Can you lose the Player of the Year (according to others, not me) and still be Top 10? Maybe.
What makes the Wildcats fortunes so bright is the eligibility of former
Wake Forest center Loren Woods. The 7' Woods together with Michael Wright
and Richard Jefferson make a formidable frontcourt. That matchup problem should be worrisome
enough for opponents long enough for sophomore Ruben Douglas and freshman Jason Gardner to get
their bearings in the backcourt. Lute Olson was able to win the national championship with a
freshman point guard (Mike Bibby), so don't worry so much about the inexperienced guards.
In the Pac-10, Stanford has more
players with experience (but most of them are experienced subs) so they may lack the
necessary confidence to dominate. UCLA has talented head-cases and it still
remains to be seen whether Steve Lavin can do more than cheerlead.
Arizona's got a shot at the PRESEASON NIT title (even with the likes of
Ohio State, Kentucky, Utah and
Penn in the draw). They won't be able to handle
UConn in the GREAT EIGHT, though. The stakes are more even against
Michigan State (who won't have Mateen Cleaves to guide them). They may
get down in the hole early in conference play having to face both Stanford
and UCLA on the road first, but if they can steal one of those, they'll be
looking good the rest of the way.
11/16 (#10) W @88-69 v Kansas St (PRESEASON NIT)
11/19 (#10) W @84-60 v New Mexico St (PRESEASON NIT)
The kids are alright. The freshman backcourt of Jason Gardner and Gilbert Arenas made the
jump to college ball look seamless. We already knew the front line was killer. Imagine these
guys next year with Luke Recker putting the ball on the floor from the wing. They'll have a
shot at going undefeated. They're not quite that good this year, but they're plenty good
enough right out of the box.
11/24 (#5) W 76-60 v Notre Dame (PRESEASON NIT @ New York, NY)
11/26 (#5) W 63-51 v #9 Kentucky (PRESEASON NIT @ New York, NY)
Yet another impressive win at Texas. Chris Mihm is the nation's best
center and Gabe Muoneke is one of the best power forwards, yet the Wildcats were able to meet
that challenge and come away with a victory. Richard Jefferson won't have the stats to show it,
but he might be the most talented player in the country, a great combination of athleticism and
skill. HUGE week coming up with both Connecticut and
Michigan State on tap.
12/ 7 (#1) L 69-78 v #5 Connecticut (GREAT EIGHT @ Chicago, IL)
UConn's win over the 'Cats in the GREAT EIGHT was geniune. They choked
off Arizona's staple of points off turnovers with excellent ball-handling and transition D. But
how many teams can pull that off? UofA rebounded with yet another stellar performance beating
Michigan State at home. Jason Gardner looked like a senior.
12/13 (#2) W @70-41 v IUPUI
12/18 (#2) W 80-59 v Nebraska (LAS VEGAS SHOOTOUT @ Las Vegas, NV)
12/21 (#2) L @68-70 v New Mexico
12/28 (#5) W @66-51 v UNC-Wilmington (BANK ONE FIESTA BOWL CLASSIC @ Tucson, AZ)
12/30 (#5) W @89-77 v Delaware (BANK ONE FIESTA BOWL CLASSIC @ Tucson, AZ)
Their win at Stanford (accomplished essentially without Richard
Jefferson, who went down in the early going) has all but wrapped up the
Pac-10 before it barely got started. This time it was
Loren Woods, Jason Gardner and Gilbert Arenas' D on Casey Jacobsen that did the trick. Imagine
this: you could argue that Option No. 4 on offense is Michael Wright.
A bigger concern for the long-term is that Richard Jefferson is out for at least 8 weeks. That
means he won't be back until the last week of the regular season (in time for the rematch
against the Cardinal). In the meantime, the Wildcats are down to 7 scholarship players on the
roster.
With the preseason injury to Mateen Cleaves over at Michigan State, the
Tigers assume the top spot heading into the new season. Granted, their rep last season was made
largely on destroying scrub teams; they failed to be as impressive when they played other
juggernauts, didn't make the SEC tournament final or the NCAA
Final Four last year -- so why rank them #1? Because they start out the new season with the
most intact nucleus from a year ago, and they also have the best player in the nation in
'tweener Chris Porter. And it doesn't stop there. The backcourt of Doc Robinson and Scott
Pohlman return along with 7' center Mamadou N'diaye. Power forward is one question mark. The
Tigers ran into trouble when they met teams who could handle their press and force them to earn
their points in the halfcourt offense. That's not much of a flaw against most clubs, but when
you're in the hunt for the national championship, halfcourt execution becomes paramount.
In the SEC's West Division, they'll have no trouble fending off a young Arkansas team. The
Tigers have a lot to prove, and that can be a good thing to provide incentive for such a veteran
ballclub.
The early date with Stanford is just what the doctor ordered for a team for
whom the knock last year was that they beat up on nobodies. The SAN JUAN (CHRISTMAS #1)
SHOOTOUT should be theirs for the taking without much of a problem. Playing
Florida and Tennessee on the road should toughen them up
for the bigger goals down the road.
11/19 (#1) W @65-59 v UAB
11/21 (#1) W @100-44 v AR-Pine Bluff
11/27 (#1) L 58-67 v #8 Stanford (JOHN WOODEN CLASSIC @ Anaheim, CA)
12/ 1 (#6) W @65-56 v Belmont
12/ 5 (#6) W @55-54 v Florida St
12/11 (#12) W @77-70 v Penn (HARDWOOD CLASSIC @ Birmingham, AL)
12/13 (#13) W @63-35 v Coppin St
12/16 (#13) W @78-64 v Bradley (COORS CLASSIC @ Mobile, AL)
12/20 (#13) W 109-@52 @ PR-Mayaguez (SAN JUAN SHOOTOUT @ San Juan, PR)
12/21 (#13) W 73-63 v Virginia Tech (SAN JUAN SHOOTOUT @ San Juan, PR)
12/22 (#13) W 87-76 v Pepperdine (SAN JUAN SHOOTOUT @ San Juan, PR)
After being the only team to beat Duke last year in the regular season, the 3rd Round loss to
Temple in the NCAAs was a disappointment. The bruiser front line of Pete
Mickeal, Kenyon Martin, Jermaine Tate and Ryan Fletcher returns so there'll be no easy baskets
in the lane against the Bearcats. Steve Logan is OK in the backcourt, but it's the freshman,
6-2 Kenny Satterfield and 6-9 DerMarr Johnson whose ability to handle the guard duties
will determine Cincinnati's fate. If the middle isn't too clogged for Johnson to do his stuff,
they may finally get the offense they need to match the physical D.
Inside Conference USA, only DePaul has
the talent to compete with the Bearcats (and they have backcourt questions of their own to deal
with). Louisville and UNC-Charlotte are contenders on paper only.
The BIG ISLAND INVITATIONAL crown is a formality. Gonzaga may force them to
run more than they want in the ROCK-N-ROLL SHOOTOUT (but the Bulldogs don't have the depth to keep
it up all game long). The Bearcats will enjoy abusing North Carolina in the
GREAT EIGHT as well. The grudge match with Temple will be a psychological
challenge for Cincy, but at least it's a home game. Things should be rolling along offensively
for them by the time they meet up with DePaul in conference.
11/20 (#6) W @94-67 v Youngstown St
11/26 (#3) W 91-56 v Cleveland St (BIG ISLAND INVITATIONAL @ Hilo, HI)
11/27 (#3) W 88-67 v Santa Clara (BIG ISLAND INVITATIONAL @ Hilo, HI)
11/28 (#3) W 75-60 v Iowa St (BIG ISLAND INVITATIONAL @ Hilo, HI)
12/ 4 (#2) W @75-68 v #18 Gonzaga (ROCK-N-ROLL SHOOTOUT @ Cleveland, OH)
12/ 8 (#2) W 77-68 v #10 N Carolina (GREAT EIGHT @ Chicago, IL)
The 2-point loss to Xavier isn't a major cause for concern. But it does
underscore the importance of the perimeter points from DerMarr Johnson. They didn't get them,
and the offense bogged down. Pity Oklahoma who will suffer the brunt of the
Bearcats' desire to bounce back from defeat.
12/22 (#5) W 72-@57 @ #17 Oklahoma
12/27 (#2) W @93-60 v WI-Milwaukee
12/30 (#2) W 78-@46 @ Boise St
1 / 2 (#2) W @106-66 v UNLV
1 / 5 (#2) W @81-54 v UNC-Charlotte
1 / 8 (#2) W @67-48 v Marquette
1 /12 (#2) W 72-@59 @ Tulane
1 /14 (#2) W @73-59 v Ohio U (THE PAJAMA PARTY @ Cincinnati, OH)
Kenyon Martin secured the National Player of the Year award with his heroic 33-point effort
against DePaul. He single-handedly brought the Bearcats from 17 points
down on the road against the inspired, upset-minded Blue Demons.
3 / 9 [1] L 58-68 v [9] St Louis (CONFERENCE USA TOURNAMENT @ Memphis, TN)
Kenyon Martin broke his leg in the St. Louis game and is out for the season. What
a devastating loss for the Bearcats when it finally seemed they were poised to make a run for
the national championship.
3 /17 [S2] W 64-47 v [S15] UNC-Wilmington (NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL @ Nashville, TN)
3 /19 [S2] L 61-69 v [S7] Tulsa (NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL @ Nashville, TN)
The Huskies are defending champs and return enough of a nucleus to make a serious run at a
repeat. But you don't lose your star 'tweener (Richard Hamilton) and a key starter (Ricky
Moore) and hit the ground running to start things out. The good news is that point guard Khalid
El-Amin stayed in college. He'll be Option #1 on offense until Kevin Freeman proves he can
handle being the go-to guy. Center Jake Voskuhl is back along with more help up front. UConn
will be tough to score on once again and they'll get lots of easy points off of their pressing
D, but points in the halfcourt offense may not quite be so easy to come by.
Inside the the Big East, the Huskies should be able to hold
off the likes of St. John's and Miami, both of whom have to redefine
themselves after key losses from last year, and Syracuse, who returns all 5
starters (who weren't enough to challenge for last year's conference title).
With fewer questions to answer at the beginning of the season, look for UConn to take the
COACHES V CANCER CLASSIC over retooling Duke and
Stanford squads. It'll be a holy war down low against
Arizona in the GREAT EIGHT, but El-Amin in the backcourt should be the trump
card. By the time they face Michigan State in February, that could be
the preview for the national championship (and the Spartans more fluid frontcourt players could
be the difference this time around). In league play, the January road trip to
Syracuse is the only game that might put the regular season title in doubt.
11/11 (#2) L 68-70 v Iowa (COACHES V CANCER CLASSIC @ New York, NY)
11/12 (#2) W 71-66 v #9 Duke (COACHES V CANCER CLASSIC @ New York, NY)
Life without Richard Hamilton isn't quite the seamless transition they were hoping for. In
the loss to Iowa, it was apparent that they clearly missed having a 'tweener who thrived in the
open court off the dribble. Kevin Freeman and Albert Mouring are good players, but
they're not scorers. This could be a bigger problem than it seems over the long run.
11/19 (#4) W @89-52 v Vermont
11/22 (#2) W @79-65 v Massachusetts
11/29 (#5) W @89-44 v Coppin St
12/ 4 (#5) W @98-68 v NC-Asheville
12/ 7 (#5) W 78-69 v #1 Arizona (GREAT EIGHT @ Chicago, IL)
The neutral-site win over Arizona at the GREAT EIGHT signals that the
Huskies are back on track. Credit Khalid El-Amin's ball-handling and the team's transition
defense in choking off the Wildcats' bread-and-butter points off turnovers.
The home win over Syracuse saves the Huskies the embarrassment of
winding up the season completely out of the Top 25 rankings the year after they were national
champions. Khalid El-Amin was the difference, scoring big baskets down the stretch. He's the
sole reason they have any chance at all to due any kind of damage from here on out.
3 / 8 [4] W 70-55 v [13] Boston Col (BIG EAST TOURNAMENT @ New York, NY)
3 / 9 [4] W 79-64 v [5] Seton Hall (BIG EAST TOURNAMENT @ New York, NY)
3 /10 [4] W 70-55 v [9] Georgetown (BIG EAST TOURNAMENT @ New York, NY)
3 /11 [4] L 70-@80 @ [3] St John's (BIG EAST TOURNAMENT @ New York, NY)
3 /17 [S5] W 75-67 v [S12] Utah St (NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL @ Birmingham, AL)
3 /19 [S5] L 51-65 v [S4] Tennessee (NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL @ Birmingham, AL)
The Atlantic 10 is so weak overall that you can't rank
the Flyers just on their in-conference domination, but their earlier win over
Kentucky still holds up and is just cause enough for tracking them throughout
the rest of the season.
It's time for potential to become reality. Yes, they're only sophomores, but Quentin
Richardson, Bobby Simmons and Lance Williams are as good a front line as anybody else has.
Richardson may be regarded as the best player in the nation by season's end. There's even 7'
freshman Steven Hunter to help out with size underneath, which was a problem area (and why
Richardson garnered so many rebounds (10+) last year despite being only 6-6.) The still
unresolved problem is guard play. Kerry Hartfield and Rashon Burno aren't going to scare
anybody.
The Blue Demons won't challenge Cincinnati for the
Conference USA American Division title (unless Cincy's own
backcourt questions get a "no" answer), but they'll outpace Louisville and should make the NCAA
tournament this time around. If it all comes together, they could be a Sweet 16 team.
With Michigan State without Mateen Cleaves to start the season, the
PUERTO RICO SHOOTOUT title is up for grabs. DePaul doesn't have the smarts to pull off a win at
Duke, but wins against St. John's and
UCLA are possibilities. They don't have enough depth to keep pace with
Florida. It doesn't matter when they play Cincinnati,
they're not up to that task yet. Maybe the third time around in the conference tournament.
11/20 (#16) W @105-61 v Howard
11/25 (#15) W 114-@69 @ American-PR (PUERTO RICO SHOOTOUT @ San Juan, PR)
11/26 (#15) L 64-68 v #23 Texas (PUERTO RICO SHOOTOUT @ San Juan, PR)
11/27 (#15) W 58-46 v S Carolina (PUERTO RICO SHOOTOUT @ San Juan, PR)
12/ 1 (#21) W @104-57 v Chicago St
12/ 4 (#21) L 83-@84(OT) @ #14 Duke
12/ 6 (#21) W @69-62 v Monmouth
12/ 9 (#21) W @67-43 v Nicholls St
12/14 (#19) W @71-65 v #22 St John's
12/18 (#19) L 58-@76 @ UCLA
12/23 (#23) W @82-61 v N Illinois
12/28 (#25) W 71-@65 @ Memphis
12/30 (#25) W @80-56 v Elon
1 / 8 (#24) W @77-75 v UNC-Charlotte
1 /12 L @60-69 v Marquette
1 /16 W 77-@68 @ Houston
1 /20 L 59-@72 @ Louisville
1 /22 L @69-75(OT) v St Louis
1 /26 W @71-69 v #18 Florida
1 /29 L 68-@69 @ UAB
2 / 2 W @85-54 v Tulane
2 / 6 W 80-@66 @ UNC-Charlotte
2 / 8 W @81-69 v S Florida
2 /13 L 64-@87 @ #2 Cincinnati
2 /16 W 53-@35 @ Marquette
2 /19 L @54-71 v Louisville
2 /26 W 55-@54 @ St Louis
3 / 2 L @62-64 v #2 Cincinnati
3 / 4 W @82-51 v So Mississippi
3 / 9 [3] W 80-@76 @ [11] Memphis (CONFERENCE USA TOURNAMENT @ Memphis, TN)
3 /10 [3] W 56-49 v [7] UNC-Charlotte (CONFERENCE USA TOURNAMENT @ Memphis, TN)
3 /11 [3] L 49-56 v [9] St Louis (CONFERENCE USA TOURNAMENT @ Memphis, TN)
3 /17 [E9] L 77-81(OT) v [E8] Kansas (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Winston-Salem, NC)
Can a team lose 4 NBA first-round draft picks and still be Top 10? If that team is Duke and the
coach is Mike Krzyzewski, the answer is yes. Chris Carrawell (and his winning ways) returns as
well as Shane Battier. Battier had several "star" performances as the fourth- or fourth-option
on last year's all-star squad. Can he do the same as Option No. 1? Don't count on it. More
superfrosh come in to replenish the roster: guard Jason Williams was some people's national prep
Player of the Year. Carlos Boozer may be the second-greatest player ever to come out of Alaska
(after Trajan Langdon) and (former-NBA-player/current-NBA-coach's son) Mike Dunleavy Jr. is
well thought of. Coach K has regained his stride. And with North Carolina
heading into the season wounded and depleted, there's even more incentive to get it together
fast.
Duke can take the ACC crown with the backcourt problems
North Carolina is facing. Wake Forest may not be ready
to realize its potential, either.
The Blue Devils have too many newcomers to acclimatize to expect a win in the COACHES V CANCER
CLASSIC #1. Illinois has just as many questions to answer themselves, so a
win in the ACC-BIG 10 CHALLENGE matchup is reasonable. Ditto, with the ensuing matchup with
DePaul. By the time they face Carolina, the Tar Heels
may have their game in order (but they may also be trying to play catch-up in the standings by
then) the head-to-head meeting might not even determine the conference race.
11/11 (#9) L 79-80(OT) v #14 Stanford (COACHES V CANCER CLASSIC @ New York, NY)
11/12 (#9) L 66-71 v #2 Connecticut (COACHES V CANCER CLASSIC @ New York, NY)
Both Chris Carrawell and Shane Battier showed the leadership you wanted to see from them,
but more telling in their two losses in the COACHES V CANCER CLASSIC was the weakness of their
interior defense. Jason Williams looked fine at the point, though.
11/20 (#13) W @100-42 v Army
11/23 (#12) W @99-52 v Columbia
11/27 (#12) W 81-68 v USC (JOHN WOODEN CLASSIC @ Anaheim, CA)
11/30 (#14) W 72-@69 @ #23 Illinois (ACC-BIG 10 CHALLENGE @ Chicago, IL)
12/ 4 (#14) W @84-83(OT) v #21 DePaul
12/11 (#11) W 104-@97 @ Michigan
12/19 (#6) W @101-60 v NC A&T
12/21 (#6) W @109-65 v Davidson
1 / 2 (#6) W @96-55 v William & Mary
1 / 5 (#5) W 109-@100(OT) @ Virginia
1 / 9 (#5) W 80-@70 @ #15 Maryland
1 /12 (#5) W @82-57 v Georgia Tech
1 /16 (#5) W 85-@54 @ Florida St
1 /19 (#4) W @92-88(OT) v #17 NC State
1 /22 (#4) W 75-@61 @ Wake Forest
1 /29 (#3) W @93-59 v Clemson
2 / 3 (#5) W 90-@86(OT) @ N Carolina
2 / 5 (#5) W @106-86 v Virginia
2 / 9 (#5) L @87-98 v #25 Maryland
2 /12 (#5) W 84-@65 @ Georgia Tech
2 /16 (#7) W @101-68 v Florida St
2 /19 (#7) W 71-@66 @ NC State
2 /22 (#6) W @96-78 v Wake Forest
2 /26 (#6) L @82-83 v #24 St John's
3 / 1 (#8) W 92-@78 @ Clemson
3 / 4 (#8) W @90-76 v N Carolina
3 / 9 [1] W 94-63 v [9] Clemson (ACC TOURNAMENT @ Charlotte, NC)
3 /11 [1] W 82-73 v [5] Wake Forest (ACC TOURNAMENT @ Charlotte, NC)
3 /12 [1] W 81-68 v [2] Maryland (ACC TOURNAMENT @ Charlotte, NC)
3 /17 [E1] W 82-55 v [E16] Lamar (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Winston-Salem, NC)
3 /19 [E1] W 69-64 v [E8] Kansas (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Winston-Salem, NC)
3 /24 [E1] L 78-87 v [E5] Florida (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Syracuse, NY)
This could be a breakout season for the Gators. On paper, they have more talent than any one in
the SEC (and maybe in the country), but do they realize how
good they can be? (And, more importantly, can they make the transition from run-and-shoot
all-stars to mature executing national contenders?) It says here that, by the time the rest of
the league rolls away before them, they will fully understand their greatness. This is the
"sleeper" pick for the national championship. 'Tweener Mike Miller showed his stuff in the
postseason. Add (national prep Player of the Year) Donnell Harvey to center Udonis Haslem and
you've got a great front line. Teddy Dupay and Kenyan Weaks would be a fine back
court, but freshmen Brett Nelson, Justin Hamilton and sophomore LaDarius Halton will all get
their minutes. Billy Donovan's problem? How to keep everybody happy by sharing the minutes.
The Gators have more talent than Kentucky and are smarter than
Tennessee, so they should be able to edge out both in the tough SEC East
Division. The conference tournament will be a grab-bag.
They should take the MAUI CLASSIC (which includes a backcourt-depleted
North Carolina squad). They're too deep for DePaul to
handle in January. They get Tennessee and Kentucky at
home first and don't play Auburn until the end of February. All the ducks
are lined up for them. It's just a question of knocking them down.
11/19 (#8) W @96-61 v Florida St
11/22 (#4) W 60-58 v Utah St (MAUI CLASSIC @ Maui, HI)
11/23 (#4) L 68-79 v Purdue (MAUI CLASSIC @ Maui, HI)
11/24 (#4) W 72-62 v Georgetown (MAUI CLASSIC @ Maui, HI)
11/29 (#16) W @131-72 v New Hampshire
12/ 4 (#16) W @96-44 v Florida A&M
12/11 (#16) W @93-77 v Bethune-Cookman
12/19 (#15) W @109-60 v High Point
12/21 (#15) W 85-@65 @ Rutgers (JIMMY V CLASSIC @ East Rutherford, NJ)
12/23 (#15) W @80-53 v UNC-Wilmington
12/28 (#15) W @113-68 v VMI
12/30 (#15) W @82-61 v S Alabama
1 / 5 (#13) L 77-@87 @ Vanderbilt
1 / 8 (#13) W 75-@71 @ Mississippi
1 /12 (#21) W @82-57 v #19 LSU
1 /18 (#15) L @79-81(2OT) v #21 Tennessee
1 /22 (#15) W 77-@73 @ Alabama
1 /26 (#18) L 69-@71 @ DePaul
1 /29 (#18) W @89-63 v #16 Vanderbilt
2 / 2 (#15) W 86-@82 @ S Carolina
2 / 5 (#15) W @85-66 v Georgia
2 / 8 (#12) W @90-73 v #9 Kentucky
2 /12 (#12) L 73-@76(OT) @ #10 Tennessee
2 /15 (#9) W 80-@71 @ Arkansas
2 /19 (#9) W @88-58 v Mississippi St
2 /23 (#8) W 90-@68 @ Georgia
2 /27 (#8) W @88-59 v #13 Auburn
3 / 1 (#5) W @87-67 v S Carolina
3 / 4 (#5) L 70-@85 @ #24 Kentucky
3 / 9 [E3] W 89-67 v [W6] Mississippi (SEC TOURNAMENT @ Atlanta, GA)
3 /10 [E3] L 70-78 v [W2] Auburn (SEC TOURNAMENT @ Atlanta, GA)
3 /17 [E5] W 69-68(OT) v [E12] Butler (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Winston-Salem, NC)
3 /19 [E5] W 93-76 v [E4] Illinois (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Winston-Salem, NC)
3 /24 [E5] W 87-78 v [E1] Duke (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Syracuse, NY)
3 /26 [E5] W 77-65 v [E3] Oklahoma St (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Syracuse, NY)
4 / 1 [E5] W 71-59 v [S8] N Carolina (NCAA FINAL FOUR @ Indianapolis, IN)
4 / 3 [E5] L 76-89 v [M1] Michigan St (NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP @ Indianapolis, IN)
Jim Harrick is the new coach in Athens, but that's where the good news ends. Can you build a
competitive team around sophomore scorer D.A. Layne? That's Harrick's task. He's brought in
some JuCo players to help ease the transition of losing 4 starters from last year's
(disappointing) squad. Don't expect much ... and don't judge Harrick too harshly by how bad the
Dawgs will be this season.
11/19 L 63-@67 @ NC State
11/25 L 78-88 v #16 Kansas (GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT @ Anchorage, AK)
11/26 L 62-85 v Louisville (GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT @ Anchorage, AK)
11/27 W 113-74 v Grambling (GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT @ Anchorage, AK)
12/ 1 W @84-78 v Tennessee St
12/ 6 W 86-@82(OT) @ Furman
12/ 8 W @70-68 v Georgia Tech
12/11 W @68-67 v #7 Wake Forest (SCOTTISH RITE CLASSIC @ Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA)
12/18 L 79-@89 @ Marshall
12/21 W @65-63 v AR-Little Rock
12/23 W @88-54 v Mercer
12/28 L @65-66 v Minnesota
1 / 5 L 59-@71 @ Mississippi St
1 / 8 L 52-@67 @ #10 Auburn
1 /12 L @54-74 v Arkansas
1 /15 W @75-59 v Alabama
1 /19 L 57-@61 @ LSU
1 /22 W @90-62 v S Carolina
1 /26 L @69-75 v #10 Kentucky
1 /30 L 75-@78 @ Villanova
2 / 2 L @58-67 v #22 Vanderbilt
2 / 5 L 66-@85 @ #15 Florida
2 / 9 L 83-@110 @ #10 Tennessee
2 /12 W @71-65 v Mississippi
2 /19 L 64-@70 @ #17 Kentucky
2 /23 L @68-90 v #8 Florida
2 /26 L 66-@82 @ S Carolina
3 / 1 L 89-@101 @ Vanderbilt
3 / 4 L @66-83 v #11 Tennessee
3 / 9 [E6] L @64-71 v [W3] Arkansas (SEC TOURNAMENT @ Atlanta, GA)
Twin towers worked for the San Antonio Spurs, so why not for the Yellow Jackets, right? Right.
7' Jason Collier and 6-11 Alvin Jones do make for quite the matchup problem. But someone has to
pass the ball and someone has to move without the ball. That's where things start to go sour.
Tony Akins isn't an ACC-calibre point guard. Jason Floyd is
a shooter, not a player. (And Bobby Cremins is a recruiter, not a bench coach. Now
there's the real problem!)
11/19 W @91-79 v Mercer
11/24 W 100-88 v Grambling (GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT @ Anchorage, AK)
11/26 W 82-65 v Washington (GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT @ Anchorage, AK)
11/27 L 70-84 v #16 Kansas (GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT @ Anchorage, AK)
12/ 1 L @77-80 v Michigan (ACC-BIG 10 CHALLENGE @ Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA)
12/ 8 L 68-@70 @ Georgia
12/11 L @61-64(OT) v #4 Stanford (SCOTTISH RITE CLASSIC @ Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA)
Bobby Cremins, mercifully, announced his resignation effective at the end of the season. He
(and Mark Price) put the Georgia Tech program on the map when they joined the
ACC and he was great at recruiting superstar freshman (like
Price, Dennis Scott, Kenny Anderson, Stephon Marbury et al.) and letting them have their way.
But the momentum of his tenure has long since passed and it has been time for a change for a
while. Here's hoping that Rick Majerus (at Utah) is interested in making a
change.
2 /21 L 54-@64 @ Florida St
2 /24 W @66-63 v NC State
2 /27 L 64-@76 @ Wake Forest
3 / 1 L 72-@74(OT) @ N Carolina
3 / 4 W @85-69 v Clemson
3 / 9 [8] L 62-63 v [7] Florida St (ACC TOURNAMENT @ Charlotte, NC)
Gonzaga was a surprise team in last year's NCAA tournament only to those who weren't paying
attention. The Bulldogs put together a fine season that didn't show up on the radar because of the
lack of big-name scalps in their bag. This time around, everyone will know who they are. They
still have a critical mass left from a year ago (including lead guard Matt Santangelo, shooter
Richie Frahm and forward Casey Calvary), but they don't have their coach. Dan Monson took the
career-enhancing opportunity to coach Minnesota through its probation. Assistant coach Mark
Few got the promotion, which was a smart move. The veterans won't have to adjust to an
unfamiliar leader and these guys still have lots more they can get done before they graduate.
They'll run away with the WCC crown. Their sights are
clearly set on national prominence.
There's not enough depth this season to outlast Cincinnati, but the
up-tempo game may thwart Temple's matchup zone in the GREAT EIGHT. A win at
UCLA is a definite possiblity with the backcourt advantage they enjoy. The
RAINBOW CLASSIC title would give them the national rep they covet and only
Wake Forest is capable of stopping them.
The Bulldogs came from behind to beat back previously undefeated-in-conference
Pepperdine in a major showdown. Good to see. The road rematch comes
quickly -- this weekend -- so either things will get muddy in the
WCC, or Gonzaga will emerge as the dominant team looking
beyond in-conference honors.
2 /11 (#19) W 101-@77 @ Loyola Marymount
2 /12 (#19) L 69-@80 @ Pepperdine
2 /17 L @70-82 v San Diego
2 /19 W @93-66 v St Mary's
2 /25 L 70-@81 @ Santa Clara
2 /27 W 70-@64 @ San Francisco
3 / 4 [2] W 76-49 v [7] St Mary's (WCC TOURNAMENT @ Santa Clara, CA)
3 / 5 [2] W 80-70 v [3] San Diego (WCC TOURNAMENT @ Santa Clara, CA)
3 / 6 [2] W 69-65(OT) v [1] Pepperdine (WCC TOURNAMENT @ Santa Clara, CA)
3 /16 [W10] W 77-66 v [W7] Louisville (NCAA WEST REGIONAL @ Tucson, AZ)
3 /18 [W10] W 82-76 v [W2] St John's (NCAA WEST REGIONAL @ Tucson, AZ)
3 /23 [W10] L 66-75 v [W6] Purdue (NCAA WEST REGIONAL @ Albuquerque, NM)
Illinois went 14-18 last year, but they nearly made the NCAA tournament anyway by sweeping
through the Big 10 tournament. Was that a sign that the
mismatched Illini finally hit their stride, or was it a case of the other elite teams fading
down the stretch from the brutal regular season conference wars? Probably much more the latter
than the former. Still, there are 4 returning starters and some serious new talent coming in.
Plus, they took the ever-popular trip to Australia over the summer. That always means a team
comes into the season with cohesion and purpose. The new blood (Marcus Griffin and Brian Cook
up front, and Frank Williams at the point) is better than the talent already there. More depth
should allow Sergio McClain to slip back to small forward where he can be effective. And don't
forget Big 10 Freshman of the Year Cory Bradford at shooting guard. There's lots to like about
Lon Kruger's squad (including the coach).
With such an influx of new talent, it might normally take the Illini a while to hit their
stride, but the Australia trip means they'll play like veterans from jump street. With
Michigan State without its leader and with
Ohio State hard-pressed to repeat its excellent run last year, the Illini
could get it done right now and take the Big 10 title.
Look for Illinois to pounce on Duke in the ACC-BIG 10 CHALLENGE and to sweep
past the competition in the BB&T CLASSIC. Kansas shouldn't be a problem,
either. If they can beat Ohio State to start out the conference
schedule, they could set themselves up to control the race for the league title.
11/19 (#22) W @76-53 v We Illinois
11/22 (#20) W 72-@62 @ Bradley
11/30 (#23) L @69-72 v #14 Duke (ACC-BIG 10 CHALLENGE @ Chicago, IL)
The win over Kansas finally puts the Illini over the hump and gives them
their first Top-25 win of the season. They got nice balance from Cory Bradford outside and
Marcus Griffin inside. Illinois could build on this win and become a Top-10 team before they
look back.
12/21 (#20) L @72-@78 @@ Missouri (BRAGGIN' RIGHTS @ St Louis, MO)
12/28 (#24) W @97-47 v Bethune-Cookman
12/30 (#24) W @107-71 v Loyola (IL)
1 / 6 (#19) W @80-77 v Ohio St
1 / 8 (#19) L 59-@63 @ Wisconsin
1 /12 (#17) L @66-69 v Purdue
1 /16 (#17) L 91-@95(OT) @ Michigan
1 /22 W @87-76 v Penn St
1 /26 W 69-@58 @ Iowa
1 /30 L 66-@91 @ #7 Michigan St
2 / 2 W @73-59 v Minnesota
2 / 6 W 51-@50 @ Penn St
2 / 9 W @75-59 v Michigan
2 /12 W @78-50 v Iowa
2 /17 (#23) W 89-@80 @ Minnesota
2 /19 (#23) W 63-@30 @ Northwestern
2 /22 (#19) W @87-63 v #17 Indiana
2 /27 (#19) L 51-@64 @ #5 Ohio St
3 / 4 (#15) W @73-44 v Northwestern
3 /10 [4] W @72-69 v [5] Indiana (BIG 10 TOURNAMENT @ Chicago, IL)
3 /11 [4] W @94-84 v [9] Penn St (BIG 10 TOURNAMENT @ Chicago, IL)
3 /12 [4] L @61-76 v [1] Michigan St (BIG 10 TOURNAMENT @ Chicago, IL)
3 /17 [E4] W 68-58 v [E13] Penn (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Winston-Salem, NC)
3 /19 [E4] L 76-93 v [E5] Florida (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Winston-Salem, NC)
More overachieving from Bob Knight's troops, as usual. A.J. Guyton's as good as you can ask
from a college guard. The rest is effort. The win over Temple gets the
Hoosiers a ranking this week, but don't expect it to last long.
The win over North Carolina was pure execution, especially late in the
game. That's the quality you look for the most. Forget the grudge-match loss to Indiana State
and look at the wins over the Tar Heels, the Wildcats and the
Owls.
12/27 (#7) W @95-53 v Canisius (HOOSIER CLASSIC @ Indianapolis, IN)
12/28 (#7) W @79-44 v Holy Cross (HOOSIER CLASSIC @ Indianapolis, IN)
1 / 5 (#6) W @71-67 v Wisconsin
1 / 8 (#6) W 85-@78 @ Penn St
1 /11 (#6) L 71-@77(OT) @ #8 Michigan St
1 /15 (#6) W @86-61 v Minnesota
1 /18 (#6) W @74-71 v Iowa
1 /22 (#6) L 77-@83 @ #23 Purdue
1 /25 (#8) W @85-50 v Michigan
2 / 2 (#7) W @87-77 v Penn St
2 / 5 (#7) W 89-@67 @ Northwestern
2 / 9 (#8) L 75-@77 @ Minnesota
2 /13 (#8) W 86-@65 @ Michigan
2 /19 (#13) L @71-82 v #8 Ohio St
2 /22 (#17) L 63-@87 @ #19 Illinois
2 /26 (#17) W @81-79(OT) v #2 Michigan St
2 /29 (#16) W @79-65 v #10 Purdue
3 / 5 (#16) L 53-@56 @ Wisconsin
3 /10 [5] L 69-@72 @ [4] Illinois (BIG 10 TOURNAMENT @ Chicago, IL)
3 /17 [E6] L 57-77 v [E11] Pepperdine (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Buffalo, NY)
It's very likely a temporary stay in the rankings, but give credit while credit is due to
the Cyclones for handling Kansas at home and being in first place of the
tough Big 12 conference standings.
Granted, they were both home games, but you can't ask the Cyclones to be more decisive than
they were in their two wins over Texas and
Oklahoma State. Marcus Fizer was dominant (35p and 29p, respectively).
ISU is now in first place in the Big 12 and can coast
home with the regular season title.
3 / 1 (#9) W 87-@79 @ Texas Tech
3 / 4 (#9) W 75-@54 @ Baylor
3 /10 [1] W 76-64 v [9] Baylor (BIG 12 TOURNAMENT @ Kansas City, MO)
3 /11 [1] W 68-64 v [4] Oklahoma St (BIG 12 TOURNAMENT @ Kansas City, MO)
3 /12 [1] W 70-58 v [3] Oklahoma (BIG 12 TOURNAMENT @ Kansas City, MO)
3 /16 [M2] W 88-78 v [M15] C Connecticut St (NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL @ Minneapolis, MN)
3 /18 [M2] W 79-60 v [M7] Auburn (NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL @ Minneapolis, MN)
3 /23 [M2] W 80-56 v [M6] UCLA (NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL @ Auburn Hills, MI)
3 /25 [M2] L 64-@75 @ [M1] Michigan St (NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL @ Auburn Hilla, MI)
The Jayhawks struggled to impress during the regular season last year, but they coalesced and
won the Big 12 conference tournament and gave
Kentucky a run for its money in the second round of the NCAAs. Eric Chenowith
is solid up front but doesn't have much help. Freshman Nick Collison may be the answer. In the
backcourt, Jeff Boschee is too small and too intense. 6-9 'tweener Luke Axtell may help there.
The Big 12 should again be a battle between Kansas,
Texas and Oklahoma State. Give the edge to the guys from
Lawrence.
The Jayhawks looked impressive winning the GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT. They're deep and they
manage to play like a team (rather than a bunch of high school all-stars like, e.g.,
Florida). Eric Chenowith has nice size down low, but this is a balanced
squad.
12/ 2 (#9) W @76-61 v Pepperdine
12/ 5 (#9) W @97-77 v Mid Tennessee St
12/ 7 (#8) L 54-66 v #3 Michigan St (GREAT EIGHT @ Chicago, IL)
12/11 (#8) W @96-71 v Pittsburg St
12/16 (#7) W @80-67 v #23 Ohio St
12/18 (#7) L 70-@84 @ #25 Illinois (@ Chicago, IL)
12/22 (#10) W @82-67 v Princeton
12/30 (#8) W @71-@60 @@ St Louis (SPRINT SHOOTOUT @ Kansas City, MO)
1 / 4 (#7) W @105-59 v Penn
1 / 8 (#7) W 84-@69 @ Colorado
1 /12 (#7) W @87-79 v Kansas St
1 /15 (#7) W @97-82 v Nebraska
1 /17 (#7) W 78-@57 @ Texas A&M
1 /22 (#7) L 59-@81 @ Missouri
1 /24 (#9) W @89-74 v Colorado
1 /29 (#9) L 66-@74 @ Iowa St
2 / 3 (#14) L 69-@77 @ Iowa
2 / 5 (#14) W @87-62 v Texas Tech
2 / 7 (#20) L 53-@86 @ #11 Oklahoma St
2 /12 (#20) W 94-@65 @ Kansas St
2 /16 L @62-64 v #20 Iowa St
2 /20 W @53-50 v #19 Oklahoma
2 /23 W 83-@58 @ Nebraska
2 /26 W @80-70 v Baylor
2 /28 L 54-@68 @ #18 Texas
3 / 5 W @83-82 v Missouri
3 / 9 [5] W 84-60 v [12] Kansas St (BIG 12 TOURNAMENT @ Kansas City, MO)
3 /10 [5] L 58-77 v [4] Oklahoma St (BIG 12 TOURNAMENT @ Kansas City, MO)
3 /17 [E8] W 81-77(OT) v [E9] DePaul (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Winston-Salem, NC)
3 /19 [E8] L 64-69 v [E1] Duke (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Winston-Salem, NC)
Yikes. The only returning starter on Kentucky's squad is sophomore Desmond Allison.
It will most certainly be a down year by UK standards this season, but just how far will the
'Cats fall? Jamaal Magloire, Tayshawn Prince and Jules Camara have experience and talent, but
none of them is a go-to guy at this level. Worse yet, running things at the point all by his
lonesome is Saul Smith. How long will it take before opponents realize the emperor has no
clothes?
There's more talent at Florida and Tennessee, so the
SEC East Division title will reside outside of Lexington for
the second year in a row ... and the conference tournament title may vacate the premises as
well.
Kentucky won't win the PRESEASON NIT -- and the loss may even come in the first game against
Penn. The question is whether the bell that will sound serves as a
wakeup call for the 'Cats or a dinner bell for UK opponents. They luck out in facing
Michigan State early without Mateen Cleaves. The trip to
Auburn in January won't be pretty.
Kentucky showed more talent than expected in winning their first two PRESEASON NIT games
(albeit at home). In particular, Tayshawn Prince's play at guard takes a lot of pressure off of
having to rely so much on Saul Smith. They beat two good teams in Penn and
Utah.
11/24 (#9) W 61-58 v Maryland (PRESEASON NIT @ New York, NY)
11/26 (#9) L 51-63 v #5 Arizona (PRESEASON NIT @ New York, NY)
Being unranked was a big motivator for the Wildcats. They wouldn't have beaten
Michigan State if the game weren't in Rupp Arena, but it's a huge win,
regardless.
12/27 (#18) W @62-42 v AK-Anchorage
12/30 (#18) W 70-53 v Missouri (SUGAR BOWL CLASSIC @ New Orleans, LA)
1 / 5 (#14) W @80-71 v Georgia Tech (@ Louisville, KY)
Since stumbling to 4-4, the 'Cats have since gone 13-1, including last week's convincing
home win over Tennessee. Jamaal Magloire is now a consistent force in the
post, and Keith Bogans is also a solid contributor. Two tough road games loom this week,
though.
2 / 8 (#9) L 73-@90 @ #12 Florida
2 /13 (#9) L 57-@70 @ #21 LSU
2 /16 (#17) W @66-54 v Alabama
2 /19 (#17) W @70-64 v Georgia
2 /23 (#20) L 67-@74 @ #7 Tennessee
2 /26 (#20) W @60-55 v Arkansas
2 /29 (#24) W 73-@61 @ Mississippi St
3 / 4 (#24) W @85-70 v #5 Florida
3 /10 [E2] L 72-86 v [W3] Arkansas (SEC TOURNAMENT @ Atlanta, GA)
3 /16 [M5] W 85-80(2OT) v [M12] St Bonaventure (NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL @ Cleveland, OH)
3 /18 [M5] L 50-52 v [M4] Syracuse (NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL @ Cleveland, OH)
The win over Oklahoma State (in a battle of unbeatens) legitimizes the
Tigers' record. They're young and athletic and still don't know how good they are. (That's a
good thing.)
Either the Tigers have shown resilience and rebounded from their earlier in-conference slump
with a resounding out-of-conference win over (albeit depleted) Arizona, or the
SEC as a whole is much stronger than it appears on paper.
Two more big-time home wins over ranked opponents -- this time it was
Auburn and Kentucky in conference -- make the Tigers look
like they're here to stay for the rest of the season. If they believe, then so do I.
2 /16 (#11) W 97-@53 @ Mississippi
2 /19 (#11) W 78-@67 @ Arkansas
2 /23 (#10) W 64-@59 @ S Carolina
2 /26 (#10) W @71-66 v Mississippi St
3 / 1 (#12) W 55-@53 @ #22 Auburn
3 / 4 (#12) W @64-60 v Mississippi
3 /10 [W1] W 71-60 v [E4] Vanderbilt (SEC TOURNAMENT @ Atlanta, GA)
3 /11 [W1] L 67-69 v [W3] Arkansas (SEC TOURNAMENT @ Atlanta, GA)
3 /16 [W4] W 64-61 v [W12] SE Missouri St (NCAA WEST REGIONAL @ Salt Lake City, UT)
3 /18 [W4] W 72-67 v [W5] Texas (NCAA WEST REGIONAL @ Salt Lake City, UT)
3 /23 [W4] L 48-61 v [W8] Wisconsin (NCAA WEST REGIONAL @ Albuquerque, NM)
The win over Kentucky erases the earlier loss. The Terrapins have a solid
record, but this isn't exactly a dominant team. Terence Morris gets his points, but the whole
is less than the parts here.
The Terrapins make it back into the Top 25 mostly by default. Beating up on
Wake Forest, no matter how badly, just isn't that much of a calling card
now. At home, at least, they do give the appearance of a rankable team.
Back-to-back home wins over Virginia and N.C. State solidified the
Terrapins place in the ACC standings, but they need a lot
more poise on the road to be a real contender in the postseason.
The Terrapins didn't get to celebrate for long after their monumental win at
Duke (stopping the Blue Devils' home (45), conference (31) and season (18)
win streaks all in one shot. They had to travel to Temple and, although
they played well, couldn't pull off the double.
2 /16 (#15) W @92-70 v Georgia Tech
2 /19 (#15) W 73-@67 @ Wake Forest
2 /22 (#15) W 76-@63 @ Clemson
2 /26 (#15) W @81-73 v N Carolina
3 / 1 (#19) W @85-70 v Florida St
3 / 4 (#19) L 87-@89(OT) @ Virginia
3 /10 [2] W 82-61 v [7] Florida St (ACC TOURNAMENT @ Charlotte, NC)
3 /11 [2] W 64-61 v [6] NC State (ACC TOURNAMENT @ Charlotte, NC)
3 /12 [2] L 68-81 v [1] Duke (ACC TOURNAMENT @ Charlotte, NC)
3 /16 [M3] W 74-59 v [M14] Iona (NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL @ Minneapolis, MN)
3 /18 [M3] L 70-105 v [M6] UCLA (NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL @ Minneapolis, MN)
If Mateen Cleaves hadn't injured his foot in practice, the Spartans would be a shoo-in for the
preseason No. 1 spot. He'll miss 8-10 weeks but should be ready for conference play come
January. Letting the air out of the balloon of expectations for this squad might be a blessing
in disguise. Their wouldn't have been as much incentive on working on their weakness --
ball movement and execution when Cleaves isn't on the floor -- if they'd started the season
fully loaded. Now forward Morris Peterson will have to take the lead (which he's already proven
he can do) and guard Charlie Bell will be have to make things happen. Former Duke 'tweener Mike
Chappell should help make scoring a bit easier in the half court. Let's hope he can pass as
well as we already know he can slash and shoot. These guys have lots to work on in the
preconference season, but that may pay off handsomely the rest of the way.
In conference play, if Cleaves is ready to go from the start, Michigan State has more talent
than challengers Ohio State and Illinois.
The PUERTO RICO (THANKSGIVING) SHOOTOUT is now a dog fight with the likes of
DePaul waiting in the wings. The ACC-BIG 10 CHALLENGE matchup with
North Carolina will be the Battle of the Missing Backcourt Stars. The GREAT
EIGHT date with Kansas and the trips to Arizona and
Kentucky could all bloody the Spartans record before December is done. Don't
evaluate Michigan State's season until the February meeting with
Connecticut.
11/22 (#6) W @78-33 v Toledo
11/25 (#6) W 82-58 v Providence (PUERTO RICO SHOOTOUT @ San Juan, PR)
11/26 (#6) W 59-56 v S Carolina (PUERTO RICO SHOOTOUT @ San Juan, PR)
11/27 (#6) L 74-81 v #23 Texas (PUERTO RICO SHOOTOUT @ San Juan, PR)
12/ 1 (#7) W 86-@76 @ #8 N Carolina (ACC-BIG 10 CHALLENGE)
12/ 3 (#7) W @75-45 v Howard (SPARTAN CLASSIC @ East Lansing, MI)
12/ 4 (#7) W @74-57 v Ea Michigan (SPARTAN CLASSIC @ East Lansing, MI)
Morris Peterson turned in the first Player of the Year performance of the season with his
31-point effort against North Carolina in Chapel Hill. The Spartans may wind
up getting the benefit of the Year After Rule -- the nucleus of a top team returns minus their
superstar leader, pulls together and exceeds the accomplishments of the previous team -- and
then get Mateen Cleaves back to boot.
Killer week ahead with Kansas and Arizona back to back.
12/ 7 (#3) W 66-54 v #8 Kansas (GREAT EIGHT @ Chicago, IL)
Even in the loss at Arizona, the Spartans had some impressive moments.
Not many teams could respond to the Wildcats' 24-4 run in their own building with an 18-2 run of
their own. In the GREAT EIGHT, MSU was able to beat back a talented Kansas
team and keep them at bay throughout.
Mateen Cleaves is back in the lineup (although he's not starting yet and still has a limit
on his minutes). Things aren't perfectly in sync just yet, though (and that could be a problem
with a big game against Indiana coming up this week.
The resounding defeat of Connecticut signifies the complete return of
Mateen Cleaves into the Spartan's lineup. They were going to be the prohibitive preseason No. 1
team had he not gotten injured just before the season got started. They are finally back to
that expected championship form ... and more. Learning to play without Cleaves for the first
couple of months actually has made them a stronger squad in the long run.
The Spartans evened the score with Ohio State with a payback 11-point
home win of their own. Mateen Cleaves, Morris Peterson and Charlie Bell all got off in
the same game. That's great to see. With 6 losses, they'll likely have to hang on to win the
regular season title and win the Big 10 tournament in
order to earn a #1-seed in the NCAAs, but even if they don't, this is a Final Four squad.
2 /23 (#2) W 79-@63 @ Penn St
2 /26 (#2) L 79-@81(OT) @ #17 Indiana
3 / 2 (#6) W @79-43 v Minnesota
3 / 4 (#6) W @114-63 v Michigan
3 /10 [2] W 75-65 v [7] Iowa (BIG 10 TOURNAMENT @ Chicago, IL)
3 /11 [2] W 56-45 v [6] Wisconsin (BIG 10 TOURNAMENT @ Chicago, IL)
3 /12 [2] W 76-@61 v [4] Illinois (BIG 10 TOURNAMENT @ Chicago, IL)
3 /16 [M1] W 65-38 v [M16] Valparaiso (NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL @ Cleveland, OH)
3 /18 [M1] W 73-61 v [M8] Utah (NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL @ Cleveland, OH)
3 /23 [M1] W @75-58 v [M4] Syracuse (NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL @ Auburn Hills, MI)
3 /25 [M1] W @75-64 v [M2] Iowa St (NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL @ Auburn Hills, MI)
4 / 1 [M1] W 53-41 v [W8] Wisconsin (NCAA FINAL FOUR @ Indianapolis, IN)
4 / 3 [M1] W 89-76 v [E5] Florida (NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP @ Indianapolis, IN)
Despite the embarrassing first-round loss to Weber State in last year's NCAA tournament, there
was still plenty of talent returning to make the Tar Heels a Top 10 team and the favorite inside
the ACC coming into this season. Then guard Ronald Curry
tore his Achilles tendon playing football. After that, guards Ed Cota and Terence Newby were
suspended indefintely after an off-season arrest. But 7' Brendan Haywood, 6-11 Kris Lang and
6-8 Jason Capel return up front. Capel will likely switch to the backcourt to help run things
with Max Owens until Cota returns (if he returns). Forcing Capel and Owens to become
better playmakers will make UNC better in the long run, but in the short run things could be
pretty ugly.
Duke is the favorite now in the ACC and
Wake Forest can also sneak past the Heels (if they can get a handle on their
own backcourt issues).
Without a backcourt, making the finals of the MAUI CLASSIC isn't even reasonable to expect.
Michigan State is without its point guard as well, but the Spartans are
too athletic for the Heels. In fact, don't expect any elite wins without Cota running
the show.
Freshman guard Joseph Forte debuted as the Tar Heels' new designated scorer. That's a lot
of pressure to put on a newcomer, but at least it provides a framework for the offense. But
there's lots of work that still needs to be done here. UNC usually gets it together sooner than
most other teams so they look good earlier in the season than most.
12/ 1 (#8) L @76-86 v #7 Michigan St
12/ 3 (#8) W @72-54 v Col of Charleston (FOOD LION CLASSIC @ Charlotte, NC)
12/ 4 (#8) W @102-78 v UNLV (FOOD LION CLASSIC @ Charlotte, NC)
12/ 7 (#10) W 91-@67 @ Buffalo
12/ 8 (#10) L 68-77 v #2 Cincinnati (GREAT EIGHT @ Chicago, IL)
The Heels are reeling having lost 4 straight games now. Here's the real test of Bill
Guthridge's coaching ability. He's not loaded with can't-miss blue-chip players. They've
fallen out of the Top 25 and have been passed by inside the conference by non-powerhouse
programs. Let's see what he's got now.
1 /27 W @75-63 v #24 Maryland
1 /29 W 70-@53 @ Georgia Tech
2 / 3 L @86-90(OT) v #5 Duke
2 / 6 W 73-@60 @ Clemson
2 / 9 W 70-@62 @ NC State
2 /12 W @87-64 v Wake Forest
2 /20 L @76-90 v Virginia
2 /23 W 70-@67 @ Florida St
2 /26 L 73-@81 @ #15 Maryland
3 / 1 W @74-72(OT) v Georgia Tech
3 / 4 L 76-@90 @ #8 Duke
3 /10 [4] L 52-58 v [5] Wake Forest (ACC TOURNAMENT @ Charlotte, NC)
3 /17 [S8] W 84-70 v [S9] Missouri (NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL @ Birmingham, AL)
3 /19 [S8] W 60-53 v [S1] Stanford (NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL @ Birmingham, AL)
3 /24 [S8] W 74-69 v [S4] Tennessee (NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL @ Austin, TX)
3 /26 [S8] W 59-55 v [S7] Tulsa (NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL @ Austin, TX)
4 / 1 [S8] L 59-71 v [E5] Florida (NCAA FINAL FOUR @ Indianapolis, IN)
The win at #1 UConn vaults the Irish back into the Top 25. Combine
that with the season-opening win at Ohio State and Matt Doherty has quite
a season building in South Bend.
1 /12 (#24) W @86-77 v Boston Col
1 /16 (#24) L 57-@80 @ #11 Syracuse
1 /18 L 51-@76 @ Rutgers
1 /22 W @81-66 v Pittsburgh
1 /25 L @49-63 v Miami (FL)
1 /29 W @73-60 v #21 St John's
2 / 2 W @79-65 v W Virginia
2 / 6 L 66-@72 @ Pittsburgh
2 / 8 L 69-@86 @ Villanova
2 /12 W @68-66 v #13 Connecticut
2 /19 W 76-@74 @ #25 Seton Hall
2 /23 L @79-89 v Providence
2 /26 L 52-@55 @ Miami (FL)
3 / 1 L @71-73 v #13 Syracuse
3 / 4 W 77-@54 @ Georgetown
3 / 8 [7] W 74-62 v [10] Rutgers (BIG EAST TOURNAMENT @ New York, NY)
3 / 9 [7] L 58-61 v [2] Miami (FL) (BIG EAST TOURNAMENT @ New York, NY)
Can you really be third in the nation with a bargain basement frontcourt? You can if you've
got the best backcourt in the country (which is exactly what the Buckeyes do have in Scoonie
Penn and Michael Redd). Guards matter. Ohio State proved that in making the Final Four last
year beating back more balanced squads (Auburn and St. John's) en route. A great point guard
can make mediocre frontcourt players a lot better than they are on their own. That's what will
have to happen this year. Compare their season with St. John's who also
returns a great backcourt with questionable talent up front.
If Mateen Cleaves isn't at full strength to start conference play in the
Big 10, the Buckeyes could get the early jump on the
regular season crown. By conference tournament time, though, both
Michigan State and Illinois could surpass them with
their greater depth of talent.
The PRESEASON NIT won't be easy with the likes of Arizona and
Utah in the field, but the Buckeyes get the edge with Penn/Redd. Winning at
Kansas would be a nice feather in their cap as well. It's doable. They may
need to steal that early win at Illinois in order to set up their regular
season conference hopes.
11/16 (#2) L @57-59 v Notre Dame (PRESEASON NIT)
11/29 W @74-51 v Vermont
12/ 4 W @87-55 v Duquesne (BCA CLASSIC @ Columbus, OH)
The Buckeyes are the first Big 10 team to break
through on the road at Wisconsin. The season-opening loss to
Notre Dame doesn't seem relevant this far into the season. Scoonie Penn and
Michael Redd haven't exactly gotten their shooting eyes lined up, but they have things under
control enough to navigate through the first couple of weeks of conference play.
The Buckeyes continue to surge back up to a place of prominence in the rankings. They beat
Michigan State by dragging them down to their level. They beat
St. John's by continuing to exploit their height advantage inside on both
offense and defense. It's smart play, if not always the prettiest to watch.
The emergence of George Reese as a consistent force up front -- he just had a career-high 25
points against Michigan -- makes them a serious contender for all things (conference title,
conference tournament and the NCAAs) from here on out.
The best thing the Buckeyes did this week was not sulk over the loss at
Michigan State. They turned things around and got a big win at
Indiana the next time out. OSU is peaking at the right time of the season.
Winning the TOP OF THE WORLD CLASSIC gets the Sooners tracked. Winning every game
decisively gets them ranked (for now). Forward Eduardo Najera is the story, but there's more to
Oklahoma than just him. They showed nice team D and competent backcourt play.
A win at Arkansas is doable, but expect another blowout loss to Cincinnati
(same as last year). In conference, the Big 12 schedule
at least keeps Kansas away until late in the season.
11/26 (#25) W @68-61 v San Diego (SOONER HOLIDAY CLASSIC @ Norman, OK)
11/27 (#25) W @80-68 v UC-Irvine (SOONER HOLIDAY CLASSIC @ Norman, OK)
12/ 4 (#25) W @81-73 v Mississippi
12/ 7 (#20) W 66-@52 @ Arkansas
12/11 (#20) W @80-56 v AR-Little Rock
12/18 (#17) W @102-63 v Georgia So
12/22 (#17) L @57-72 v #5 Cincinnati
12/29 (#23) W @94-41 v Mt St Mary's (ALL-COLLEGE TOURNAMENT @ Oklahoma City, OK)
12/30 (#23) W @64-51 v Arkansas St (ALL-COLLEGE TOURNAMENT @ Oklahoma City, OK)
The Sooners paid back their earlier road loss to Texas with a convincing
home win of their own. The double-OT win over Iowa State looks better in
retrospect.
2 / 8 (#15) W @85-64 v Kansas St
2 /12 (#15) L @71-74 v #11 Oklahoma St
2 /14 (#19) W 62-@54 @ Nebraska
2 /20 (#19) L 50-@53 @ Kansas
2 /23 (#20) W @93-65 v Texas Tech
2 /26 (#20) W @83-56 v Missouri
3 / 1 (#20) W 77-@59 @ Texas A&M
3 / 4 (#20) W 59-@56 @ #17 Oklahoma St
3 /10 [3] W 84-80 v [6] Missouri (BIG 12 TOURNAMENT @ Kansas City, MO)
3 /11 [3] W 81-65 v [2] Texas (BIG 12 TOURNAMENT @ Kansas City, MO)
3 /12 [3] L 58-70 v [1] Iowa St (BIG 12 TOURNAMENT @ Kansas City, MO)
3 /16 [W3] W 74-50 v [W14] Winthrop (NCAA WEST REGIONAL @ Tucson, AZ)
3 /18 [W3] L 62-66 v [W6] Purdue (NCAA WEST REGIONAL @ Tucson, AZ)
Adrian Peterson is gone, but scoring mate Desmond Mason returns. All-pass/no-shoot Doug
Gottlieb is back as well after leading the nation last year in assists. The perimeter attack
will be in the able hands of Joe Adkins and Glendon Alexander. There's plenty of size (if not
scoring ability) up front with 4 players at least 6-10 on the roster. This is a senior-laden
squad that should go out on a high note with coach Eddie Sutton's guidance.
Kansas has more individual talent, but Texas and
the Cowboys will be right there all the way in the Big 12
race.
There's no team on their schedule that they can't beat. Doesn't mean they'll go undefeated.
11/19 (#25) W @87-75 v Appalachian St (AMERICA'S YOUTH CLASSIC @ Stillwater, OK)
11/20 (#25) W @81-50 v Idaho (AMERICA'S YOUTH CLASSIC @ Stillwater, OK)
11/23 (#24) W @93-64 v AR-Little Rock
11/27 (#24) W @103-65 v N Texas
12/ 1 (#22) W @68-56 v Wichita St
12/ 4 (#22) W @87-66 v TX-San Antonio
12/12 (#19) W @97-63 v San Diego St
12/15 (#18) W @79-53 v Alcorn St
12/18 (#18) W 89-@75 @ UNLV (LAS VEGAS SHOOTOUT @ Las Vegas, NV)
12/21 (#18) W 84-@72 @ Washington
12/30 (#17) L 53-@63 @ LSU (SUGAR BOWL CLASSIC @ New Orleans, LA)
No elite losses inside one of the toughest conferences in the country
(the Big 12), including a big-time road win at rival
Oklahoma. Can't ask for any more out of the Cowboys. Desmond Mason is having
a monster senior season.
2 /16 (#6) L 57-@68 @ #21 Texas
2 /19 (#6) W @94-55 v Nebraska
2 /21 (#11) W 84-@72 @ Missouri
2 /26 (#11) L 61-@72 @ #22 Iowa St
3 / 1 (#17) W @96-60 v Colorado
3 / 4 (#17) L @56-59 v #20 Oklahoma
3 /10 [4] W 77-58 v [5] Kansas (BIG 12 TOURNAMENT @ Kansas City, MO)
3 /11 [4] L 64-68 v [1] Iowa St (BIG 12 TOURNAMENT @ Kansas City, MO)
3 /17 [E3] W 86-66 v [E14] Hofstra (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Buffalo, NY)
3 /19 [E3] W 75-67 v [E11] Pepperdine (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Buffalo, NY)
3 /24 [E3] W 68-66 v [E10] Seton Hall (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Syracuse, NY)
3 /26 [E3] L 65-77 v [E5] Florida (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Syracuse, NY)
The Top-25 ranking may be short-lived, but this is a team that made the semifinals of the
NIT last year, so they're no fluke. Two wins over (admittedly struggling) Top-25 teams
(Wake Forest and Gonzaga) in the RAINBOW CLASSIC are
enough to get them in despite losing the final to host Hawaii.
The Ducks actually fell out of the rankings the last time without actually losing a game.
Continued solid play (including a win over upstart USC) gets them back in. Take a close look in
two weeks time, after they've completed the upcoming section of their schedule with 4
consecutive road games.
The home win over a (depleted) Arizona squad is enough of a credential for
the Ducks to sneak back into the final pretournament rankings. This is the kind of team that
can sneak up on the unsuspecting in the NCAAs because they got no pub during the regular season.
3 /11 (#24) W @83-65 v Oregon St
3 /17 [E7] L 71-72(OT) v [E10] Seton Hall (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Buffalo, NY)
The home win over Gonzaga puts the Waves into a tie for first place in
the WCC (and they nearly won in Spokane earlier). It makes
them trackable, but it's not enough to rank them.
2 /16 W @95-73 v Loyola Marymount
2 /19 W 77-@65 @ Loyola Marymount
2 /24 L 62-@73 @ San Diego
2 /26 W 71-@42 @ St Mary's
3 / 4 [1] W 83-49 v [8] Loyola Marymount (WCC TOURNAMENT @ Santa Clara, CA)
3 / 5 [1] W 58-@55 @ [4] Santa Clara (WCC TOURNAMENT @ Santa Clara, CA)
The Tigers still have Chris Young, Mason Rocca and Chris Krug up front, but the problem is in
the backcourt where Ahmed El-Nokail is not ready to lead the way. (NBA-player Kenny's son)
Cameron Carr could step in and start at forward as a freshman. Princeton will be good, but
don't expect Top 25 wins from this bunch.
Penn is too talented and experienced for these Tigers to prevent the Quakers
from repeating as Ivy champs.
Don't expect a win over Syracuse in the NABC CLASSIC, or even a rematch
against North Carolina in the FOOD LION CLASSIC. Kansas
will handle the Tigers as well, but TCU, UAB and Xavier might be within reach.
The home loss to Penn effectively eliminates any postseason possibilities for the Tigers.
They can't expect Penn to lose to anyone else in conference, so even if they can win in at the
Palestra at season's end, they'll still be a game behind in the standings. Next year.
If it's November, it must be Purdue with an early overachieving performance. Same old, same
old. Brian Cardinal just gets it done. Mike Robinson stepped it up as well helping the
Boilermakers beat Florida in the MAUI INVITATIONAL.
12/ 1 (#13) L @59-61 v NC State
12/ 4 (#13) W @75-66 v Akron
12/ 7 (#23) W 86-@75 @ Illinois St
12/ 9 (#23) W @83-48 v We Illinois
12/11 (#23) W @86-65 v Coppin St
12/18 (#21) L @52-@72 @@ Ball St (@ Indianapolis, IN)
Slow and steady wins the race. Just as you might expect, Gene Keady has his Boilermakers
performing with consistency and that was good for two wins in league play. Doesn't mean they're
much of a threat come tourney time, but you've got to honor what they've done right now.
How could you expect anything less than a win over higher-ranked Indiana
at home? It's the same old story. Give them credit for now, but this is no juggernaut.
The Boilermakers are only a half game off the lead in the loaded
Big 10 and their 3-1 record among the elite teams is tops.
Gene Keady knows how to win regular season games. (Doesn't mean this will be a fearsome
tournament team, though.)
2 /16 (#12) W @67-59 v Iowa
2 /19 (#12) W @97-61 v Minnesota
2 /24 (#12) W 78-@75 @ Michigan
2 /27 (#12) W @88-71 v Penn St
2 /29 (#10) L 65-@79 @ #16 Indiana
3 /10 [3] L 66-78 v [6] Wisconsin (BIG 10 TOURNAMENT @ Chicago, IL)
3 /16 [W6] W 62-61 v [W11] Dayton (NCAA WEST REGIONAL @ Tucson, AZ)
3 /18 [W6] W 66-62 v [W3] Oklahoma (NCAA WEST REGIONAL @ Tucson, AZ)
3 /23 [W6] W 75-66 v [W10] Gonzaga (NCAA WEST REGIONAL @ Albuquerque, NM)
3 /25 [W6] L 60-64 v [W8] Wisconsin (NCAA WEST REGIONAL @ Albuquerque, NM)
A high preseason ranking considering they lost a star 'tweener in Ron Artest. The good news is
that the backcourt of Erick Barkley and Bootsy Thornton return, and Lavor Postell and Reggie
Jessie were key contributors last year as well. And then there's the coach, Ron Jarvis, who's
the biggest reason for such lofty optimism. Yes, they'll be small in the lane (but they were
small in the lane last year as well and did just fine, thank you).
They won't be able to catch Connecticut in the
Big East and they'll be hard-pressed to stay ahead of
Syracuse and Miami, but they'll be in the mix all year.
They're the class of the CoSIDA CLASSIC. The game at DePaul will be a
battle for control between the Red Storm's backcourt and the Blue Demons' frontcourt. Go with
the guards. Don't expect this year's Duke game to match last year's
classic. They face the tough conference teams on the road first, so that's not a good sign.
11/19 (#7) L 60-68 v Samford (CoSIDA CLASSIC @ Albuquerque, NM)
11/20 (#7) W 70-@62 @ New Mexico (CoSIDA CLASSIC @ Albuquerque, NM)
Losing the Samford was not a Top 25-calibre performance. The Red Storm will have to earn
its way back into the rankings. The opportunity won't come until the game against
DePaul.
Who needs height? The Red Storm's Iron 6 are players. UConn
had a huge size advantage, but they weren't adept enough to take advantage of it. Instead, it
was St. John's ball movement and execution that allowed them to come through with a big road win
in conference play.
The Red Storm continues to be the most enjoyable team to watch in the entire country. They
are undersized and undermanned yet they play the best, most selfless, brand of basketball of
anyone. The regular season title is still a possibility.
2 /29 (#14) W @66-60 v Seton Hall
3 / 5 (#14) L 70-@74(OT) @ Miami (FL)
3 / 9 [3] W @75-70 v [6] Villanova (BIG EAST TOURNAMENT @ New York, NY)
3 /10 [3] W @58-57 v [2] Miami (FL) (BIG EAST TOURNAMENT @ New York, NY)
3 /11 [3] W @80-70 v [4] Connecticut (BIG EAST TOURNAMENT @ New York, NY)
3 /16 [W2] W 61-56 v [W15] N Arizona (NCAA WEST REGIONAL @ Tucson, AZ)
3 /18 [W2] L 76-82 v [W10] Gonzaga (NCAA WEST REGIONAL @ Tucson, AZ)
Give the Pirates credit for knocking off the last remaining unbeaten team,
Syracuse -- on the road, no less. (Forget the fact that SU lost
their next game as well by an even worse margin and then struggled to win at home against a weak
UCLA squad.) Shaheen Holloway is a good enough point guard, but it's shooting guard Rimas
Kaukenis who makes them a decent squad.
2 /14 (#25) L @50-59 v #18 Connecticut
2 /19 (#25) L @74-76 v Notre Dame
2 /23 W @64-61 v Minnesota
2 /26 L 74-@87 @ Villanova
2 /29 L 60-@66 @ #14 St John's
3 / 8 [5] W 85-65 v [12] Providence (BIG EAST TOURNAMENT @ New York, NY)
3 / 9 [5] L 64-79 v [4] Connecticut (BIG EAST TOURNAMENT @ New York, NY)
3 /17 [E10] W 72-71(OT) v [E7] Oregon (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Buffalo, NY)
3 /19 [E10} W 67-65(OT) v [E2] Temple (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Buffalo, NY)
3 /24 [E10] L 66-68 v [E3] Oklahoma St (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Syracuse, NY)
There's lots of experience on this squad, thanks to Mike Montgomery's free substituting style.
But experience is one thing and talent is another. Arthur Lee was no Brevin Knight ... and
Michael McDonald isn't even Arthur Lee. There's plenty of depth up front, though, led by
overachieving Mark Madsen. More playing time for Jarron and Jason Collins means the Cardinal
will be more athletic in the frontcourt than in the past.
Arizona has a better front line, but they may also be turning the backcourt
ropes over to a freshman. Whichever backcourt develops the fastest may determine who wins the
Pac-10 race.
The Cardinal might get past Duke in the first round of the COACHES V CANCER
CLASSIC, but UConn should make it three routs in a row in the final. The
inexperience in the backcourt should prove fatal against Auburn's pressure.
They get Arizona at home first in league play. That helps.
11/11 (#14) W 80-79(OT) v #9 Duke (COACHES V CANCER CLASSIC @ New York, NY)
11/12 (#14) W 72-48 v Iowa (COACHES V CANCER CLASSIC @ New York, NY)
The Cardinal showed nice low-post offense, excellent interior defense and good scoring from
wings Casey Jacobsen and David Moseley in winning the COACHES V CANCER CLASSIC. The bad news
is that Mark Madsen will miss 4-6 weeks with a hamstring pull.
11/20 (#9) W 62-@49 @ Santa Barbara
11/24 (#8) W @72-31 v Cal St-Bakersfield
11/27 (#8) W @67-58 v #1 Auburn (JOHN WOODEN @ Anaheim, CA)
Yeah, it was only Cal, but a 51-point win is still a 51-point win. The Cardinal is on pace
to set an NCAA record for field goal percentage defense. Mark Madsen is back to his dominating
ways in the low-post (and Jarron Collins is still there, too). Casey Jacobsen and David Moseley
are both getting it done on the wings. Plus, this team is as deep as anybody in the country.
What's not to like? (Maybe you might wish for some spot-up 3-point shooting from pure guards,
but that's nit-picking a team that's 3 points away from being undefeated.)
2 /24 (#1) W 89-@52 @ Washington St
2 /26 (#1) W 77-@52 @ Washington
3 / 2 (#1) W @111-68 v USC
3 / 4 (#1) L @93-94(OT) v UCLA
3 / 9 (#2) L 81-@86 @ #6 Arizona
3 /11 (#2) W 65-@57 @ Arizona St
3 /17 [S1] W 84-65 v [S16] SC State (NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL @ Birmingham, AL)
3 /19 [S1] L 53-60 v [S8] N Carolina (NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL @ Birmingham, AL)
The Orangemen are the only Top 25 team that returns all 5 starters. So why aren't they ranked
higher? 'Cause they never showed the same quality after winning the MAUI INVITATIONAL early on
last year. They're not tall, but Etan Thomas and Ryan Blackwell are good low-post players.
Jason Hart has plenty of talent, but sometimes the whole is less than the sum of its parts with
these guys.
Connecticut still has too much talent to be headed in the
Big East conference race, but there's no reason Syracuse
can't finish second.
Expect this veteran squad to hit the ground running. That means taking the NABC CLASSIC (over
Princeton). In fact, there's no reason the Orangmen shouldn't be undefeated
when they meet Connecticut at the end of January. They get the big boys at
home first in conference.
11/12 (#16) W @60-43 v Princeton (NABC CLASSIC @ Syracuse, NY)
11/13 (#16) W @68-49 v Wisconsin (NABC CLASSIC @ Syracuse, NY)
11/22 (#13) W @105-79 v FL Atlantic
11/29 (#15) W @83-49 v Colgate
12/ 3 (#15) W @74-60 v Richmond (CARRIER CLASSIC @ Syracuse, NY)
12/ 4 (#15) W @82-60 v St Joseph's (CARRIER CLASSIC @ Syracuse, NY)
Yes, there was plenty of psychological incentive on their side to help propel the Orangemen
to their home rout of Connecticut, but no one else has lasted this far into
this season without a loss, so give them all due credit. They're intense defensively, have good
balance inside and outside on offense. They're legit.
1 /31 (#3) W @63-57 v St John's
2 / 5 (#3) W 74-@58 @ Providence
2 / 7 (#4) L @67-69 v Seton Hall
2 /10 (#4) L 69-@82 @ Louisville
2 /13 (#4) W @71-67 v UCLA
2 /16 (#10) W @83-62 v Pittsburgh
2 /19 (#10) L 75-@76 @ St John's
2 /23 (#14) W @91-63 v Villanova
2 /27 (#14) W @67-52 v Georgetown
3 / 1 (#13) W 73-@71 @ Notre Dame
3 / 4 (#13) L 54-@69 @ Connecticut
3 / 9 [1] L 72-76 v [9] Georgetown (BIG EAST TOURNAMENT @ New York, NY)
3 /16 [M4] W 79-65 v [M13] Samford (NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL @ Cleveland, OH)
3 /18 [M4] W 52-50 v [M5] Kentucky (NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL @ Cleveland, OH)
3 /23 [M4] L 58-@75 @ [M1] Michigan St (NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL @ Auburn Hills, MI)
John Chaney with a legitimate shot at the Final Four? Hey, if it can finally happen for Jim
Calhoun and UConn the way it did last year, who's to say it won't turn out
that way this year for Chaney and Temple? One problem: can you really make a serious run at the
national championship without the ability to score in transition? Pepe Sanchez, Quincy Wadley
and Lynn Greer are fine in the backcourt; Mark Karcher should step forward as the star player
this year up front with Lamont Barnes a capable mate down low. The Owls can usually keep anyone
close with their famed matchup zone defense, but once they get down double-digits, it's over
because they just can't score in bunches.
Still, that should be plenty good enough to dominate the receding
Atlantic 10. Only Massachusetts and Xavier can even make
them blink.
The early trip to Wake Forest and the GREAT EIGHT date with
Gonzaga will be early barometers. For once, their out-of-conference
schedule isn't suicidal. There's no one on it they shouldn't expect to beat. Oh, to be at the
Penn game in January.
11/21 (#5) W @60-47 v Miami (OH)
11/26 (#7) L 59-67 v Indiana (TIP-OFF CLASSIC @ Springfield, CT)
11/29 (#17) W 69-@58 @ Florida St
12/ 4 (#17) L 72-@77 @ #24 Wake Forest
12/ 8 (#22) W 64-48 v #18 Gonzaga (GREAT EIGHT @ Chicago, IL)
Pepe Sanchez is back in the lineup, so the offense is running more smoothly. Unfortunately,
now that they're into conference play in the weak
Atlantic 10, there won't be the opportunity to make big
jumps in the rankings. Steady as she goes.
The gutsy win at Cincinnati shows just how good the Owls are at full
strength. With Pepe Sanchez in the lineup at the point, they're 15-1 (with only a 1-point road
loss at St. Bonaventure). Lynn Greer was great from 3-point land in the first half and Mark
Karcher was great in the second half. But Sanchez provides the framework so the scorers can get
the ball where they want it.
2 /24 (#9) W @75-58 v St Bonaventure
2 /26 (#9) W @72-54 v Massachusetts
2 /29 (#7) L 59-@62 @ St Joseph's
3 / 4 (#7) W 98-@67 @ George Washington
3 / 9 [E1] W @71-52 v [W4] Virginia Tech (ATLANTIC 10 TOURNAMENT @ Philadelphia, PA)
3 /10 [E1] W @54-47 v [E3] Massachusetts (ATLANTIC 10 TOURNAMENT @ Philadelphia, PA)
3 /11 [E1] W @65-44 v [E2] St Bonaventure (ATLANTIC 10 TOURNAMENT @ Philadelphia, PA)
3 /17 [E2] W 73-47 v [E15] Lafayette (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Buffalo, NY)
3 /19 [E2] L 65-67(OT) v [E10] Seton Hall (NCAA EAST REGIONAL @ Buffalo, NY)
I know, I know. I propped up the Volunteers all season believing that they'd come to their
senses in an instant and play smart instead of dumb. And it never happened. So why put my
faith in them again with essentially the same cast? Because there's so much talent here,
because the emperor over in Lexington has no clothes and the
SEC is up for grabs. It all begins and ends with guard Tony
Harris. He's a scorer but he's been forced to play the point. Therein lies all of Tennessee's
problems. (In fact, compare Harris and the Vols' fortunes this season with those of Robert
O'Kelley and Wake Forest, another team in a similar situation.) Isiah
Victor, Vincent Yarborough and freshman Ron Slay give UT great athleticism up front. C.J. Black
and aircraft carrier Charles Hathaway provide the bulk. Tennessee will either be great ... or
they won't.
In the SEC East Division, the Vols will fight it out with
Florida for supremacy to supplant Kentucky (who'll be doing
it with smoke and mirrors this season). Come conference tournament time, there'll be the likes
of Auburn to worry about.
If UT isn't 9-0 heading into the PUERTO RICO CLASSIC, something is terribly wrong, and they're
the class of that draw as well. If they can take two of three against
Florida, Auburn and Kentucky in a
four-game stretch at the end of January, there might be great things in store for them come
season's end.
11/22 (#10) W @95-56 v Elon
11/24 (#10) W @79-63 v UNC-Asheville
11/26 (#10) W @86-47 v LIU
11/29 (#11) W @102-90 v S Florida
12/ 1 (#11) W @78-59 v Miami (OH)
12/ 4 (#11) W 76-@50 @ Pittsburgh
12/ 8 (#9) W @94-54 v W Virginia
12/10 (#9) W @78-77 v Mid Tennessee St
12/18 (#8) W 74-@69 @ Memphis
12/21 (#7) W 108-@52 @ American-PR (PUERTO RICO CLASSIC @ San Juan, PR)
12/22 (#7) W 87-74 v So Illinois (PUERTO RICO CLASSIC @ San Juan, PR)
12/23 (#7) L 68-88 v Tulsa (PUERTO RICO CLASSIC @ San Juan, PR)
The Volunteers were great in their double-overtime win at Florida. Tony
Harris missed lots of the game with foul trouble, but they didn't wilt. Isiah Victor was
huge time and time again, doing whatever they needed on O or on D (including coming up
with an offensive rebound in all kinds of traffic and hitting a fall-away, buzzer-beater jumper
to send the game into OT in the first place). This year's edition has the heart the previous
models have lacked.
The wallop of Auburn was payback from last year. Don't read as much into
it as you might want to. Tony Harris even came back into a 20-point game just so he could
participate in running up the score on the tired Tigers. But the Vols have been serious-minded
and cohesive this year unlike last year's hot-and-cold efforts.
It's only an overtime win (and they trailed much of the game), but give the Vols all the
credit in the world for being at the top of the pile in the toughest conference in the nation,
the SEC. They play well on the road, too, which is more than
you can say about most of the elite teams around the country. That bodes well for tournament
play. Gotta love the enthusiasm of sixth man Ron Slay.
2 /19 (#5) L 72-@85 @ Vanderbilt
2 /23 (#7) W @74-67 v #20 Kentucky
2 /26 (#7) L 75-@80 @ Alabama
3 / 1 (#11) W @73-66 v Arkansas
3 / 4 (#11) W 83-@66 @ Georgia
3 /10 [E1] L 68-75 v [E5] S Carolina (SEC TOURNAMENT @ Atlanta, GA)
3 /17 [S4] W 63-58 v [S13] LA-Lafayette (NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL @ Birmingham, AL)
3 /19 [S4] W 65-51 v [S5] Connecticut (NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL @ Birmingham, AL)
3 /24 [S4] L 69-74 v [S8] N Carolina (NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL @ Austin, TX)
The Top 25 ranking here has more to do with respect for a coach on the rise than the returning
talent. The Longhorns lost scorer Kris Clack, who'll be hard to replace. But they've got Chris
Mihm, who's among the best centers in the country, and Gabe Muoneke, who's as fiesty as they
come. Besides the coach, that is. Rick Barnes has a way of instilling the killer instinct in
his players and getting them to overachieve. (He also has a reputation for instilling dirty
play.) This is not a team that opponents like to play.
There's more talent over at Kansas (but that was true last year as well),
but Texas has a fine chance to repeat their regular season title in the
Big 12. Oklahoma State will again
be right there on their heels.
The PUERTO RICO SHOOTOUT is in play with the injury to Mateen Cleaves at
Michigan State (and DePaul may yet be too green to
fulfill their potential). A win against Arizona is unlikely, but the home
crowd helps. The Utah fans will love to hate Texas' physical style of play. Don't expect a
miracle against UConn. In league play, they only face
Kansas once -- at home at the end of the season. That's nice.
11/20 (#24) W @82-48 v SW Louisiana
11/25 (#23) W 88-71 v Arizona St (PUERTO RICO SHOOTOUT @ San Juan, PR)
11/26 (#23) W 68-64 v #15 DePaul (PUERTO RICO SHOOTOUT @ San Juan, PR)
11/27 (#23) W 81-74 v #6 Michigan St (PUERTO RICO SHOOTOUT @ San Juan, PR)
Beating DePaul and Michigan State back-to-back
en route to the the PUERTO RICO SHOOTOUT title bolts the Longhorns into the Top 5. Chris
Mihm demonstrated that he's the best center in the country, but this is far more than a one-man
team. Gabe Muoneke is a solid power forward and everyone else on the starting five contributes.
12/ 4 (#4) L @81-88 v #1 Arizona
12/ 7 (#6) L 45-@61 @ Wisconsin
12/11 (#6) W @76-66 v San Diego
12/18 (#10) W @89-57 v Wofford
12/22 (#9) L 73-@79 @ #24 Utah
12/28 (#12) W @85-48 v Niagara
1 / 2 (#12) W @90-80 v Houston
1 / 6 (#12) W @71-43 v Baylor
1 /10 (#9) L 67-@77 @ #4 Connecticut
1 /12 (#9) W 78-@51 @ Texas A&M
1 /15 (#9) W @79-66 v #23 Oklahoma
1 /19 (#10) L 65-@73 @ #20 Oklahoma St
1 /22 (#10) W 72-@59 @ Texas Tech
1 /25 (#14) W @82-55 v Nebraska
1 /29 (#14) W @75-65 v Colorado
1 /31 (#12) L 59-@83 @ #23 Oklahoma
2 / 5 (#12) W 68-@57 @ Massachusetts
2 / 9 (#17) W @76-60 v Texas Tech
2 /12 (#17) W 66-@63 @ Missouri
2 /16 (#21) W @68-57 v #6 Oklahoma St
2 /19 (#21) W 60-@38 @ Baylor
2 /22 (#16) L 77-@89 @ #22 Iowa St
2 /26 (#16) W @85-58 v Texas A&M
2 /28 (#18) W @68-54 v Kansas
3 / 4 (#18) W 99-@70 @ Kansas St
3 /10 [2] W 78-35 v [7] Colorado (BIG 12 TOURNAMENT @ Kansas City, MO)
3 /11 [2] L 65-81 v [3] Oklahoma (BIG 12 TOURNAMENT @ Kansas City, MO)
3 /16 [W5] W 77-61 v [W12] Indiana St (NCAA WEST REGIONAL @ Salt Lake City, UT)
3 /18 [W5] L 67-72 v [W4] LSU (NCAA WEST REGIONAL @ Salt Lake City, UT)
The win over Tennessee makes them rankable and legitimizes the 11-1
record. They have to play both Fresno State and TCU away first, which is
the harder way to go.
12/28 (#21) W @81-60 v MO-Kansas City
12/30 (#21) W 113-@77 @ N Texas
1 / 6 (#18) W 94-@73 @ TCU
1 /12 (#15) W 75-@67 @ Creighton
1 /16 (#15) W 67-@49 @ Rice
1 /20 (#13) W @67-41 v San Jose St
1 /22 (#13) W @100-78 v Hawaii
1 /24 (#11) W @84-44 v Centenary
1 /27 (#11) W 89-@71 @ UTEP
1 /29 (#11) L 73-@75 @ Fresno St
2 / 3 (#16) W @70-59 v SMU
2 / 5 (#16) W @103-70 v TCU
2 /14 (#22) W @75-33 v Rice
2 /17 (#22) W 75-@61 @ Hawaii
2 /19 (#22) W 64-@56 @ San Jose St
2 /24 (#18) L @72-73 v Fresno St
2 /26 (#18) W @85-55 v UTEP
3 / 4 (#21) W 83-@78(2OT) @ SMU
3 / 9 [1] W 71-51 v [8] Rice (WAC TOURNAMENT @ Fresno, CA)
3 /10 [1] W 93-71 v [4] TCU (WAC TOURNAMENT @ Fresno, CA)
3 /11 [1] L 72-@75 @ [2] Fresno St (WAC TOURNAMENT @ Fresno, CA)
3 /17 [S7] W 89-62 v [S10] UNLV (NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL @ Nashville, TN)
3 /19 [S7] W 69-61 v [S2] Cincinnati (NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL @ Nashville, TN)
3 /24 [S7] W 80-71 v [S6] Miami (FL) (NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL @ Austin, TX)
3 /26 [S7] L 55-59 v [S8] N Carolina (NCAA SOUTH REGIONAL @ Austin, TX)
Player of the Year Andre Miller is gone, but the cupboard's not bare. For wards Alex Jensen and
Hanno Mottola return. That's enough to make them good. Throw in coach Rick Majerus and you've
got a winner. Returning missionaries should help with depth.
The Utes will take the new Mountain West conference title
without much of a struggle.
Expect a win over Kentucky in the PRESEASON NIT, but don't look to the Utest
to take the crown.
The Commodores have played 4 consecutive games against the
SEC's best and have gone 3-1. Not bad. Dan Langhi doesn't
have a blue-chip body, but he's a player ... and they don't stop there. This team is
knows what to do, and they're all heart.
1 /22 (#14) L @73-81(OT) v #12 Kentucky
1 /26 (#16) W 61-@60 @ S Carolina
1 /29 (#16) L 63-@89 @ #18 Florida
2 / 2 (#22) W 67-@58 @ Georgia
2 / 6 (#22) W @76-58 v Boston Col
2 / 9 (#22) W @65-64 v Mississippi St
2 /12 (#22) L 63-@77 @ Alabama
2 /16 L @80-86 v #16 Auburn
2 /19 W @85-72 v #5 Tennessee
2 /23 (#25) L 63-@78 @ Arkansas
2 /26 (#25) L 67-@75 @ Mississippi
3 / 1 W @101-89 v Georgia
3 / 4 L @72-77 v S Carolina
3 / 9 [E4] W 76-53 v [W3] Mississippi St (SEC TOURNAMENT @ Atlanta, GA)
3 /10 [E4] L 60-71 v [W1] LSU (SEC TOURNAMENT @ Atlanta, GA)
Kudos to the Musketeers for being the first team to solve Cincinnati.
But don't expect a long stay in the Top 25. Darnell Williams is here, but the rest is smoke and
mirrors.
12/21 W @92-48 v (#25) St Mary's
12/27 W @58-54 v Princeton
12/30 W @84-55 v Toledo
1 / 2 L 63-@65 @ Marquette
1 / 6 W @86-67 v Virginia Tech
1 / 9 W 78-@75 @ Rhode Island
1 /11 L 72-@76 @ Dayton
1 /15 L 78-@85 @ Duquesne
1 /23 L @49-80 v La Salle
1 /25 L 40-@59 @ #22 Temple
1 /30 W @97-79 v Fordham
2 / 2 W @65-64(OT) v Dayton
2 / 5 L 67-@78 @ George Washington
2 / 9 W 87-@78 @ Canisius
2 /12 W @87-77 v Massachusetts
2 /15 W @95-66 v Duquesne
2 /19 L 65-@73 @ Virginia Tech
2 /22 W @88-76 v George Washington
2 /27 W 71-@60 @ La Salle
3 / 1 L 64-@65 @ St Bonaventure
3 / 5 W @94-66 v St Joseph's
3 / 8 [W3] W 75-60 v [E6] Rhode Island (ATLANTIC 10 TOURNAMENT @ Philadelphia, PA)
3 / 9 [W3] L 69-72 v [E2] St Bonaventure (ATLANTIC 10 TOURNAMENT @ Philadelphia, PA)
3 /15 W @67-63 v Marquette (NIT)
3 /20 L 64-@76 v Notre Dame (NIT)
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