Category: College Basketball (Page 54 of 153)

      Bobby Knight calls out John Calipari

      December 18, 2009 /

      Speaking at a fundraiser at the Indiana Hall of Fame, Coach Knight had this to say (via ESPN)…

      “We’ve gotten into this situation where integrity is really lacking and that’s why I’m glad I’m not coaching. You see we’ve got a coach at Kentucky who put two schools on probation and he’s still coaching. I really don’t understand that.”

      Finally. Someone of note calls out John Calipari for his long history of shenanigans at the college level. He has had two Final Four appearances vacated by the NCAA after scandals at UMass (Marcus Camby accepted gifts from an agent — probably not Calipari’s fault) and Memphis (Derrick Rose’s SAT — partly Calipari’s fault). He hired Dajuan Wagner’s father as his Coordinator of Basketball Operations, hired Tyreke Evans’s personal strength coach as his administrative assistant, and allowed Rose’s brother to travel with the team for free (another NCAA violation that would have vacated the team’s Final Four appearance even if Rose’s SAT came back clean).

      Knight wasn’t done…

      “Very few people know this, but a kid can play the first semester as a freshman, pass six hours of anything and play in the NCAA tournament without ever attending a class in the second semester. I don’t think that’s right.”

      This is the unseen drawback to the NBA’s one-and-done rule. Freshman that know that they’re going pro the next year have no incentive to go to class during their second semester. This is a great reason why the NBA rule should be altered so that players can come out straight from high school, but if they do enter college, they need to attend for a minimum of two years. That way, there’s at least a chance that they’ll have enough credits to eventually graduate.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      College Basketball, News

      Notre Dame to Big Ten: “Thanks, but no thanks.”

      December 17, 2009 /

      Notre Dame is just fine with being an independent, so says AD Jack Swarbrick (via ESPN)…

      “Our strong preference is to remain the way we are,” Swarbrick said, according to the report. “Independence is a big part of the tradition of the program and our identity. We’d sure like to try to maintain it.”

      Swarbrick acknowledged that the major football conferences make even more money from their own media contracts than the $9 million Notre Dame is paid annually by NBC for the football rights. In the Big Ten, TV and radio rights fees generate $20 million a year for the schools.

      But Swarbrick said the football program considers factors other than revenue, according to the Tribune.

      “All of this has a lot more to do with our priorities than it does with business issues,” Swarbrick said, according to the Tribune. “Our independence is tied up in a lot of the rivalries we have. We play Navy every year and have the tradition of USC weekends. Frankly, it works pretty well to play USC in October at home and in November at their place.”

      It’s the rivalries…really? The Big Ten couldn’t work around the annual home-and-home with USC? I don’t buy it.

      It wouldn’t make much sense for the Notre Dame basketball team to play in the Big East while the football team plays in the Big Ten, but it doesn’t make much sense to stay independent either. Notre Dame would be a fine addition to the Big Ten Big Midwest, in both basketball and football.

      It seems like a perfect fit, though Notre Dame seems to think otherwise.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      College Basketball, College Football, News

      Decade Debate: 10 Biggest Upsets

      December 12, 2009 /

      The term upset is simply defined as “an unexpected defeat,” but in sports it can mean so much more. For the favorite, it’s about the pressure that comes with heightened expectations. For the underdog, it’s about using those expectations as motivation. As part of our ongoing Decade Debate series, here is a list of the ten biggest upsets of the last ten years. Remember, the magnitude of the stage is just as important as the perceived disparity between the two parties involved, so extra points are given to upsets that occurred in the postseason or in a title game.

      10. Federer beats Sampras at the 2001 Wimbledon

      By 2001, the sports world had begun to question Pete Sampras’ ability as a dominant tennis player. The man was just 29 years old and the owner of 13 Grand Slam titles, but critics predicted an oncoming collapse. Since winning the Australian Open in 1997, Pistol Pete’s Grand Slam championships curiously only came at Wimbledon. In fact, Sampras had captured all but one Wimbledon championship since his first appearance in 1993. Naturally, if he was a sure bet anywhere, it was at the All England Club. While most will remember this time period as the declining stage of Sampras’ career, it also marked the beginning of Roger Federer’s success as a professional. After winning the Wimbledon juniors in 1998, Federer was often viewed as the likely heir to Sampras’ throne. Still, nobody expected the 19 year-old and the Grand Slam record holder to clash at Wimbledon in 2001. Furthermore, if they did happen to meet, Federer wasn’t supposed to win. Making his Centre Court debut, Federer defeated Sampras 7-6 (7), 5-7, 6-4, 6-7 (2), 7-5, thereby snapping Sampras’ 31-match winning streak at Wimbledon. Sure, it was only a fourth round match, but it symbolized so much more. This is one of the greatest upsets of the decade not simply because Sampras was favored, but because of everything that followed. Sampras would retire in two years and Federer would eventually live up to those wild expectations. And forget about Sampras getting any revenge – the two would never again face each other on the professional level. – Christopher Glotfelty

      9. Edmonton upsets Detroit in 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs

      Detroit was a heavy favorite in the quarterfinals, as the top-seeded Red Wings were coming off a terrific 124-point regular season in which they captured the President’s Trophy. Meanwhile, the Oilers squeaked into the playoffs as an #8-seed after a 95-point regular season. The Red Wings won Game 1 in Detroit, but dropped Game 2. The two teams also split the next two games in Edmonton. The Oilers then closed out the series winning Game 5 in Detroit and Game 6 at home, both by one-goal margins. The series featured two double-overtime games (Game 1 & Game 6) and all six games were decided by two goals or less. – John Paulsen

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      College Basketball, College Football, Golf, March Madness, MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, Super Bowl, Tennis

      Decade Debate: 8 Greatest Comebacks

      December 11, 2009 /

      The word comeback is defined as “a return to a former position or condition (as of success or prosperity).” In the world of sports it refers to the act of wrenching victory from the jaws of defeat. As part of our ongoing Decade Debate series, here are the top eight comebacks of the last ten years. Keep in mind that, to us, the actual size of the comeback isn’t quite as important as the size of the stage. In other words, the “greatest” comebacks happened in big games.

      8. Capriati over Hingis at 2002 Australian Open

      Jennifer Capriati and Martina Hingis led very similar careers. Both set several “youngest-ever” records before a combination of drug charges and nagging injuries challenged their potential. While Hingis chose to bow out at the height of her turmoil, Capriati soldiered onward. In 1994, Capriati was busted for marijuana possession. After a feeble return to the game, she retreated for 15 months. But never say die. By February of 1996, she finally meant business. Over the next two years, Capriati would earn three Grand Slam championships, blossoming into a dominant player during a particularly competitive era in women’s tennis. Of those wins, her match against Martina Hingis in the 2002 Australian Open final is a shoe-in for any list of ultimate comebacks. Down 6-4, 4-0, Capriati miraculously saved four match points, a Grand Slam record. The merciless sun blaring, Capriati kept fighting and fighting. As her opponent wavered, Capriati capitalized, eventually winning the match 4–6, 7–6, 6–2. – Christopher Glotfelty

      7. Kings over Red Wings in 2001 Stanley Cup Playoffs

      This was a great series comeback as well (Detroit led, 2-0), but the Kings’ rally in Game 4 was one for the ages. Trailing in the series, 2-1, and down 3-0 with just six minutes to play in the third period, the 7th-seeded Kings didn’t look long for the playoffs. But goals by Scott Thomas and Jozef Stumpel trimmed the Red Wings’ lead to one, and Bryan Smolinski’s game-tying goal with 0:53 remaining sent the Staples Center into a frenzy and the game into overtime. There, the rookie Eric Belanger capped off the “Stunner at Staples” with the game-winning goal. The Kings went on to win the series, 4-2. – John Paulsen

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      College Basketball, College Football, March Madness, MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, Soccer, Tennis

      John Wall leads #4 Kentucky over #12 UConn

      December 10, 2009 /

      Freshman phenom (and likely #1 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft) John Wall scored 25 points, including 12 of his team’s final 15 points, in a 64-61 win over UConn [highlights]. Dana O’Neil says that Wall lives up to the hype.

      The latest chapter in Wall’s building biography of game-changers came against 12th-ranked Connecticut, his the fitting last dagger in an epic game. With 30 seconds left and Kentucky down 61-60, Wall took the ball on a toss back from Darius Miller and drove, splitting two defenders before going to the rim and banging bodies with Connecticut’s Alex Oriakhi.

      Wall gives up 45 pounds to Oriakhi, all of which ended up in his right hip as he went up.

      No matter.

      Count the bucket, score the foul.

      End the game, 64-61.

      I caught Kentucky’s win against North Carolina and Wall looks like the real deal. He’s incredibly athletic and has a great feel for the game. He had a couple of jaw-dropping finishes against the Tar Heels — check out the video below.

      College Basketball, Video

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