. Maryland. UNC has dominated this year, but Maryland was the only team who beat them. For UNC, it's a game of revenge. For Maryland, they're trying to prove it wasn't just a fluke the first time around. I'm hoping for a UNC-LSU final.

[HolyCow]

Royce, what do you think of Sportcenters John Anderson? I love his Oklahoma references that nobody else gets. A few minutes ago he was doing NBA highlights and he said "Etan Thomas pride of Booker T Washington highschool." I actually saw him and Ryan Humphrey play at the Tournament of Champions tourney in Tulsa the year he was a senior and Humphry was a junior at Booker T.

:thumbsup I have noticed that too.

He is my second fav behind Scott Van Pelt. Anderson says really witty things that you have to be listening to get.

[HolyCow]

www.thesportsanimal.com

Click the live stream and listen in on all the rumors and talk about Kelvin Sampson. By the way, Oklahoma's sports radio is one of the best there is. Pleasure to listen to.

[HolyCow]

I can't believe this, but there is already a www.firekelvinsampson.com

IU fans are nuts.

[seekupig]

I can't believe this, but there is already a www.firekelvinsampson.com (http://www.firekelvinsampson.com)

IU fans are nuts.

:lol :lol

he does bring some potential questions with him, but i do think that website is a bit extreme.

[SteelerMan]

http://www.fireroywilliams.com/

It's different everytime you refresh the page. Not that funny though.

[clayj41]

I can't believe this, but there is already a www.firekelvinsampson.com

IU fans are nuts.

They'll never be satisfied. I use "they'll" because as you all know, I'm not an IU fan.

[Bob Dylan]

:multi :multi :multi :multi
Hansbrough Will Return to UNC

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. --- University of North Carolina All-America forward Tyler Hansbrough will return to school to play for the Tar Heels in 2006-07, Hansbrough and UNC head coach Roy Williams announced today.

Hansbrough earned first-team All-America honors this year from The Sporting News and the Commonwealth Club of Kentucky (Rupp Awards) and was a third-team All-America selection by The Associated Press and National Association of Basketball Coaches. He is the first Tar Heel freshman ever to earn All-America honors.

The Poplar Bluff, Mo., native also was the first freshman to ever be a unanimous first-team All-ACC selection and the ACC Rookie of the Year.

"I never really considered leaving for the NBA after this season," said Hansbrough. "However, Coach Williams still provided me information he learned from his contacts in the league and after listening to that information I still think it is best for me to come back and be with my teammates again and hopefully have another fantastic season. The NBA is definitely a goal of mine down the line but right now I am enjoying college a great deal and feel I can improve in every phase of my game. I enjoy school, my teammates and being part of the Carolina Basketball program."

[clayj41]

To be honest with you, I hadn't even considered the prospect of Hansbrough leaving. Good to know for certain though.

[HolyCow]

NORMAN, OK----- The University of Oklahoma is proud to announce that Longar Longar will be returning for at least his junior campaign. While many thought he would forgoe his remaining eligibility and enter the NBA draft, Longar will stay.

"I know I have a great future in the League, but I have so much more to accomplish here," Longar said in a press release Wednesday.

"I know I will be making millions, because I am so awesome. I mean how many players are in the NBA that are as skinny and weak as me?"

Sooner nation anxiously awaits announcement from Kellen Sampson as to whether he will return to OU, enter the NBA draft or follow his father to Indiana.

"I don't know yet," Sampson said. "I am going to talk with my friends and family about it. I haven't talked to any agents yet, but to be honest, I am leaning to Indiana. Unless my dad gets an NBA coaching job, I don't think I can walk-on to the Lakers. And most likely, I will be cut by the new OU coach, so my best option is Indiana I think."

[Third Floor]

rumors say that mcroberts is speaking with an agent

[ousooner]

NORMAN, OK----- The University of Oklahoma is proud to announce that Longar Longar will be returning for at least his junior campaign. While many thought he would forgoe his remaining eligibility and enter the NBA draft, Longar will stay.

"I know I have a great future in the League, but I have so much more to accomplish here," Longar said in a press release Wednesday.

"I know I will be making millions, because I am so awesome. I mean how many players are in the NBA that are as skinny and weak as me?"

Sooner nation anxiously awaits announcement from Kellen Sampson as to whether he will return to OU, enter the NBA draft or follow his father to Indiana.

"I don't know yet," Sampson said. "I am going to talk with my friends and family about it. I haven't talked to any agents yet, but to be honest, I am leaning to Indiana. Unless my dad gets an NBA coaching job, I don't think I can walk-on to the Lakers. And most likely, I will be cut by the new OU coach, so my best option is Indiana I think."
:lol Nice. Glad to see that Longar will keep his 1.3 minutes per game and .2 scoring average at OU for another year. I'd really like to see Kellen stay though. I think he'd be good for the team.

[SteelerMan]

Anyone watch the McDonald's All-American game last night? Greg Oden is a BEAST. Seriously... he could step in and start for the 76ers right now. I can never tell much from these games though. I remember watching it a few years ago and thinking "So what's the big deal about Raymond Felton?". It's really not even a real game.

One thing I disagreed with was when one of the announcers said Brandon Wright was going to "take Reyshawn Terry's job". For one thing, it's pretty disrespectful to Reyshawn Terry, who had an amazing year. Secondly, I don't even think it's true. I think their starting lineup midway through next season will be:

PG Lawson
SG Ellington
SF Terry
PF Wright
C Hansbrough

[gbs3769]

Anyone watch the McDonald's All-American game last night?
I boycotted it because they didn't let Paul Harris play.

- Primo

[clayj41]

Anyone watch the McDonald's All-American game last night? Greg Oden is a BEAST. Seriously... he could step in and start for the 76ers right now. I can never tell much from these games though. I remember watching it a few years ago and thinking "So what's the big deal about Raymond Felton?". It's really not even a real game.

One thing I disagreed with was when one of the announcers said Brandon Wright was going to "take Reyshawn Terry's job". For one thing, it's pretty disrespectful to Reyshawn Terry, who had an amazing year. Secondly, I don't even think it's true. I think their starting lineup midway through next season will be:

PG Lawson
SG Ellington
SF Terry
PF Wright
C Hansbrough

I really like that lineup!

[RJ2kWJ]

Anyone watch the McDonald's All-American game last night? Greg Oden is a BEAST. Seriously... he could step in and start for the 76ers right now. I can never tell much from these games though. I remember watching it a few years ago and thinking "So what's the big deal about Raymond Felton?". It's really not even a real game.

One thing I disagreed with was when one of the announcers said Brandon Wright was going to "take Reyshawn Terry's job". For one thing, it's pretty disrespectful to Reyshawn Terry, who had an amazing year. Secondly, I don't even think it's true. I think their starting lineup midway through next season will be:

PG Lawson
SG Ellington
SF Terry
PF Wright
C Hansbrough

I agree that Oden is an absolute monster. :eek

[clayj41]

I agree that Oden is an absolute monster. :eek

:thumbsup Coordinated 7' footers don't come along that often.:lol

[UNC41]

:thumbsup Coordinated 7' footers don't come along that often.:lol

Eric Montross, Serge Zwicker ... I don't know what you're talking about.

[clayj41]

Eric Montross, Serge Zwicker ... I don't know what you're talking about.

Don't forget Brendan Haywood.:lol Those guys were good, but I mean NBA-Caliber players. (not that I care for the NBA) I realize Montross and Haywood both have played in the NBA but not at a competitive level. Did Serge play in the NBA? He was one of my favorite players as a kid.



Also, I found this to be an interesting article......then again, I'm from Indiana.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/feature/featureVideo?page=2379848

[seekupig]

I think their starting lineup midway through next season will be:

PG Lawson
SG Ellington
SF Terry
PF Wright
C Hansbrough

nice. KU's lineup will look like this..... (same as it was this year :) )

PG - Russell Robinson
SG - Mario Chalmers
SF - Brandon Rush (hopefully)
PF - Julian Wright
C - Sasha Kaun

[SteelerMan]

Brendan Haywood is averaging 6.35 rebounds per game over the last two seasons... this season he is 19th in offensive rebounds (172), 9th in offensive rebounds per 48 minutes (5.0), 17th in offensive rebounds per game (2.5), and 12th in blocks per 48 minutes (2.64). He also tied the MCI Center record with a career-high seven blocked shots on 12/19/01. That's nothing to sneeze at.

In other Tar Heels news, my boy Raymond Felton is TEARING IT UP!!! Take a look at his last four games:

vs. Hawks: 28 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds
@ Heat: 23 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds
@ Cavs: 30 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds, 5 steals
vs. Magic: 16 points, 13 assists, 7 rebounds

I just hope they suck really bad next year so they can get Greg Oden. Imagine... Raymond Felton, Emeka Okafor (if he stays healthy), and Greg Oden... yikes.

[41ravens]

i work in the loan dept at a bank in champaign and i just had some lady call and try and get some information on a loan for somebody. when i got the social security number to look the customer up, it turned out it was billy gillispie. i guess he had some loans with us back when he was here with self. just thought i'd share, if anyone even cares. chiznaz might.

[SteelerMan]

I'm going to be the first to predict next season's Final Four: UNC, Kansas, Ohio State, and George Mason (hey, I'm not picking against them). You heard it here first.

[RJ2kWJ]

I'm going to be the first to predict next season's Final Four: UNC, Kansas, Ohio State, and George Mason (hey, I'm not picking against them). You heard it here first.

Change Mason to Miami and you have mine.

[SteelerMan]

Change Mason to Miami and you have mine.

Yeah, I wouldn't seriously pick George Mason. I also wouldn't pick Miami either though... you do know Diaz declared for the draft, right?

[UNC41]

In other Tar Heels news, my boy Raymond Felton is TEARING IT UP!!! Take a look at his last four games:

vs. Hawks: 28 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds
@ Heat: 23 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds
@ Cavs: 30 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds, 5 steals
vs. Magic: 16 points, 13 assists, 7 rebounds

I just hope they suck really bad next year so they can get Greg Oden. Imagine... Raymond Felton, Emeka Okafor (if he stays healthy), and Greg Oden... yikes.

Yeah, I became a Bobcats fan when they drafted Felton and May, but unfortnuately they haven't had a nationally televised game. I hope they end up with Morrison or Tyrus Thomas next year. Thomas is a beast, I want him.

[UNC41]

I'm going to be the first to predict next season's Final Four: UNC, Kansas, Ohio State, and George Mason (hey, I'm not picking against them). You heard it here first.

I think the strongest teams will be UNC, Kansas, Ohio St., Texas (assuming they just lose Aldridge; Arthur is a beat coming in), UCLA and Memphis (unless Shawne leaves).

[chiznaz]

I think the strongest teams will be UNC, Kansas, Ohio St., Texas (assuming they just lose Aldridge; Arthur is a beat coming in), UCLA and Memphis (unless Shawne leaves).

Durant is the guy UT has coming in. Arthur is still uncommitted. I will be pissed if UT lands Arthur(i think it's between KU and UT)

[clayj41]

Yeah, I became a Bobcats fan when they drafted Felton and May, but unfortnuately they haven't had a nationally televised game. I hope they end up with Morrison or Tyrus Thomas next year. Thomas is a beast, I want him.

I actually bought some Bobcats shorts at finish line. Felton has definitely been tearing it up, and I can't wait to see who they draft.

[haildmb]

I think the strongest teams will be UNC, Kansas, Ohio St., Texas (assuming they just lose Aldridge; Arthur is a beat coming in), UCLA and Memphis (unless Shawne leaves).


LSU's going to be no worse than they are now if no one goes pro (okay, big if, but my point stands)

[UNC41]

Durant is the guy UT has coming in. Arthur is still uncommitted. I will be pissed if UT lands Arthur(i think it's between KU and UT)

My bad, I meant Durant.

[UNC41]

LSU's going to be no worse than they are now if no one goes pro (okay, big if, but my point stands)

Everything I read has Thomas as the No. 1 pick in the draft right now. Hard for him to pass up, and I don't see LSU making it back without him.

[SteelerMan]

I actually bought some Bobcats shorts at finish line. Felton has definitely been tearing it up, and I can't wait to see who they draft.

I'm thinking about ordering a Felton Bobcats jersey online. I'd get the orange road one though... the white one is a little dull.

[seekupig]

I'm thinking about ordering a Felton Bobcats jersey online. I'd get the orange road one though... the white one is a little dull.

the Bobcats have the ugliest uniforms in the NBA. i hate their colors and their owner. it is kind of cool that they've drafted some local talent to build some interest in the team though.

[SteelerMan]

the Bobcats have the ugliest uniforms in the NBA. i hate their colors and their owner. it is kind of cool that they've drafted some local talent to build some interest in the team though.

I don't really like the uniforms, colors, or their owner either... but my love of Raymond Felton overrides all of that. :D

I wish I could get an Ed Cota Euroleague jersey.

[gbs3769]

I wish I could get an Ed Cota Euroleague jersey.
You could always write FC Barca and see if they have basketball jerseys for sale.

http://www.fcbarcelona.com/eng/equipos/winterthur_fc_barcelona_lista_total.shtml

I couldn't find any in their shop or on the Euroleague site. But it's worth a try.

- Primo

[SteelerMan]

You could always write FC Barca and see if they have basketball jerseys for sale.

http://www.fcbarcelona.com/eng/equipos/winterthur_fc_barcelona_lista_total.shtml

I couldn't find any in their shop or on the Euroleague site. But it's worth a try.

- Primo

:thumbsup

Thanks for the link. From that website:


The new coach typically builds strong, competitive units, and has generated a great team spirit, which is built around such established stars as Navarro, De la Fuente and Fucka.


:lol Forget Cota... I want THAT jersey!

[UNC41]

:thumbsup

Thanks for the link. From that website:

:lol Forget Cota... I want THAT jersey!

Part of me really wishes he still wore No. 5.

[SteelerMan]

I'm starting to wish George Mason had lost to UConn so that I could hear something about another team in the Final Four.

[SteelerMan]

Funny how after everyone's brackets are ruined, people stop coming to this thread (besides the regulars, of course). I dug this up from Page 2. I guess people aren't really college basketball fans, they're just fans of blindly picking teams that they know nothing about in hopes that they'll get lucky and can brag to everyone else later.

[RJ2kWJ]

Dont worry... By tonight. 683 people will come in here and go...

"MY TEAM IS IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP!!! WERE GOIN TO THE NATIONAL TITLE!!!! HOLY SHIT I NEVER THOUGHT THIS WOULD HAPPEN. HOT FUGGIN DAMN HOW MUCH I LOVE COLLEGE BASKETBALL!!!"

[SteelerMan]

Dont worry... By tonight. 683 people will come in here and go...

"MY TEAM IS IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP!!! WERE GOIN TO THE NATIONAL TITLE!!!! HOLY SHIT I NEVER THOUGHT THIS WOULD HAPPEN. HOT FUGGIN DAMN HOW MUCH I LOVE COLLEGE BASKETBALL!!!"

:lol

I think you're right.

[SteelerMan]

My predictions:

Florida 77
George Mason 61

LSU 64
UCLA 57

[seekupig]

Dont worry... By tonight. 683 people will come in here and go...

"MY TEAM IS IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP!!! WERE GOIN TO THE NATIONAL TITLE!!!! HOLY SHIT I NEVER THOUGHT THIS WOULD HAPPEN. HOT FUGGIN DAMN HOW MUCH I LOVE COLLEGE BASKETBALL!!!"

you're wrong. only 3 people will do that in here. the other 680 will do it in the Final Four thread in nDMBc because they don't know any better.

[ousooner]

I'm for George Mason, but I'll go with Florida and UCLA. If Mason can't win it, I'm for UCLA just to stick it to the "Kentucky, we're the greatest of all time" bs.

[skatcat]

Everyone says the final 4 is weak. I don't think so. These games are going to be awesome. I love me some good bball. I hate when my team is out of it, but i love watching all the games. I always hate when it's over.

[HolyCow]

My predictions:

Florida 77
George Mason 61

LSU 64
UCLA 57

Let's see, I have been stewing over tonights predictions...


Florida 71
George Mason 68

UCLA 59
LSU 55

That will be your scores.


Oh, and I am rooting for Mason. Who's not?

[skatcat]

I'm for George Mason, but I'll go with Florida and UCLA. If Mason can't win it, I'm for UCLA just to stick it to the "Kentucky, we're the greatest of all time" bs.

:lol I agree. A UK thread is one thing, but that was a little much.

[justinandimcool]

George Mason 71
Florida 67

UCLA 79
LSU 72


It's the truth. You heard it here first.

[haildmb]

I think LSU's winning the whole thing. I hope i'm wrong though

[SteelerMan]

I think LSU's winning the whole thing. I hope i'm wrong though

I hope you're right. And how long have you "Loved George Mason"?

[haildmb]

I hope you're right. And how long have you "Loved George Mason"?


since last weekend :D get off me, it's a joke

[dmbinchicago]

I've got George Mason +6 tonight. I've seen them play a couple times and I think they're for real.

Second game, I like UCLA +2. I just like watching them play -- great defense.

[rconverse]

I've got George Mason +6 tonight. I've seen them play a couple times and I think they're for real.

Second game, I like UCLA +2. I just like watching them play -- great defense.

How can anyone say this team is not for real?? They beat UNC, who a lot of people (me included) thought had a legitimate shot at making the final four and then UCONN, who was supposed to be the best team this year. I am not saying that nine times out of ten, they can beat a team like UCONN. But, 9 times out of ten they will make it very interesting. These are talented players, and they are for real.

I give Florida a slight edge in winning the whole thing, but no one really knows. I am pulling for LSU because I have them in a survivor pool, plus I guess I can say the team Duke lost to won the whole thing anyway. :shrug

[UNC41]

I'm going for Tyrus Thomas.

[UNLTrpt]

I thought this was appropriate for today:

1 Samuel 17:49

"David put his hand into the bag and took out a stone, hurled it with the sling, and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone embedded itself in his brow, and he fell prostrate on the ground."

name the movie...

[HolyCow]

I thought this was appropriate for today:

1 Samuel 17:49

"David put his hand into the bag and took out a stone, hurled it with the sling, and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone embedded itself in his brow, and he fell prostrate on the ground."

name the movie...

Hoosiers baby, Hoosiers.

[UNLTrpt]

Hoosiers baby, Hoosiers.

:thumbsup

you bet. although their quote ends at forehead.

I watched it last night. excellent movie.

[dmbinchicago]

How can anyone say this team is not for real?? They beat UNC, who a lot of people (me included) thought had a legitimate shot at making the final four and then UCONN, who was supposed to be the best team this year. I am not saying that nine times out of ten, they can beat a team like UCONN. But, 9 times out of ten they will make it very interesting. These are talented players, and they are for real.

I give Florida a slight edge in winning the whole thing, but no one really knows. I am pulling for LSU because I have them in a survivor pool, plus I guess I can say the team Duke lost to won the whole thing anyway. :shrug
Exactly. The line moved from +4 to +6... I think people still don't think they're good. Since the general public is usually wrong, I had to take GMU once it got to 6 points. Maybe this is where it ends, but I'm taking my chances.

[ousooner]

:thumbsup

you bet. although their quote ends at forehead.

I watched it last night. excellent movie.
In my top 5. I love Hoosiers!

[seekupig]

GMU should change their mascot to a cockroach.

[dmbinchicago]

I've got George Mason +6 tonight.
Another half like that would be nice. I also have under 132.5 as the total.

[ousooner]

I've seen Tom Crean, Mark Turgeon, and Jay Wright as possible options for the OU job so far.

Edit: John Calipari also. Who knows the validity to any of this though.

[HolyCow]

I've seen Tom Crean, Mark Turgeon, and Jay Wright as possible options for the OU job so far.

Edit: John Calipari also. Who knows the validity to any of this though.

Jay Wright is actually a solid possibility.

Think about the facilities OU has compared to Nova.
Also, Wright's base salary is something like 500,000 with incentives. OU could pay him as much as 1.5-1.7 mil.

That would be a huge win for OU.

[unccrombie]

wright leaving nova? mmm that would be a bad idea

[DMBfan41]

George Mason lost, but I think they'll have an impact on college basketball for years to come

[unccrombie]

herb sendeck leaves NC state to ASU :lol thats a program drop

[dmbinchicago]

I wish they'd stop calling Davis "Big Baby". Worst nickname ever.

[DMBfan41]

its always bad when the entire tournament is great and then the final four and championship are horrible

[HolyCow]

I heard today people talking about expanding the field from 65. Worst. Idea. Ever.

That would absolutely ruin, well not ruin, but it would hurt the tourney so badly. It is supposed to be a special thing to be in the tournament. If 80 teams are making it....that would be stupid.

[dmbinchicago]

Come on UCLA, take the air out of the ball. If the total stays at or under 122, I just made enough to pay for my ticket to the Cubs home opener.

[|UAY| |)(V)|3]

Since the sweet 16 i've said each step of the way that UCLA will loose cause a good buddy of mine is an avid UCLA supporter. The more i think they will loose the more they suprise me.

[ousooner]

wright leaving nova? mmm that would be a bad idea
Why? Villanova is not a great program. They have the one fluke championship. What have they done since 85'? And I'm obviously not saying OU is a great program or better then Nova, but I don't see it as a bad move.

[HolyCow]

Why? Villanova is not a great program. They have the one fluke championship. What have they done since 85'? And I'm obviously not saying OU is a great program or better then Nova, but I don't see it as a bad move.

OU is actually a much, much better program.

Nova has the Big East and that is all. Well, recruiting Philly is good too, but Oklahoma can recruit Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Kansas City.

OU can offer much more money, has some of the best practice facilities in the country, has a much more impressive basketball arena, and intangibles are better: locker rooms, film rooms, offices....you name it. OU's facilities are better, conference is just as good, tradition is better.


The biggest thing that hurts OU is that whoever comes will have to play second fiddle to the football program. Wright is the #1 man at Nova.

[skatcat]

herb sendeck leaves NC state to ASU :lol thats a program drop

Actually, i love it. ASU is a program on the rise in the west. He made a good move to me. I did some college in az., and this is one program in the country that can make a big impact.

[ousooner]

The biggest thing that hurts OU is that whoever comes will have to play second fiddle to the football program. Wright is the #1 man at Nova.
That's one thing that Kelvin never liked.

[ousooner]

herb sendeck leaves NC state to ASU :lol thats a program drop
Not sure about that either. How successful can you be at NC State? You're supposed to recruit against UNC, Duke, Wake Forest, etc. Almost impossible for NC State to ever be a consistent winner.

[skatcat]

He'll do great there. There is so much talent in that area.

[UNLTrpt]

The biggest thing that hurts OU is that whoever comes will have to play second fiddle to the football program.

that's the one reason why I don't think NU will ever be a established power in basketball. what coach is going to want to come in here and play second fiddle to the football team?

[Third Floor]

Not sure about that either. How successful can you be at NC State? You're supposed to recruit against UNC, Duke, Wake Forest, etc. Almost impossible for NC State to ever be a consistent winner.

unless they get a big name to come, its a step down for the program. as much as i hate state, sendek was a good coach, and if it wasnt for the fact that state fans expect state to be better than duke every year herb would still be there. State has gone to the last 5 ncaa tournaments. wake cant say that, unc cant say that. infact only 14 other schools in the nation can say that. state was a consistent winner (but even in Wake's worst year in about 15 years, we can still beat them twice). big fuck up by the boosters

[unccrombie]

unless they get a big name to come, its a step down for the program. as much as i hate state, sendek was a good coach, and if it wasnt for the fact that state fans expect state to be better than duke every year herb would still be there. State has gone to the last 5 ncaa tournaments. wake cant say that, unc cant say that. infact only 14 other schools in the nation can say that. state was a consistent winner (but even in Wake's worst year in about 15 years, we can still beat them twice). big fuck up by the boosters
:thumbsup thats what i was getting at

[seekupig]

unless they get a big name to come, its a step down for the program.

Rick Barnes.

write that down.

[haildmb]

well way to go state, it took them a while but they ran ole Sendek off. Yeah I don't blame him for going, he couldn't do enough to make people happy in raleigh. He went to what, 4 ACC tournament finals in his time there? Even a few yrs ago when they finished 2nd in the conference, all the stupid people at my school could talk about was Amato. Hopefully we do get someone good... I'd take Rick Barnes like Dustin suggests :D He's a good ole NC boy anyway he needs to come back home

[ousooner]

unless they get a big name to come, its a step down for the program. as much as i hate state, sendek was a good coach, and if it wasnt for the fact that state fans expect state to be better than duke every year herb would still be there. State has gone to the last 5 ncaa tournaments. wake cant say that, unc cant say that. infact only 14 other schools in the nation can say that. state was a consistent winner (but even in Wake's worst year in about 15 years, we can still beat them twice). big fuck up by the boosters
I guess I meant being a threat to win a championship on a consistent basis which is what the fans want. NC State can have all the 20 win seasons they want, but as far as being a threat to win the conference every year or make a deep run into the tourney like a Duke or NC it just isn't going to happen, which makes it a very difficult situation for a coach in the heart of basketball country. Also, say NC State did win big one year, is that going to make a difference in the long run? Are kids just all of a sudden going to line up to head to NC State? That's why ASU may be a better job. Less expectations. Less recruiting competition locally. If ASU did have a big year it may lead to something bigger.

[ousooner]

Rick Barnes.

write that down.
You think? Is there a better job in the country then texas regardless of sport? They have all the resources in the world. Money, facilities, a huge recruiting base, a great city. What would lure him to NC State?

[haildmb]

You think? Is there a better job in the country then texas regardless of sport? They have all the resources in the world. Money, facilities, a huge recruiting base, a great city. What would lure him to NC State?


he's from North Carolina, and he loves North Carolina.

[onemoredrink41]

George Mason lost, but I think they'll have an impact on college basketball for years to come


that is a shame that they lost. Will they be on the top 25 next season????

[chiznaz]

Rick Barnes.

write that down.

I would be shocked if that happened. I don't think UT will let him go unless they know of another similar coach who would want to step in at UT right away. Barnes has a lot more resources at UT. He already makes 1.3 million there right now. If he does decide to leave, I think it'll be for personal reasons (wanting to go back home), not because of money, recruiting, or facilities etc.

[seekupig]

that is a shame that they lost. Will they be on the top 25 next season????

absolutely not.

[Third Floor]

rick barnes is the name thrown out because he wants to come back to NC. when everyone thought skip was leaving wake, the two names thrown out immediatly were beilen (west va coach) and barnes. any opening in the acc barnes is thrown out there. i doubt he'll leave texas for state though, i mean texas is a better team right now, and their fans actually support a winning coach.

[seekupig]

Nate McMillan says he hasn't been contacted and has no interest in the NC State job right now.

[HolyCow]

I think OU will have a new coach by the end of this week.

[ousooner]

Sounds like Calipari really wants the job. I would love to see his style of play at OU.

Memphis' Calipari Sooners' best pick
By DAVE SITTLER World Sports Writer
4/2/2006

INDIANAPOLIS -- Sexy or safe? Big splash or smooth, calm waters?

That's the intriguing quandary Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione could face the next few days as he zeros in on the basketball coach he selects to replace Kelvin Sampson.

Does he send shock waves through the rest of the Big 12 Conference and make a flamboyant pick like Memphis' John Calipari or Villanova's Jay Wright?

Or does he take what would be viewed as the solid, careful route and tap Creighton's Dana Altman or Wichita State's Mark Turgeon?

Calipari, Wright, Altman and Turgeon are some of the names of potential OU candidates that continue to swirl around this city, which is college basketball's temporary national headquarters this weekend with the Final Four in town.

There have been others, including North Carolina-Charlotte's Bobby Lutz and Gonzaga's Mark Few.

The OU job has generated intense interest among the horde of coaches, administrators and media members who are here for the games and their national convention.

Several more undoubtedly are under consideration as Castiglione continues his clandestine, one-man search, using a consulting firm only to help with background checks.

As of Saturday, the Sooner AD had remained in Norman to do his preliminary groundwork. It's possible he could travel to Indianapolis over the next two days if he identifies his top choices and wants to speed up the interview process.

But from the aforementioned list of names, one absolutely jumps out at you -- Calipari.

Calipari would definitely be an attractive, sexy hire. He also might be a safer choice than some might think, because he's resurrected his once-tarnished image the past six seasons at Memphis.

Those close to Calipari insist he has indicated a genuine interest in making the move to Norman. To the point that some of his friends met Friday with Big 12 Commissioner Kevin Weiberg, asking Weiberg to convince Castiglione to strongly consider Calipari.

A Calipari-Oklahoma marriage makes sense because they need each other.

Calipari, who has coached in the NBA and took UMass to the Final Four, is one of the coaches who loves the spotlight and media attention. And the focus on Memphis dimmed last year when some of the top basketball schools in Conference USA left for other leagues.

"Nobody (in the media) pays attention to Conference USA and Memphis until March," said one source familiar with Calipari's situation. "That bothers him."

Big 12 basketball was down this season, but it's still considered one of the nation's premier hoops leagues. And it's about to get even more attention with the hirings at Missouri of Mike Anderson and Kansas State of Bob Huggins, who is one of Calipari's good friends.

Calipari has told insiders he'd like to work for Castiglione, and he doesn't mind operating in the shadow of OU's football program because he's a big admirer of coach Bob Stoops.

He also reportedly isn't that concerned about money. He has plenty from when he left the NBA (a $6 million buyout), and has indicated he'd be willing to sign an incentive-based contract with OU because he's confident he could succeed with the Sooners like he has everywhere else.

OU desperately needs someone like the charismatic and savvy Calipari to solve several problems that emerged during Sampson's 12 seasons.

Most of those concerns deal with a lack of fan interest.

Many OU fans have long been turned off by Sampson's half-court, methodical offensive style. The fan disinterest intensified this season when an NBA franchise relocated to Oklahoma City, and the nationally ranked OU women's team, featuring freshman All-American Courtney Paris, started drawing large crowds.

Calipari's up-tempo style is the offense of choice for the majority of fans.

And while Sampson struggled to land big-name prospects like women's coach Sherri Coale has with players like Paris, Calipari's recruiting prowess is legendary.

The presence of Oklahoma City / New Orleans Hornets wouldn't scare off Calipari.

He's had to battle the NBA for fan attention at both Memphis (Grizzlies) and UMass (Celtics).

When Sampson bolted for Indiana last week, he left behind an OU program that's under NCAA investigation and has recorded poor graduation rates.

UMass faced serious NCAA scrutiny when Calipari coached the Minutemen, but he wasn't charged in the investigation.

And his player graduation record at Memphis has been excellent.

One potential roadblock between OU and Calipari surfaced Saturday when news reports said North Carolina State coach Herb Sendek was the leading candidate at Arizona State.

Some insiders believe the N.C. State job could interest Calipari because, unlike most coaches, he isn't intimidated by nearby powerhouse teams at North Carolina and Duke.

So sexy or safe shouldn't be the question facing Castiglione. Instead, it should be this: Can he convince Calipari to take the job?

Because, the more one considers it, the more Calipari-to-OU makes perfect sense.

[seekupig]

One potential roadblock between OU and Calipari surfaced Saturday when news reports said North Carolina State coach Herb Sendek was the leading candidate at Arizona State.

Some insiders believe the N.C. State job could interest Calipari because, unlike most coaches, he isn't intimidated by nearby powerhouse teams at North Carolina and Duke.



interesting.

[Third Floor]

Nate McMillan says he hasn't been contacted and has no interest in the NC State job right now.
there are a couple other ridiculous names that NC state fans have been throwing around. its funny. 1) these are names that would really have to be lured from already good places (mcmillian, barnes, caliparri- all names ive erad state fans wanting) 2) they would need money and 3) what coach would want to go to a school that, for all intents and purposes, pushed out a coach who has taken the team to the last 5 NCAAs, 4 ACC championship games, etc.

[Third Floor]

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/sports/special_packages/marchmania/14248044.htm

state loses their best recruit

[ousooner]

I may be wrong, but I think OU is a better job then NC State. The only reason being that I think the Duke/NC thing is just too much to overcome.

[seekupig]

http://www.newsobserver.com/images/spacer.gif Saturday, April 1, 2006
Who's next? (http://blogs.newsobserver.com/accnow/index.php?title=who_s_next&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1) With Herb Sendek en route to Tempe, N.C. State's fans wish list will include Rick Barnes, Bob Knight and John Calipari. Two weeks ago, I though this list would be just a what-if? Turns out, State needs a coach.
Here is another look at some realistic possibilities as N.C. State's next basketball coach, given the monetary (Barnes and Calipari) and age problems (Knight) of the coaches on the wish list.


here's a list of qualified more realistic options for the wolfpack.....

http://blogs.newsobserver.com/accnow/index.php?p=3003&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#more3003

[Third Floor]

I may be wrong, but I think OU is a better job then NC State. The only reason being that I think the Duke/NC thing is just too much to overcome.
a Big 4 job is huge.

[ousooner]

a Big 4 job is huge.
But is it a good job? Does it have the potential to win big?

[Third Floor]

as much as OU does. plus in basketball ACC>Big12. i know im biased, but you play in the ACC youre on national tv at least 3 times a year (and thats clemson) but big 4 teams are always better (hell wake was on national/fox sports i think national maybe just east coast about 10-15 times in a huge down year). however, state is kinda screwed itself. skip prosser as become the best in state recruiter, and out of state people are going to UNC/Duke. state had a NY connection, but thats gone with sendek

[seekupig]

But is it a good job? Does it have the potential to win big?

that depends on who's version of "win big" you're using. NC State fans for some reason believe that they should be competing with UNC and Duke every year and going to the occasional final four. people that have no ties to the school but live in the area (like myself) think what Herb accomplished was "winning big" given the circumstances.

whatever coach takes the NC State job will have more trouble dealing with the Wolfpack fanbase than he will beating UNC or Duke.

[Third Floor]

plus he'll have to deal with always loosin to wake

[seekupig]

plus he'll have to deal with always loosin to wake

that's only because NC State is Wake's rival, but Wake isn't NC State's rival. it can get a little one sided when you have teams with comparable talent and only one team getting up for the game like it's a "rivalry."

[ousooner]

as much as OU does. plus in basketball ACC>Big12. i know im biased, but you play in the ACC youre on national tv at least 3 times a year (and thats clemson) but big 4 teams are always better (hell wake was on national/fox sports i think national maybe just east coast about 10-15 times in a huge down year). however, state is kinda screwed itself. skip prosser as become the best in state recruiter, and out of state people are going to UNC/Duke. state had a NY connection, but thats gone with sendek
That's why I think OU has more potential. Less competition. But I'm biased too.

[Third Floor]

wake gets up for it less than it gets up for unc or duke, and i bet its the same way for state. ill take any chance to point out the inabilties of any big 4 team. even in football (wake #1 in the state of NC last year)

[ousooner]

that depends on who's version of "win big" you're using. NC State fans for some reason believe that they should be competing with UNC and Duke every year and going to the occasional final four. people that have no ties to the school but live in the area (like myself) think what Herb accomplished was "winning big" given the circumstances.

whatever coach takes the NC State job will have more trouble dealing with the Wolfpack fanbase than he will beating UNC or Duke.
That's my point. Is NC State already as good as it can get?

I expect OU to compete with Kansas, OSU, and texas every year and finish no worse then fourth in the conference, no worse then fifth if Missouri comes back and occasionally challenge for the conference championship. Is that too much to expect?

[seekupig]

wake gets up for it less than it gets up for unc or duke, and i bet its the same way for state. ill take any chance to point out the inabilties of any big 4 team. even in football (wake #1 in the state of NC last year)

i just hate the way ESPN has tried to create a rivalry between Wake and NC State. kind of the same way they did with Maryland and Duke when UNC was down. rivalries can't be created without pure hatred for the other school, and you can tell what a real rivalry is when they take the court.

[Third Floor]

the pure hatred is coming. after last year with the cp3/hodge incident and this year with atsur's comments before the game in winston this year. but still, theres a way to go

also before wake moved, we were closer to state than than unc is to duke, so there is some degree of history.

[seekupig]

That's my point. Is NC State already as good as it can get?

I expect OU to compete with Kansas, OSU, and texas every year and finish no worse then fourth in the conference, no worse then fifth if Missouri comes back and occasionally challenge for the conference championship. Is that too much to expect?

NC State was pretty much dominated by the other schools in the state. if OU consistenly lost to OSU and Texas in basketball every year, there would be a problem. if you don't win titles, you have to at the very least beat your biggest rivals from time to time to keep people off of your back.

[HolyCow]

I would rather see Jay Wright over Calipari, but that is me.

[ousooner]

I would rather see Jay Wright over Calipari, but that is me.
The Sports Blitz just listed:
John Calipari - Memphis
Jay Wright - Nova
Paul Hewitt - Georgia Tech
Frank Haith - Miami

[HolyCow]

The Sports Blitz just listed:
John Calipari - Memphis :thumbsup
Jay Wright - Nova :thumbsup
Paul Hewitt - Georgia Tech :thumbsdow
Frank Haith - Miami :thumbsdow

I like Mark Few and Turgeon as well.

Dana Altman is a big :thumbsdow:thumbsdow

Jay Wright is my dream. I mean, I think he is going to be a big, big time coach. Calipari would be good because of the size of his name.

[HolyCow]

What about Johnny Dawkins? I would love to get him. I don't think he would leave Duke to come to OU, but I would think it would be a huge win for OU.

[ousooner]

What about Johnny Dawkins? I would love to get him. I don't think he would leave Duke to come to OU, but I would think it would be a huge win for OU.
Do you think he would be any better then Tommy Amaker?

I'd like to get Calipari, Wright, or Few.

[Third Floor]

i dont know why the dislike of frank haith. hes done really well at Miami. plus he was an assisstant at wake

[ousooner]

i dont know why the dislike of frank haith. hes done really well at Miami. plus he was an assisstant at wake
I don't dislike the guy, I just don't know anything about him. I guess I'd like to get a bigger name too.

[Third Floor]

haith is a damn good coach. hes brought miami from no where, to a team that should have been in the ncaa's this year. and has beat duke each of the past 2 years. next yeah though, since diaz left, may be different.

[HolyCow]

haith is a damn good coach. hes brought miami from no where, to a team that should have been in the ncaa's this year. and has beat duke each of the past 2 years. next yeah though, since diaz left, may be different.

Yeah, but he is a no name.

I feel like OU is enough of a respected program to get a better name.

In order, my wishlist:

1. Jay Wright
2. John Calipari
3. Mark Few
4. Johnny Dawkins

[Third Floor]

i dont know if wright will leave. i mean, he was there under massimino (sp?), thats his school, it may not be the huge time, but its a high profile team in a power conference. johnny dawkins, ehh duke assts never really amount to much on teir own.

so few or calipari. id go few, but only because ive never really liked calipari

[UNLTrpt]

Yeah, but he is a no name.

I feel like OU is enough of a respected program to get a better name.

In order, my wishlist:

1. Jay Wright
2. John Calipari
3. Mark Few
4. Johnny Dawkins

I really don't think Few is going anywhere. He turned down Indiana. There aren't many more "jobs" better than Indiana.

What about Dana Altman? Please someone lure him away from Creighton so we can be rid of his ass in this state.

[gbs3769]

i dont know if wright will leave. i mean, he was there under massimino (sp?), thats his school, it may not be the huge time, but its a high profile team in a power conference. johnny dawkins, ehh duke assts never really amount to much on teir own.
I'm not seeing Jay Wright leaving either. Like you said, Jay was there with Rollie and he is basically Rollie's handpicked successor, he just had to pay his dues for a bit. There is no reason why Villanova can't be a huge program.

They finally have a quality coach, Steve Lappas just didn't cut it. They play in a quality arena (The Wachovia Center) and the only reason that they played most of their games this year at the Pavillion was so that they could play at the Wachovia Center when they made it to the tournament.

Their facilities continue to improve and they have some fantastic financial backing. Unlike at Oklahoma, the basketball program is the top program at Villanova so there is no playing second fiddle to anyone.

Jay Wright can grab fantastic recruits from all over the Northeast including Philly, DC, Baltimore and New York. And now with the Big East in Chicago with DePaul, it opens up another major city to recruiting.

- Primo

[seekupig]

Yeah, but he is a no name.

I feel like OU is enough of a respected program to get a better name.



Roy Williams was a no name when he went to Kansas back in '89. everyone was like "why are we getting an assistant coach? we're better than that, we deserve a big name coach." that worked out all right....

[41ravens]

so is anyone even gonna watch tonight?

[seekupig]

so is anyone even gonna watch tonight?

i'll watch once 24 is over if the game is close.

[Third Floor]

sucks for state. per andy katz, state seems to be headed to brining up a mid major. and unlike what you hear from state fans, rick barnes is not coming.


http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=katz_andy

[ousooner]

Solid resume. Looks like he can really recruit texas. Only problem, he was a horn. I could live with that though.

Frank Haith

In his 16 seasons as an assistant at the collegiate level, programs at which he has coached have won one NIT Championship, advanced the NCAA Sweet Sixteen three times, reached one Elite Eight and one Final Four.

He has recruited six McDonald's All-American's including Rodney Rodgers (Wake Forest, 1990), Jerald Brown (Texas A&M, 1995), Brad Buckman (Texas, 2002), LaMarcus Alridge (Texas, 2004), Daniel Gibson (Texas, 2004) and Michael Williams (Texas, 2004), and has coached six players that are in the NBA including T.J. Ford (Milwaukee Bucks), Joshua Howard (Dallas Mavericks), Chris Owens (Memphis Grizzlies), Darius Songaila (Sacramento Kings), Calvin Booth (Seattle Sonics) and Rodney Rogers (New Jersey Nets).

Haith spent the last three seasons at the University of Texas under head coach Rick Barnes, and was promoted to Associate Head Coach in April 2003. In his three seasons in Austin, Haith helped guide Texas to its winningest three-year period in school-history.

During his tenure with the Longhorns they recorded a 73-27 (.730) record while advancing to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen in 2002 and 2004, and the Final Four in 2003. The 2002-03 season marked UT's first appearance in the Final Four since 1947.

Texas is one of only five school's to reach the Sweet Sixteen in each of the last three seasons joining Connecticut, Duke, Kansas and Pittsburgh. Prior to Haith joining the Texas staff the Longhorns had never made consecutive Sweet Sixteen appearances.

Haith was also responsible for recruiting the No. 1 recruiting class in the country this year including commitments from McDonald's All-Americans Alridge, Gibson and Williams.

Haith also has experience coaching in the Atlantic Coast Conference. One month prior to coming to Texas, Haith had joined Dave Odom's staff at the University of South Carolina after spending the previous four seasons under Odom at Wake Forest.

While at Wake Forest, Haith was instrumental in helping lead the Demon Deacons to four consecutive postseason tournament appearances, including an NCAA first round showing in 2000-01. He also helped Wake Forest secure one of the nation's Top 10 recruiting classes during the 1999-2000 campaign.

The Deacons registered a 74-53 (.583) mark during Haith's four seasons in Winston-Salem. Wake Forest advanced to the Postseason NIT second round in both 1997-98 and 1998-99, before its youthful squad in 1999-00 posted a 22-14 mark en route to capturing the Postseason NIT championship.

Prior to joining the staff at Wake Forest, Haith served one year as the associate head coach at Texas A&M (1996-97). He spent one season (1995-96) as an assistant coach at Penn State, helping the Nittany Lions to a 21-7 record. Penn State was ranked as high as No. 9 in the national polls before placing second in the Big Ten Conference regular-season standings and earning the school's first NCAA Tournament bid in 31 years.

Haith worked three years (1992-93 to 1994-95) as an assistant coach at Texas A&M and helped the Aggies secure back-to-back recruiting classes that were ranked in the Top 30 in the country during his final two seasons in College Station. In 1993-94, Texas A&M posted a 19-11 mark, finished second in the Southwest Conference regular-season standings and reached postseason play (NIT first round) for the first time in seven years.

He started his full-time coaching career by serving two years as an assistant at UNC-Wilmington (1990-91 to 1991-92). He also worked as a graduate assistant coach at Wake Forest for one season (1989-90) during Odom's first year in Winston-Salem.

Haith graduated from Elon College in North Carolina in 1988 with a Bachelor's Degree in Physical Education. A Dean's List student, he served as a student assistant coach for two years. Following graduation, Haith worked as a part-time member of the Elon coaching staff while teaching in the public schools at nearby Western Middle School. During his three-year association with the Elon coac