March Maniacs!

Two Early Glimpses at Cinderella

2011-12-11T13:02:00.001-05:00

After yesterday's insane and thrilling day of college hoops, it will be pretty easy for today's light slate to fade into NFL oblivion and go completely unnoticed. However, for you fellow Hoops Maniacs, a fantastic non-conference mid-major matchup is happening today at 2:30 in Huntington, west Virginia when the Iona Gaels visit the Marshall THundering Herd.

Iona is 7-1 on the season, with their only loss a 91-90 overtime thriller to Purdue before Thanksgiving. Marshall enters at 5-2, but their latest loss was a very well-played 6-point loss at Syracuse, who will likely be the #1 team in the country tomorrow morning when the new AP poll is released. Neither team has a glamorous marquee win to hang their hat on, but neither have just fattened up on teams significantly beneath them either. Iona owns wins over Maryland (by 28), St. Joe's (who beat Creighton yesterday) and a good Denver team in overtime, who will compete for the Sun Belt's automatic bid to the tourney.

Marshall's first loss was a two-point overtime loss to Ohio, and it came fresh on the heels of a road win over Cincinnati, before their entire team had their jersey's and perhaps their student-status ripped by Coach Cronin (more).

Both team's are potential pesky #13/#14 seeds come March. It will be interesting to see which can pick up an important seed-jockeying win for the resume today.

MANIAC'S PICK: Marshall -1.5

2011-12-10T17:16:00.001-05:00

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Kentucky @ Indiana Preview

2011-12-10T16:39:00.001-05:00

The Maniac has a guest column on TheSportsGeek.com previewing today's rivalry clash in Bloomington. You can check it out here:

This is Indiana's big litmus test to show if they are in fact legitimately back and an NCAA Tourney caliber team, or if their 8-0 start is aided by a dreadful schedule with only wins over Butler (who is WAY down) and NC State of any value whatsoever.

You'll have to drop in on TheSportsGeek to get the whole breaksdown, but let's just say Cody Zeller is in for a rude awakwning tonight with Anthony Davis lurking inside. He's already pushed his big brother Tyler around last Saturday, this weekend he gets to make it two for two...

You Stay Classy, Cincinnati!

2011-12-10T16:09:00.001-05:00

In all it's splendor...

Here We Go Again - Crosstown Shootout Marred by Late-Game Brawl

2011-12-10T15:07:00.001-05:00

First things first; North Carolina @ Kentucky last week was "intense" and "passionately fought." The Xavier/UC nonsense today was just immaturity and sloppiness. There is a huge difference - please don't let any of the similarly sloppy media coverage convince you sucker punching and brawling equals "intensity." It's just not accurate.

I'm not going to go all Joe Buck/Bob Costas sanctimonious on you here, but it is getting a little ridiculous how impossible it is becoming to talk about basketball after each annual installment of Cincinnati's fabled Crosstown Shootout. Which is a shame too, because it is otherwise fantastic attention for one of the nation's finest college basketball regions in the country.

Here's a few good stories recapping today's nonsense, as well as a few links to previous Maniac Crosstown columns...

Yahoo Sports

2010 Shootout Column

A little classic Crosstown Shootout Audio - Good call Andy Mac!
"First in the Nation - Second in their own city!" LOVE IT!
 "First in the Nation

Peay U - Tennessee Dropped at Home by Austin Peay

2011-12-10T14:20:00.001-05:00

It's a school, just in case the terrible pun headline left you baffled (and wondering why you read the Maniac's work...).

Anyone remember that team three weeks ago that played Duke and Memphis will fantastic toughness just three weeks ago in Maui?? Cuanzo Martin has to be asking himself the same question after today's inexplicable home loss to the Governors.

So, perhaps this is one of those "plucky mid-majors" to keep an eye on for March? Um... NO. The win moved Austin Peay to 2-9 on the season. Losses include the juggernauts that are Bowling Green, Lipscomb and Oral Roberts. Don't even get me started on the vile headlines from an Oral/Peay matchup... the game wasn't the only thing a little tough to... nevermind.

Up until today, Tennessee has three respectable losses, all close, to Memphis in 2OT, Duke, Pitt... and now the Governors of Austin Peay...

Bracketeering - December 7th, 2011

2011-12-06T21:51:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the December 7th edition of Bracketeering, our second installment of the season.

Please direct all complaints, comments and loving hate mail to marchmaniacs@gmail.com

FINAL FOUR:

#1 Ohio State -The clinic they put on last week against Duke was as well played a complete team basketball game as I've seen all season, and exceeded the incredibly high level that last year's team played at. Yes, David Lighty is a big loss and they do not have as pure a shooter as Diebler, but Aaron Craft's growth from 'solid freshman' to 'as good a floor leader as there is in the country' elevates this team to a national championship caliber plane.

This weekend's contest against Kansas will be interesting, as KU has the athleticism but certainly not the basketball talent to beat them - so will the Bucks be as sharp and put them away? If so, this team should enter Big Ten play unbeaten.

#2 Kentucky - Here's a quick prophetic clip from last week's Bracketeering, which called the Kentucky win and had them ranked ahead of the Heels.... it feels so good to be so good....

'The real difference maker, and where I give them the slight edge over North Carolina is the addition of freshman Anthony Davis. Watching his fourteen point, seven block domination over Kansas, I couldn't help but make the extrapolation that he is going to give Zeller and Henson absolute fits.'

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was an absolute revelation for a four minute stretch early inthe second half, and Terrance Jones solidified his legitimacy as a first team All-American. This team is only going to get better, and I still think this is the most talented team in the country. But at this junction, after seeing both play against top tier teams at home, I think Ohio State is a little bit better 'team.'

#3 Syracuse - They moved the ball so crisply and quickly against Florida it made up for the tremendous shooting struggles. Scoop Jardine and Brandon Triche won't shoot that poorly often... and they still beat the #10 team in the nation on a neutral floor with relative ease. This team is the class of the Big East in 2012.

#4 North Carolina - It's hard to hold a one point loss in Rupp Arena to the #1 team in the country too firmly against anyone. And, let's be honest, the UNLV game was a fluke. Yes, they have two losses while teams like Baylor, Louisville, and Marquette still roam undefeated... but does anyone who has watched any games this season really think any of those teams are better than the Tarheels?? I sure don't. Bail on Barnes & Co. at your own peril.

But a side note - down one with ten seconds to play, why would you go to a weaker post player against the premier shot blocker in the nation when you have a guard who can create and pull up better than anyone in Tarheel blue since Stackhouse or Vince Carter?? I am still as baffled by that decision as I am the five seconds they meandered comatose after the Anthony Davis block.

Elite Eight:

#5 - Missouri - I know, the Tigers don't have the elite level talent of Baylor and lack the pedigree of Kansas, but the more I watch this team, the more I am convinced they can win the Big Twelve and are a legit Final Four contender. No team in the country passes the ball better than Mizzou; Ohio State and Syracuse are right with them, but no team is better.

Marcus Denmon and Kim English are light-out scorers, and did anyone else watch Phil Pressey distribute the ball, steal the ball, and my favorite play - bounce off the deck at all of 5'10'' (really though, he's 5'8'') and flush one down last night against Villanova??

Maybe I'll regret it later, but right now, I'm sticking by my early 'over-seeding' of Mizzou, and looking smarter every week. I really love this team, and guarantee it is going to take one heck of an effort to bounce them out of the tourney come March.

#6 - Baylor - Rather than bury Northwestern, who thoroughly crapped the bed in their first premier test of the season, let's instead praise they Baylor Bears - who passed their equally impressively. Perry Jones is a legit Top 5 pick in the draft this season, and their guards are more than passable.

Don't overlook their win over San Diego State either. That one will look really nice on the resume come March.

#7 - Duke - I'm trying not to overstate the Ohio State loss. It is a tough environment, on the road, against what I believe to be the best team in the country. But tell me I'm not the only one who saw visions of Derrick Williams dunking ALL over them last March as the Buckeyes poured it on? This team is good, and talented, but has a long way to go to catch Bracketeering's Top 4.

#8 - Louisville - Peyton Siva is as quick off the dribble as any guard in the nation. The shimmy he put on Vandy to get to the rim for the game winner in overtime was absolutely beautiful. I'm not sure this is really the 8th best team in the nation, but once they get healthy, they are going to be real dangerous.

Sweet and Lurking:

#9 - Xavier - I still think they are a little too small and lack a swing forward or post forward scoring option, but Tu Holloway is absolutely ice in the clutch and has a real shot at being a first team All-American; the first Xavier player to do so since David West in 2003.

#10 - Marquette - By the end of the year, I think both Georgetown and UConn pass them up, but for now, no team has done more in 2011 to earn a top ten ranking than the Warriors, who already own wins over three ranked opponents, including a win in the Kohl Center over the Badgers

#11 - UConn - The addition of Boatwright at the point makes UConn a true contender in the Big East. Forget their flukey loss to UCF in the Bahamas, this team is legit. I think Harvard might be in for a rude awakening Thursday night in Storrs.

#12 - Florida - I was impressed by their effort in the loss to Syracuse; a legit Final Four contender, in Madison Square Garden. They have two losses, but as freshman Brad Beal continues to blossom, the Gators could be legit challengers for #2 in the SEC (no one's touching Kentucky, sorry)

Hold on a second, we can play!

#13 - Georgetown - A win over Memphis, a win at Alabama and a win over Michigan balanced by only one loss, a two-point loss to Kansas over in Maui. Georgetown might have been the most underrated BCS conference team in the country heading into the season. Not anymore. At least not on March Maniacs.

#14 - Kansas - Speaking of Kansas... the Jayhawks are not quite to the level of Baylor and Mizzou, but don't be surprised if Bill Self has the Jayhawks primed as a #2 or #3 seed by March. The young talent is there, and Self has done it several times before. This team was a little overrated heading into the season, but I think pollsters have grown wise to overlooking the Jayhawks, even in a "rebuilding" year.

#15 - Wisconsin -Yes, they have two losses. A road loss by three at Chapel Hill and a tough home loss to fierce in-state rival Marquette. Wisconsin is still one of the better teams in the country and is a legit threat to Ohio State in the Big Ten. Okay, that's too far. But they ARE a solid #2 in the Big Ten.

#16 - Vanderbilt - Yes, they have THREE losses. Call me stubborn, but even in overtime losses to Xavier and @Louisville, I still think this looks like one of the top 16 teams in the country. And wait until their get leading rebounder and shot blocker Festus Ezeli back later this week.

Worth Noting:

Can these guys block out UConn Thursday night?

Indiana, Mississippi St, Creighton, Gonzaga, Illinois, Harvard, Loyola Marymount, Michigan, Michigan St, Tulane, Memphis, St. Louis, Temple, Stanford, San Diego St, Cleveland St, Northwestern, Virginia, Arizona, Northern Iowa, Murray St, UNLV, Florida St, Coastal Carolina, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Tennessee, Boise St, Oregon St, Davidson, Oakland, Middle Tennessee St, Denver, Charleston

Missouri vs. Villanova Coaches Vs Cancer Breakdown

2011-12-06T19:41:00.001-05:00

Full game preview and wagering selection at The Sports Geek.

Check it out here

Quick Listing of the Week's Best Games

2011-12-05T14:14:00.001-05:00

A few of these, none of you would dare miss. A few others might have slipped past undetected.

Tonight is a pretty blank Monday, but at least you have Chargers v. Jaguars to look forward too! Bletch!

Be sure to check back in tomorrow for an interesting new Bracketeering - a few possible surprises and a few spots we open us ourselves up for debate...

6-Dec
Missouri @ Villanova 7pm
Marshall @ Syracuse 7pm
Iowa @ Northern Iowa 8pm
Washington @ Marquette 8pm
Long Beach St. @ Kansas 9pm
7-Dec
Arizona @ Florida 7pm
Vanderbilt @ Davidson 7pm
Alabama @ Dayton 7pm
Xavier @ Butler 9pm

8-Dec
Cleveland St. @ Robert Morris 7pm
Harvard @ Uconn 7pm
West Virginia @ Kansas State 9pm

9-Dec
Richmond @ VCU 8pm

10-Dec
Washington @ Duke 12pm
Cincinnati @ Xavier 12:30pm
UNLV @ Wisconsin 2pm
Oklahoma St. @ Pitt 2:30pm
Ohio State @ Kansas 3:15pm
Clemson @ Arizona 4pm
Oakland @ Michigan 4pm
Villanova @ Temple 5pm
Indiana @ Kentucky 5:15pm
Long Beach St. @ North Carolina 7pm
Boise State @ LSU 8pm
Michigan St. @ Gonzaga 9pm

Baylor Makes Big Statement

2011-12-05T11:45:00.001-05:00

This is a post link for the full game story on Yahoo.

It was really, really ugly if you are a Northwestern fan, but an incredibly powerful sign if you are a Baylor fan that the lofty #7 ranking might not be as ambitious as some originally thought.

Read More:

One Hundred Years no More?

2011-12-04T12:30:00.001-05:00

It is not an exaggeration to say one of the longest and most perplexing streaks in college basketball can all but die today. Northwestern, the only BCS conference school to NEVER appear in the NCAA Tournament, is off to a fantastic 8-0 sstart, and gets their chance to notch a top ten victory today when they meet the similaraly unbeaten Baylor Bears.

Northwestern is unranked (though shouldn't be) and Baylor is untested with no real high caliber win after a season in which they didn't make the NCAA tourney... so throw these rankings out the window and look at the stat that really matters. Vegas has Northwestern as a two and a half point favorite.

This game is only televised if you have ESPN full court or ESPN 360 - which is a shame, because it is compelling hoops.

No official pick from the Maniac on this one; I'm cautiously optimistic on Northwestern, but it is a really stern test against the athleticism and size of Baylor today. Either way, we'll have a nice recap and breakdown in tonight's Bracketeering, as it will likely feature the winner prominently, and possibly both teams if the game is as high played as I think it might be....

Quick Maniac Picks for December 3rd

2011-12-03T12:49:00.001-05:00

Loaded day of college hoops, highlighted by North Carolina at Kentucky.

The Maniac has a detailed column on the big game at www.sportsgeek.com, feel free to check it out. In the meantime, here's a quick primer to Saturday's other marquee contests.

Purdue @ Xavier - Robbie Hummel is back for a fifth season in Lafayette. Unfortunately, he doesn't appear to have a lot of help. Look for Xavier to notch yet another impressive non-conference win for their resume.

Valpo @ Butler - This is an early-season Horizon showdown. The winner has a leg up in their eventual pursuit of favorite Cleveland State.

Gonzaga @ Illinois - The Illini are unbeaten... but also largely untested. They are 2.5 point favorites at home today, but I think the 'Zags go in and beat 'em.

Texas @ UCLA - This game would have been a heck of a lot better two or three years ago. The names still pop; the teams don't. But it is an important game for each rebuilding program if they have any aspirations of dancing in March.

Marquette @ Wisconsin - One of the best unheralded rivalry games in the country. Wisconsin is a big 8 point favorite, but Marquette is a sleeper Big East contender. I think this will be one heck of a hard fought game, and am curious to see how much gas is in the badger tank after a grinding and emotional loss to North Carolina on Wednesday night.

Pitt @ Tennessee - This is an interesting match-up. Neither team is pretty, but both play their backsides off and will fight you (literally) all night long. Expect a physical and punishing game between two teams that aren't at the top of their very good conferences, but should find themselves playing in March.

Indiana State @ Boise State - No, this isn't much of an entertaining basketball game, even for a junkie like me - but at +6.5 for Indiana State, it is one of the worst lines I've seen this season. The Sycamores are a decent ballclub. I like them straight-up tonight, let along getting 6.5...

Maniac's Picks: Xavier -5, Valpo +5.5, Gonzaga +1.5, Marquette +8, Pitt -1.5, Indiana State +6.5

Join us on Twitter

2011-12-01T00:01:00.001-05:00

Yeah... MarchManiacs finally jumped on board.

It's a real cool way to get our picks out quickly. Of course, the analysis and conjecture will always be on the site, but for quick hits, follow us on Twitter!

mobile gambling

Five Teams - Impressive Early-Season Surprises

2011-11-30T23:39:00.001-05:00

Duke looked fantastic over in Maui, capturing yet another title over on the Island, and looking sensational taking down three straight tough opponents in as many days. Then last night, Ohio State looked even more impressive, taking that same Duke team behind the woodshed and reminded everyone what Arizona looked like in last season's NCAA Tournament.

Impressive? Yes. Surprising that these teams have had some early season success? Certainly not.

Here's five teams who are making a name for themselves the hard way this November; unexpectedly.

#1 - Harvard Crimson - It appears Tommy Amaker has his team poised to make a run to the NCAA Tournament this season, and might not even need the Ivy League's automatic bid to do it. They are 6-0 with wins over UCF and Florida State over in the Bahamas last weekend, and a win over Loyola Marymount, that is looking better and better as the Lions stack up wins (over UCLA, then last night over #25 and Maniac early-darling, St. Louis). A December tilt with UConn could be the only stumbling block to entering Ivy play with a legit shot to run the table...

#2 - Indiana Hoosiers - See the previous column, but Tom Crean's bunch appear to have IU back on the verge of re-joining national relevance. We still have yet to see them face a true Top 25 opponent, but at 7-0 after a 12-20 (3-15 in conference) season, it's one heck of a start.

#3 - Virginia Cavaliers - Another team that has yet to really extend themselves, but at 6-1 fresh off a pasting of a Michigan team that handled Memphis and pushed Duke, Cav fans have to like their chances of fighting for third in the middle of a muddled ACC.

#4 - San Diego State Aztecs - UNLV will garner all the MWC acclaim after knocking off North Carolina, but the most impressive team out West has been Steve Fischer's Aztecs. This was supposed to be a rebuilding year after Kawhi Leonard departed early for the NBA. At 7-1 (and leading Creighton in the second half at the time of writing) with wins over Long Beach State, Arizona and USC, as well as a respectable road loss at Baylor, this has the look of a sure-fire NCAA Tourney team.

#5 - Oregon State Beavers - The Beavers are 5-1, but only 1-1 in games against real opponents. However, their 100-95 OT win over Texas was impressive. Their most impressive outing was a 64-62 loss to a good Vanderbilt team. Craig Roberson's team is going to be a tough out in the Pac 12 and have the potential to sneak up as a bubble at-large team in March. They won't have much on the out of conference resume, but have 18 games in a balanced Pac 12 to fight to 9-9 or 10-8.

Hoos' Returning to the Dance?

2011-11-30T23:22:00.001-05:00

The Hoos-iers, that's who.

After a thrilling and well played game in Raleigh, Mark Crean's squad moved to a perfect 7-0 that also includes a win over Butler. The Big Ten is solid this year, and IU is not in the class of Ohio State and Wisconsin; but Indiana is a legit contender for an at-large tourney bid this year.

Freshman Cody Zeller gives them an offensive interior presence that they have lacked for several years, and Verdell Jones is a legitimate All Big Ten caliber performer. They have more strength (evidence of Tom Crean's off-season weight room challenge paying dividends) and depth than they have since the coach's arrival. Now that they have a per-conference schedule that finally includes some quality (though granted nothing eye-popping yet) wins, if they can battle to 8-10 or 9-9 in a very balanced Big Ten, it should be enough to get Indiana back where Hoosier faithful expect them to be; the NCAA Tournament.

The Maniac's Big Ten Early Bracketeering Glance:

LOCKS: Ohio State, Wisconsin
IN: Michigan State
GOOD SHOT: Michigan, Purdue, Northwestern (yes, seriously this time), Indiana
GREAT SO FAR... BUT INJURY CONCERNS: Minnesota
POSSIBLE: Illinois,
Uh... NO: Penn State, Nebraska, Iowa

Three Picks for November 27th

2011-11-27T15:45:00.001-05:00

What an interesting weekend in college hoops. Both Connecticut and Florida State get dropped by unranked non-BCS opponents; UCF and Harvard respectively, and then last night everybody's #1 (except marchmanics) North Carlina gets ambushed by UNLV out in the desert.

It takes a little of the shine off North Carolina's upcoming gauntlet week of Wisconsin and Kentucky, but it certainly doesn't make either matchup any less compelling. Wisconsin's ability to defend and control tempo with Jordan Taylor quarterbacking is going to make for a fascinating ballgame Wednesday night...

While we wait for a week that is loaded with Final Four caliber matchups (don't forget Duke v Ohio State Tuesday night), let's continue to push forward on the Maniac's 8-3 start against the spread in 2011 with three more picks.

Butler @ Indiana -13

Vegas is smart. Really smart. Despite the Maniac's consistent ability to get the better of them, there is no denying that the handicapping prowess and ability to unbiasedly asses teams and match-ups is staggering. That is all you need to know about how much better this Indiana team is than most people realize. Butler is down this season, but they aren't awful. IU has finished below .500 since Tom Crean's arrival in 2008. This is the season they finally get the postseason berth. The only question is whether it is the NCAA or NIT.

My wager is the Big Dance. A solid win tonight will go a long way to building their resume, as despite the unblemished record, there is very little to brag about win-wise thus far. This will be a nice quality win for the Big Board come Selection Sunday.

That said; -13 is a lot of points for a team that hasn't tasted the sweet nectar of big wins too often lately. I think the Hoosiers remain perfect tonight, but find it hard to believe it will be as easy as a -13 line suggests.

Maniac's Pick: Butler +13

Oklahoma vs. St. Louis -4.5

The Maniac has looked pretty smart thus far since going way, way out on a limb and throwing Rick Majerius's Billlikens at #16 if the first installment of Bracketeering. Tonight, they validate my faith. Oklahoma is improved, but still not an upper tier Big 12 team in 2012. St. Louis on the other hand has the makings of an NCAA Tournament team.

St. Louis is an excellent perimeter shooting team, and much like Duke stylistically, is unafraid to let them fly in transition or as a component of the secondary break. They routed Villanova two days ago on the strength of 14 of 27 shooting from behind the arc. If they get a similar shooting performance today, expect a similarly easy victory.

Maniac's Pick: St. Louis Billikens -4.5

Virginia Commonwealth @ Alabama -15

Wow, this line is huge. That tells me Vegas is well aware that Alabama might be more of a top ten caliber team than the writers and pundits thought several weeks ago. It also tells me that they are smart enough to realize that three brilliant weeks in March last season does not a powerhouse program make. There is a wide discrepancy in talent between these two ballclubs.

However, sometimes familiarity breeds comfort and success. I think VCU has an interesting edge tonight facing former coach Anthony Grant, who led the Rams to some success before leaving for Alabama and handing the reigns to Shaka Smart. The familiarity level should have helped the Rams prepare for the frenzied defensive pressure the Crimson Tide employs.

It won't make them athletic enough to handle 'Bama on the boards, but should help them control the tempo enough to keep things respectable.

I like VCU to hang around and cover narrowly.

Maniac's Pick: Virginia Commonwealth +15

Four Things We Learned About Duke in Maui

2011-11-24T13:04:00.001-05:00

You might have heard once or four hundred times during the ESPN broadcast that Duke has never lost in Maui. It is certainly an interesting (and impressive) fact, but here are four real things we learned about the Dukies over the past week.

1. Ryan Kelly reads March Maniacs.

Shortly after posting our first Bracketeering column of the year and citing Kelly as the main reason I elevated the Blue Devils to #3, Kelly goes out and wins the MVP of the Maui Classic. So, thanks Ryan. We appreciate the good lookin' out for the Maniac's analystic prowess.

2. Duke Recruits Winners. Lots of 'em

Austin Rivers sat the final two minutes, in a tight ballgame, and unlikely hero Tyler Thornton came up clutch.

This tells us, no, not that Duke is better with Rivers on the bench, but that this Duke team is a cohesive enough unit that they can get immense, headline-grabbing contributions from seven players on their roster. This is a key ingredient of most championship teams. Even the seeming "one-man shows" of Kemba Walker and Carmelo Anthony got huge contributions from Jeremy Lamb and Gerry McNamara. You've gotta share the load over the course of a season. Duke has passed that test far earlier and far easier than most talent-laden squads.

3. Forget 1,000, Coach K is going to win 1,100 games; at least.

One more championship? Okay ... I'm in

Did you see the youthful ebulience that bubbled over throughout K's post game interview? It was simply joyous. He looked almost teary eyed he was so overjoyed and excited. The coolest thing about it? He wasn't excited about the win; he was excited for Tyler Thorton getting a moment in the spotlight, one he said he deserved because he was just such an amazing kid.

Does this sound like a coach anywhere close to retiring?!? In fact, I'll say confidently there is not a coach in the nation more comfortably and enjoyably pulling as much from his players and the joyful experience of college basketball as Mike Krzyzewski.

4. Austin Rivers is going to be a great teammate and a big-time winner at Duke.

Peace and Love with the Dukies in Maui

The most impressive thing from this entire weekend was watching the way an engaged and excited Austin Rivers cheered on his Duke teammates and celebrated wildly when they won the championship, despite spending the last two minutes on the bench. Suffice it to say this was the first time in young Austin Rivers' life when he was riding the pine in crunch time. Most 18-year old phenoms would sulk. Or at least look visibly uncomfortable. Not Rivers. He took it in stride, with class, and with complete team-first joy in the victory.

This is an enormous step in the evolution of a young superstar, and an enormous building block in the foundation of a potential Final Four squad. Hi shot selection may at times still leave a little to be desired, but from here on in we will not be questioning his team focus.