NCAA Basketball FanHouse

Why Doesn't Obama's Basketball Knowledge Help Him in Hoosier Country?

Eamonn Brennan — Tue, 06 May 2008 16:43:00 EST

Filed under: NCAA Basketball Fans, Indiana

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have been fighting for the Democratic nomination for months now, but the primary results keep breaking down along the same demographic lines.

Currently, Obama and his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton are neck-and-neck in Indiana, a (perhaps the) basketball-crazed state full of the same sort of white, working-class voters that proved so difficult for Obama to court in Pennsylvania.

But do voters care if a candidate can ball? Obama's campaign clearly thinks so.

Which is why the senator spent the last week dribbling down courts in Hoosier and Tar Heel country, showing off the moves he learned in younger days. He played five-on-five in North Carolina with that state's beloved boys from UNC, and three-on-three with high school players in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in an event announced by former Indiana great Calbert Cheaney. Even before that, he accepted an invitation -- the same invitation was declined by the Clinton campaign -- to appear on Indianapolis sports talk radio, discussing IU hoopster Eric Gordon's decision to go pro with hosts Eddie White and Bob Kravitz.

White later gushed: "He dropped Eric Gordon's name like he was calling from the east side of Indianapolis! ... I'm going to vote for him." Does anyone other than appreciative radio hosts feel this way? Would Obama have been just as better served to spend those days talking to folks in diners?

I asked Marjorie Hershey, political science professor at Indiana University, who said that there's little direct evidence of how sports influence political campaigns. "Hoosiers do love their basketball," Hershey said. "I can see why images of Obama would contribute to their sense of him as a person."

But that's as far as she would go. Despite the long history of politicians using sports references to suggest authenticity, Hershey knew of no academic studies on the intersection of sports and electability.

Which seems weird. We can all agree that it would be nice if voters cared more about policy than personal issues, but they usually don't. Not when one botched sports reference follows a candidate around for a decade.

Still, If early predictions hold, neither basketball nor Tony Dungy's well wishes will likely be enough to put a candidate over the top in Hoosier country. Not until Bob Knight runs.

Why Doesn't Obama's Basketball Knowledge Help Him in Hoosier Country? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 06 May 2008 16:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Michigan State Needs to Beat Indiana

Michael David Smith — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 10:09:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana Basketball, Michigan State Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, Indiana, Michigan State

At the end of January, Michigan State looked like a very good basketball team. The Spartans were 19-2, had a big win over Texas on their resume, and seemed like a group of players who were going to be an awfully tough out in March.

And now it's March, and the Spartans don't look like a good team anymore. They went 3-4 in February, with home wins against Northwestern, Penn State and Iowa -- arguably the three worst teams in the Big Ten -- and losses at Penn State, Purdue, Indiana and Wisconsin.

And that means that, to the extent that there are must-win games in the early days of March, today's game against Indiana is a must-win. The Hoosiers have actually responded very well to the Kelvin Sampson mess and are riding a five-game winning streak. An Indiana win today would make it crystal clear that there are three solid teams in the Big Ten, and the Spartans aren't one of the three.

The Spartans are still 16th in RPI, so it's not like they're in any danger of missing the Tournament. But if this team has aspirations of more than just getting to March Madness, it's time for Michigan State to start playing like it.

Michigan State Needs to Beat Indiana originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 02 Mar 2008 10:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Illinois Apologizes, but Not to Eric Gordon

Michael David Smith — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 10:57:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana Basketball, Illinois Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, NCAA Basketball Fans, Indiana, Illinois

Here's the way the crowd in Champaign greeted Indiana guard Eric Gordon Thursday night:

It got worse from there, with some rowdiness and some profanity, and the University of Illinois has released the following statement from Athletic Director Ron Guenther and basketball coach Bruce Weber:

"There was a great college basketball game played Thursday night between the University of Illinois and Indiana University, but the game has been somewhat diminished by inappropriate behavior by a number of fans in attendance. We value the enthusiastic support of the sellout crowds at the Assembly Hall, but above all we take very seriously the reputation of our basketball program and the University of Illinois. The profanity and behavior by a small segment of fans Thursday night is disappointing and intolerable, and for that we apologize to fans of both teams."

That's all well and good, but apologizing "to fans of both teams" is the wrong approach. If someone deserves an apology, it's Gordon, the guard who first committed to Illinois and then changed his mind and went to Indiana. Illinois fans were enraged, and he received the lion's share of the "inappropriate behavior" referenced in the statement, so he's the one who should be named in the apology.

As for Gordon himself, a brief thought: Although honoring one's commitments is an admirable quality that Gordon apparently lacks, he's far from the only high school athlete who commits to one school and then attends another. The Illinois football program's stellar recruiting in recent years has been fueled in large part by such players. Illinois fans weren't booing those guys when they got the Illini to the Rose Bowl.

Illinois Apologizes, but Not to Eric Gordon originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 09 Feb 2008 10:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Indiana Redacts Ratliff From Transcript

Charles Rich — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 17:04:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, NCAA Basketball Campus, Indiana

The Indiana Hoosiers are heading to the Bahamas to play some exhibition games. These trips whether to the Islands, Canada, or overseas are popular with the coaches because they are allowed to actually hold structured, full team practices before the NCAA mandated time.

Before they left, Coach Kelvin Sampson held a press conference to talk about the trip and dropped some noteworthy information. Senior Guard A.J. Ratliff will miss the first 9 games of the season because of academic ineligibility.

Ratliff will be eligible to play (assuming he gets the grades back up to the minimum) starting with the December 15 game against Western Carolina -- which is the day after final exams end. Apparently his results will be expedited. While Ratliff won't miss any of the Big Ten season, he will miss some big non-conference games: Xavier (or Kent State in the Chicago Invitational Challenge), Georgia Tech (Big Ten-ACC Challenge), Southern Illinois and Kentucky.

The only benefit to Ratliff is that he will have extra time to heal his wrists from a break to his left and a sore right.

"Poor A.J. If it weren't for bad luck he wouldn't have any luck," Sampson said of Ratliff's injuries.

At least, it as to be assumed Sampson was only talking about his injuries. Odd thing about the transcript, which only offered "press conference highlights." The only mention of Ratliff was once, and that was in the context of taking part in practices. His suspension didn't merit mentioning. Guess his wrist injuries weren't bad enough to keep him out of practices, either.

Indiana Redacts Ratliff From Transcript originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 28 Aug 2007 17:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Premature Hoops BlogPoll: No. 8, Indiana

Michael David Smith — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 12:33:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, NCAA Basketball BlogPoll, Indiana

This week, FanHouse is taking a way too early look at the top teams heading into 2007 with a BlogPoll decided on by our college hoops bloggers. It's a time-honored filler for the off-season, and who are we to buck tradition? Today we look at teams 10 through 6.

How good will Eric Gordon be? Tell me that and I'll tell you how good Indiana will be.

Gordon, one of the nation's best incoming freshmen, verbally committed to Illinois before changing his mind and heading to Indiana, and that changed the balance of power in the Big Ten as well as assuring that things will get heated when the Hoosiers visit Champaign.

But Gordon isn't all Indiana has. D.J. White, a 6-foot-9, 250-pound shot blocker and a very tough presence inside, is back, as is guard Armon Bassett, who showed a great deal of promise as a freshman last season. Although the Hoosiers will miss the departed Roderick Wilmont, this team should be significantly better than it was last year.

Why they should be ranked here: Indiana beat Gonzaga in the first round of the tournament and also had impressive wins against Southern Illinois and Wisconsin. Add a very good recruit in Gordon, and that's a Top 10 team.

Why they should be ranked higher: Maybe Gordon can have a Kevin Durant-like impact. Watch some of his highlights and you'll think that's realistic:

Why they should be ranked lower: Maybe Gordon is one of the many recruits who looks a whole lot better against high school kids than he does in college. But don't count on it.

Premature Hoops BlogPoll: No. 8, Indiana originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 12 Jul 2007 12:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Indiana to Tear Down Assembly Hall

Michael David Smith — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 20:08:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, NCAA Basketball Campus, Indiana

This seems like it should be bigger news: Indiana University plans to build a new basketball arena, apparently meaning a building that has seen a great deal of basketball history (including playing home to three different national championship teams) will get torn down.

So why isn't it bigger news? Probably because even Indiana fans don't have warm feelings for Assembly Hall:

The building is a dump, the sightlines are terrible, and honestly, there aren't enough quality seats. The most ironic thing about Assembly Hall is that, despite the tradtion and history in the building, it isn't even that old. It was opened in 1972 and it's hard to believe that anyone approved its setup even then. As loud and supportive as Indiana fan is, the walls along the sides of the court and the ultra-steep stands eliminate more of the homecourt advantage than people think. There's also not a student section.

When you put it that way, maybe we really shouldn't feel any sentimentality for the old building.

Indiana to Tear Down Assembly Hall originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 27 Jun 2007 20:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best Starting Five Ever? Houston With Akeem and Clyde

Michael David Smith — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 11:50:00 EST

Filed under: Florida Basketball, UCLA Basketball, Indiana Basketball, March Madness, Houston, Los Angeles, Florida, Indiana

We established last night that no team can top Florida (well, no college team). But now let's go into the history books: Is this Florida lineup the best starting five in college basketball history?

You can certainly make that case. The Gators are, after all, the first team in history to win two national titles with the same group of starters, Al Horford, Joakim Noah, Corey Brewer, Taurean Green, and Lee Humphrey. That's why Dan Shanoff gives them his vote.

Elliott Kalb presents a list of the top 10 starting fives of all time prior to Florida, and although he doesn't say where he would put Florida within that list, he calls Bob Knight's Indiana team with Scott May, Quinn Buckner, Bobby Wilkerson, Kent Benson and Tom Abernethy the best group of starters ever.

Kalb's No. 2 was UCLA with Lew Alcindor, and before I really started looking into it, I just assumed that team would have to be the best starting five ever. But then I took a closer look at those five starters. After Alcindor, the tallest player in the Bruins' starting lineup was the 6-foot-5 Lynn Shackelford. As great as UCLA was with Alcindor at the helm, I just don't think there's any way the rest of the Bruins could have matched up with bigger, more athletic teams.

So my vote goes to Phi Slamma Jamma, the Houston team of Akeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, Larry Micheaux, Alvin Franklin and Michael Young. Yeah, I know they never won a title. But those guys were incredible: Do you realize that Drexler and Olajuwon weren't even the team's leading scorers? (Young was.) Would they beat the Gators five-on-five? I'd love to see that game.

Best Starting Five Ever? Houston With Akeem and Clyde originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 03 Apr 2007 11:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The NCAA Tournament Team Kelvin Sampson Left Behind

D-Wil — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 10:41:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana Basketball, Oklahoma Basketball, Big 12 Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, March Madness, NCAA Basketball Recruiting, Indiana

The Oklahoma Sooners didn't make the Big Dance; at 16-15 they weren't even good enough for the NIT. But if you check out the potential lineup now Indiana Hoosiers head coach and ex-Sooners head coach Kelvin Sampson left behind, you have the makings of a team that might still be playing on Saturday, March 31.

Sampson if you remember, fled from Oklahoma amidst NCAA investigators' allegations of wrong-doing. Kelvin apparently mastered the art of the text message and the surreptitious phone call to potential high school recruits in a desperate effort to continue winning at football-first OU.

When the NCAA sent their investigative blood hounds to sniff out Blackberries in the Sooners athletic department, Sampson took advantage of the classic, inexperienced coach run out of hoopland, scenario in Bloomington - Mike Davis - and took his coaching acumen to Indiana.

The recruiting class Kelvin left in the lurch is a conglomerate that would have been the best freshman class in the country. Here's what Kelvin left behind:

Scottie Reynolds, point guard, Villanova. In the guard-first NCAA, Reynolds would have been the crown jewel of the OU freshman class. But when the Sampson fiasco went down, the NCAA released Reynolds from his OU commitment. Now Scottie and his 14.1 ppg and 4.1 apg will lead Villanova against Michigan State in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

You might not know Damian James, but I bet all-world collegiate star Kevin Durant loves this power forward. James, another recruit released from his Sampson-Sooner commitment. What makes James and his 7.9 ppg and 7.4 rpg so special? His four double-doubles are second among Big 12 freshmen - to Kevin Durant.

Now, add 6'10", 240 pound UAB freshman center Jeremy Mayfield to the Sooners mix - yes, he was given a Sampson-initiated violations reprieve, too - and you have the makings of a squad of baby Sooners ready to make some noise right about this time of the year.

Tonight around 10 p.m. EST Indiana will face Gonzaga in the first round of the NCAA tournament while the entire Oklahoma team and student body sits at home. It's a great day to be Kelvin Sampson.

The NCAA Tournament Team Kelvin Sampson Left Behind originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 15 Mar 2007 10:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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1987 Indiana One Shining Moment: Bob Knight Not Happy

Michael David Smith — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 07:50:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, March Madness, NCAA Basketball Video, Indiana

At Mr. Irrelevant, Jamie Mottram recommends searching YouTube for "One Shining Moment" to get yourself pumped up for the NCAA Tournament. I couldn't agree more, and I particularly enjoyed watching Indiana's 1987 championship, as set to music by CBS:

My favorite part is that shot of Bobby Knight at about the 3:50 mark. Ordinarily, that's where CBS would show the winning team's coach looking happy, but shots of Knight looking happy are hard to come by.

1987 Indiana One Shining Moment: Bob Knight Not Happy originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 13 Mar 2007 07:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCAA Previews: Recognize the Indiana Hoosiers

Michael David Smith — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 17:44:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, March Madness, Indiana

Conference: Big Ten
Record: 20-10, 10-6 in conference
RPI: 28
How They Got In: At large.

Mascot: Hoosiers. What is a Hoosier, you ask? Short answer: Someone from Indiana. Long answer: Consult Wikipedia and learn all about why the term is "embraced more enthusiastically in the southern half of the state, reflecting the likely origin of the word from Appalachian heritage."

Big Wins: Two signature wins, against Southern Illinois and Wisconsin.

Notable Loss: An 81-75 loss at Iowa in the Big Ten opener is the only particularly bad loss on the Hoosiers' schedule. Three Big Ten at-large teams, Illinois, Michigan State and Indiana, had their worst loss at Iowa.

Player You Should Know: Indiana doesn't have a lot of size, but junior D.J. White is a 6-foot-9, 250-pound shot blocker and a very tough presence inside. He and senior Roderick Wilmont shared the team's Most Outstanding Player award.

Outlook: The Hoosiers will be favored to beat Gonzaga in the first round, but it's hard to see them beating UCLA and getting to the Sweet 16.

NCAA Previews: Recognize the Indiana Hoosiers originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 11 Mar 2007 17:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Indiana, Illinois Show Importance of Signature Wins

Michael David Smith — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 12:59:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana Basketball, Illinois Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, March Madness, Indiana, Illinois

How important are "signature victories" to a team's chances of making the NCAA Tournament? Extremely important. For evidence, just look at two Big Ten teams, Indiana and Illinois.

Everyone agrees that Indiana is a lock to make the tournament, while Illinois is on the bubble. But their resumes are strikingly similar:

RPI: Indiana 28th, Illinois 29th
Record: Illinois went 23-11, Indiana went 20-10
Strength of schedule: Illinois 24th, Indiana 58th
Conference record: Indiana 10-6, Illinois 9-7
Head-to-head: Illinois won two of three
Non-conference RPI: Illinois 29th, Indiana 42nd
Record against RPI Top 50: Indiana 5-8, Illinois 4-9
Record against RPI 100+: Illinois 15-0, Indiana 13-0
Record in last 10: Illinois 7-3, Indiana 5-5
Record in road/neutral games: Illinois 9-8, Indiana 5-10

So why is one a bubble team and one a sure thing? Because Indiana has two signature wins, having beaten both Wisconsin and Southern Illinois. The best wins the Illini had were the two against Indiana, plus a home game against Michigan State. So if you want to get into the tournament, be sure to beat a really good team at least once.

Indiana, Illinois Show Importance of Signature Wins originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 11 Mar 2007 12:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Illinois Advances, But Still on Bubble

Michael David Smith — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 23:26:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana Basketball, Illinois Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, March Madness, Indiana, Illinois

The worst thing that could have happened to Illinois today was, of course, losing to Indiana. They took care of that with a 58-54 overtime win in the Big Ten Tournament. But they're not in the Big Dance just yet.

Why? Because the second-worst thing that could have happened to Illinois today was Xavier losing. That loss results in an additional A-10 team getting into the tournament, and it will cost some bubble team a tournament spot. And the Illini would be very good candidates to be the team to lose its spot to Xavier, especially because they lost to Xavier in December. I think Illinois is probably in the tournament no matter what happens, but if they want to feel absolutely, positively certain, they're going to need to beat Wisconsin Saturday.

Indiana, on the other hand, has nothing to worry about despite the loss. The Hoosiers' 10-6 Big Ten record and strong nonconference schedule guarantees them a place. This probably cost them in terms of seeding, but Indiana is in that 7-10 range where the seed doesn't make a big difference. Overall, a much more important game for the Illini than the Hoosiers.

NOTE: Bruce Weber and Kelvin Sampson did shake hands after the game. It was a far cry from the firm handshake with eye contact that your father taught you, though.

Illinois Advances, But Still on Bubble originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 09 Mar 2007 23:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One More Game to Settle Illinois-Indiana Rivalry

Michael David Smith — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 18:55:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana Basketball, Illinois Basketball, Indiana, Illinois

Illinois coach Bruce Weber and Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson get one more chance to barely conceal their contempt for each other after Illinois beat Penn State to advance to the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals.

The game (tomorrow night at 9 p.m. ET) is huge for the Illini: Win and they're very likely in the tournament, lose and they're very likely out. That also makes it huge for bubble teams like Drexel, Missouri State and Purdue, all of which would feel a little more comfortable with their own bubble status if a bubble team like Illinois goes down.

The Weber-Sampson rivalry centers around high school senior Eric Gordon, who initially committed to Illinois but changed his mind after Sampson ~~recruited~~ ~~stalked~~ watched him play a few times. The teams split their games this season, so this will serve as the rubber match in addition to serving, essentially, as the Illini's play-in game.

The Illini's 66-60 win over the Nittany Lions was made a lot closer than Illinois fans would have liked by Penn State's Mike Walker, who made a Big Ten tournament record seven three-point shots for Penn State. He missed two in the last 30 seconds, though.

One More Game to Settle Illinois-Indiana Rivalry originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 08 Mar 2007 18:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Indiana Beats Northwestern, and the Hoosiers Are In

Michael David Smith — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 20:36:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, Indiana

After Indiana beat Wisconsin a month ago, the Hoosiers faded down the stretch, losing four of their next six games. It got so bad that I wrote yesterday that they could still miss the tournament. But I don't think there's any danger of that now. Indiana had to sweat against Northwestern tonight but managed to win 69-65, earning its ninth Big Ten win to wrap up an at-large NCAA tournament bid.

Roderick Wilmont was a beast, scoring 31 points, setting an Indiana record with nine three-point shots, and grabbing 12 rebounds.

First-year Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson deserves a lot of credit for the job he's done this year. It hasn't always been pretty at Indiana this season, but the Hoosiers were going in the wrong direction before Sampson arrived, and he has them in the tournament this year with a good class of freshmen coming in next year. Indiana basketball is back.

Indiana Beats Northwestern, and the Hoosiers Are In originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 28 Feb 2007 20:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bob Knight Soundbites: Does He Get a Raw Deal?

Michael David Smith — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 21:58:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana Basketball, Big 12 Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, NCAA Basketball Video, Texas Tech Basketball, Indiana

This isn't new, but I came across it today after writing about Bob Knight's comments on basketball players leaving college after one year. It's an ESPN clip of the top 10 soundbites of Knight's career:

I think it's telling that only one of those 10 soundbites, the speech from the final home game of son Pat Knight's playing career, casts Knight in a positive light. There are two conclusions we could draw from that: One is that in 90 percent of his public appearances, Knight acts like a jerk. The other is that the media choose to portray Knight negatively 90 percent of the time.

Which is it? In general, I think Knight has no one to blame but himself for the criticism he so often receives. But on the other hand, Knight is an articulate, intelligent person. Whether you agree with Nathan Fowler's post, Bob Knight Thinks Kevin Durant Is Bad For College Basketball, or with MJD's post, A Counterpoint on Bob Knight's One-and-Done Comments, you'd have to agree that Knight is often well-spoken. And yet the video of his most famous soundbites doesn't reflect that. Does that lend credence to Knight's oft-stated belief that the media give him a raw deal?

Bob Knight Soundbites: Does He Get a Raw Deal? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 25 Feb 2007 21:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Indiana, Purdue, Illinois Bring Big Ten Bids to Six?

Michael David Smith — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 09:05:00 EST

Filed under: Ohio State Basketball, Wisconsin Basketball, Indiana Basketball, Michigan State Basketball, Illinois Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, Indiana, Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Illinois

It was just last weekend that I wrote that the Big Ten might get just three NCAA tournament bids. But I also said at the time, "It's not outside the realm of possibility that six Big Ten teams could make it." That's still a possibility.

Wisconsin and Ohio State are obviously in. Michigan State is in as well. Indiana has been struggling lately, losing three of the last four, including Michigan State last night. But the Hoosiers had a very good nonconference schedule, and they should win their last two, Northwestern and Penn State, easily. That's four Big Ten bids.

But what about Purdue and Illinois? The Boilermakers are 7-7 in the Big Ten and close with home games against Minnesota and Northwestern, so they're going to finish 9-7 in the conference. Given some fairly good nonconference wins (Missouri, DePaul, Virginia) that should be enough. And the Illini will go 10-6 in the Big Ten with a season finale win at Iowa. That should also be good enough.

Can the Big Ten really get six bids, though? I find it hard to believe. Most likely, either Purdue or Illinois -- will have a poor showing in the conference tournament and lose out there. But it's surprising we're even talking about six Big Ten bids at the end of February.

Indiana, Purdue, Illinois Bring Big Ten Bids to Six? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 25 Feb 2007 09:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Does 'College GameDay' Mean More Than the Game?

Michael David Smith — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 10:58:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana Basketball, Michigan State Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, Indiana, Michigan State

As I write this, it's 10 hours before tip-off of tonight's Indiana-Michigan State game, and the Breslin Center in East Lansing is already rocking. The players aren't there yet (some of them probably aren't even awake yet), but the fans are going crazy for Reece Davis, Hubert Davis, Digger Phelps and Jay Bilas.

It's nice how ESPN's College GameDay gets the students excited about the attention drawn to their school, but I sense a somewhat troubling aspect to this, namely that the ESPN pregame show might matter more than the game. After all, Michigan State and Indiana are almost certainly in the tournament no matter what happens, but neither team is playing for anything as important as a No. 1 seed or a Big Ten championship. So this game doesn't mean a whole lot, except that ESPN is giving it a lot of attention.

And doesn't that take something away from the game on the court? Will these fans who are going so crazy at 11 a.m. still be into it at 11 p.m.? The football version of College GameDay brings us closer to the passion of college sports, but in college football, the short season and the lack of a playoff makes each individual regular-season game much more important. In college basketball it's easier for a single game to get overshadowed. I enjoy watching College GameDay, but I enjoy watching college games more. Sometimes I get the sense that the fans on campus don't feel the same way.

Does 'College GameDay' Mean More Than the Game? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 24 Feb 2007 10:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hey, Coach Knight, Isiah Thomas Was Kevin Durant

Michael David Smith — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 13:59:00 EST

Filed under: Texas Basketball, Indiana Basketball, Big 12 Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, Texas Tech Basketball, Indiana, Texas

We at NCAA Basketball FanHouse have had a lot to say about Bob Knight's comments on players, such as Texas's Kevin Durant, who go to college for one year and then leave for the NBA. Knight said:

"It's the worst thing that's happened to college basketball since I've been coaching. Because now you can have a kid come to school for a year and play basketball and he doesn't even have to go to class. He certainly doesn't have to go to class the second semester. I'm not exactly positive about the first semester. But he would not have to attend a single class the second semester to play through the whole second semester of basketball.

"That, I think, has a tremendous effect on the integrity of college sports."

For the most part, I agree with him. But has he forgotten his own history? One of Knight's own players, Isiah Thomas, was among the earliest to make it crystal clear that for top players, college was mostly a stepping stone for the NBA. Thomas left Indiana after just two years playing for Knight, and although he did later earn a degree, getting drafted by the Pistons was a far higher priority for him than getting college credit.

And that's how it should be. Playing basketball is what Thomas was best at, and in college you ought to work toward realizing your full potential. That's what Kevin Durant is doing, and that's what Isiah Thomas did. I don't see a big difference between Durant's college career and Thomas's. I sense that Knight does.

Hey, Coach Knight, Isiah Thomas Was Kevin Durant originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 21 Feb 2007 13:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After Beating Indiana, Does Michigan Have Tournament Hopes?

Michael David Smith — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 06:04:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana Basketball, Michigan Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, Indiana, Michigan

When I wrote about the Big Ten's tournament chances, I really wasn't even including Michigan in the equation. I've been thinking it's over for Tommy Amaker and Michigan for at least a couple of weeks.

But after yesterday's 58-55 win over Indiana, the locals think Michigan is still in the hunt for an NCAA at-large berth. Michigan's remaining four games are at Illinois, at Minnesota, and home against Michigan State and Ohio State. A 4-0 finish certainly gets them in, but that's not going to happen. Winning three out of four gives them a realistic chance, but what reason do we have to think that this Michigan team that had lost five of six heading into the Indiana game is capable of going on that kind of run? I think this is still a solid NIT team.

As for the Hoosiers, were they under the impression that their season ended when they beat Wisconsin? They've lost three of four since then, and the win was a fairly sloppy one over Illinois. With Penn State, Northwestern and Minnesota remaining on the schedule, Indiana will get to 10 Big Ten wins, but a couple of weeks ago I was prepared to give Kelvin Sampson the coach of the year award. I don't feel that way anymore.

After Beating Indiana, Does Michigan Have Tournament Hopes? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 18 Feb 2007 06:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Indiana Holds On at Home for Revenge Against Illinois

Michael David Smith — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 14:53:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana Basketball, Illinois Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, Indiana

This has been by far Bruce Weber's worst year as the Illinois head coach, but beating Indiana and arch-nemesis Kelvin Sampson twice would have made the whole season worthwhile. Indiana beat Illinois 65-61 today, though, and the Illini should start getting ready for the NIT.

Last month, when the Illini beat the Hoosiers, the game seemed to be mostly about recruit Eric Gordon, who first committed to Illinois and then switched to Indiana, leading to the rift between Weber and Sampson. Gordon was clearly on the minds of the fans in Champaign as well as the media in that game, but this one felt meaningful on its own merits, as it went a long way toward sorting out both teams' places in the Big Ten.

I said earlier this week that Illinois would make the tournament if it beat Indiana and miss the tournament if it lost, so I think it's fair to say that the Illini won't be in the Big Dance. For Indiana, the win is a nice rebound after a bad loss to Iowa that followed an upset of Wisconsin. The Hoosiers look like a team that could do some damage in March, and Sampson deserves a ton of credit for that.

Indiana Holds On at Home for Revenge Against Illinois originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 10 Feb 2007 14:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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