Second Round

                 

Cedric Jackson and Renard Fields celebrate their 84-69 win over Wake Forest.

 

The first round ended with a flurry last night as Cleveland State (had them); Wisconsin and Siena all won exciting games. I finished the first round at 25-7, but only have 12 of 16 Sweet sixteen teams remaining. Eight teams will punch tickets to the Sweet Sixteen today with UCLA and Villanova tipping off at 1:05 EST.

 

(6)UCLA vs. (3) Villanova

Site: Philadelphia

What will happen: Villanova survived an onslaught by a tough American team and now the Cats can settle in. UCLA’s offense did not impress me in their 65-64 win over VCU, and Nova could cause the Bruins some problems if they press them. I like Scottie Reynolds to get untracked and Villanova to enter the Sweet 16.

 

(10)Maryland vs. (2) Memphis

Site: Kansas City                                                   

What will happen: Maryland surprised me by using a big second half spurt to beat California and Memphis struggled to dispose of a 17-13 CS Northridge team. The ACC went 3-4 in the first round, which makes me believe Memphis will have their way with a suspect Maryland squad. I like Memphis to click on both ends and win about 12.

 

(1)Connecticut vs. (9) Texas A & M

Site: Philadelphia

What will happen: Connecticut was just absolutely dominant in their first round tune-up over Chattanooga (103-47) but now they face some real competition.  Texas A&M is a physical team who has previous March experience. They fell last year to UCLA in a second round thriller and I expect them to play Uconn well today. I just don’t know if A&M will have the horses down the stretch. I like the Huskies to win by 8.

 

(5) Purdue vs. (4) Washington

Site: Portland

What will happen: Purdue looked like they might cruise past Northern Iowa, but the Panthers responded by going to the wire. Washington (a trendy upset victim) looked very impressive on Thursday by handling Mississippi State with ease. Washington’s defense will be the deciding factor here and Brockman could have a big day. I like my Final Four pick Washington to advance to the Sweet 16 and set up a brilliant game with Connecticut.

 

(1) North Carolina vs. (9) LSU

Site: Greensboro

What will happen: For anyone who didn’t see LSU play they are very athletic and Marcus Thornton can play a little. Carolina went to work on Radford in a blowout 101-58 win setting up this match-up of speed and athleticism. The Tigers MUST get a big effort out of F Tasmin Mitchell and C Chris Johnson on the boards if they want to have a chance. This one is closer than people think and LSU might have an upset in them. However, talent prevails and UNC wins by 11.

 

(2) Oklahoma vs. (10) Michigan

Site: Kansas City

What will happen: Michigan got a win over another fluke ACC team. Oklahoma is going to come to play and the Wolverines will have no answer for Blake Griffin; Sooners by 14.

 

(12) Western Kentucky vs. (4) Gonzaga

Site: Portland

What will happen: Gonzaga struggled for a while against a game Akron squad but used a 19-1 run to win that game. Western Kentucky is better than Akron and has already knocked off one pretended. I have Gonzaga in my Final Four, but this game really scares me. You know Western Kentucky is going to come to play and you know they are going to be there at the end. I’ll stick with Gonzaga, but by less than 5.

 

(7) Texas vs. (2) Duke

Site: Greensboro

What will happen: Now that the ACC has been exposed and the Big 12 has opened eyes (but not these, had them 6-0) with their great start to the tournament, I have to wonder if Duke has it in them to beat Texas. Texas MUST pound it into Dexter Pittman and hope that A.J. Abrams will be on for them to have a shot. Duke will come at the Longhorns with an assortment of three point shooters, but a lack of interior game. This should be a great measuring stick for Duke and give us an idea of how they will handle a hulking big man (if they meet Pitt).

 

Other topics:

Wakes downfall: This one should have been more obvious to people, with a Wake team that struggled down the stretch (8-6), lost in the first round of the ACC Tournament, struggled to shoot from outside and a team that was so young. The Vikings are mature, run good offense and play solid defense. My only regret here is that I didn’t take Cleveland State to the Sweet 16.

Utah: The Utes never found a rhythm with Luke Nevill in foul trouble all night. Arizona deserves a lot of credit for going at him and not backing down when Utah finally made a run.

VCU: I love Eric Maynor, but VCU let that game slip away. Their effort is unquestionable, but their shot selection at the end of their loss to UCLA raised some eyebrows. Maynor is your guy, yet they ran nothing for him nor gave him a chance to make a play for someone else.

Siena: The Saints have a flair for the dramatic as evidenced with Ronald Moore’s two huge threes. That game against Ohio State is what March is all about. On the other side you have to feel for the Ohio State kids.

No-Auto Bids: Every year some people raise the topic of eliminating auto-bids so more average major teams can make the tournament. I like how CBS addressed the issue last night, saying that the mid-majors are what make the tournament great. These kids get ONE shot at the big boys and bring their A game. East Tennessee State played a brilliant game and should hold their heads high (shoot their free throws and we might have our first 1-16 upset ever), but you know that loss hurt those kids. It’s great for the kids of these programs to be able to tell their children one day that they had a shot at North Carolina or Pitt. The day that auto-bids are taken away is the day that I lose all faith in the NCAA and stop watching.

 

Siena’s great win over Ohio State!

AND THE WINNER IS…..

 FINAL FOUR

Washington will meet Louisville in a national semi-final that nobody saw coming. Can Louisville’s guards handle the pressure that I am sure Washington will throw at them? I like Louisville to win because they are more dynamic offensively and I don’t think Terrence Williams will be contained. Samuels vs. Brockman will be a great battle as the freshman and senior battle for supremacy down low.  Louisville will advance to play Pittsburgh for the National Championship on Monday night as the Panthers will slip past Gonzaga. The Zags will reach this game because of their balanced attack (6 players scoring at least 9.2 ppg) and their size. I also feel like Gonzaga has a chip on their shoulder, that people don’t take them seriously as a contender for the title. However, on this night it will be about Pitt. The Panthers big three (Blair, Young, Fields) is going to be the difference in this game and throughout the tournament.  Any one of these players can put the team on their back and they will have just enough to advance to the National Championship.

 

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

It’s a heavyweight match-up pitting two of the elite players in the country against each other. Terrence Williams is the key that makes the Louisville machine roll. T-WILL is averaging 12.3 ppg, 8.5 rpg and 5.1 assists, but he has a senior presence that isn’t inherent in every player. Earl Clark, also a senior, possesses great size and athleticism and leads the Cardinals in scoring (14 ppg, 8.8 rpg).  The x-factor for the Cards will be Samardo Samuels who is no longer a freshman after the Big East grind. Samuels (11.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg) has to somewhat neutralize DeJuan Blair because if Blair gets going he is going to will the Panthers to a championship. Blair (15.6 ppg, 12.2 rpg) has proven everything he needed to this season, establishing himself as arguably the 2^nd best big man in the nation behind Blake Griffin. Blair is a force and he teams up with Sam Young. Young has thrown down some vintage dunks (see bottom) this season. Young leads the team at 18.7 ppg and grabs 6.1 boards a game. Levance Fields completes the trio at 10.6 ppg and a nasty 7.6 assists. I see this game as coming down to foul trouble: If T-WILL is in trouble or Samardo Samuels gets in trouble then Pitt is in control of this game. However, if either Young, Blair or Fields finds themselves on the bench then Pitt could be sunk. No champion the last four years has won the title with a defensive rating lower than 25^th and the Panthers enter the tournament at 34^th. Louisville comes in ranked 2^nd on the defensive side which is why they will win this game. At some point in this tournament Louisville is going to NEED a stop or they will go home and I believe they are going to get it. No team goes through a tournament without a scare and more than not it is the team who plays tough defense that comes out on top.  So, the 2009 National Champion is… 

LOUISVILLE

68-63

 

 

 

 

Here are some great dunks by the ultra-athletic Sam Young:

Finally, here are two more vintage March upsets….

 

NCAA Predictions

MIDWEST REGIONAL

Sleeper: West Virginia- The Mountaineers must survive Dayton, but the emergence of Kevin Jones and Devin Ebanks means WVU can play with anyone. This team could be poised to run to the Elite Eight.

Upset Alert:  Cleveland State- The 13^th seeded Vikings could be a terror against Wake if they successfully slow the game down and enforce their physical style of play. If the Vikings can get past Wake anything can happen against the winner of Utah/Arizona.

What will happen: Louisville will open the first round thrashing the winner of the play-in game and will get a date with the Siena Saints from the MAAC. Siena will beat Ohio St. who relies heavily on Evan Turner (17.1 ppg, 7.0 rpg &3.8 assists).  Utah will face Arizona in the 5/12 match-up and prove that the talent does not necessarily make for a successful team as they dispatch Chase Budinger and the Wildcats. In the 4/13 game Wake Forest will be stunned by Cleveland State who plays gritty defense and does just enough on offense to secure a victory. The Demon Deacons struggle from the outside and are very young, which appears to make them ripe for an upset. The 6/11 matchup puts West Virginia and Dayton in Minneanapolis with three headed monster Devin Ebanks, Alex Ruoff and Da’Sean Butler leading the way. I like West Virginia over Dayton who has struggled to find their way without Chris Lowery. I like Kansas to avoid the curse of the Bison and knock off North Dakota St by less than ten points! In the 7/10 matchup I like USC to prevail because of their defense, defense is not the forte of this young BC squad. This matches Demar Derozan and Tyrese Rice, two players who can take over a game. Finally, in the 2/15 match-up the NEC will remain winless in the NCAA Tournament as Michigan State will march into the second round. Louisville’s match-up with Siena in the round of 32 should be a comfortable win, but don’t be surprised if Siena’s guards outplay the Cardinals because it is a good bunch; Louisville by 13. Utah will advance to the Sweet Sixteen with a hard fought win over Cinderella Cleveland State, ultimately winning a close game.  I like West Virginia to knock off Kansas, expect Jones and Ebanks to be forces on the glass. In a match-up of 2/10 I like Michigan State to knock off streaking USC with a stifling defensive effort, placing the Spartans in the Sweet 16. In the Sweet 16 I like Louisville to knock off Utah, who puts up a game effort but just cannot keep up with the Cards. On the other side, I like West Virginia and Bobby Huggins to advance to the Elite 8 with a grind it out win over Michigan State. The Mountaineers are surprisingly efficient on offense and their defense is up there with the best.  In the Regional Final, I expect Louisville to advance to the Final Four in a classic, hard fought Big East battle. Louisville has won both meetings this year by a combined 9 points.

LOUISVILLE       

 

WEST REGIONAL

Sleeper: Washington- Isn’t it fitting that the Huskies would have a shot at Uconn in the Sweet 16? Washington has not been able to overcome the Huskies….

Upset Alert: Utah State- The Aggies won 30 games for a reason….they are very good. They have a favorable match-up with Marquette who has limped into the tournament.

What will happen: Connecticut steamrolls Chattanooga in Philadelphia. In the 8/9 match-up I like Texas A&M in a toss-up game (BYU has spurned me the last few years). In the 5/12 game, Purdue squares off with Northern Iowa who has not been able to breakthrough and this year will be no different as Purdue will advance. The 4/13 game is very interesting because Mississippi State was slotted as a 13 seed and is hot at the right time, however I like Washington to advance with their tough defense. The 6/11 game I really like Utah State to knock off Marquette. The Aggies have superior size with Wilkinson and Marquette is really missing Dominique James. Missouri will run Cornell out of the arena with a helter skelter game. The 7/10 game features another team I felt was undeserving in gaining a bid, and hot shooting Cal will shoot their way past Maryland.  Memphis will smash Cal Northridge in a laugher. In the second round Uconn will knock off A&M in a game that is much closer than the experts think.  Washington will get the vaunted match-up with Uconn by disposing of Purdue in a back and forth game.  Utah State will make a Cinderella ride of its own when they knock Mike Anderson’s Mizzou Tigers out of the dance. Missouri struggles away from Columbia and will be beaten by a Utah State team who does everything right. In a 2/7 game, Memphis will set a date with Utah State by taking out Cal in a hotly contested ballgame. Connecticut and Washington have met for instant classics it seems every time they meet in March and this game will be no exception. Washington will upset the Huskies behind Brockman and Dentmon and the neutralization of Thabeet. Memphis will end Utah States run with too much athleticism and a stifling defense setting up a Memphis- Washington regional final. I like Washington to push its way into the Final Four on the coaching of Lorenzo Romar and on the backs of Dentmon and Brockman.

WASHINGTON     

 

EAST REGIONAL

Sleeper: UCLA- This team always plays great March basketball under Ben Howland, they could put it together for a special run.

Upset Alert: VCU- VCU is led by Eric Maynor, which is a good enough reason to believe in them.

What will happen: You heard it here first; East Tennessee State will be in the game against Pitt in the second half. The Bucs always seem to play well in the NCAA’s, and could get into Pitt’s mind. However, this is a 1/16 match-up and Pitt will prevail. Oklahoma St. will knock off Tennessee, who has struggled against quality opponents this season. Can someone tell me why anyone thinks Wisconsin will beat Florida St. because there is no chance this happens, Florida St. by double digits. Portland St. drew a high 13 and Xavier has faltered, but the Musketeers will survive.  I absolutely love VCU; UCLA must fly all the way across the country and face a crowd that will side with VCU. American could have been a potential upset team, but they will not beat Villanova in Philly. In the 7/10, I have to take Texas over Minnesota, but in a close one. Duke better be ready for Binghamton because the Bearcats’ are trying to finish Belmont’s work. I’ll take Duke….The second round game between Pitt and Oklahoma St. (led by Eaton and Anderson) could be a tough test for Pitt but DeJuan Blair is just a beast and won’t be denied.  Florida State and Toney Douglas will shoot their way past Xavier, who I am just not very high on this season. VCU’s magic will end at the hands of Scottie Reynolds and Villanova in a virtual home game for the Cat’s.  Duke will finally return to the Sweet Sixteen with a victory over Texas, who had not put it together at all this season.  Pitt bullies its way into the Elite 8 by knocking off Florida St., Sam Young and DeJuan Blair are on a mission. Villanova sets up a Big East Regional Final with Pitt using a big effort from Scottie and Dante Cunningham to knock off Duke.  Pitt and Nova bully each other for 40 minutes but the trio of Young, Blair and Fields prove to be too much and the Panthers avenge their loss to Nova.

PITTSBURGH    

 

SOUTH REGIONAL

Sleeper: Butler- The Bulldogs are always a tough out and if they can get a shot at UNC anything can happen.

Upset Alert: Western Kentucky- The Hilltoppers have what it takes to spring their second upset in two years.

What will happen: North Carolina thwarts Parakhouski and Radford’s upset bid EARLY. There’s something to be said for a team that does not beat itself, Butler knocks LSU out making the SEC 0-3. As much I want to take Illinois, I think Western Kentucky Ty Rodger’s the Illini. Gonzaga ends their recent tournament futility and makes it out of the first round over Akron. Christmas will not come in March, as Arizona St. and James Harden will handle Temple.  Syracuse and their tired legs deal will avoid an upset against Stephen F. Austin but it won’t be pretty as the Lumberjacks are anything but shabby on defense (13^th adjusted defensive rank). Clemson imposes themselves on Michigan and gets a date with Oklahoma who hurts Morgan State. North Carolina avoids the shocker against Butler using timely three point shooting to fend off the Bulldogs. Gonzaga earns a date with North Carolina as they dispose of Cinderella Western Kentucky in a tight game. Arizona St. puts an end to Syracuse tournament run behind the firepower of James Harden.  I’m going to go with Oklahoma over Clemson because of Blake Griffin, Willie Warren, Austin Johnson, oh and Tony Crocker isn’t too shabby either. Gonzaga brings back their tournament magic with a shocking upset over North Carolina, the Tar Heels unraveling is their defense. Arizona St. and James Harden put up a huge effort, but Blake Griffin proves to the difference and his dominant presence puts Oklahoma in the Elite 8. Gonzaga completes a special run and takes out Oklahoma to advance to the Final Four!

GONZAGA   

 

 My National Champion will be revealed tommorrow…. And now for two memorable tournament moments that still give me chills.

 

 

 

Great Tournament Moments

14th seed Northwestern State’s shocking upset of #3 seed Iowa in 2006 is a great memory from recent years. It is these cinderella stories that make the NCAA Tournament what it is. This game was the end for Steve Alford at Iowa, interesting that Alford’s New Mexico team barely missed the tournament for the second straight season.

 

Another great moment within the last couple years is 14th seed Bucknell’s stunner of 3rd seed Kansas in 2005, just another year that a Bill Self team broke down in the tournament before their championship last season.

 

Finally, a tribute to the best tournament announcer that there is: Gus Johnson. Gus has provided so many great moments in the tournament and it always seems like the games he calls are the most memorable.

 

I invite everyone to leave their greatest March memory. Tomorrow I will give my tournament predictions up until the Final Four…

 

 

Selection Sunday Reactions

Patty Mills and the Gaels got snubbed Sunday night and will have to settle for the NIT.

Selection Sunday always brings about controversy about which teams get selected for the NCAA Tournament. Our bracket prognosticator Joe Lunardi went 33/34 in at-large bids this year, missing on Arizona. I think the selection of Arizona is just atrocious and echoes what certain voices in college basketball have said, which is that a schools name matters. Here is a breakdown of what the bubble was and further examine each schools case.

Team A: 24-6 (10-4), RPI 47, SOS 149, 7-3 last 10, 3-4 vs. Top 100

Team B: 26-7 (14-4), RPI 40, SOS 111, 9-1 last 10, 9-5 vs. Top 100

Team C: 20-13 (7-9), RPI 55, SOS 17, 5-5 last 10, 9-11 vs. Top 100

Team D: 19-13 (10-10), RPI 44, SOS 11, 5-5 last 10, 10-12 vs. Top 100

Team E: 19-13 (9-9), RPI 62, SOS 34, 5-5 last 10, 8-12 vs. Top 100

Team F: 22-11 (10-8), RPI 70, SOS 93, 5-5 last 10, 7-10 vs. Top 100

Team G: 23-9 (11-5), RPI 34, SOS 41, 6-4 last 10, 6-9 vs. Top 100

Team H: 23-10 (9-7), RPI 52, SOS 84, 4-6 last 10, 8-9 vs. Top 100

Team I: 22-11 (10-6), RPI63, SOS 62, 8-2 last 10, 6-10 vs. Top 100

These are the major numbers that must be considered by the committee when making their selections. If there were three spots left, which three teams would you select? Obviously, Team B has to be selected no matter what, with a Top 40 RPI, strong conference record, hot finish (11 of 12) and 9-5 record vs. the Top 100. Team B is Creighton, who was snubbed by the committee. Their resume is no doubt the strongest of any of these teams. Team A, Team D and Team G would have to be the next three teams to fight for two spots. Team A turns out to be St. Mary’s and is 3-4 vs the Top 100, has an RPI of 47 and struggled when their superstar guard went down with injury. Team D (Michigan) has a very strong SOS, only a .500 record vs their conference,  but was a respectable 9-11 vs. the Top 100. Finally, Team G has a strong RPI,  good SOS and was 6-9 vs. the Top 100. Team G is San Diego St whose numbers are better than Michigan gave Utah(6 seed) all they could handle in the Mountain West title game before losing 52-50. If there were three spots, then going just by the numbers Creighton, San Diego St. and St. Mary’s would have to be selected. Michigan would just miss the cut, Maryland(Team C) would not be in because of their 55 RPI and below .500 record in conference! How can a team who couldn’t win fifty percent of it’s conference games be selected as one of the best 34 at large teams? The same can be said for Arizona who had a mediocre RPI, 19 wins, poor finish the last six games and 8-12 record vs. the Top 100 teams. How can they be invited if they can only win 40 percent of their games when they play quality opponents?! If this was Creighton with those numbers, they would not even qualify for the NIT!!! Obviously Arizona’s brand name came into effect for the committee and it is truly a shame that this is the case.  Team F (Penn State) had very weak numbers, Team H struggled down the stretch to hurt their chances and Team I(Auburn) had a poor RPI and record vs the Top 100, but got hot at the end of the season.

With Maryland, Michigan and Arizona being the three teams selected to these final three spots and only four “non-power” conference teams receiving at-large bids it is apparent that mid-majors are no better off than ten years ago. In fact, their cause has been hurt as they have continued to receive less bids every year! Anyway, here’s to an entertaining tournament, but one that will be missing some quality teams! I can only hope that the Maryland, Michigan and Arizona have poor showings in order to justify to the committee that taking the seventh best team from a power conference over the second or third team from a quality mid-major conference is the wrong way to go about selecting teams.

Coming Tuesday, my NCAA predictions…..

 

 

Gonzaga will attempt to channel their tournament magic which has been absent the past few years…

 

Also, every day I will post some videos of some of my favorite NCAA moments…

Around the Nation

There are some really interesting and big games around the nation today:

Can the Hoyas knock off their second consecutive Top 5 team?

Big East

(3) Pittsburgh (13-0, 1-0) at (8) Georgetown (10-1, 1-0)

           Anyone who saw the Uconn- Georgetown game knows that the Hoyas have not missed a beat this season. G-town has to be considered the favorite in the Big East if they knock off Pitt. Pitt struggled a little at Rutgers but pulled out the 78-72 win. Rutgers is a bottom feeder in this conference, Georgetown is a force and Monroe will have another solid game.            PREDICTION: Georgetown 68  Pittsburgh 66

Rutgers (9-5, 0-1) at (2) Connecticut (11-1, 0-1)

              Rutgers almost pulled a huge upset at the RAC over Pitt, while Uconn got smacked by Georgetown on their homecourt. Rutgers has a pair of excellent freshman in Rosario and Echenique, but they will not challenge the Huskies, who will roll from the opening tip.             PREDICTION:Uconn 84  Rutgers 62

Big Ten

(23) Ohio State (10-1, 1-0) at (21) Minnesota (12-1, 0-1)

             Ohio State is an interesting team, they have quality wins (Butler, Notre Dame, at Miami) yet lost alot of credibility when they got smashed on their homecourt by West Virginia. The Buckeyes only beat Iowa 68-65 in Columbus in their Big Ten opener, while Minnesota lost 70-58 in the Barn to Michigan State. I love what Tubby Smith is doing at Minnesota and I can’t see a team that is coached that well losing two in a row at home.                                             PREDICTION: Minnesota 67  Ohio State  61

Penn State (12-2, 1-0) at Wisconsin (10-3. 1-0)

               Penn State is having a break out season and could really grab the nations attention win a win at Wisconsin. However, Bo Ryans club is nearly untouchable at home in the Big Ten.   PREDICTION: Wisconsin 73  Penn State  64

Missouri Valley

Creighton (12-2, 2-0) at Illinois State (13-0,2-0)

                  The always reliable Creighton once again is enjoying a fine year, while last years darling the Redbirds of Illinois State are enjoying a dominant season. Creighton’s only two losses have been by a combined four points, coming in consecutive games on the road(Arkansas-Little Rock, Nebraska). The Redbirds have been fairly untested playing alot of bad competition, which means they better have a great conference slate, or they may be left out by an unforgiving committee. I have to believe that Illinois State will defend their home floor, which is a huge key for great mid-major teams.              PREDICTION: Illinois State 62  Creighton 59

Non-Conference

(6) Wake Forest (12-0) at BYU (11-1)

                 Wake Forest has become a legit threat in the ACC, while BYU is having its usual fine season. Wakes undefeated season ends tonight because nobody goes into the Marriot Center and gets a win. Its that simple.                                             PREDICTION:BYU 79  Wake Forest 75

Conference Play Begins

As conference play aroundthe country kicks off, there are intriguing story lines all around the nation. This is when the pretenders will be exposed and tournament resumes will be built.

The Butler Bulldogs have reloaded and are poised to run into March again!

THE GOOD

Dayton (11-1) appears to be atoning for its collapse last season. The Flyers have beaten Marquette and their only loss was at Creighton.

North Carolina, Duke, Wake Forest and Clemson are a formidable top four teams from the ACC. Circle your calenders for January 11th when North Carolina and Wake square off in what may be a battle of two undefeated squads.

The Big XII is a very deep conference with Oklahoma being the lone unbeaten. The Big XII has the depth, but I don’t think they have one stud team.

The Big East is the best conference in America. Louisville will be a very tough out in March when that team has completely gelled. UCONN is a serious challenger to UNC and Pittsburgh can grind with any team in the nation.

West Virginia smoked #13 Ohio State on the road further proving that the Big Ten is uncompetitive.

20.4 ppg:  Thats what Seth Curry is averaging as a freshman at Liberty. That is not a misprint, SETH CURRY.

Butler(10-1) continues to surprise with three freshman in the lineup. That’s called reloading.

Illinois State (12-0), Creighton (11-2) and Evansville (9-2) give the Valley a legit shot at returning to three plus teams in the Dance. Evansvilles emergence is impressive with their only losses to Butler and North Carolina.

The Mountain West is loaded with quality teams. This conference is better than the SEC! BYU, UNLV, WYOMING, AIR FORCE and SAN DIEGO STATE are all off to good starts. Expect UNLV and BYU to fight for the conference title, and the league could challenge for four bids.

Stanford is undefeated and playing quality ball under Coach Dawkins.

Portland States win over Gonzaga is the feel good win of the year. Portland State is looking to make its way back to the Dance.

THE BAD

The stench coming from some of the mid-major conferences is horrible. I am a mid-major supporter but there are some bad conferences.

The MAC and the MAAC are horrendous. Give Siena the prize for biggest disappointment among a mid-major. The Saints have over-scheduled and played poorly.

NJIT has lost 44 consecutive games!

The WCC which was receiving alot of attention for improvement is being carried by Saint Marys and Gonzaga. San Diego has struggled!

Southern Illinois is 5-7. Nough’ Said.

5 MUST SEE GAMES THIS WEEK

(9) Georgetown at (2) UCONN

                     The Huskies are legit, the Hoyas could prove they are legit. G’ towns opening Big East schedule is brutal, and could be staring an 0-3 start in the face.

(4) Oklahoma at Arkansas

                   Oklahoma is the best team in the Big XII but may be under-appreciated around the nation. Do people really believe they are fourth in the nation? I’m a believer in Blake Griffin, but as for the squad as a whole I am a doubter. Arkansas(9-1) is 8-0 at home and could pick up a giant resume builder here.

(18) Michigan State at (23) Minnesota

                           Tubby Smith has put Minnesota basketball right back on the map. Both clubs own signature wins (Texas & Louisville) but I still think the Big Ten is a notch below the best conferences. Minnesota can send a message to the Big Ten and take a very early step toward a league title.

UNLV at (19) Louisville

                    UNLV was the team I tabbed in the preseason in my Top 20, and they received no mention anywhere else. This is where the Rebels either make me look smart or very stupid. UNLV is 11-2 and I feel has a legit shot to go into Freedom Hall and knock off Louisville. Either way, this is a chance for people to see a quality team that normally would not be on television.

(16) Villanova at (25) Marquette

                     Just another day at the office in the Big East with yet another battle of Top 25 teams. Both teams are guard oriented and Reynolds against James should be a real treat!

UNC routs MSU

Well, i can say I told you so in reference to Michigan State being highly overrated(http://bracketman.wordpress.com/2008/12/03/duke-rolls-hazell-scores-32/). The Spartans never established any flow and North Carolina never looked back on their way to a 35 point destruction. The top two teams in the Big Ten were throughly dismantled by the two top teams from the ACC, which should cause some concern for the Big Ten faithful (newsflash: your overmatched in football and your overmatched in basketball).

In other games in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge:

Wake dismantled Indiana 83-58. Anyone saw this coming, as Tom Crean will taking a beating this year.

Penn State pulled one out in Atlanta 85-83. Could this be the win that Ed DeChellis was looking for?

Maryland rallied past Michigan 75-70, completing their sweep of the Great Lakes state.

Northwestern knocked off Florida State 73-59, in the most surprising result of the night. FSU has been on a roll knocking of Cincinnati and California. This is a big win for Northwestern(5-1).

In other action:

Vanderbilt got smoked by Illinois-Chicago.

Xavier stayed perfect with a win over dissapointing Auburn.

South Florida stayed true to their form and blew a late lead at UAB, and then fell in overtime.

West Virginia rallied for a nice road win at Ole Miss.

Winthrops rain in the Big South is over. They fell to 1-6 and got smoked at the hands of Big South foe VMI.

 

Looking ahead to tonight there are two interesting games taking place in the Top 25:

USC (5-2) at (6) Oklahoma (6-0)

            USC will be looking to prove their two losses in Puerto Rico to Seton Hall and Missouri were flukes and MUST contain Blake Griffin(25.7 ppg, 19.2 rpg) who has been unreal. Taj Gibson has to get a body on Griffin and the Trojans must force his supporting cast to beat them.   PREDICTION: OU by 13

(9) UCLA (4-1) at (8) Texas (5-1)

           The other LA team also visits a top Big XII club, when the Bruins travel to Austin. UCLA is paced by Darren Collison but doesnt have many other options on offense. I don’t expect UCLA to be able to keep up with the athletic Longhorns. The little guy A.J. Abrams must be contained, but he could go off on the Bruins.    PREDICTION: Texas by 8

Melvyn Oliver cleared

Anthony Fucilli of MSG is reporting that Melvyn Oliver has been cleared to play for Seton Hall. “Big Mel” as he is affectionately called brings an immediate presence to the Big East for the Pirates, coming in at 6′11′ and 330 pounds. Oliver was the 2nd rated fifth year player in the nation and starred for Mississippi Elite Christian Academy where he averaged 20 ppg, 8 rbp and better than 3 blocks. Oliver had been compared to Mike Glover, a promising forward who never gained NCAA approval. With Oliver’s clearance the Pirates(6-1) gain a much needed big body and maybe now can be considered a mild threat in the ultra tough Big East.

Duke Rolls; Hazell scores 32

The big story of the night has to be Dukes 16 point win at Purdue. I’ll give the Blue Devils some serious credit for being that impressive, but feel the Big 10 is very overrated. Is Purdue a top 10 team? I really don’t think so. The Big 10 as a whole is lacking, I would even go so far as to say that Michigan State is highly overrated. When it comes time for the tournament how will Purdue and Michigan State score? They might play great defense, but where is that point production coming from? The Spartans are Raymar Morgans team, but he can be shut down on a given night. Purdue is very young and thus far has a balanced scoring attack, but that had come against the likes of Detroit, Eastern Michigan, Loyola(IL),Coppin State, Boston College and Oklahoma. Last night against Duke Purdue had three players in double figures, but I don’t feel that they have a go to guy. Shooting 2-14(15.4%) from 3 is not going to win any ballgames.

Ohio State rallied over Miami from 14 down at the half to stun the Canes. Jack McClinton was thrown out of the game for Miami. Thats a tough loss for Miami, who is looking to prove that last season was no fluke. They have a big date at Kentucky on Saturday, against a club that has not lost since that stunner to VMI.

Rivers has averaged 11.4 ppg to help Clemson to an 8-0 start.

Clemson(8-0) is off to another fast start, the one where they usually don’t lose in the non-conference portion of their schedule. The Tigers rallied against the Fighting Illini(6-1), who lost their first game of the year.

Seton Hall(6-1) continued to roll with super soph Jeremy Hazell scoring 32 in 25 minutes! The Pirates cruised past hapless Monmouth 101-78, squandering what was a 39 point lead in garbage time. Robert Mitchell also scored 23, but has caused concern by hoisting any look he gets (21 fg’s attempted). Eugene Harvey dished out 9 assists and seems to have settled into a role that doesnt require him to score alot every night.

Western Kentucky(4-2) fresh off their upset of Louisville beat Dennis Felton’s Georgia Bulldogs. Felton could be out if the Dawgs don’t have a successful season.

In Division III action, Misericordia(5-2) slipped by Susquehanna. We struggled on the boards, surrending 15 offensive rebounds and were careless with the ball turning it over 18 times in the 67-60 loss at the Anderson Center. Still, the team had a shot at the end to pull one out, but couldnt convert on some late opportunities and Misericordia converted from the charity stripe. Susquehanna(4-2) returns home to O.W. Houts and opens Landmark Conference play for a saturday night tilt with Juniata.