The Cuse is Loose!

Some thoughts from resident Syracuse honk and recreational gambling aficionado, the Kaiser.

Ah, Syracuse actually beats a ranked non conference team... I hope Dante' Green watched the game and thought to himself, "Hey... maybe I should have stayed in school to play one more year for a Hall of Fame coach instead of playing in BFE Sacramento for the old coach from NBC's Hang Time."

Or maybe he's thinking "Why is Cheryl Miller my coach?" Who knows?

Tonight the 'Cuse gets Kansas. And you know what, the Jayhawks probably win this game.

You know what else Kansas? Who Cares?!?

In the last 20 yrs, these 2 teams have played 2 meaningful games: 1996 Elite 8 (sorry Jaques - and Roy "I do less with more" Williams). Repeat that result for the 03 National Championship. KU fan can yell "Rock Chalk Jayhawk" at meaningless regular season games, preseason tourneys, or even a second round beat down in the NCAA's (the last time Drew Gooden actually did something other than grow a soul patch on the back of his head).

When the stakes are the highest, the 'Cuse win. Scoreboard. End of story.

Rock, Chalk, Scoreboard Bitches!!

Maniac's Pick - Nov 24th

Slow start to the season at 2-4-0. Hopefully the turnaround begins here:

MANIAC PICKS!
Notre Dame - 15 over IU
UCONN -4.5 over Wisconsin
Florida -3 over Syracuse

Lock of the Day:
Miami(FL) -5 OVER San Diego

Who-siers?

"Who the hell are these guys??"
~ Indiana Basketball Fans


Rebuilding? Try "starting from scratch."

Tom Crean introduces his IU version 1.0 to the nation today at 5:30 in Maui versus the #8 Fighting Irish. Crean will get it done, he has one of the top 5 recruiting classes in the nation coming in next year according to many recruiting ranking services like Rivals.com. For now though, starting 4 freshman and a junior (none of whom stepped on the court for IU last year) it is going to be a rough road.

Maniacs pick: Notre Dame by 23.

Rolling with the Kaiser - Nov 24th

Nothing could be wiser than gamblin' with the Kaiser!

Making his first of many guest appearances on March Maniacs is our guest "wagering for entertainment purposes ONLY" columnist, The Kaiser.

For Monday Kaiser says:

mid tenn st +9

unlv - 2

oregon st - 9

bama -3

umass -15.5

We will keep his season tab under that of the Cheif Maniac to see who's advice proves more sage!

Bracketeering - Nov 23rd

Take it or leave it - the Maniac's first edition of Bracketeering for 08-09

FINAL FOUR:

1. UNC - Zeller's loss was eased by Hansbrough's return. The likely medical red-shirt might be an odd blessing

2. UCONN - Not sold on UCONN going into today, but a convincing win over an experienced and solid Miami club gets them the #2 spot.

3. Duke - Yes, they had an early struggle against Rhode Island, but it is obvious this Duke team has the explosiveness and athleticism that has been lacking the past two years.

4. Louisville - A nice welcome for Samardo Samuels. If he can contribute at a 15-10 level, this team can legitimatly challenge UNC for the title.

ELITE EIGHT:

5. Purdue - not severely tested yet, but will find out real soon as their next two games are against BC and Duke. Purdue has all the tools in place to win the Big 10, and make a Final Four run.

6. Oklahoma - Yes, they sleepwalked through a too-close Gardner-Webb victory, but the win against Davidson showed me two things: Freshman PG Willie Warren is legit, and that Blake Griffin is the most dominant player in the country.

7. Gonzaga - Tons of returning talent and athleticism. Their usual November/December gauntlet gets under way this week as they begin a 6-game stretch that includes: Oklahoma St, Washington St, Indiana, Arizona and UCONN. Win 4 of 5 and they move UP in the poll.

8. Xavier - Homer pick? Maybe. But at this juncture with nuetral floor wins over Missouri, Va Tech and Memphis, they have done more to earn it than anyone else so far this season.


Sweet and lurking: The next tier
Michigan St, Pitt, Notre Dame, Memphis, Wake Forest, Davidson, Texas Tech, Marquette, Tennessee, UAB, Florida

Bracket Busts: Some early season disappointments
UCLA, USC, Arizona.. notice a trend??

Half Court Heaves: Long shots worth keeping an eye on
Clemson, Seton Hall, Minnesota, Cincinnati, St. Mary's, LSU, Air Force

It's EARLY, but so far, the Muskies have something to shout about.