Preseason NCAA Basketball Poll is released

[UNC41]

I didn't forget Pitt, but have them lower than all of the polls do now. Every year they beat a bunch of cupcakes, fall back to earth during the Big East season and then lose early in the NCAA tournament. I refuse to buy into the hype this year ...

Also, WR/RB Greg Little joined the UNC basketball team according to Roy. I'm sure it's just for garbage time this year, but I really want to see him throw one down with his 40' vertical and visions of David Noel II are dancing around in my head.

[GavMan33]

I didn't forget Pitt, but have them lower than all of the polls do now. Every year they beat a bunch of cupcakes, fall back to earth during the Big East season and then lose early in the NCAA tournament. I refuse to buy into the hype this year ...

Also, WR/RB Greg Little joined the UNC basketball team according to Roy. I'm sure it's just for garbage time this year, but I really want to see him throw one down with his 40' vertical and visions of David Noel II are dancing around in my head.

:thumbsup Absolutely Bryan, dead on. There are teams like that every year, and Pitt seems to be a multiple offender. There are all those Bob Huggins Cincinnati teams that were the same way. I honestly think Syracuse could be classified in the department.

EDIT: David Noel. Haven't though of him in quite some time. Good name drop

[GavMan33]

Cincinnati (4-4) @ #17 Xavier (7-1), Wednesday Nov. 12, 7pm, ESPN2

Xavier has 7 of the past 11 Shootouts, but lost last year @ UC 67-57. Xavier was outplayed in every facet of the game. Deonta Vaughn, UC's Point Guard, just owned Drew Lavender all night long. Out front line couldn't do a thing. It was a frustrating game to watch for sure. Last year is the first time in many years that either team has so weak that UC will be considered a bad loss. The basketball program there is still recovering from the messy firing of Bob Huggins back 2005.

Xavier is one a current 6-game win streak after dropping a 59-57 contest at Miami (OH). We have also won 13 in a row now at home.

I was at the Crosstown Shootout in both 2005 @ UC and 2006 @ Xavier. We were flat out overmatched against something like a 17ish-ranked UC team in Huggins's last year there. In 2006, it was a fantastic game we won 73-71 in OT. We had a 6-point lead with 36 seconds left in regulation, and somehow they were able to tie it. I remember Jihad Mohammad from UC hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to force OT. In 2004 (the Elite Eight season) at home, our 71-69 win over #10 UC was when we were only 10-9. That win started a string in which we won 16 of our final 18 games of the season, our losses in that time coming at home against Duquesne (:rolleyes ) and against Duke in the Elite Eight.

This is also the 11th time in the previous 15 years that one or both teams come into the Shootout as a ranked team. We beat two #1-ranked Cincinnati teams, in 96-97, and again in 99-00. We were unranked in both games, though we reached all the way #11 in the polls in 96-97 later that season.

On paper, we should blow Cincinnati out. But as you can see, records and rankings really don't mean much in this rivalry. UC beat a heavily favored Xavier team, by 20 points in 01-02, when we were the home team. So it's important for us to come out with high intensity. The Shootout sells out every year in each arena, it's the hottest ticket in Cincinnati, so the Cintas Center (our home arena) will be rocking Wednesday night. Our arena holds 10,250 people, while Fifth Third Arena (UC's arena) holds 13,176. From what I've heard, there were 100 tents full of students waiting outside since 8am Friday morning, when tickets didn't go on until Monday morning at 10am. I believe the number of student tickets is 750 or so, so a lot of people will get shutout.

I was lucky enough to get tickets (and yes, I was very lucky) to have tickets in 2005 and 2006, it's especially difficult to get tickets at the other team's gym. At UC, Cincinnati gave us a block of tickets in the top corner of the arena against the wall. I don't know if any of you have ever been there, but vs. how most new arenas are today (our arena was built in 2000), the upper deck is built up instead of out, so there really aren't bad seats. Well at UC, the upper deck is built going away from the floor, so I was 3 rows from the top in the corner, it seems like you're 5 miles from the floor. But again, it's so difficult to get tickets, so it was cool to be there.

So there you have it. 7pm on Wednesday, ESPN2. Check it out :thumbsup

[willthethrill]

Also, WR/RB Greg Little joined the UNC basketball team according to Roy. I'm sure it's just for garbage time this year, but I really want to see him throw one down with his 40' vertical and visions of David Noel II are dancing around in my head.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUjqWLwSpL8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB6o9J8WTdg

BOOYAH!

[thestand]

Great game last night, if we forget about the first ~15 minutes. :lol

[justinandimcool]

First Xavier game of the season that I'm able to catch, awesome.

[GavMan33]

First Xavier game of the season that I'm able to catch, awesome.

:thumbsup I see you Justin. Pretty ugly game, but as I said, expected out of a rivalry game. We're happy to get out of there with a win, we'll forget about it. We're 8-1, getting on a plane tomorrow, to go out to Arizona, @ Arizona State on Saturday.

How about this Atlantic 10 gentlemen? UMass wins @ Boston College tonight. This is shocking me. Winning big game after big game for the conference. This is great stuff :thumbsup

[justinandimcool]

It was sloppy, but only in a sense of missing easy shots and making errant plays. As a unit Xavier looks pretty cohesive. They've got good decision makers, good shooters, and play smoothly as a team. They'll polish up even more by March, and I expect big things.

Even though it was my first time watching them this season, it was obvious they were a good team on an off day.

[GavMan33]

It was sloppy, but only in a sense of missing easy shots and making errant plays. As a unit Xavier looks pretty cohesive. They've got good decision makers, good shooters, and play smoothly as a team. They'll polish up even more by March, and I expect big things.

Even though it was my first time watching them this season, it was obvious they were a good team on an off day.

Yeah Justin, you're right. Any one of six guys is capable of leading us to a win. Last game vs. Creighton, Drew Lavender put up 28 points and 10 rebounds. Tonight he had a solid game with 12 points and 5 assists. But Derrick Brown led us tonight; 17 points and 6 rebounds, 7-8 from the FT line. We were 14-16 from the line as a team. As a team we only shot 38% from the field, so it was ugly. But again, a win is a win. We're very very happy to get past this point on our schedule. We don't have to think about this anymore. Thank Goodness.

Now, I'm not really sure what this means. But on Saturday at 4:00 East time, 1:00 Pacific time, Xavier @ Arizona State is being televised on FSN National. To me that says national TV, but not sure. Just look out for it...

[giddy]

Yeah Justin, you're right. Any one of six guys is capable of leading us to a win. Last game vs. Creighton, Drew Lavender put up 28 points and 10 rebounds. Tonight he had a solid game with 12 points and 5 assists. But Derrick Brown led us tonight; 17 points and 6 rebounds, 7-8 from the FT line. We were 14-16 from the line as a team. As a team we only shot 38% from the field, so it was ugly. But again, a win is a win. We're very very happy to get past this point on our schedule. We don't have to think about this anymore. Thank Goodness.

Now, I'm not really sure what this means. But on Saturday at 4:00 East time, 1:00 Pacific time, Xavier @ Arizona State is being televised on FSN National. To me that says national TV, but not sure. Just look out for it...

I am in love with the A10 this year and hope it gets at least four bids to The Dance. Character win tonight for the Musketeers.

[GavMan33]

I am in love with the A10 this year and hope it gets at least four bids to The Dance. Character win tonight for the Musketeers.

Well four bids sounds like a ton. But in the nonconference, the top teams in the conference look great, and that's only gonna help the conference as a whole. The only really bad loss I've seen nonconference so far is UMass @ IUPUI. But they've also beaten Syracuse and now Boston College. Things sure are exciting early in the A-10, that's for sure. The conference season could get a bit messy, that's for sure.

And yeah, character win is a good way to put it....

[jgeels3]

2007-08 Week 4 NCAA Basketball Poll

1. North Carolina (3) 75
2. Memphis 71
3. Texas 69
4. Kansas 67
5. Duke 62
6. (tie) UCLA 57
Washington St. 57
8. Georgetown 56
Tennessee 51
10. Texas A&M 49
11. Marquette 46
12. Michigan St. 45
13. Indiana 42
14. Oregon 35
15. Xavier 31
16. Arizona 26
17. Pittsburgh 24
18. (tie) Clemson 21
Vanderbilt 21
20. BYU 18
21. Gonzaga 17
22. Butler 13
23. Villanova 12
24. Rhode Island 8
25. St. Mary's 6

Also Receiving Votes: USC 4, Louisville 1, Miami 1

Participating Voters: UNC41, GavMan33, willthethrill

Can someone explain to me how Texas couild be ranked higher than Kansas an any poll? Kansas beat them twice last season.

Kansas > Texas w/ Durant

Kansas > Texas w/o Durant

[UNC41]

Can someone explain to me how Texas couild be ranked higher than Kansas an any poll? Kansas beat them twice last season.

Kansas > Texas w/ Durant

Kansas > Texas w/o Durant

Dominated Tennessee, beat the UCLA on the road and have looked better than Kansas ...

[seekupig]

Can someone explain to me how Texas couild be ranked higher than Kansas an any poll? Kansas beat them twice last season.

different year. KU hasn't played with their full lineup yet.... they'll pass Texas soon enough....

[giddy]

Can someone explain to me how Texas couild be ranked higher than Kansas an any poll? Kansas beat them twice last season.

Kansas > Texas w/ Durant

Kansas > Texas w/o Durant

If preseason polls didn't exist and we had our first poll released this past week, the Longhorns would be on top of the hill.

It'll be an interesting race between both KU and UT for the Big XII. I take KU, I think, but by the smallest of margins. Rush getting off on his legal issues until after the season certainly helps.

[justinandimcool]

KU vs Texas = epic games. I'd say they're just about even right now. Both have legitimate guards and playmakers, both are dangerous on the open court, and they've got some athletic guys at the 3 and 4. I'd say they're very similar.

Miami FL is 9-0, just took down a surprisingly weak Mississippi St. For real, or last year's Clemson?

[willthethrill]

KU vs Texas = epic games. I'd say they're just about even right now. Both have legitimate guards and playmakers, both are dangerous on the open court, and they've got some athletic guys at the 3 and 4. I'd say they're very similar.

Miami FL is 9-0, just took down a surprisingly weak Mississippi St. For real, or last year's Clemson?

Definitely last year's Clemson. There's no way they go through the ACC with more than 7 wins. Of course, everybody but UNC, Duke, and Clemson have looked horrid, so maybe they will.

[giddy]

KU vs Texas = epic games. I'd say they're just about even right now. Both have legitimate guards and playmakers, both are dangerous on the open court, and they've got some athletic guys at the 3 and 4. I'd say they're very similar.

Miami FL is 9-0, just took down a surprisingly weak Mississippi St. For real, or last year's Clemson?

Get to 17 wins, and THEN I'll call you last year's Clemson. Still plenty of unbeatens out there (hey! Including Clemson!).

[GavMan33]

KU vs Texas = epic games. I'd say they're just about even right now. Both have legitimate guards and playmakers, both are dangerous on the open court, and they've got some athletic guys at the 3 and 4. I'd say they're very similar.

Miami FL is 9-0, just took down a surprisingly weak Mississippi St. For real, or last year's Clemson?

Of course, like all of you, I'm not ready to say Miami (FL) is for real or not for real. But it's not out of the realm of possibility that this team can roll. But the only really "true" win they have so far is againt Providence, and then Virginia Commonwealth down in Puerto Rico. And they don't have anyone else bigtime on the OOC schedule, so they could conceivably go into the ACC season undefeated. I don't know how good Winthrop is this year, but I don't think at all like last year. And they have Penn too, but I watched a bit of the Carolina/Penn game; although Miami is not Carolina, they should still handle the Quakers.

Speaking of the ACC, Maryland drops one at the Comcast Center (which I hear is a gorgeous arena, any of you Carolina guys been there?) to Ohio. Sounds like a bad loss, and make no mistake, it is for the Terps. You cannot lose an out-of-conference game at home before the ACC grind. But let's look at the Bobcats. They are 6-2, and have 4 double-digit scorers, so they are very balanced. Maryland is their first "true" win, but it's a good one on the road. Now, speak of the devil, we're gonna get a look at them tomorrow. 5pm, ESPN2, Ohio @ Kansas. I guess we'll be able to see for themselves....

[seekupig]

Maryland is their first "true" win, but it's a good one on the road. Now, speak of the devil, we're gonna get a look at them tomorrow. 5pm, ESPN2, Ohio @ Kansas. I guess we'll be able to see for themselves....

:thumbsup :multi :evil

[UNLTrpt]

Oregon vs. Nebraska this afternoon.

I think its gonna be a good game. I think Nebraska has a shot.

Playing at the Qwest Center in Omaha. Should have upwards to 16k there.

[GavMan33]

Oregon vs. Nebraska this afternoon.

I think its gonna be a good game. I think Nebraska has a shot.

Playing at the Qwest Center in Omaha. Should have upwards to 16k there.

I've been there twice for Xavier vs. Creighton games. The place is absolutely phemonenal. I hope you are going, it's a gorgeous arena. Not sure how far it is from Omaha to Lincoln (is that where Nebraska is?), but I hope you get to go. And if not, go see a Creighton game there. You're right, the place is always packed, a great environment for a college game :thumbsup

[UNLTrpt]

I've been there twice for Xavier vs. Creighton games. The place is absolutely phemonenal. I hope you are going, it's a gorgeous arena. Not sure how far it is from Omaha to Lincoln (is that where Nebraska is?), but I hope you get to go. And if not, go see a Creighton game there. You're right, the place is always packed, a great environment for a college game :thumbsup

I'm not going. I'm 4 hours away from the game, but my mom and sister will be going.

Lincoln is about an hour away from Omaha.

I will never never NEVER go to a Creighton basketball game unless Nebraska is playing. I can't stand Creighton. Their fans piss me off to no end. Dana Altman pisses me off to no end. I can guarantee you that if they didn't sell beer there, the place wouldn't be as packed. Omaha is riding the Creighton bandwagon right now, its the cool thing to do. They'll soon jump off.

I like the Qwest. I've been there twice for DMB and Coldplay. Still haven't seen a game there.

But I will never go to that place if Creighton is in the building.

[HolyCow]

Nebraska = big sleeper in the Big 12.

OU is playing alright against Are-Kansas today.

[UNLTrpt]

HOT DAMN!

hell of a win!

88-79!

Holy 3 pt shooting batman. Oregon 14-30. It kept them in the game.

[HolyCow]

HOT DAMN!

hell of a win!

88-79!

Holy 3 pt shooting batman. Oregon 14-30. It kept them in the game.
Same here!

I know it's not the same as beating Oregon, but the win of Arkansas is big for OU. If somehow we can beat either Gonzaga or West Virginia, I'd feel a little better about the season.

[thestand]

God fucking damn it. Porter would've won it with a free throw at the end of regulation. Kid shot 90% last year, I believe (94%, maybe?). And his only one of the game, he misses. Unbelievable.

[thestand]

Though seeing an absolutely abysmal Arizona State beat those Xavier kids made me laugh... ;) :lol

[unccrombie]

how shitty is L'ville...jeez

[UNLTrpt]

God fucking damn it. Porter would've won it with a free throw at the end of regulation. Kid shot 90% last year, I believe (94%, maybe?). And his only one of the game, he misses. Unbelievable.

well, I don't know if he would have won it but it would have put them in the lead with 9 seconds left to go.

It was a good game. I really thought Nebraska would walk away with it in the 2nd half but Oregon really caused us some problems when they extended that man to man.

Nebraska did a hell of a job against Leunen and I thought that was pretty much the key to the game.

[giddy]

well, I don't know if he would have won it but it would have put them in the lead with 9 seconds left to go.

It was a good game. I really thought Nebraska would walk away with it in the 2nd half but Oregon really caused us some problems when they extended that man to man.

Nebraska did a hell of a job against Leunen and I thought that was pretty much the key to the game.

A win Nebraska definitely needed to put them in the conversation of "legitimate" but let see some sustained, solid play from the 'Huskers.

I thought ASU could beat Xavier, but not so soundly. Yeesh.

[UNLTrpt]

A win Nebraska definitely needed to put them in the conversation of "legitimate" but let see some sustained, solid play from the 'Huskers.

I thought ASU could beat Xavier, but not so soundly. Yeesh.

oh hey. Don't get me wrong, I don't think Nebraska is on elite level yet, nor do I think that Nebraska is an overall better team than Oregon. I think it was just a team who played really well against a team that wasn't playing at their best. I do think Doc is doing good things but we have to do more if we want to be in the convo. of legitimate.

[TapNorris]

Nebraska 88 Oregon 79!!

Outstanding game and an outstanding atmosphere!! The crowd got incredibly loud...I got goosebumps! This is a great confidence booster, if we can take care of the business that we are supposed to and maybe pick up another surprise or two along the way, we can be dancing in March!!

I got some great camera time (my wife's uncle was controlling the floor camera)...I was the guy in the suit behind the bench with the blue shirt and red tie, chomping hard on my gum....I was nervous the whole game.



I will never never NEVER go to a Creighton basketball game unless Nebraska is playing. I can't stand Creighton. Their fans piss me off to no end. Dana Altman pisses me off to no end. I can guarantee you that if they didn't sell beer there, the place wouldn't be as packed. Omaha is riding the Creighton bandwagon right now, its the cool thing to do. They'll soon jump off.


Don't try reading The Blue Jay Cafe message board like I did this morning...it will only infuriate you. My favorite quote from the Crayton fans: "If Oregon is the 16th best team, then there are only 15 good teams in the country." They piss me off SO much!!!

[TapNorris]

Omaha is riding the Creighton bandwagon right now, its the cool thing to do. They'll soon jump off.



Case to your point...my sister-in-law goes to all the Creighton games and I make sure I ask her after every game who they played that day. She's been able to answer that question once this season, after the Nebraska game.

A friend of hers called her while she was at Nebraska's game at the Qwest yesterday asking her what she was doing. She explained that Nebraska was playing Oregon at the Qwest and she was there watching. Her friends response? "Oh, that's where we're supposed to be today?"

It's all a social event. She admits to me she only goes to be seen. That's what all her friends do, so she does it too. Out of the around 15,000 they average a game, I'd have to guess that maybe 6 to 7,000 are actually there to watch game.

Hate Crayton...hate 'em!!

[UNLTrpt]

Case to your point...my sister-in-law goes to all the Creighton games and I make sure I ask her after every game who they played that day. She's been able to answer that question once this season, after the Nebraska game.

to be fair, its not like they're playing name opponents at home either. They're playing sisters of the cloth just like we are.

A friend of hers called her while she was at Nebraska's game at the Qwest yesterday asking her what she was doing. She explained that Nebraska was playing Oregon at the Qwest and she was there watching. Her friends response? "Oh, that's where we're supposed to be today?"

It's all a social event. She admits to me she only goes to be seen. That's what all her friends do, so she does it too. Out of the around 15,000 they average a game, I'd have to guess that maybe 6 to 7,000 are actually there to watch game.

Hate Crayton...hate 'em!!

But you're right, its just the thing to to right now. I can guarantee you that if Nebraska was winning right now those fringe Omaha Creighton fans would be making the trek down I-80 to see Husker games. And I love Doc saying that the Creighton game is the 17th most important game on the schedule. Absolutely love it.

[GavMan33]

Well, sorry for not being here to take all of your beatings all, but I can tell you, I thought that was a pretty good Arizona State squad. They played a zone defense that we could not handle at all. It was rare that we were able to get to the interior of it at all. Not good. This was our first real road game of the year. We beat Kent State and Indiana on a neutral floor in Chicago, so this is the first true road game. We have a showdown with Tennessee at home on Saturday on ESPN, 2pm I think. It's going to be a tough stretch. After winning the brawl last Wednesday vs. Cincinnati, to get on a plane to Arizona and play like that, it was not good. We'll see how things go this weekend. Due to the big east coast storm, I'm stuck in the midwest tonight, I'll be back home tomorrow. More to come then....

[UNC41]

Ty Lawson is the man. He's doing everything tonight ... attacking the rim, finishing, running the break, finding teammates and playing great defense on the ball. I don't know how many assists he has, but I've seen guys miss easy looks that should have been assists three times in the first half.

Oh, Weezy's pretty good at the 2 as well.

[willthethrill]

Well, sorry for not being here to take all of your beatings all, but I can tell you, I thought that was a pretty good Arizona State squad. They played a zone defense that we could not handle at all. It was rare that we were able to get to the interior of it at all. Not good. This was our first real road game of the year. We beat Kent State and Indiana on a neutral floor in Chicago, so this is the first true road game. We have a showdown with Tennessee at home on Saturday on ESPN, 2pm I think. It's going to be a tough stretch. After winning the brawl last Wednesday vs. Cincinnati, to get on a plane to Arizona and play like that, it was not good. We'll see how things go this weekend. Due to the big east coast storm, I'm stuck in the midwest tonight, I'll be back home tomorrow. More to come then....

No shame in losing in those circumstances. I kind of expected a let down game from X after that Cincy game. Losin' one to the Herb never feels good though. :lol

Ty Lawson is the man. He's doing everything tonight ... attacking the rim, finishing, running the break, finding teammates and playing great defense on the ball. I don't know how many assists he has, but I've seen guys miss easy looks that should have been assists three times in the first half.

Oh, Weezy's pretty good at the 2 as well.

I'm getting more and more excited after every game. That might have been the best I've ever seen the UNC transition offense. Or any offense.

[giddy]

What's the over/under on accidental Hansbrough collisions this year? 21.5?

[willthethrill]

Well, are we talking Billy Packer-accidental?

Hans hit the back of his head on the cameraman's knee at full-speed. Couldn't have felt good.

[unccrombie]

Well, are we talking Billy Packer-accidental?

Hans hit the back of his head on the cameraman's knee at full-speed. Couldn't have felt good.
maybe he got a murder boner

[UNC41]

I know they talked about this a couple of times during the game, but way to put up 10 points and 3 boards, while getting burned for 20 and 11, after talking shit about Hansbrough ...

"Honestly, I'm not a conceited dude, but I really don't think he can guard me," Inman said. "He's really strong, and he's a really talented player, don't get it twisted. He's a threat to get a double-double every night. But from what I notice defensively, he really hasn't been challenged this year by a guy who has my ability and skills. Somebody his size with athleticism, reach and all that stuff, but who can also step out to 20 feet. That's pretty hard for anybody, even myself. If I had to guard myself, it would be pretty hard."

[clayj41]

Fuckin' cameraman....:rolleyes :twenty4

[RJ2kWJ]

Coming from a Dukie, I hope Tyler is ok. That looked like it hurt like hell. Never want a hurt star.

[GavMan33]

I know they talked about this a couple of times during the game, but way to put up 10 points and 3 boards, while getting burned for 20 and 11, after talking shit about Hansbrough ...

"Honestly, I'm not a conceited dude, but I really don't think he can guard me," Inman said. "He's really strong, and he's a really talented player, don't get it twisted. He's a threat to get a double-double every night. But from what I notice defensively, he really hasn't been challenged this year by a guy who has my ability and skills. Somebody his size with athleticism, reach and all that stuff, but who can also step out to 20 feet. That's pretty hard for anybody, even myself. If I had to guard myself, it would be pretty hard."

Got home a little while ago. I gotta say, there is a shitload of snow here in Upstate NY. Those weather people weren't lying....

So who's this real educated dude making this statement about your boy Psycho T? I tell you what, when you talk to the media, at least try and sound educated, which this guy has totally failed to do.

All over the local papers here because tonight, big bad University at Albany and their 2 straight NCAA Tournaments storms into Cameron Indoor tonight to knock off the Dukies. To play them anyway. I don't like UAlbany, so the Blue Devils can feel free to beat them by 50, I don't have a problem with that :thumbsup

[UNC41]

Got home a little while ago. I gotta say, there is a shitload of snow here in Upstate NY. Those weather people weren't lying....

So who's this real educated dude making this statement about your boy Psycho T? I tell you what, when you talk to the media, at least try and sound educated, which this guy has totally failed to do.

All over the local papers here because tonight, big bad University at Albany and their 2 straight NCAA Tournaments storms into Cameron Indoor tonight to knock off the Dukies. To play them anyway. I don't like UAlbany, so the Blue Devils can feel free to beat them by 50, I don't have a problem with that :thumbsup

JR Inman. And yes, if you are going to run your mouth like that it is a good idea not to have your worst game of the year.

Oh, and people can PM me their polls until 6:00 p.m. Central and I'll get it posted once I get home from the Y tonight.

[seekupig]

Sounds like a bad loss, and make no mistake, it is for the Terps. You cannot lose an out-of-conference game at home before the ACC grind. But let's look at the Bobcats. They are 6-2, and have 4 double-digit scorers, so they are very balanced. Maryland is their first "true" win, but it's a good one on the road. Now, speak of the devil, we're gonna get a look at them tomorrow. 5pm, ESPN2, Ohio @ Kansas. I guess we'll be able to see for themselves....

thoughts on the game? :D ;)

[seekupig]

bad break for the Orange..... gonna be a long season.....

Orange guard Devendorf to miss rest of season with ACL tear
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3157614

[onemoredrink41]

bad break for the Orange..... gonna be a long season.....

Orange guard Devendorf to miss rest of season with ACL tear
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3157614

I think UK has it worse! :lol :lol

[GavMan33]

thoughts on the game? :D ;)

Dustin-

For the record, I like to speculate on teams, the mid-majors particularly. I saw that Ohio, a few weeks ago, received a few votes for the Top 25, so I got intrigued. Then a win @ Maryland seemed nice, so it was gonna be a barometer of some type playing in Lawrence. I wasn't looking for a win, because KU is leaps and bounds better than most teams, but a nice showing would have been good. Well it wasn't such a good showing. If you remember a few weeks ago, I was interested in Duquesne. But a bad loss @ Drake kinda hurt, but I held off judgement, since they had Pittsburgh at home and @ West Virginia that week. Again, not necessarily looking for a win, just nice showings. Well they played very well and maybe should have won the game vs. Pitt, which looked good. Then they went and got humiliated in Morgantown, so that was the end of that.

Similarly was the showing Xavier put on at Arizona State over the weekend. The game happened to be on national TV also, which adds to the magnitude of the loss, and a 22-point loss at that. It was truly a trip from hell. As reported by The Cincinnati Enquirer, the team's flight got canceled, and after much deliberation, ended up on a red-eye flight from Phoenix to Cincinnati, that got in at 7:00 this morning. And this happens to be finals week at X. Not a good hit at all.

Luckily for X, there is plenty of opportunity for more signature nonconference wins. After #12 Tennessee comes to Cintas Center this Saturday (ESPN, 2pm), there are still two big ones, Virginia and Kansas State. So there are opportunities still out there. The win over Indiana will keep giving for us, but it'd be nice to get some more.

I see by some miraculous happening, Xavier managed to stay in the coaches poll at #24, but is out of the AP, coming in at #26. Also notable is that Rhode Island came in at #26 in the Coaches Poll, and #28 in the AP Poll. And Dayton, in a discrepency of some sort, came in at #29 in the AP, but received only a single vote in the Coaches Poll.

[mizzoudmbfan]

Getting ready to head to the Arena. Watch the Tigers kick a little North Carolina ass. Sitting in the Anheuser suite this evening free booze and food, good times had by all. Should be a good evening.



North Carolina A&T that is....

[JamesM]

Good job with the sound ESPN2!!!

[UNLTrpt]

Team of the Week in the Weekly Watch *woot*

Last week: beat Savannah State 82-37 on Tuesday; beat then-No. 16 Oregon 88-79 in overtime on Saturday

This may come as a surprise during a light week of major games. But bear with me for a few moments. Nebraska's 88-79 overtime win over Oregon gives the Huskers something to put on their résumé. Nebraska (8-2) is now 2-0 against the Pac-10. The Huskers also beat Arizona State on Dec. 2 in Lincoln.

Nebraska's two losses -- at rival Creighton and at Western Kentucky -- were legitimately difficult road games against mid-majors. So let's put this Oregon win in perspective. If you concede the top three spots in the Big 12 to Kansas, Texas and Texas A&M, then you could argue that Nebraska is in the mix with Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Missouri and Baylor for the No. 4 spot. Nebraska will need wins that make it stand out. Beating Oregon, assuming the Ducks stay in the race in the Pac-10, will certainly help its case.

Nebraska should be 11-2 when it opens its Big 12 season at home against Kansas on Jan. 12. The Big 12 schedule isn't kind, though, with late-season road games at Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma State -- which makes the Huskers' win over Oregon even more crucial.

The Huskers can always count on center Aleks Maric to produce (23 points against Oregon), and they are now getting pretty good balance on the perimeter. Guard Ryan Anderson lit up the Ducks with 21 points (8-of-8 at the free-throw line). An impressive stat was how the Huskers took care of the ball (seven turnovers) and forced 18 Oregon turnovers and picked up 12 steals. If Nebraska can defend (yes the Huskers gave up 14 3s), then it has a chance to be a factor in the middle of the Big 12 pack.

[seekupig]

11-0...:multi

nice ACC road win for KU last night....

[unccrombie]

11-0...:multi

nice ACC road win for KU last night....
its a shame dickey is gone

[GavMan33]

11-0...:multi

nice ACC road win for KU last night....

its a shame dickey is gone

So who loses first? Kansas, North Carolina, or Xavier?

EDIT: And if there is a typo on any of those, then choose who loses first between the other two....

[unccrombie]

So who loses first? Kansas, North Carolina, or Xavier?

EDIT: And if there is a typo on any of those, then choose who loses first between the other two....
pitt ;)

[justinandimcool]

Arizona is struggling and trailing UNLV at the half. My faith in this team decreases with every game. The players are so young, and after this whole Lute Olson debacle, they're not as good as I thought they were. They'll be a threat in March no doubt, but it's so hard seeing them getting past the Sweet 16.

Oregon seems shaky as well, but I think they'll get it together sooner than Arizona will.

Stanford on the other hand, uh oh. Brook Lopez is back. I've been waiting a long time to see the Lopez brothers dominate the paint. This team is a force to reckon with, and they'll cause huge matchup problems for EVERYONE. I'm sure you all know that though.

[GavMan33]

Arizona is struggling and trailing UNLV at the half. My faith in this team decreases with every game. The players are so young, and after this whole Lute Olson debacle, they're not as good as I thought they were. They'll be a threat in March no doubt, but it's so hard seeing them getting past the Sweet 16.

Oregon seems shaky as well, but I think they'll get it together sooner than Arizona will.

Stanford on the other hand, uh oh. Brook Lopez is back. I've been waiting a long time to see the Lopez brothers dominate the paint. This team is a force to reckon with, and they'll cause huge matchup problems for EVERYONE. I'm sure you all know that though.

Now were those guys playing when they played here @ Siena? I was not so impressed....

[justinandimcool]

Nope. Brook (the better of the two 7 footers) has been gone all year til last night. Put up 20 points, not sure how many boards.

[RJ2kWJ]

pitt ;)

Yup...

Tonight. :D

[HolyCow]

Big time game for OU tonight. With a win, we have some hope for this season, with a loss, we're back to square one.

[snow1868]

Battle of the Sutton's tonight. Scott's ORU Golden Eagles vs. Sean's OSU Cowboys. Hate to be at the Sutton household this Christmas, there may be some tension.

[UNC41]

Yup...

Tonight. :D

I'll be shocked if Duke doesn't win tonight.

[unccrombie]

I'll be shocked if Duke doesn't win tonight.
i think most people will be

[HolyCow]

Wow. Oklahoma State stinks.

[willthethrill]

I'll be shocked if Duke doesn't win tonight.

:eek

Wish I had seen it.

[bubba40]

Damn, Pitt may be for real.
I feel stupid, but I'm going to be disappointed if GU doesn't beat Memphis by double digits on Saturday. I really feel they're overrated, and that we match up beatifully with them. Not to mention, John Thompson III is a far better coach than Calipari.

[unccrombie]

i do not think pitt is for real. duke blew this game so many times it was ridiculous. pathetic

[snow1868]

Wow. Oklahoma State stinks.

Yep. :lorraine

[HolyCow]

Yep. :lorraine
It was just shocking to watch the offensive inneptitude. Byron Eaton has regressed as a player instead of improving. It's sad.... Llyod Noble may end up with better attendence numbers than Gallagher-Iba.


But another note, couldn't be happier with the win last night. Much, much needed. Blake Griffin played like a beast and for once, we hit big shots. If we finish non-conference play at 11-4 (assuming we lose to WVU) I think there's a chance for the tournament.

But that Stephen F. Austin game may keep us from it.

[rconverse]

i do not think pitt is for real. duke blew this game so many times it was ridiculous. pathetic

While up 2, how do you give up 3? :BANG

Duke hasn't been able to finish games out since Jay Williams was around.

[snow1868]

It was just shocking to watch the offensive inneptitude. Byron Eaton has regressed as a player instead of improving. It's sad.... Llyod Noble may end up with better attendence numbers than Gallagher-Iba.


But another note, couldn't be happier with the win last night. Much, much needed. Blake Griffin played like a beast and for once, we hit big shots. If we finish non-conference play at 11-4 (assuming we lose to WVU) I think there's a chance for the tournament.

But that Stephen F. Austin game may keep us from it.

It's so frustrating to see where were three years ago, and now this. And we'll know that the apocalypse is upon when Llyod Noble has better attendance than GIA. Sadly, it may be coming very soon. :shrug

[unccrombie]

While up 2, how do you give up 3? :BANG

Duke hasn't been able to finish games out since Jay Williams was around.
agreed. not only that but the lead was like 15 or something at some point.

[GavMan33]

I've said it before, and I'm keeping right on saying it (if that sentence made any sense, I dunno, I'm hungover). The RedHawks of Miami (OH) won last night, @ Illinois. Their 6-4 record may not say great team, but they've now beaten Mississippi State on a neutral court, home vs. Xavier, and now @ Illinois. And I'm going to refrain from saying anything about their next game for one reason. The last time I said anything about an Ohio team playing at this particular school, the Ohio school was just obliterated.

Anyway, big game tomorrow. Actually, to be more general, big DAY tomorrow. It's gonna be great....

12:00 ESPN - Georgetown/Memphis
1:00pm on ESPN Full Court it says - The game I'm not mentioning at all
2:00 ESPN - Tennessee/Xavier
4:30 ESPN2 - Stanford/Texas Tech
6:30 ESPN2 - Texas/Michigan St.
And if you're into this sort of thing, at 9:00 on ESPNU is Oakland/Oregon

I'm gonna go on record: Memphis, the school that is playing against the Ohio team, Xavier, Stanford, and Texas are all winners tomorrow....

[RJ2kWJ]

Im glad I refused to get on here last night after all sorts of Patron and Gran Ma. hahaha. Would have been a baaadddddd post.

Either way that was a pathetic showing. We gave that damn game away. :BANG

[seekupig]

I've said it before, and I'm keeping right on saying it (if that sentence made any sense, I dunno, I'm hungover). The RedHawks of Miami (OH) won last night, @ Illinois. Their 6-4 record may not say great team, but they've now beaten Mississippi State on a neutral court, home vs. Xavier, and now @ Illinois. And I'm going to refrain from saying anything about their next game for one reason. The last time I said anything about an Ohio team playing at this particular school, the Ohio school was just obliterated.


:lol :lol :lol
ROCK, CHALK, JAYHAWK!!!!
:multi :multi :multi

[PhishFleck41]

I was at the MSG game last nite. So glad pitt came from behind.

[willthethrill]

I'm gonna go on record: Memphis, the school that is playing against the Ohio team, Xavier, Stanford, and Texas are all winners tomorrow....

What, no prediction for UNC/UC-Santa Barbara? The GAUCHOS!

[seekupig]

What, no prediction for UNC/UC-Santa Barbara? The GAUCHOS!

Tar Heels look to be a lock to go into ACC play unbeaten.... i can actually see them staying that way until late Jan./ early Feb. the way the schedule lays out for them....

Kansas has a couple of iffy games before they get into conference play.... @ Boston College on Jan. 5th scares me the most at this point.....

looks to be another solid season for both squads though.... maybe this will be the year we get that KU vs. UNC matchup in the Final Four. it happened twice in the early 90's (KU winning in '91 and UNC winning in '93). would be a lot more exciting this time around with the Roy/KU storyline..... :thumbsup

[MPizzle06]

seekupig:

KU is muuuch better than my Illini this season, but we just got beat in OT by Miami of Ohio last night on our home court which despite our lackluster team this year is still a very tough place for opponents to play.

Just watch out for them. Very deceiving team. They have 3 or 4 losses but also have the 3rd toughest schedule in the entire NCAA this season so it's quite a deceiving record.

[justinandimcool]

UCSB has Alex Harris, watch out for that fool :p

Anyways, I'm staying in all morning to watch games tomorrow. Game 1 should expose Memphis' weakness when it comes to size. My first time seeing Tennessee, that should be exciting- hopefully Xavier won't play as badly as they did against Cincy. Stanford, seeing the two brothers together for the first time this season, really interested in that- my sleeper Pac-10 Champs. Texas/MSU, I probably won't be able to see it, but it should be fucking great.

Florida/Ohio State sounds intriguing enough. Hopefully Michigan can take down UCLA too :lol

Such a great day for basketball.

[willthethrill]

Tar Heels look to be a lock to go into ACC play unbeaten.... i can actually see them staying that way until late Jan./ early Feb. the way the schedule lays out for them....

Kansas has a couple of iffy games before they get into conference play.... @ Boston College on Jan. 5th scares me the most at this point.....

looks to be another solid season for both squads though.... maybe this will be the year we get that KU vs. UNC matchup in the Final Four. it happened twice in the early 90's (KU winning in '91 and UNC winning in '93). would be a lot more exciting this time around with the Roy/KU storyline..... :thumbsup

Not sure if I can handle the hype that ESPN would put on that game. We'd probably get a couple "don't give a shit about Carolina" clips and so forth. It'd be a great matchup though.

[GavMan33]

seekupig:

KU is muuuch better than my Illini this season, but we just got beat in OT by Miami of Ohio last night on our home court which despite our lackluster team this year is still a very tough place for opponents to play.

Just watch out for them. Very deceiving team. They have 3 or 4 losses but also have the 3rd toughest schedule in the entire NCAA this season so it's quite a deceiving record.

Not sure if I can handle the hype that ESPN would put on that game. We'd probably get a couple "don't give a shit about Carolina" clips and so forth. It'd be a great matchup though.

Ehh buddy whoa on the first one. I'm more impressed with the 6-4 RedHawks than I am with the 6-4 Illini. As I said on the last page, Miami has wins over Xavier, MS St. on a neutral floor, and now @ Illinois. They haven't lost a game by more than four points. They lost by 4 points to USC in their own backyard. Lost to a 9-1 Dayton team by a point, and then went on the road to Freedom Hall in Louisville and lost a 3-point game there.

Illinois has played some good competition, but have lost all four of those games. Looking at this schedule, their best win is against a decent, albeit very young, Arizona State team.

Just putting everybody on alert for this Drake squad out of the Missouri Valley. With Southern Illinois's apparent falling-out early on this season (only 4-5), Drake has really put something together, coming in at 9-1. After winning @ Iowa on Dec. 14, they haven't played since and won't play again until Dec. 29 @ Wichita State. No real impressive wins yet; I'd call their best ones at home vs. Iowa State and @ Iowa. So I'm not passing judgement yet, but on the other side of the token, it's tough to start out a year at 9-1.

Staying in the MVC, here are the Bluejays of Creighton again. Becoming a staple of that conference, the Bluejay faithful in Omaha, I'm assuming, have gotten over Dana Altman's one-day betrayal after he's got his squad off to a 8-1 start. Their best win is at home vs. a surprising Nebraska team, and at home vs. St. Joseph's. Their lone loss is @ Xavier. Stay tuned, it'll be interesting what happens in MVC conference play. There are a solid 4 or 5 teams in that conference that can win on any given night, and obviously the Salukis are still finding themselves. They better get going; their game vs. Butler on December 28 will be their biggest game of the year, to save their season.

Xavier vs. Tennessee, 2pm, ESPN. Things are still uncertain concerning Xavier starting Center Josh Duncan. After a knee collision in last Wednesday's game vs. Cincinnati, Duncan is still feeling the effects of the injury. He was a gametime decision last Saturday @ Arizona State, and elected to start him. It was apparent very quickly that he was going to be ineffective, and sat him the rest of the game, playing only 5 minutes. Xavier had Monday and Tuesday off from practice, and he only participated in shooting drills on Wednesday. So we'll see what happens there. I have seen that backup Jason Love, a 6'9 255lb. sophomore, will start in his place, hopefully we will have Duncan's services off the bench.

Unlike the shit show from last weekend in Tempe, this should be a much more up-tempo game, catering much more to the Musketeers style. Apparently Bruce Pearl will come out pressing, making it very nice to have one of the best ballhandlers in the country in Drew Lavender attacking the press. Several years ago, St. Bonaventure had a Point Guard by the name of Tim Winn; similar to Lavender, he was a pint-sized 5'9ish 150ish lb. guard, that could break any press. Xavier went up there with a team that included James Posey (who actually was the 6th man on this team) and a bunch of other very good ballplayers that never became big names, this team was ranked #12 in the country. Skip Prosser was the X coach at that time, and he used to press all day because his squad was so athletic. Imagine a big long James Posey at the top of a fullcourt press. Well little Tim Winn beat the press all day long, and they knocked off #12 Xavier. Hopefully it's that kind of game today with Mr. Lavender.

Happy game-watching all day....

[seekupig]

seekupig:

KU is muuuch better than my Illini this season, but we just got beat in OT by Miami of Ohio last night on our home court which despite our lackluster team this year is still a very tough place for opponents to play.

Just watch out for them. Very deceiving team. They have 3 or 4 losses but also have the 3rd toughest schedule in the entire NCAA this season so it's quite a deceiving record.

anything is possible, but that close call at Georgia Tech earlier this week should light a fire under the Jayhawks. Kansas has been known to lose to a mid-major early in the season the last few years, and this is probably the best opportunity for it to happen.... but i just don't see it. the best way to beat KU is to play a 2-3 zone and make a bunch of 3's. if Miami(OH) can do that, shoot a high percentage to keep the Jayhawks from turning it into a track meet, and force them into a slow half court game, it could get interesting late. we'll see..... :)

[seekupig]

was just thinking.... if #4 Georgetwon beats #2 Memphis, do they hop over #3 Kansas (assuming they win today) into the #2 spot? i think so....

[justinandimcool]

I really don't like how Memphis plays, at least so far in this game. Everytime they run a set it feels like an iso.

Georgetown is a well rounded team and I love their style of play. Having multiple screeners and multiiple cutters, it's just fun to watch it unfold. It's amazing how this game is still close.

[justinandimcool]

Of course the minute I say that Memphis starts sharing the ball and GT starts taking bad shots.

[justinandimcool]

Memphis with a good defensive showing there, I'm surprised almost.

[UNC41]

anything is possible, but that close call at Georgia Tech earlier this week should light a fire under the Jayhawks. Kansas has been known to lose to a mid-major early in the season the last few years, and this is probably the best opportunity for it to happen.... but i just don't see it. the best way to beat KU is to play a 2-3 zone and make a bunch of 3's. if Miami(OH) can do that, shoot a high percentage to keep the Jayhawks from turning it into a track meet, and force them into a slow half court game, it could get interesting late. we'll see..... :)

And in the NCAA Tournament as well. Ba-dum-ching. :D

I really don't like how Memphis plays, at least so far in this game. Everytime they run a set it feels like an iso.

Memphis' offense essentially is a bunch of isos. They are playing great defense today. Both teams are.

[GavMan33]

And in the NCAA Tournament as well. Ba-dum-ching. :D



Memphis' offense essentially is a bunch of isos. They are playing great defense today. Both teams are.

:lol :lol :lol :lol

pwned.

[UNLTrpt]

And in the NCAA Tournament as well. Ba-dum-ching. :D

:lol

Ow. That's hitting below the belt...funny...but below the belt.

[seekupig]

And in the NCAA Tournament as well. Ba-dum-ching. :D

:lol

i almost put that in there myself, but i knew i could count on one of you guys to take the layup.... i'll take the assist. :lol

[GavMan33]

Who was the jobber guy that was in here a few days ago spoutin off about how John Thompson III is a better coach than Cal? I'm sorry bro. Taking nothing away to Thompson, because I like him a lot. But Cal's been around a very long time, and won everywhere he's been (except the debacle with the Nets lol). I think his UMass teams won 6 straight A-10 titles, and a Final Four in 96. Yes I realize it ended up being taken off the books, but they still played the games on the court. That 96 UMass team played an Allen Iverson-led Georgetown team in the Elite Eight that year, and just obliterated them.

Anybody remember in 1998 when a little school from Kingston, Rhode Island, beat a big school from Lawrence, Kansas, in the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament? :rolleyes

[seekupig]

Anybody remember in 1998 when a little school from Kingston, Rhode Island, beat a big school from Lawrence, Kansas, in the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament? :rolleyes

i do. and i also remember Rhode Island having one of the best backcourts in the nation that year....

Cuttino Mobley & Tyson Wheeler were pretty good players.... KU didn't have enough speed to keep up the whole game...

[GavMan33]

i do. and i also remember Rhode Island having one of the best backcourts in the nation that year....

Cuttino Mobley & Tyson Wheeler were pretty good players.... KU didn't have enough speed to keep up the whole game...

Tyson Wheeler missed four free throws late in the Elite Eight game, costing URI a Final Four appearance. Every couple of years, the Atlantic 10 produces a Final Four-caliber team. Temple had a very good squad in 1999; if you remember, that same URI team beat Temple in the A-10 Championship game when Lamar Odom hit the 3 at the buzzer to win.

I gotta watch the game, more thoughts later....

[justinandimcool]

That first half was OUTSTANDING. That Prince kid, wow. Xavier looks fantastic as well. I love the guard play.

And how about UCLA trailing Michigan in the 2nd half. Uh oh... :D

[justinandimcool]

Who the FUCK is JP Prince and why is he doing such wonderful things on my TV screen?

The Smith kids are pretty good as well.

[justinandimcool]

Way to ruin the game with a stupid call on a stupid rule.

[justinandimcool]

I find it hard to imagine seeing anywhere near this much heart in an NBA game. Tennessee wants this game, badly. Spectacular.

[justinandimcool]

Living proof of how much of a difference hustle makes. Fantastic performance by Tennessee. Xavier just lost their heart in the end.

[justinandimcool]

Wow, Florida's uniforms are disgusting.

[GavMan33]

Well, Xavier knew what they were going to get from this team. A full-court press that makes it very very difficult to get the ball inbounds. Go figure huh?

Xavier continues to not be able to finish games. I can count a half-dozen games over the last 3 years where we do not finish the game. More often than not, we don't finish. We finish our first round game vs. BYU last year winning 79-77, but blew a 9-point lead in 2:54 vs. Ohio State. We were leading with under 4 minutes to go vs. Gonzaga in the 2006 NCAAs, losing 79-75. But we did finish the A-10 title game that year, beat St. Joseph's 62-61. Earlier that season, we played Illinois in Chicago, were up 15 at one point, 10 at halftime, and lost 65-62.

Just an inability to finish ballgames. If we are going to reach the goal of a Final Four appearance, we have to learn to finish ballgames....

[GavMan33]

I'm gonna go ahead and address the whole coaches box thing....

I agree, that's very cheap and unnecessary to call at that point in the game. But let's remember, Coach Miller got the exact same thing called on him after both coaches got warnings very early in the game. So let's not get it twisted that had Xavier won the game, that call comes back. Sure it does, but Xavier lost 2 points earlier in the game, which actually ended up being a 4-point possession for the Vols.

All that being said, what they called on Pearl isn't what that rule is made for. We didn't see what happened when Coach Miller got his, but we know Pearl was yelling at his team, and he got called. My thought is that the referee wanted to really enforce the rule. A stupid rule, yes. Should the ref had called a T at that point? No. But that is the rule.

Think about when Amare Stoudamire got suspended last year in the playoff series. Dumb rule? Absolutely, should be situational. But did he break the rule as written? Yes.

Not all that angry. It was definitely a winnable game against a very good opponent, which is the disappointing part. We needed this one after the awful performance from last weekend. We needed another big nonconference win, and this one we wanted. Now it's going to be Kansas State, who I'm still not sure on, and Virginia. And @ Auburn. Gotta get those....

[seekupig]

so, who's the next suprisingly good mid-major from Ohio that wants to step into Allen Fieldhouse and get smacked down? :D

[GavMan33]

so, who's the next suprisingly good mid-major from Ohio that wants to step into Allen Fieldhouse and get smacked down? :D

:lol Good enough sir. Any more on the schedule? Kent State looks pretty good, and I guess Dayton. That's about it for the good ones....

[seekupig]

:lol Good enough sir. Any more on the schedule? Kent State looks pretty good, and I guess Dayton. That's about it for the good ones....

nope... that's it. we've got Yale, Boston College and Loyola (MD) before we open Big XII play @ Nebraska.....

but i'm sure we'll get one in the second round of the NCAA tourney and get knocked out. :lol

[MPizzle06]

Damn that was a ROUTE by KU...now I realize how much my team totally blows this year :shrug

Gotta keep believing...as long as we keep the Braggin' Rights trophy tonight I'll still be happy. Go Illini!

[UNLTrpt]

Wow, Florida's uniforms are disgusting.

hmmm yeah. not doing anything for me either.

[seekupig]

Damn that was a ROUTE by KU...now I realize how much my team totally blows this year :shrug

either that or KU is pretty good this year..... ;)

probably a little bit of both.

[GavMan33]

either that or KU is pretty good this year..... ;)

probably a little bit of both.

My man sure isn't giving Miami any credit for being a decent basketball team. They played quite an ambitious schedule; they're gonna look back at that USC game and think of what coulda been come Selection Sunday....:shrug

[seekupig]

My man sure isn't giving Miami any credit for being a decent basketball team. They played quite an ambitious schedule; they're gonna look back at that USC game and think of what coulda been come Selection Sunday....:shrug

yeah, i just looked at their schedule. very nice for a mid-major school to play that tough of a schedule. they've got a good defense from what i hear too. Kansas was the first team all season to score over 70 points on them. not bad considering who they've played. the only small school i can think of with a more impressive non conference schedule is Davidson...

#1 UNC (neutral court)
#7 Duke (neutral court)
@ #8 UCLA
@ NC State

[thestand]

Oregon on the U tonight against Oakland (MI). A fully healthy team on TV for the first time this year, against a bad opponent. Oh, and this is the first time Hairston and Porter, who are both from Detroit, have played in the Detroit area since high school, so if you watch, be ready for that story to be mentioned a ton. I'll be conservative and go 90-72.

[cruscott35]

While Oakland isn't a good team, they aren't terrible either. Lost to MSU by 4.

[bubba40]

Well, I am a dumbass.

[unccrombie]

Well, I am a dumbass.
and the proud owner of a loss to memphis

[bubba40]

and the proud owner of a loss to memphis

There is only one other team in the country to whom I'd rather lose. They happen to be your avatar.
The horrid free-throw shooting, pitiful presence on the boards, and nonexistence of Roy Hibbert must must must must must must must end.

[MPizzle06]

My Illini got lucky tonight...but good to beat Mizzou 8 straight years and keep the braggin' rights.

The most eventful thing for those of you who don't care about the game (don't blame you, both aren't very good teams this season) was the HUGE "B-C-S!" chant by all the Illini fans as a big slap in the face to Missouri. Yes, classless but still kinda humorous

[seekupig]

My Illini got lucky tonight...but good to beat Mizzou 8 straight years and keep the braggin' rights.

The most eventful thing for those of you who don't care about the game (don't blame you, both aren't very good teams this season) was the HUGE "B-C-S!" chant by all the Illini fans as a big slap in the face to Missouri. Yes, classless but still kinda humorous

Kansas is a near lock to lose at Mizzou every year...... i fucking hate it. :BANG

ok, maybe not every year but it damn sure feels like it. i'll never forget the 96-97 season, KU was 22-0 going in to the game at Mizzou. ended up losing 96-94 in 2 overtimes.... that was their only loss until they lost to eventual champs Arizona in the tourney.....

finished that year 34-2.... the end of that season was almost as heartbreaking as the 2003 loss to Syracuse in the championship game.

[seekupig]

Oregon on the U tonight against Oakland (MI). A fully healthy team on TV for the first time this year, against a bad opponent. Oh, and this is the first time Hairston and Porter, who are both from Detroit, have played in the Detroit area since high school, so if you watch, be ready for that story to be mentioned a ton. I'll be conservative and go 90-72.

uh-oh....;)

[MPizzle06]

I really don't know how we won the last 2 years, seriously. Just lucky those 2 times. The years before that we had really good teams so it was pretty lopsided.

Sorry that loss burns you so bad...I hate those losses. They'll never leave you...Michigan 01 football, UNC in the title game in 05, Michigan in the final four in '89, I could go on and on.

[willthethrill]

Good to see a good spankin' by the Heels again. Quietly taking care of business as undefeateds go down.

And, wow, Maryland SUCKS.

[seekupig]

I really don't know how we won the last 2 years, seriously. Just lucky those 2 times. The years before that we had really good teams so it was pretty lopsided.

i remember a few years back when Illinois went on their run to the title game, people were giving me shit all the time about how Kansas got screwed in the coach swap.. (Roy to UNC, Self to KU, and Weber to Ill.) just because of that season. my reply every time was "give it a few years when he's got the players he recruited, not the players that were left for him by the previous coach..."

well, that time has come and it's worked out pretty much the way i thought it would. no offense to you, but i grew to hate Illinois fans that year... and Bruce Weber after they had that mock funeral for Bill Self.

anyhow, good luck the rest of the season..... :thumbsup

[seekupig]

Good to see a good spankin' by the Heels again. Quietly taking care of business as undefeateds go down.


i have a feeling we'll both be there for a bit.... :thumbsup

(that's if we can win @ Boston College in two weeks..)

[MPizzle06]

i remember a few years back when Illinois went on their run to the title game, people were giving me shit all the time about how Kansas got screwed in the coach swap.. (Roy to UNC, Self to KU, and Weber to Ill.) just because of that season. my reply every time was "give it a few years when he's got the players he recruited, not the players that were left for him by the previous coach..."

well, that time has come and it's worked out pretty much the way i thought it would. no offense to you, but i grew to hate Illinois fans that year... and Bruce Weber after they had that mock funeral for Bill Self.

anyhow, good luck the rest of the season..... :thumbsup

:lol No offense taken. We all hated Self then, and KU just because they lured him away, but oh well. I mean he DID recruit Dee Brown, Luther Head, Deron Williams, etc. so it's hard to stay mad at him. Plus compared to other big programs you guys are a lot more admirable as fans and as a program. Weber is an insanely good game & practice coach but not the strongest recruiter. We have a few new assistants with bigger ties though so it should be looking up. He's gotta get enrolled in Ron Zook Recruiting 101 or something...

[cruscott35]

Oregon on the U tonight against Oakland (MI). A fully healthy team on TV for the first time this year, against a bad opponent. Oh, and this is the first time Hairston and Porter, who are both from Detroit, have played in the Detroit area since high school, so if you watch, be ready for that story to be mentioned a ton. I'll be conservative and go 90-72.

While Oakland isn't a good team, they aren't terrible either. Lost to MSU by 4.

uh-oh....;)


Told ya so.

[GavMan33]

Told ya so.

Like the man said, Oakland is a decent squad. Not great, but not at all like he said they were. I don't like it when people take a school that isn't at all a household name, even for a mid-major standard, and assume that they just suck and your team should beat them, by a lot. Check out some facts, and broaden the horizon....

[GavMan33]

yeah, i just looked at their schedule. very nice for a mid-major school to play that tough of a schedule. they've got a good defense from what i hear too. Kansas was the first team all season to score over 70 points on them. not bad considering who they've played. the only small school i can think of with a more impressive non conference schedule is Davidson...

#1 UNC (neutral court)
#7 Duke (neutral court)
@ #8 UCLA
@ NC State

Agreed, there is a tough schedule. But what has it produced? They were ranked after a very good showing vs. UNC, but this daunting schedule has produced 4 losses, and an overall record of 4-6. Look at their wins; Emory, North Carolina Central, Appalachian State, and Citadel. If I were them, I would've done without that game against UCLA, and probably the game @ NC St. Getting UNC and Duke on a neutral court was excellent for them, they could've found two other winnable games to put in their place.

And I will mention Xavier as pretty aggressive as well, the most aggressive the school has ever played. They turned down going to the Maui Invitational this season for the chance to stay relatively local in Chicago and get the potential matchup with Indiana and won. Also beat Kent St., who will win a lot of games this year. They played Creighton, they played Cincinnati (say what you want about them, the Crosstown Shootout is unlike any other nonconference game played), @ Arizona State, an up-and-comer in the PAC-10, Tennessee. Still to come, Kansas State, Virginia, and @ Auburn, before the A-10 schedule starts. You gotta say, that's pretty challenging stuff....

Like the loss to USC that Miami will remember come Selection Sunday, I have a feeling Xavier will look at this Tennessee loss in the same light come Selection Sunday :shrug

EDIT: And for the record, if I'm a voter, there's no possible way I can justify putting Xavier in a Top 25 at all after the last few games....

[UNLTrpt]

God dammit Oregon. Nebraska beats you and we're looking for it to be a quality win, and then you go out and lose to Oakland?!?!?! God DAMMIT!

[cruscott35]

God dammit Oregon. Nebraska beats you and we're looking for it to be a quality win, and then you go out and lose to Oakland?!?!?! God DAMMIT!


Oakland only lost to Michigan State (who's only loss is to UCLA) by 2. They aren't a shit squad.

[UNLTrpt]

who called them a shit squad?

[cruscott35]

who called them a shit squad?


I guess you just implied it with your "and you go out and lose to OAKLAND?!?!?!"

[GavMan33]

With all due respect to all in here, but some of you really need to educate yourselves with some of these mid-majors before you judge them....

[UNLTrpt]

I guess you just implied it with your "and you go out and lose to OAKLAND?!?!?!"

well thanks for putting words into my mouth.

And with all due respect to Oakland, that isn't a game that Oregon should lose.

[cruscott35]

well thanks for putting words into my mouth.

And with all due respect to Oakland, that isn't a game that Oregon should lose.


What exactly were you implying then??? And why shouldn't Oregon lose that game? I haven't watched either OU play, but I'm guessing you haven't seen Oakland play, so what makes you think they are so over matched against Oregon. I KNOW MSU is good, I KNOW MSU almost lost to Oakland.

[UNLTrpt]

I'm saying Oregon has more talent on their team. They should win a game against Oakland.

Oregon SHOULD have beat Nebraska.

[cruscott35]

With all due respect to all in here, but some of you really need to educate yourselves with some of these mid-majors before you judge them....

I agree with this guy.

[unccrombie]

With all due respect to all in here, but some of you really need to educate yourselves with some of these mid-majors before you judge them....
they should have done that 2 years ago

[GavMan33]

they should have done that 2 years ago

They should have done that when they began watching college basketball....

[willthethrill]

They should have done that when they began watching college basketball....

Bob is on fire tonight, ladies and gentlemen! Dr. Mid-major, kickin' ass.

Merry Christmas hoops fans!

[GavMan33]

Bob is on fire tonight, ladies and gentlemen! Dr. Mid-major, kickin' ass.

Merry Christmas hoops fans!

;) :lol

Hope everyone had/is having a great Christmas....

[Darksideofoz]

i need a game right now...any game will do

[seekupig]

i never really liked this asshat, and now i can't stand him.

Eddie Sutton comes out of retirement to coach San Francisco on an "interim" basis to get his 800th win. he currently sits at 798....

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3168981

[unccrombie]

i never really liked this asshat, and now i can't stand him.

Eddie Sutton comes out of retirement to coach San Francisco on an "interim" basis to get his 800th win. he currently sits at 798....

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3168981
:thumbsdow

[willthethrill]

i never really liked this asshat, and now i can't stand him.

Eddie Sutton comes out of retirement to coach San Francisco on an "interim" basis to get his 800th win. he currently sits at 798....

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3168981

Dumbass. Be content in retirement and stay away.

[seekupig]

the new ESPN Power 16 is out. they've got New Year's resolutions for each team to work on.... pretty good read.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/powerranking

1. UNC
2. Memphis
3. Kansas
4. UCLA
5. Washington St.

[UNC41]

My bad guys, I've been slacking on the polls. We will resume next monday.

[seekupig]

My bad guys, I've been slacking on the polls. We will resume next monday.

:thumbsup

it's tough this time of year.... after next week, football will be over and we'll be getting into conference play. it'll be a lot easier to keep it going then. i'll get my poll to you on Sunday night.... i don't need to see the late west coast games to do my poll...... :lol j/k... i'll wait 'til all relevant games are over.

[UNC41]

:thumbsup

it's tough this time of year.... after next week, football will be over and we'll be getting into conference play. it'll be a lot easier to keep it going then. i'll get my poll to you on Sunday night.... i don't need to see the late west coast games to do my poll...... :lol j/k... i'll wait 'til all relevant games are over.

Plus, UNC is #1 pretty much everywhere, and that's all I really care about. :D

[UNC41]

Plus, UNC is #1 pretty much everywhere, and that's all I really care about. :D

Just wanted to reiterate how much I like seeing an undefeated Tar Heel team ranked numero uno for my 12k post ...

[seekupig]

Just wanted to reiterate how much I like seeing an undefeated Tar Heel team ranked numero uno for my 12k post ...

wouldn't you like to see them run the table, then lose in the final four? :rolleyes

:lol :lol

there's a few idiots running free on this board....

[unccrombie]

Ty 4 Prez :eek

[seekupig]

Ty 4 Prez :eek

he's looked pretty nasty tonite.... :thumbsup

[unccrombie]

i didnt' watch the 2nd half, probably as most of you didnt, but i was shocked to find this when i read the wrap up on espn

The news wasn't all good for the Tar Heels. Reserve guard Bobby Frasor tore his left anterior cruciate ligament when he landed awkwardly on the sideline while making a steal midway through the second half. School spokesman Steve Kirschner said Frasor will be out for the season and will have surgery

[seekupig]

i didnt' watch the 2nd half, probably as most of you didnt, but i was shocked to find this when i read the wrap up on espn

The news wasn't all good for the Tar Heels. Reserve guard Bobby Frasor tore his left anterior cruciate ligament when he landed awkwardly on the sideline while making a steal midway through the second half. School spokesman Steve Kirschner said Frasor will be out for the season and will have surgery

i saw it... one of those strange things, just planted, buckled and fell to the ground. thought it was an ACL as soon as it happened. tough loss ....

[UNC41]

I didn't get to watch last night, but horrible news with Bobby. He had been playing great defensively this year and could step in at either guard spot. Guys will have to step it up without him.

[willthethrill]

Yea, it really sucks because he really WAS important to this team. That's one of those Melvin Scott type pieces from the '05 season that helped them get where they did. I hate it for Bobby.

But damn, they looked great last night. Tyler, Wayne and Ty are unbeatable if they all play like that every night.

[unccrombie]

i saw it... one of those strange things, just planted, buckled and fell to the ground. thought it was an ACL as soon as it happened. tough loss ....
rough. probably too late to red shirt too. he's been injured so much it sucks

[GavMan33]

rough. probably too late to red shirt too. he's been injured so much it sucks

Yes I believe it's too late to red-shirt at this point. ACLs are horrible to watch, and like Dustin said, you can see almost immediately that it is an ACL injury. They happen in slow-motion, if you see it coming. If you can picture it, I saw a loose ball go rolling by one of our kids once, and another guy came from behind him, diving for it. You could see he's going for it and the kid's legs are in the way, knee bent backwards. Luckily, the kid rolled with the hit and was fine. If you try and fight it, it's over. You know, it sucks for some of these guys. I have no idea who Bobby Frasor is. But he was a recruit coming to UNC to play hoop, to make a difference with the team, and apparently when you say "he's been injured so much it sucks" it just hasn't panned out for him. And there are guys like this all the time, that there's so much potential there, but injuries just kill it. It's too bad....

Xavier looking to get back on track after losing 2 straight, at home vs. Delaware St. tonight. Hopefully we can use this game to right our ship. After this one, we end our nonconference season with Kansas St. on a neutral floor, Virginia at home, and at Auburn. Gotta get all four now....

[UNC41]

Bob,

Bobby is not a tremendous player, but the size of his heart and leadership far exceed his talent. He was the starting point guard as a freshman on that surprising '05 team, had no problem sliding into a lesser role last year when Ty Lawson joined the team and was then hampered throughout the year by a foot injury and has become a great guy off the bench this year at the 1 and 2 while playing excellent defense this year. He was graded out to be UNC's best defender in 4 of their first 11 games. I have a feeling he'll be on Roy's bench as a coach in a couple years.

[willthethrill]

Yea, I can definitely see him becoming a coach in the family one day.

[GavMan33]

Well. Xavier knocks up Delaware St. last night, 65-33. Hopefully that will propel us into our last three nonconference wins. But Xavier wasn't the big story last night; it was another mid-major, or two mid-majors....

When AJ Graves rolled in his 40-footer for a walk-off 3 for the Bulldogs of Butler, Southern Illinois officially bid farewell to its 2007-2008 campaign. Yes, I know they still play in a good conference in the MVC, and a bunch of wins in-conference would put them back in contention for a berth. And I know that there's an MVC Conference Tournament, the winner moving on to the NCAAs. But let's be real. There is nothing that suggests the Salukis can be successful. Hard to believe for a team that, as Bryan called me out on, I put #10 at one point on my Ants ballot.

[unccrombie]

wow, just wow, michael flowers is cluth

[justinandimcool]

Michael Flowers. Not gonna forget that name for a while.


What an ending. Texas goes down to two Big-10 schools in a row. Ouch. Great finish though.

[willthethrill]

That was an unbelievable ending. Feels like March already.

[GavMan33]

Go figure. And I hate watching Big 10 basketball, but so far, they look good. Bo Ryan heading up another solid club in Madison....

As your boy the idiot (that's me) was sayin in the other thread because I can't read, #25 Rhode Island, the A-10s representative in the Top 25 this week, plays for the Islander Invitational Championship tonight. Against Georgia Southern. I guess you can tack them up to be 13-1, and move up 1-3 spots in the poll. As for another A-10 school, they have a HUGE game tonight. Pittsburgh @ Dayton. If Dayton can win this one, they will be solidly in the Top 25, giving the A-10 two Top 25 teams for the first time since who knows when. And if Xavier doesn't blow the Tennessee game out our asses, that's 3! Who knew the A-10 would be this top-heavy? I sure didn't.

UMass is 9-2, but the 1 loss is an awful one. After winning a phenomenal game @ Syracuse, they go to the midwest and lay an egg @ IUPUI.

And don't forget about St. Joseph's. They were projected as top of the line in the A-10 this season, but they have struggled mightily, sitting at 6-4 right now. But don't forget, Phil Martelli coaches the Hawks, one of the best coaches in the country (that's right, believe it). The Hawks lost a 3-point game @ Syracuse, an OT game to Gonzaga, to a very solid Holy Cross squad, and @ Creighton. So those are all legit losses. I didn't see the Syracuse game, but I did watch the Gonzaga game. They were ahead up until the end of regulation when bad clock management cost them. They have one more nonconference game before conference play commences, against city-rival Drexel, before going to UMass.

It's an exciting time in the Atlantic 10 right now. Take note....

[bubba40]

Solid win today for the Hoyas.

[GavMan33]

I got one more thing to say. Exactly what I wrote about above is why the A-10 can't get it where they could be. A game like UMass @ IUPUI. UMass needs to win that trap game. Xavier @ Arizona State. Xavier needs to win that game, not only for themselves, but for the conference as a whole. I understand Holy Cross is a good squad, but the Hawks need to come to the fight, and protect the homecourt.

The big games? When Gonzaga comes to St. Joe's, or Tennessee comes to Xavier, or Pittsburgh comes to Duquesne, etc. etc. We have to get our fair share of those games. Xavier @ Auburn will be a big test. Xavier still has KState and UVA before that. We have to win those games. To be considered legit by the basketball country. UMass did a fantastic job going to Chestnut Hill and winning @ Boston College. That's a huge win for the conference. Xavier beating Indiana on a neutral floor. That's a huge win for the conference. BC will be ranked soon enough, sitting at 9-2 presently. But at this moment, Xavier is the only team in the conference to beat a team presently ranked in the Top 25, that being the IU game. And we've had our fair share of games vs. Top 25s. As a whole, this conference has to win more of these games to be taken seriously....

[willthethrill]

Gah, ESPN2 is on fire today! This is my first time watching Tennessee: man, they are a bundle of energy.

[UNC41]

Gah, ESPN2 is on fire today! This is my first time watching Tennessee: man, they are a bundle of energy.

:thumbsup

I've loved what I've seen from them so far today. Reminds me why I had them top 5 preseason. Off to the gym though so I can get back for foosball and Zona/Memphis tonight.

[unccrombie]

hell of a win for the sooners, what a day on the espn dos is has been

[unccrombie]

im going to need a paddles for my heart, these games are nuts

[SoRight24]

Can't wait for this Arizona-Memphis game.

I'd love to see Memphis go down.

[UNC41]

Pittsburgh is freeeeeeeee .... freeeeeeee falllllllllllllllllllllin

[SoRight24]

Pittsburgh is freeeeeeeee .... freeeeeeee falllllllllllllllllllllin

They beat Duke, so I could care less what happens to them now.

I got all of my use out of Pitt for this year. ;)

[UNC41]

No Bayless? Memphis by 15.

[SoRight24]

Yeah. wtf?

I heard no mention other than just now that he wasn't playing.

Lamesauce.

[unccrombie]

Pittsburgh is freeeeeeeee .... freeeeeeee falllllllllllllllllllllin
-3 starters, theyll be out of the top 25 in 2 weeks

[unccrombie]

No Bayless? Memphis by 15.
14-6, lookin good so far

[ousooner]

I love Jeff Capel! I just hope he doesn't use OU as a stepping stone.

[unccrombie]

I love Jeff Capel! I just hope he doesn't use OU as a stepping stone.
theres such potential there

[SoRight24]

I love Jeff Capel! I just hope he doesn't use OU as a stepping stone.

I think OU is a big enough program now that you don't have to worry about that.

Maybe 5-10 years ago that would be the case, but OU has proven that they can play big time basketball.

I know Kelvin Samsung bolted for IU, but I don't think Capel is the type of person to just up and leave.

[UNC41]

Arizona's offense is just ugly without Bayless. And on top of that Hill is on the bench with foul trouble. This could get ugly ...

[willthethrill]

I think OU is a big enough program now that you don't have to worry about that.

Maybe 5-10 years ago that would be the case, but OU has proven that they can play big time basketball.

I know Kelvin Samsung bolted for IU, but I don't think Capel is the type of person to just up and leave.

Where ya been?



I wish Bayless was playing in this game.

[willthethrill]

Oh, and Bob, nice drop in fantasy today...

[41ravens]

memphis is out of control on offense. this is the first i've seen of them. is this what they do all the time? dudes are flying all over the fucking place. that's why that bullshit intentional foul was called. walters was just trying to take the charge, but since douglas-roberts came fucking flying in like batman and hit the ground, they get the call.

sucks bayless isn't playing. really sucks that he might be out for a while.

[UNC41]

memphis is out of control on offense. this is the first i've seen of them. is this what they do all the time? dudes are flying all over the fucking place. that's why that bullshit intentional foul was called. walters was just trying to take the charge, but since douglas-roberts came fucking flying in like batman and hit the ground, they get the call.

sucks bayless isn't playing. really sucks that he might be out for a while.

Their offense is essentially a ton of isos. It's a great recruiting tool and effective because it gives Callipari a way to convince athletic players to come play in CUSA while showing off the skills that will get them drafted high in the NBA draft.

[willthethrill]

When did Arizona hire Larry David to coach their basketball team?

[SoRight24]

Where ya been?



I wish Bayless was playing in this game.

I took a much needed break. :thumbsup

[GavMan33]

Oh, and Bob, nice drop in fantasy today...

:lol :BANG

Yeah, well, whatever. Big win for the Atlantic 10 today. Gotta get a few more of that caliber....

As has been mentioned, excellent games on ESPNs today, my favorite being the Sooners. Way to go on the road into a very hostile environment and get a W. I'm to bed, exhausted....

[unccrombie]

When did Arizona hire Larry David to coach their basketball team?
when lute olsen took a leave of abscense :confused

[giddy]

I thought Pitt would handle Dayton. Figured they'd heard all the talk that Dayton would give them a hassle and really just put it to the Flyers.

Wrong.

Love the A10 this year.

And I normally don't root for a lot of chalk in the tournament, but if both teams can consistently play the way the are now, there's no doubt about it: I want UNC/Memphis in the title game.

[unccrombie]

I thought Pitt would handle Dayton. Figured they'd heard all the talk that Dayton would give them a hassle and really just put it to the Flyers.

Wrong.

Love the A10 this year.

And I normally don't root for a lot of chalk in the tournament, but if both teams can consistently play the way the are now, there's no doubt about it: I want UNC/Memphis in the title game.
pitt didnt have cook, fields went out with an injury, and blair (i think) was in foul trouble all game. i think he sat out with 4 at the 16 min mark. if you thought theyd handle dayton with all 3 of those guys around you're still not sane, but factor in cook was mia, and the other 2 we're out of it. that just spells loss

[HolyCow]

Wow. What a win today.

I don't know if I've ever seen an OU basketball squad play as hard as they did today. Blake Griffin is an absolute beast.

Hopes of the tourney are starting to rise. Heck, we may crack the top 25 now.

[dreamingtreeIU]

hoosiers win ........ 11-1 looks nice compared to the mike davis days

[justinandimcool]

Their offense is essentially a ton of isos. It's a great recruiting tool and effective because it gives Callipari a way to convince athletic players to come play in CUSA while showing off the skills that will get them drafted high in the NBA draft.

Wow, I never thought of it that way.

Isos won't get em to a Final Four though. But, perhaps their defense will.

[SmoothD41]

hoosiers win ........ 11-1 looks nice compared to the mike davis days

I'm happy conference play starts this week, I'm tired of theses bullshit games. At the beginning of the season, our non-conference schedule looked respectable...but Kentucky sucks, Georgia Tech sucks, Southern Illinois (beating them at home) looks to be having a