Looks Like I Know The Next 2 Kentucky Studs

Two Indian kids are going to change basketball and their names are 7-foot-4 17year old center Sim Bhullar and his younger brother 7-foot-2 16 year old Tanveer both are in the 260+ weight class.

Sim has said to have an oral commitment to Xavier, but that is before John Callipari has talked to them. I don't even know why people even bother recruiting kids until Kentucky, UNC and Duke are done.

2 Brothers who are over 7 feet and aren't sticks will be huge for Kentucky next year who have the talent but not necessarily the size.

It's good that this is happening too since Yao Ming retired. Now we have 2 international huge basketball players we can all overrate and be disappointed by.

Boston Could Send 3 Teams to Tournament

It's the one month of the year that I actually follow basketball and can't get enough of it. And the city of Boston might send three representatives to the big tournament. BU, Harvard, and BC all have very good chances of earning bids.

BU will host Stony Brook Saturday afternoon at Agganis Arena to determine the America East Championship. The Terriers beat Stony Brook twice this season, boast a 12-4 conference record, have won 10 straight, and haven't lost at home since December. BU haven't made the NCAA tournament since 2002.

Harvard (yes they play in Boston, their court is in Brighton) is in one of the more interesting situations in college basketball. The Ivy League doesn't hold a tournament, and sends its regular season champ to the NCAAs. The Crimson beat 1st place Princeton 79-67 over the weekend. Princeton plays Penn tonight. If Princeton loses, then Harvard wins the Ivy League outright. If Princeton wins, then they and Harvard will meet in a playoff game at a neutral site (Yale). That game would be played on Saturday. Harvard hasn't been in the NCAA tournament since 1946. That tournament featured a field of 8 teams, including NYU and Oklahoma A&M.

By the way, Harvard beat both BU and BC this season.

BC have been popping in and out of the at-large bubble all season. They finished 5th in a lackluster ACC, don't have an overly impressive resume, and if a few upsets occur in the mid-major tournaments, BC might have to do work in the ACC Tournament.

The good news is that BC faces Wake Forest in the opening round of the ACC tourney. They trounced Wake a few days ago, 84-68. But they need to win this game. With losses against Harvard, Yale and URI already marring their schedule, they can't afford to add 8-23 Wake Forest to that list.

After Wake, the Eagles would face Clemson, who they lost to in February. Although it's easier to beat Clemson than it is to beat UNC or Duke. With both teams on the bubble, BC vs. Clemson might essentially be a play-in game into the NCAA tournament. BC last appeared in the NCAAs in 2009.

So come Selection Sunday, there may be three Boston representatives in the 68 team field. Or none.

-The Commodore

PS: Can we retire the phrase "punch their ticket?" It's just so antiquated, overused, and stupid.

Is It Me Or Is It Extra Hard To Get Into College Basketball This Year

I don't really know why but I just haven't been able to get into college basketball this year. I don't know if it's because the NBA is so much better or their aren't any of those ridiculous teams ala UNC, Florida, St. Joes. I mean the most exciting things that have happened were St. John's upsetting top teams and the same can be said about Jacob Pullen (great beard) and K-State.

It could be also that I really dislike the top ranked teams Ohio State, Kansas, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame and Duke all piss me off. I dislike all of those programs, I told myself last year I would have Notre Dame lose in the 1st round this year after last years nonsense, so regardless how they finish they are already out of my bracket. Pittsburgh almost lost to URI and URI sucks, so they will get no respect from me. Duke is Duke and a bunch of jock sniffers. And Big 10/ Big 12 teams are boring.

I know it's going to turn around come tournament time and we just created our yearly Dueling Couches league password dc, and the reward of beating us will be determined a little bit later, but I can tell you one thing, Kentucky is winning it for me this year.

But for the meantime I can't get into it.

Duke Lost

Finally..

Duke lost last night to a Chris Singleton led FSU team 66-61.

Speaking of Chris Singleton he had 18 points for Florida State and made five free throws in the final 33 seconds to kill any hope of a comeback and hold off the defending national champions (that hurt me to say).

I'm not completely in college Basketball mode right now, but whenever I see Duke losing, I like to point it out to everyone, especially our Duke ballwasher Wilde.

AHHH We Suck Again!

So I headed down to the PC vs. URI game. It was fun, loud, and yet I left with the same feeling I always have after watching a URI game.... They could be good, but they aren't and we are on the way to the NIT again.

I wish I could have more faith, but they do the same thing every year. This time with a couple early losses, they just seem to be doing it quicker. So, for you URI fans out there here is how you can think about this team.

Delroy James is really good and he might even be good enough to get URI a win against a ranked team. Other then that this team is nothing special, and isn't going anywhere.

URI Gets Bad News, Then Some Good News

I went to URI, so I always follow their basketball team. Every year they are in position to make the NCAA tournament, and then they blow it. It seems they might not even get a shot this year with some very bad news coming from the URI campus...

"Junior Orion Outerbridge will miss the first semester to focus on academics," reported the Providence Journal. "The 6-9 forward is eligible to practice and can rejoin the Rams on the court following the completion of final exams in December."

He is by far their best player, and it could be a really rough year until they get him back. Basically, I think they are going to suck, but at least there is hope for the future...

URI got a verbal agreement for PG Domonique Bull. "Bull is well-known around the New England hoop circles. He's owned an advanced body for years and has been a key part of several powerhouse BABC teams since he joined that program as a 14 year old," reported the Providence Journal. Bull is built to suit his surname. ESPN Recruiting calls him a "physically imposing guard, built like a bulldog," with a real nose for taking the ball inside on dribble-penetration.

On top of that URI got freshmen Levan Shengelia and 7-foot-3 Blake Vedder, so it sounds like they could have a very good team after this season. Then again, I have fallen for this before.

Why Kentucky and Kansas Will Never Win Again

Experience wins through and through. Cal and Bill Self can keep chasing the one and dones but their ceiling will always be the Elite 8.

Big h/t to Luke Winn at SI and the guys at Rush the Court

Breaking News: Cornell's Steve Donahue Named BC's Basketball Coach

There are reports that BC has just signed Steve Donahue to be the next coach for BC basketball. I have to admit I am surprised they got him, but this is a great move. Donahue has got Cornell into the NCAA tourney each of the past 3 seasons (and the sweet 16 this year). During that time he is 72-21. I know they aren't in a big time conference, but that is still damn impressive. Donahue received the Clair Bee Coach of the Year Award for his accomplishments during the 2009-2010 season.

Anyways, I think this is a great signing, but I hate BC, so I hope they lose every game.

Izzo To Oregon?

When I read this I got so mad I nearly had to leave work. Well, that doesn't take a lot, but still this is complete bullshit.

There are some reports saying that Oregon is going to throw all the money it can at Izzo to get him to leave Michigan St. Sorry, not gonna happen. This guy is a God at MSU. He puts this team in the Final 4 every year. He might just be the best coach in college basketball, so there is 0% chance that the Michigan St. is going to just let him walk.

I fucking hate stories like this, because you know their isn't a shed of truth to them. So, if you see this story on your TV, just change the station, because trust me it ain't happening.

Go STATE.

Why Mess With a PERFECT Thing? Please Don't Expand the NCAA Tournament

Would you want a plastic surgeon's knife modifying Angelina Jolie's lips, Scarlett Johansson's chest, or Natalie Portman's eyes? Would you want Tom Brady to change his throwing mechanics, maybe go back in time and tell Ted Williams to try hitting right-handed?

The NCAA Tournament is as close to perfection as any sports contest can be. It's 65 teams, playing all over the country, non-stop, for a few weekends in March. EVERYONE in the country obediently watches. It's thrilling, compelling. You cannot NOT watch it.

Yet, the NCAA wants to ruin its own perfect baby. Why is it that they want to expand the field of the already massive basketball tournament (65 of the 347 teams in Division-I or 18.7% of all teams make the tournament), yet keep the college football championship field to 2 teams (2 of 120, or 1.7%)?

Adding 3 more play-in games wouldn't be a bad idea. The 16th seed teams are really awful, and this could raise the average quality of the field. But let's keep the changes small and gradual. Baby steps.



Who complains about the NCAA tourney? Who is out there screaming "We need more teams!" "96 or bust!" Why is it that millions bitch about the BCS and nothing happens. Then nobody says a bad thing about the basketball tournament, and the NCAA wants to tinker and toy with it.

And isn't the money enough for the NCAA and all the conferences? CBS pays $545 million to broadcast these games. Every year. Is that not enough this day and age?



And who's going to watch these extra games? An expanded field of 96 would dump most of the small conference champions together, eliminating half of them before the REAL tournament started. It would essentially create a boring, pre-tournament, that nobody really watched. Nobody wants to see IUPUI play Weber State. They want to see IUPUI challenge Georgetown. David vs. Goliath was interesting because Goliath was there.

I love the NCAA tournament. 80% of the college basketball that I watch in a season is in March.

Don't fuck with it.

-The Commodore

The Writing is On The Wall

It is on the floor and the ceiling too. Time to say good night to the Jim Baron era in Kingston RI.

His welcome first wore out back in 2004, then again in 2005 and pretty much every disappointing February and March since. Just when we thought we were stuck with four more years of an overrated father/son combo, the former retaining his job through some sort of reverse nepotism, it looks like the youngest Baron is off to play with the big boys in the ACC.

According to the Projo and Scouts.com, Billy Baron is considering or has already accepted a scholarship to play for Virginia in the fall of 2010. Coach Baron has acknowledged as much saying when the ACC comes calling, you have to listen. It's safe to say that is not a problem the elder Baron will have in the near future...or ever.

Since Jim Baron is an employee of the school, Billy never had to sign a letter of intent to play for the Rams making the Virginia decision a litte easier.

It has always been my belief that JB Sr maintained his job during the middle of the decade due to the prominence of JB Jr who almost single handidly put URI in Lunardi's bubble watch year in and year out before Sr destroyed it. When rumor had Billy coming to campus, it looked as if the Rams were back to square one. Now that he's taking his game (which isn't half bad, 3 star recruit, 37th best PG in his class), it's time his father packed up the moving van and moved along with him...not to coach of course, that would be crazy. But it sure would be nice seeing a familiar face in the stands as Duke wipes the floor with the Cav's over the next four years.

h/t The Sporting Blog

Why Not?

Why not watch a way to distract a free throw shooter?

Jeremy Lin is a Badass Motherfucker Part II

The best college athlete in Boston might be a basketball player at Harvard. I've talked about him before, but he deserves repeating. Jeremy Lin, a senior guard for the Crimson, is averaging 17.1 points and 4.4 assists per game. I've been able to see him play twice, both at BC, and both times he led his team to victory.

And he doesn't just feast on lowly Ivy League teams either. Here's a sample of what he did against UConn:



He had 30 that day.

He's listed at 6' 3" and 200 pounds, both of which are a bit generous. He may or may not bust into the NBA Draft. Even if he doesn't, he might end up on some team somewhere.

The Ivy League does not offer athletic scholarships.

-The Commodore

Cory Raji's Dunk From Tuesday

-The Commodore

BC 75, #21 Clemson 69

Okay, BC isn't a contender this year. They're NIT material at best. They might not even be in the Top 5 teams in New England (UConn and URI are both good, BC lost to Harvard and Maine). But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy a nice upset win over Clemson!

Clemson was off. No doubt about it. But BC took advantage. The Eagles went to the line 35 times, compared to just 12 trips for Clemson. Clemson's much bigger, but the teams tied in rebounds with 27.

What does BC need to do to earn an NCAA bid? Quite a bit. This victory was Step #1. Unfortunately, steps 2 thru 11 involve winning every single game left on the schedule, including home games against Duke (February 6th) and UNC (20th). Not likely.

But I enjoyed it nonetheless.

-The Commodore

Hold Up, Jesus Has Something To Say About College Basketball

The Kentucky Wildcats led by superfrosh John Wall and Eric Bledsoe have taken their rightful place as the #1 team in the land. The Longhorns took a big ol' shit on my claims of them being the best team in the nation with two straight losses. However, you have to give them props for going to Connecticut to play a big game. Other coaches could learn a thing or two about stepping up from Rick Barnes. They lost, but I don't think that loss will kill them come tourney ranking time if they finish strong, because I think UConn will finish with a good season in the Big East. Some critics of Texas have said that Barnes is playing too many guys, routinely dipping into his bench for five and sometimes six reserves. For a while I held off from this criticism as I figured early in the year it may be good to rest some of the marquis big guys like James and Pittman, but once conference season rolls aroudn you should have your lineup well situated. Barnes may have been trying to do that against UConn, but foul trouble forced his hand in playing a lot of guys off the bench. The college game just isn't long enough to warrant no player going over 30 minutes when your big name guys are as talented as Texas. Bottom line though, Pittman didn't show up in CT. He fouled out in 15 minutes and was mostly useless while he was in there. Texas should be fine, with enough big games left on the schedule to impress the selection committee. I still expect them to compete for a #1 seed in March.

UConn on the other hand seemed to finally be the team we've been waiting for, ironically enough without coach Jim Calhoun on the sideline. He's currently taking a leave due to personal illness which is not believed to be career threatening. (They said the same about Lute Olsen in Arizona.)
Hopefully, the Huskies can keep it up and run through a very tough Big East season without any let-down losses. A win at Providence on Wednesday will certainly help keep the train rolling.

Kansas, Villanova and Syracuse all still have 1 loss a piece (heading into Tuesday night), though I would put Syracuse ahead of Villanova because I think they're more versatile and their win over a good G'Town team was impressive. That being said I think G'Town is a bit high coming off that loss to 'Cuse at #7. I'd probably swap them with Purdue who continues to impress and may just be my Final Four sleeper in March if they keep it up.

All Rams fans should be rooting for Oklahoma State to keep up their winning ways, after a nice win over Kansas State who had previously knocked off #1 Texas.

Temple is #15. I haven't seen them play in person, but I have a hard time believing in an Atlantic 10 team in the Top 15. I'm an A-10 guy, but I think there are probably some teams better deserving of that spot. I'll have to try to catch them soon.

BYU also has one loss, and no doubt is sporting some 7 foot Mormons who can shoot, pass and block shots. (They're also probably 26!)

Pitt has taken a couple bad losses in recent games, including their last game at Seton Hall. (Another testament to how tough conference road games are.)

Vandy seems a bit out of place on these rankings, but 20-25 every week are starting to become a revolving door. At least we don't have Northern Iowa in here anymore and Butler is also nowhere to be seen. Back to the pumpkin carriage with you, Butler!

AP Top 25 (Rank, record, points, previous ranking).


1. Kentucky (65) 19-0, 1625, 2
* Last game: vs Arkansas, W 101-70 (1/23)

2. Kansas 19-1, 1519, 3
* Last game: vs Missouri, W 84-65 (1/25)

3. Villanova 18-1, 1503, 4
* Last game: at St. John's, W 81-71 (1/23)

4. Syracuse 20-1, 1455, 5
* Last game: vs Georgetown, W 73-56 (1/25)

5. Michigan St. 17-3, 1324, 6
* Last game: at Minnesota, W 65-64 (1/23)

6. Texas 17-2, 1307, 1
* Last game: at Connecticut, L 74-88 (1/23)

7. Georgetown 15-4, 1124, 12
* Last game: at Syracuse, L 56-73 (1/25)

8. Duke 16-3, 1120, 7
* Last game: at Clemson, W 60-47 (1/23)

9. West Virginia 15-3, 1113, 11
* Last game: vs Ohio St., W 71-65 (1/23)

10. Purdue 16-3, 977, 13
* Last game: vs Michigan, W 69-59 (1/23)

11. Kansas St. 16-3, 960, 10
* Last game: vs Oklahoma St., L 69-73 (1/23)

12. BYU 20-1, 894, 14
* Last game: at San Diego St., W 71-69 (1/23)

13. Gonzaga 16-3, 847, 15
* Last game: vs Loyola Marymount, W 85-69 (1/23)

14. Tennessee 15-3, 837, 8
* Last game: at Georgia, L 63-78 (1/23)

15. Temple 17-3, 707, 16
* Last game: at Fordham, W 62-45 (1/23)

16. Wisconsin 16-4, 635, 18
* Last game: vs Penn St., W 79-71 (1/24)

17. Pittsburgh 15-4, 599, 9
* Last game: at Seton Hall, L 61-64 (1/24)

18. Mississippi 15-4, 411, 22
* Last game: at LSU, W 73-63 (1/23)

19. Connecticut 13-6, 286, NR
* Last game: vs Texas, W 88-74 (1/23)

20. Ohio St. 14-6, 270, 21
* Last game: at West Virginia, L 65-71 (1/23)

21. Vanderbilt 15-3, 264, NR
* Last game: vs Auburn, W 82-74 (1/23)

22. Georgia Tech 14-5, 194, 19
* Last game: at Florida St., L 66-68 (1/24)

23. New Mexico 18-3, 180, NR
* Last game: vs Colorado St., W 82-64 (1/23)

24. Baylor 15-3, 157, 25
* Last game: vs Massachusetts, W 71-45 (1/23)

25. UAB 17-2, 125, NR
* Last game: at Marshall, W 61-59 (1/23)

Dropped Out: No. 17 Clemson, No. 20 Northern Iowa, No. 23 Mississippi St., No. 24 North Carolina

Others Receiving Votes: Florida St. 111, Northern Iowa 106, Clemson 103, Wake Forest 98, Butler 69,Mississippi St. 42, Texas A&M 29, Oklahoma 25, Missouri 24, Maryland 22, Cornell 16, Old Dominion 11, Xavier 11, UNLV 6, Northwestern 5, Virginia 3, Siena 3, St. Mary's 2, Louisiana Tech 2, California 2, Harvard 1, Coastal Carolina 1

Charleston 82, UNC 79

Guard play, Guard play, Guard play. UNC has a NBA ready front court but a shitty back court. This loss is unacceptable.

College Basketball AP Top 25

(1st place votes, team record, points accumulated)

1. Kansas (55) 10-0 1,611
2. Texas (7) 10-0 1,543
3. Kentucky (1) 11-0 1,477
4. Purdue 10-0 1,422
5. Syracuse (2) 11-0 1,397
6. West Virginia 8-0 1,290
7. Duke 9-1 1,249
8. Villanova 10-1 1,175
9. Michigan State 9-2 1,046
10. North Carolina 8-3 959
11. Connecticut 7-2 950
12. Kansas State 10-1 810
13. New Mexico 12-0 707
14. Georgetown 8-1 676
15. Mississippi 10-1 624
16. Tennessee 8-2 616
17. Ohio State 9-2 562
18. Florida 8-2 519
19. Texas A&M 9-2 320
20. Butler 8-3 315
21. Temple 9-2 244
22. Washington 7-2 194
23. Texas Tech 9-1 192
24. Clemson 10-2 151
25. Gonzaga 8-3 146

Others Receiving Votes:

Florida State 127, UNLV 126, Wisconsin 96, Northwestern 89, Georgia Tech 76, St. John's 53, Miami (FL) 50, Missouri State 45, Dayton 39, UAB 29, Oklahoma State 29, Charlotte 29, Saint Mary's 21, Brigham Young 20, Wichita State 18, Memphis 16, Tulsa 12, North Carolina State 11, Cincinnati 9, Mississippi State 8, Baylor 6, Wake Forest 4, William & Mary 3, Virginia Tech 3, California 3, Richmond 2, Western Carolina 2, Army 1, Northern Iowa 1, Pittsburgh 1, Rhode Island 1.

Dropped From Rankings

Georgia Tech 22, Cincinnati 25.


Kansas is considered the best team, but from what I’ve seen I think Texas is playing the best right now. Syracuse is also balling right now having gotten a couple first place votes this week and sitting at # 5. Don’t sleep on Coach Huggy bear and the Mountaineers either. They’ve got some ballers. If you haven’t seen Devin Ebanks and Da’Sean Butler yet, you should. WVU hasn’t played anyone that good yet, but it will be interesting to see them in their first real test.

I would say St John’s should be in the top 25 instead of weak-ass Gonzaga and Butler, but they just lost to fucking Cornell! UNLV should be in the top 25 with some good wins over Pitt, Louisville and Arizona. Trouble is those all came at home.
Gotta win on the road to move up the rankings. Look for the Runnin’ Rebels to make some moves in the coming weeks though.

The A-10 is looking much stronger this year. Temple is currently ranked, Xavier was ranked at one point, and Charlotte, Dayton and Rhode Island are all getting votes for the Top 25. Richmond is even sportin’ wins over Mississippi State, Mizzou and Florida! Go A-10! 3 teams in the tourney this year? 4? Should be fun to watch.

Happy Holidays, all! Be back next week!

-TomTom

This Weekend In College Basketball

We had some great games going on, though it is doubtful too many were tuning in with all the football that was going on.
But, it is still better than hockey so that meant I was watching. Here's what you missed.

#1 Kansas took a dominant performance in the early part of their game against Michigan and rode it all the way to a fairly ugly win over the Wolverines. The Jayhawks were led by a career high from Marcus Morris with 23 points and Sherron Collins added 19. The Jayhawks were up by 21 at one point in the first half but went cold and started turning the ball over allowing Michigan to get back into the game. This was Kansas' 2nd real test of the season, with the other coming against Memphis in game #1. They passed the test on Saturday, but didn't look great doing it. They're clearly the early-on favorite this season, but the way Texas is playing any bad losses could catapault the Longhorns past the Jayhawks. BTW...those two will meet for the first time on February 8th and possibly again in the Big 12 Tournament.

The other big game on Saturday was #2 Texas against #10 North Carolina in the new Cowboys stadium. This game was mostly as advertised and a high-scoring affair. The 'Horns became the first team to cross the century mark against the 'Heels since Roy Williams has been their coach. Texas has looked very good against mostly weak competition this season, but had something to prove against the Tar Heels on Saturday. They looked every bit as impressive with their four top scorers of the game nearly matching the Tar Heels 90 total points. They were led by Damion James' 25 and 15 and Dexter Pittman's 23 and 15.
#12 Michigan State rolls into town on Tuesday to battle the Longhorns in another much-anticipated match-up. Stay tuned!

Also on Saturday #21 Butler edged Xavier by one point 69-68. And #6 West Virginia survived a scare against Cleveland State, 80-78. #7 Duke whooped up on #15 Gonzaga who is a joke of a top 15 team. Can we please put an end to Gonzaga and Butler in the top 25 for now? Are the writer's even watching these games, or just assuming these teams must be good based on recent tournament play. Either way, I've seen enough from those Bulldog squads.

Sunday was mostly dedicated to football, but #14 UConn managed to squeak past UCF 60-51, and #22 Georgia Tech was upset by Florida State 66-59 in OT.

Be back tomorrow with a look-see at the newest rankings. FYI, the University of Rhode Island Running Rams are #24 in the CBSsports.com's RPI rankings and have been garnering some votes in the AP poll.

-TomTom

Bobby Knight Rips John Calipari

"Bobby Knight said integrity is lacking in college basketball and cited Kentucky coach John Calipari as an example. During a fundraiser for the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, Knight said he doesn't understand why Calipari is still coaching. We've gotten into this situation where integrity is really lacking and that's why I'm glad I'm not coaching," he said. "You see we've got a coach at Kentucky who put two schools on probation and he's still coaching. I really don't understand that.

"And very few people know this, but a kid can play the first semester as a freshman, pass six hours of anything and play in the NCAA tournament without ever attending a class in the second semester. I don't think that's right."

Massachusetts and Memphis were both sanctioned by the NCAA for violations committed during Calipari's tenure (CBSSports)."

I am a Calipari fan, but every thing Knight said is so true you really can't argue. Calipari runs dirty programs then runs before the NCAA can get ahold of him. It is amazing what this guy has done and no one seems to really go after him. Maybe this will turn a couple heads, but Knight is really on to something here...