Hog Heaven - Arkansas Knocks Off the Previously Unbeaten Sooners

Oklahoma found valiantly, rallying back from a 25 point deficit with 11 minutes remaining to cut the lead to just 4 with three minutes to play. Oklahoma battled tough, and fought through foul trouble to most of their key players, including All-American Blake Griffin, but in the end Arkansas was just a little too tough at home.

The win moved Arkansas to 10-1 and should get them some consideration in next week's polls. It is also a huge win for a conference in desperate need of a non-conference win to hang their hat on. Thanks to the Hogs, they now have one.

Big-Time Resume Win Over the Sooners

Tuesday Round Up - Best Games Across the Nation 12/30

There were some great statement wins last night. Georgetown announced its presence with authority in the Big East. Memphis defended their home court against the Bearcats, with tenacity and captured a much needed resume win before C-USA play, and Davidson went to Charleston and beat their stiffest conference foe - putting the SoCon on notice that they could once again run the table.

Tonight, several other teams get a chance to make some noise.

GAME OF THE NIGHT:

7 PM - Illinois @ Purdue

The Illini have been one of the season's pleasant surprises with their 11-1 start. Tonight they get a chance to validate it with an impressive showing at Purdue. The Boilers were ambushed in Mackey by Duke, but are a tough squad to beat in their building. I like the poise and defense of the Boilers tonight.

This place will be rockin' tonight

7 PM UAB @ Butler

UAB got off to a promising start, beating Arizona on the road in the Preseason NIT. Since then, they have backslid a little, losing games to Oklahoma (understandable) and Louisville by 20. Add in loses to BC and Cincinnati, and this is a game they can ill-afford to lose if they have any hope of earning at at-large bid (assuming Memphis wins the C-USA tourney for the umpteenth straight time).

Butler comes in with a lone 3-point loss, at Ohio State, and fresh off a win over Xavier at the Cintas Center. This would be one more feather in the Bulldog's cap come seeding time.

7 PM George Mason @ Dayton

George Mason is the interesting case of a small school exploding so prominently onto the national stage that they begin to become a bit overrated. This is not to say they are not a good team, but just that Dayton is still the prohibitive favorite. This is a huge opportunity for both school, particularly the Patriots, to grab a huge non-conference resume win.

They are good on '08... not THAT good though.

7 PM Clemson @ South Carolina

An in-state skirmish between tow decent ball clubs. Clemson is off to a fantastic start (stop me if you have heard that one before), but better not over look Devan Downey and the Gamecocks. The win over Illinois is a good one. The subsequent win over Miami (FL) was impressive as well. Capture this one tonight, and the Tigers are well positioned for March entering ACC play.

8:05 PM Oklahoma @ Arkansas

Oklahoma has been the most consistent team in the nation (Carolina excluded), and will get a quality test tonight in Fayetteville. Gone are the days of "40 minutes of hell" but the Hogs still get after it on defense. Still, Willie Warren and Blake Griffin might be too much for them to handle.

MANIAC'S PICKS:
UAB +6.5, Oklahoma +6 (LOCK), Dayton -8, Clemson - 2.5, Purdue -6.5

One Down, Two to Go - Hoyas Rout Huskies in Storrs

There was some question as to whether the game would be close. One team entered a poised, savvy, veteran group starting three seniors and two juniors. The other brought an inexperienced, but talented club, facing their first collective conference game.

You never would have known who was who by watching.

Georgetown taught the rest of the Big East a nice lesson in how to beat UConn.

1. Zone them and make them shoot. UConn looked lost against Georgetown's tough 2-3 zone most of the night, failing to move the ball crisply and create open looks. Rarely was anyone flashing the high post to create spacing, and nary a skip pass was thrown all night. I'd love to see what a team like Duke would do against Georgetown. It would be a beautful matchup. By the way, you think Boeheim was salivating watching UConn struggle against their zone??

2. Scrap. Claw. Fight. UConn doesn't seem to like to do those things as much as Georgetown did. Perhaps Georgetown, despite their youth, entered a little tougher from a tussle with Memphis in DC. This laisse-fair attitude might get it done some nights, but bring that attitude against some lesser-known brawlers like Cincinnati or West Virginia, and you have an upset in the making.

First conference game? You'd have never known it as Monroe thoroughly out played the UConn All-American Hasheem Thabeeet.

3. Go Right AT Thabeet. Yes, he blocked some shots tonight, but I continue to be largely unimpressed with the 7'3'' junior. He is a non-factor on offense, and the Hoyas were not intimidated by him defensively. The best way to attack a shot blocker is to go right at him. Georgetown did all night.

4. Move on Offense. The Hoyas disciplined back-cutting and motion baffled the Huskies all night and got them layups and good shooting angles. You are not going to clear out and go one on one and beat them. That allows them to funnel traffic to their 7'3'' fly swatter. You have to move the ball, backcut and create lanes. Georgetown did this well.

5. Don't be Afraid to Push Tempo. Second best way to thwart a shot blocker? Beat him down the court. Georgetown was able to create easy shot opportunities and free throw attempts by pushing the ball when they had numbers. If they didn't, right back out into the motion "Princeton" style offense to get a good shot.

The road doesn't get any easier for Georgetown (Pitt and ND are up next), but a win AT Connecticut is a heck of a way to start the conference season!

Technical Foul - Stanford Obliterates Texas Tech

The Stanford Cardinal ran their record to 9-0 under first-year coach Johnny Dawkins (1986 National POY, by the way) with a 111-66 win over Texas Tech. The Red Raiders seemed an outside tourney contender going into the season, but are looking more like a team that will struggle to find .500. Perhaps Bob Knight knew what he was doing when he fled to the comfort of ESPN's booth in the middle of last season!



Stanford gets their first high-profile game of the year Friday when they take on high-flying James Harden and the Arizona State Sun Devils in Palo Alto.

Monday Hoops Guide

Most people love the Christmas break, but it is pure agony for us hardcore college hoops fans. Thankfully things get heated up again tonight with a bevy of good (and two great) games.

MONDAY GUIDE:

6PM Murray St. @ Niagara - Not exactly a game to TiVo, but it does provide an interesting look at two teams who could be auditioning for the Cinderella role in a few months.

7PM Georgetown @ UConn - It doesn't get much better than this; two premier programs square off in a nice conference opening measuring stick game. How will freshman Greg Monroe handle Hasheem Thabeet inside? The answer to that will go a long way to determining if Georgetown can keep this a contest.

7PM Temple @ Villanova - Temple seems to go 17-12 or worse every year, but still lurks as a giant killer prone to springing a few upsets annualy. Throw in the Big 5 Palestra magic, and you have an interesting test for Jay Wright's Wildcats heading into conference play.

8PM Portland St. @ Baylor - The Vikings have slain one Goliath this year in Gonzaga. They get another chance tonight at Baylor. I think Scott Drew will mention something about that Zag game sometime before tipoff, don't you?

9PM Davidson @ Charleston - I really love this game, one of the hidden gems of the season. Read more here.

9PM Cincinnati @ Memphis - A rivaly harkening back to days of the old Metro conference. Cincinnati can ill-aford many losses before tackling the Big East guantlet if they harbor any aspirations of returning to the big dance. Memphis has used a strong non-conference resume to boost up their mediocre C-USA schedule for the past few years. So far this year, all they have to boast are losses to Gerogetown, Syracuse and Xavier. The Tigers really need a win to stay in the mix for a Top 4 seed in March.

Maniacs Monday Picks:
UConn -7
Temple +8.5
Cincinnati + 13 (LOCK!)
Buffalo +1.5 (Colorado)
Baylor -12
.

Small Town Big Time: Davidson Visits Charleston in SoCon Shootout

While most of the hoops nation will be fastidiously devouring UConn v. Georgetown tonight, there is another HUGE conference matchup that slips under the radar. Davidson and the Steph Curry road show travel to 10-1 conference foe Charleston in a game that has huge NCAA Tourney implications.

Think I am exaggerating? Consider this: What does the committee do with Davidson should they go, say 14-2 in conference and lose the automatic bid to Charleston? Do you think there is any way the Wildcats are NOT invited? With the schedule and the wins they have piled up, plus the holdover credit from last March's captivating run (I know, it is this season that counts, but the committee is human - and Davidson is a household name now) Davidson is a lock barring a complete meltdown.

If they slip to an invite rather than automatic bid, somewhere in SEC, Big12, Big 10, ACC country, someone is going to the NIT.

Charleston on the other hand is a different story. Other than their sacrificial lamb visit to Chapel Hill on Jan 7th, Davidson home and home are their only two chances to legitimize what could be a gaudy record come March. They enter the age 10-1, with wins over South Carolina and TCU, their lone loss a 5-point defeat at Temple. A reasonable, but not bid-inviting schedule. It is not outrageous to project them at 25-5, or even as high as 27-3 at the end of the season. However without a win over Davidson, it STILL might not be enough to punch their dance ticket. The Cougars are a balanced club, with Andrew Goudelack leading the scoring at 17.4 ppg along with four others averaging double figures. This is a stark contrast to the one-headed monster that is Davidson. The Cougars don't have the length and depth that Purdue used to stifle the 'Cats, but they are a very good ball club.

Suffice it to say the Cougars will be ready for Steph and company tonight at Colombia First Arena.
Maniac's Pick: Charleston (+5)
.

Bracketeering Dec 29th - Ranking College Basketball's Elite Teams

It was an extremely interesting and volatile, albeit light, final week of 2008 (and the conclusion of most non-conference games). Several Big East teams righted their seemingly sinking ships (Louisville, West Virginia) while a big blow was struck against mid-majors everywhere when Gonzaga and Xavier let tough big name losses spiral into subsequent not-so-big name losses.

Missouri treated it's newly ranked status like a hot potato, getting throttled by border rival Illinois in their first game as a ranked team. Meanwhile Minnesota seems to like their recent acclaim, running their win streak to an impressive 12-0.

With conference play around the corner, it is starting to become clear that some leagues are loaded (Big East, Big Ten), and some have very little to cheer about (SEC, Pac-10). However, it is the two remaining "BSC" conferences (ACC & Big 12) whose inner league seperation will speak volumes as to the March destiny of some A-10, Mountain West and WCC hopefuls.

That said, let's digg into Week 6 of Bracketeering!

Share on Facebook

FINAL FOUR:

1. UNC - The beat keeps on. Expect their number one ranking to be fully intact heading into their Jan 11th trip to Wake Forest.

2. UConn- I like the next two teams listed next, but it is honestly difficult seeing anyone other than UCONN giving the Heels a run for their money. AJ Price was brilliant in last weeks OT thriller over Gonzaga, however it is the play of Adrien and Thabeet that will determine their fate in the big-man loaded Big East.

3. Oklahoma - Basically a week off for Christmas. They have several games beforehand, but it is tough not to look ahead to a January 11th tussle with Texas.

4. Duke - They enjoyed week off for the holidays since their drubbing of Xavier. Butler took a little shine off that win by dusting the Muskies at their place last week, but still no reason not to think Duke has the horses to finish a solid second in the ACC, and compete for a Final Four spot.

ELITE EIGHT:

5. Pitt - They get a real test next Saturday against Georgetown. Win that one, and we might have to finally give in and slot the Panthers up a notch.

6. Purdue - Two tread-water wins over instate foes IPFW and Valpo this week are nothing to get to jazzed about. Their Tuesday tussle with Illinois (12-1 with a 2-pt loss to Clemson on a neutral floor) is a really good game. I would be surprised if it isn't between two ranked foes after the polls come out tomorrow.

7. Notre Dame - Aren't we so so fickle? Everyone (me included) LOVED the Irish going into the season. I am pretty sure I pegged their early season tilt with UNC as the best non-conference game of the season. We know how that one went. Then the loss to Ohio State while Harangody had pneumonia...and we forgot all about them. Time to wake up. The Irish are still Final Four-talented, and get a few more tune-ups (DePaul, St. John's) before the Big East gauntlet begins in earnest.

We're still hanging around...

8. Wake Forest - Ok, ECU isn't going to the tourney, but the Deacons 41 point win over them got our attention. Jeff Teague is a legit All-American candidate, and is probably the best major school player people have never heard of. He gets his chance to announce his presence in two weeks when the Tarheels come to Winston Salem.

Sweet and lurking: The next tier (in order)

9. Syracuse - I still like this club, especially now that the Devendorf saga has been put to rest. Next big question? How does their front line stack up when they start tussling with Pitt, UConn, Notre Dame and Georgetown??

10. Georgetown - Said it once, but worth repeating, things are going great so far for the Hoyas, but their stretch from Dec 29th - Jan 6th is BRUTAL (UConn, Notre Dame and Pitt). Survive that unblemished? #2 is realistic. After that things let up with Duke and Syracuse.

11. UCLA - Put them in the Notre Dame category; we forgot about the Bruins a little too soon. Keep in mind, this team is experienced and returns a lot from their Final Four team (third consecutive appearance, by the way), including star PG Darren Collison. Factor in a down Pac-10, and there is no reason they shouldn't be positioned with a 1 or 2 seed to mount a run for their fourth consecutive Final Four in March.

12. Michigan St. - Another team with a virtual week off, but that Texas win leaves a nice impression. However, given the total body of work, it was tough to keep them ahead of -

13. Texas - Yes, they lost a virtual home game to Michigan State, but that is the beauty of college hoops. That loss won't derail their chances. They won a nail biter against an always tough Wisconsin squad. They still appear to be on track for a great season. If only Colt McCoy were so fortunate...

14. UCLA - Time to stop punishing them for two close losses. The Michigan loss seems more reasonable after their handling of Duke, and losing @ Texas is no embarrassment. As J'Rue Holliday gets more comfortable, the Bruins are looking more comfortable winning a down Pac-10.

15. Louisville - Pitino shook up the lineup for their game against UAB, opting to get the ball out of erratic PG Edgar Sosa'a hands. The result? A 20-point thrashing. No one questions Louisville's talent. The question is, can they keep it together for a brutal Big East schedule?

16. Michigan - For yet another week, the Wolverines STAY at #16. I am looking forward to Wednesday's game hosting Wisconsin (who gave Texas a handful) and Saturday when the Illini come to town. Either way, the Wolverines will be moving somewhere next week.

I fought long and hard keeping them ahead of Baylor and Illinois

Slippin': The Maniac drops the hammer

Xavier - Um, uh oh. The Duke loss was a warning sign. The Butler loss was a road flare. This team needs to find consistent offensive production and start canning some free throws or else that #7 ranking might be a disappointing memory when they are sweating on Selection Sunday.

Gonzaga - The UConn loss was demoralizing. However the hangover loss to Portland St. damages their resume come seeding time. January 7th and Feb 7th games against Tennessee and Memphis might be the last chance for the Zags to erase those losses in the committee's eyes.

Portland State might have pulled down more than a rebound...

Tennessee- I know they should be moving up our rankings after the win over Marquette.We were ready to... then they go and play a 79-77 squeaker against Belmont. If it is any consolation, Coach K sends his congratulations for beating a tough, gutty ball club.

Closing In...
Baylor, Illinois, St. Mary's, Texas A&M, Villanova, Butler, Tennessee, UNLV, Butler, West Virginia, Stanford

Half Court Heaves: Long shots worth keeping an eye on
Evansville, Dayton, VMI, Illinois-Chicago, Boston College, Illinois St, Charleston, IUPUI, Niagara, LSU, BYU, George Mason

Best Games - Under the Radar Sunday

There are a couple really intriguing games that most people will miss today.

First, how about Drake traveling to Evansville in an early-season MVC battle. The purple Aces are the newest members to the Valley, while Drake was a shocking champion in 2008. Both teams are solid conference champion contenders. Today's game goes a long way to determining it, even though it is only December.

Next, Western Kentucky travels to Florida St. This is the kind of ballgame Florida State can NOT lose if it harbors any notions of breaking their NIT streak. They are off to a solid start at 11-2, with wins over Cincinnati and Florida, with quality losses to Pitt and one disappointment Northwestern. Western Kentucky has been a bit of an enigma, slaughtering Louisville on the road, and turning around and losing to Murray State and Evansville by 28 and 32 respectivly.

And finally Texas Tech travels to Stanford. The Cardinal boasts an 8-0 record, but has been largely untested. Texas Tech has put up 173 points in a single game...but has also lost to Lamar and UTEP in back to back games. The Red Raiders need a big win before heading into the Big 12 schedule.

Maniacs Picks: Evansville -2, FSU - 5.5, Stanford -9

Buckeyes Routed by Mountaineers

Ohio St. came into the game boating the nation's longest win streak at 14 games.

They left a humbled bunch.

West Virginia used a second half explosion and displayed Coach Huggins' legendary toughness to bully the Buckeyes all over the court. At MarchManiacs.com we talk a lot about "measuring stick" games. These are when similarly ranked teams from power confernces square off. It tells you a lot about the conference's relative strength.

The 76-48 drubbing of Ohio St speaks very well for a Big East conference that was surprisingly equalled in the early going by the Big 10. It is tougher to argue the Big East isn't the best conference in the nation after this contest.

Conference Christmas Report Card: Big 12

Conference Recap: Big 12

The Big 12 has always had a Playboy physique: immense on top, and trim at the bottom.

This year doesn't seem to be a notable exception, but the meat in the middle is a bit of a surprise. Baylor has been steady as the conference's 3rd best team, suffering their only loss of the season to unbeaten Wake Forest. Texas A&M and Missouri have been pleasant early season surprises, while Kansas has performed admirably reloading after the mass departures from their championship squad.

When you think about it, not a BAD build at all...

The strength of this conference is definitely at the top. Oklahoma looks like one of a small handful of challengers to North Carolina and Blake Griffin has to be the leader for the Naismith Award at the turn. Texas has played a daunting schedule, but has performed well in MOST tests, and looks to be no worse than a second weekend NCAA Tourney team.

The bottom of the conference is not outstanding, but is not terrible either. Oklahoma St and Kansas St. will win some ballgames and look like possible NIT teams. Texas Tech has been disappointing, but even Nebraska, Iowa State and Colorado are not as bad as some leagues bottoms (Big East, Pac-10).

All in all, it's been a pretty good start to the season for the Big 12. Missouri's latest loss to Illinois notwithstanding they still have two elite teams, three more likely tourney teams, and two or three who could make it interesting. That makes the Big 12 one of the deepest conferences in the country.

"Pre" Season Grade: A- (click for game details)

Tourney Outlook:

Locks: Oklahoma, Texas, Baylor
Likely: Kansas, Texas A&M
Hopeful: Missouri
Longshot: Oklahoma St, Texas Tech, Nebraska
Nope: Kansas St, Colorado, Iowa St.

Big 12: Early Season Game Break Down

Not so much a "read and enjoy" post, but a good synopsis of the Big 12's, game by game early season performance.

Hang Your Hat: Marquee Wins

• Oklahoma 87-82 over Purdue (N)
• Texas 68-64 over UCLA
• Texas 67-58 over Villanova (N)

Quality Wins:

• Oklahoma 72-68 over Davidson
• Oklahoma 77-67 over UAB
• Oklahoma 73-72 over USC
• Oklahoma 70-52 over Utah
• Oklahoma 81-70 over VCU
• Texas 68-50 over St. Joe's
• Texas 70-57 over Oregon
• Baylor 72-56 over Providence
• Baylor 87-78 @ Arizona St.
• Baylor 58-52 over Washington St.
• Texas A&M 67-66 over Arizona
• Texas A&M 86-78 @ Alabama
• Texas A&M 72-61 LSU
• Missouri 83-72 over Arizona St. (N)
• Missouri 93-66 over Cal
• Missouri 75-64 over Murray St.
• Kansas 71-59 over Temple
• Kansas 73-54 over Washington
• Nebraska 62-50 over TCU
• Nebraska 71-57 over St. Louis
• Nebraska 54-52 over Creighton
• Texas Tech 77-73 over Mississippi St.
• Texas Tech 72-69 over Wichita St.
• Oklahoma St. 91-73 over Tulsa
• Oklahoma St. 86-82 over Rhode Island
• Kansas St. 69-59 over Cleveland St.
• Kansas St. 66-62 over Rhode Island
• Iowa St. 79-61 over Wisc-Milwaukee
• Iowa St. 63-50 over Oregon St.

Measuring Stick Games:

WINS:

• Oklahoma 87-82 over Purdue (N)
• Texas 68-64 over UCLA
• Texas 67-58 over Villanova (N)
• Oklahoma 87-82 over Purdue (N)
• Oklahoma 87-82 over Purdue (N)

LOSSES:

• Texas 63-67 to Michigan St.
• Texas 81-80 to Notre Dame (N)

Nothing Shameful: Quality Losses

• Texas 63-67 to Michigan St.
• Texas 81-80 to Notre Dame (N)
• Baylor 74-87 to Wake Forest (N)
• Missouri 75-71 to Xavier (N)
• Kansas 81-89 to Syracuse (N)
• Texas Tech 67-80 to Pitt
• Oklahoma St. 71-83 Gonzaga (N)
• Oklahoma St. 79-94 Michigan St. (N)
• Kansas St. 72-74 Kentucky
• Kansas St. 63-65 @ Iowa
• Kansas St. 70-75 @ Oregon
• Iowa St. 63-66 to Drake
• Colorado 62-76 @ Stanford

Stink Bombs:

• Texas A&M 56-67 @ Tulsa
• Kansas 61-60 UMass (home)
• Nebraska 44-64 @Arizona St
• Nebraska 63-64 (home) Oregon St.
• Texas Tech 78-96 @ UTEP
• Texas Tech 79-85 @ Lamar
• Oklahoma St. 65-83 @ Washington
• Iowa St. 59-60 Hawaii
• Iowa St. 57-73 @ Iowa
• Colorado 46-62 TCU

Hangover? Gonzaga Drops Shocker to Portland State

"Does anybody know what a hangover is?

Does that mean you're drunk?!?

Noooo... it means I was drunk yesterday."
~ School of Rock

Someone should have slipped the Zags some Chaser after Saturday's gut-wrenching come-from-behind loss to #2 Connecticut. It was obvious the Bulldogs were still feeling a little groggy.

Portland State (the Vikings, not to be confused with Portland (the Pilots, who are a reasonable conference foe) of the Big Sky conference downed the Zags 77-70, making the most of 25 points from Jeremiah Dominguez. The Vikings utilized a small lineup all night to counter the Zags tremendous size and length.

It is not a strategy that usually works, but it did tonight.

Gonzaga has the holidays to regroup before traveling to Utah and Tennessee is two final pre-conference tests.

For the Meeks of Heart: Kentucky Sensation Jodie Meeks Goes on Scoring Spree

There wasn't much to cheer about in the early going for Billy Gillespie's Cats.

Jodie Meeks is seeing to it that changes.

The 6'4'' junior dropped a career-high 46 points on Saturday night. Since 1961, only seven Cats have topped the 40-point mark. Of those seven, only one followed it up with a performance eclipsing 20-points in their subsequent game.

Meeks had that knocked out by halftime against Tennessee Tech. Jodie hit 7-9 from distance in the first half, and then played sparingly in the second half (the Cats were up by 40-50 much of the half). He finished with 32, giving him one of the most prolific 2-game runs in Kentucky basketball history.

Can he translate that success when they reach conference play?

If so, they will be dancing once again in Lexington.

Bounce: Xaver Looks to Rebound Against Butler

One of the better games 95% of you will not get to see as Butler travels down I-74 to visit the Cintas Center and the recently torched Muskies. There is little that is going to erase the sting of the drubbing X suffered at the fork of the Devils, but win tonight, and it is difficult to be upset with the Muskies 2008 start.

Butler on the other hand has NOT been able to do what the Bulldogs have become famous for of late, namely upsetting ranked foes. Tonight is their final opportunity of the season (barring NCAA Tourney play or a bizarre scenario in which a Horizon opponent cracks the Top 25).

Both Butler and Xavier enter the game 9-1. Whoever tacks a ten on will have a nice Christmas (or X-mas) present for sure.

Bracketeering - College Basketball Rankings Dec 22nd

What a difference a week makes. Big name school asserted themselves (UConn, Duke, Michigan St.) "mid-majors" looked middling (Xavier, Davidson), and a few big conference unheralded squads began to place themselves squarely into the Bracketeering discussion (Minnesota, Clemson).

Little changed at the top; at the VERY top that is, other than another great addition to history, as Tyler Hansbrough eclipsed Phil Ford's 30-year standing as the leading scorer in the illustrious history of North Carolina basketball. Up next? Tyler sets his sights on JJ Reddick's ACC mark (our guesss? expect sometime in February...hey, what else is in February? Oh yeah, a trip to Cameron Indoor...hmmm)

That said, let's digg into Week 5 of Bracketeering!

Share on Facebook

FINAL FOUR:

1. UNC - Perhaps they just beat everyone by twenty; they did the same to Evansville and Valpo this week. Other 20-point victims this year? Kentucky, Notre Dame and Michigan St.

2. UConn- Speaking of "focus." I think we all see what can happen when the Huskies hunker down. This team is loaded, loaded, loaded with AJ Price an excellent equivalent to Ty Lawson at the point. There are some reason to grade this team tough (schedule, close games to sub RPI-100 teams) but lets be truthful. No one else has the depth or horses (other than maybe Duke) to give UNC a game.

3. Oklahoma - I love these guys more every time I watch them. Wins over VCU may not pique the nation's fancy; but they are a good sign this team possesses the focus to not stumble in the second round come March.

4. Duke - Michigan game aside (the second one, when Scheyer and Singler went icicles against the 1-3-1 halfcourt) this has been the second best team in the country. Their thorough dismantling of Xavier Saturday looked like a Final Four team. They are versatile (Singler, Henderson), deep (nine players solid - I know, "Paulus sucks" but name me a better backup PG in America??), and tenacious defensively. This team scored 21 points and forced a half dozen turnovers before giving up a single bucket to a very good Xavier club.

ELITE EIGHT:

5. Pitt - Nice win over Florida State. Pitt is good. An eight point win over Florida State is not enough to put them in the Top 4. They will take on their first ranked opponent Jan 3rd @ Georgetown. I am looking forward to that game, it should be a nice unveiling for Sam Young, LaVance Fields and company.

6. Purdue - This is a complete ballclub when they are getting offensive contributions from their point guards and bigs like they did against Davidson Saturday. E'Twan Moore has not been "All-American" good like some media outlets projected, but Purdue plays a fluid team style that does not lend to statistics. The defensive effort of Chris Kramer on Steph Curry this weekend was masterful. Purdue is a contender in an absolutely fantastic Big 10.

7. Ohio State - The Elite 8 numbers six through eight was tough this week. The AP poll give you: Wake Forest, Gonzaga & Notre Dame. Two of those teams have TWO losses; the other (Wake Forest) I defy any of our readers to make a compelling case that they are the 6th best team in America. Meanwhile the unbeaten Bucks languish in the low teens. If the pre-season polls had them ranked, they would be #4 right now. We at least have them 7th. And that's probably why you are one of our readers. .. (we appreciate it, b.t.w.)

8. Gonzaga - A loss yes, but not one to drop them in Bracketeering. An overtime loss to the 2nd best team in the nation should not be a crippler. But, the Arizona loss has us a little uneasy (particularly after they got housed by UNLV on Saturday). Gonzaga is really good, but seems to be teetering a bit on underachieveing...

Sweet and lurking: The next tier (in order)

9. Syracuse - The AP poll has them 17th this week. The buzzer beater loss to Cleveland State? Yup, a bad one. The subsequent road win at Memphis minus Devendorf makes up for it. If you are scoring at home, Boeheim's December bakery run has been replaced with wins over Florida, Kansas and the aforementioned Tigers.

10. Wake Forest - Undefeated still, but we have a little different criteria to move UP than the AP poll does (their criteria? "teams losing ahead of you while you munch cupcakes") Honestly, do you think this is the 6th best team in the country?? Other than the win over Baylor, there is little to brag about pre-ACC.

11. Georgetown - Things are going great so far for the Hoyas, but their stretch from Dec 29th - Jan 6th is BRUTAL (UConn, Notre Dame and Pitt). Survive that unblemished? #2 is realistic. Let's win ONE first though...

12. Notre Dame - My highest ranked 2-loss club other than Gonzaga. They get a free pass for the UNC loss, I think most of us were amazed by HOW good UNC is; that win was the grand unveiling. However, with Harangody healthy again, this is a legit Final Four caliber team.

13. Michigan St. - They firmly handled Texas in Dallas. Izzo's teams are always better in March than November. If they are as good as they looked in Dallas this weekend, look out.

14. UCLA - Time to stop punishing them for two close losses. The Michigan loss seems more reasonable after their handling of Duke, and losing @ Texas is no embarrassment. As J'Rue Holliday gets more comfortable, the Bruins are looking more comfortable winning a down Pac-10.

15. Missouri - Their only loss was a last-minute defeat to Xavier in Puerto Rico. They have beaten Cal and Arizona State handily. Their game tonight against Illinois is a quiet GREAT game. I like them at #15 over more heralded conference mate Baylor. Tonight will show me if I am right.

16. Michigan - The Big Ten is legit. Their could easily be 6 teams in the top 16 if I was ready to consider Minnesota "good" more than I consider Louisville "un-good". Michigan's wins over UCLA and Duke stand on their own. However, since then, the Wolverines have been biding time tackling stalwarts like Florida Gulf Coast and Oakland. Since they haven't played anyone, it is hard to move them up - and their wins haven't gotten any LESS impressive. So for now - they stay at #16.

They resume basketball next week playing Wisconsin and Illinois. Win those and we can consider moving them up.


Slippin': The Maniac drops the hammer

Xavier - It hurts, but lets be honest. Saturday showed that senior BJ Raymond was right when he called the Muskies "the worst undefeated team in the country."

Yes! I agree! #7 was WAY too high!

Louisville - This season reminds me of '05 for the Cards. Preseason Top 5 ranking. A few big name returners, a big-time heralded recruit coming, and disappointing loss after disappointing loss. Cards fans hope this year doesn't end in similar Spring kNITinng.

Texas - The polls won't punish them as hard as we will for the Michigan State loss... because it is NOT about the Michigan State game. It is the back-to-back somnambulistic performances versus in-state corpses Texas St & Texas Southern.


Closing In...
Villanova, Illinois, St. Mary's, Baylor, Tennessee, UNLV, Butler

Half Court Heaves: Long shots worth keeping an eye on
Drake, Kentucky, Dayton, VMI, Illinois-Chicago, Evansville, Boston College, Texas A&M, Houston, Illinois St, Charleston, IUPUI

Davidson might have even more to worry about; Charleston can PLAY..

LOOKING BACK...
Intriguing...Now Come Out and Play! (Copied from LAST week - let's see each team's responses)

Minnesota (10-0) - Georgia St, Virginia, Bowling Green (yes, those are their "best" wins)
Went out and whooped Lousiville. "Nuff Said. Tubby has more than just getting to the tourney on his mind from here on out.

Stanford (5-0) - Air Force, Colorado, Colorado St. (that's right, you're my bitch Colorado!)
Nice home win over Northwestern. Still have some proving to do.

LSU (7-0) - This list is simply awesome, I shall post it in it's entirety: Troy, Centenary, CSU Fullerton, Jackson St, Alcorn St, Grambling St, Northwestern St. (3-0 vs. the SWAC!!)
Lost to Texas A&M by a dozen. Oh well, there's always the SWAC tournament...

Tiger Pause - Clemson answers questions with 91-72 rout of Miami

If you are a Clemson fan, you have done this dance before; start strong, rack up 10,11 wins on cupcakes, then get to the ACC season and have the wheels fall off.

In fact, basketball aficionados are so familiar with the Clemson Cupcake Shuffle, that they are just barely sniffing the Top 25 despite being 11-0.

That should change Monday. The Tigers routed Miami, who going into the season was though to be a 2-4 ACC team. Despite a few early season losses, the Canes have hung around the polls enough to constitute the first true test for the Tigers.

The Tigers were led by outstanding guard KC Rivers' 28 points.

Up Next: Clemson: @ S.Carolina (Dec 30th) Miami: @ St. Johns (Dec 27th)

Reality Check - Tough Day for "Mid-Majors" Xavier, Davidson and Gonzaga

"And David took the rock, and slung it." ~ Hoosiers 1986 (or, um...The Bible)



The dream. Anything is possible. The underdog raising up to slay the beast.

And other than "gambling" it is the primary reason March Madness has become, well, "Madness." Without the little guy, it's just basketball. And as wonderful as the game is, it isn't enough for the entire entertainment starved masses. We need drama. We need someone to root for.

We need the little guy.

Today several had a chance to reach into David's pack and slay the Philestine. Two missed really badly. Like, Florida State "Wide-Right" badly... it was kind of ugly. And the third, so long the David that they have evolved into other David's Goliath, struck a mighty blow that wobbled, but failed to topple the giant.

Xavier faced Duke for the first time since their Elite Eight matchup in 2003. For the Muskies it was rarified, never before reached heights. For Duke, just another Final Four run. With one minute to go, the muskies trailed by only two. It was as close as they would come.

Today, John Scheyer had netted 14 points before the X-Men made a bucket. By the time the hemoraging stopped, Duke had amassed a 21-1 lead. Don't let the final score fool you. This one was never, ever close. Duke outshot, out-defended, out hustled and out-played the Muskies for 35 minutes. The last 5 were just mercy. At half the Muskies were facing a 55-24 deficit.

Facing a Top 5 opponent on a nuetral floor for a program like Xavier is thought to be no worse than a "good loss."

Today was not a good loss. It reinforces the perception that Sean Miller and the Muskies fight so hard to change; they are a nice ballclub. But not in the same league as the elite.

Hard to argue after today.

The same story for Davidson. They took the Steph Curry road show to Indianapolis to face the basically at-home Purdue Boilermakers. I had the opportunity to cover the game live, and it was also broadcast nationally (unless you lucked into Gonzaga/UConn) on CBS. CBS got to collect money from their sponsers on FOUR commericial breaks before Davison put the ball in the basket.

21-0. Blackjack. The house wins again.

I admit (and those of you who have read for a while already know) I have a man-crush of Steph Curry. It is the first time in my adult life I have a favorite player. It feels wierd kow that most players are younger than me... like "grow up dude" or something like that.

Whatever. I was jazzed to see Curry live.

I think I like him better on TV. Watching the game without the tight ball-centric camera shots reniforced many of the things pro scouts have voiced concern over Steph's game. He struggled to create open looks against taller and more physical defender. Hummel's length was too much, and Kramer (not taller than Steph) out muscled him, got over every screen, never ducked a ball screen and hounded him everywhere.

Curry threw at least five passes that would earn you a lap at most high school practices. Bad passes into windows only Brett Farve would attempt to throw into. Like Farve, Steph dropped a few nice dimes... and threw some ridiculous picks.

End of the day? 5-26 from the floor, 6 turnovers.

Oh yeah, Davidson got pummeled. (Another "score doesn't reflect the carnage" game)

Long Long Day...

Gonzaga hardly constitutes a "mid-major" these days, but from a broader historical context, they are the most unlikely power program in the tourney expansion era. A small private Jesuit school in Spokane, Washington playing in the WCC should NOT recruit, play and perform like they do.

That said; beating #2 UConn is still a whole different animal. Largely considered the primary contender (along with Oklahoma) to UNC's otherwise inevitable destiny, the Huskies trailed by 11 with 11 minutes to play. It looked as if the Zags were going to put yet another Ginat in their ever-expanding collection.

But the Huskies answered a plaguing question (Are they tough enough?) with a resounding YES. AJ Price led a relentless comeback capped with a game tying 3-pointer with 8 seconds remaining. He pumped his fist. Then retreated on defense to strip Pargo and force overtime.

From there, the Huskies used their size to pound away inside.

Another win for the big guys.

Kaiser So-Says!

The Kaiser looks to rebound from a tough start with a good Saturday. He will probably watch his beloved 'Cuse with one eye closed, as they travel to Memphis without Devendorf...

temple + 10 (kansas)

gonzaga -3.5 (conn)

virginia -3.5 (aub)

stanford -5.5 (nw)

usf-2 (murray st)

purdue -4.5 davidson

Shootout Saturday Picks

Great great great day of college hoops!

Here are the Maniac's Picks:

Louisville -8 @ Minnesota
Michigan St. @ Texas -6.5
North Carolina -28 @ Valparaiso
Duke v Xavier +5.5
Temple +9.5 @ Kansas
South Florida @ Murray St. +1.5
Arizona +1 @ UNLV
Providence @ Boston College +4.5
Iowa +1 @ Drake (LOCK)
UCONN +3.5 @ Gonzaga
Davidson +5 @ Purdue (LOCK)
BYU +3 @ Arizona St.
LSU @ Texas A&M +1.5
Syracuse @ Memphis -8.5
Florida v. UCF +15 (in Jacksonville)
Rhode Island +4 @ Oklahoma St.
VCU +17.5 @ Oklahoma

Guide to the Best Hoops Day of the Year!

...excluding the tourney of course.

Saturday is a smorgasbord of big-time games. I am sure most hoop fans are well aware that UConn travels out to Seattle to tackle Gonzaga and that Duke and Xavier will meet in the Meadowlands. However, there are a dozen of more games on Saturday worth catching.

Miami (OH) @ West Virginia - WVU has played some decent foes already, and lost to them. Kentucky held them to 43 points and Steph Curry rallied to beat them in th last two minutes in the Garden. Miami (OH) has three losses. To UCLA, Pitt & Xavier. Suffice it to say they will not be intimidated by the Moutaineers.

Duke vs. Xavier (Meadowlands, NJ) - A really intersting and fantastic game. For a complete breakdown, click here.

Michigan St @ Texas - Michigan State has been dissapointing early, failing their only true test of the season miserably (losses to Maryland and UNC by 18 & 35 respectivly). Texas slepwalked through closer-than-expected wins over hapless instate foes Texas Southern, and Texas St. A win in this game keeps Texas on pace with Oklahoma on the One Line come selection Sunday. A win for Michigan St. rights the ship heading into Big Ten play.

Louisville @ Minnesota - Minnesota is unbeaten so far. Conisder them 0-0 going into this one. Lousiville brings Tubby's Gophers their first true test. With a win, the should be ranked for Christmas. A loss? In the eyes of most true college hoops fans, they are 0-1.

Temple @ Kansas - Kansas already has one loss to A-10 foe UMass. Temple will look to add a second.

Arizona @ UNLV - The Wildcats are fresh off their upset win over Gonzaga. UNLV has flown under the radar for the past few years, but Lon Kreuger seems to always have a tough squad come March. Arizona entered the season in turmoil; coaching upheaval, Brandon Jennings in Europe, BUT don't overlook the talent on this squad. This game seems like a perfect 7-10 NCAA tourney game to me.

Davidson @ Purdue (Indianapolis, IN) - Is Purdue the Final Four contender people thought entering the season, or are they the team that was emasculated by Duke on their home floor? Davidson is in year two of dragon-slaying. They have been so good in that role that they won't be big underdogs in this one.

Providence @ Boston College - Two middle of the pack teams from major conferences collide in a game that means a ton to each schools slim post season chances.

LSU @ Texas A&M - LSU takes a break from their brutal SWAC confernce schedule to play a fellow BCS school. A&M has already beaten Arizona, but it is really tough to project what they will be facing when LSU plays it's first real game of the year.

BYU @ Arizona St. - GREAT game under the radar. Both of these team feature NBA first-rounders in James Harden and Lee Cummard. Both teams need a solid resume building win to play in the 4-6 saeed range. BUY enters 10-0, Arizona St with just the one defeat to Baylor (though the needed overtime to beat IUPUI by one in their last contest).

Syracuse @ Memphis - For a team that lives off it's non-conference success to validate its lackluster conference strength, Memphis has missed a few golden opportunities this year, but gets another one when the Orange come to town. They have already lost tough games to Xavier and Georgetown. This is likely their last chance to beat a ranked foe this season. Without that win, even if the run the C-USA table, it is hard to see them any better than a #4 come March.

Florida @ UCF - On paper, a total mismatch, but this game means a LOT more to UCF than it does the Gators. The Gators appear to be a little better on paper than in practice, and expect UCF to give their absolute best in this one. This is my longshot upset special of the day.

Iowa @ Drake - Drake is coming off the best (and first decent) season in three decades. Tonight the get a shot to show in-state giant Iowa that they are still here to play.

VCU @ Oklahoma - This is exactly the kind of preparation Oklahoma needs for the Big Dance. VCU is tough, scrappy, experienced and not afraid of Oklahoma. Oklahoma SHOULD win, but the question is, will they bring their A game against a smaller-name opponent?

Beast Roars Back - UC, Lousiville Capture Big East Wins

Cincinnati dispatched easily of Mississippi St in the opener, and Louisville made for an unwelcome return to the Queen City for former Bearcat interim-coach Andy Kennedy and Ole Miss. Or was that his cab driver! Rimshot!

Taxi!! Taxi!!!!

Louisville walked away with a quality win, but looked like a far cry to be a potential challenger to the North Carolina throne of greatness. Defensively, the Cards were typically tough, holding Mississippi star Chris Warren to 5-20 shooting (and .319 as a team). However the Cards also shot under 40% from the floor in a game that was..ehm, "less than aesthetically pleasing."

With the pair of wins, the Big East and SEC split the inaugural Challenge.

Maniac's Thursday Picks

A great night for college hoops - Tyler Hansbrough will likely become the leading scorer in the vaunted history of North Carolina basketball. While the matchup against Evansville isn't a likely competitive game, it will be a nice celebration of what is great about college basketball.

In other games, Cincinnati and Louisville will host a pair of Mississippi foes in the Queen City in the second half of the Big East - SEC Challenge.

Maniac's Picks:

Mississippi St @ Cincinnati -5
Evansville +30 @ North Carolina
Mississippi +16 @ Louisville (game in Cincinnati)

All Aboard!! The Seth Curry Bandwagon Grows

Well is seems USA Today and ESPN have gotten on board this week, a couple nice articles on Seth Curry. Just let the record reflect we said here on MarchManiacs.com TWO WEEKS ago!

Good articles though - enjoy.

2 Wins For the SEC, Tennessee Finishes Strong at Marquette

Wayne Chism dropped 26 points to go with 11 boards and Tennessee's defense stifled Marquette down the stretch to grab a much-needed non-conference marquee win for the Vols, and for the SEC.

Tennessee is the clear favorite to win the struggling conference, especially with Florida, Kentucky and Alabama looking underwhelming in the early going.

In the other Big East - SEC tilt, Vandy easily dropped hapless South Florida. I have NO idea HOW South Florida was selected to participate with 16 Big East teams to choose from, but perhaps they were required to throw the SEC a bone...

Two great yardstick games conclude the four-game challenge on Thursday when Cincinnati hosts Mississippi St. and Mississipi locks up with Louisville, and in brief interim coach (UC will host both games) Andy Kennedy's return to the Queen City.

The SEC needs to get one, if not both to salvage a disastrous December.

Syracuse Stunned at Buzzer

So that's how that girl's face must have felt (allegedly)...

Cleveland State guard Cedric Jackson struck improbably from 60 feet when his desperation heave...wait for it... smacked off the glass and in for a 72-69 upset victory.

But you can't blame this loss on the Deve' - this is just an example of a team that has overperformed early getting a little to comfy with their ranking. Suspension pending, this team is still an upper-half Big East squad, and that should be good enough to get into the Dance.

Three to Watch

Three teams to keep an eye on that are flying below the main radar:

Liberty (6-2) - We've mentioned the Flames and freshman Seth Curry on MarchManiacs.com before; but this week we get to see if the Flames have enough heat to become a household name come March. Wednesday night they travel to DePaul and Friday night they go to St. Louis. Don't be surprised if Liberty beats one, or even both larger conference foes.


Cleveland St (7-4) - Would you believe we had them slotted here before the Syracuse stunner tonight? We really did actually, because the "stunner" is in regards to the nature of the shot - not the win itself. Yes, they have lost 4 games already, but to the likes of: @Washington, Kansas St, @West Virginia, and to conference foes Butler (on a 3 at the buzzer...karma baby, karma.) All but the Washington loss were by ten or less. The Horizon league is not a gimme for Butler this year, and Cleveland St. is a main reason why. (Illinois-Chicago knocked off Ga Tech last week too - the Horizon league is really good this year.)

By the way - this was Cleveland State's biggest win since the 1986 stunner of Bobby Knight's Hooisers as a #14 seed (second grade memories, remember it like yesterday...)


Evansville (7-1) - No, they are not going to win in Chapel Hill Thursday night. But I can assure you they will give UNC every bit the test that Kentucky and Michigan St. did. Last week they whooped Western Kentucky 72-40. The Missouri Valley has a history of producing Cinderella sleepers. Don't overlook the Valley's newest member this year.

Evansville was actually a very good small-major program throughout the 80's, battling Midwestern Collegiate Conference (now defunct) rival Xavier for conference supremecy in most seasons, and won a tourney game in 1989. Anyone know if they still wear those half-sleeve ladies volleyball-lookin' jerseys?? Just curious.

Wanna keep tabs on some past selections? Visit the search bar on the right and enter keyword: "under the radar"

Bracketeering - Dec 14th

An exciting weekend of college hoops, capped with an "upset" win by Arizona over Gonzaga in Phoenix. I say "upset" simply as an ironic tip-of-the-cap to the mighty Zags. Who would have ever thought a near-home win over Big West Gonzaga would be a storm-the-floor type win for the mighty Wildcats.

Despite all the upheaval in Tuscon, expect the Wildcats to extend the longest NCAA Tourney streak in Div. I come March.

That said, let's digg into Week 4 of Bracketeering!

Share on Facebook

FINAL FOUR:

1. UNC - Not much else to say at this point, but kudos in advance to Tyler Hansbrough, who should pass Phil Ford as UNC's all time leading scorer Thursday night in Chapel Hill.

2. Oklahoma - A solid win over Utah continues to build an impressive resume for the Sooners. Could they be the first program in NCAA history to have the player of the year in football and basketball?

3. UConn- They had the week off. Hopefully to stew on the poor performance at Buffalo. A big date on the 20th in Seattle versus the Zags should be enough to keep them focused.

4. Texas- I know, I know, why does Pitt drop? Because poles are for strippers. We use the eye-test herr (for rankings, not for strippers...well...) Texas has been electric and tested. The win over Villanova in the Garden was impressive enough to overlook the closer-than expected win over Texas State.

ELITE EIGHT:

5. Pitt - Call me when Pitt laces 'em up in January. I think they are very good, but we will have to wait and find out for sure. I know when LaVance Fields is in the lineup, they rarely lose. Then again over the past three weeks, they tackled heavyweights like Vermont (Tyler Coppenrath is two years gone, fellow junkies) and UMBC. Way to stretch yourself Panthers.

6. Duke - What an incredible rare treat looming next Saturday when Duke and Xavier team up in the Meadowlands. A win positions the Dukies to creep back into the Top 5 and stay in the #1 seed dscussion.

7. Xavier - Deep, balanced and incredibly well coached. Have the Muskies reached the point where this could be a destination for Sean Miller rather than a stepping stone? X fans sure hope so.

8. Gonzaga - The gauntlet finally got them. It is probably too stiff a penalty dropping the Zags all the way to #8, but they get a chance to bounce way back up when they meet the #2 Huskies in Key Arena Saturday at 4PM.

Sweet and lurking: The next tier (in order)

9. Louisville - probably still one of the top 5 teams in the nation. That loss to Western Kentucky could be a distant memory in a few more weeks.

10. Ohio St - forget the national polls. This team has consecutive victories over Miami (FL), Notre Dame and Butler. And is undefeated.

11. Syracuse - Can't penalize them for the Devendorf uncertainty (yet). Unblemishe and an uncharacteristically solid schedule.

12. Wake Forest - Is the ACC the Big 3? Wake Forest and lead guard stud Jeff Teague think so. We are starting to believe them.

13. Georgetown - A good RPI-resume builder with Saturday's OT win over Memphis. However, the game showed me some weaknesses that might prove costly when Big East play begins.

14. Davidson - Another reason polls are for strippers, not real basketball fans. If they were in a power conference with their early season resume they'd be no lower than 12th. Instead, they lag behind Notre Dame, UCLA, Arizona St, Michigan St, and several other teams that haven't earned it on the floor yet.

15. Purdue - The Duke game still stings the memory, but this is still a good ballclub that will contend in the better-than-people-realize Big 10 (expect 5, and as many as 7 bids come March).

16. Michigan - I came real close to moving UCLA back in - then thought of WHO their losses were too... oh yeah, MICHIGAN. The Wolverines remain for another week.


Bracket Busts: Some early season disappointments
Michigan St, Memphis, Wichita St, Western Kentucky (look at the losses other than the LVille win), Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, and I keep on piling on the SEC....

Half Court Heaves: Long shots worth keeping an eye on
Clemson, Missouri, Illinois, Butler, VMI, Illinois-Chicago, Evansville, East Carolina,

Intriguing...Now Come Out and Play! (Nice starts, but play someone already!)

Minnesota (10-0) - Georgia St, Virginia, Bowling Green (yes, those are their "best" wins)

Stanford (5-0) - Air Force, Colorado, Colorado St. (that's right, you're my bitch Colorado!)

LSU (7-0) - This list is simply awesome, I shall post it in it's entirety: Troy, Centenary, CSU Fullerton, Jackson St, Alcorn St, Grambling St, Northwestern St. (3-0 vs. the SWAC!!)

Don't Laugh - It'd be the toughest game on their schedule!

Tipping Your Hand

A full deck of Saturday games across the country, and a few teams tipped their hand a bit. Here is a recap of some of the more interesting developments.

Memphis - Can't score in a half-court set. Yes, Georgetown plays smothering defense, but the Tigers struggle when they can't rely on the athleticism of the up-tempo game. They are going to have to find some shooters in a half court set, or expect teams to zone them to death the rest of the season.

Xavier - is really good. Their composure in the Crosstown Shootout left a little to be desired, but CJ Anderson, Dante' Jackson and Terrell Holloway handled the trapping pressure of Cincinnati's defense with aplomb. This team is emerging as a legit Final Four contender.

Atlantic 10 - is not interested in being a "mid-major" conference. Temple dismantled #8 Tennessee, UMass survived for a one-point win against #24 Kansas. Xavier laid it to cross town rival, Big East Cincinnati. Even Duquesne and Richmond looked solid in 5 & 1 point losses respectively to West Virginia and VCU. A good day for the A-10.

Davidson - better keep their eyes open all year. It is easy to have a letdown after the big-opponents they have tangled with so far. After the narrow escape against Chattanooga (1-7) it would be wise to remember the giant bullseye that will be on their back throughout conference play all season. Call Mark Few, he can tell you all about it.

Oklahoma - is good enough to handle some adversity. Blake Griffin was held scoreless from the floor - and they STILL won by 18 over a decent Utah squad.

Kentucky - will be an interesting team to keep an eye on. Yes, Indiana is not good. BUT - if they can bring the same intensity they opened up with Saturday (jumping to 19-2 lead), they have a shot to win a very down SEC.

LSU - needs to play somebody already. The easy wins might pad the record, but here's hoping the selection committee isn't fooled come March.

Tyler Hansbrough - is nine points shy of breaking the all time scoring record at UNC. Yes, he went 4 years where others only played three (Michael Jordan, etc) but anytime you are number one a list that included Phil Ford, James Worthy, Michael Jordan, Jerry Stackhouse, and more...you've done something right.

Kaiser's Saturday Picks

Kaiser So-Says:

Tennessee -6 @ Temple
Memphis @ Georgetown -3.5

Saturday Picks

Maniac Quick Picks - Saturday Dec 13th

We stick with the road less traveled, picking 7 road teams to cover Saturday. Don't be surprised if Butler or Memphis win outright.

Butler +8.5 @ Ohio St.
Tennessee -6 @ Temple
Memphis +3.5 @ Georgetown
Indiana +16.5 @ Kentucky
Utah +14 @ Oklahoma
West Virginia -7 @ Duquesne
W. Kentucky +1 @ Evansville

.

The Game Mottas

Thad Motta has had quite a half-decade. The journey began by bringing an already-competitive Butler program to national prominence. That success parlayed into what has evolved as the best launching pad job in the country at Xavier (Pete Gillen, the late Skip Prosser and Motta). In his second season Motta took the Muskies to an Elite Eight narrow loss to Duke.

Two short years later, he pilaged his old stomping grounds, snatching Indianapolis kids Greg Oden and Mike Conley who spearheaded a National Final appearance for Ohio State as freshman.

Saturday, the journey comes full circle when the Bulldogs visit Columbus to take on the likewise unbeaten Buckeyes. Both teams have been solid early; Ohio St, spectacular in defeating Miami (FL) and Notre Dame last week. Butler enters owning solid wins over Drake and Bradley, but clearly seeking a signature win to stockpile for Selection Sunday when they try to topple the 5-0 Buckeyes.

Both teams have been surprisingly nimble in plugging holes from graduation in 2008. Ohio State has yet to recieve significant contributions from highly touted 7-foot freshman BJ Mullens, but is getting a huge boost from guard Evan Turner (16.6 pt, 8 reb.)

Butler employes a typical balanced attack, with all five starters averaging between 7-13 ppg.


Expect a great contest - for those of you lucky enough to have the game televised! (Game is televised on the Big 10 network - DISH 439)

Kaiser Krushes the Deve

Our resident Syracuse honk and gambling aficionado weighs in with his take on the Eric Devendorf "possible suspension"

Eric Devendorf, what were you thinking? Really? Did you really have to hit that girl? Now I read that this altercation occurred early morning on November 1 which means this happened at a Halloween party. What, did you not like her costume? Did this girl dress up as "Eric Devendorf" for Halloween and you were pissed she had 8 tattoos (obviously THREE short!?) Were you pissed because she asked if you were the frontman for House of Pain? Did you not jump up jump up to get down?

I have nothing against the state of Michigan but this really isn't their year. The Lions and Wolverines just flat out sucked this year, their economy is piss poor (unfortunately), and now Devendorf (hails from Bay City). At least you have Allen Iverson now (er, my bad, the Pistons actually have a losing record since he's arrived). At least you have Rumeal Robinson and Glenn Rice who are probably a combined 650 lbs. Thank goodness Coach Dan was this season's big brother.

So what's next for Devendorf? He still has one more year left of eligibility (thanks to a medical redshirt last yr). So that means that he still might have a chance to win a first round game in the NCAA tourney. I've liked Devendorf ever since he was a freshman and figured he'd be under the tutelage of Gerry Mac (I cant see them 2 hanging out though)...Devendorf, you have 1 more yr to prove yourself so you can make my top 5 of favorite 'Cuse players in the last 15 yrs (currently held by Gerry Mac, Hopkins, Forth, and Cipola). Clean up your act Eric! Hell, since you will be at Syracuse for 5 yrs, maybe, just maybe you can get a college degree?

If not, I look forward to seeing you as the token white guy on the Globetrotters, working at Varsity Pizza, or on one of those trashy reality shows on VH1 as a contestant where you have to eat a creamed pie out of a garbage can in order to go on a 1 on 1 date with a random skank.

Come to think of it, either way sounds pretty entertaining!

This Guy??

I know it will come as a shock to many college basketball fans that a clean-cut, quiet kid like Eric Devendorf could find himself on the wrong side of the law (allegedly). But - if the rumored suspension or dismissal from the team comes to fruition, it is a huge blow to the Cuse's March hopes.

This Syracuse team looked great, not good, great in the early goings, and Johnny Flynn was making a solid case as a second or third team All-American. Without his running mate in Devendorf, look for the pressure to fall squarely on Flynn's shoulders for the rest of the grueling Big East season.

Ok Eric, lets go over this one last time. You can hit jump shots, you can hit the deck... but you cannot hit women. (allegedly)



Read story from ESPN.com HERE