Preseason NCAA Basketball Poll is released

[UNC41]

Nice gentlemen. Way to make great use of that phrase. Congrats on the big signings. Do you expect anything less from Roy Williams? Hopefully he's a college coach for life, be it at Carolina or somewhere else. But something tells me he will be there for many years....

I didn't even realize the double HOT DAMN!

And apparently there were nothing to those Stepheson transfer rumors. He flew back to Carolina last night. Hopefully that means things with his dad are ok.

I don't think Roy will ever coach anywhere else in his life. He's got his dream job.

[willthethrill]

I didn't even realize the double HOT DAMN!

And apparently there were nothing to those Stepheson transfer rumors. He flew back to Carolina last night. Hopefully that means things with his dad are ok.

I don't think Roy will ever coach anywhere else in his life. He's got his dream job.

Agree on all counts. Tar Heel minds, Bryan.

It's the Tyrese Rice show on ESPN right now. He looks like he's on a mission to beat KU by himself. Fine with me, fantasy. :D

[justinandimcool]

Wow, Oregon is definitely a good scoring team, not bad defensively either. Should NOT be losing to Nebraska and Arizona State.

[UNLTrpt]

easy time with Maryland Eastern Shore last night 86-50.

11-2 going into the Kansas game in one week

I've got a feeling...

I love when KU comes to town.

[HolyCow]

Not a pretty first half against Rice. Blake Griffin on his way to another monster game, but this didn't look good.

[secretlysmiling]

So I loved Dayton's complete upset of Pitt the other day... And then almost losing to Akron. If they fowl one more 3-point shooter I might hurt something.

Go A-10!!! :D

[justinandimcool]

Go A-10!!! :D

Bob, I think I just might've found the girl for you.

[UNLTrpt]

a match made in mid major heaven.

[secretlysmiling]

Bob, I think I just might've found the girl for you.

:lol

[TapNorris]

Oregon hasn't looked that great since Nebraska took them down.

They took down #24 Arizona in Tuscon today. That's the kind of RPI help we've been looking for....and even though it makes me smile, we need Creighton to stop losing.

[TapNorris]

easy time with Maryland Eastern Shore last night 86-50.

11-2 going into the Kansas game in one week

I've got a feeling...

I love when KU comes to town.


The KU games at The Bob are always a good time...until about 3 minutes after the tip. But, I'll say I've got a better feeling about this year than I've had the last few, even though KU is scary good. We need all the students back from break a couple days early to get Devaney rocking!

[bubba40]

We continue to be the #1 defensive team in the country, but our free throw shooting and Roy's failure to assert himself continue to be bothersome.

[41ravens]

arizona needs bayless back. soon.

[thestand]

Alright, I am absolutely done with this team. :lol Make up your mind; you either suck or you're good. Pick a side!

[justinandimcool]

Alright, I am absolutely done with this team. :lol Make up your mind; you either suck or you're good. Pick a side!

They're good. Inconsistent though. They have the talent to run up the score and run it up fast. They just have to win those gimme's though. ASU, Nebraska. They'll learn.

[justinandimcool]

I'd hate to see Stanford lose twice, but USC needs this one.

[HolyCow]

Everyone be sure to tune in this Saturday -

Michael Beasley vs. Blake Griffin.

Should be quite a clash.

[thestand]

They're good. Inconsistent though. They have the talent to run up the score and run it up fast. They just have to win those gimme's though. ASU, Nebraska. They'll learn.

With the recruiting class we have coming in next year, I think we'll be good. But this year, there's no rock to the team. Taj will be a Junior next year, and I think he'll assume that roll. Brooks leaving had a much bigger mental effect than it did play-wise.

[gbs3769]

their center better perform, thats all im saying
I know this has been from forever ago... but A.O. has been a fucking beast this year....

- Primo

[justinandimcool]

USC just played the worst 40 offensive minutes I've ever seen played by a Power Conference team. Complete offensive infertility. Too much relying on Mayo, too many missed shots, too many blown opportunities, too many boneheaded plays. Unbelievable. We probably shot about 15% during the last 7 minute stretch. Fuck.

[GavMan33]

So I loved Dayton's complete upset of Pitt the other day... And then almost losing to Akron. If they fowl one more 3-point shooter I might hurt something.

Go A-10!!! :D

Bob, I think I just might've found the girl for you.

a match made in mid major heaven.

:lol

Go figure, someone else likes the A-10 huh? And a lady friend at that. But she's a Dayton girl. That's a no-no on the Xavier campus :lol

[UNLTrpt]

The KU games at The Bob are always a good time...until about 3 minutes after the tip. But, I'll say I've got a better feeling about this year than I've had the last few, even though KU is scary good. We need all the students back from break a couple days early to get Devaney rocking!

:lol

yeah usually things don't go well for the home team when KU comes to town. But Nebraska always seems to play well for a time.

And I agree, I do have a decent feeling about this game even though Kansas is probably as good as they've been in recent memory.

[TapNorris]

They're good. Inconsistent though. They have the talent to run up the score and run it up fast. They just have to win those gimme's though. ASU, Nebraska. They'll learn.

We may not have been a powerhouse in the college basketball world lately, but I would hardly call us a "gimme" game.

[secretlysmiling]

Go figure, someone else likes the A-10 huh? And a lady friend at that. But she's a Dayton girl. That's a no-no on the Xavier campus :lol

Yeah, big no-no. But when it comes to post-season games, I root A-10 no matter what. ;)

[chiznaz]

A&M cruises past LSU who only had 8 guys dressed. It never was really close. Best thing about A&M is how we spread the scoring around.

[dreamingtreeIU]

Yeah, big no-no. But when it comes to post-season games, I root A-10 no matter what. ;)


you guys engaged yet?

[UNLTrpt]

you guys engaged yet?

:lol

[secretlysmiling]

you guys engaged yet?

:lol Aren't we skipping a few steps here?? ;)

[willthethrill]

HUUUGE game for UNC today. A win today puts us in the driver's seat for the conference and a #1 seed in the East because Duke doesn't have to play at Littlejohn this year. Very, very big time game.

[GavMan33]

:lol So how is it that I became engaged? Thankfully I don't have anybody that would be particularly angry at the fact, but it's still moving a little quick for me :lol

On a different note, Xavier (11-3) playing @ Auburn (9-2) today. It's another big one, it'd be great to get this win headed into the conference season....

[GavMan33]

Xavier 80, Auburn 57

I'd look for us in the Top 25 tomorrow....

[seekupig]

I love when KU comes to town.

so do i...... ;)

06-07, Kansas 76 - Nebraska 56
05-06, Kansas 69 - Nebraska 48
04-05, Kansas 78 - Nebraska 65

[UNLTrpt]

:lol So how is it that I became engaged? Thankfully I don't have anybody that would be particularly angry at the fact, but it's still moving a little quick for me :lol

wimp.

[UNLTrpt]

so do i...... ;)

06-07, Kansas 76 - Nebraska 56
05-06, Kansas 69 - Nebraska 48
04-05, Kansas 78 - Nebraska 65

:lol

you act like I wasn't aware of the fact that Kansas beats the tar out of us 9 out of 10 times they come to town.

I did notice that you didn't go back another year.

03-04, Nebraska 74 - Kansas 55

And what I meant was that for at least one game per year, this actually feels like this state cares about basketball. All the football recruiting talk is put to the side and they actually talk about basketball.

Usually that ends about the end of the 1st half, but at least its a start.

[justinandimcool]

Anyone watching UNC/Clemson. Shaping up to be FANTASTIC. (And it's only 3 minutes underway)

[DMBnick15]

yeah i am. unc needs to stop dickin around

[unccrombie]

looks like were in trouble...

[seekupig]

:lol

you act like I wasn't aware of the fact that Kansas beats the tar out of us 9 out of 10 times they come to town.

I did notice that you didn't go back another year.

03-04, Nebraska 74 - Kansas 55

And what I meant was that for at least one game per year, this actually feels like this state cares about basketball. All the football recruiting talk is put to the side and they actually talk about basketball.

Usually that ends about the end of the 1st half, but at least its a start.

i knew what you meant, but i can never pass up an easy shot..... :lol

the goal next saturday is to score more points on Nebraska than our football team did this year..... 77 should be more than enough for a W..... :D ;)

[DMBnick15]

looks like were in trouble...

we turned it around.. i think

EDIT: what the hell

[seekupig]

we turned it around.. i think

not........ quite........... yet.


i like UNC's chances if this goes to OT.... but they need a stop or a turnover now.

[justinandimcool]

God damn. Terrible break right there for Clemson. Carolina takes this in OT I think.

[seekupig]

GREAT execution by Clemson.... :rolleyes

the Heels might just sneak out of there with a win after all.....

[DMBnick15]

not........ quite........... yet.


i like UNC's chances if this goes to OT.... but they need a stop or a turnover now.

wow, that was crazy. i'm going nuts haha.

[TapNorris]

i knew what you meant, but i can never pass up an easy shot..... :lol

the goal next saturday is to score more points on Nebraska than our football team did this year..... 77 should be more than enough for a W..... :D ;)

What's up with all the cheapshots tonight?

[TapNorris]

I was rooting for Clemson to win, so hopefully KU would jump Memphis in the polls tomorrow so we would be beating the #1 team on Saturday...now I'm not so sure I care.

[DMBnick15]

clemson has played awesome tonight, not going to lie.

[seekupig]

What's up with all the cheapshots tonight?

it's nothing personal. me and Dan have a history of giving each other shit before KU v. Nebraska games.... it just so happens that i've been on the better end more often than not lately... don't think that i won't hear about it if the Huskers pull off the upset this weekend.:lol

[seekupig]

I was rooting for Clemson to win, so hopefully KU would jump Memphis in the polls tomorrow so we would be beating the #1 team on Saturday...now I'm not so sure I care.

not possible.

[justinandimcool]

What a silly foul.

[justinandimcool]

Ellington 3 FTW here.

[TapNorris]

don't think that i won't hear about it if the Huskers pull off the upset this weekend.:lol

I've been waiting for us to start another win streak against KU at The Bob like we had in the late 80's and early 90's, but after the way we scrimmaged today I don't think we'll start it again on Saturday. There's no way we're going to slow you guys down enough to keep the score low, so we're just going to have to shoot lights out along with you.

[DMBnick15]

god i hope so haha

[TapNorris]

not possible.

You gotta have faith!

[TapNorris]

Ouch. That was clutch!

[justinandimcool]

Ellington 3 FTW here.

Hate to brag, but I called it.

[seekupig]

that sucks.:lol :lol

[justinandimcool]

Clemson has nothing to be ashamed of. They impressed many tonight. 2nd best team in the ACC by far I think.

[Rob D]

kansas will have to wait at least another week...

[seekupig]

Clemson has nothing to be ashamed of.

besides not scoring a single point in the last 2:30 of regulation, i agree with you. i don't believe in moral victories (especially when they occur in your own gym). they had that game and they blew it...... along with a chance at me collecting on a $100 bet tomorrow. :BANG

[Rob D]

Clemson has nothing to be ashamed of. They impressed many tonight. 2nd best team in the ACC by far I think.

you think clemson is by far a better team than Duke? i'm not sure i agree with that.

[seekupig]

kansas will have to wait at least another week...

shut up, bitch. :D

cookout, NFL football, KU vs. Nebraska and poker at my house on saturday. i'll PM you with details later on this week.... :thumbsup

[Rob D]

i love watching my team by myself and throwing fits of despair and joy in a 2 hour span. my dog thinks i'm crazy.

[seekupig]

you think clemson is by far a better team than Duke? i'm not sure i agree with that.

they struggled to beat an Ivy League school by ten points at Cameron tonite.... i'm not drinking their kool-aid just yet.

[Rob D]

they struggled to beat an Ivy League school by ten points at Cameron tonite.... i'm not drinking their kool-aid just yet.

drink what you want. they waxed wisc earlier. i think duke takes 2 from clemson this season.

[UNC41]

I fucking love ACC basketball! Game of the Year so far!!!!

I had deja vu of McCants nailing the game winner against UConn in '04. Thank God for Weezy tonight, he was the only one who showed up offensively.

Tonight was exactly why I'm glad Roy put the Heels on the road for more than a month earlier this year. Stepheson's defense was desperately missed in the post, Q played like a guy who is coming off missing a couple games with a sprained ankle and the defense was inconsistent.

EDIT: Clemson played a hell of a game. They were better than I thought, especially inside.

[seekupig]

i think duke takes 2 from clemson this season.

you name the wager, and i accept it.

[justinandimcool]

besides not scoring a single point in the last 2:30 of regulation, i agree with you. i don't believe in moral victories (especially when they occur in your own gym). they had that game and they blew it...... along with a chance at me collecting on a $100 bet tomorrow. :BANG

I don't believe in moral victories either, but they showed they have Carolina's number without a doubt. Ellington doesn't explode from the outside out of nowhere (who saw THAT coming?), one could argue Clemson looked like the better team tonight.

Okay, I retract my statement. After 5 minutes of deep thought I think Duke is better than Clemson :lol But the Tigers showed to me at least that they can run and defend as well as any team in the conference.

[JamesM]

Yes! Villanova pulled out a big one today against Pitt. Much needed after the DePaul loss...

[DMBnick15]

ellington is one of the best shooters in the ncaa

[UNC41]

you think clemson is by far a better team than Duke? i'm not sure i agree with that.

They are far better than Duke down low. Those guys are athletic as hell and gave Hansbrough and Thompson fits, they should abuse Singler, Thomas, Zoubek, etc.

I think the games will come down to Duke's 3-point shooting.

I don't believe in moral victories either, but they showed they have Carolina's number without a doubt. Ellington doesn't explode from the outside out of nowhere (who saw THAT coming?), one could argue Clemson looked like the better team tonight.

Okay, I retract my statement. After 5 minutes of deep thought I think Duke is better than Clemson :lol But the Tigers showed to me at least that they can run and defend as well as any team in the conference.

Ellington's shot is sooo pretty. I think the ball is going in every time he shoots it.

[UNC41]

WEEZY!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8PmiPYdqLk

[robthomas]

WEEZY!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8PmiPYdqLk

C-L-U-T-C-H
(but damn, I hope Q doesn't kill us this year, or should I say Bobby's knee?)

[justinandimcool]

WEEZY!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8PmiPYdqLk

I called it on the last page 4 minutes before it happened :D

I was freaking out. I was like. Holy shit, I have powers!

Then I realized it was the greatness of Wayne Ellington.



I was upset for Clemson though, I thought they had it in the bad.

[willthethrill]

OH MY GOD!!

Justin, did you hear me yell from here? Good Lord that was fun.

Oh, and Dustin, Duke doesn't have to play Clemson in Littlejohn this year. I hate expansion.

[UNLTrpt]

i knew what you meant, but i can never pass up an easy shot..... :lol

the goal next saturday is to score more points on Nebraska than our football team did this year..... 77 should be more than enough for a W..... :D ;)

HOW did I know that dig was coming. I think I said it during the game..."damn now Bill Self has to out do The Fat Mangini."

[UNC41]

Justin, here's Roy's thought on Wayne "exploding out of nowhere." :D

“When I recruited Wayne Ellington, I thought that this could perhaps be the best scorer that I’ve ever recruited,” head coach Roy Williams said. “I am so confident in this young man and what he can do.”

And how highly he thinks of this Clemson team.

“It wasn’t a pretty basketball game, but it was a game by two teams that really fought very hard… [Clemson] is by far the best team that we’ve played so far, and in my opinion, the best team since Oliver and I have been back in the league.”

[UNC41]

Justin's PM reminded me ... polls by noon central tomorrow.

[secretlysmiling]

Dayton v. Rhode Island on Wednesday! I'm so happy it's going to be televised here. :D

[seekupig]

Oh, and Dustin, Duke doesn't have to play Clemson in Littlejohn this year. I hate expansion.

why do you think i said i would accept any wager that Duke wouldn't beat Clemson twice this year? :evil

[seekupig]

“When I recruited Wayne Ellington, I thought that this could perhaps be the best scorer that I’ve ever recruited,” head coach Roy Williams said.

that's a pretty big vote of confidence coming from a man that recruited Paul Pierce

[GavMan33]

Dayton v. Rhode Island on Wednesday! I'm so happy it's going to be televised here. :D

Damn girl. You're killin me. Don't you know that I'm the only one that's supposed to care about the A-10 in here? Now I got a buddy. A girl buddy. I don't know exactly how to handle this....:lol

[seekupig]

A girl buddy. I don't know exactly how to handle this....:lol

i've got a few ideas..... PM me if you have trouble deciding the correct course of action.... :D

[UNC41]

I've added a new wrinkle this week ... the two number in parentheses stand for the highest and lowest a team was ranked by your expert pollsters.

Week 9 Ants NCAA Basketball Poll

1. North Carolina (3) 122 (1/3)
2. Memphis (2) 120 (1/3)
3. Kansas 118 (2/3)
4. Washington St. 109 (4/5)
5. UCLA 105 (4/6)
6. Tennessee 98 (5/9)
7. Michigan St. 96 (6/7)
8. Georgetown 85 (8/12)
9. (tie) Texas A&M 84 (7/10)
Duke (8/10)
11. Vanderbilt 75 (8/13)
12. Indiana 72 (11/13)
13. Texas 58 (12/19)
14. Butler 57 (13/16)
15. Marquette 51 (14/18)
16. Mississippi 41 (14/20)
17. Dayton 40 (15/20)
18. Clemson 37 (15/22)
19. Villanova 36 (13/25)
20. Rhode Island 26 (16/23)
21. Wisconsin 25 (18/23)
22. Stanford 19 (14/NR)
23. Xavier 17 (20/NR)
24. (tie) Pittsburgh 11 (16/NR)
Oklahoma (19/NR)

Others Receiving Votes: Arizona St. 9, St. Mary's 3, USC 2, West Virginia 2, Notre Dame 2, Arizona 2, Miami (FL.) 1, Ohio St. 1

Participating Voters: UNC41, justinandimcool, willthethrill, seekupig, GavMan33

[GavMan33]

Bryan, can you tell me what all those extra numbers mean?

Here's my problem this week. Dayton moved up from #20 to #17. How in the world do you move up 3 spots when you have one game last week, and need 2OT to beat Akron? That's weak if you ask me. Not saying Xavier deserved to be higher, because X was way out of the Top 25, but Dayton should not have moved up, esp. 3 whole spots....

[seekupig]

Bryan, can you tell me what all those extra numbers mean?

Here's my problem this week. Dayton moved up from #20 to #17. How in the world do you move up 3 spots when you have one game last week, and need 2OT to beat Akron? That's weak if you ask me. Not saying Xavier deserved to be higher, because X was way out of the Top 25, but Dayton should not have moved up, esp. 3 whole spots....


the two number in parentheses stand for the highest and lowest a team was ranked

for example, Clemson has (15/22) meaning that the highest they were ranked by any of the voters was #15, and the lowest they appeared on any vote was #22.

[willthethrill]

I had Dayton at the same spot as last week. Yea, I'm the one who voted Pitt #16 too. I think they're still pretty good. If they can skip the injury bug they are a sweet sixteen team.

[UNC41]

Bryan, can you tell me what all those extra numbers mean?

Here's my problem this week. Dayton moved up from #20 to #17. How in the world do you move up 3 spots when you have one game last week, and need 2OT to beat Akron? That's weak if you ask me. Not saying Xavier deserved to be higher, because X was way out of the Top 25, but Dayton should not have moved up, esp. 3 whole spots....

I bumped up both Clemson and Stanford in my poll despite losses for what it's worth.

[UNLTrpt]

i've got a few ideas..... PM me if you have trouble deciding the correct course of action.... :D

:lol

[GavMan33]

the two number in parentheses stand for the highest and lowest a team was ranked

for example, Clemson has (15/22) meaning that the highest they were ranked by any of the voters was #15, and the lowest they appeared on any vote was #22.

OK, well then just to be a bitch, Xavier was ranked #17 in the rankings on December 10....

[seekupig]

OK, well then just to be a bitch, Xavier was ranked #17 in the rankings on December 10....

well, to be completely honest, i don't look at my previous rankings when sending in my new ones. i take an exsisting top 25 and move teams around based on what i saw that week. that's what i think is done wrong with the real polls that come out.... if teams don't lose they don't drop, reguardless of how they actually looked playing the game or whether they even played at all. UNC is ranked #1 because they haven't lost yet and that's where they started.... not because they look like the best team in the country. and that same thinking can be applied to a lot of teams in the top 25. Duke for instance, hadn't played in 17 days and struggled at home vs. an Ivy League bottom feeder and has actually moved up since their loss to Pitt. i just think that when you get past #15, teams just get in where they fit in....

the good thing is that unlike college football, this will all be settled on the court at the end of the season....

[GavMan33]

well, to be completely honest, i don't look at my previous rankings when sending in my new ones. i take an exsisting top 25 and move teams around based on what i saw that week. that's what i think is done wrong with the real polls that come out.... if teams don't lose they don't drop, reguardless of how they actually looked playing the game or whether they even played at all. UNC is ranked #1 because they haven't lost yet and that's where they started.... not because they look like the best team in the country. and that same thinking can be applied to a lot of teams in the top 25. Duke for instance, hadn't played in 17 days and struggled at home vs. an Ivy League bottom feeder and has actually moved up since their loss to Pitt. i just think that when you get past #15, teams just get in where they fit in....

the good thing is that unlike college football, this will all be settled on the court at the end of the season....

:thumbsup :thumbsup :D :hug

I HATE the BCS!

I hear what you're saying. And I've had UNC #1 most of the year. But this Memphis team just looks incredible. And to be honest, what's the difference between #1 and #4? Like you said, in college football it's HUGE. In college hoop, get yourself into that field of 65. Then settle it there.

It's important to look at the overall picture. Look at that GW team from 2006 that went into the NCAA Tournament with only 1 loss, a perfect 16-0 in the A10. They were ranked like #6 going into the tournament, but only received an 8-seed come tournament time, and rightfully so. So the rankings are nice so then we can complain about them over the season, but as long as you get into that field of 65, it's not all that huge.

For instance, I want Xavier to win a lot of games. Winning a lot of games will get them ranked. So right now we see X at #24 in the AP, #25 in the Coaches Poll. Given we win two home games this week against St. Bonaventure and Fordham, I can't see us moving up more than 2 spots this week. Anything more than that would be unjustified....

[seekupig]

:thumbsup :thumbsup :D :hug

I HATE the BCS!

I hear what you're saying. And I've had UNC #1 most of the year. But this Memphis team just looks incredible. And to be honest, what's the difference between #1 and #4? Like you said, in college football it's HUGE. In college hoop, get yourself into that field of 65. Then settle it there.

It's important to look at the overall picture. Look at that GW team from 2006 that went into the NCAA Tournament with only 1 loss, a perfect 16-0 in the A10. They were ranked like #6 going into the tournament, but only received an 8-seed come tournament time, and rightfully so. So the rankings are nice so then we can complain about them over the season, but as long as you get into that field of 65, it's not all that huge.

For instance, I want Xavier to win a lot of games. Winning a lot of games will get them ranked. So right now we see X at #24 in the AP, #25 in the Coaches Poll. Given we win two home games this week against St. Bonaventure and Fordham, I can't see us moving up more than 2 spots this week. Anything more than that would be unjustified....

when you're at that end of the standings, you rely just as much on the teams directly in front of you losing as you are in winning your own games. it's tough to make up a lot of ground without an 8-10 game winning streak.

[UNC41]

OK, well then just to be a bitch, Xavier was ranked #17 in the rankings on December 10....

It was based on the highest spots our five voters placed them in this week's poll. The highest someone Xavier was 20 and someone had them not ranked.

[HolyCow]

OU pounds St. Mary tonight as Blake Griffin scores 26. Boy, I'm ready for K-State this Saturday.

[HolyCow]

In other news, Kansas State beats Savannah State 85-25 tonight and held the Tigers to 4 points (FOUR!!!) in the second half. Savannah went 1-23 in the second half and shot 15% overall.

[UNLTrpt]

In other news, Kansas State beats Savannah State 85-25 tonight and held the Tigers to 4 points (FOUR!!!) in the second half. Savannah went 1-23 in the second half and shot 15% overall.

We beat em 82-37 at the Bob. Held em to 12 in the first half.

Wow. 4 points. After halftime even.

We held a TOUGH (:rolleyes ) North Carolina Central team to 8 points in the first half couple weeks ago.

[SmoothD41]

do yourselves a favor, watch Eric Gordon tonight at 7:00 on ESPN.

[justinandimcool]

Dominic James just went down!

Big East teams are cursed.

[darbini]

Gators looked good at Alabama. They don't have much size but they sure can shoot.

[UNC41]

Ol' Roy just got a commitment from ANOTHER 5-Star recruit, sophomore SG Reggie Bullock. That's four in less than a week, which is absolutely unheard of.

[GavMan33]

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080109/COL03/801090372/1062/SPT

I don't mind being called a mid-major, but we still have the vision. There is a unique vision going on in Norwood, Ohio, that no 4,000-student school has ever had before, and that's what makes the school so special....

[justinandimcool]

Gators looked good at Alabama. They don't have much size but they sure can shoot.

Definitely. Alabama sure ain't shabby either.







On an unrelated note, I wonder how ratings for games like these go. I never hear anything about CBB where I live (it's Lakertown round here :() and I've always been concerned about the relevance of college basketball nationwide. I know the students will always be involved, but does the sport have enough of an audience to keep it on TV (regular season games at least)? I mean, watching clips of the NCAA Tournament the neutral sites are barely filled with fans. ESPN's College Hoops Gameday will never be NFL Live or NBA Fastbreak or College Football Gameday. There are never college basketball headlines on PTI or Sportscenter. I appreciate the lack of mainstream attention that keeps the game pure and immune to all the media bullshit in sports these days, but I just hope enough people care for it not to fall off the map TV-wise. But then again, Saturdays and Weeknights are packed with games. I just wonder sometimes if anyone but me is watching.

[JamesM]

Go Nova!

[som3d3vil34]

Sorry to disappoint anyone, but Michigan State is going all the way this year.

[seekupig]

Sorry to disappoint anyone, but Michigan State is going all the way this year.

not if Grand Valley State has anything to say about it....

lucky for you, they're DII so you won't have to face them in the tourney.

[unccrombie]

Sorry to disappoint anyone, but Michigan State is going all the way this year.
not if theyre only going to beat purdue by 3

[JamesM]

Sorry to disappoint anyone, but Michigan State is going all the way this year.
Villanova.

[seekupig]

is anyone else watching this UNC vs. UNC-Asheville game? i was trying to figure out why the Tarheels had J.B. Tanner guarding the center for UNC-A... then i realized it was Tyler Hansbrough. :lol

the starting center for UNC-A is 7'7", 360 lbs. :eek

the guy is an absolute freak of nature.... with no endurance.

[som3d3vil34]

not if Grand Valley State has anything to say about it....

lucky for you, they're DII so you won't have to face them in the tourney.

Shit happens. That was pre-season and forgotten.

not if theyre only going to beat purdue by 3

We played like shit last night.

Villanova.

More like VillaNOPEa.

[SmoothD41]

Sorry to disappoint anyone, but Michigan State is going all the way this year.

right conference, wrong team.

[seekupig]

i find it entertaining that people are able to pick the national champion so matter-of-factly in the most unpredictable sporting event in the world....

good work, guys.:thumbsup

[som3d3vil34]

i find it entertaining that people are able to pick the national champion so matter-of-factly in the most unpredictable sporting event in the world....

good work, guys.:thumbsup

It's not so much really picking a winner as it is just supporting your team. There are a lot of teams that have a big shot here.

[som3d3vil34]

right conference, wrong team.

I liked that buzzer beating 'dunk' at the end of that game last night.:lol

Indy is good though. It's them or MSU as big ten champs. And when I say that, I mean MSU as big ten champ!;)

[justinandimcool]

Holy shit Kenny George got OWNED by Hansbrough :lol


Clemson lost to Charlotte. Disappointing.


Dayton beat Rhode Island in a good game. Legit A-10 teams right there.

[willthethrill]

Shoulda told you guys this beforehand, but if you watched the UNC game, you saw there were students involved in the game broadcast. I was one of those students, and I got some facetime back in the truck helping with video. I was wearing a yellow shirt.

ESPNU, holla.

[willthethrill]

is anyone else watching this UNC vs. UNC-Asheville game? i was trying to figure out why the Tarheels had J.B. Tanner guarding the center for UNC-A... then i realized it was Tyler Hansbrough. :lol

the starting center for UNC-A is 7'7", 360 lbs. :eek

the guy is an absolute freak of nature.... with no endurance.
Why do you think I've got him as my fantasy center? He gets like 7 blocks a game.

Holy shit Kenny George got OWNED by Hansbrough :lol


Clemson lost to Charlotte. Disappointing.


Dayton beat Rhode Island in a good game. Legit A-10 teams right there.
Tyler walked like hell on that dunk though. Go figure we trigger the Clemson collapse two years in a row. :rolleyes

[HolyCow]

Here's how I see the Big XII finishing as conference play starts:

1. Kansas (15-1)
2. Texas A&M (13-3)
3. Texas (12-4)
4. Oklahoma (10-6)
5. Nebraska (10-6)
6. Missouri (9-7)
7. Kansas State (8-8)
8. Baylor (7-9)
9. Iowa State (6-10)
10. Oklahoma State (4-12)
11. Texas Tech (4-12)
12. Colorado (2-14)

I see six teams in the tourney with K-State being right on the bubble.

[GavMan33]

I tell you guys what, I'm gonna throw up if I hear one more goddamn person in here complain about Arizona State as a bad loss. Herb Sendek has a fantastic young team down in Tempe. The will make mistakes because they are so young, but their zone D is incredible. Any of you PAC-10 people, I will throw up. I will. No more bullshit gentlemen. Arizona State, has arrived....

Excuse the rant, just pisses me off....

In other news.

I kinda had an idea that Dayton would win that ballgame at home. Any team playing at UD Arena this year, as Pitt found out, is in for a long night. Charlotte knocks off Clemson tonight. Xavier knocks off St. Bonaventure. And the other one, St. Joseph's wins @ UMass. As I've said, St. Joe's is an interesting ballclub. I believe they are 8-4 at this point, 1-0 now in conference. They lost 4 games by an average of only 3 or 4 points, to teams like Creighton, Holy Cross, and Gonzaga. I'm still waiting on them, especially with Phil Martelli as their coach, still the best coach in the Atlantic 10.

If you learned anything from this post, learn this. Bob, officially on Arizona State bandwagon. Don't sleep on them :devil

[UNC41]

I always love reading 'The Bag,' and this week was exceptional. The package deals that test a kid's loyalty to someone who has played a significant role in their young lives are completely wrong, and this quote from Roy is exactly why I'm proud to be a Carolina fan.

"I would never consider doing it," North Carolina coach Roy Williams told me, adding he has passed up the opportunity to do a package deal on two occasions when recruiting a player. "Both times I told the person, 'I will recruit the kid or I'll interview you as a coach, but we're not going to do both.' I thought it would almost end up being like a clique on my team and staff. And in saying that, I think sometimes it's not a problem. For me it's not the best situation, but I think you need to look at each one specifically."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/grant_wahl/01/09/the.bag/index.html

I'm headed to Denver tomorrow through Tuesday, so no polls next week.

[SmoothD41]

I liked that buzzer beating 'dunk' at the end of that game last night.:lol

Indy is good though. It's them or MSU as big ten champs. And when I say that, I mean MSU as big ten champ!;)

that "dunk" really pissed me off....so classless. Sampson was really pissed off too, and I guarantee you Brandon McGhee (guy who did it) was running laps all practice yesterday. Dumb, freshman move that I'm sure he'll never do again.

[seekupig]

i'd like to thank ESPN in advance for the jinxing we've just received..... thanks assholes. :lol

3. Kansas dominant
I know I am not supposed to say this, but after seeing Kansas demolish Boston College 85-60 on Saturday, there is a chance the Jayhawks can go through the regular season undefeated. That's how dominant they looked.
Now that Brandon Rush (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=28158) and Sherron Collins (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=31788) are healthy, this is the deepest and the best team in the country. There is great balance between perimeter and inside scoring, especially with the emergence of Darnell Jackson (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=22178) and Sasha Kaun (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=22177). They complement future lottery pick Darrell Arthur (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=31786), who had to impress the many NBA scouts in attendance at Conte Forum on Saturday. Together, they are shooting better than 62 percent from the field.
Defensively, Mario Chalmers (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=27141) and Russell Robinson (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=22176) are the best pair of defensive guards in the country. Amazingly, they combine for 5.7 steals per game. And the balls they don't steal they are likely to deflect, which disrupts an offense. If you get by them, you must contend with the length of Kansas' front line, which blocks 6.4 shots a game.
I see four "speed bumps" remaining on Kansas' schedule. First, there are two road games in January at Big 12 North rivals Missouri and Kansas State. Neither team has played at the level of the Jayhawks this season, but the vitriol and hostility that awaits Bill Self's club in Columbia and Manhattan will make these dangerous games. Kansas travels to Texas in February and to Texas A&M in March. Each team is capable of playing for 40 minutes with the Jayhawks. But make no mistake, both teams must play very well to win.
Because of Kansas' overall talent level, there is a big margin of error in overcoming foul trouble, injuries and an "off night" from one of its stars. In fact, on any given night, Self can turn to any one of eight players to come through in a big spot.

well, since they failed to list Nebraska as a potential speed bump, go ahead and put a few bucks on the Huskers to win straight up..... :BANG

[UNLTrpt]

well, since they failed to list Nebraska as a potential speed bump, go ahead and put a few bucks on the Huskers to win straight up..... :BANG

STRAIGHT UP!

see, now you're coming around.

[UNLTrpt]

Shoulda told you guys this beforehand, but if you watched the UNC game, you saw there were students involved in the game broadcast. I was one of those students, and I got some facetime back in the truck helping with video. I was wearing a yellow shirt.

ESPNU, holla.

dude, thats AWESOME!

that is honestly, one of my dream jobs. Being on a TV crew that travels around to various sporting events. I got to do it once, 2002 I think, Nebraska/Colorado game. I was Lynn Swans assistant on the sidelines. Basically, I was his bitch. (carried around his backpack, microphone, etc) It was pretty fun taking a tour of the trucks and up in the booth though.

[willthethrill]

If any of y'all can watch top 10 plays on sportscenter this morning, I'm on there. I think it was play 10 or 9 and they show the back of my head at first and then show me scrolling through tape (yellow shirt). Now I can say I've made Top Plays!

[UNC41]

Shoulda told you guys this beforehand, but if you watched the UNC game, you saw there were students involved in the game broadcast. I was one of those students, and I got some facetime back in the truck helping with video. I was wearing a yellow shirt.

ESPNU, holla.

They commented on what you guys were doing before the Top 10 on SportsCenter and had an up close shot of who I'm guessing is you. Pretty sweet. Almost as sweet as T over George.

[seekupig]

the new ESPN Power16 is out..... Memphis jumps UNC to #1, UNC & Kansas have the same amount of points, but the Tar Heels get the #2 because of 1 more first place vote.....

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/powerranking?season=2008&week=10&pollId=1

two A-10 teams are in this week as well.... Dayton at #14, Xavier at #16

[willthethrill]

the new ESPN Power16 is out..... Memphis jumps UNC to #1, UNC & Kansas have the same amount of points, but the Tar Heels get the #2 because of 1 more first place vote.....

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/powerranking?season=2008&week=10&pollId=1

two A-10 teams are in this week as well.... Dayton at #14, Xavier at #16
How weird is that, that the #2 and #3 ranked teams have more first-place votes than the #1 team. I guess that's a product of Glockner and Gottlieb ranking the Heels 4th behind UCLA. Whatever, let's settle this on the court.

[GavMan33]

Nice to see the Atlantic 10 getting some nice TV time. Again, I don't really look at any of that crazy stuff, but as Dustin pointed out, Dayton and Xavier in the Power 16 this week. Travis Ford, UMass head coach, was on ESPN First Take this morning talking about the Atlantic 10. People are talking 4, 5, maybe 6 teams from the A-10 this season. That will never ever happen, but it's nice to see some love. Should be an interesting conference season for sure. I was at UMass last night for the UMass vs. St. Joe's game, SJU controlled it throughout. In two weekends I will be in Washington DC; Xavier @ George Washington on Saturday night, then Syracuse @ Georgetown on Monday night....

[JamesM]

Yay Auburn basketball

[Darksideofoz]

Go Blue Birds!

[paris72]

http://sportspickle.com/features/volume7/2008-0109-duke.html

Wow, that's a hell of a box score!

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=280100045

[Darksideofoz]

It was only a couple days ago Savannah State scored 4 points in the second half against Kansas St. But 20 total, man thats bad. St. Louis used to be a quality team.

and that dook thing, really? Did a couple 6th graders write that?

[justinandimcool]

Jesus. USC has no heart. Washington State is just relentless. Offensive machines.

[justinandimcool]

On an unrelated note, I wonder how ratings for regular season games go. I never hear anything about CBB where I live (it's Lakertown round here :() and I've always been concerned about the relevance of college basketball nationwide. I know the students will always be involved, but does the sport have enough of an audience to keep it on TV (regular season games at least)? I mean, watching clips of the NCAA Tournament the neutral sites are barely filled with fans. ESPN's College Hoops Gameday will never be NFL Live or NBA Fastbreak or College Football Gameday. There are never college basketball headlines on PTI or Sportscenter. I appreciate the lack of mainstream attention that keeps the game pure and immune to all the media bullshit in sports these days, but I just hope enough people care for it not to fall off the map TV-wise. But then again, Saturdays and Weeknights are packed with games. I just wonder sometimes if anyone but me is watching.

Anyone care to comment on this? It's a troubling issue for me, cause I just don't know.



Anyways, fucking USC. Too young, too dumb, and they're just not good collectively. We've got a bunch of playmakers who are all inconsistent, and a mismatched defense against any decent post tandem. Fuck.

[willthethrill]

Well you know that college basketball is numero uno in NC, no matter what. Only the Panthers and college football come close and those are a distant second. Everybody's watching/going to games. The Raleigh and Charlotte sites for the NCAAs this year will be jacked with fans.

[seekupig]

Well you know that college basketball is numero uno in NC, no matter what. Only the Panthers and college football come close and those are a distant second. Everybody's watching/going to games. The Raleigh and Charlotte sites for the NCAAs this year will be jacked with fans.

:thumbsup

if you don't like college basketball in this area, you pretty much have nothing to talk to people about from January through the first week in April. it's college basketball............ then everything else.

[waywayNCSU]

I'd like to go ahead and congratulate the Tar Holes on a blow out victory now.

[willthethrill]

I'd like to go ahead and congratulate the Tar Holes on a blow out victory now.

Everybody thought the same thing last year, too. I'm not counting any chickens. I'm gonna have fun at the game though.

[dreamingtreeIU]

college bball is on tv too much, that's why the interest has gone down i think such as ratings. Theres bball on every night 2 games at least. granted, i love the convenience, but i dont watch near as much bball anymore bc its always on. It needs to be special such as only sat/sun/ and mon or tues on tv

[willthethrill]

college bball is on tv too much, that's why the interest has gone down i think such as ratings. Theres bball on every night 2 games at least. granted, i love the convenience, but i dont watch near as much bball anymore bc its always on. It needs to be special such as only sat/sun/ and mon or tues on tv
Nah, then people would complain that ESPN only shows the major teams, kind of like the criticisms of the Yankees/Red Sox coverage. I think it's great they have so many games.

While that could be a reason that it's not as popular, I don't know if that's a feasible solution.

[seekupig]

Nah, then people would complain that ESPN only shows the major teams, kind of like the criticisms of the Yankees/Red Sox coverage. I think it's great they have so many games.

While that could be a reason that it's not as popular, I don't know if that's a feasible solution.


http://www.termdictionary.com/downloads/audio/duke_is_duke.mp3 - Pete Gillen

:lol :lol

[seekupig]

because i'm bored, i'll take a stab at picking some of tomorrows games...

NC State @ #1 UNC
#3 Kansas @ Nebraska
#4 Washington St. @ #5 UCLA
#12 Vanderbilt @ Kentucky
#24 Arizona @ Houston *
Fordham @ #25 Xavier


* Houston is the game i'm picking now that Memphis will lose on Jan. 30th

[UNLTrpt]

because i'm bored, i'll take a stab at picking some of tomorrows games...
#3 Kansas @ Nebraska

blasphemy

[seekupig]

blasphemy

i think it'll be close for a while, but i believe KU's depth and non-stop defensive pressure will wear the Huskers out down the stretch. if you guys can keep it close, you may be able to stay in it with adrenaline and the crowd noise. if it gets out of hand with under ten minutes to go, it's a done deal.

prediction....

Kansas 68 - Nebraska 53

[ousooner]

i think it'll be close for a while, but i believe KU's depth and non-stop defensive pressure will wear the Huskers out down the stretch. if you guys can keep it close, you may be able to stay in it with adrenaline and the crowd noise. if it gets out of hand with under ten minutes to go, it's a done deal.

prediction....

Kansas 68 - Nebraska 53
Who do you like Monday? Just kidding, it shouldn't even be close.

Going to Norman tomorrow to see Beasly vs. Griffin. Should be a good one.

[UNLTrpt]

i think it'll be close for a while, but i believe KU's depth and non-stop defensive pressure will wear the Huskers out down the stretch. if you guys can keep it close, you may be able to stay in it with adrenaline and the crowd noise. if it gets out of hand with under ten minutes to go, it's a done deal.

prediction....

Kansas 68 - Nebraska 53

You really think you'll only score 68? Wow. I would have thought more.

Doc said some interesting things this week. 1st he says that no one on Oregon's roster could play in Kansas' top 7. They were that good.

Then he says the KU game is a freebie. That it wasn't a measuring stick game. Meaning that we can't be deflated if we lose because our real measuring stick is teams like KSU, Baylor, OU etc. I was kinda shocked. But it makes sense. I mean look what happened to the FB team. They all said it late in the season, so much pressure was put on the USC game. We get waxed and the season goes downhill.

But you are right, if KU shakes loose early/late than its over.

[willthethrill]

#12 Vanderbilt @ Kentucky


Wowzers.

UNC is a 20 point favorite tomorrow. Little high for a rivalry game, Vegas?

[TapNorris]

But you are right, if KU shakes loose early/late than its over.

Yeah, as long as we avoid letting them go on a 43-8 run, we'll be ok...those 43-8 runs are a killer!

Some of the red zoners camped out under The Bob's south ramp...we've got a big game atmosphere going, I'm pretty excited. I'm in the building for the next 12 hours...can't wait for 8:00!

[GavMan33]

Anyone care to comment on this? It's a troubling issue for me, cause I just don't know.



Anyways, fucking USC. Too young, too dumb, and they're just not good collectively. We've got a bunch of playmakers who are all inconsistent, and a mismatched defense against any decent post tandem. Fuck.

Justin-I am from Albany, NY, which is about equidistant between New York City and Boston, about 2 and a half hours to either, so I'm directly in Yankees/Red Sox country. I, of course, am a Yankee fan. But I'd say the big thing around here is NFL football. It's primarily New York Football Giants fans around here, and secondly the Patriots. And there are Bills fans around (like myself), and then Jets fans sprinkled around. So there are 4 teams around, so it's a pretty big NFL area.

As for college football, nobody really cares up here. That's why it was such a culture-change when I went out to Cincinnati, and found out just how much the midwest loves their college football. I know quite a lot of people who went to a non-football school Xavier, just so they didn't have to give up routing for Ohio State, or Michigan, or even a school like Purdue. But up here in the northeast, the only relevant college football team is Boston College; maybe people out toward Boston care, but not much else. You say the other team around here is Syracuse, but they've been a nonfactor since McNabb played there.

And then there's the NBA. I can only really speak for myself, but I've soured so much on the NBA. The departure of John Starks from New York really killed me, and Knicks fans had some fool's gold with the run to the 1999 NBA Finals. A year or so later, when Patrick Ewing left town, it was all over for me. And obviously, they have now been disgracing the greatest city in the world for the last several years. I can go back to around 1997, and I would have began preparing for life after Patrick Ewing. I love Ewing, he's one of my favorite players of all time. And he would have been a major factor for the next several years. But we would have been prepared. Instead, they gave Allan Houston a $100M contract. They have been grossly over the salary cap for years, and one of the worst teams in the league, and now they add the title of most disgraced team in the league. But I digress.

This brings us to college hoop. I have a love for college basketball that burns deep inside of me. There was a time, believe it or not, that I was a fairly big Tar Heel fan. I don't know a lot of what you Tar Heels know in here, but I did like UNC to be sure. But I was also a big fan of the mid-majors. My dad went to St. Bonaventure, and is a Bonnies fan through the good times and the bad. So I was brought up a Bonnies fan, and I really got into it through dad. So I've always had that love for the mid-major, which you see reflected in here. If you wish, I will tell of the 2003 debacle in Olean, NY. And even if you don't wish, I'm gonna tell you about it anyway. But that's for a different post.

In terms of a whole here, there are many Siena fans right here in Albany, obviously. There is also a big Syracuse following here as well. New York City really doesn't have a college hoop team (actually they have the most Division I college hoop teams of any city in the country. Can anybody say the number, and name all of them, without looking it up?). So there's not a NYC team to root for.

But college hoop is on TV, all the time. So if you can stand to watch basketball (which to my shock, some people aren't able to watch it), you will watch basketball most every night. And the appeal to these people is that, hopefully lol, these kids aren't getting paid to play; they're doing it, again hopefully, to compete for the school on the front of their jersey. One of my good buddies never watched basketball before he went to college. Then he went to St. Joseph's in Philadelphia, and he has become a very big college basketball fan. I think there are many people like that; they go to college and become big basketball fans, and are for the rest of their lives. This bodes very well for the sport, as these people pass their love for college hoop on to others, kind of like how my father passed it on to me.

So that was the long answer. 30 minutes later, The short answer :lol is that college basketball is in no way in trouble. And let's not forget, the NCAA Tournament is something everybody watches; there are so many people filling out their brackets before games start that wonderful Thursday at noon. People have invested interest.

If you read all of that, I hope it was helpful a bit....

[ousooner]

I have to pull for Kansas today for my own selfish reasons. It probably won't matter much, but OU sure doesn't want to go into Allen Fieldhouse Monday night to face a team coming off a loss.

[TapNorris]

Anyone care to comment on this? It's a troubling issue for me, cause I just don't know.



Sorry, I stopped reading your stuff after you said Nebraska was a "gimme" game for Oregon that they should have won.

[TapNorris]

I have to pull for Kansas today for my own selfish reasons. It probably won't matter much, but OU sure doesn't want to go into Allen Fieldhouse Monday night to face a team coming off a loss.

Well, here's to us making it tougher on you guys on Monday night! :D

[UNLTrpt]

Yeah, as long as we avoid letting them go on a 43-8 run, we'll be ok...those 43-8 runs are a killer!

:lol ya don't win many games when you're the 8.

[thestand]

:lol NCState can't buy a point. Jesus. It was 18-11 when I came downstairs, and it's currently 38-11. Eeesh.

[unccrombie]

"if he would have made that one, i would have taken off my head set and sat in the stands" - Len Elmore


god he's the man

[GavMan33]

#24 Xavier 68, Fordham 50

Any takers on my question? New York City is the city with the most Division I basketball teams in the country. How many, and what schools are they? No cheating....

[TapNorris]

because i'm bored, i'll take a stab at picking some of tomorrows games...

#12 Vanderbilt @ Kentucky



You're half way there.

[thestand]

UCLA/WSU is going to be crazy. UCLA up 11-1 right now.

[UNLTrpt]

WOW. What a game at Rupp.

[TapNorris]

WOW. What a game at Rupp.

Kentucky did not use their last posession wisely.

[justinandimcool]

What the fuck.

Roy Hibbert drains the 2nd three pointer of his career with 3 seconds left, Gtown beats UCONN 72-69.

Vandy at 20T.


The back button on my remote is worn out.

[justinandimcool]

Bob I'll get back to your post later, too many games going on right now :lol

[GavMan33]

I just got home from church. I saw the awesome game at Rupp; my dad's got the football game on, I can't wait to see Hibbert's 3 to beat UConn. That's some funny shit :lol

Cincinnati/Villanova on right, excited to see that one....

[chiznaz]

A&M rolls over CU today. Check out DeAndre Jordans dunk tonight on ESPN Top 10. It's been a LONG time since I've seen a dunk like it.

[chiznaz]

Here is a video of the dunk. Really poor quality but the best I can do right now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlfLLelP8hk

[ousooner]

Just got back from Norman. Great game that had 17 ties and never saw either team lead by more than 5. Tough loss for the Sooners with Beasly hitting the game winner for Kansas State with two seconds left. OU just didn't play that trademark Sooner D in this one. Great matchup between Beasly and Blake Griffin. Beasly went for 32 and 11 and Griffin went for 27 and 14.

[TapNorris]

Well, KU is big, strong, and one hell of a team. If they don't make the Final Four then they royally fucked up somewhere along the line. We couldn't get a freaking defensive rebound or make a free throw. We do a little of that and we maybe keep it around 10.

[HolyCow]

Heartbreaking tonight.

Going to start out Big 12 play 0-2 with an upcoming loss in Lawrence. Sucks because we were on the cusp of the top 25, but now it will be an uphill climb to get back in the good graces of the voters after we lose two straight.

Still a lot of games to be played though. And Blake was a monster tonight.

[seekupig]

rock, chalk, jayhawk.....:)

[UNLTrpt]

only got to see the 1st half but it looked like it was the same as last year.

Kansas hit everything, we couldn't hit anything.

[TapNorris]

only got to see the 1st half but it looked like it was the same as last year.

Kansas hit everything, we couldn't hit anything.

No where near as bad as last year...even though we lost by 21 instead of 20...they are just incredibly good...really, really good...outstandlingly good...what a team...ok, yes, I went straight from my 15 hour work day to the bar...wow, they're a great team!

[ousooner]

Heartbreaking tonight.

Going to start out Big 12 play 0-2 with an upcoming loss in Lawrence. Sucks because we were on the cusp of the top 25, but now it will be an uphill climb to get back in the good graces of the voters after we lose two straight.

Still a lot of games to be played though. And Blake was a monster tonight.
What did you think of the no call at the end of the game when the KState guard plowed through Blake Griffin clearing the lane for Beasly's uncontested layup? He got rid of the ball before contact, but it still looked like a charge to me.

[SmoothD41]

how about Michigan State, putting up a whopping 36 points in a loss to IOWA :ugh

Illinois @ Indiana today, hopefully nobody on Illinois tries to break Gordon's legs and/or arms.

[seekupig]

because i'm bored, i'll take a stab at picking some of tomorrows games...

NC State @ #1 UNC
#3 Kansas @ Nebraska
#4 Washington St. @ #5 UCLA
#12 Vanderbilt @ Kentucky
#24 Arizona @ Houston *
Fordham @ #25 Xavier

4 out of 6..... not bad, not great.

[seekupig]

No where near as bad as last year...even though we lost by 21 instead of 20...they are just incredibly good...really, really good...outstandlingly good...what a team...ok, yes, I went straight from my 15 hour work day to the bar...wow, they're a great team!


"We got beat by 21," Sadler said, "and as sick as this may sound, I'm not that disappointed in how we played."

[JamesM]

Villanova is 1-2 in Big East :lorraine


C'mon Jay Wright! Fix'em up@

[TapNorris]

"We got beat by 21," Sadler said, "and as sick as this may sound, I'm not that disappointed in how we played."

I've got to believe that this is the year for you guys. If they don't get to the Final Four then you have to start asking "what the hell Bill Self is doing?".

[GavMan33]

4 out of 6..... not bad, not great.

With all due respect Dustin, it doesn't seem like those games were that hard to pick. Although I'm with you that I would've picked Houston over Arizona, and was rooting for Houston over Arizona. And so was Memphis :lol

Any hope for UK after the win vs. Vandy? I don't think so, but there's room for argument....

[willthethrill]

Well I think the Heels firmly interjected themselves into the argument for #1 again. Obviously that's still their ranking, but with a couple shaky games it was looking iffy.

The first half was the most complete half of basketball I might have ever seen out of the Heels in years. Incredible help defense leading to easy points: the Roy Williams system to a T.

In other news, UNC picks up its FIFTH COMMITMENT IN A WEEK with the #1 PG IN THE CLASS OF '09. That's two 5-stars in '08, four 5-stars in '09, and two 5-stars in '10 already.

Wow, Roy needs a raise.

[unccrombie]

Well I think the Heels firmly interjected themselves into the argument for #1 again. Obviously that's still their ranking, but with a couple shaky games it was looking iffy.

The first half was the most complete half of basketball I might have ever seen out of the Heels in years. Incredible help defense leading to easy points: the Roy Williams system to a T.

In other news, UNC picks up its FIFTH COMMITMENT IN A WEEK with the #1 PG IN THE CLASS OF '09. That's two 5-stars in '08, four 5-stars in '09, and two 5-stars in '10 already.

Wow, Roy needs a raise.
i dont see why people are knocking the clemson game. ranked team, on the road, acc. cmon now.

[thestand]

The officiating in this Illini game is absolutely horrendous. My god.

[SmoothD41]

The officiating in this Illini game is absolutely horrendous. My god.

do you think they were bad both ways, or towards one side?

[clayj41]

The officiating in this Illini game is absolutely horrendous. My god.

:thumbsup They were beating the hell out of each other. Good to see IU come away with the win though.

[thestand]

do you think they were bad both ways, or towards one side?

Both ways, and they weren't even tiny "maybe" calls. First one that comes to mind was when Illinois had a breakaway and the Indiana player hit him in the head, and it wasn't called intentional. That's the first that comes to mind, like I said, as there were definitely big ones the other way. The entire staff should be taken behind the woodshed.

[SmoothD41]

:thumbsup They were beating the hell out of each other. Good to see IU come away with the win though.

they definitely let them play a few different times, but thats the Big 10. I didn't notice any ridiculously bad calls.

The no-call on the flagrant was bullshit, I will admit that.

and Billy Packer should not be allowed to broadcast games. He is a joke.

[clayj41]

they definitely let them play a few different times, but thats the Big 10. I didn't notice any ridiculously bad calls.

The no-call on the flagrant was bullshit, I will admit that.

and Billy Packer should not be allowed to broadcast games. He is a joke.

:thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup


I agree with his assessment about the exhange between Stemler, Pruitt, and DJ near the end of the game though. You have to call a foul on someone!

[dreamingtreeIU]

they didn't let them play very much at all...... either side, there was little bullshit bump fouls and other obvious no-calls in the big ten.........also the one play where the refs didnt know who to give the ball to, who really deserved it, i couldnt see it from my seat

[willthethrill]

i dont see why people are knocking the clemson game. ranked team, on the road, acc. cmon now.

I'm not knocking it so much as that we still should've played better. I was saying it more in relation to what that game did to the thinking of a lot of critics, etc.

[HolyCow]

What did you think of the no call at the end of the game when the KState guard plowed through Blake Griffin clearing the lane for Beasly's uncontested layup? He got rid of the ball before contact, but it still looked like a charge to me.
Oh it was bull. You know it would have been called in the first half. Just the fact it was under five seconds they let it go. Bull crap.

I tried my best to get in Beasley's head. I got him to look up and smile at me once when I was screaming his name but nothing else. I obviously didn't do my job because he went for 32 and 11.

[willthethrill]

Both IU and Illinois need work. Both offenses struggled a lot. I'm not sure I'd call IU a top 10 team right now.

[ousooner]

Oh it was bull. You know it would have been called in the first half. Just the fact it was under five seconds they let it go. Bull crap.

I tried my best to get in Beasley's head. I got him to look up and smile at me once when I was screaming his name but nothing else. I obviously didn't do my job because he went for 32 and 11.
I thought Godbold's basket they waived off in the first half was bull too. He was clearly in the process of going up for the layup and should have been at the line to complete the three point play. It's usually the road team that gets screwed, but not this time. Regardless, KState at home is a game they should win.

[SmoothD41]

Both IU and Illinois need work. Both offenses struggled a lot. I'm not sure I'd call IU a top 10 team right now.

I think it was IU's worst game of the year, Illinois played out of their mind for much of the game, and IU still pulled out a win...they are deserving of their top 10 ranking. As phenomenal as Eric Gordon is, they have many different ways in addition to him to beat teams.

[clayj41]

I think it was IU's worst game of the year, Illinois played out of their mind for much of the game, and IU still pulled out a win...they are deserving of their top 10 ranking. As phenomenal as Eric Gordon is, they have many different ways in addition to him to beat teams.

:thumbsup Better them than an overhyped Michigan State team.

[SmoothD41]

:thumbsup Better them than an overhyped Michigan State team.

:thumbsup

they've struggled in all of their conference games this year....they were lucky to win at home against Purdue, and then go into Iowa and put up 36 in a loss :ugh

[GavMan33]

Dayton in at #14, Xavier at #20, and URI at #23....

That's about right, I'm OK with that. I'm actually surprised Xavier moved all the way up to #20 from #24. Two wins over lowly St. Bonaventure and Fordham equaled four spots? Hm. I can't imagine that's a reflection of "how good" Xavier can be, because if that was the case, it'd be MUCH higher than that. I would've been happy with #22. Rhode Island loses a tough opener @ Dayton, and wins a close one against an upstart Duquesne (that's DOOK-KANE for all the non-A-10 enthusiasts in here aka) team. Deservedly still ranked. And Dayton will continue to rise until they lose. And watch out for that St. Joe's team I've been telling you about all year, after a gutty win @ UMass and dismantling Richmond at home.

This will be a big week for the Musketeers. A double-trip, games on Wednesday and Saturday. In Philadelphia to play Temple on Wednesday, and then playing at George Washington on Saturday. It would be huge to get both of these on the road....

[unccrombie]

I'm not knocking it so much as that we still should've played better. I was saying it more in relation to what that game did to the thinking of a lot of critics, etc.
perhaps, but i dont see memphis' win over a worse arizona team to be better than ours over clemson. if we're comparing schedules

[seekupig]

perhaps, but i dont see memphis' win over a worse arizona team to be better than ours over clemson. if we're comparing schedules

no, but their win over Georgetown is probably a little bit better..... if we're comparing schedules.

[ousooner]

That knee injury sure didn't look good for Blake Griffin.

[seekupig]

That knee injury sure didn't look good for Blake Griffin.

no, it doesn't. sucks to see a good player go down like that. hopefully if he's out, it's just for tonite's game and they can have him back soon.

[rcarlsn612]

perhaps, but i dont see memphis' win over a worse arizona team to be better than ours over clemson. if we're comparing schedules

For my first post of the season, i'd like to say both Carolina and kansas are better than Memphis. They did play a tough non-conference schedule, but c-usa is a joke. I truly believe the Heels are the most complete team in the nation. They def remind me of the '05 team. We have 4 guys that can take over at any point, and we can go on runs that are ridiculous. I can't wait to see them in person at the BC game on march 1.

GO HEELS!

[seekupig]

For my first post of the season, i'd like to say both Carolina and kansas are better than Memphis. They did play a tough non-conference schedule, but c-usa is a joke. I truly believe the Heels are the most complete team in the nation. They def remind me of the '05 team. We have 4 guys that can take over at any point, and we can go on runs that are ridiculous. I can't wait to see them in person at the BC game on march 1.

GO HEELS!

i'll agree with you when their defense shows some consistency. that being said, i think UNC, KU, Memphis and UCLA are clearly the best four teams in the country.... after that it's a free for all.....

[JamesM]

Villanova's slipping. They better pick it up by Big East Tourney time. Not to mention March.

[seekupig]

Villanova's slipping. They better pick it up by Big East Tourney time. Not to mention March.

i saw someone the other did picking 'Nova to be last years Clemson. start off great, collapse in conference play and not even make the tourney. it may have been Joe Lunardi on First Take that said it.... can't remember.

[JamesM]

i saw someone the other did picking 'Nova to be last years Clemson. start off great, collapse in conference play and not even make the tourney. it may have been Joe Lunardi on First Take that said it.... can't remember.:lorraine

[ousooner]

A blast from the past as OU gets ready to honor Stacey King this weekend. Check out the very end of the video.

http://www.cstv.com/allaccess/player/07-oas-mediaplayer-okla.html?content=mms://a1981.v8108e.c8108.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1981/8108/v0001/cstvcbs.download.akamai.com/8108/open/okla/07-08/video/m-baskbl/07jul/070702_1988-89_vsUNLV512.wmv&school=okla&

[GavMan33]

i'll agree with you when their defense shows some consistency. that being said, i think UNC, KU, Memphis and UCLA are clearly the best four teams in the country.... after that it's a free for all.....

I'm going to choose to narrow that to 3 teams, with UNC, KU, and Memphis at the top of the heap. My question is how will Memphis respond to the stiff competition they face, for the first time since the nonconference, in the 2nd round of the NCAAs.....

My next tier would include a team like UCLA, a Tennessee, a Texas A&M. Not sold on Wazzou yet, their schedule has been awfully weak, haven't seen too much of them.

[willthethrill]

I'm going to choose to narrow that to 3 teams, with UNC, KU, and Memphis at the top of the heap. My question is how will Memphis respond to the stiff competition they face, for the first time since the nonconference, in the 2nd round of the NCAAs.....

My next tier would include a team like UCLA, a Tennessee, a Texas A&M. Not sold on Wazzou yet, their schedule has been awfully weak, haven't seen too much of them.

O god, Bob, how could you? You've turned into a cookie-cutter analyst. "A Tennessee, A Texas A&M." There's only one of each, not multiple. The "a" is completely unnecessary.

I totally agree with you though. :lol UCLA just hasn't shown me that extra level that Memphis, UNC and KU are currently at. I think you can make a case for any of the teams over the other, but at this point it really doesn't matter. I think back to '05 when UNC didn't ever get back the #1 spot after the Santa Clara loss in the first game of the season. Didn't matter too much in the end! I would LOVE to see a KU-UNC final. :thumbsup

[HolyCow]

Dang. Everything about that game sucked.

[UNC41]

Kansas is flat out good. The Jawhawks, along with UNC, are the two best teams in the country. I'd throw Memphis, UCLA and Tennessee in the second tier.

[GavMan33]

Kansas is flat out good. The Jawhawks, along with UNC, are the two best teams in the country. I'd throw Memphis, UCLA and Tennessee in the second tier.

:thumbsup I see you Bryan, I put KU and Carolina on the top, but Memphis has got to be right there as well....

And as for the "cookie-cutter" comment, :lol

Apologies to all of you. There is, in fact, only one Tennessee and only one Texas A&M. So my apologies....

[willthethrill]

:thumbsup I see you Bryan, I put KU and Carolina on the top, but Memphis has got to be right there as well....

And as for the "cookie-cutter" comment, :lol

Apologies to all of you. There is, in fact, only one Tennessee and only one Texas A&M. So my apologies....

Haha, sorry. A little pet peeve of mine.

[UNLTrpt]

we get it KU. you're good. damn

[chiznaz]

Best part about KU, besides their defense, is the distribution of their scoring. THAT is a great sign for a team come March in my opinion.

[willthethrill]

New Poll:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/rankings

Herb Sendek-led ASU Sun Devils coming into the Top 25. Whooo boy, whatcha got now State?

[TapNorris]

we get it KU. you're good. damn

I think with Mizzou beating Texas over the weekend that the Big 12 will be pretty crazy this year. I think KU runs the table and the other 11 just beat the living hell out of each other for the next 7 weeks.

[TapNorris]

New Poll:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/rankings

Herb Sendek-led ASU Sun Devils coming into the Top 25. Whooo boy, whatcha got now State?

ASU ranked? That's just crazy to me. I don't know if you can say a 15 point victory is beating the shit out of a team, but they were not even in the game from the tip when they played in Lincoln. I guess it does nothing but help our SOS...but ASU ranked? Really?

[seekupig]

I think with Mizzou beating Texas over the weekend that the Big 12 will be pretty crazy this year. I think KU runs the table and the other 11 just beat the living hell out of each other for the next 7 weeks.

i think they lose at least one game, probably two. this weekends game at Mizzou has me worried... they've ruined undefeated seasons for us before, it wouldn't suprise me for it to happen again. that along with games at Texas and Texas A&M are all potential losses. we'll see soon enough....

[seekupig]

I would LOVE to see a KU-UNC final. :thumbsup

i would spend the 48 hours leading up to that game throwing up..... i don't know if my body could take it. :lol

[seekupig]

Jeff Capel's thoughts on the Jayhawks.....

"I think [the Jayhawks] are better," Capel said. "They are the best team we've played and we have played some really good teams. They are so balanced. They shoot better than Memphis. They are bigger. They are probably equally as good in transition but this team passes the ball better.


"I don't think it's close, this is the best team in the country."

[skatcat]

Jeff Capel's thoughts on the Jayhawks.....

"I think [the Jayhawks] are better," Capel said. "They are the best team we've played and we have played some really good teams. They are so balanced. They shoot better than Memphis. They are bigger. They are probably equally as good in transition but this team passes the ball better.


"I don't think it's close, this is the best team in the country."

I agree with this....my pick to win it all. :thumbsup

[willthethrill]

Jeff Capel's thoughts on the Jayhawks.....

"I think [the Jayhawks] are better," Capel said. "They are the best team we've played and we have played some really good teams. They are so balanced. They shoot better than Memphis. They are bigger. They are probably equally as good in transition but this team passes the ball better.


"I don't think it's close, this is the best team in the country."

What can you expect from a former dookie?

[GavMan33]

Best part about KU, besides their defense, is the distribution of their scoring. THAT is a great sign for a team come March in my opinion.

New Poll:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/rankings

Herb Sendek-led ASU Sun Devils coming into the Top 25. Whooo boy, whatcha got now State?

That statement works the way you said it, but it doesn't when trying to make a case for KU to be the best in the country. Here's why:

BJ Raymond: 12.7 ppg
Drew Lavender: 12.4 ppg
CJ Anderson: 11.6 ppg
Derrick Brown: 11.1 ppg
Stanley Burrell: 10.6 ppg
Josh Duncan: 10.1 ppg

That's six guys in doubles for the Musketeers. Xavier is definitely a very balanced scoring team, with any one of these guys going for 20 on any given night. Xavier is also a couple of lightyears away from Kansas in terms of how good KU is. BUT, the way you said it, the balanced scoring will be a great asset for X come March.

And as I've said many times before, Arizona State is a solid ballclub, coached by one of those under-the-radar guys in the country. NC State threw him under the bus because he couldn't beat Duke or Carolina. But he's got a very good ballclub in Tempe. Their incredible youth scares me a bit, but there's no denying this is a very good ballclub, and I wish some people in here would start saying so....

[GavMan33]

Hm. Here's a head-scratcher. #21 Miami (FL), 14-1, is on national TV a measley TWO TIMES this season. An ABC game vs. the Dookies, and an ESPNU game in March vs. BC. Interesting how the networks compile their schedules early on huh? I'm just gonna go ahead and speculate for you. If Xavier wins two tough road games this week @ Temple and @ George Washington, next Wednesday's game vs. Dayton (assuming they can knock off UMass at home tomorrow) will be only the second time in the 144-game history of the XU-UD series that the two teams will meet both being ranked. It's feasible that you could be watching #16ish Xavier vs. #11ish Dayton at Cintas Center on Xavier's campus; ON CSTV!!!! Are you kidding? Unbelievable. This could be a HUGE game nationally, and no one will see it....

In other news, Blake Griffin is out 2 weeks, from what I saw on the Bottom Line.....

[willthethrill]

Hm. Here's a head-scratcher. #21 Miami (FL), 14-1, is on national TV a measley TWO TIMES this season. An ABC game vs. the Dookies, and an ESPNU game in March vs. BC. Interesting how the networks compile their schedules early on huh? I'm just gonna go ahead and speculate for you. If Xavier wins two tough road games this week @ Temple and @ George Washington, next Wednesday's game vs. Dayton (assuming they can knock off UMass at home tomorrow) will be only the second time in the 144-game history of the XU-UD series that the two teams will meet both being ranked. It's feasible that you could be watching #16ish Xavier vs. #11ish Dayton at Cintas Center on Xavier's campus; ON CSTV!!!! Are you kidding? Unbelievable. This could be a HUGE game nationally, and no one will see it....

In other news, Blake Griffin is out 2 weeks, from what I saw on the Bottom Line.....

I get CSTV. That does suck though, you'd think ESPN would be a bit more flexible, like Sunday Night Football does.

[GavMan33]

I get CSTV. That does suck though, you'd think ESPN would be a bit more flexible, like Sunday Night Football does.

Yeah I get CSTV too. But a lot of people don't, and it's a big game. It's too bad that ESPN can't pick it up....

[ousooner]

Blake Griffin was diagnosed with a sprained MCL and is expected to miss 4 weeks. There goes the Sooners tourney hopes.

[dreamingtreeIU]

what is this cstv you speak of?

[UNLTrpt]

Huskers lose by 4 @ Cu.

guys...if you want to be good in the big 12 ya gotta win on the road.

[TapNorris]

Huskers lose by 4 @ Cu.

guys...if you want to be good in the big 12 ya gotta win on the road.


We absolutely sucked out loud tonight! I smell a 5am practice tomorrow.

[willthethrill]

what is this cstv you speak of?

It's basically a poor man's ESPNU. Network that covers a ton of college sports, included very low revenue ones. It's a pretty poor broadcast normally, but they do cover lots of college games.

[seekupig]

That statement works the way you said it, but it doesn't when trying to make a case for KU to be the best in the country. Here's why:

BJ Raymond: 12.7 pp