The rest of the SEC has struggled coming out of the
blocks, so the "Big Po'" of the Tide this year looks even better this early in the season.
Freshman star Gerald Wallace has had a solid start.
11/30 (#22) W @100-71 v Louisville
12/ 4 (#15) W @107-61 v Grambling
12/ 7 (#15) W @68-64 v Wofford
12/ 9 (#15) W @73-59 v Akron (HARDWOOD CLASSIC @ Birmingham, AL)
12/16 (#14) W @94-55 v N Texas (COORS CLASSIC @ Mobile, AL)
12/20 (#12) W 64-56 v No Iowa (PUERTO RICO CHRISTMAS SHOOTOUT @ San Juan, PR)
12/21 (#12) W 69-60 v Washington (PUERTO RICO CHRISTMAS SHOOTOUT @ San Juan, PR)
[] 12/22 (#12) L 74-77(OT) v # Cincinnati (PUERTO RICO CHRISTMAS SHOOTOUT @ San Juan, PR)
The Tide wasn't able to dominate any team in the PUERTO RICO CHRISTMAS SHOOTOUT. They were
fortunate to stage a comeback (from down 13 with 4 minutes left) against
Cincinnati to send the title game into OT. They'll stay tracked, but will
head into conference play unranked.
The insertion of sophomore G Travis Stinnett at the point has helped add structure to the
halfcourt offense. Hopefully, it won't curtail their ability to get out and run. The win over
Ohio State was a very nice intersectional triumph. That win will enhance
the seeding of not only the Tide, but all of the SEC teams.
The diminished contribution of F Gerald Wallace in conference play continues to be
disappointment. It's more than just reduced minutes, too.
For starters, all five return from last year. That gives the Wildcats a leg up to start the
season, but what a five they are to boot. Start with 7' center Loren Woods, add power forward
Michael Wright to control the paint, allow 'tweener Richard Jefferson to float inside and out,
use slashing guard Gilbert Arenas to pressure the defense and let point guard Jason Gardner run
the show. This five fits together as well as any in recent memory. They belong in the same
category at UNC '82, Duke '92 and UMass '96. If they take themselves seriously they've got a
shot at going undefeated. Last year, Arizona was the best team in the country through December
before injuries to Jefferson weakened them through the conference season and then an injury to
Woods weakened them going into the NCAA tournament.
Every year now is supposed to be coach Lute Olson's last: he's 66 and has an ailing wife. With
the special potential this squad has, it'd be quite a way to go out.
The 'Cats should hold off Stanford in the
Pac-10. The lack of a conference tournament always looms
as the reason Arizona underachieves in the NCAAs. If they can sink their teeth into the tourney
this time around, they may not let go until there's nothing left for anyone else.
It helps that this is a veteran squad, 'cause they'll need to be at their best right from the
get-go in order to come out on top in the MAUI INVITATIONAL (featuring
Maryland, Illinois and UConn). It may
even be déjà vu when they meet the Illini in Chicago. The conference schedule is stacked
in their favor with all the tough rivals at home first.
The win over Illinois in the MAUI INVITATIONAL final was fabulous.
Unfortunately, bad scheduling cost the Wildcats a shot at an undefeated season and the #1
ranking (this week). Loren Woods won't play his first game until they meet
Connecticut thanks to a 6-game suspension by the NCAA.
Loren Woods' return to the lineup hasn't been a smooth transition. The full lineup hasn't
played together in live games since last December. Only Michael Wright had the requisite mettle
for the muddy battle Illinois offered. There's still time to get in sync
before conference play starts, though.
12/20 (#9) W @88-75 v LSU
12/28 (#8) W @72-60 v # Butler (FIESTA BOWL CLASSIC @ Tucson, AZ)
12/30 (#8) L @74-75 v Mississippi St (FIESTA BOWL CLASSIC @ Tucson, AZ)
Lute Olson has taken an indefinite leave of absence from the team because of his wife's
illness. Associate coach Jim Rosborough takes over in his place. A lot is riding on this
week's Stanford game.
Lute Olson has returned to the team follwing the death of his wife. The personal tragedy
may well serve as a galvanize force to unite the erstwhile splintering Wildcats.
Even in the loss at UCLA -- one of the best games of the year -- the
Wildcats' level of play was outstanding. Against USC, the 3s were falling
and a 20-point road rout became a 40-point rout. Gilbert Arenas may be the most complete player
in college basketball.
The off-season ankle surgery of 'tweener Joe Johnson puts in doubt the Razorbacks' ability to
hit the ground running. The hope was to build on last year's run to the
SEC tournament title. There's still enough talent to be
optimistic that Nolan Richardson's all-out hustle style will be successful, but this isn't quite
a killer/attrition team despite the "40 minutes of hell" signature slogan.
Arkansas will battle with Alabama for the SEC West Division
title.
The JOHN THOMPSON CLASSIC is a nice tribute, but won't be a challenge. Memphis is a year away
from being able to compete in their annual grudge match. With Alabama at home first and
Tennessee and Kentucky also at home, the schedule is in
their favor.
11/17 (#12) W @90-68 v Tennessee St (JOHN THOMPSON CLASSIC @ Fayetteville, AR)
[] 11/18 (#12) L @54-63 v # So Mississippi (JOHN THOMPSON CLASSIC @ Fayetteville, AR)
If they had pulled out the win at Oklahoma, they might have returned to
the rankings. As is, the continued good play of Southern Mississippi
makes that early home loss more reasonable. They'll head into conference play still tracked but
unranked.
It's probably just a brief hurrah, but beating Kentucky at this point is a
very good win. 'T Joe Johnson hasn't had anywhere near the kind of season that was expected of
him but the basic versatility is still there. The rest is just hustle in front of the home
crowd.
2 /28 (#25) W 66-@63 @ #20 Alabama
3 / 3 (#25) W @82-67 v # Georgia
3 / 9 [W2] W 77-72 v # [W6] LSU (SEC TOURNAMENT @ Nashville, TN)
3 /10 [W2] L 78-87 v # [E1] Kentucky (SEC TOURNAMENT @ Nashville, TN)
3 /15 [W7] L 61-63 v # [W10] Georgetown (NCAA WEST REGIONAL @ Boise, ID)
The win in the TOP OF THE WORLD CLASSIC, taking out Utah State in a
well played final, vaults the Governors into the Top 25. 'Tweener Trenton Hassell is the star
but guard Nick Stapleton and center Joe Williams are also key. Winning at
Tennessee is a bit too much to hope for, but winning the DR. PEPPER CLASSIC
at UT-Chattanooga should be a cinch. After this start, the
OVC schedule will be a letdown.
11/25 (#23) W @79-76 v IUPUI
11/27 (#25) L 65-@98 @ #7 Tennessee
12/ 2 (#25) L 70-@76 @ Indiana St
12/ 4 W @82-64 v Oakland City
12/ 9 W @85-83 v Lee U
12/16 W 77-@74 @ IUPUI
12/20 W 74-@72 @ Colorado St
12/29 W @78-73 v Jacksonville St (DR. PEPPER CLASSIC @ Chattanooga, TN)
The Governors did well to turn things around against Tennessee Tech in the OVC semifinal,
and they had a 21-point lead in the second half against Eastern Illinois before losing
it on a goaltending call at the buzzer.
It's not the best start in school history that matters, it's the blowout win over
Connecticut that earns BC the honor of being ranked. G Troy Bell is the
star player, but mostly this team is doing it with solid execution.
1 /10 (#14) L 71-@73 @ # St John's
1 /13 (#14) W @82-73 v Miami-FL
1 /16 (#18) L 75-@97 @ #2 Duke
1 /20 (#18) W @77-51 v Rutgers
1 /27 (#18) W 90-@80 @ Villanova
1 /31 (#19) W @83-61 v Virginia Tech
2 / 4 (#19) W @89-74 v Villanova
2 / 7 (#20) W @65-63 v #16 Syracuse
2 /10 (#20) W 83-@59 @ Virginia Tech
2 /13 (#14) L 71-@82 @ # Connecticut
2 /17 (#14) W @81-73 v Providence
2 /21 (#14) L 75-@76 @ #18 Notre Dame
2 /24 (#14) W 59-@58 @ Providence
2 /26 (#16) W @84-63 v Morris Brown
2 /28 (#16) W @67-62 v # St John's
3 / 3 (#16) W 96-@65 @ W Virginia
3 / 8 [E1] W 93-79 v [E5] Villanova (BIG EAST TOURNAMENT @ New York, NY)
3 / 9 [E1] W 75-48 v # [W6] Seton Hall (BIG EAST TOURNAMENT @ New York, NY)
3 /10 [E1] W 79-57 v [W5] Pittsburgh (BIG EAST TOURNAMENT @ New York, NY)
3 /15 [E3] W 68-65 v [E14] So Utah (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Uniondale, NY)
3 /17 [E3] L 71-74 v # [E6] USC (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Uniondale, NY)
The coaching woes at UNLV and Utah cast those programs in doubt. Meanwhile, a solid
preseason makes the Cougars, who return all five starters from last year, the trackable team on
behalf of the Mountain West.
1 / 2 W @75-47 v Idaho
1 / 6 W @84-68 v Texas A&M-CC
1 /13 W @79-50 v San Diego St
1 /15 W @91-63 v UNLV
1 /20 L 55-@60 @ Colorado St
1 /22 L 78-@85 @ Wyoming
1 /29 W @69-61 v # Utah
2 / 1 W @62-45 v Air Force
2 / 3 W @65-49 v New Mexico
2 /10 L 56-@68 @ UNLV
2 /12 W 69-@66 @ San Diego St
2 /15 W @79-63 v Wyoming
2 /17 W @68-51 v Colorado St
2 /24 L 75-@82 @ # Utah
3 / 1 W 72-@67 @ New Mexico
3 / 3 W 51-@50 @ Air Force
3 / 8 [2] W 69-54 v [7] Air Force (MOUNTAIN WEST TOURNAMENT @ Las Vegas, NV)
3 / 9 [2] W 77-66 v [3] Wyoming (MOUNTAIN WEST TOURNAMENT @ Las Vegas, NV)
3 /10 [2] W 69-65 v [4] New Mexico (MOUNTAIN WEST TOURNAMENT @ Las Vegas, NV)
3 /15 [W12] L 54-89 v # [W5] Cincinnati (NCAA WEST REGIONAL @ San Diego, CA)
The Bearcats' golden opportunity last year was taken away by Kenyon Martin's late-season injury.
4 starters are gone from that elite squad, so expectations are way down for this year. Down,
but not out entirely. There's still quite a good backcourt left with sophomore penetrator Kenny
Satterfield and junior shooter Steve Logan. The frontcourt rotation will be completely new.
Coach Bob Huggins has plenty of size to work with and the hope is that JuCo star Antwan Jones
can be the focal point scoring at small forward. It make take some time for things to fall into
place, but this will be a solid squad.
Expect UC to battle DePaul for the top spot in the
Conference USA American Division.
Expect perimeter quickness to be the difference over Notre Dame.
Xavier may yet have one more upset in them this year as well in the CROSSTOWN
SHOOTOUT. Only Alabama figures to be a challenge in the PUERTO RICO CHRISTMAS SHOOTOUT.
G Kenny Satterfield was the MVP of the PUERTO RICO CHRISTMAS SHOOTOUT as the Tide beat
Alabama in overtime in the final (after blowing a 13-point lead with 4
minutes left in regulation). Things sem to be coming together just in time for conference play.
The Cougars went 24-6 last year but missed the NCAA tournament when they lost in the
Southern Conference tournament final. All 5 starters are
back, including 6-8 center Jody Lumpkin, the best player in the conference. Coach John Kresse's
team plays in the arena they named after him. This is a program with a great tradition of
excellence. Don't overlook them.
CofC should have its own way in the Southern Conference,
much like the past two years.
The HAWAII PACIFIC THANKSGIVING TOURNAMENT (Georgetown, TCU) is not beyond their grasp. That'd
be a major feather in their cap, too. The STATE FARM CLASSIC should be no problem, but the MVP
CLASSIC (North Carolina) will be a bit too tall of an order. The Cougars are
too good for this league, so the schedule doesn't even much matter.
11/17 W 73-@52 @ Charleston So
11/20 W 57-@56 @ UT-Chattanooga
11/24 W 69-66 v Duquesne (HAWAII PACIFIC THANKSGIVING CLASSIC @ Honolulu, HI)
11/25 L 69-78 v # Georgetown (HAWAII PACIFIC THANKSGIVING CLASSIC @ Honolulu, HI)
11/26 W 76-71 v TCU (HAWAII PACIFIC THANKSGIVING CLASSIC @ Honolulu, HI)
12/ 9 W @81-63 v Gardner Webb
12/15 W @67-49 v SC-Aiken
12/20 W @68-57 v Jacksonville St (STATE FARM CLASSIC @ Charleston, SC)
12/21 W @80-75 v Delaware (STATE FARM CLASSIC @ Charleston, SC)
12/29 W 52-48 v Richmond (MVP CLASSIC @ Charlotte, NC)
12/30 L 60-@64 @ # N Carolina (MVP CLASSIC @ Charlotte, NC)
1 / 3 W 54-@51 @ Furman
1 / 6 W @86-65 v Georgia So
1 / 8 W 56-@55 @ Wofford
1 /13 W 63-@45 @ Appalachian St
1 /15 W @67-57 v We Carolina
1 /17 W @76-55 v Stony Brook
1 /20 W @64-62 v Wofford
1 /22 W @74-67 v The Citadel
1 /27 L 63-@68 @ Georgia So
1 /29 W 66-@53 @ Coastal Carolina
2 / 3 W @77-70 v UNC-Greensboro
2 / 6 L 47-@62 @ E Tennessee St
2 /10 W @61-37 v Furman
2 /12 L 58-@62 @ The Citadel
2 /17 W @71-53 v VMI
2 /19 W @89-72 v UT-Chattanooga
2 /24 L 65-@68 @ Davidson
3 / 2 [S1] L 54-57 v [N4] Davidson (SOCON TOURNAMENT @ Greenville, SC)
There's no returning star, but this is still a Class-A college program. In the watered-down
Big East, the Huskies should still win the East Division.
Only guard Albert Mouring returns as a proven scorer, but lots of players get minutes in Jim
Calhoun's all-out-press gimmick coaching style so there's plenty of returning experience if not
stardom. 6-10 Ajou Deng was supposed to be a star on arrival last year, but that didn't happen.
He'll have to be this year. The biggest question is how smoothly freshman Taliek Brown can make
the transition running the point now that Khalid El-Amin isn't around anymore. It's easier to
get relentless intensity when you don't have stars who have to have the ball, so UConn could
very well "surprise" people and be a solid team.
St. John's figures to chase Connecticut in the Big East
East Division, but the stronger league teams (Notre Dame and
Seton Hall) are over in the West.
Don't expect any upsets in the loaded MAUI INVITATIONAL (Arizona,
Maryland and Illinois). The Arizona home
game might turn out to be an early season rematch (but the result won't be any different). The
best bet for a major national win is at Texas in January. The league schedule
very light for a month and a half with a tough week at the very end.
11/17 (#15) W @86-72 v Quinnipiac
11/20 (#18) L 66-80 v # Dayton (MAUI INVITATIONAL @ Lahaina, HI)
The Blue Devils don't have the second-most talented roster in college basketball, but they have
fewer questions to answer at the start of the season than most teams would who lost their best
player (Chris Carrawell) to graduation. The big plus, of course, is on the bench in the person
of Mike Krzyzewski. Forward Shane Battier has an array of talents -- excellent outside touch,
physical presence under the boards and outstanding defensive skills -- but the whole is somehow
less than the sum of its parts. There's an intangible quality that's missing that makes me
doubt that this is a player who can lead his team to the Final Four. He's not alone, but the
supporting cast is young: guard Jason Williams is good but only a sophomore and will share
backcourt duties with incoming high school Player of the Year Chris Duhon. Sophomore center
Carlos Boozer is tough but a little undersized at 6-9. The key to this year's team, is frail
sophomore 'tweener Mike Dunleavy.
Coach K can do more with less than anybody around. Unless Maryland can call
their bluff, look for Duke to rule the ACC once again.
The PRESEASON NIT shouldn't be much of a challenge. Preseason match-ups with
Illinois and Stanford will test their depth and
frontcourt muscle. Maryland will be jacked for their meeting in College Park
to take control of the league race.
[] 11/14 (#2) W @87-50 v # Princeton (PRESEASON NIT)
11/17 (#2) W @98-85 v Villanova (PRESEASON NIT)
11/22 (#2) W 95-69 v # Texas (PRESEASON NIT @ New York, NY)
[] 11/24 (#2) W 63-61 v # Temple (PRESEASON NIT @ New York, NY)
The Blue Devils take over the top spot in the rankings more due to
Arizona's loss than to Duke's win over Temple in the PRESEASON NIT final.
This team belongs to Jason Williams, not Shane Battier.
[] 11/28 (#1) W @78-77 v #3 Illinois (ACC-BIG 10 CHALLENGE @ Greensboro, NC)
The second time around was even sweeter against Temple as the Blue Devils routed the Owls.
That followed the solid win over talented Illinois in the ACC-BIG 10
CHALLENGE. Jason Williams shined brightly in both wins (at either guard spot).
The last-possession loss to Stanford exposed the one weakness of this
Blue Devils team: lack of height/depth on the baseline. Carlos Boozer was both ineffective and
fouled out; Shane Battier scored well but also fouled out late which allowed the Cardinal to
make their late run to victory. The offense was scoring so effectively that Mike Krzyzewski
never seemed to realize that pushing the pace (and increasing the number of possessions) was
working against them.
Despite both having bad games for 39 minutes, both Jason Williams and Shane Battier found a
way to pull out an amazing victory against Maryland. The Iron Five didn't
wilt against the hordes of Terps.
The loss to North Carolina again exposed the Blue Devils weakness in
dealing with teams with a strong baseline presence. It wasn't that the Tar Heel centers hurt
them so much, but the attention that Duke had to pay down low opened up the perimeter for open
shots.
The rout of Georgia Tech and the late-game comeback at
Wake Forest show that Duke is as ready as anybody to make the big run in the
postseason. It doesn't mean they're not without flaw, though.
C Carlos Boozer broke a bone in his foot against Maryland and may not be
back in time for the NCAA tournament. The Blue Devils were able to compensate with the
small/quick lineup (playing Chris Duhon and Jason Williams together for most of the game) on a
one-shot basis against North Carolina with great success. But will the 3s
fall every single game from here on out, now that it's one-and-done?
3 / 9 [2] W 76-61 v [7] NC State (ACC TOURNAMENT @ Atlanta, GA)
3 /10 [2] W 84-82 v # [3] Maryland (ACC TOURNAMENT @ Atlanta, GA)
3 /11 [2] W 79-53 v # [1] N Carolina (ACC TOURNAMENT @ Atlanta, GA)
3 /15 [E1] W @95-52 v [E16] Monmouth (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Greensboro, NC)
3 /17 [E1] W @94-81 v # [E9] Missouri (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Greensboro, NC)
3 /22 [E1] W 76-63 v # [E4] UCLA (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Philadelphia, PA)
3 /24 [E1] W 79-69 v # [E6] USC (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Philadelphia, PA)
3 /31 [E1] W 95-84 v # [W3] Maryland (NCAA FINAL FOUR @ Minneapolis, MN)
4 / 2 [E1] W 82-72 v # [M2] Arizona (NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP @ Minneapolis, MN)
Last year's national runners-up have plenty to look forward to this year, even with the
departure of 'tweener Mike Miller and center Donnell Harvey. Udonis Haslem remains to score the
point-blank points to compliment the outside game of guards Teddy Dupay, Brett Nelson and Justin
Hamilton. The all-star/win-by-attrition style of Billy Donovan will always be successful as
long as there's a shot clock to force enough possessions to foul out the opposing team's stars.
But that's not to say that the Gators are the best killer/attrition team in the land. (They're
not. Maryland, Kansas and Illinois are
better.)
UF should be good enough to challenge Tennessee for the
SEC East Division title and the conference tournament.
The DePaul game won't be telling, but the rematch with
Michigan State will say alot about which team has adjusted to new stars
leading the way. Getting to play Arkansas and Alabama at home, plus getting
Tennessee at home first has the scheduling in favor of the Gators.
Conference play has slowed down the Gator "juggernaut". To make matters worse, Teddy
Dupay's back injury will put him out of action for 4-6 weeks and Brent Wright will be out 3-6
weeks. Expect a slide into mediocrity in the deep SEC.
Teddy Dupay has returned to the team much earlier than expected (and even contributed in the
Tennessee game). Brent Wright is also back. The Gators' aren't back to
full strength yet, but it at least it won't have to wait until the
SEC tournament before they can regain their sync.
The Gators have turned in as fine a regular season as you could expect given the injury
problems that could have derailed their quality or thrown off their chemistry. Neither
happened. Instead, the system kept them on focus and they have been quite consistent even
against the best teams in the SEC.
2 /28 (#5) W 72-@62 @ Vanderbilt
3 / 4 (#5) W @94-86 v #12 Kentucky
3 / 9 [E2] W 69-61 v # [W3] Alabama (SEC TOURNAMENT @ Nashville, TN)
3 /10 [E2] L 69-74 v # [W1] Mississippi (SEC TOURNAMENT @ Nashville, TN)
3 /16 [S3] W 69-56 v [S14] We Kentucky (NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL @ New Orleans, LA)
3 /18 [S3] L 54-75 v # [S11] Temple (NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL @ New Orleans, LA)
The shellacking of conference power UTEP, the earlier rout of improving
Georgia and consistent play land the Bulldogs in the Top 25. G Tito Maddux'
insertion in the lineup has sparked the surge of good play.
2 / 1 (#24) L 73-@91 @ Hawaii
2 / 3 (#24) W 86-@75 @ San Jose St
2 / 8 W @82-57 v San Jose St
2 /11 W @86-63 v Hawaii
2 /15 (#21) L 88-@102 @ TCU
2 /17 (#21) L 61-@80 @ UTEP
2 /22 W 77-@64 @ # SMU
2 /25 W @91-68 v Nevada
3 / 1 W @79-74 v Rice
3 / 3 W @84-77 v Tulsa
3 / 8 [1] W 60-52 v [8] Rice (WAC TOURNAMENT @ Tulsa, OK)
3 / 9 [1] L 67-76 v [5] Hawaii (WAC TOURNAMENT @ Tulsa, OK)
3 /16 [S9] W 82-70 v [S8] Cal (NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL @ Memphis, TN)
3 /18 [S9] L 65-81 v # [S1] Michigan St (NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL @ Memphis, TN)
The consistent results plus the earlier tournament win at the HAWAII PACIFIC THANKSGIVING
CLASSIC finally rate the Hoyas a ranking (for the moment). The problem for them is that the
Big East is especially deep this year, so it'll be hard to
maintain a won-loss record that will keep them in clover.
Their first loss of the season also came in the same week as a very good win, so don't hold
the Pitt game against them too much. Better not to have the pressure of being undefeated
hanging over them.
1 /25 (#13) W @79-62 v UNLV
1 /27 (#13) L @71-78 v # Notre Dame
1 /29 (#16) L 63-@70 @ #17 Syracuse
2 / 3 (#16) W @94-77 v W Virginia
2 / 5 (#19) W 81-@67 @ Pittsburgh
2 /10 (#19) L 79-@103 @ Providence
2 /12 (#20) L @56-59 v Villanova
2 /17 (#20) W 76-@73 @ Rutgers
2 /21 (#20) L 70-@73 @ # St John's
2 /24 (#20) W @72-61 v #23 Syracuse
2 /28 (#19) W @74-58 v Rutgers
3 / 4 (#19) W 79-@72 @ #13 Notre Dame
3 / 8 [W2] L 40-58 @ # [W6] Seton Hall (BIG EAST TOURNAMENT @ New York, NY)
3 /15 [W10] W 63-61 v # [W7] Arkansas (NCAA WEST REGIONAL @ Boise, ID)
3 /17 [W10] W 76-57 v [W15] Hampton (NCAA WEST REGIONAL @ Boise, ID)
3 /22 [W10] L 66-76 v # [W3] Maryland (NCAA WEST REGIONAL @ Anaheim, CA)
Shooting guard D.A. Layne is still around. Forward Ezra Williams is finally eligible, but he's
not nearly enough to make a difference in one year. Coach Jim Harrick had a rough year in his
first season and it doesn't look like things will improve markedly this season, either.
There's not enough talent here to even be much of a spoiler for the
SEC contenders.
A December win over Pepperdine would be nice. Beating NC State in the
DELTA AIR LINES CLASSIC is doable. The PUERTO RICO THANKSGIVING SHOOTOUT isn't winnable (with
the likes of Stanford, Utah and Memphis). The December
road games (Wake Forest, Cal and Fresno State) will test their mettle.
The Dogs are in over their heads in league play, so the schedule doesn't much matter.
11/17 L @79-91 v # Georgia St
11/19 L 74-@77 @ Minnesota
11/23 W 82-64 v Indiana St (PUERTO RICO THANKSGIVING SHOOTOUT @ San Juan, PR)
11/24 W 65-60 v # Utah (PUERTO RICO THANKSGIVING SHOOTOUT @ San Juan, PR)
[] 11/25 L 58-71 v #6 Stanford (PUERTO RICO THANKSGIVING SHOOTOUT @ San Juan, PR)
11/28 W @102-69 v Coastal Carolina
12/ 3 W @72-61 v # Pepperdine
12/ 6 W 75-@70 @ # Georgia Tech
12/ 9 W @68-63 v NC State (DELTA AIR LINES CLASSIC @ Atlanta, GA)
12/16 L 57-@75 @ #6 Wake Forest
12/21 L 64-@85 @ Cal (PETE NEWELL CHALLENGE @ Oakland, CA)
Who'd 'a thunk it? The Dawgs have cracked the Top 25 by virtue of several narrow victories
over conference powers that left them atop the SEC East.
Don't get too used to the thin air, though, 'cause there's a mightly slim margin of error for
this bunch.
1 /31 (#25) L @70-85 v #23 Kentucky
2 / 3 (#25) L @71-82 v # Florida
2 / 7 L 75-@77 @ S Carolina
2 /10 L 68-@76 @ #23 Alabama
2 /14 W @72-68 v Vanderbilt
2 /21 W 88-@76 @ #22 Tennessee
2 /24 L @56-64 v S Carolina
2 /28 W @94-73 v Mississippi St
3 / 3 L 67-@82 @ #25 Arkansas
3 / 8 [E3] L 62-63 v [W6] LSU (SEC TOURNAMENT @ Nashville, TN)
3 /15 [E8] L 68-70 v # [E9] Missouri (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Greensboro, NC)
The win at Georgia (and UGA's subsequent good showing in the PUERTO RICO
THANKSGIVING SHOOTOUT) earns the Panthers the nod as a trackable team. They're already the
favorite to win the Trans America.
Circumstances elsewhere led to the Panthers getting the "Honorable Mention" #25 spot in the
the national rankings a bit prematurely. They can actually earn the spot this week by taking
control of the TAAC by beating top rival Samford on Monday
and then adding more national pub with a road win at Creighton on
Saturday.
12/ 4 (#25) W @64-50 v Samford
12/ 6 (#25) W @84-70 v Morris Brown
12/ 9 (#25) L 74-@81 @ # Creighton
12/21 W 65-@64 @ Hawaii (HAWAII HOLIDAY CLASSIC @ Honolulu, HI)
12/22 W 74-63 v UAB (HAWAII HOLIDAY CLASSIC @ Honolulu, HI)
12/23 W 97-88 v # Cal St-Northridge (HAWAII HOLIDAY CLASSIC @ Honolulu, HI)
Despite the fact that Coach Lefty Driesell missed all the games with minor surgery, the
Panthers swept the HAWAII HOLIDAY CLASSIC. They've had as solid a preseason as they could hope
for. Now the task will be to remain focused during the much easier conference schedule.
1 / 2 W 77-@67 @ Campbell
1 / 6 L 66-@71 @ Stetson
1 / 8 W 93-@82 @ Jacksonville
1 /11 W @96-77 v FL Atlantic
1 /13 W @97-75 v C Florida
1 /18 W 87-@81 @ Mercer
1 /20 L 67-@74 @ Troy St
1 /23 W @76-52 v Jacksonville St
1 /27 W @86-77 v Mercer
1 /29 W @79-75 v Troy St
2 / 1 W 73-@62 @ Samford
2 / 3 W 75-@58 @ Jacksonville St
2 /10 W @95-67 v Campbell
2 /12 L 78-@91 @ New Mexico
2 /15 W @90-82 v Jacksonville
2 /17 W @68-65 v Stetson
2 /22 W 90-@85 @ C Florida
2 /24 W 88-@79 @ FL Atlantic
3 / 1 [1] W @95-67 v [9] FL Atlantic (TRANS AMERICA TOURNAMENT @ Atlanta, GA)
3 / 2 [1] W @66-56 v [5] Samford (TRANS AMERICA TOURNAMENT @ Atlanta, GA)
[] 3 / 3 [1] W @79-55 v [2] Troy St (TRANS AMERICA TOURNAMENT @ Atlanta, GA)
Lefty Driesell became the second coach (after Eddie Sutton) to take 4 different schools to
the NCAA tournament (after Davidson, Maryland and James Madison) when the Panthers rolled to
victory over Troy State. This is no fluke team. They're quick, play excellent man defense and
4 players can shoot the 3-pointer (including C Thomas Terrell). The big weakness is a lack of
height (Terrell is only 6-7.) Otherwise, they're outstanding.
3 /15 [W11] W 50-49 v # [W6] Wisconsin (NCAA WEST REGIONAL @ Boise, ID)
3 /17 [W11] L 60-79 v # [W3] Maryland (NCAA WEST REGIONAL @ Boise, ID)
Bobby Cremins is finally gone, but that doesn't mean things will turn around instantly. New
coach Paul Hewitt is a gimmick coach who likes to run at all costs. The personnel just isn't
there for that style to work in the talent-laden ACC so be
prepared for some ugly losses. Center Alvin Jones is still around to make a big deal out of
blocking shots. The rest of the no-name backcourt mates aren't worth mentioning.
This bunch isn't even good enough to throw a scare into the upper-echelon teams in the
ACC this year. At least the conference tournament is in
Atlanta.
The tough schedule has allowed the Yellow Jackets plenty of opportunities for name wins, so
don't be too swayed by two squeakers over Top-10 opponents Virginia and
Wake Forest. But their 5 losses to this point are also due to the tough
schedule, so you have to give them a break on the flip side. The relentless 3-point attack pays
off from time to time.
Thanks to being in an elite league, the Yellow Jackets get plenty of opportunities to pull
off "major upsets". Don't read too much into the home wins over Maryland and
Virginia, but since they've got Top-25 wins outside the conference as well
(Kentucky and UCLA), they get the nod again.
2 /14 (#24) L 65-@81 @ #11 Wake Forest
2 /17 (#24) W @69-54 v NC State
2 /21 L 54-@98 @ #4 Duke
2 /25 W @85-64 v Clemson
2 /28 L 59-@69 @ Florida St
3 / 9 [5] W @74-69 v # [4] Virginia (ACC TOURNAMENT @ Atlanta, GA)
3 /10 [5] L 63-70 v # [1] N Carolina (ACC TOURNAMENT @ Atlanta, GA)
3 /15 [W8] L 62-66 v # [W9] St Joseph's (NCAA WEST REGIONAL @ San Diego, CA)
Not quite a big enough win to break into the Top 25, but the road victory at
Pepperdine secures their hold atop the
WCC standings. F Casey Calvary is the lone holdover from the
heady times of two years ago, but this new bunch may yet have its own story to write.
Sweeping Pepperdine and cruising through the (very weak)
WCC aren't really enough to warrant a Top 25 ranking. But,
because of their recent past postseason success, they're worth the #25 hunch pick as much as
anybody else
2 /22 (#25) L 71-@84 @ Santa Clara
2 /24 (#25) W 72-@69 @ San Diego
3 / 3 [1] W 105-65 v [8] St Mary's (WCC TOURNAMENT @ San Diego, CA)
3 / 4 [1] W 76-@68 @ [4] San Diego (WCC TOURNAMENT @ San Diego, CA)
3 / 5 [1] W 80-77 v [3] Santa Clara (WCC TOURNAMENT @ San Diego, CA)
3 /16 [S12] W 86-85 v # [S5] Virginia (NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL @ Memphis, TN)
3 /18 [S12] W 85-68 v [S13] Indiana St (NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL @ Memphis, TN)
3 /23 [S12] L 62-77 v # [S1] Michigan St (NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL @ Atlanta, GA)
New coach? No problem. Lon Kruger may not have been the right style coach for this deep and
talented roster, anyway. Enter Bill Self, fresh from a 32-5 season at Tulsa. He was able to
get the Golden Hurricane to play with defensive intensity within a fast-paced pressing style.
With five returning starters and lots of depth, the Illini should love that. Brian Cook and a
healthy Marcus Griffin lead the way up front with Cory Bradford and inconsistent Frank Williams
handling the reins in the backcourt. Sergio McClain can be the glue to make this a championship
team if he exhibits leadership and doesn't just become another body in the rotation. He was a
highly heralded player coming out of high school, but his college career is reminiscent of
Louisville's LaBradford Smith back in the late '80s: a guy who couldn't make the transition to
play a different position in college compared to high school post power player.
Over in East Lansing, Michigan State still has plenty of talent and
experience left to contend for the Big 10 title. But with
all five starters back and no need to figure out who their new stars and leaders are, look for
the Illini to get off to a better start.
The MAUI INVITATIONAL (Arizona, Maryland,
Connecticut) title might be a better trophy on the mantle this year than
the Big 10 title. The winner of that Thanksgiving
tournament will be a heavy favorite to make the Final Four, at least. It doesn't get any easier
with Duke in the ACC-BIG 10 CHALLENGE, Seton Hall, a
possible second meeting with Arizona, the annual BRAGGIN' RIGHTS showdown with
Missouri and a visit to Texas just for fun. Man, conference play will seem like a vacation
after that preseason schedule! Inside the league, the Illini only have to travel to
Iowa among the contenders. If November and December haven't torn this team
apart, they could cruise into tournament play as a powerhouse on a mission.
11/17 (#7) W @86-57 v Maine
11/20 (#7) W 74-69 v UNLV (MAUI INVITATIONAL @ Lahaina, HI)
[] 11/21 (#7) W 90-80 v #3 Maryland (MAUI INVITATIONAL @ Lahaina, HI)
[] 11/22 (#7) L 76-79 v #1 Arizona (MAUI INVITATIONAL @ Lahaina, HI)
The Illini showed depth in brushing by Maryland and nearly stole the game
at the end against Arizona in the MAUI INVITATIONAL. It doesn't get any
easier with Duke in the ACC-BIG 10 CHALLENGE.
[] 11/28 (#3) L 77-@78 @ #1 Duke (ACC-BIG 10 CHALLENGE @ Greensboro, NC)
The second time around against Arizona, Frank Williams eliminated the
turnovers and got his teammates more involved (thanks to a shoulder injury that prevented him
from looking for his own shot as much as usual). Was it a one-time performance, or has he
turned a corner as point guard?
[] 12/21 (#3) W @86-@81(OT) @@ #18 Missouri (BRAGGIN' RIGHTS @ St. Louis, MO)
Yes, the home crowd had much to do with the win, but the more positive sign is that it
wasn't Frank Williams or Marcus Griffin who were largely responsible for the win over
Michigan State; it was Robert Archibald, Cory Bradford and Sergio
McClain. Now, if only they could get consistent contributions from the supporting
cast.
The addition of proven star 'tweener Luke Recker to proven star lead guard Dean Oliver would
make the Hawkeyes trackable at the least. The trouble over in Bloomington pushes coach Steve
Alford's star on the rise even more than it already was, so the intangibles surrounding this
team this season are through the roof. There'll be plenty of ball-handling, but inside muscle
will be a problem. 6-8 JuCo transfer Reggie Evans and 6-7 freshman Glen Worley are the best
bets to provide help underneath.
IU won't contend for the Big 10 crown (with the likes of
Illinois and Michigan State ahead of them), but they
should be an upper-echelon conference team.
Iowa should have no trouble holding up the conference honors in the ACC-BIG 10 CHALLENGE game
against Georgia Tech. Tulsa may be a bit of a test in the HAWKEYE CHALLENGE.
They should finish no worse than second (to Tennesee) in the RAINBOW
CLASSIC. They get Illinois and Wisconsin twice and
Michigan State on the road in conference, which is tough; but the fun
part will be Indiana at home on 27 January.
11/19 (#16) W @83-79 v WI-Milwaukee
11/21 W 73-@71 @ Drake
11/28 W @85-67 v # Georgia Tech (ACC-BIG 10 CHALLENGE)
12/ 1 W @79-60 v UT-Chattanooga (HAWKEYE CHALLENGE @ Iowa City, IA)
12/ 2 W @66-65 v Tulsa (HAWKEYE CHALLENGE @ Iowa City, IA)
Things are starting to gel for the Hawkeyes. There's no center, but Reggie Evans delivered
as power forward against Missouri. Guard Dean Oliver was already a proven
commodity, and 'tweener Luke Recker is blending in well.
12/19 (#17) W @72-52 v Centenary
12/23 (#17) L 78-@86 @ Kansas St
12/28 (#15) W 69-68 v Detroit (RAINBOW CLASSIC @ Honolulu, HI)
[] 12/29 (#15) L 68-80 v #7 Tennessee (RAINBOW CLASSIC @ Honolulu, HI)
12/30 (#15) W 68-56 v St Louis (RAINBOW CLASSIC @ Honolulu, HI)
A two-point home win in the showcase CYCLONE CHALLENGE doesn't seem like much, but it's the
team they beat -- Southern Mississippi -- that qualifies ISU for a
ranking (this week, anyway). Jamaal Tinsley is still one of the best guards in the country and
that always counts for something. There's certainly no Marcus Fizer-calibre go-to guy on this
year's Cyclones, but they've gotten good scoring from 'T Martin Rancik so far.
12/ 5 (#19) W @89-74 v Tennessee Tech
12/ 9 (#19) L 68-@80 @ # Iowa
12/17 (#23) W @75-55 v Drake
12/21 (#23) W 66-56 v Troy St (PEARL HARBOR CLASSIC @ Laie, HI)
12/22 (#23) W 77-71 v # BYU (PEARL HARBOR CLASSIC @ Laie, HI)
[] 12/23 (#23) W 73-68 v # Mississippi (PEARL HARBOR CLASSIC @ Laie, HI)
The Cyclones' guard/'tweener attack turned the game midway through the second half against
Ole Miss in the final of the PEARL HARBOR CLASSIC. They're well poised to
be a threat in the deep-but-no-top-heavy Big 12.
A mighty high ranking for a team with such a bargain basement frontcourt; but it's the
penthouse backcourt that led the way to victory at Kansas. There's no power
up front, though, and that's bound to catch up to them somewhere down the line.
2 /17 (#7) W @79-71 v #8 Kansas
2 /21 (#7) W 62-@51 @ Kansas St
2 /24 (#7) L 78-@94 @ # Texas
2 /28 (#10) W @80-63 v Texas Tech
3 / 3 (#10) W @86-73 v Nebraska
3 / 9 [1] L 49-62 v [8] Baylor (BIG 12 TOURNAMENT @ Kansas City, MO)
3 /15 [W2] L 57-58 v [W15] Hampton (NCAA WEST REGIONAL @ Boise, ID)
When Roy Williams first started out as head coach, it looked like he had solved the problem of
injecting passion into his players while insisting on the rigid system he brought from Dean
Smith at North Carolina. (More recently, Bill Carmody had seemed to do the same with Princeton
after taking over from Pete Carril.) But Roy's Boys have perfected their own brand of robotic
intensity that keeps them coming up short in the free-for-all of tournament play. So why the
#5 preseason ranking? 'Cause there's five returning starters from a team that finished pretty
well last year. Kenny Gregory and Eric Chenowith are the senior "leaders" but this is a team
with many weapons and not the same one gets you every night: Drew Gooden and Nick Collison up
front as well as Luke Axtell from the outside and Jeff Boschee at the point are just as
dangerous.
The Big 12 is bound to have a down year after last year's
heady heights. After the Jayhawks, the rest of the pack is only good, not great.
KU always starts the season well, so look for them to take the COACHES V CANCER CLASSIC
(UCLA, Kentucky, St. John's). The league schedule is
pretty neutral.
11/ 4 (#5) v Emporia St
[] 11/ 9 (#5) W 99-98 v #13 UCLA (COACHES V CANCER CLASSIC @ New York, NY)
11/10 (#5) W 82-@74 @ # St John's (COACHES V CANCER CLASSIC @ New York, NY)
The off-season suspension of forward Jules Camara didn't help. Now freshman forward Jason
Parker inherits the role of savior. Those shoes are too big to fill. Tayshaun Prince -- he of
the mismatched talent -- is still their best player but his 'tweener skills are mostly
ball-handling without the requisite outside shooting touch. Saul Smith returns as team goat --
all of UK's problems will be blamed on Smith's inadequacy and the claims of nepotism, but it's
not like there's anybody better on the roster to run the point. If it weren't for the
intimidation factor of Rupp Arena and the home-away-from-home atmosphere that the legions of
traveling Big Blue faithful can create come tournament time, the weakness of this team would
really show through. Even as is, they lost in the first round of the
SEC tournament last year and nearly lost to
St. Bonaventure in the first round of the NCAAs.
Tennessee and Florida no longer fear the Wildcat
mystique. The SEC East Division title is probably beyond the
reach of this team.
A split in the COACHES V CANCER CLASSIC (Kansas, UCLA
and St John's) is a reasonable expectation; and maybe even a win at questionable
North Carolina; but beating Michigan State on the road
is out of the question. Road games at Arkansas and Alabama make this a tough
schedule to manage.
[] 11/ 9 (#22) L 61-@62 @ # St John's (COACHES V CANCER CLASSIC @ New York, NY)
11/10 (#22) L 92-97(OT) v #13 UCLA (COACHES V CANCER CLASSIC @ New York, NY)
11/21 W @91-48 v Jacksonville St (@ Cincinnati, OH)
They're not exactly playing killer ball, but conference play has recharged the Wildcats'
season -- that and the friendly confines of Rupp Arena. The win over
Tennessee was legit ... but so was the loss to Ole Miss.
While nobody was looking, the Wildcats have turned in a very consistent regular season.
Since they struggled so early on, coach Tubby Smith was able to get their attention inside the
season. They are vastly improved (most notably 'T Tayshaun Prince) and everyone is on the same
page now. Not unbeatable, but they don't beat themselves (which is more than most teams can
say).
2 /21 (#10) W @84-61 v LSU
2 /25 (#10) L 78-@82 @ # Arkansas
2 /28 (#12) W @90-78 v Auburn
3 / 4 (#12) L 86-@94 @ #5 Florida
3 / 9 [E1] W 78-65 v [E5] S Carolina (SEC TOURNAMENT @ Nashville, TN)
3 /10 [E1] W 87-78 v # [W2] Arkansas (SEC TOURNAMENT @ Nashville, TN)
3 /11 [E1] W 77-55 v # [W1] Mississippi (SEC TOURNAMENT @ Nashville, TN)
3 /15 [E2] W 72-68 v [E15] Holy Cross (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Uniondale, NY)
3 /17 [E2] W 92-79 v # [E7] Iowa (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Uniondale, NY)
3 /22 [E2] L 76-80 v # [E6] USC (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Philadelphia, PA)
A lofty perch to start the season out, no doubt, especially when your best player (Terence
Morris) has questionable heart. 'Tweener Morris is a finesse talent and can't quite knock heads
when you need that from him. But he has plenty of help. Center Lonny Baxter is hard to handle
in the paint. The backcourt of Steve Blake and Juan Dixon are speedy and quick. The Terrapins
utilize the "overwhelming horde" approach that fits the mold of champion teams these days. But
can they go all the way to the top without having knocked on a few Final Four doors first?
Probably not, but not for lack of talent. Gary Williams has one of his best shots ever with
this bunch. Do they realize it and can they seize the opportunity of the moment?
The ACC title belongs to Duke until
someone else takes it away from them. But strip off the jerseys and put them on a neutral floor
and the Terrapins are the better team. They made a huge psychological breakthrough winning at
Cameron Indoor Stadium last year. Was that a one-shot wonder, or a landmark turning point in
the program?
With five returning starters, Maryland should hit the ground running. They'll need to playing
the tough MAUI INVITATIONAL (Arizona, Illinois,
Connecticut) right off the bat. The league schedule couldn't be set up any
better for them with all the top teams coming to College Park first.
11/20 (#3) W 95-73 v Louisville (MAUI INVITATIONAL @ Lahaina, HI)
[] 11/21 (#3) L 80-90 v #7 Illinois (MAUI INVITATIONAL @ Lahaina, HI)
11/22 (#3) L 71-77 v # Dayton (MAUI INVITATIONAL @ Lahaina, HI)
Losses to Illinois and then Dayton in the MAUI
INVITATIONAL revealed the Terps' lack of muscle in the paint (aside from Lonny Baxter). Worse,
Terence Morris shrunk to the occasion once again when his team needed him most.
11/29 (#12) L 75-@78(OT) @ # Wisconsin (ACC-BIG 10 CHALLENGE)
12/ 2 (#12) W @82-51 v Michigan (BB&T CLASSIC @ Washington, DC)
12/ 3 (#12) W @71-@63 @@ Geo Washington (BB&T CLASSIC @ Washington, DC)
The Terrapins finally came through with a Top-25 win by beating
Wake Forest. Their form against no-account teams was always just fine.
That said, it doesn't mean they're ready to be Top 5 material by beating
Duke this week.
A rare example of failing upwards. The Duke game was so well played --
especially by the Terps -- that they get a boost despite blowing a 12-point lead with 1:15 to
go. G Byron Mouton and C Tahj Holden add depth to an already deep attack. If they don't take
the heartbreaking loss too hard, they should be a national contender.
The rout of NC State was encouraging. The win over Oklahoma will be key
in setting up the ratings between the different conferences. The attrition style that the Terps
play should stand them in good stead in the postseason.
The Terps have put the disappointment of the first loss to Duke behind
them. First, they hung in and then ran past the Blue Devils in Cameron. Then, they continued
the roll by routing Virginia without a second thought. Can they rip through
the ACC tournament just as confidently? Just maybe.
3 / 9 [3] W 71-53 v # [6] Wake Forest (ACC TOURNAMENT @ Atlanta, GA)
3 /10 [3] L 82-84 v # [2] Duke (ACC TOURNAMENT @ Atlanta, GA)
3 /15 [W3] W 83-80 v [W14] Geo Mason (NCAA WEST REGIONAL @ Boise, ID)
3 /17 [W3] W 79-60 v # [W11] Georgia St (NCAA WEST REGIONAL @ Boise, ID)
3 /22 [W3] W 76-66 v # [W10] Georgetown (NCAA WEST REGIONAL @ Anaheim, CA)
3 /24 [W3] W 87-73 v # [W1] Stanford (NCAA WEST REGIONAL @ Anaheim, CA)
3 /31 [W3] L 84-95 v # [E1] Duke (NCAA FINAL FOUR @ Minneapolis, MN)
It's a measure of just how good the Spartans were last year that they could lose their outside
floor leader (Mateen Cleaves) and inside floor leader (Morris Peterson) and still be ranked in
the Top 10 this year. But there you go. Guard Charlie Bell proved he can handle the reins by
guiding the team to a 9-4 record (including wins over North Carolina and
Kansas) to start last season when Cleaves was injured. Andre Hutson is back
to provide low-post offense and Aloysius Anagonye is an able low-post player as well. Stardom
comes from 6-8 freshman forward Zach Randolph and sophomore 'tweener Jason Richardson (who has
Jordanesque talent -- but does he have Jordanesque internal drive?). There's also Mike Chappell
who has one last season to prove he can be a main course contributor instead of a side dish.
Throw in freshman guard Marcus Taylor who has time to break into the lineup and you've got quite
a lot of talent for coach Tom Izzo to direct. The Spartans will be just fine, thank you.
With such young talent expected to come up big, MSU might well stumble through some losses that
cost them the Big 10 title (to the hands of
Illinois).
The tough preseason one-off games (North Carolina in the ACC-BIG 10
CHALLENGE, Florida, Kentucky and
Seton Hall in the JIMMY V CLASSIC) make up for the lack of a big-time
holiday tournament. Their biggest conference games don't come until February so there's plenty
of time for them to get it in gear.
11/19 (#8) W @97-61 v Oakland
11/24 (#8) W @89-56 v Cornell (SPARTAN CLASSIC @ East Lansing, MI)
11/25 (#8) W @83-61 v Ea Washington (SPARTAN CLASSIC @ East Lansing, MI)
[] 11/29 (#5) W @77-64 v #10 N Carolina (ACC-BIG 10 CHALLENGE)
The freshmen, C Zach Randolph and G Marcus Taylor, were the big stars against
Florida. Coach Tom Izzo still doesn't start either of them as part of his
seniority system. As long as they accept that role, the team chemistry will be fine.
12/16 (#2) W @46-45 v # Kentucky
[] 12/19 (#2) W 72-@57 @ #13 Seton Hall (JIMMY V CLASSIC @ East Rutherford, NJ)
Yes, Charlie Bell was sick, but that's still no excuse to lose to a team like
Ohio State.
More troublesome was Jason Richardson's fouling out and failing to lead the team. These are the
games where he needs to step up, rather than being flashy in runaway games.
The strong showing in the PEARL HARBOR CLASSIC validates the earlier home win over
Oklahoma. L (Lodero) Rahim Lockhart anchors the inside for this physical
defensive club and opens up the outside for the 3-point shooters.
The pasting of Tennessee reaffirmed how tough the Rebels are in their
own backyard. L Rahim Lockhart is great, but how can having a 5-5 point guard (Jason Harrison)
not catch up to them?
2 /14 (#17) W @51-48 v Mississippi St
2 /17 (#17) W 67-@61 @ S Carolina
2 /21 (#13) L 55-@75 @ #8 Florida
2 /24 (#13) W @64-62 v Auburn
2 /28 (#17) L 77-@78 @ LSU
3 / 3 (#17) W @105-71 v #20 Alabama
3 / 9 [W1] W 86-73 v # [E4] Tennessee (SEC TOURNAMENT @ Nashville, TN)
3 /10 [W1] W 74-69 v # [E2] Florida (SEC TOURNAMENT @ Nashville, TN)
3 /11 [W1] L 55-77 v # [E1] Kentucky (SEC TOURNAMENT @ Nashville, TN)
3 /16 [M3] W 72-70 v [M14] Iona (NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL @ Kansas City, MO)
3 /18 [M3] W 59-56 v # [M6] Notre Dame (NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL @ Kansas City, MO)
3 /23 [M3] L 56-66 v # [M2] Arizona (NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL @ San Antonio, TX)
Coach Quin Snyder seems to have turned a corner with this program. This season is key in
continuing the upward surge. Forward Kareem Rush is back along with 3 other starters from last
year's NCAA tournament team. The hope is that 6-9 freshman forward Arthur Johnson will provide
much needed muscle under the boards.
Second place (behind Kansas) in the
Big 12 race is up for grabs and the Tigers have a shot.
Only DePaul stands in the way of the GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT title. A
rematch with the Blue Demons could come two weeks later. Winning at Iowa is
doable; winning BRAGGIN' RIGHTS against Illinois probably isn't. The two
tough road games in conference don't come until the last week of the season, so UM could be on a
good roll by then.
11/17 (#23) W @90-49 v Savannah St
11/22 (#16) W 70-60 v Rhode Island (GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT @ Anchorage, AK)
11/24 (#16) W 77-61 v Valparaiso (GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT @ Anchorage, AK)
[] 11/25 (#16) L 64-82 v # Syracuse (GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT @ Anchorage, AK)
'T Kareem Rush is out for the season with an injured thumb, and G Clarence Gilbert has been
suspended indefinitely. So go the fortunes for this season's Tigers.
A new head coach (Matt Doherty) and a new young point guard (either soph Ronald Curry,
or frosh Adam Boone and Brian Morrison) do not spell instant success. In the short run, Ed Cota
will be hard enough to replace. In the long run, replacing Dean Smith (er, Bill Guthridge) is
the even tougher task for coach Doherty. Not only will Doherty have to fight the ghosts of
Dean, but he's not even the first choice among the Carolina faithful for the spot. Every win by
Roy Williams over at Kansas and every loss in Chapel Hill will just rub it
in more. And the UNC program is probably stuck with Doherty for the long haul. Remember that
Dean struggled early in his career as well (but that's not to say Doherty will ever be Dean
Smith). 7' Brendan Haywood is still a match-up problem for most any team. Guard Jose Forte and
'tweener Jason Capel are a nice pair of fluid players. The big drawback is a lack of quickness.
The Tar Heels overachieved mightily at the end of last season to make the Final Four. Don't
expect that to happen again this year.
Duke and Maryland are a notch above UNC inside the
ACC, which is strong and deep this year. That tough
competition may help them be stronger by season's end (if the Doherty's nay-sayers don't
dominate the atmosphere).
The NABC CLASSIC and MVP CLASSIC should be no problem. Winning at
Michigan State in the ACC-BIG 10 CHALLENGE will be. With young
leadership, it might be just as well to face the tougher teams on the road first and rally late
in the season.
11/10 (#9) W @66-61 v Winthrop (NABC CLASSIC @ Chapel Hill, NC)
[] 11/11 (#9) W @91-81 v Tulsa (NABC CLASSIC @ Chapel Hill, NC)
11/17 (#9) W 99-@69 @ Appalachian St
[] 11/29 (#10) L 64-@77 @ #5 Michigan St (ACC-BIG 10 CHALLENGE)
Don't get the impression that things are firing on all cylinders now that G Ronald Curry and
F Julius Peppers are playing basketball now that football season is finished; but there's more
stability on the floor. Curry still hasn't established himself as a college guard yet, though.
The Tar Heels displayed an athletic lineup (G Ronald Curry, G Max Owens, G Joseph Forte,
F Julius Peppers and C Kris Lang) that was actually able to run well -- they outscored
Georgia Tech 52-26 in the second half. Against
Wake Forest, it was C Brendan Haywood who was able to slow things down to
his pace and score point blank.
Another week of dominant play. The Maryland game was a rout before the
Terrapins made it close at the end. Things may be peaking too early to keep up this level of
play throughout the rest of the season, though.
The Tar Heels' resurgence is complete. After tumbling all the way out of the rankings when
they were 3-2 in early December, UNC has won 16 straight culminating in last week's grudge-match
win at then #1 Duke. Now it's Carolina in the top spot. Matt Doherty has
done a very good job managing a deep roster, but the main key to the turnaround has clearly been
the addition of Ronald Curry and Julius Peppers to the team after football season ended. Curry
alone gives stability to the backcourt (which frees up Joseph Forte and Jason Capel to
concentrate only on scoring). Peppers allows the Tar Heels to play a more athletic lineup when
the need for speed supersedes the need for height.
The Fighting Irish lost head coach Matt Doherty to North Carolina, but don't
feel too bad for them. Former Delaware coach Mike Brey comes in and has a veteran squad that
will do just fine. Start with Big East Player of the Year
Troy Murphy. What's better is that former Oklahoma standout Ryan Humphrey
is now eligible to help out in the frontcourt. Each one will make the other more effective.
The question mark is at point guard. Jimmy Dillon is gone, so the reins will be under new
management. The athletic quotient should be up this year from last.
Notre Dame won't sneak up on anyone, but that's not a problem. Expect the Irish to fight it out
with Seton Hall atop the Big East
West Division.
The light preseason schedule makes the Cincinatti game a must. The league
schedule is slightly more difficult with the tough teams on the road first.
11/18 (#14) W @104-58 v Sacred Heart
11/22 (#13) W @107-68 v Loyola-IL
11/25 (#13) W @69-51 v #21 Cincinnati (JOHN WOODEN TRADITION @ Indianapolis, IN)
Big week with two wins over ranked opponents (Syracuse and at
Georgetown). Best thing about the second win was that they came back from
being down in the second half on the road after Troy Murphy had fouled out.
2 / 3 (#15) W 75-@67 @ Pittsburgh
2 / 5 (#15) W @83-73 v # St John's
2 /11 (#15) W 69-@66 @ W Virginia
2 /14 (#13) W 81-@59 @ Rutgers
2 /18 (#13) L @64-74 v # Seton Hall
2 /21 (#18) W @76-75 v #14 Boston Col
2 /24 (#18) W 85-@61 @ Virginia Tech
2 /26 (#13) L 59-@75 @ # Connecticut
3 / 4 (#13) L @72-79 v #19 Georgetown
3 / 8 [W1] L 54-66 v [W5] Pittsburgh (BIG EAST TOURNAMENT @ New York, NY)
3 /16 [M6] W 83-71 v # [M11] Xavier (NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL @ Kansas City, MO)
3 /18 [M6] L 56-59 v # [M3] Mississippi (NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL @ Kansas City, MO)
The Buckeyes benefit for the tough Big 10 schedule
which gave them enough games against elite teams to finally pull off some wins at home and get
some notice. C Ken Johnson is now the all-time leader in career block shots in the conference.
G Slobodan Savovic has the skill to be an impact player, but not the quickness.
3 / 3 (#24) W 93-@87 @ Penn St
3 / 9 [3] L 66-75 v # [6] Iowa (BIG 10 TOURNAMENT @ Chicago, IL)
3 /15 [E5] L 68-77(OT) v # [E12] Utah St (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Greensboro, NC)
The reasonably easy wins in their invitational showcase tournament are just good enough to
earn the Sooners a ranking this early in the season (with so few teams dominating right out of
the blocks). J.R. Raymond leads a guard-oriented attack. That may be good enough to succeed in
the depleted Big 12 this season, but don't get too happy
when they play the Big Boys out of conference. They should be able to take the BIG ISLAND
INVITATIONAL. Beating SMU in the ALL-COLLEGE TOURNAMENT won't be as easy as
it looks.
11/24 (#25) W 84-76 v Montana St (BIG ISLAND INVITATIONAL @ Hilo, HI)
11/25 (#25) W 83-69 v Tulane (BIG ISLAND INVITATIONAL @ Hilo, HI)
11/26 (#25) W 78-60 v Oregon St (BIG ISLAND INVITATIONAL @ Hilo, HI)
3 starters are gone from last year's sleeper team, but this is a program on the upswing behind
coach Jan van Breda Kolff's highly physical pressure defensive style. Guard Brandon Armstrong
is the main holdover along with forward Kelvin Gibbs. But lots of players saw time in this
high-substitution system and there's plenty of new blood to step in as well. You wouldn't
normally expect this team to be great right out of the blocks, but the fortuitous scheduling of
a rematch with a reeling Indiana program should make it seem like last year never ended.
PU should hold off Gonzaga again this year to take the
WCC title.
A rematch win over beleaguered Indiana in the PRESEASON NIT is the perfect way to start the new
season. Winning at USC and against Utah won't be so
easy. The AZCENTRAL.COM TOURNAMENT should be theirs. They get Gonzaga at
home first, and the back-to-back match-up with Loyola Marymount is away/home, so that's in their
favor as well.
[] 11/14 (#22) L 68-@80 @ # Indiana (PRESEASON NIT)
11/19 (#22) W @64-53 v UC-Santa Barbara
11/25 W @91-49 v Pacific
11/28 W 82-@61 @ Cal St-Fullerton
12/ 3 L 61-@72 @ # Georgia
12/ 6 W 81-@62 @ Long Beach St
12/ 9 W @62-60 v San Jose St
12/14 L 73-@76 @ #17 USC
12/16 W @55-53 v Northwestern
12/19 L @56-69 v # Utah
12/22 L 64-@69 @ UNLV
12/29 W 81-70 v UNC-Charlotte (AZCENTRAL.COM TOURNAMENT @ Tempe, AZ)
12/30 W 78-76 v Ohio U (AZCENTRAL.COM TOURNAMENT @ Tempe, AZ)
1 /12 W @87-66 v Santa Clara
1 /13 W @83-73 v San Diego
1 /17 W 81-@65 @ Loyola Marymount
1 /20 W @75-54 v Loyola Marymount
1 /26 W 82-@78 @ San Francisco
1 /27 W 77-@65 @ St Mary's
2 / 2 L @79-93 v # Gonzaga
2 / 3 W @76-60 v Portland
2 / 8 W 67-@60 @ San Diego
2 /10 W 95-@74 @ Santa Clara
2 /15 W 94-@58 @ Portland
2 /17 L 69-@82 @ # Gonzaga
2 /23 W @82-53 v St Mary's
2 /24 W @82-61 v San Francisco
3 / 3 [2] W 81-71 v [7] Portland (WCC TOURNAMENT @ San Diego, CA)
3 / 4 [2] L 78-84 v [3] Santa Clara (WCC TOURNAMENT @ San Diego, CA)
The Golden Era of Princeton Basketball may well be over ... for good. Center Chris
Young has decided his fortunes lie in professional baseball and signed a contract with the
Pittsburgh Pirates, ending his Ivy League basketball career.
Guard Spencer Gloger transferred to UCLA (where he had originally wanted to
go). But the biggest blow to the present and future of Tiger Hoops is that coach Bill Carmody
left for a bigger contract at Northwestern. The coaching reins have been handed over to former
assistant John Thompson III. He played for Pete Carril and he was an assistant to Carmody, but
was his tutelage long enough for him to be able to install that same system all on his own (and
without much talent to execute it)? Things are bound to be gloomy in Jadwin Gym for some time
to come. Lacrosse is at the top of the sports ladder at Old Nassau these days.
The Huns over at Penn have the Ivy League
all to themselves this year.
Don't expect any upsets with a tough schedule and such a young team and coach.
No ranking just yet, mainly because no win over anyone inside the
Atlantic 10 quite justifies it. But the Hawks have played a
solid season behind freshman point guard Jameer Nelson.
Expectations are sky-high for the Pirates after the breakthroughs they made last year (knocking
off undefeated Syracuse in the regular season and upsetting tourney-favorite Temple in the
NCAAs). Last year's focus was all in the back court. This year brings more balance and an even
more dangerous attack. Rimas Kaukenas and Shaheen Holloway are gone, but Darius Lane and Ty
Shine remain for a still-solid guard tandem. The main reason for all the hype is freshman
power forward Eddie Griffin, a national high school player of the year. Coach Tommy Amaker has
the program surging towards the top tier of college programs. Big things are in store.
The Hall will battle Notre Dame for the top spot in the
Big East West Division.
A win at Illinois too much to ask so early in the season, but the home crowd
in the JIMMY V CLASSIC might provide the turning point against
Michigan State. In league play, they get
Connecticut at home and miss St John's entirely. Couldn't be better.
The Pirates were up by 21 on the road against Illinois before
the Illini used their superior bench strength and the home crowd to rally all the way back for
an OT victory. The superior backcourt play of G Darius Lane, G Ty Shine and G Andre Barrett is
what created the lead. F Eddie Griffin scored well as the second option behind the guard
attack.
12/13 (#13) W @80-78 v Penn
[] 12/19 (#13) L @57-72 v #2 Michigan St (JIMMY V CLASSIC @ East Rutherford, NJ)
It has taken until now for the Pirates to come through with a win over a ranked opponent (by
beating Syracuse), but it came in the same week they lost at home
to Georgetown, so it's not all good news.
1 /27 (#19) L 75-@81 @ W Virginia
2 / 1 (#22) L 66-@72 @ Miami-FL
2 / 4 (#22) L @64-70 v Rutgers
2 /10 L 62-@63 @ # 16 Syracuse
2 /15 L @61-68 v Pittsburgh
2 /18 W 74-@64 @ #13 Notre Dame
2 /21 L 57-@75 @ Rutgers
2 /25 L @71-82 v W Virginia
2 /28 L 55-@71 @ Villanova
3 / 3 W @65-63 v # Connecticut
3 / 7 [W6] W 78-@66 @ # [E3] St John's (BIG EAST TOURNAMENT @ New York, NY)
3 / 8 [W6] W 58-40 v # [W2] Georgetown (BIG EAST TOURNAMENT @ New York, NY)
3 / 9 [W6] L 48-75 v # [E1] Boston Col (BIG EAST TOURNAMENT @ New York, NY)
The win at Marquette and the decent showing at Indiana in the PRESEASON NIT are enough
evidence to make this the trackable form horse for the
Sun Belt (but LA-Lafayette and New Mexico State will offer a
strong challenge for league supremacy).
11/28 L 43-@54 @ # So Mississippi
12/ 1 W 68-@66 @ Auburn
12/ 4 W @79-71 v Wright St
12/ 9 L 61-@69 @ Alabama St
12/12 W @69-48 v W Florida
12/16 W @72-65 v Louisville (COORS CLASSIC @ Mobile, AL)
12/19 W 82-@76 @ Murray St
12/23 L @55-67 v LA-Lafayette
12/30 L 42-@64 @ # BYU
1 / 4 W 70-@59 @ FL International
1 / 6 L 63-@64 @ Arkansas St
1 /10 W @74-66 v We Kentucky
1 /13 W @72-64 v Mid Tennessee St
1 /17 W @77-51 v Valdosta St
1 /21 W @72-63 v New Mexico St
1 /25 L 60-@73 @ New Orleans
1 /27 W 58-@55 @ LA-Lafayette
2 / 1 W @65-61 v Denver
2 / 3 L @54-60 v Louisiana Tech
2 / 8 W 86-@75 @ N Texas
2 /10 W 70-@66 @ New Mexico St
2 /14 W 84-@81 @ AR-Little Rock
2 /17 L @58-67 v New Orleans
2 /22 W 86-@80 @ Denver
2 /24 W @88-70 v N Texas
3 / 3 [W1] W @85-62 v [E4] AR-Little Rock (SUN BELT TOURNAMENT @ Mobile, AL)
3 / 5 [W1] W @76-53 v [E2] Arkansas St (SUN BELT TOURNAMENT @ Mobile, AL)
3 / 6 [W1] L @54-64 v [E1] We Kentucky (SUN BELT TOURNAMENT @ Mobile, AL)
The OT loss at Wisconsin and the home win over
Southern Mississippi establishes the Bulls as a prime contender in
Conference USA (which they were supposed to be by preseason
estimates, anyway). The earlier rout of Texas looks better now, too.
1 /10 W 78-@71 @ UNC-Charlotte
1 /13 W @85-70 v Tulane
1 /17 L 68-@72 @ Marquette
1 /20 L 69-@79 @ Cal
1 /25 W @72-58 v # DePaul
1 /27 W 93-@68 @ Houston
1 /31 W @73-67 v Louisville
2 / 3 L 72-@82 @ Tulane
2 / 7 L @89-100 v Memphis
2 /10 W @61-60 v UAB
2 /14 L 71-@82 @ St Louis
2 /17 W @79-60 v Houston
2 /21 W 75-@47 @ UAB
2 /25 L 61-@79 @ Memphis
3 / 1 L @66-77 v # Cincinnati
3 / 3 L 77-@83 @ # So Mississippi
3 / 7 [6] W 63-59 v # [11] DePaul (CONFERENCE USA TOURNAMENT @ Louisville, KY)
3 / 8 [6] L 74-77 v [3] UNC-Charlotte (CONFERENCE USA TOURNAMENT @ Louisville, KY)
The Mustangs feature 6-6 guard Jeryl Sasser, an NBA-calibre talent who can't seem to reel it all
in. He dominates play, but at the expense of making his teammates better and of his own
shooting percentage. Forward Willie Davis does the unglamorous work that makes this more than a
one-man team. If only there were a point guard to lay down the law and force Sasser to play
within a disciplined structure. Even with these faults, this is still a talented team worth
tracking.
SMU will battle TCU and Fresno State for the WAC title. The
automatic bid to the tournament champion has been reinstated. The league is soft, though, so if
you don't win the conference tournament it could mean a trip to the NIT.
The SAN JUAN SHOOTOUT should be theirs for the taking. Beating Oklahoma in the ALL-COLLEGE
TOURNAMENT will be a taller order. The league schedule is tough with 3 big games at the very
end of the season.
It's rare for a team to enter the Top 25 after a week in which it lost a game, but
the solid win over decent South Alabama verifies their talent. Plus,
nearly pulling off a second "Unwelcome Guest" showcase tourney win at Iowa State
in the CYCLONE CHALLENGE legitimizes the previous feat over Arkansas in the
JOHN THOMPSON CLASSIC. Double 'tweeners 6-5 David Wall and 6-5 Elvin Mims head the balanced
attack for this solid defense squad.
12/ 5 (#20) W @90-67 v Jackson St
12/ 9 (#20) W 82-@68 @ New Orleans
12/16 (#18) W @76-71 v Arkansas St
12/19 (#21) W @87-41 v Arkansas Tech
12/27 (#19) W 75-@67 @ Memphis
12/30 (#19) L 69-@73 @ Auburn
1 / 6 L 49-@59 @ # S Florida
1 /10 W @63-49 v # DePaul
1 /13 W 64-@52 @ UAB
1 /18 W @76-61 v LA-Lafayette
1 /21 W @69-60 v Louisville
1 /24 W @72-51 v Houston
1 /27 L 60-@71 @ UNC-Charlotte
1 /30 W 78-@65 @ Marquette
2 / 3 L @59-71 v UAB
2 / 7 L 69-@80 @ Tulane
2 /10 L @52-64 v # Cincinnati
2 /14 W 62-@58 @ Houston
2 /17 W 69-@67 @ St Louis
2 /24 W @78-63 v Tulane
2 /28 W @74-55 v Memphis
3 / 3 W @83-77 v # S Florida
3 / 8 [2] W 63-54 v [7] St Louis (CONFERENCE USA TOURNAMENT @ Louisville, KY)
3 / 9 [2] L 63-75 v [3] UNC-Charlotte (CONFERENCE USA TOURNAMENT @ Louisville, KY)
Bulldog Mark Madsen is gone, but that may be a good thing. There was too much point-blank low
post offense last year with both him and Jarron Collins on the floor. The middle should be less
clogged this year. That means don't expect the Cardinal to break its record field goal
percentage defense mark from last year (35%). Top 'tweener Casey Jacobsen is only a sophomore,
but this is his team to take as far as he can. Without David Moseley around, there's not as
much outside shooting to balance the post game. If only there were enough ball-handling and
athletes to make for a legit running game, then SU might be national champs. Alas, with Michael
McDonald at the point, making the Final Four will be an overachievement.
Arizona is too good for this year's Cardinal to keep up, but they'll still be
a force in the solid Pac-10.
The PUERTO RICO THANKSGIVING SHOOTOUT (Utah) shouldn't be much of a problem.
The STANFORD INVITATIONAL and CABLE CAR CLASSICS are formalities. Duke will
be the real test in the PETE NEWELL CHALLENGE. They get Arizona at home
first, which is probably just as well, so the league schedule isn't so terrible.
11/19 (#6) W @100-49 v San Francisco St
11/23 (#6) W 84-60 v Old Dominion (PUERTO RICO THANKSGIVING SHOOTOUT @ San Juan, PR)
11/24 (#6) W 83-60 v Memphis (PUERTO RICO THANKSGIVING SHOOTOUT @ San Juan, PR)
[] 11/25 (#6) W 71-58 v # Georgia (PUERTO RICO THANKSGIVING SHOOTOUT @ San Juan, PR)
Despite winning the PUERTO RICO THANKSGIVING SHOOTOUT, the Cardinal's stock went down as
they still show the same weakness against quickness and a lack of talent at guard.
11/29 (#6) W @84-41 v UC-Riverside
12/ 2 (#6) W 86-@63 @ Long Beach St
12/18 (#4) W @94-52 v Sacred Heart-CT (STANFORD INVITATIONAL @ Palo Alto, CA)
12/19 (#4) W @80-66 v # Georgia Tech (STANFORD INVITATIONAL @ Palo Alto, CA)
[] 12/21 (#4) W @84-83 v #1 Duke (PETE NEWELL CHALLENGE @ Oakland, CA)
Christmas brings the #1 ranking to the Cardinal thanks to their closing run to beat
Duke in the PETE NEWELL CHALLENGE. The Collins twins down low were too much
for the Blue Devils to handle as Duke's front line fouled out. Casey Jacobsen's winning shot
with 4 seconds left was the icing on the cake, but he's not the reason they won.
12/29 (#1) W @86-60 v Fordham (CABLE CAR CLASSIC @ Santa Clara, CA)
12/30 (#1) W 78-@63 @ Santa Clara (CABLE CAR CLASSIC @ Santa Clara, CA)
The loss to UCLA may be a blessing in disguise. Worrying about having an undefeated season
was misplaced energy. This team was never that good. Better to get the loss out of the way now
to let the team know they're not invincible. They're still very good and still most likely to
win the Pac-10 title, so not to worry.
The Cardinal can claim a "virtually undefeated" season by having paid back the earlier loss
to UCLA. The most imposing frontline in college basketball (the Collins
twins) has served them well. One more big game with newly resurgent Arizona
remains. Tournament play will be quite a different animal and we'll see if they can adjust to
it without a conference tourney to practice in.
The Orangemen were clearly "Best In Show" at the GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT. Great scoring from
the backcourt of Preston Shumpert and Allen Griffin led the way. A team without a lot of
preseason fanfare that wins with execution. Gotta like that in the early going.
11/28 (#13) W @73-65 v Colgate
12/ 1 (#13) W @81-51 v Akron (CARRIER CLASSIC @ Syracuse, NY)
12/ 2 (#13) W @88-68 v Virginia Tech (CARRIER CLASSIC @ Syracuse, NY)
Three seasons of overhype have pushed the Volunteers all the way up to #4 in my preseason poll.
Are they really Final Four calibre? The question is, "Compared to what?" Even as they seem
like underachievers, this team has improved each year. Flashy talent doesn't always translate
into winning dominance. Steadying influence C.J. Black is gone from last year's squad but
everyone else of note returns. Start with scoring guard Tony Harris. He's not the ideal
playmaker and that's where UT gets in trouble: poor shot selection. Vincent Yarborough and
Isiah Victor are the best pair of 'tweeners on one team. Hustling crowd-pleaser Ron Slay makes
sure the effort stays high. There's plenty to like about these Vols; plus, they're so damn fun
to watch.
Tennessee is the class of the SEC, but there's solid depth
right behind them. With the conference tournament in Nashville this year, there should be lots
to cheer about.
The RAINBOW CLASSIC (Iowa) title is theirs for the taking. There are 6 out
of 8 road games from late January to early February, but the season ends with a lot of home
cooking and familiar territory.
It's quite apparent just have important L
(Lodero) Ron Slay is to this team. He was in
foul trouble quickly against Virginia and all those guards and 'tweeners
pushed the pace and the Vols couldn't keep up. He decimated Syracuse in the
paint and UT came away with a road win against a Top-10 team.
12/28 (#7) W 92-81 v Geo Washington (RAINBOW CLASSIC @ Honolulu, HI)
[] 12/29 (#7) W 80-68 v #15 Iowa (RAINBOW CLASSIC @ Honolulu, HI)
12/30 (#7) W 69-@58 @ Hawaii (RAINBOW CLASSIC @ Honolulu, HI)
Winning the RAINBOW CLASSIC was further evidence that this year's Vols have matured.
Beating Iowa handily on a neutral floor and then taking care of Hawaii at
their place are solid performances.
Don't look now, but the Vols have lost 7 out of their last 9 games. That's hardly
"peaking for postseason play", which is what should be happening at this point in the schedule.
Yes, the SEC is mighty tough, but that doesn't explain it
all. UT doesn't play tight D and the offense has degenerated into guys trying to take their man
individually. The last two weeks are a bit easier, so there's still time to regroup, but it has
to happen immediately.
2 /21 (#22) L @76-88 v # Georgia
2 /24 (#22) W 78-@70 @ Vanderbilt
2 /27 W 68-@67(OT) @ S Carolina
3 / 3 W @78-71 v LSU
3 / 8 [E4] W 73-66 v [W5] Auburn (SEC TOURNAMENT @ Nashville, TN)
3 / 9 [E4] L 73-86 v # [W1] Mississippi (SEC TOURNAMENT @ Nashville, TN)
3 /16 [M8] L 63-70 v [M9] UNC-Charlotte (NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL @ Dayton, OH)
The Longhorns aren't any worse than the other elite teams in the
Big 12. If you're going to track the others, you might as
well track Texas, too. Besides, if there's enough physical talent to upset
Illinois, something's gotta be going on in Austin.
The home crowd helped, to be sure, but the win over Iowa State is
still worth taking notice because it wasn't just by one or two points, it was a runaway victory.
The Longhorns have an athletic team, but it's all about the effort level.
2 /26 (#23) W @76-61 v # Missouri
3 / 3 (#23) W 78-@55 @ Texas Tech
3 / 9 [4] W 55-54 v [5] Oklahoma St (BIG 12 TOURNAMENT @ Kansas City, MO)
3 /10 [4] W 76-62 v [8] Baylor (BIG 12 TOURNAMENT @ Kansas City, MO)
3 /11 [4] L 45-54 v # [3] Oklahoma (BIG 12 TOURNAMENT @ Kansas City, MO)
3 /16 [S6] L 65-79 v # [S11] Temple (NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL @ New Orleans, LA)
The win in the MOUNTAIN ENERGY TOURNAMENT earns the Rockets the honor of being the trackable
team for the MAC (and even a brief appearance in the Top 25
in a week when many other name teams faltered).
11/29 (#24) W @78-72 v Detroit
12/ 2 (#24) W @84-75 v Geo Mason
12/ 8 L 67-@84 @ St Bonaventure
12/16 W @83-77 v Oakland
12/19 L 72-@88 @ # Fresno St (TREND HOMES CLASSIC @ Fresno, CA)
12/20 W 80-74(OT) v Samford (TREND HOMES CLASSIC @ Fresno, CA)
Back from the dead. There was always Top 25 talent on this team, but they somehow managed
to play so poorly that they weren't even worth tracking for most of the middle of the season.
But thanks to a Pac-10 schedule that gave them the opportunity to post
some "name" wins, they've returned to the fold. This is not an especially good defensive team,
and they don't have a lot of muscle. Finesse teams tend to have a wide range of results;
witness the Bruins.
They played the Arizona game like national contenders. But that game was
an easy one to get up for, with a hyped up home crowd to spur them on. More worrisome is the
poor performance against Arizona State the next night out. Consistency of effort is the big
problem with this team, not quality of talent.
Five returning starters who all averaged in double figures and a program that seems to have
turned a corner: those are reasons to be optimistic about the Trojans' fortunes this season.
Forward Brian Scalabrine can do anything you ask and is the workhorse lead-by-example type that
you dream of having. Big guard Jeff Trepagnier isn't quite a pure 'tweener but he plays inside
as well as outside. Coach Henry Bibby's program needs a big win in conference to emerge from
the shadows of the programs in Tucson and Palo Alto. Don't overlook this bunch.
USC won't beat out Arizona or Stanford in the long run
for the Pac-10 title, but that doesn't mean they won't be
a factor in the race.
The games against Utah in the JOHN WOODEN CLASSIC, then at home against
Pepperdine should be good tests. This veteran squad should sweep those two. Only BYU should
be a worry in the PEARL HARBOR CLASSIC. Back-to-back road games at UCLA and
Arizona in January will be rough, but expect a strong finish when all the
league powers have to come to the Sports Arena the second time around.
11/18 (#20) W @107-92 v Bradley
11/21 (#15) W @78-67 v San Diego
11/25 (#15) W @91-68 v Loyola Marymount
12/ 2 (#15) W @65-60 v # Utah (JOHN WOODEN CLASSIC @ Anaheim, CA)
There's no big win that propelled the Trojans into the Top 25 -- Cal doesn't quite count --
so it's a bit of a bluff to rank them; but they've been quite consistent and do have the
personnel that should be Top 25-calibre. C Sam Clancy is having a great year.
2 / 8 (#24) L @76-85 v # UCLA
2 /15 W @80-68 v Arizona St
2 /17 L @61-105 v #6 Arizona
2 /22 L 52-@67 @ Oregon St
2 /24 W 87-@80 @ Oregon
3 / 1 L @68-70 v #1 Stanford
3 / 3 W @74-69 v Cal
3 / 8 W 85-@56 @ Washington
3 /10 W 78-@63 @ Washington St
3 /15 [E6] W 69-54 v [E11] Oklahoma St (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Uniondale, NY)
3 /17 [E6] W 74-71 v # [E3] Boston Col (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Uniondale, NY)
3 /22 [E6] W 80-76 v # [E2] Kentucky (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Philadelphia, PA)
3 /24 [E6] L 69-79 v # [E1] Duke (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Philadelphia, PA)
A Big West team in the Preseason Top 25? You bet. The
Aggies were 28-6 last season (including going undefeated in conference). This is a well
put-together team. Only guard Troy Rolle is missing from last year's squad, but the backcourt
is still solid with Bernard Rock and Tony Brown. Forward Shawn Daniels is the key offensively
while 6-11 Dimitri Joerssen clogs up the paint on the defensive end. Don't expect miracles, but
don't overlook this bunch.
Only Long Beach State has a chance to stay close to USU in the
Big West race (which is now down to a single division).
A win in the TOP OF THE WORLD CLASSIC is very much in the cards. The GOSSNER FOODS CLASSIC is a
formality. They get Long Beach State at home first, in conference.
11/17 (#24) W 76-67 v Santa Clara (TOP OF THE WORLD CLASSIC @ Fairbanks, AK)
11/18 (#24) W 69-66 v # S Florida (TOP OF THE WORLD CLASSIC @ Fairbanks, AK)
[] 11/19 (#24) L 76-80(OT) v # Austin Peay (TOP OF THE WORLD CLASSIC @ Fairbanks, AK)
11/25 W @68-61 v Colorado
11/29 W 59-@55 @ Idaho St
12/ 6 W @58-57 v # Utah
12/ 9 W @79-29 v Montana Tech
12/16 L @67-69 v # BYU
12/20 W 76-@62 @ UC-Riverside
12/23 W @89-77 v Weber St
12/29 W @88-43 v Albany St (GOSSNER FOODS CLASSIC @ Logan, UT)
12/30 W @59-50 v Air Force (GOSSNER FOODS CLASSIC @ Logan, UT)
As one of the few trackable teams that got out of the blocks emphatically, the Cavaliers
vault into the Top 25. Donald Hand is a fine point guard and Chris Williams is fine all-around,
but the Wahoos are still undersized. Even more of a problem is that the
ACC is even deeper this year than it was last year when they
got squeezed out of an NCAA bid by North Carolina (who wound up making the
Final Four).
11/20 (#17) W @117-78 v Coastal Carolina
11/24 (#17) W 64-@48 @ Virginia Tech
11/29 (#16) W @98-79 v Purdue (ACC-BIG 10 CHALLENGE)
12/ 4 (#11) W 89-@70 @ VMI
12/ 6 (#11) W @90-71 v Ohio U
[] 12/19 (#8) W 107-89 v #6 Tennessee (JIMMY V CLASSIC @ East Rutherford, NJ)
The Wahoos are serious. They manhandled Tennessee just as easily as
they've done to no-name teams with their swarming pressure and multiple ball-handlers. The
Cavaliers are the only team left in the country that still has won all of its games in blowouts.
When they're at home, the Cavaliers as good as anybody even against top quality opponents,
as they proved last week with solid wins over Maryland and
Wake Forest. Once they get away from ACC
competition, this team should be quite a force in the NCAAs.
The week layoff gave the Cavaliers a chance to rest, and the run past
North Carolina. If they can maintain this same effort level through the
ACC tournament and beyond, the sky's the limit.
The Demon Deacons were a strong team at the start of last season, fell apart midway through, and
then rallied late to win the NIT. Chalk it up to the inconsistency of youth. Or call it the
failure of experimenting with shooting guard Robert O'Kelley at the point. Darius Songaila was
a major contributor on Lithuania's bronze-medal Olympic team in Sydney. Songaila, Rafael
Vidaurreta and Josh Shoemaker make a nice set frontcourt players. Inconsistency aside, the
reigning NIT champs return all five starters. That gives coach Dave Odom plenty to smile about.
A veteran squad like the Deacs is just what the doctor ordered in this year's strong
ACC (where 34 of 45 starters return overall). They won't
keep up with Duke or Maryland for the regular season
title, but watch out for them in a one-off situation (read "tournament play"). They need to
stay ahead of the likes of Virginia and NC State.
The BCA CLASSIC is a formality. The Kansas game will determine whether
they're national contenders. The first two conference games (Virginia and at
North Carolina) are key. A killer five-game stretch (at
Duke, at Cincinnati, NC State, at
Virginia and North Carolina) will make or break them.
11/16 (#10) W @108-61 v Mt St Mary's (BCA CLASSIC @ Winston-Salem, NC)
11/17 (#10) W @84-44 v Air Force (BCA CLASSIC @ Winston-Salem, NC)
11/20 (#10) W 69-@61 @ Richmond
11/25 (#10) W @86-47 v Campbell
11/28 (#9) W 71-@60 @ Michigan (ACC-BIG 10 CHALLENGE)
The Deacs looked great blowing away Virginia (thanks mostly to F Darius
Songaila up front). They played well against North Carolina, but couldn't
control the game against a team with talent in the frontline.
1 / 9 (#6) W @76-53 v Florida St
1 /13 (#6) L 89-@95(OT) @ # Georgia Tech
1 /17 (#7) L 71-@81 @ #17 Maryland
1 /21 (#7) W @71-63 v Clemson
1 /24 (#8) L 62-@85 @ #2 Duke
1 /27 (#8) L 72-@78(OT) @ # Cincinnati
1 /31 (#11) W @74-69(OT) v NC State
2 / 3 (#11) L 71-@82 @ #9 Virginia
2 / 6 (#13) L @74-80 v #1 N Carolina
2 /10 (#13) W 71-@65 @ Florida St
2 /14 (#11) W @81-65 v #24 Georgia Tech
2 /17 (#11) L @57-73 v #12 Maryland
2 /21 (#16) W 92-@60 @ Clemson
2 /24 (#16) L @80-82 v #4 Duke
3 / 4 (#14) W 76-@58 @ NC State
3 / 9 [6] L 53-71 v # [3] Maryland (ACC TOURNAMENT @ Atlanta, GA)
3 /16 [M7] L 63-79 v # [M10] Butler (NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL @ Kansas City, MO)
A reluctant ranking based on cold, hard results, not an appreciation of talent. The Badgers win
ugly, no doubt about it. But they won ugly all the way to the Final Four last year. The only
team they lost to after February 2nd last year was Michigan State (albeit
4 times). Start with the smothering (read "hacking") halfcourt defense, and play a
slow-down offense that wears on the impatience of these days' win-by-attrition squads. Forward
Mark Vershaw is back so there's still star power and, of course, coach Dick Bennett is still
around so the gimmick style of play is still in full effect.
UW doesn't have a consistent enough offensive attack to avoid a few upset losses throughout the
entire Big 10 regular season schedule. Don't expect them
to contend for the title, but certainly expect them to be a spoiler against
Illinois, Michigan State and
Iowa.
Early season losses at Tennessee and Maryland (in the
ACC-BIG 10 CHALLENGE) may wipe out the carry-over momentum from last year's Final Four run. The
game at Temple just might be the ugliest affair of the season. Getting to whip up on
beleaguered Indiana could be the tonic to jump-start conference play.
Dick Bennett retired on Thursday after having coached the Badgers for five full seasons
culminating in last year's Final Four appearance. Assistant coach Brad Soderberg has been named
interim coach. Bennett left after a satisfying upset over Marylance in the
ACC-BIG 10 CHALLENGE, and the team continued in his aftermath with a solid win over a decent
Xavier team.
The Musketeers have lots of depth, but no A-level stars; plus, they're mighty young -- only
point guard Maurice McAfee is a senior. Forwards David West and Lloyd Price are the main
threats. This formula could spell a killer/attrition team in the making. The
Atlantic 10 is on a downswing, so there's room for error.
Moving into a new arena this season should add an intangible boost to things. By season's end,
this could be sleeper team capable of a big upset.
XU should have enough depth to stay ahead of Temple and Massachusetts in the single-division
Atlantic 10 this year.
Don't expect a win against Wisconsin's slowball (but the second time around
against lesser Princeton should be a W). Yet another win against
Cincinnati in the CROSSTOWN SHOOTOUT shouldn't surprise anyone. The
unbalanced league schedule goes easy on them as well.
11/18 W @68-54 v Miami-OH
11/22 W @93-75 v Ea Kentucky
11/28 W @65-55 v Samford
11/30 W @86-68 v LA-Monroe
12/ 2 L 46-@61 @ # Wisconsin
12/ 5 W @75-49 v San Francisco
12/ 9 L 52-@58 @ # Princeton
12/14 W 69-@67 @ # Cincinnati (CROSSTOWN SHOOTOUT)