Category: College Basketball (Page 130 of 153)

Coach Jimmy Patsos has the Loyola (MD) Greyhounds off to a 3-0 start for the first time in school history and is on the verge of putting together back to back winning seasons since the early 80’s. Providence transfer Gerald Brown leads a deep roster that has a chance to get back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since former coach Skip Prosser’s magical run… Hats off to creating a great atmosphere in the middle of lacrosse heavan…New coach Tim Miles has pulled off the hat trick by winning the Top of the World Classic. Look for his Colorado State program to knock off some of the big boys just the way his North Dakota State team arocked Marquette and Wisconsin in previous years.

Six more BCS schools were put to bed by an upstart mid major team and even a Division II team. Alaska Fairbanks pulled off the biggest win with a victory over Oregon State in the Top of World Tournament. I guess the Beavers were a little frostbitten. Congrats also go out to Belmont for continuing the role for the Atlantic Sun with a win over Alabama. First year coach Randy Peele got a signature win with the road victory against Georgia Tech. Also, rookie coach Joe Pasternak’s Privateers from New Orleans beat North Carolina State.

The home court blues continued for Matt Doherty at SMU as Centenary from the Summit League came in and beat the Mustangs…. The last upset was actually a home game for Siena as they beat Stanford by double digits….Going on the road to Albany New York is either the nicest thing Coach Trent Johnson has ever done or the dumbest…

Thanksgiving week is when the college basketball season starts to jump on the radar screen as the college football season winds down. This is a week when mid major teams give thanks for the opportunity to play a big time opponent on a neutral court. Many of the tournaments have been going on for years and some are in their infancy. Last year I had an opportunity to coach in the Grandaddy of the them all, The Great Alaskan Shootout. It was a great experienc for the players and Iam happy to say that we came away with a win against a Conference USA team. Let’s take a closer look and break them down.

Great Alaskan Shootout
Michigan vs. Butler/E. Washington vs. Virginia Tech/Texas Tech vs. Alaska-Anchorage/Western Kentucky vs. Gonzaga
This may be the stongest field for any of the tourneys taking place this week. Unbelievable as it sounds but Michigan will be an underdog to a Butler team that returns three starters from a Sweet 16 team. (Edge Butler) With first round pick Rodney Stuckey leaveing E. Washington a year early Virginia Tech should have it’s way with them. (Edge Va. Tech) Look for Alaska Anchorage to pull off an upset here as they have won at least one game the last couple of years. (Upset Alaska Anchorage) Western Kentucky has the makings of a Cinderella run this year and I think it starts against Gonzage in the Great White North. (Edge W. Kentucky)
Look for a Western Kentucky – Butler final and a mid-major dream match up.

CBE Classic
Four blue blood teams get together in Kansas City (where more college basketball championships have been played).
Missouri vs. Michigan State / Maryland vs. UCLA
Listening to all four coaches last night at the press conference nobody will win this tournament. However, with UCLA banged up and without three starters I look for Maryland to win the first night and play Missouri in the finals. I am going to go out on the limb here, but I think that you could see two of the four teams in the real Final Four come March.

Maui Classic
Warm weather did not attract the type of field that this tournament usudally gets. With only two teams currently ranked it has lost some of it’s luster, but don’t go to sleep just yet. There are some terrific coaches in this field and the fans will get an opportunity to see a variety of coaching styles.
Chaminade vs. Marquette (Edge Marquette) / LSU vs. Oklahoma State (Pick em) / Princeton vs. Duke (Edge Duke) / Arizona State vs. Illinois (Edge Illinois).
Marquette’s guards should propel them to the championship game. On the other side I like Illinois to get by Arizona State and Duke. Bruce Webber is one of the best at getting his players to play above their capablities.

PreSeason NIT
Four heavyweights made it to Madison Square Garden unlike a year ago when Butler surprised everybody and won the title.
Syracuse vs. Ohio State (Edge Syracuse) / Washington vs. Texas A&M (Edge Tesas A&M)
The Cuse are playing on their home away from home and with their zone defense it could be a long night for the Buckeyes. In the other games Texas A&M is loaded for a title run. Look for Mark Turgeon’s Aggies to cut down the nets.

Old Spice Classic
A new torunament on the scene, but one with a solid field.
Kansas State vs. George Mason (Edge G Mason) / South Carolina vs. Penn State (Pick em) / North Carolina State vs. Rider (Upset Rider)
Villanova vs. Central Florida (Upset Central Florida)
This tournament will showcase some mid major teams. Two of the most under rated coaches in college basketball in Jim Larranage (George Mason) and Kirk Speraw (Central Florida). All they do is win and it should prove to b e a great semi final match up. O the other side look for Rider to pull off the upset with the outstanding play of 6’11 Jason Thompson (he will be a first round pick in the Spring). In the end my money is on Jim Larranaga and the Patriots.

So as you are feasting on Turkey this week take a look at some good college basketball. I can’t wait….

Last night I had the opportunity to attend the induction ceremony for the College Basketball Hall of Fame and mingle with some of the greatest names in college basketball history. I grew up listening to Notre Dame basketball games on the radio and dreaming about being the next Austin Carr. My jumper was never as sweet as his, but I was overjoyed when my hometown Cavaliers made him the first pick of the NBA draft in 1971. Most people don’t realize how prolific of a scorer he was because he played at the same time as Pete Maravich. When you average 34.6 points per game for your career there is no doubt you are a Hall of Famer. The other three players inducted were Dick Groat, Dick Barnett and Kareem Abdul Jabbar.

Dick Barnett regaled the crowd with a poetic verse that would have made Longfellow proud. And as he said his biggest achievement was not his three national titles at Tennessee State or his two world championships with the New York Knicks, rather his coming back to school to not only receive a bachelor’s degree and continue on to obtain his Doctorate’s.

The only thing I can say about Kareem Abdul Jabbar is what Bill Walton said in his presentation of him. He was the “King of Everything.” He is the only player to win three national titles and be named MVP three times. The sky hook revolutinized the game. However, it was his ability to score at will inside that prompted the college game to outlaw the dunk for a few years. At least until he graduated.

The Coaches took center stage next and it was Lefty Driesell that captivated the audience with his aw shucks humor. The man credited with starting Midnight Madness at Davidson is the only coach to be named coach of the year in 4 different leagues at 4 different schools. Norm Stewart from the University of Missouri, Vic Bubas and Guy Lewis of Phi Slamma Jamma fame were also inducted. Beween the fourd coaches they amassed over 2000 wins and appeared in multiple Final Fours.

It was truly a night to be remembered for an ex-coach and any true basketball fan.

Yesterday the Gazelle Group announced that they would be staging a tournament for the teams not selected into the NCAA tournament. At first glance one would say there are enought teams participating in March Madness. The NCAA tournament has expanded to 65 and the NIT is at 32. It was at 40, but when the NCAA took over they decided to save money and only have 32 teams participate. That’s what I love about Myles Brand and the NCAA. They always try to make a student-athlete experience more enjoyable. Eight teams stay home so they can have nicer offices and hire more staff….Sorry got off on a tangent….Back to the story at hand.

The Gazelle Group will begin inviting teams the moment after the NCAA brackets are filled. It could become a bidding war for the NIT. I like it. Let’s take a closer look at post season play. In college football 64 teams play in 32 different bowls. That means over 50% of the schools are rewarded. By adding the third tournament, 113 teams are rewarded. However, there are 345 men’s basketball teams in Division I. So, you are talking about less than 30% of the schools play in post season. Last season for example, there were a half dozen teams with 20 wins who did not get selected for post season play.

I say bring it on and give the players one more day in the sun…