Author: Coach Z (Page 37 of 38)

All you Kansas State fans who think that Michael Beasley is a shoo-in for player of the year…take a look over in Bllomington where freshman Eric Gordon just had the biggest debut game in the history of Indiana basketball. Check out this line..33 points on 9-15 shooting that included 7-11 from the three point line. Oh yeah, and if you think all he can do is score, he added 6 rebounds and 4 assists just for good measure.

Credit Indiana’s persistence in recruiting as you might remember that Eric Gordon first commited to Illinois. Also, hats off to Assistant Coach Jeff Meyer who coached Eric’s father at Liberty University. I wonder if he scored as much as his son?

The ESPN Coaches poll had Kentucky and Southern Cal in their Top 25. It just goes to show you that polls in college basketball are all about hype and really have no bearing on how good a team is or will be. I was a voter for the last 5 years and I can tell you that most coaches just picked the biggest schools out there with the longest tradition. For me I wanted to look a little deeper and give all programs their due. With a new coach and a whole lot of new players both Southern Cal and Kentucky didn’t deserve to be in the top 25. How about someone like Southern Illinois or Butler. Both had great runs last year and return core players. They should be ranked higher than a team with a big name coach and a long tradition.

Oh, by the way, I think there is a good chance that Kentucky and USC will be heard from before it is all said and done. If I know Coach Gillespie they probably haven’t left the gym yet….

Move over Colonial Athletic Association (George Mason, VCU, etc…) and the Missouri Valley Conference, here comes the Atlantic Sun. On opening weekend the Atlantic Sun Conference went into the houses of three BCS’s schools and came away with impressive victories. I am not talking about buzzer beating shots. I am talking about double digit wins. My hats off to Mercer for taking down Southern Cal, Belmont for beating Cincinnati and most of all to Gardner Webb for blasting nationally ranked Kentucky. As Billy Gillespie said after the game, “the game wasn’t as close as the final score.” Let’s hope all the David’s out there can keep slaying the Goliaths. It sure would make for an interesting season.

Boston College played their opening game against New Hampshire without the services of two starters. Tyreses Rice and Shamari Spears didn’t suit up. It wasn’t because of injury, violating team poicy, or academic reasons. They were suspended because they played basketball in the summer. That’s right! According to NCAA rules if a player plays in a summer league that they don’t sanction then the player will be penalized. What a croc!! The NCAA rule book is thicker than the New yOrk phone book. Rules are necessary, but when they are put in place to justify someone at the NCAA office having a job, then it becomes absurd. Cut back on the over regulation and staff and send some of that money back to the institutions and players.

St. Louis got their first win last night in the Rick Majerus era. Watching him in practice last week showed me why he is one of the best teachers in the profession. His attention to detail will help this Billiken team overachieve all year long. And just wait until next year when he opens a new arena and gets a full recruiting class under his belt.

Also, he added former Wright State coach Paul Biancardi to his staff. One of the good guys in the business his work ethic and recruiting ability will help supply St. Louis with the talent to be a national contender..