* Under the category of “what you can’t experience watching from the couch” was my experience in the nosebleed seats of section 224 yesterday. Seated directly in front of me was a young family of five Gopher boosters from Shakopee, with the youngest being a recently turned 2 yr. old boy draped in a Gopher basketball jersey with the #1 on his back. During the Minnesota cheer, the youngster would enthusiastically shake his fist and yell out the letters spelling Minnesota. Mom stated that she didn’t know if he had any idea what he was doing, but sure enjoyed joining in the cheer. It’s nice to see the grooming of such young fans :).
* Dan Monson has been feeling the heat this season, but it must be about 150 degrees hotter down in Bloomington for Mike Davis. Before leaving for yesterday’s game, I watched the beginning of the Indiana-Iowa game and was shocked that Davis was at home with the flu. Curious as to what the fan reaction would be, I checked the Hoosiers message boards when I arrived home from the Gophers game, and let’s just say the flu bug isn’t being bought by the Hoosier fans. The most popular conspiracy theory I saw on their board was that Davis was planning on resigning before the game, but was talked out of it by the AD and they came up with the flu story. Regardless of what the story is, I think anyone could bet the house and their kids’ college funds on Davis leaving Bloomington shortly after this season ends, if not sooner. There are at least two plum jobs (Indiana and Mizzou) that will be out there at the end of this season.
* As I was having my morning coffee and reading the Sunday paper, my thoughts turned to Ohio St.-Illinois. While trying to avoid too much hyperbole, I thought ‘if the Buckeyes beat the Illini today, I think Matta may shift the power base of the Big Ten to Columbus’. I realize it’s a bit early to say Izzo, Ryan, and Webber are Thad’s beeotches, but Ohio St. has the combination of a very good coach who’s also an incredible recruiter, at a university with unlimited resources situated in a state and region with an incredible base of prep talent. While everyone’s been looking ahead to Oden and company’s arrival, I think this squad could advance further than any other Big Ten team in March Madness and I’m now a believer that they could be a Final Four squad-they seem like a more balanced, better version of West Virginia from a year ago, with great three point shooters plus a legitimate low post threat in Terrance Dials. (Major props to Felde, who put them in his pre-season Final Four picks, which caused me to question his sanity; I also believe S.S. has been on their bandwagon since early in the year). Anyway, I could see this Buckeye program cemented at the top of the Big Ten for years to come.
* Before I leave the Buckeyes, I should also say I think they are my very early pick for Big Ten champs next year and also a contender for national top 10 status. You may think this is because of the most heralded Big Ten recruiting class since the Fab Five sauntered into Ann Arbor, but it’s more because their sophom*ore PG Jamar Butler convinced me this week that he was the goods. He had an outstanding game at Michigan earlier in the week, and followed that up with another great game today against the Illini. It’s not only his shooting ability, he’s a great distributor of the ball and I think we’ll really see him shine next year as he leads the young Buckeye squad.
* If it’s February, it must be time for the Michigan Wolverines to be swooning-there’s no shame in losing to the Buckeyes at home, but 94 points? And then to get blitzed by Purdue on the road is not the way you want to follow up. I’m hoping the Amaker magic continues at least through Wednesday night.
* I don’t know if they’ll be able to hang on to make the NCAA’s, but I have been incredibly impressed with the Cincinnati Bearcats and Andy Kennedy this season. A Huggins’ protege, Kennedy is currently down to eight scholarship players after a few player defections and the season ending loss of Armen Kirkland. Yet, they continue to play extremely hard lead by junkyard dog Eric Hicks, the diminutive freshman PG Devan Downey, the ultra-athletic James White, and the best hair in college basketball, shooting guard Jihad Muhammad. There hasn’t been a program and players any more maligned over the past few years than the Bearcats and the removal of Huggins has been a polarizing effect in the Queen City, but what cannot be denied is these guys are giving an All-American effort everytime out.
* Watching the West Virginia game against Pitt the other night, ESPN showed us their upcoming schedule-S.S. alluded to it in his daily update, but it is brutal. Starting tonight by travelling to Georgetown they follow with: @ Seton Hall; UConn; @ Syracuse; Louisville; Pitt; @ Cinncy; Big East tournament. All teams (perhaps except Louisville) vying for NCAA berths. The Mountaineers can easily go from the penthouse in the Big East to a “middling” squad by the time the regular season is over. I still think they’ll be one of the last teams you’d want to see come NCAA time though, no matter how they finish this season.
* I was wondering about Tennessee and how legit they were, but they impressed me with their win at Kentucky, and I was especially impressed with Chris Lofton who was hitting three pointers under duress that whole game, and followed that up with another thirty-plus point effort on the road yesterday against Georgia. For the past couple years, we’ve heard the story several times about how Tubby Smith plucked Rajon Rondo out of Louisville while Pitino was squiring Sebastian Telfair; a storyline that should be developing is how both Tubby and Pitino let Lofton, that year’s Mr. Basketball in Kentucky, matriculate at Tennessee. Especially since I’d bet that Lofton will be a four year college guy while Rondo is rumored to be headed to the NBA after this season.
* I’ve taken my shots at Bruce Pearl on the board here this year, and if I bumped into him on the street, my instinct would be to check for my wallet, but I do have to say, the guy is charismatic, and I think he could be for SEC basketball what Steve Spurrier was to SEC football while at Florida-the coach everyone loves to hate, while his team just goes out and wins, wins, wins. I know such a statement might be sacrilege, but if Pearl sticks around and brings that program to new heights while the dour Philip Fulmer continues to underachieve, will Knoxville become a basketball town?
* I still think Seton Hall has a very good chance of making the NCAA tourney but losing by a combined 95 points to Duke and UConn. . .yikes. If the two behomeths meet in the championship game, will CBS be able to convince Louis Orr to visit the studio and advise which team he felt pummeled his Pirates more convincingly?
* I know some other posters commented upon this earlier in the week, but Washington State scoring 30 points in their loss to UCLA this week? Would putting that tape on a loop and showing it to the prisoners at Guantanemo be considered excessive torture? I’m just glad Dick Bennett is no longer in the Big Ten-I still maintain that his Wisconsin team that made it to the Final Four a few years back was the worst Final Four team ever.
* I’m linking an espn.com, page 2 article on JJ Redick that quite nicely encapsulates my feelings towards Duke and Redick-I don’t like them, but man, do I admire Redick’s game and to avoid watching him or deny his greatness is to deny a great college basketball career, perhaps the best shooter I’ve ever seen on the college level. That being said, I saw the tail end of the Gonzaga-Stanford game last night, and Morrison is an absolute wonder himself. I really hope they can do a co-player of the year for these two superb players.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=jones/060207
* I got home in time yesterday to catch the tail end of the frantic Washington-UCLA game, finally put away when Washington’s Brandon Roy blocked Farmar’s three point attempt. Tucked away up in the Pac NW, I’ve only seen a bit of the Huskies this year, but I do believe Roy is having as fine a season this side of Redick and Morrison.
* Last week, I was wondering if the Missouri Valley reign by the kings, Southern Illinois, might be over. They had a pretty good week though-beating a tough Missouri State team at home, and then going on the road to defeat Creighton. A pretty resilient bunch I’d say, and likely headed to their fifth (?) straight NCAA berth.
* I’ve had tomorrow night circled on my calendar for a long time-and no, not because it is Valentine’s Eve. Big Monday is Huge Monday, with UConn travelling to Villanova. 6 p.m. Go Wildcats.
* Speaking of Wildcats, whose had a more disappointing, awful season the Wildcats of Kentucky or the Wildcats of Arizona? I vote a tie on this one.
* I see John Feinstein has another book coming out on college basketball-this guy’s turned into the Danielle Steele of sport books, churning out books every other month it seems like.
* I know not everyone is a big Olympics follower on the board, as evidenced by Bleed’s poll, but I was half-heartedly watching the opening ceremonies on Friday night when I saw the flag bearer for the Australian contigent and immediately began looking into flights to the land Down Under. Her name’s Alisa Camplin, a 31 yr old defending gold medalist in the freestyle aerials. Worth a google search guys, trust me.
* Right now, I’m watching the snowboarding competition on the Olympics and when they interview each of these guys I feel like they are channeling the spirit of Slater from Dazed and Confused. Will any of these guys (or women) pass a drug test if sweet leaf is still tested for? Or has the Olympic drug testers just conceded they wouldn’t have a medal ceremony if they tested these athletes, so they’ve just given up on this crowd? (that being said, it is incredibly entertaining watching these competitors and definitely gives a fresh flavor to the sometimes stodgy Olympic games)
* And to finish. . .the commercial that is simultaneously the funniest (although probably unintended)/most ridiculous for me right now on TV is the TGIF commercial that’s getting a lot of play-you know the one, where two guys sit in a booth, the waitress asks them what will they have, and they immediately flash to the night to come-beautiful women joining them in the booth, laughter, good times, general wildness. Umm, perhaps it’s just me and the lame crowd I hang with, but I’ve never seen anything close to that occurring at these soulless, suburban cookier cutter establishments. Nice try TGIF-you’re the modern day Mentos equivalent.
