The Season That Was

This is the time of year when every diehard college basketball fan is suddenly saddened. He is forced to watch the NBA, which he considers second-rate basketball viewing. Every Saturday, he misses the sound of Dickie V and Digger arguing about whom will win on that particular day. I am one of those people. I thrive on the game of college basketball. It's a necessity in my life. I guess I'll have to pay attention to my Suns now, but I'd much rather watch Duke or Memphis play.

The purpose of this blog is to recap the memories of this season. It is also to list what I believe to be some of the best players and teams in the country. But, first, I'd like to say how enjoyable this season was. Great freshmen, a lot of elite teams, and a nice cinderfella run in March. The upsets weren't as plentiful as some would hope but it was still a good tournament.

This year was chalk full of games between closely matched teams. We had the pleasure of watching #2 Duke take down #3 North Carolina. We also saw one of the most hyped regular season games ever in #1 Memphis versus #2 Tennessee. Quite recently, we watched games such as #10-seeded Davidson lose a close one to eventual champion, Kansas. But what topped them all? The National Championship game in San Antonio. The Kansas Jayhawks defeated the Memphis Tigers in a thrilling overtime event.

I am aware that many of you reading this blog also read my thirteen Game-Planning blogs I posted throughout the year. In those, I previewed 63 games. My record was 39-24 and went undefeated only one week. My bright spots had to have been picking Vanderbilt over Tennessee and Texas over the heavily-favored UCLA Bruins.

To start the lists, I will give you my Top Twenty Players from the 2007-08 college basketball season. Before you jump into that, however, check out a Bruce Pearl pregame speech...



20. Russell Westbrook, UCLA Soph. Guard. This breakout star has been possibly the biggest reason the Bruins had such a successful year. He was a stat stuffer who helped on both ends of the floor in any way he could. To not put him on this list would be wrong as he had as good a year as any of these guys save the top five or so.
Stats: 13 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl

19. A.J. Abrams, Texas Jr. Guard. He was the shooter that thrived off Augustin's penetration. Their weave offense was effective partly because of this guy and that is why he makes the list. He had two games with 30+ points and fourteen games in which he reached the 20-point mark.
Stats: 17 ppg, 3 rpg, 2 spg, 2 apg

18. Darrell Arthur, Kansas Soph. Forward. Last year, Arthur was playing behind a couple different big guys. This year, however, he has flourished into a top big man in the country. In the National Championship, he got Joey Dorsey in foul trouble and proceeded to dominate the game finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds. He would have been higher if he had stayed more consistent throughout the year.
Stats: 13 ppg, 6 rpg, 1 bpg

17. Brook Lopez, Stanford Soph. Forward. The highlight of the season for Brook almost had to be the effort he put forth in the NCAA Tournament against Marquette. He put up 30 points, which included the game-winning shot. He is a very talented player but probably needs to average more rebounds per game with his kind of height. If he does, the Pac-10 better watch out.
Stats: 19 ppg, 8 rpg, 2 bpg, 79% FT%

16. Scottie Reynolds, Villanova Soph. Guard. The Virginia native was a huge factor for the Wildcats on both ends of the floor. He had eleven games with 20+ points and seven games with 3+ steals. Without him, I doubt they would have made it out of the first round of the tournament. He had a very solid game against Clemson with 21 points.
Stats: 16 ppg, 3 apg, 3 rpg, 2 spg

15. D.J. White, Indiana Sr. Forward. He was the force inside for the roller coaster ride that was the Indiana Hoosiers basketball season. White averaged a double-double per game and was possibly more valuable to the team than the fabulous freshman, Eric Gordon. The difference between the two was consistency in which the senior had the edge.
Stats: 17 ppg, 10 rpg, 2 bpg, 61% FG%

14. Ty Lawson, North Carolina Soph. Guard. The leader of one of the best fastbreaks in the nation and a key contributor to a team that made it to the Final Four before losing to the champion Jayhawks. In games that Lawson had at least five assists, the Tar Heels were undefeated. To leave him off this list would be an injustice. He deserves it and had a fantastic season. I can only hope he doesn't turn pro and stays a few more years.
Stats: 13 ppg, 5 apg, 3 rpg, 2 spg

13. Chris Lofton, Tennessee Sr. Guard. What started as a year full of Player of the Year consideration ended as a disappointment. Tennessee lost in the Sweet 16 and Lofton struggled during the beginning of the year. Nonetheless, he had a good finish to the year save the NCAA Tournament in which he averaged a paltry 10 points per game.
Stats: 16 ppg, 3 rpg, 2 apg, 38% 3p%

12. Mario Chalmers, Kansas Jr. Guard. The Final Four Most Outstanding Player comes in at #12 on my list. Some would disagree but I believe it's about right. I mean, he did have eight games in which he was held to single digits in scoring. In the tournament though, he really stepped up his game. Chalmers averaged 15 points, 3 steals, and 3 assists on the road to a National Championship.
Stats: 13 ppg, 4 apg, 3 rpg, 3 spg, 47% 3p%

11. Shan Foster, Vanderbilt Sr. Guard/Forward. Most guys who average 20 points in a tough conference will make this list. Foster was huge at times for the Commodores. He scored 20+ point in his last six regular season games including outbursts of 42 against Mississippi State and 32 against Tennessee, both tournament teams.
Stats: 20 ppg, 5 rpg, 2 apg, 47% 3p%

10. Darren Collison, UCLA Jr. Guard. After missing a couple games early in the year, he returned to lead the Bruins to a 29-4 record when he took the floor. His high point came when he hit the game-winning runner against Texas A&M in the tournament. He finished the game with 19 points. Also, Collison scored 20+ points on six occasions, all of which were victories.
Stats: 15 ppg, 4 apg, 3 rpg, 2 spg, 53% 3p%

9. Eric Gordon, Indiana Fr. Guard. He was probably one of the top five most prolific scorers in college basketball this past season but really looked like an inexperienced freshman at times and that is why he is relatively low at #9. When he was healthy, Gordon was held to single digits in scoring only once.
Stats: 21 ppg, 3 rpg, 83% FT%

8. Derrick Rose, Memphis Fr. Guard. This guy is one of the fastest and most exciting players to watch and I have had the pleasure of watching him throughout the season. His averages are extremely good for someone that young in basketball and showed poise at times during the NCAA Tournament. #8 is a good spot for him.
Stats: 15 ppg, 5 apg, 5 rpg, 47% FG%

7. Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis Jr. Guard. CDR was the best scorer to reach the Final Four, in my opinion. He averaged a remarkable 28 points per game in the tournament and really stepped it up when it counted. He even drew a couple box-and-ones against him which allowed his teammates to get open and score. Memphis better hope CDR stays for next season.
Stats: 18 ppg, 4 rpg, 41% 3p%, 54% FG%

6. Kevin Love, UCLA Fr. Center. Love has led the Bruins to the Final Four and has averaged a double-double along the way. Without him, I doubt UCLA makes it past the Sweet 16. Not only did he score and rebound, but he also drew double teams that opened it up for other players on his team.
Stats: 18 ppg, 11 rpg, 60% FG%, 35% 3p%

5. Luke Harangody, Notre Dame Soph. Forward. It's ironic that one of the best player in the country had his best game of the year in a losing effort. I am, of course, referring to when Gody had 40 points and 12 rebounds against Louisville. However, it should be noted that he scored in double figures every game except one this season.
Stats: 20 ppg, 11 rpg, 50% FG%

4. D.J. Augustin, Texas Soph. Guard. This player is the best point guard in college basketball. He is my choice for the Cousy Award and has reached 10 assists in a game four times this year. D.J. can also boast the fourteen times he has scored at least 20 points in a game this past season.
Stats: 19 ppg, 6 apg, 3 rpg, 38% 3p%

3. Stephen Curry, Davidson, Soph. Guard. The best scorer in the country comes in at #3. He has scored in double digits every single game and had a 7-game streak of 20+ points. Curry has also scored 35+ points in six games. His run in the NCAA Tournament was nothing short of spectacular and an argument could be made for him to appear higher on this list.
Stats: 26 ppg, 5 rpg, 3 apg, 2 spg, 44% 3p%

2. Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina Jr. Forward. Possibly the hardest worker in the country is #2 because of how important he was to North Carolina's deep tournament run this season. He scored in double figures for points every single game he played in this season and grabbed 15+ rebounds in three games. In my opinion, Psycho T could have easily been number one on this list. It was almost a toss-up.
Stats: 23 ppg, 10 rpg, 2 spg, 81% FT%

1. Michael Beasley, Kansas State Fr. Forward. Believe it or not, this freshman's campaign was even more impressive than that of Kevin Durant last year. He scored in double digits every game except one in a loss to Xavier. Beasley even pulled down double digits in rebounding in all but four games. It's too bad he can't stay a couple more years on a college campus.
Stats: 26 ppg, 12 rpg, 2 bpg, 38% 3p%, 53% FG%



Now is the time for me to hand out the 2008 College Basketball Awards. Enjoy...

The Petey Sessoms Award: Every year, this award is presented to the relatively unknown player coming from a small conference that plays extremely well against the big schools in the NCAA Tournament. I would like to give credit to fellow FanNation member, Agganis Lives, for the idea of this award. So without any further delay, the award goes to Stephen Curry of Davidson. He averaged 32 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals in his four tournament games. The runner-ups for this award were Tyrone Brazelton and Courtney Lee, both of Western Kentucky.

The Bob Cousy Award: This is an annual award given to the best college point guard in the country. My pick, which is the same as the Basketball Hall of Fame's pick, is D.J. Augustin of Texas. I ranked him as the fourth best player in college earlier in this blog. He averaged 19 points and 6 assists this season. The runner-ups for this award are UCLA's Darren Collison, North Carolina's Ty Lawson, Memphis's Derrick Rose, and Davidson's Jason Richards.

The Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award: This particular award goes to the most dominant big man in college basketball each year. There was a lot of competition for it this year but it rightfully is awarded to Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina. He averaged 23 points and 10 rebounds per game this season and was never held to less than 12 points in a game. The runner-ups for this award were UCLA's Kevin Love, Notre Dame's Luke Harangody, and Indiana's D.J. White.

The Pistol Pete Award: Each year, I give this to the best scorer in college basketball. It does not necessarily go to the player with the best average though. The winner is Kansas State's Michael Beasley. He averaged 26 points per game and had thirteen games in which he scored 30 or more points. The runner-ups were Lester Hudson of UT-Martin and Stephen Curry of Davidson.

The Oscar Robertson Award: This final award goes to that player who led his team in every way possible: scoring, rebounding, passing, playing defense, etc. The winner of the Robertson Award goes to Memphis's Derrick Rose. He is the second freshman to receive an award (the other was Beasley). Rose gets this one due to his all-around good averages of 15 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds. The runner-ups for this award were Darren Collison and Russell Westbrook of UCLA, Mario Chalmers of Kansas, and Scottie Reynolds of Villanova.



For the final part of this blog, I give to you the Top Ten Teams of the college basketball season...

10. Xavier (30-7)- The Musketeers are tenth in my rankings after falling to UCLA in the Elite Eight. They were led by Josh Duncan (12 pts, 5 reb) and Drew Lavender (11 pts, 5 ast). I doubt they will make it this far next season due to the losses of both Duncan and Lavender. Nonetheless, they had a very good run this year and had impressive wins over Indiana, Virginia, and Dayton (twice).

9. Wisconsin (31-5) - After claiming the Big Ten Championship, the Badgers proceeded to advance to the Sweet 16 before falling to Davidson. In my opinion, they had the best team in the conference and, despite not having the most talent, won games that got them such a successful season. They were led by Brian Butch (12 pts, 7 reb), Trevon Hughes (11 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast), and Marcus Landry (11 pts, 6 reb).

8. Tennessee (31-5) - Most teams would look upon being the best team in their conference and making it to the Sweet 16 as an accomplishment. Sadly, for the Vols, this year was full of expectation and they failed to meet most of it. They were led by Chris Lofton (16 pts), Tyler Smith (14 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast), and Wayne Chism (10 pts, 6 reb).

7. Louisville (27-9) - The Cardinals, after a extremely slow start, finished the season strong and proved to be the team everyone had expected entering the year. They finished 12-3 after their sixth loss at UConn. Some of those twelve wins included Marquette, Georgetown, Pitt, Notre Dame, and Tennessee. They were led by a plethora of players including Padgett (11 pts, 5 reb), Clark (11 pts, 8 reb), Williams (11 pts, 7 reb, 5 ast), Smith (11 pts, 4 reb), and Caracter (8 pts, 5 reb).

6. Davidson (29-7) - The Wildcats had a very impressive season for one of the smallest schools in Division I. After getting ripped off and been given a 10 seed, they rallied behind sharpshooter, Stephen Curry (26 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast), and senior leader, Jason Richards (13 pts, 8 ast, 3 reb), to advance all the way to the Elite Eight before falling at the hands of eventual champion, Kansas. They finished with a perfect conference record of 20-0.

5. Texas (31-7) - The Longhorns lost their conference championship and lost their regional final. However, their season was nothing short of remarkable for what was considered to be a down year following the loss of superstar Kevin Durant. They were a guard-heavy team led by D.J. Augustin (19 pts, 6 ast), A.J. Abrams (17 pts), and Damion James (13 pts, 10 reb).

4. North Carolina (36-3) - After clinching a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Tar Heels proceeded to demolish their opponents until the Final Four was reached. They then were routed by the champion Jayhawks. They were led by Tyler Hansbrough (23 pts, 10 reb), Ty Lawson (13 pts, 5 ast, 3 reb), and Wayne Ellington (17 pts, 5 reb). North Carolina were the ACC Tournament Champions and the Charlotte Regional Champions.

3. UCLA (35-4) - Yes, I'll admit it. I picked this very team to win the NCAA Tournament. They had a good run, too, before falling short in the Final Four for the third straight year. Nonetheless, they were regional and conference champions and claimed a #1 seed in the tourney. They were led by Kevin Love (18 pts, 11 reb), Darren Collison (15 pts, 4 ast, 3 reb), Russell Westbrook (13 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast), and Josh Shipp (12 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast).

2. Memphis (38-2) - The Tigers had the most wins for a college team in history yet they didn't quite get what they wanted as they lost to Kansas in the National Championship. The Achilles' heel of this team took 39 games before it caught up to them as they gave away the game on free throws. Memphis was led by Chris Douglas-Roberts (18 pts, 4 reb), Derrick Rose (15 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast), and Joey Dorsey (7 pts, 10 reb).

1. Kansas (37-3) - National Champions. I'm pretty sure that sums up the entire season for these guys. Nothing is more gratifying than winning it all before leaving the school for either the NBA or the working world. They beat the best of the best in defeating two #1s in the tournament. They were led by Mario Chalmers (13 pts, 4 ast, 3 reb), Brandon Rush (13 pts, 5 reb), and Darrell Arthur (13 pts, 6 reb). Congratulations, Kansas.

Now, I could write a couple thousand words describing how fantastic March Madness was and recapping all the entertaining games and plays that occured. However, I think that one simple video from YouTube would bring it all together very nicely. Enjoy and have a great week!



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The Clock Tolls Midnight for Davidson

For the first time in the history of the NCAA Tournament, all four #1 seeds will be punching their tickets to the Final Four. The cinderfellas, Davidson, just lost to the powerhouse school, Kansas. Bill Self has finally reached the plateau that has seemed to escape him all these years. Stephen Curry had somewhat of a sub par game (25 points is sub par by his standards) but that is definitely not the reason they lost.

Everyone I know has a few pet peeves in their lives. I have many. My new one is these so-called college basketball experts running around saying that the first game Curry doesn't score 30+ points, Davidson will lose. Well, I don't care what you say but the whole tournament has been a team effort for the Wildcats.

Exhibit A: Jason Richards. He is the floor general for this team. Richards has averaged 13 points and 9 assists in the four tournament games, which includes a 20-point effort against #2-seeded Georgetown.

Exhibit B: Andrew Lovedale. The tough Nigerian has averaged 10 points and 7 rebounds for Davidson in the tournament and has played extremely well considering his size disadvantage against teams such as Georgetown.

Exhibit C: Bryant Barr. He kept Davidson in the game today when Curry wasn't shooting well. He scored 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting which included three key 3-pointers.

What's my point? Stephen Curry is possibly the best player in college basketball, but he is only one man (even though he looks as if he's 14). His teammates really stepped up and the effort they put forth should not be discounted.

Next, I would like to congratulate the fabulous defense the Jayhawks played on Curry. At all times, he had a guy right on him with more on the way as soon as he started to dribble. The game-changing play had to have been their defensive stand in the last 16 seconds of the game to prevent the Wildcats from scoring. Curry couldn't get a shot off to save his life. So kudos to the Kansas team, and also to Bill Self for finally getting over the hump and punching his ticket to San Antonio.

So, yes, the Final Four may be boring to some as it features all #1 seeds, but it will be home to some great basketball. I'll probably have a blog out sometime this week regarding the four teams and their players and also my predictions for the three games.

For all the Davidson fans, there is still hope for next year. I seriously doubt Curry will forego his last two college years and enter the draft as an undersized shooting guard, so expect him back for his junior and senior years. Paulhus Gosselin will also be returning to help Curry out in the backcourt. Barr and Lovedale, two of the key players for Davidson in their tournament run, will also be back to help Davidson's campaign for the first Final Four appearance in school history. I'm sure all your brand-new fans will be rooting for you.

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A Wild Tournament Weekend

For the first time in six years, three double-digit seeds have made the Sweet 16. 99% of all brackets are busted by now. In fact, of the 3.2 million people that submitted brackets on ESPN.com, a whole TWO of them have all sixteen teams correct for the third round of play. The past four days have been hectic so say the least, but isn't that why you love to watch?

Biggest Upset: It had to be #10 Davidson over #2 Georgetown. The undersized players from the small school in North Carolina took down one of the biggest teams the NCAA has ever featured. It truly was a David vs. Goliath upset. Stephen Curry was absolutely magnificent in the game as he dropped 25 of his 30 points in the second half, including his free throws to seal the victory for his team.

Best Game: Western Kentucky versus Drake was one of the most entertaining basketball games I have watched all season. It had everything you could ask for in a March Madness game: an overtime game that reached the 100s in scoring ending with a buzzer-beater that wins the game for the underdog. The shot was one hell of a shot (25-foot shot) but the pass to set it up was remarkable. The point guard for WKU set up his teammate with the game-winning shot beautifully.

Most Outstanding Player: Stephen Curry, no contest. He is averaging 35 points per game and 28 points IN THE SECOND HALF! He has truly stepped up big and his team is riding the nation's longest winning streak at 24 games. Curry hit big shot after big shot in both the Georgetown game and the Gonzaga game, and proved he could finish games as well. He hit 5 of his 6 free throws in the waning moments of the game against the Hoyas.

All-Tournament Team: Obviously, Curry (35 ppg, 4 ast, 4 stl) would be on there. Helping him out in the backcourt would be Scottie Reynolds of Villanova (23 ppg, 6 reb, 4 ast) and Alex Ruoff of West Virginia (19 ppg, 5 reb, 7-12 3pt). Down low would be Kansas State's Michael Beasley (23 pts, 12 reb, 15-17 FT) and North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough (19 ppg, 8 reb, 2 stl).

Biggest Cinderfellas: Western Kentucky. I want everyone who had WKU in the Sweet 16 to raise their hand. I'm pretty sure not many people gave this team a chance. After taking down 5th-seeded Drake in the first round, they responded by knocking out San Diego. Personally, I had Drake in the Sweet 16. But my bracket is pretty screwed up.

Best Sweet 16 Upset Possibility: In my opinion, there are two, but the biggest would be of the two would be Davidson over Wisconsin. You can't deny how great Davidson has been playing as of late. The only problem is if Stephen Curry has a bad game, they have a very slim chance of winning the game. Another upset that could happen is West Virginia over Xavier.

#1 Seed's Easiest Road to Final Four: No question it is UCLA. They get 12th-seeded Western Kentucky in the Sweet 16 and face the winner of Xavier/WVU. Also worth mentioning is that all of these games will be played in Phoenix, where the Bruins could draw quite a few fans. Anything less than a trip to San Antonio will be a disappointment for this team.

#1 Seed's Hardest Road to the Final Four: North Carolina. Their bracket is the only one that has the first four seeds still playing. They face off against a tough Washington State team before getting the winner of Louisville/Tennessee. All I can say is good luck to the Tar Heels. Their only advantage? Not leaving the state of North Carolina.

Most Intriguing Sweet 16 Matchup: For me, there are two. The first would be Louisville/Tennessee. Both are playing fantastic ball right now and both have a good chance at getting to the Final Four. The winner of this game is my pick to upset UNC in the Elite 8. The other game I am referring to is Stanford/Texas. The Cardinals rely on their two big guys, Brook and Robin Lopez, while the Longhorns depend on their two guards, DJ Augustin and AJ Abrams. A contrast of styles is always interesting.

Pick To Cut Down the Nets: UCLA. This team just played a great game against Texas A&M and have the easiest road to San Antonio. They will gear up and most likely get the winner of Texas and Memphis from the Houston Regional. Darren Collison and Kevin Love are both playing great, and that is why they are both currently in my list of the top 15 players in the country. (That list will be published after the tournament.)

Okay, that is all. I hope you enjoy the rest of the tournament and, for the very few of you who still have a somewhat decent bracket, good luck to you. Have a nice week and I'm sure some will be enjoying their Spring Break. I, sadly, go back to school tomorrow.

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Poll Results- I asked which team will represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals. 83% of voters think it will be the Lakers, while 16% believe the Hornets will make it.

Game-Planning 3: Jimmy V Edition

Yes, over fourteen years ago the late Jimmy Valvano gave a speech for the ages. Everyday we should laugh, think, and cry. Those were the words he preached to us before his passing. So, without any further delay I would like to start this edition of Game-Planning.

1st Quarter- Duke at Davidson

Winner: Duke

Why They'll Win: Most of you are probably asking why I even chose this game. Well, I've got a couple reasons for you. One, this Davidson team is the team that gave North Carolina so much trouble earlier in the season. Two, Duke is on the verge of getting back to where they were two years ago. And, three, I honestly can't wait to see the backcourts go head-to-head. To me, Davidson, has the best mid-major backcourt in the entire country featuring Richards and Curry. Starting with the former, Richards is the senior point guard with the Wildcats and is currently averaging 11 points and 9 assists. The shooting guard, Stephen Curry, is averaging an astonishing 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists as a sophomore. These two are a great duo and one can only wonder how they will do against Duke's Paulus and Nelson. After reading that you most likely think that Davidson sounds as if they're the clear winner. Hardly. The frontcourt is where the Blue Devils will dominate. One of the most potent freshman in the nation, Kyle Singler (14 pts, 7 reb), fellow freshman Taylor King (11 pts, 51% from deep), and Lance Thomas (6 pts, 3 reb) are the leaders for them down low. Two of the three (King and Singler) can stretch the defense from three as well.

When To Watch: Saturday, December 1st at noon eastern time on ESPNU.


2nd Quarter- Gonzaga at Connecticut

Winner: Connecticut

Why They'll Win: UConn is back...enough to pull out a win over the Bulldogs. At 5-1, the Huskies are hardly the team of last year. They are led by A.J. Price (13 pts, 5 ast, 4 reb), Hasheem Thabeet (11 pts, 10 reb), and Jerome Dyson (14 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast). They have 6 players averaging at least 20 minutes a game and are poised to be back atop the Big East this year. Gonzaga is ranked 19th as I type this and are fresh off an overtime win over St. Joe's. Their backcourt is headed by Matt Bouldin (14 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast) and Jeremy Pargo (11 pts, 5 ast, 4 reb). Down low is the sensational freshman, Austin Daye, who's putting up 14 points and 5 rebounds per contest. The Bulldogs' only loss so far has come at the hands of Bob Knight and Texas Tech. However, their wins are unimpressive. Montana, Idaho, and UC Riverside started off their year. They have what you'd call a cupcake schedule to start the season.

When To Watch: Saturday, December 1st on ESPN at 3:30pm eastern time.


Halftime Thoughts-

Who would have thought BYU would have been in the game with North Carolina in Las Vegas last Saturday? Wait a second, who even thought they would make it past Louisville in the semifinals? I'm guessing not too many of you did. Well, I can guarantee you that they aren't any kind of one-hit wonders. The Cougars are here to stay...for the season, anyways. Currently, they are ranked 21st in the Associated Press poll. BYU is led by junior big man Trent Plaisted (19 pts, 9 reb), who some consider to be the Tyler Hansbrough of the West, and sophomore sharpshooter Jonathan Tavernari (17 pts, 6 reb). The latter made 6 threes against UNC, including 5 in the first half, to account for all of his points in the game. The former was even more magnificent in the game, scoring 24 points and grabbing 17 rebounds.

The burning question in Westwood right now is whether or not the Bruins will be able to recover from all these injuries they're suffering right now. Aboya, Roll, and, most significant, Collison are all recovering. The team's bright spot is obviously freshman Kevin Love, who's putting up 18 points and 11 rebounds (both team highs). Some would consider Collison's 14 points and 5 assists as a reason to answer yes to the question but you have to remember that it was against a less than formidable opponent in George Washington.

I will conclude the Halftime Thoughts by saying the Big Ten/ACC Challenge is a joke and it isn't very competitive. In nine consecutive years, the Atlantic Coast Conference has made buffoons out of their opposing conference and this year is no different. Quite Simply, the Big Ten can't match the talent of the ACC. College basketball should find another conference duel. Suggestions? I was thinking an ACC/Pac-10 one would be intriguing or even a ACC/Big East Challenge. Anything but what they have now.


3rd Quarter- Kansas at USC

Winner: Kansas

Why They'll Win: The Jayhawks are sitting pretty at number four in both polls with a 6-0 record. Sherron Collins (16 pts, 5 ast, 4 reb), Mario Chalmers (12 pts, 5 ast, 3 reb), and three other Kansas players are averaging double figures in points. Darrell Arthur leads the team in rebounding with 6 a game and Chalmers is their best threat from behind the arc (he's shooting 48% on 23 attempts). USC is led by their ballhog-at-times OJ Mayo. Yes, he's averaging 21 points and 5 rebounds yet only 3 assists to almost 5 turnovers. To top it all off, Mayo has shot 116 times this year. Next on the team would be Dwight Lewis with (get ready for it) 58 times! As a point guard, OJ's job is distributing the ball yet no one else is getting shots. That's ludicrous. I'm predicting that Kansas will win by 10-15 points.

When To Watch: Sunday, December 2nd at 2pm eastern time on FSN.


4th Quarter- Texas at UCLA

Winner: Texas

Why They'll Win: I'm calling the upset here. The Bruins (as I mentioned before) are hampered by injuries. The Longhorns, to the contrary, seemed to have forgotten all about Kevin Durant. A.J. Abrams has picked up the scoring load averaging 21 points and D.J. Augustin (18 pts, 7 ast) is looking as if he's a little Steve Nash clone out on the floor. Three other players are always scoring in double figures for Texas, a feat that would not be possible without the departure of a certain superstar. But enough with the allusions, let's move on to UCLA. Kevin Love is the main man for the Bruins this year. As I mentioned before, he's scoring 18 points and 11 rebounds per game. Three other players (Shipp, Collison, Westbrook) are also averaging double figures in points. Mata-Real is helping out Love with the rebounding which is evident from his 7 rebounds per game average.

When To Watch: Sunday, December 2nd on FSN at 8pm eastern time.


Overtime- USC at Memphis

Winner: Memphis

Why They'll Win: I don't think this will be much of a game mainly because I don't think the Trojans have the talent or coaching to compete with Memphis. Calipari has his men running his system (Princeton on steroids) perfectly. Chris Douglas-Roberts is the scorer on the team averaging 22 points to go along with 6 boards. The fabulous freshman, Derrick Rose (17 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast), is leading the break for the Tigers; Joey Dorsey and Robert Dozier are shouldering the rebounding load averaging 9 and 8 rebounds, respectively. Of their six games, Memphis have only scored under 80 points once and have eclipsed the century mark twice.

When To Watch: Tuesday, December 4th at 9pm eastern time on ESPN.


Here's a video every single reader should watch. It's Jim Valvano's 1993 ESPY speech.


To donate money to the V Foundation, go to the website by clicking here. Have a nice weekend, everyone.

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Game-Planning 1: Weekend Kickoff Edition

This will be a weekly segment I will do and it will usually be posted Thursday night but I thought I would kick it off on a weekend where most people have nothing better to do other than read brand new blogs. Anyways, the idea of this will be for me to make 5 predictions for college basketball games in the upcoming week. (Note: For this festive occasion I will be doing SIX preseason tournaments instead of five individual games.) As time goes on I will develop a record and everyone will see how good--or bad--I am at picking winners. Enjoy...


1st Quarter- CBE Classic

Winner: UCLA
Runner-Up: Michigan State

Breakdown: #2 UCLA has everything clicking this year. They return four starters from last year in Collison, Shipp, Mbah a Moute, and Mata-Real. And, how could you forget, they have one of the best freshman in the country this year in Kevin Love. He averaged 34 points and 17 rebounds playing high school ball last year. I think the Bruins have a good mix of experience, talent, and great coaching. That being said, Michigan State is definitely no pushover. They return the second-best senior in the country (Drew Neitzel; behind Tennessee's Chris Lofton) and the other four starters from last season. The problem with them, however, is they don't have a ton of talent after Neitzel.

When To Watch: The championship will be November 20th. But first the Bruins must beat Maryland and the Spartans must beat Missouri.


2nd Quarter- Preseason NIT

Winner: Texas A&M
Runner-Up: Syracuse

Breakdown: I made two very difficult decisions. The one was picking the Orange over Ohio State and the other was picking the Aggies to upset Syracuse in front of, virtually, a home crowd. However, I really don't think Syracuse will be able to hold it together for two games in a row and will most likely let down their guard in the championship after a tough OSU game. A&M, losing senior leader Acie Law IV, has a new coach and a new star player. Josh Carter will have to become the go-to-guy for Turgeon's men this year. To help him out are two of last year's starters in Dominique Kirk and Joseph Jones. Syracuse is led by a stellar recruiting class this year but definitely don't have much experience. I doubt the freshman will be able to be the main production for a team in their first BIG game at Madison Square Garden (more will come, I'm sure).

When To Watch: The championship is November 23rd. Both teams need to advance past the semifinals which will be held this Wednesday, the 21st.


Halftime Thoughts-

I am NOT sold on OJ Mayo. Quite frankly, he's a ball hog and only thinks about himself out on the court. To top it off, he has off-the-court issues which have been nagging him since early high school. On the bright side, he had 32 points in his collegiate debut. Of course, he shot 12 for 27 from the field and committed 8 turnovers. Also, he dished out only 4 assists and seemed out of control most of the game.

Huge fan of Memphis frosh Derrick Rose right here. He's averaging 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists in 28 minutes a game. He hasn't shot more than 16 field goals compared to Mayo (see above). He'll have quite the challenge tonight against UConn though. It will be interesting to see how he fares.

Enough of the freshmen, I want to talk about the interesting North Carolina vs. Davidson game that was played two nights ago. UNC barely pulled one out in their 72-68 victory over an elite mid-major school (take note of the oxymoron). Interestingly enough, I wasn't as surprised with the Tar Heels' struggles as I was Davidson's success against the number one team in the country. Specifically, I was thoroughly impressed with their guards, Curry and Richards, who made names for themselves on national television. Curry was doing the scoring (24 pts) and Richards was getting his teammates easy buckets (8 ast).


3rd Quarter- Great Alaska Shootout

Winner: Michigan
Runner-Up: Gonzaga

Breakdown: This is going to be one hell of an upset. Gonzaga (#16) vs. Michigan is going to be a coaching battle. The best innovator in college basketball, John Beilein, will be taking on the best mid-major coach right now, Mark Few. Michigan has a new offense (5-Out) and are poised to disrupt at least a few top teams this year. Why not start now? Gonzaga is led by Jeremy Pargo who averaged 12 points and 5 assists last season while playing behind Derek Raivio. They also have Heytvelt, Bouldin, and Pendergraft that will definitely be playing roles on both ends of the floor. I'm still taking the underdog with a crazy-good coach when they're playing with nothing to lose.

When To Watch: November 24th is the championship date but the tournament has not yet started.


4th Quarter- Legends Classic

Winner: Tennessee
Runner-Up: Texas

Breakdown: Bruce Pearl's squad will live up to their lofty ranking in this one while taking down a talented, yet Kevin Durant-less, Texas team. The Volunteers are led by Chris Lofton (POY favorite) and are backed by returning starters in Ramar Smith, Jajuan Smith, and Wayne Chism. They have a very good transfer in Tyler Smith as well. The 'Horns can hardly contend with such a great group of players which is why I have them falling short. The interesting thing about them is that they return all their starters EXCEPT Durant. The big question mark on this team is whether or not they'll be able to make up for the scoring and rebounding that KD took with him to the pros. Their best bet is relying on sophomore D.J. Augustin who averaged 14 points last season.

When To Watch: The championship is November 24th and the semifinals are the night before.


Overtime- Maui Invitational

Winner: Duke
Runner-Up: Marquette

Breakdown: The fascinating thing about this preseason tournament is that every year they have amazing games yet lack a deep field of teams. This year the only top 25 teams are the ones I have matching up in the final game. Duke is led by their two upperclassmen, DeMarcus Nelson and Greg Paulus, and also receive much-needed contributions from Gerald Henderson and Kyle Singler. Now, the Golden Eagles of Marquette are somewhat overrated in my opinion. They have a good group of guards but I wonder if their frontcourt will hurt them. Plus, they've had a complete joke of a schedule leading up to this. They've played IUPUI (which they only won by 8) and Utah Valley State. Who? Coach K will have his guys ready. End of story.

When To Watch: The championship game will be November 21st but you might want to check out the semifinal matchups as well (Nov. 20th). A couple years ago they featured Michigan State and Gonzaga which took three overtimes to decide a winner.


2nd Overtime- Las Vegas Invitational

Winner: North Carolina
Runner-Up: Louisville

Breakdown: Okay, so this tournament typically isn't very good but this year it features two GREAT teams. I honestly think that the Tar Heels will come back very strong after their letdown against Davidson. They are led by their three returning starters: Hansbrough, Ellington, and Lawson. Most likely all three will be first round draft picks when they decide to go. Louisville won't go down without a fight though. They are one of the deepest teams in all of college basketball this year and have a great coach to help them work together. Edgar Sosa seemingly wants some redemption from last March's heartbreaking defeat at the hands of Texas A&M.

When To Watch: November 24th is the championship day on the Strip and this game is a can't-miss event. I really don't see either of these teams losing in the semifinals either.


Poll Results- In a recent poll about who will have the best record in the Wester Conference, 80% of the voters chose the Phoenix Suns while the other 20% thought Dallas would have the best record for the second year in a row.


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