NCAA Basketball FanHouse

Why Some Surprises Aren't Shocking

David Steele — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:54:00 EST

Filed under: Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Syracuse, UCLA, Alabama

The roll call of eye-popping scores began with the start of the college basketball season. And there's a chance they won't slow down soon, for an important reason: this time, the names on the front of the jerseys tell less of a story than the names on the back.

The opening week's finals look like someone's idea of a joke. The opening acts, in exhibition season, should have warned everybody: LeMoyne 82, Syracuse 79, and Georgia Tech 84, Indiana (Pa.) 76 in overtime. Then, when the games counted: Texas-San Antonio 62, Iowa 50. Cornell 71, Alabama 67. Wofford 60, Georgia 57. Rider 88, Mississippi State 74. Cal State-Fullerton 68, UCLA 65 in two overtimes.

None of that includes Kentucky 72, Miami of Ohio 70, in Game Two of the John Calipari Era in Lexington; if not for freshman John Wall's heroics in, literally, the final second, that era would have been a carbon-copy of the start of the now-infamous Billy Gillispie Era (loss at home to Gardner-Webb in his second game).

Calipari, however, waited until Game Three to inadvertently get to the root of the November surprises: they shouldn't really be surprises. After seeing his team follow up its surrender of 15 3-pointers to Miami with 18 more in a win over Sam Houston State Thursday, the coach was steaming. "This may be, at this point, the worst defensive team I have had since 1988 (at Massachusetts),'' he said. "I was so mad a couple of times, my head almost popped off.

"I love my team, and we have a chance to be good, but we also have a chance of being bad if we don't start changing some things.''

Calipari, of course, had dropped broad hints since the start of practice that his freshman-laden, fourth-ranked team has a lot of learning to do, and that the win total might not match what Kentucky followers take for granted. The early upsets and narrow escapes by the big-name teams in the major conferences indicate that Calipari is far from alone. At a lot of programs, reputations precede accomplishments, even potential.

Take two of Kentucky's Southeastern Conference brethren who took early beatings -- both, realistically, should have been expected. Both Georgia and Alabama made well-documented coaching changes in midseason last year, brought in new head men this season, have gutted rosters, and are consensus picks to be among the worst in the conference this season. Losing to, respectively, Wofford and Cornell is par for the course.

"Honestly, I think we caught them at a good time, while Coach (Anthony) Grant is still trying to get his stuff in,'' Cornell coach Steve Donahue admitted after the win in Tuscaloosa. The two leading scorers that night, Ryan Wittman and Jeff Foote, were both seniors combining for 40 of the Big Red's 71 points.

Wofford, meanwhile, had five starters returning from a 16-win team last season; Georgia's roster features eight freshmen and sophomores, and one of the few seniors expected to lead, forward Albert Jackson, injured his left wrist in preseason practice and played only three minutes against the Terriers.

The examples abound. UCLA had suffered heavy talent losses the last two seasons, since the end of its run of three straight Final Fours. Iowa, meanwhile, has had a talent drain since head coach Steve Alford departed to New Mexico, and Todd Lickliter, the hot name from Butler at the time he was hired in 2007, is 0-2 after falling to Duquesne. Iowa, with nine freshmen and sophomores, next faces No. 3 Texas in a now much-less stellar matchup in the CBE Classic in Kansas City Monday.

Of course, the table was set for this kind of start to the season by the exhibition shocker heard 'cross the country, LeMoyne's victory in the Carrier Dome. And the pattern holds there, too: Syracuse lost four key players, including NBA draftee Jonny Flynn, and is importing a ton of newcomers. The Orange apparently learned fast, heading into Friday's Coaches Vs. Cancer Classic championship game against No. 6 North Carolina with three regular-season wins by an average of 31.3 points -- including Thursday's throttling of 13th-ranked Cal, whose coach, Mike Montgomery, had said going into the game, "I don't think any of us are as good as we are going to be later on.''

Syracuse's opponent Friday is in the same boat, and like Calipari, Roy Williams has gone past preaching patience and into pleading for it. As the games in Madison Square Garden approached, he wondered when he'd discover a go-to player down the stretch to replace the NBA-ticketed quartet of last season: "It'll be interesting to see who will do it when they're geared to stop you when the game's on the line.''

And no one can explain what happened to defending SEC tournament champion Mississippi State, all its returning talent (some of it which dipped a toe into the NBA Draft waters last offseason) and its lofty preseason ranking. Rider does have four starters back from a team that won 19 games and played postseason ball (the CBI, for what that's worth). The Bulldogs have five starters returning.

Bulldog forward Kodi Augustus spoke for the entire college basketball nation when he said: "This is Rider. (We're) preseason ranked No. 18 in the country. We're not supposed to lose our first game, home opener. Wow. It's crazy."

That one, yes, is crazy. The others that seem so crazy at first glance ... not so much. If those scores surface two or three months for now, though, crazy would fit.

Of course, that's assuming another surprise evolves Saturday ... when Rider plays at Kentucky.

Why Some Surprises Aren't Shocking originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Saban Can't Help 'Bama Land Izzo

Matt Snyder — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Michigan State, Big Ten, SEC, Coaches, Alabama

For some godforesaken reason, some Alabama fans and media think they have a shot at landing Michigan State's Tom Izzo as the replacement for Mark Gottfried. Apparently, just because their football coach, Nick Saban, is a former Michigan State coach, he can just extend a phone call and land Izzo at the drop of a hat.

There are two problems here. First of all, Izzo has already built a situation superior to one he could build at Alabama. He's worshipped on campus, and his family is settled in the area. You aren't going to uproot your entire life unless bowled over by money. How much more money does Alabama have to spend on a basketball coach than Michigan State? Not near enough, if any at all.

Secondly, Saban himself has nothing to do with hiring basketball coaches. Just ask him.

"I'm not going to be responsible for hiring a basketball coach," Saban said. "There is nothing in my contract that says anything about that. I'm going to be as helpful as I can to whoever it is because we have good people here that are very capable of making a decision about who the good basketball coaches out there are, and who would be the best fit for our program in the future."

Obviously, this isn't to say he won't give Izzo a phone call and do a little recruiting for the betterment of the athletic department. He probably will do that.

A phone call from an old friend isn't going to pry Izzo away from East Lansing, though. He grew up in Michigan. He went to college in Michigan. He's not poorly compensated or disrespected in his current gig, and he's manning a program that is about to make the Sweet 16 for the eighth time in the past 12 years. There is no worldly reason to leave, especially not to play second fiddle to the Alabama football program

Tom Izzo is not leaving Michigan State. Nick Saban can't do anything about that. Just turn the page and start searching for a legitimately realistic coach, Alabama.

Saban Can't Help 'Bama Land Izzo originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Another Look at Alabama's Anthony Brock Going From Grief to Glee

Chas Rich — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 19:34:00 EST

Filed under: Tennessee, SEC, Alabama

Alabama junior Anthony Brock's turn from the grief of attending the funeral of his grandmother Saturday to hitting the game winning shot Sunday is the stuff of poorly written TV scripts. That's part of what makes sports so fantastic. These things really happen.

Of course the only thing more ridiculous, is complete denial. A video highlight of the game produced by the Tennessee athletic department is hysterical. It is nothing but Volunteer highlights, does not show the game winning shot, and never mentions the score. Absurd propaganda to deny the reality above.

Another Look at Alabama's Anthony Brock Going From Grief to Glee originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 08 Mar 2009 19:34:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anthony Brock the Hero a Day After Grandmother's Funeral

Chas Rich — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 14:34:00 EST

Filed under: Tennessee, SEC, Alabama

On Sunday, the Vols got knocked off by Alabama on a desperation shot from mid-court with time expiring.

Anthony Brock was the hero who took the shot, throwing Alabama into hysteria. Yet a day earlier Brock was gripped with sadness, as he was mourning the loss of his grandmother at her funeral. It wasn't until late in the night that he re-joined the team. With little sleep for an early afternoon game and a heavy heart, Brock scored 11 points and shot 3-of-3 from behind the arc, including the game-winner.

Alabama 70, Tennessee 67: Box Score | RPI | Scores

Sunday was not about Alabama snatching victory from the jaws of defeat with Brock's shot, however. Alabama led most of the game, and Tennessee was the team trying to catch up despite it being senior day in Knoxville. The Vols are just a team without a clue.

To lose on senior day, a day when emotions should be high, is inexcusable. The Vols backed into the SEC East title, acting like a team that did not take the Crimson Tide seriously.

Brock made them pay and, in the process, ended a sad week on a positive note.

Anthony Brock the Hero a Day After Grandmother's Funeral originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 08 Mar 2009 14:34:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Add Alabama to Tubby Smith Rumors

Matt Snyder — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Minnesota, Big Ten, SEC, Coaches, Alabama

Apparently, Tubby Smith's departure from Minnesota can't come soon enough in the eyes of the media. When Lute Olson retired at Arizona, Tubby was tied to the job through pure conjecture, and now it's happening again. Earlier this week, Mark Gottfried "resigned" from his post at the University of Alabama. Today, everyone's favorite talking heads -- Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon -- got the ball rolling.

I guess the fact that Tubby Smith's two previous head coaching jobs came in the same conference as Alabama make it a quasi-logical destination. Other than that, though, there is little substance here.

Let us consider that Smith is only in his second year at Minnesota, and he's got the Golden Gophers off to their best start since the scandalous Clem Haskins era. The Gophers are currently 17-3, with a 5-3 Big Ten record. They are easily in the NCAA tournament should things stay as they are, and that only happened once in the Dan Monson years. If he's been able to build this sort of a team in only his second year, Smith has to be thinking he can build a national contender here in the next few years. Why would he pack it up and start over?

Secondly, no real sources have ever been able to say with certainly that Smith is looking to leave Minnesota or is specifically interested in either the 'Bama or 'Zona jobs. It's nothing more than throwing something against the wall and hoping it sticks -- so that later you can come back and say, "I was right!"

These types of situations should be very maddening for Minnesota basketball fans. They have their most exciting season in years, and have to deal with constant speculation that their coach is looking to jump ship. It's not like he's a Larry Brown-type mercenary.

Is living and coaching in Minnesota really so undesirable?

UPDATE: Tubby says he's staying put, and that he's excited about the program's current direction, including next year's recruiting class.

Add Alabama to Tubby Smith Rumors originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 22:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alabama Ex-Coach Mark Gottfried Gets Buyout for 'Resignation'

Chas Rich — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: SEC, Coaches, Alabama

Is this some cultural thing in Alabama of which I'm unaware? Rather than admit that they are canning their coaches, Alabama programs are releasing awkward press releases claiming the coach has resigned. Completely voluntary, and out of the blue. Nothing else to see here, honestly.

The problem with the scenario is that the coach is getting the full buyout as if he was fired without cause. No program will just toss extra money to a former coach when it does not have to.

Tommy Tuberville got his full buyout after his "resignation" from Auburn. Alabama's now ex-basketball coach Mark Gottfried will get $2.2 million over the next 29 months ($75,000 per month) after his resignation.

My question is simply, why? Why pretend it was a resignation when everyone knows it was a firing. It does not save face for anyone. It invites more speculation about the truth. It spawns more rumors and conspiracies and encourages the perception of a program in complete disarray and overall cluelessness.

In the case of the Alabama basketball program, it becomes more than simply that the program has been sliding the last couple years. Their best player, Ronald Steele, abruptly quit the team and contradicted an Alabama press release saying he quit because of lingering injuries, instead suggesting darkly there were other factors, despite the fact that Steele's younger brother is a freshman on the team.

Gottfried was a former player for Alabama and took over the team with a reputation as a strong recruiter. Indeed, he recruited very well. Part of the problem was that many of those highly regarded recruits often left at the first opportunity, even if there was little chance of being drafted.

While the reasons were often chalked up to the players own desires and overrating themselves, the departure of Steele changes the discussion. Now, many wonder if Gottfried -- the same guy that recruited them -- drove them away. The abrupt end to Gottfried's tenure only fuels that line of thought.

Alabama Ex-Coach Mark Gottfried Gets Buyout for 'Resignation' originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 21:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mark Gottfried Resigns From Alabama

Will Brinson — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: Coaches, Media Watch, Alabama

Mark Gottfried resigned as head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide basketball team today, a move that will certainly draw plenty of discussion as to whether he resigned or "resigned."

Under Gottfried, the Tide made the NCAA Tournament for five consecutive years but have struggled recently. Word on the street is that Phillip Pearson will take over the squad as the university conducts a full search for a coach.

Gottfried received plenty of criticism in recent years -- even more so since he was allegedly part of the reason Ronald Steele left the school.

The former coach played at Alabama as well, which apparently resulted in a pretty emotional exit.

"He just told us that he really loved us and that we were like one of his children and to just continue to play hard and make the best of this season," freshman JaMychal Green said. "It was emotional. Coach Gottfried shed some tears and hugged every one of the players.

"He basically was saying that Alabama means a lot to him and that even though he's not coaching, he's still going to be there to support us and cheer us on while we're playing," he said.

Gottfried compiled a pretty impressive record at Alabama, but as has become abundantly clear in recent months, college coaching is very much a "What have you done for me lately?" environment, and, lately, Gottfried hasn't produced. It's odd that he resigned, of course, but it seems entirely likely that he faced some sort of ultimatum and instead simply decided to walk away.

Mark Gottfried Resigns From Alabama originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 23:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kentucky's Ramon Harris Collapses at Halftime of Kentucky-Alabama

Will Brinson — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Kentucky, SEC, Coaches, Injuries, Alabama

Update: Harris is "alert" but Gillispie isn't talking much about his condition.

Ramon Harris didn't play during the second half of Kentucky's 61-51 win over Alabama today. That's because he was en route to the hospital after collapsing outside the locker room right before halftime.

During his post-game radio show, Coach Gillispie said that Harris is resting at the local hospital. "They said everything looks good. They're concerned, obviously. He's alert. After he threw up he felt better," said Gillispie.

The start of the second half was delayed a couple of minutes, and Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie remained with Harris as the half began. Harris played only seven minutes in the first half and scored one point.

On Dec. 3, Harris was carried off the court on a stretcher and taken to the hospital after colliding with a teammate against Lamar. He missed three games with a back and neck injury, returned for one game and then missed two of the next three due to back stiffness.

What makes this even scarier is that, as noted above, this isn't the first time that Harris has fallen ill during a basketball game this year. Of course, the first fall was a result of injuring himself in a collision with a teammate, and not a seemingly random health mishap.

On the other hand, though, it does question whether or not Gillispie and the Wildcat medical staff appropriately gauged how his injury affected his health.

Latest College Basketball Photos

Washington senior Jon Brockman, left, grabs freshman Darnell Gant to give him advice late in the game against UCLA Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009, in an NCAA basketball game in Seattle. Washington won 86-75. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Massachusetts' Chris Lowe drives to the basket past La Salle's Kimmani Barrett in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Amherst, Mass. Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009. La Salle won 62-54. (AP Photo/Nancy Palmieri)

Oklahoma State head coach Travis Ford instructs his players against Nebraska in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, in Lincoln, Neb., Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009. Oklahoma State defeated Nebraska 76-74 in overtime. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Washington's Jon Brockman is grabbed from behind by Quincy Pondexter as they celebrate beating UCLA 86-75, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009, in an NCAA basketball game in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Southern California guard Daniel Hackett (13) hits a jump shot over Washington State guard Klay Thompson as Aron Baynes, left, and Caleb Forrest, right, watch during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009 at Jack Friel Court in Pullman, Wash. (AP Photo/Dean Hare)

Southern California forward Marcus Johnson (0) shoots over Washington State forwards Caleb Forrest (52) and DeAngelo Casto, left, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009 at Jack Friel Court in Pullman, Wash. (AP Photo/Dean Hare)

Illinois' head coach Bruce Weber calls a play during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Wisconsin at the Assembly Hall in Champaign, Ill. on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009. Illinois won 64-57. (AP Photo/Robert K. O'Daniell)

Wisconsin's Joe Frabbenhoft (45) shoots over Illinois' Chester Frazier (3) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Assembly Hall in Champaign, Ill. on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009. Illinois won 64-57. (AP Photo/Robert K. O'Daniell)

Southern California forward Nikola Vucevic (5) dunks over Washington State guard Marcus Capers, left, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009 at Jack Friel Court in Pullman, Wash. No foul was called on the play. (AP Photo/Dean Hare)

Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan watches his players during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Illinois at the Assembly Hall in Champaign, Ill. on Saturday, January 24, 2009. Illinois won 64-57. (AP Photo/Robert K. O'Daniell)

Kentucky's Ramon Harris Collapses at Halftime of Kentucky-Alabama originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 24 Jan 2009 18:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Maui Invitational Day 2 Recap: Notre Dame Squeaks By Texas While UNC Rolls

Shiloh Carder — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 03:25:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana, Notre Dame, Oregon, Texas, UNC, Alabama, North Carolina

Well, I guess all the college basketball honks get what they wanted: Luke Harangody's Notre Dame Fighting Irish facing off against Tyler Hansbrough and the North Carolina Tar Heels for the Maui Invitational championship.

Notre Dame 81, Texas 80: Harangody poured in 29 points and grabbed 11 boards in the win for the Irish. Notre Dame had to watch an A.J. Abrams half-court heave hit the front of the rim before celebrating their hard-fought win. The Irish made this game closer than it should have been as they missed 11 of their 21 free throw attempts. This is the only one of the eight games played in the Maui Invitational to have a margin of victory under 18 points.

North Carolina 98, Oregon 69: The Heels jumped all over Oregon early with aggressive defense and an offense that, when ran the way Roy Williams wants, looks unstoppable. Danny Green led the way again with 21 points.

Alabama 78, Chaminade 56: Bama used a 23-2 run to create seperation from the Silverswords. Senario Hillman set a career-high with 22 points.

St. Joseph's 80, Indiana 54: It's going to be a long year in Bloomington. How many Hoosier fans out there are scared that Indiana may lose to Chaminade tomorrow? Show of hands!

Today is the final day in Maui and there are some interesting games on the slate. Indiana will try to avoid further embarassment against Chaminade; Texas and Oregon should have a track meet for a game; Alabama and St. Joe's try to get another win; Oh and North Carolina vs Notre Dame.

Maui Invitational Day 2 Recap: Notre Dame Squeaks By Texas While UNC Rolls originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 26 Nov 2008 03:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Maui Invitational Day 1 Recap: Top Teams Move On

Shiloh Carder — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:35:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana, Notre Dame, Oregon, Texas, Alabama

While you are bundled up in the northeast and midwest, there are some young men hanging out in Hawaii and playing basketball. Lucky!

Day 1 went as expected as the three teams that have a legit shot at winning this all moved on pretty handily. All four games were pretty much blowouts and make for an interesting day today.

North Carolina 115, Chaminade 70: The Tar Heels didn't need a resting Tyler Hansbrough as they used their elite talent to just crush the Silverswords. Danny Green scored a career-high 26 points and became the "oop" to a lot of "alleys". It was the second worst beating Chaminade has suffered in this tournament.

Notre Dame 88, Indiana 50: Last year, Indiana head coach Tom Crean took his Marquett team to the Maui finals (they lost to Duke). This year's trip doesn't compare. The battered Hoosiers were just manhandled by the cross-state Fighting Irish. All the stars at Notre Dame did their thing, including a ho-hum 14 points from Luke Harangody.

Texas 68, St. Joseph's 50: The Longhorns woke up early (a 10 a.m. local start) and showed off their amazing defense yet again. St. Joe's shot a horrid 30% from the field and 4-of-23 from behind the arc. They also turned the ball over 18 times. Texas' offense wasn't as impressive, though it did get the job done.

Oregon 92, Alabama 69: How about the speed out there when Oregon's Tajuan Porter faces UNC's Ty Lawson? Forget that, how about the Oregon jerseys and shoes with a special Hawaiian print? The Ducks play on the court was stylish too as they shot 52.5% from the field while holding Bama to 37%.

Today will be fun. The showdown will be between No. 7 Texas and No. 8 Notre Dame (7 p.m. ET) while North Carolina will take on Oregon (9:30 p.m. ET). In the losers bracket, St. Joe's takes on Indiana while host Chaminade will face Alabama.

Maui Invitational Day 1 Recap: Top Teams Move On originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stacked Field, All-Americans and Speedy Guards Highlight Maui Invitational

Shiloh Carder — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:18:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana, Notre Dame, Oregon, Texas, UNC, Fans, Alabama, North Carolina

The Maui Classic has always been one of the must-see events of the early part of the college basketball season. You get to see coaches in Hawaiian shirts (picture Phil Martelli), beautiful bump shots of the beaches and some good hoops action.

This year's Invitational is no different. The No. 1 ranked North Carolina Tar Heels headline the event which begins today. But they aren't the only story to watch as six of the eight teams in Maui were in the NCAA Tournament last year:

North Carolina: The top ranked team is the favorite to win this thing but the Heels are coming in on shaky ground. Marcus Ginyard is still out as is Tyler Zeller who is done for the year with a broken wrist. The story will be Tyler Hansbrough's shin. He played Friday against UCSB but will see his minutes carefully monitored this week. If he does well, so will the Heels.

Notre Dame: Doesn't everyone want to see a matchup of Hansbrough and Luke Harangody? It could happen if the Irish get by the Texas Longhorns. The key to winning the Maui will be Mike Brey's coaching against some of the biggest names in the nation.Texas: Everyone talks about what UNC brought back this year but Texas returns nine of its top 10 scorers from last year. Okay, the one they lost was D.J. Augustin but the cupboard isn't bare. The Horns are the obvious darkhorse in this tournament as A.J. Abrams should give fits to Kyle McAlarney or Wayne Ellington. Boy are there some outstanding guards in this thing!

Alabama: The Tide aren't that solid of a team and will ride the coattails of Ronald Steele. Steele redshirted last year after double knee surgery. It will nice to see what he can do in this type of atmosphere.

Oregon: The Ducks are young but they, too, have a star. Tajuan Porter is a micro-marvel who can pop his shot off from anywhere. Forget Hansbrough-Harangody; I want to see Porter and Steele go toe-to-toe in the first round.

St. Joseph's: I think every event needs to have a guy like Phil Martelli there. He's funny, self-defacing and a darn good coach. Don't forget that the Hawks made the dance last year and are capable of pulling an upset in this tournament.

Indiana: Imagine what this dance would have been if the Hoosiers didn't go down in flames. Still, Tom Crean will expect his team to show up and playing alongside some outstanding programs in Maui will help them in the long haul. Also it is nice to send the kids that actually stuck around on a trip to Hawaii.

Chaminade: The Silverswords are the hosts who did win a game over Princeton in last season's tournament. Their win over top-ranked Virginia over 25 years ago will be talked about quite a bit as they face this year's No. 1 Tar Heels.

Stacked Field, All-Americans and Speedy Guards Highlight Maui Invitational originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Today's Big Winner: Maui Invitational

Shiloh Carder — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:02:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Basketball, Alabama Basketball, Indiana Basketball, Oregon Basketball, Notre Dame Basketball, NCAA Basketball Fans

With all the people watching who will stay and who will go in the NBA Draft today, this has been quite a day. And one place who was really interested in what happened was miles away and had no players on the fence:

The Maui Invitational.

See, North Carolina headlines the event and they just learned that all three of their "water testers" will be returning next season. That means the Heels will most likely be the #1-ranked team in the land which will bring a lot of attention with it.

Texas and Alabama (who also are in the Maui) also learned that they'll get A.J. Abrams and Ronald Steele back, respectively. Sure, both lost a guy too (Texas: D.J. Augustin; Bama: Richard Hendrix) but they both will have more than decent teams returning.

Well, Indiana will still be there ... which could be a blessing or a curse. Obviously, the Hoosiers are going through a rough patch right now, but that could mean a bit more media coverage and fan interest in their trip to Hawaii.

Add in Notre Dame (ESPN's Andy Katz has them as the #4 team in the nation), St. Joseph's, Oregon and host Chaminade and this should be a fun event to watch.

And who wants to miss seeing Phil Martelli in a Hawaiian shirt?

Today's Big Winner: Maui Invitational originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alabama Has One of Two Back for '08

Charles Rich — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:51:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama Basketball, SEC Basketball, NBA Prospects

Earlier today, Ronald Steele decided to come back for his final season at Alabama. His teammate Richard Hendrix, however, hadn't made an official decision. Well according to Hendrix's dad, he has.

"He put his name in to stay in the draft and that's what he's doing," Hendrix's father, Venard, told FOXSports.com on Monday afternoon. "He's staying in."

Well, okay, then. Hendrix was Alabama's leading scorer and rebounder last year, averaging a double-double. The draft projections generally have him going somewhere in the middle of the second round. That suggests that as his father said, Hendrix entered the draft to stay.

For Alabama, that doesn't help Coach Mike Gottfried. As Gottfried is likely the pre-pre-season co-leader for SEC Coach on the Hot Seat with Auburn's Jeff Lebo

Alabama Has One of Two Back for '08 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zags' Pargo, Bama's Steele Both Take Names Out of NBA Draft

Shiloh Carder — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:45:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama Basketball, Gonzaga Basketball, SEC Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, NBA Prospects

In unsurprising news, Gonzaga's Jeremy Pargo and Alabama's Ronald Steele have taken their names out of the NBA draft and will return to school.

Today is the deadline for underclassmen who still have their eligibility to pull their names out of the draft. UAB's Robert Vaden already has, Joe Alexander, Mario Chalmers and Bill Walker are staying in the draft. Reports also have UNC's Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green returning to school.

Neither Pargo or Steele were looked at as first round locks ... but were entering into their final collegiate seasons and had nothing to lose by testing the waters. Pargo was projected to be a second round pick had he stayed and got a long of feedback on his game during this process.

Gonzaga should be a top 10-15 team next season.

Steele is a bit more interesting. He is a redshirt senior who missed all of last season with a knee injury and really wanted to just get his name out there. He even worked out for the Charlotte Bobcats this morning before filing the paperwork that took his name out of the draft.

Now Alabama is waiting on work from Richard Hendrix, a junior forward, and his intentions. He, like Steele, has not signed with an agent and has until 5 p.m. ET today to pull his name out of the draft.

Zags' Pargo, Bama's Steele Both Take Names Out of NBA Draft originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEC Tournament Interrupted by Tornado

Ryan Ferguson — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 22:09:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama Basketball, SEC Basketball, Mississippi State Basketball

Weather delay? For a basketball game?

Yes. In the midst of the SEC Tournament quarterfinals -- Alabama and Mississippi State are in overtime -- a loud, piercing wind ripped through the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, the lightweight roof structure visibly rippled, and the support scaffolding for the central scoreboard began to sway.

Whistles blew. Players look up.

Debris fell onto the floor. And people began to clear the stands.

We're being told now on Sun Sports in the southeast region that play is expected to resume shortly now that Georgia Dome officials have completed an inspection and deemed the building structurally sound.

This has to be a first, right? An indoor sporting event delayed due to severe weather? Crazy.

SEC Tournament Interrupted by Tornado originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 14 Mar 2008 22:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEC Dunk 'o the Week: Senario Hillman

Ryan Ferguson — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:39:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama Basketball, Tennessee Basketball, SEC Basketball

Check out the positively sick hops on 6' 1" -- yes, you read that right, six-foot, one freakin' inch -- Senario Hillman.

Hillman's high-flying dunk wasn't enough to spur Alabama on to victory over the 7th-ranked Tennessee Vols, but it was enough to bring the house down. Senario's vertical is 42 inches... that's Michael Jordan territory.

SEC Dunk 'o the Week: Senario Hillman originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:39:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tennessee is Vulnerable

Ryan Ferguson — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 08:56:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama Basketball, Tennessee Basketball, SEC Basketball

The 1-4 Alabama Crimson Tide took the 7th-ranked Volunteers down to the wire in Tuscaloosa. As we all know by now, however, Bama can't win close games, and added another home loss to their conference record which now sits at 1-5. (Final was 93-86 although it was a 2-point game with 1:44 remaining.)

Many aspects of the game were ugly, the most obvious of which was the butterfingers display by both teams. Tennessee lost the handle 20 times, Alabama 23. And Alabama remains wretched at the charity stripe: they shot a miserable 59%.

If the Tide were even nominal in either category, the Vols would not have escaped Tuscaloosa with a win. Luckily, All-American Chris Lofton has finally heated up and is making the crazily-contested treys which made him famous.

What can the rest of Tennessee's opponents take from this game? The Vols are not, for now at least, any kind of conference juggernaut. They're still fast and deep, they still shoot well and their pressure defense is always hell to deal with, but they're a team that's not quite fundamentally sound just yet. Defensively, the Vols had no answer for Bama's Richard Hendrix, who was unstoppable in the paint with 20 points on 9-12 shooting and 12 rebounds. And Alonzo Gee was spectacular. He scored from everywhere on the court, logging 27 points.

The Vols weren't exactly money at the free throw line either, managing only 19-28, but they did sink the crucial shots down the stretch to preserve their small lead.

The Vols are still the SEC's best overall team -- for now -- but Mississippi State, Florida, and even Kentucky could challenge them for conference supremacy. These up-and-coming teams keep getting better, while Tennessee still seems to be looking for answers. This year's SEC race is gonna be an exciting one.

Tennessee is Vulnerable originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 30 Jan 2008 08:56:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEC Coaching Hotseats Start Heating Up

Ryan Ferguson — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 14:06:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama Basketball, LSU Basketball, South Carolina Basketball, SEC Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches

There's a feeling of finality about this season for certain coaches whose teams have long struggled in the conference. A feeling so pervasive that certain natives -- er, fans -- have begun dancing around the fire chanting and singing ceremonial tribal chants.

The hottest seat of them all was reserved for South Carolina's David Odom until he announced his retirement on Friday. Odom never had an SEC record better than 8-8 and was 37-61 against conference opponents.

Mark Gottfried, Alabama

The hottest seat at present has to be reserved for Alabama's Mark Gottfried. The Tide were once again picked in the preseason as one of the more talented teams in the league. With stars like Alonzo Gee, Richard Hendrix and Ronald Steele on the roster, Bama seemed like they could be poised to make a run for an SEC title. Unfortunately, Ronald Steele's knees are still getting the best of him and he's been forced to watch his teammates play from the bench. Despite losing Steele (again), the Tide are still talented enough to win plenty of games. Right? Wrong. Alabama is 11-7 overall and more importantly, 0-3 in the SEC. Even the most stolid of Bama hoops blogs, the Alabama Basketball blog, is starting to post questions about Coach Mark Gottfried's salary.

John Brady, LSU

Did John Brady's Tigers really play in the 2006 Final Four? It seems impossible to believe that a coach could be on the hotseat just two years later, but there's no question that Brady is roasting right now. After that magical 27-9 season which ended with a loss to UCLA, the Tigers seemed to spiral out of control. The lone highlight of the 2007 season was beating eventual national champion Florida, but a 17-15 overall and 5-11 conference record left the Tigers bereft of a postseason... as in, they weren't even invited by the NIT.

2008 might be worse. The Tigers are 7-10 to start things off and have logged 3 conference losses against zero wins. In pre-conference play they suffered an embarassing loss to Tulane, and scored a school-low 39 total points in their home conference opener against Mississippi State.

SEC Coaching Hotseats Start Heating Up originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 19 Jan 2008 14:06:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gators Surprise Everyone by Winning SEC Road Opener

Ryan Ferguson — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 02:25:00 EST

Filed under: Florida Basketball, Alabama Basketball, SEC Basketball

It's not that the two-time defending national champion Gators are bad. They're talented, but young and rather skinny. Oh, and despite a 13-2 record coming into tonight's game against the Crimson Tide, almost all of those 13 wins came against paycheck opponents. They lost convincingly to the two decent teams they've played: FSU and Ohio State.

So nobody, not even your resident FanHouse Gator, expected them to waltz into Tuscaloosa and beat a pretty decent Alabama team in their SEC opener. But that's what they did. Final: Gators 90, Tide 83.

The Gators trailed for the entire first half, finding themselves down by 10 points before freshman point guard Jai Lucas sank a trey at the buzzer, cutting the lead to 7. The Gators had allowed the Tide to score 47 points in twenty minutes. Unacceptable? Yes, but what can a young fella do when the hot hands of juniors Alonzo Gee and Richard Hendrix are pouring the points on? Apparently, Billy Donovan gave his team a tongue-lashing because they came out with renewed defensive intensity in the second half.

Despite that effort, they found themselves down by 10 points yet again thanks to a burst of scoring from the Tide, but the Gators managed to close the gap thanks to their prolific freshmen. G-F Nick Calathes had a banner night, scoring 21 points, grabbing 9 rebounds and dishing 7 assists. And supershorty Jai Lucas managed to score 19 points, including perfect shooting from the free throw line.

The win is even more remarkable when one considers that the Gators turned the ball over 17 times to the Tide's 11, and that sophomore center Marreese Speights fouled out of the game with only 6 points.

Now, no one's saying the defending champs are going to make a bunch of noise on the national stage, but they might just be surprisingly good in the Southeastern Conference, which is going through a bit of a down year. The Gators will have to find a way to get scores down into the 60-70 range unless they expect to shoot a sizzling 50.9% from the field (including 11-22 on 3-point attempts) every time they lace up their shoes.

As for Alabama, Gee and Hendrix combined for the vast majority of points -- 32 and 24 respectively -- although Hendrix's poor free throw shooting hurt the Tide down the stretch.

Florida actually worked their way up to a 10-point lead with 4:02 remaining, but Alabama closed within 3 before Florida started defending their lead at the charity stripe. The Tide had a final opportunity to win the game when Florida's Calathes missed a free throw -- the score at the time was 86-83 -- but UF forward Dan Werner got the rebound, was promptly fouled, and sank his freebies to salt the game away.

This could be an interesting year in the SEC. Stay tuned.

Gators Surprise Everyone by Winning SEC Road Opener originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 09 Jan 2008 02:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why Does ESPN Hate the SEC?

Charles Rich — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 10:17:00 EST

Filed under: Georgetown Basketball, Alabama Basketball, LSU Basketball, Villanova Basketball, West Virginia Basketball, South Carolina Basketball, Big East Basketball, SEC Basketball

If you blinked, you may have missed the inaugural Big East/SEC Invitational. It's really just a micro-conference challenge. Only 4 teams from each conference a year play (and it's mercifully only contracted to run for four years at this point). ESPN handled all aspects of the "Invitational," right down to getting Pizza Hut as the title sponsor. So, while they consulted with the conferences, they had a huge say in the teams selected.

The field was announced last year. The Big East had Georgetown, West Virginia, Villanova and Providence to face Alabama, Auburn, LSU and South Carolina of the SEC. Two of the Big East teams were in the NCAA last year and a third won the NIT. The four SEC teams were not even participants in the NIT. All four of the Big East participants were .500 or better in conference, while all four of the SEC teams were below the break-even point. Essentially, the SEC was set-up to fail.

Arguably, some of the decision-making was driven by the location of the neutral site games. Birmingham, Alabama was the location of the first night (the SEC home crowds), which explained the desire to include Alabama and Auburn -- even if Alabama and Auburn were picked to finish only 3d and 4th in the SEC West). Sending South Carolina and LSU to Philadelphia, however made little sense. LSU was selected to finish 5th in the SEC West and South Carolina 6th in the East in the preseason. Not exactly sending even the middle of the pack to make an appearance.

The conferences are committed to playing three more years, but the SEC cannot be thrilled with the way ESPN has started this. The Big East went 3-1 after LSU blew a big lead late in the game. That the SEC was able to win one game was a bit of a surprise. Putting the games on (semi-)neutral courts didn't help. The Wachovia Center in Philly was only half-filled for the hometown Villanova team and most skipped the earlier South Carolina-Providence game.

Really, neither conference could be thrilled with the way the first year went. The biggest problem, beyond simply the match-ups, was putting this thing on "neutral courts." This limited the interest, and given the match-ups hardly created any "buzz" (or even a ringing in the ears) at the sites for the games. This part falls on the conferences halfway approach. Since neither conference could bring themselves to commit to a full slate of games like the ACC/Big 10 or Big 12/Pac 10 challenges, there would be no chance for reciprocal home-away games for the participants. This necessitated neutral sites to split the gate.

At the very least, there has to be some hope that next year ESPN will at least look at the match-ups. More likely, they will stick a game in New Jersey and Mississippi and foist Rutgers and Seton Hall on one side with Mississippi State and Ole Miss on the other. Can't wait.

Why Does ESPN Hate the SEC? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 08 Dec 2007 10:17:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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