NCAA Basketball FanHouse

Sendek Begins Life After Harden

Gary Washburn — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona State, Pac-10, NBA Prospects

Arizona State coach Herb Sendek knew the James Harden era in Tempe would last a maximum of two years. Harden returned to school after a sparkling freshman season and exceeded that first year, leading the Sun Devils to their first NCAA tournament appearance in six years and earning first-team All America honors. Now Harden is gone along with gifted senior forward Jeff Pendergraph, leaving Sendek with a major challenge heading into next season.

A five-man recruiting class along with the return of improving point guard Derek Glasser should keep ASU competitive but remaining in the Pac-10's first division won't be easy.

"We're working on that right now, it will continue to evolve for us," Sendek told FanHouse. "Some of those questions will best be answered once we're practicing, to see how guys play together. We will have a better understanding of their strengths, areas of improvement and I think that will evolve for us next year as we move forward. At this time it's hard to pinpoint precisely how all those things are going to come together. I do think we're going to have to rely on that (class for immediate contribution and I think it's a step toward improving our depth, something that was an issue for us at times last year."

Sendek admitted the Sun Devils will rely heavily on their recruiting class, headed by shooting guard Demetrius Walker, perhaps the heir apparent to Harden, and combo forward Victor Rudd. Sendek promised not to put any additional pressure on his freshmen or expect a Harden-type first season. Arizona State will be a team that lacks star power initially but may prove to be a formidable opponent by season's end.

The loss of Harden, a projected top-five pick, and Pendergraph, likely a second rounder, robs Sendek of 34 points and nearly 14 rebounds per game. Glasser emerged as one of the conference's top point guards as his junior season progressed while sophomore sharpshooter Rihards Kuksiks will have an expanded role. Sendek is excited about the task of continuing the growth of Arizona State basketball.

"I don't think we are going to ask any one player to be James or Jeff for that matter," he said. "Once again I think our team is going to have a very different look. We have different personnel, guys that we are going to try to integrate into our system. We're not looking at it as one-for-one proposition. I think we're looking at a much more holistically. We're looking at it from a team standpoint and I think we'll be different. It is a big [recruiting] class and there will be a learning curve. Every year we welcome new guys, exciting freshman into the league into college basketball and that's one of the things that stirs interest and it help keeps it exciting."

Latest College Basketball Images

Crew members for NASCAR driver Joey Logano (20) right, wait to be fueled as rain falls at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., before the day begins for qualifying for the NASCAR Pocono 500 auto race, Friday, June 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Russ Hamilton, Sr.)

Crews push cars for NASCAR driver David Ruetimann (00), left, and Kasey Kahne (9), right, to be fueled as rain falls at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., Friday, June 5, 2009. The Pocono 500 is scheduled for Saturday. (AP Photo/Russ Hamilton, Sr.)

Baltimore Orioles' Aubrey Huff slides back to third base late as he is caught leading off by the Seattle Mariners' Rob Johnson in the sixth inning of a baseball game in Seattle, Wednesday, June 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Kevin P. Casey)

Baltimore Orioles manager Dave Trembley (47) argues with home plate umpire Tony Randazzo after a ball hit by Orioles' Aubrey Huff was originally called a home run, then reviewed and called a foul in the first inning of a baseball game in Seattle, Wednesday, June 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Kevin P. Casey)

Seattle Mariners' Ichiro Suzuki, of Japan, singles in the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles, extending his hitting streak to 27 games, during a baseball game in Seattle on Wednesday, June 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Kevin P. Casey)

Pall bearers prepare to unload the casket of Wayman Tisdale during his funeral, Thursday, May 21, 2009, in Tulsa, Okla. The former University of Oklahoma basketball star and popular jazz musician died last week after a long battle with cancer. He was 44. (AP Photo/Tom Gilbert)

The hearse carrying the casket of Wayman Tisdale moves through Tulsa, Thursday, May 21, 2009, in Tulsa, Okla. The former University of Oklahoma basketball star and popular jazz musician died last week after a long battle with cancer. He was 44. (AP Photo/Shane Bevel)

John Wall, flanked by his sister Tonya Pulley and Dr. Frank Summerfield, formally announced during a press conference on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, that he would attend the University of Kentucky next fall to play basketball. (Ethan Hyman/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)

MCT

John Wall formally announced during a press conference on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, that he would attend the University of Kentucky next fall to play basketball. (Ethan Hyman/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)

MCT

Sendek Begins Life After Harden originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

After Defections, Cal, Washington Are Pac-10 Favorites

Gary Washburn — Sat, 16 May 2009 21:15:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State, Pac-10, NBA Prospects, Oregon State

The upheaval at USC and constant defections at UCLA may have sent conference supremacy north.

The NBA draft's early entries have one month to return to school (June 15), but it doesn't appear any of the Pac-10 entries are coming back. Six underclassmen -- USC's DeMar DeRozan and Taj Gibson, UCLA's Jrue Holiday, the Arizona duo of Jordan Hill and Chase Budinger and Arizona State's James Harden -- will participate in the draft combine beginning May 28 in Chicago, and none are likely to return to their schools. Even Holiday, a projected late first-rounder, is reportedly close to hiring an agent and remaining in the draft.

UCLA also loses All-America point guard Darren Collison and key scorer Josh Shipp, leaving the Bruins young, raw and virtually unproven. The Trojans, meanwhile, who made an improbable run to the NCAA Tournament by winning the Pac-10 tournament, could be gutted with Daniel Hackett likely headed for Italy, top recruit Renardo Sidney bolting for Mississippi State and the program under major scrutiny regarding allegations of payments to representatives for former guard O.J. Mayo. Coach Tim Floyd, if he remains at USC, will be in another major rebuilding mode in Los Angeles.

Such ruin in Southern California and major defections with the Arizona schools leaves the two most stable programs in Washington and California. The Huskies lose all-time rebounder Jon Brockman and solid guard Justin Dentmon, but coach Lorenzo Romar will depend on freshman talent along with Pac-10 Freshman of the Year Isaiah Thomas, improving Quincy Pondexter, who sparkled toward season's end, and defensive ace Venoy Overton.

Romar, always a master recruiter, was able to get Tacoma, Wash., guard Abdul Gabby, who is expected to join Thomas in the backcourt. Bruising juco forward Charles Garcia and freshman Clarence Trent will make the Huskies perhaps the deepest team on the West Coast.

California returns four of the five starters that stunned the conference by winning 22 games and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. Gifted but enigmatic swingman Patrick Christopher decided to return to school for his senior season while speedy guard Jerome Randle and redshirt senior Theo Robertson give the Bears a chance to compete for the conference title.

And there will be some noise heard from the Oregon schools with Ernie Kent's job essentially at stake this season and the Ducks coming off an awful 2-16 conference record. Craig Robinson brought home a CBI title -- College Basketball Invitational for those non-diehards -- to Oregon State in his first season and the Beavers return their top four scorers.

After Defections, Cal, Washington Are Pac-10 Favorites originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 16 May 2009 21:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Women's Hoops Gets Serious in Pac-10

Gary Washburn — Thu, 07 May 2009 15:43:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State, Pac-10, Coaches, Oregon State

Stanford has ruled the Pac-10 Women's basketball landscape for the past 20 years, and California and Arizona State have recently emerged to make the conference a three-team scramble for supremacy. But two recent hires by Oregon and USC have made it apparent that women's basketball is indeed becoming a higher priority on the West Coast.

Oregon shocked the women's basketball community by hiring former NBA championship coach Paul Westhead to replace the fired Bev Smith. Westhead was fired along with P.J. Carlesimo from the Oklahoma City Thunder in December, but he comes to Eugene, Ore., with a WNBA title from the Phoenix Mercury.

While Oregon has been a fruitful recruiting base for Stanford and other national powers, the Ducks have advanced to just one NCAA tournament since 2001. Westhead's fast-paced style should attract recruits and some much-needed attention to the program. Meanwhile, USC athletic director Mike Garrett nabbed five-time NBA champion Michael Cooper to lead the Trojans, who haven't been a national power since the days of Cheryl Miller and Cynthia Cooper.

"He has coached and played at the highest level and with the greatest players in the world," Garrett said after the announcement. "He'll be an excellent in-game coach, he'll do a great job preparing his teams and he'll wow the recruits. And I'll say this: we'll be a strong team defensively."

Cooper won two WNBA titles with the Los Angeles Sparks and will coach the Sparks this summer and take over the USC program in the fall. The hiring of Cooper away from the WNBA is a serious indication that Garrett wants the women's program to snatch some of the attention given to Stanford, which has reached two consecutive Final Fours and won at least a share of the past nine Pac-10 titles.

Women's basketball is getting increasing national attention and prestige but West Coast schools have ignored this trend. Stanford is the lone Pac-10 program to consistently compete with the powers -- UConn, Tennessee, Rutgers -- on the East. But if Cooper and Westhead have any say, that will change quickly.

Women's Hoops Gets Serious in Pac-10 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 07 May 2009 15:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Pac-10 Roundup: Arizona Teams Struggle, LA Teams Roll

Shane Bacon — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 09:48:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Pac-10, Oregon State

On a night when the University of Arizona honored famed coach Lute Olson during halftime, something became very clear as the ceremonial speeches ended and the basketball began. If the Wildcats want to continue their NCAA streak of 25 consecutive tournament appearances, they would need more than an uplifting video (it got dusty in my apartment) and the memory of a coach that has been through a lot the last two years. The Wildcats need a W.

It wasn't happening, as Jerome Randle absolutely murdered the 'Cats in the second half, helping California (22-8, 11-6) improve to third in the Pac-10 with the 83-77 win and put the Wildcats in another uncomfortable position similar to last season -- leaving their March Madness dreams up to chance.

Arizona's Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill did all they could do to keep their team in the game, combining for 52 fo the Wildcat's 77 points, but Randle was absolutely molten from outside, hitting 8-of-11 threes, all coming when the momentum looked to be shifting.

Now, the Wildcats (18-12, 8-9) have to beat Stanford on Saturday and possibly win their first Pac-10 Tournament game to have a chance at making the NCAA Tournament. That task probably seemed a lot more likely before Arizona went on a four-game losing streak, and Stanford didn't show themselves to be capable of taking down a talented Arizona State team on the road as they did on Thursday, 74-64.

In Tempe on Thursday, the Sun Devils were abysmal, going 0-for-6 to start the game and scoring their first basket with 11:50 left in the first half. This was the third-straight loss for an ASU team that looked to be securing a solid spot in the postseason picture before the trip last week to Washington. Now, the Sun Devils have California on Sunday to try and get some positive momentum going before they head to Los Angeles for the Pac-10s.

UCLA and USC both rolled over Oregon State and Oregon, respectively, on Thursday. The No. 17 Bruins are doing the opposite dance of the Arizona teams, carding their third-straight win and improving their tournament resume as the days roll by. The win also kept them in the hunt for a split of the Pac-10 crown, needing a win on Saturday against Oregon and a loss by Washington to Washington State.

Josh Shipp had a career-high 27 points for the Bruins, and DeMar DeRozan of Southern California had 19 in the Trojans' rout of the Ducks.

Pac-10 Roundup: Arizona Teams Struggle, LA Teams Roll originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 06 Mar 2009 09:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Ranking the Rankings: UConn Still No. 1*

Will Brinson — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, Butler, Connecticut, Duke, LSU, Oklahoma, UCLA, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Pac-10, Media Watch

Ranking the rankings criticizes the critics when the polls come out.

Headlining: The beauty of a Tuesday column, at least this season, is that whoever ends up No. 1 can do so with an asterisk based on Monday's games. (*In case you didn't know already, Pittsburgh beat Connecticut.) And it appears that next week, we'll likely have a new No. 1 team in the nation. That will likely be Blake Griffin and the Oklahoma Sooners. Which is fitting, considering Griffin dropped a rediculous 40-point, 23-rebound Valentine's Day stat line on Texas Tech Saturday night.

But for now, at least, UConn is still your No. 1 based on this week's rankings. And it's not like they don't deserve it either; yes, Hasheem Thabeet was outmanned by DeJuan Blair down low (from the start, no less), and yes, the Huskies missed Jerome Dyson, but they're still a top-five squad despite losing on their home court Monday.

Freefallin': Duke (20-5). "Freefall" might be a stretch considering Duke is "only" at ninth overall. But they've lost four of six overall and the only two wins were over Virginia (unimpressive) and Miami (a textbook squeaker). The Blue Devils have serious issues right now, particularly with their point guard and post play, and unfortunately, those are two pretty important aspects of basketball. The home stretch, featuring North Carolina, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech and Florida State, isn't pretty either. Butler (22-3). Here's a hint, mid-majors: Don't lose. The Bulldogs, a very talented and dangerous, albeit young, team, coughed up a single game to Loyola-Chicago and nearly got booted from the top 25. Presuming Stephen Curry can play this Saturday, they'll have a chance for redemption at Davidson. Matt Howard, by the way, is very much for real. UCLA (19-6). It's a pretty simple formula, really. Lose twice in a week after having your value inflated (sixth in the Coaches' Poll!) and you'll hurt yourself moving down the poll the next week.

You Gotta Rise Up: Arizona State (20-5). Just another 20-game winner plus a trip to the NCAA for Herb Sendek, eh? The Sun Devils rode a four-game winning streak, including a home victory over UCLA for a season sweep of the Bruins, all the way up to 11th in the coaches' Poll (14th in the AP). LSU (21-4). Clearly, the Tigers felt that the SEC was under performing and needed someone to rep the conference in the polls. That, and they ripped off six straight wins (and nine of their last 10); granted, every single one of those wins is in-conference, so the whole "grain of salt" thing applies, but that doesn't make a tiny taste of cream rising above sour milk any less impressive. Back-to-backs against Florida and at Kentucky might even come after they've locked up an SEC West title and an NCA tourney bid.

Hyped: Duke, clearly, right? The Devils aren't "bad" per se, but right now, I'm extremely confident that they are not the ninth best team in the nation. Sure, college basketball is rife with parity and the ACC is most likely the best conference in the nation (the Big East, obviously, would disagree) but if you're a top-10 team in the nation, you're not coughing up four of six games. The Clemson game -- an absolute embarrassment -- stands out more than anything.

Bunked: Arizona, despite winning seven straight games -- in-conference no less! -- isn't pulling much love from the pollsters. And sure, maybe they aren't a legit top-25 team (sorry, Bacon) at this exact moment, if we're going to reward Syracuse for losing seven games, I see no reason why the Wildcats can't get some love with eight. Missouri is ranked 11th in the AP poll, and while that might seem generous even following a huge come from behind win over Kansas and a throttling of Nebraska, I think they're better than that. Certainly better than Duke and Wake Forest, no?

WTF? Why are there only 500 some names on the Pollspeak petition to force all college voting polls into the public? There should be five million. Do your country a favor and sign that sucker electronically so we can make sure the integrity of our college athletics aren't being compromised. Or, "more compromised than they already are by the BCS."

People Who Vote Are Smart (Brought to You by Pollspeak.com): Michael Vega was the pretty clear winner in "insane voter of the week" for the past seven days. While I don't necessarily disagree with all of the points he appears to be making with his ballot, there are still some, ahem, irregularities. For instance, Duke is 25th. Even I won't agree with that. Additionally, Butler is sixth. Not doable following a loss to Loyola. He has Dayton at seventh, while Louisville clocks in at a lowly 17. Additionally, Arizona State is unranked. LSU sits at 13. And even Connecticut was number two (regardless if that turned out to be correct, it's indicative). All told, six of his teams are higher in the polls than anyone else, with another six checking in lower than anyone else. It's like someone handed Jeff Goldblum (the Jurassic Park version) a ballot and some sort of chaos theory erupted, only with less non-pertinent lines of thinking.

Ranking the Rankings: UConn Still No. 1* originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Tim Floyd Wants Obama to Change 'Freedom of Speech' for NCAA Coaches

Will Brinson — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona State, USC, Pac-10, Coaches, Media Watch, Video

Tim Floyd obviously wasn't very happy with a particular call in USC's loss to Arizona State the other night. He was so angry, in fact, that he stormed on the court leading ASU's Jeff Pendergraph to say he thought Floyd "... was going to punch the ref." After the fact, Floyd bemoaned the officiating and his inability to discuss said officiating, stating at the end of the following video that, "We don't have freedom of speech as coaches ... I can't discuss it ... Maybe [Barack] Obama will change that rule ... and we can talk." Well played, Coach Floyd. Well played.

Tim Floyd Wants Obama to Change 'Freedom of Speech' for NCAA Coaches originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Video: Tim Floyd Is Quite Angry

Will Brinson — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona State, USC, Pac-10, Coaches, Video

Tim Floyd didn't have a good Valentine's Day weekend: it was sandwiched by losses at Arizona and Arizona State and he had to watch as his Trojans started slipping to the ever-so-dangerous bubble territory. Oh yeah, and he wigged out on the referees in the ASU game. Enjoy.

Via E at the Dagger

Video: Tim Floyd Is Quite Angry originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Onion Peels: Duke, Carolina Have Similar Sunday Games, Different Endings

Will Brinson — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona State, Boston College, Butler, Davidson, Duke, Illinois, Indiana, UNC, USC, Virginia, University of Miami, North Carolina

Onion Peels is a recap of last night's action and an unofficial Bill Raftery blog.

Duke and North Carolina were separated by a single game in the ACC standings heading into Sunday; little did Duke know it, but they nearly had a chance to tie the Tar Heels again. However, games against Boston College and Miami, respectively, ended the wrong way for the Devils.

Boston College 80, Duke 74: The same problems that have plagued the Blue Devils all season -- point guard play as well as lack of an inside presence -- came into play again Sunday afternoon.

Another problem, the ability to close teams out, was acknowledged by Gerald Henderson after the game:

"You can't mess around. If you have a team down you have to step on their throats," Henderson said. "That's been a problem with us this year - we haven't approached leads like that, so we need to change that."

Of course, the bigger problem again is at the point position. Greg Paulus played a whopping 25 minutes but only registered two points, two assists and dealing with four fouls. Additionally, Tyrese Rice was nearly unstoppable, hitting big shot after big shot down the stretch en route to 21 points, six boards and six assists. Joe Trapani, held to just five points in a loss to Clemson, posted 20 in 37 minutes while adding five blocks and seven boards.

North Carolina 69, Miami 65: The fact that Miami was 14-0 this season when holding opponents under 70 points didn't seem to bother the Tar Heels, even though Jack McClinton, with 35 points last night, was a pretty big thorn. In the end though, it was Ty Lawson who again looked like Carolina's MVP and -- despite being sick -- managed to score 21 points while dropping what amounted to the game winning three pointer with just over 10 seconds remaining. Miami's a dangerous team, obviously, but the Tar Heels holding on gave them a two game ACC lead and seemingly, based on their remaining schedule, locked sights on this year's conference title.

Elsewhere: Arizona State, behind Jeff Pendergraph's double-double, helped kick Southern Cal a little further off the bubble. Virginia managed to really honor Sean Singletary, upsetting No. 12 Clemson at home. Nationally ranked Butler stumbled for the second time in two weeks, despite Matt Howard's 30 points, as they head into a February 21 matchup with Davidson, this time to Loyola-Chicago and Jordan Hicks, who poured in 23 for Loyola. Illinois took care of Indiana by double figures in a game that should really be more important.

Onion Peels: Duke, Carolina Have Similar Sunday Games, Different Endings originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Southern California Square on Bubble As Floyd Blows His Stack

Adam Papagiorgio — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 03:10:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona State, USC, Pac-10

One one hand, you can't blame Southern California coach Tim Floyd for losing his mind in the closing minutes of his team's loss at No. 18 Arizona State, 65-53. The Pac-10 has had some trouble with officiating recently, so Floyd's frustration is somewhat understandable.

But come on coach, you have to show a little bit of composure. The Trojans have lost three consecutive games and are clearly on the bubble for the tournament. Your team has look unorganized and undisciplined at times. This certainly isn't going to help your team's reputation. One technical to fire up your team is one thing, but getting tossed from the game? That illustrates that you are slowly losing control of your team and the season.

Not that USC doesn't have other troubles.

Like cross-town rival, UCLA, the Trojans are lacking many quality wins -- save one home win over the Sun Devils a few weeks ago. USC is currently No. 45 on real-time RPI, but I would put them below Mountain West teams San Diego State and UNLV at this point who are down the list. The Aztecs have one quality win over Utah, but have won five of their last six games. The Rebels won at Louisville and at BYU, along with a home win over Arizona. And you have to figure that the Mountain West and the Pac-10 will be competing for spots.

But unless Floyd and the Trojans can stop gripping, USC is likely looking at the NIT.

Southern California Square on Bubble As Floyd Blows His Stack originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 03:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

UCLA Not Underrated at All

Adam Papagiorgio — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 09:04:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State, Pac-10, Oregon State

This is never why you listen to the stat heads. They will let you down. Just when you start to doubt UCLA, the Bruins go on a huge winning streak with impressive wins. And just when you completely buy in and believe that UCLA has turned the corner, the Bruins lose on the road at Arizona State, 74-67.

Are we ever going to get an accurate read on this team or are we doomed to be on the back end of a trend?

Probably the latter.

Now, let's not sell No. 18 Arizona State short here. It is a very good basketball team (though, its fans should act like it and not rush the court) and already has a win at Pauley Pavilion. So this shouldn't have been a huge surprise, even though it sure feels like one. The Bruins had looked so good recently, I thought this was going to be a blowout. Factor in a home loss to the Sun Devils and this spelled revenge game.

Arizona State was ready. The Sun Devils were a dog at home (tough for a ranked team) and they played like they took that personally. The defense was great, and James Harden relishes playing against his hometown team. The Devils don't need to worry about the bubble any longer.

Now, you have to question UCLA, which still has not beaten a Top 25 opponent. The projected No. 5 seed seems pretty fair right now, and the Bruins don't seem underrated at all. And all of you college basketball fans know too well that No. 5 is the most dreaded seed in the tournament (outside of No. 16, of course). After a remarkable run of Final Four appearances, could UCLA be looking at a first-round knock this season?

Bruins fans had better hope I'm picking that way.

In other Pac-10 action:

Arizona 83, USC 76: The Wildcats are going to end up making it to the tournament. The streak is going to live. But if Arizona goes to the tournament, is that enough to get Russ Pennell the full-time gig? Wildcats fans will say no, but I think he will get the nod.

Washington State 67, Oregon 38: Ducks fans should prepare themselves for taunts of "Hang Time" in the near future. If Oregon hasn't called Reggie Theus yet, what is it waiting for? Theus is the best possible coaching candidate out there. The Ducks should pull the plug on Ernie Kent right now. This is just sad. Look for Oregon to take its name off the jersey again. And who could blame them?

Washington 79, Oregon State 60: The Huskies really needed this state of Oregon sweep. Oh sorry, was that me already giving Washington Saturday's game against Oregon? Well, really, you can hardly blame me.

UCLA Not Underrated at All originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 09:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Is UCLA Underrated?

Adam Papagiorgio — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:55:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona State, UCLA, Pac-10

Is UCLA underrated? The words kind of jump off the page. Like the words don't go together. That would be akin to asking, is Alex Rodriguez an honest guy? Does Mike Patrick hate Duke? The words, they just don't match.

The fine gentlemen at Basketball Prospectus (via Mark Whicker's excellent blog on the Orange County Register site) would beg to differ. John Gasaway says that the Bruins are highly underrated and Joe Lunadri's Bracketology is highly laughable.

Oh, really?

If the Bruins want to prove that they are underrated, then they certainly have a great chance to prove it this weekend as they travel to the desert.

First off, and Gasaway admits this, the Bruins are projected a No. 5 seed because a loss to Michigan doesn't look so hot. But he points out that UCLA has one of the best offenses in recent years based on points per possession. The Bruins average 1.16 points per possession this season, which ranks ahead of last year's mark at this time, and is third in the nation.

View that with a critical eye though.

The stat geeks can pour out all of the numbers they like, but wins are what matters right now. Where was this points per possession average when UCLA was gagging an 11-point lead at home to Arizona State last month? Those final possessions at the end of the game and overtime where horrific. Everybody remembers the pass, pass, pass, pass and awkward shot combo during the closing minutes. There were actually no points per possession.

Latest College Basketball Photos

North Carolina State's Dennis Horner, back, pulls in a rebound over Wake Forest's Tony Woods during the first half at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, Wednesday, Feburary 12, 2009. (Ethan Hyman/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)

MCT

North Carolina State's Tracy Smith goes for two while defended by Wake Forest's Chas McFarland and Tony Woods, right, during the first half at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, Wednesday, Feburary 12, 2009. Despite the contact, no foul was called on the play. (Ethan Hyman/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)

MCT

Duke guard Nolan Smith (2) tries to get inside the North Carolina forward Tyler Hansbrough (50) and Ty Lawson (5) during second half action at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, Wednesday, February 11, 2009. UNC defeated Duke, 101-87. (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)

MCT

University of North Carolina fans celebrate in Chapel Hill,N.C., after North Carolina defeated Duke on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009. It was the first of two regular season matchups between the rival schools. (AP Photo/JASON ARTHURS /The News and OIbserver)

University of North Carolina fans celebrate in Chapel Hill, N.C., after North Carolina defeated Duke on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009. It was the first of two regular season matchups between the rival schools.(AP Photo/JASON ARTHURS/News and Observer)

Utah guard Lawrence Borha breaks for the basket past San Diego State forward Kyle Spain during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009, in Salt Lake City. Utah defeated San Diego 67 - 55 (AP Photo/Kenny Crookston)

San Diego State forward Billy White (32) takes a shot over Utah center Luke Nevill (50) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009, in Salt Lake City. Utah defeated San Diego 67-55. (AP Photo/Kenny Crookston)

San Diego State forward Kyle Spain, right, drives to the basket past Utah forward Shaun Green during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009, in Salt Lake City. Utah defeated San Diego 67-55. (AP Photo/Kenny Crookston)

San Diego State forward Ryan Amoroso (43) is fouled by Utah forward Shaun Green (21) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Utah defeated San Diego 67-55. (AP Photo/Kenny Crookston)

Duke's Gerald Henderson (15) splits the North Carolina defense of Ty Lawson (5) and Danny Green (14) during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, Wednesday, February 11, 2009. UNC defeated Duke, 101-87. (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)

MCT

But this is a different Bruins team right now. UCLA isn't just beating opponents, they're crushing them. Is this a true turnaround for the Bruins? They can prove it tonight against the stingy Sun Devils defense. Arizona State is second in the Pac-10 in points-per-game defense, allowing 58 points per game. (And they're 27th in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency, for the Pomeroys in the crowd.)

The Bruins have shown more aggressiveness in recent games, getting to the basket, instead of allowing other teams to dictate tempo. The Bruins shot only eight free throws against the Sun Devils in the first meeting. UCLA went to the line 31 times against USC, and 18 times against Notre Dame (while holding the Irish to only 10 foul shots).

UCLA has certainly turned a corner. And while that statistical mumbo-jumbo freaks me out, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to see that the Bruins are a much better team than they were a month ago. Don't be surprised to see UCLA win this one going away.

Is UCLA Underrated? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Is Arizona State on the Bubble?

Adam Papagiorgio — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:05:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, Pac-10

Arizona State was swept by the Washington schools over the weekend, and now fans in Tempe might be growing concerned that Herb Sendek's bunch is close to being on the bubble. But let's not push the panic button just yet.

In the latest Bracketology, Arizona State is a No. 8 seed, the lowest seeded team of any of the Pac-10 schools. And that's kind of a surprise. Cal is a No. 7 seed despite losing four of its last five games. In fact, the Golden Bears lone win during that stretch is over Oregon (more on them in a second).

Joe Lunardi has Baylor, St. Mary's, BYU and Penn State as his last four teams in the tournament. So that should show that the Sun Devils are safe. For now.

Arizona State has a troubling pattern of losing that Thursday game, then ratcheting up the intensity for that marquee Saturday game. That worked when ASU won at UCLA. Didn't work out so well against Washington.

So the Sun Devils aren't a bubble team right now, but they must improve their consistency.

Other notes around the Pac-10.

If the Reggie Theus watch hasn't started in Oregon, it should. Ernie Kent has been the Ducks coach for so long, he will likely get the entire season to try to turn this thing around. But Oregon (and Nike) shouldn't wait too long to pull the trigger. Arizona might figure into the mix here at well.

Arizona swept the Washington schools. Wildcats fans are going to be looking for a big-name coach in the offseason. But if Russ Pennell gets this team to the tournament, can you get rid of him? Decisions. And ask yourself, which is going to be the more attractive job? Arizona or Oregon? Arizona has the history, but Oregon is going to have the money.

UCLA looked more aggressive this weekend, and if they continue to play like that, they can do some damage.

Is Arizona State on the Bubble? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

No Worries About UCLA

Adam Papagiorgio — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 02:04:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State, Pac-10

UCLA doesn't care much about second place. That was evident on Thursday night as the UCLA put away Cal, 81-66. If Cal thought it smelled blood in the water, Thursday's game was nothing but a clever ambush by the Bruins.

UCLA played like a desperate team trying to send a message. The passive, eight-pass and settle for a horrible shot offense was flushed. Darren Collison was driving to the basket, drawing fouls and converting free throws to finish with 18 points. In fact, UCLA shot 91 percent from the line. The Bruins played defense like a Ben Howland team, forcing 16 turnovers. In short, it was the kind of dominating performance that fans in Westwood have come accustomed to.

UCLA not only crushed its NorCal rival, but also sent a message to the rest of the conference that they were still a the alpha male of the conference. The Bruins also moved into their rightful place -- that being first -- after Washington lost at Arizona. (Somebody must have been looking ahead, right?) Seems silly that a team like UCLA would need a conference win in January, but the freshman really did. Guys like Jrue Holliday, who had 13 points, needed to step up.

The leading question now is if UCLA can match the intensity against Stanford on Saturday.

Washington State 65, No. 14 Arizona State 55: The Huskies weren't the only team looking ahead for showdown Saturday. The Sun Devils didn't have an answer for Klay Thompson who was 8-of-10 from 3-point range. That's just being lazy on defense. Expect ASU to rally and at least try on Saturday. That's a pattern that the team has followed last week when ASU lost to USC on a Thursday, but followed that up with a win at Pauley Pavilion the following Saturday.

USC 70, Stanford 69: The Trojans are lurking. Saturday's game provides an interesting crossroads for USC and Cal. The Golden Bears need to salvage at least a split to remain in the hunt for the Pac-10 title. And a sweep would really benefit the Trojans who have kind of lurked just below the top of the conference. Which coach will have his team better prepared?

No Worries About UCLA originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 30 Jan 2009 02:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Is the Pac-10 Smelling Blood?

Adam Papagiorgio — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 01:53:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona State, California, Stanford, UCLA, Washington, Pac-10

This wasn't the way the season was supposed to go for the Bruins. Despite losing a bevy of talent, UCLA was still expected to stand tall. The Bruins don't rebuild, they reload. The freshman class led by Jrue Holiday was supposed to be Ben Howland's best yet and the team was supposed to look forward to a fourth consecutive Final Four.

But it hasn't worked out that way.

The Bruins are 15-4, 5-2 in the Pac-10 and ranked No. 17 in the country. That's a good year. If you are Oregon State, or one of the other teams in the Pac-10. But this is UCLA. A place where only championship banners hang from the rafters. Something, however, is way worse for UCLA. Something nobody in Westwood is comfortable talking about.

The Bruins are mortal.

The Bruins have been like that bully over the past couple of years. The tough guy standing in the corner that nobody wanted a piece of. Now, teams not only want a piece of the Bruins, they are relishing the chance. The Bruins are being challenged in what was supposed to be a down year in the conference. Washington took them apart in Seattle. Arizona State embarrassed the Bruins at Pauley Pavilion.

Right there on the Nell and John Wooden Court, the Sun Devils exploited the Bruins, like UCLA had done to so many over matched opponents in the past.

Part of the reason is the departure of Kevin Love, who toils in obscurity in the NBA. UCLA no longer has that inside presence or that ability to pound the ball down low. The Bruins used to live at the free-throw line. Now they have a bunch of jump shooters who don't draw fouls. Not the way Love did. Nikola Dragovic is a nice player, but he's one of those European players who seems to avoid contact.

At this point, Darren Collison might be wondering why he didn't go to the NBA. (Not that he had much of a choice.)

There is still hope for the Bruins. They have a chance to reassert themselves as they play host to Cal and Stanford this weekend. Cal has been playing very well under coach Mike Montgomery, and it also possesses the same propensity to shoot the three-ball, which could work in UCLA's favor.

And the Bruins need it, too.

No. 23 Washington will play host to No. 14 Arizona State on Thursday. Raise your hands if you thought that this was going to be for the lead in the Pac-10 at this juncture of the season. Liar.

Both teams have beaten the Bruins -- as mentioned -- and could take control of the conference. To be honest, nobody is going to run away with the league crown. But Washington and Arizona State are feeling UCLA's vulnerability and can only can confidence with a victory. A sweep by either school would be monumental.

UCLA needs to make a stand against the Bay Area schools to keep pace. Worse than losing ground in the standings is losing presence in the conference. The Bruins need to make a good showing this weekend.

Is the Pac-10 Smelling Blood? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 01:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Ranking the Rankings: Duke's No. 1

Will Brinson — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona State, Clemson, Duke, Florida, Georgetown, Gonzaga, Kentucky, Louisville, Marquette, NC State, Notre Dame, Syracuse, UCLA, UNC, USC, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Conference USA, Mid-Majors, SEC, Coaches, Fans, Media Watch

Ranking the rankings criticizes the critics as soon as the polls come out.

Headlining: It's obvious, right? Duke tops both polls for the first time since the end of the 2005-06 regular season and we're all ~~depressed~~ ecstatic! I want to say that it's hard to like this Blue Devil team, but when is it easy to like Duke? (Answer: When you're a Duke fan. Or when the Blue Devils are playing Carolina.) That being said, the 2008-09 incarnation isn't nearly as hate-able as previous teams.

Gerald Henderson is a freakish athlete who tries hard, Kyle Singler and Jon Scheyer embody a certain Durham stereotype, but at least they're not Chris Collins and Wojo, and Greg Paulus has been relegated to a supporting role and has yet to play more than 24 minutes a game.

The antipodal proposition alone should be worth a slightly less odoriferous and palatable annoyance. (Yes, I'm pretending that I graduated from Duke and write for Slate.) Of course, there's still the matter of butting heads with the previous top team, Wake Forest, Wednesday, but for now: Everyone respects Duke.

Freefallin': Georgetown (12/14 to 25/23), Syracuse (8/8 to 15/15) and Notre Dame (19/19 to UR/22). In fairness to all three teams, the Big East is really good. And in fairness to the pollsters, this group of teams combined to lose five games (the Irish lost that Saturday prime timer as their only game of the week en route to three straight losses; coughing one up to Marquette Monday won't help their case either) last week, so it's not that shocking. The Big East teams are certainly going to beat up on each other all season long and they'll fluctuate; anything other than the same from the top tier ACC teams would be surprising as well.

You Gotta Rise Up: Kentucky (UR/UR to 24/UR), UCLA (17/16 to 13/11). It's never a total shock when two big name programs -- Louisville could apply here too, I suppose, just based on the relative inaction of the top 10 -- win a couple of games and start vaulting higher. In Kentucky's case, it's Jodie Meeks helping to propel the Wildcats back into the rankings for the first time since November ... 2007. It wouldn't seem that long if it wasn't Kentucky we're talking about, but the Wildcats are held to a higher standard. Presuming they can beat both Mississippi and South Carolina this week, it's safe to say you'll see them ranked in both polls next week.

Hyped: Clemson (12/11). Yes, the Tigers only have two losses, but they're still in the top 15. And while I don't necessarily know that the Tigers are en route toward a total and utter meltdown, I certainly won't vouch that they aren't, either. They've got games against Virginia Tech, Duke, Florida State and Boston College in their next four matchups. Two of those teams have beaten No. 1-ranked squads ... and they're the two inferior teams on the schedule. A win against Georgia Tech kind of righted the ship, but there's a distinct possibility that they could go 0-4 over that span.

Bunked: Arizona State (14/14). Call me a Herb Sendek homer if you want, and I won't care. I love the guy, and all he does is produce teams that go to the NCAA Tournament. His last five teams at N.C. State went to the Big Dance and It's not far-fetched to say that the Wolfpack would probably deal with an annual tourney bid right now. The Sun Devils are not a high-scoring bunch, and losses to USC and Cal aren't impressive, but James Harden is a baller and 22 points per game in Sendek's offense might be equal to 49 anywhere else.

WTF?: No one from the coaches' poll dropped. Like, literally no one. Florida is this -- makes pinching motion with index and thumb -- close to inching in, just one point shy of Gonzaga, and Utah State is right behind, but it's still really unusual to see a poll with no movement whatsoever.

People That Vote Are Smart: Ron Morris of The State in Columbia, S.C., takes the cake. He really thinks highly of Luke Harangody, so much so that he puts Notre Dame at No. 14 in his poll. Yes, the Irish are a talented team, but when he voted they had lost three straight, and they've dropped four straight now. It's kind of tough to bump a team from No. 14 to unranked in one week, but here it's arguably deserved. He also has UConn and North Carolina ahead of Duke.

Ranking the Rankings: Duke's No. 1 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 22:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Arizona State Now Owns Arizona

Adam Papagiorgio — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 01:55:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, Pac-10

The passing of the torch was merely a formality at this point, but it is finally complete. There is a new official basketball power in the Copper State and that is Arizona State. The Sun Devils signed the final deed to the state with a 53-47 win at the McHale Center.

Fitting this would happen in this sea of change in this country. America has a new president. The Cardinals are in the Super Bowl. And the Sun Devils are the best college basketball team in the Grand Canyon State. Makes sense to me.

The Wildcats had won 24 of the previous 27 meetings against the Sun Devils at the end of the 2007 season. But now ASU has won three consecutive games against Arizona, including consecutive wins in Tucson. If that doesn't spell the end, you haven't been playing attention.

And really, you have to wonder if it will ever switch back. Is this just going to be a momentary blip on the radar. There was a time when USC had some decent teams when UCLA hoops was struggling, but I'm not getting that feeling here. The basketball landscape has changed. Arizona has a new power.

Arizona fans believe that they are still a top program. But that desert sun can play tricks on your mind. You see, the Wildcats don't have a full-time coach yet, the recruits are leaving and Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill are likely gone after the year. Good luck with all of that.

The Devils, conversely, look like they are being built for the long haul under coach Herb Sendek. And back-to-back road wins at UCLA and at Arizona are further evidence of that.

Arizona State Now Owns Arizona originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 01:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

DeMar DeRozan Leads USC's Rally

Adam Papagiorgio — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 01:51:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, UCLA, USC, Pac-10

Everybody, it seems, has been waiting for that one breakout game for DeMar DeRozan. The freshman from Compton has been solid this year, and is USC's third leading scorer. There just hasn't been that performance to match his preseason buzz. Until now.

DeRozan scored 19 of his career high 22 points in the second half to lead USC past No. 16 Arizona State. The Trojans outscored the Sun Devils 42-23 in the second half. DeRozan's previous high had been 18 points which he scored against North Dakota State and Oral Roberts. But this performance was against a quality Pac-10 opponent and came at a time when USC desperately needed a win. This is what everybody had been waiting for.

Just a few days ago, I was lamenting that USC didn't have that killer instinct, or that guy who could take over a game for the Trojans. DeRozan can be that guy. There was a stretch where DeRozan scored five consecutive points to give USC a 10-point lead with close to 5 minutes left in the game. Included in that stretch was a 3-point shot which, I believe, was his first of the season.

The key now is for USC to build on this win. The Trojans play host to Arizona on Saturday in a battle of the uninspired. It will be interesting if USC will come out swinging, or if they put too much effort into this game and will come out flat.

And what's up with Arizona State? They have been lousy one the road this year. The one signature road win was at San Diego State. Were the Devils looking ahead to Saturday's game against the Bruins?

No. 8 UCLA had no trouble with Arizona, as you would have expected. Luke Walton was interviewed during the game and said that he anticipates the Arizona program being down for the next couple of years. Walton will immediately be expelled from the Arizona alumni association for not drinking the same fruit punch as the rest of the myopians.

DeMar DeRozan Leads USC's Rally originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 01:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

If You Were Skeptical About Cal, Don't Be

Adam Papagiorgio — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:25:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Washington, Washington State, Pac-10, Oregon State

Washington State certainly isn't the team it wa in the past. But you can't overlook the effort Cal showed in Pullman, Wash., Thursday night in a 57-50 win.The Cougars no longer have the superstars they once had, but they still play pretty good defense. Washington State held Bears star guard Jerome Randle to only eight points, well below from his 20-points-per-game average.

Yet, Cal didn't fold.

Instead, other players stepped up. Patrick Christopher scored 22 points, and was 4-of-6 from 3-point range. This is the kind of team effort you can expect from a team coached by Mike Montgomery. This would have been a huge letdown game for Cal in the past. Especially after such a huge win against Arizona State. A trip to Pullman would have easily derailed the momentum of this team under the former regime.

In fact, you can reason that this game says more about Cal's character than its upset win over Arizona State. Look at what Boston College did after it beat No. 1 North Carolina -- it lost to Harvard. But the Bears didn't fold, instead putting up a great effort. This win is pretty impressive and Cal fans, go ahead and get excited about this team.

Some other games around the Pac-10 Thursday:

Washington 84, Stanford 83: The Cardinal, on the other hand, you can be very skeptical about. Stanford can't play Cal State Northridge every week, eh? Saturday's game at Washington State will be a big test for them. Washington has put together some nice wins, but they still need to beat a good team. Beating Stanford is a nice start. But they need to prove it against UCLA, Arizona State and -- can you believe it? -- Cal.

No. 20 Arizona State 69, Oregon State 38: The Sun Devils had no trouble bouncing back from their loss to Cal. And this was the game they were giving us on free television. What gives? And what's up with Oregon State? Are they packing it in after win its token Pac-10 game of the seasons? This makes USC look even worse.

Arizonan 67, Oregon 52: Did they play "Glory Days" during halftime? Congratulations Oregon, you are the bigger underachiever.

If You Were Skeptical About Cal, Don't Be originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Watching Tournament Hoops in an Empty Building is Kind of Cool

Adam Papagiorgio — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 02:45:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona State, ACC, Mid-Majors, St. Mary's (CA)

I had the opportunity to be one of just a few of the hundreds of people actually attending the 76 Classic held at the Anaheim Convention Center. Who can say "no" to a tournament when you can pick up a free ticket at a local 76 station. (True story.)

Plus, there is something interesting about sitting close enough to the bench to hear the coach cursing the players (and some times the fans ... again a true story). Not to mention all of the senior citizens who double as the security force. Let's just say that they aren't too strenuous when it comes to looking for contraband alcohol. Though, I swear at least of few of those dames probably hung out with Dean Martin and the rest of the Rat Pack. Besides, said security staff didn't mind where you sat, they just seemed happy that somebody was showing up. Like the event staff at a UC Riverside game.

Free, festival seating with a lax security staff, what more could you want?

Oh, and as an added bonus there was some excellent basketball played over the weekend.

Wake Forest is pretty good, but they had their moments. They were tested by Cal State during their first game on Thanksgiving, and UTEP took them to overtime. The Demon Deacons trailed early in the second half, but put Baylor away in the championship game.

Of course, the championship game would have been more compelling if Arizona State hadn't lost to Baylor on Friday. Typical Sun Devils, getting our hopes up only to let us down. And I for one was disappointed in the turnout by the ASU faithful. Some of the ASU coeds missed out on a perfect weekend of watching their team play basketball, followed by some test shoots at the Playboy mansion. Or do they only do that when they travel to town to play USC in football?

St. Mary's rallied from an opening-round loss to pound Cal State on Friday and then beat Providence. The Gaels looked really impressive in person, and probably have enough size to challenge Gonzaga. The highlight was all of the Australia fans who made the trip. Not just to the game. But the Aussies who made the "fun run" from the ACC to the Hilton Towers lobby bar at halftime on Friday. Again, this is one of the greatest traditions in college basketball. Talk about your international relations.

And finally, Cal State beat North Carolina! Well, North Carolina - Charlotte, but let the Titans fans have their fun. Besides, the 49ers -- save for one miracle run -- haven't had much recent success at the ACC. Another cool site, Cal State wearing the home whites during a tournament. That was, uh, unusual.

Overall, the tournament was a very good experience. As said, there were plenty of empty seats because of the holiday weekend, but any time you get to see a couple of Top 25 teams and some of the best mid majors, fans should take advantage. Not that many did.

Watching Tournament Hoops in an Empty Building is Kind of Cool originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 01 Dec 2008 02:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

A Mulligan on Picking St. Mary's

Adam Papagiorgio — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 13:57:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona State, ACC, Mid-Majors, St. Mary's (CA)

Alright, picking St. Mary's to win the 76 Classic might not have been my finest moment. But the astute reader would have noticed that when I said, "UTEP in no pushover," what that really meant was the Miners were going to roll past the Gaels with ease.

What, not buying that?

St. Mary's was just awful. Especially Patrick Mills who was brutal from the 3-point line and was very generous turning the ball over. Mills was 5-for-20 shooting and missed all six of this 3-point attempts. The Gaels just looked awful, and while it's too early to say that they are overrated, they really looked bad against an athletic team.

Now you have to wonder what kind of performance St. Mary's will give on Friday. Do they fold the tents, or do they rise to the occasion? There are some doubts about the Gaels, and maybe they are too soft. We will certainly find out on Friday.

Fans learned yesterday that Cal State will not be a pushover. Titans fans were disappointed that they could not pull the upset and they should be. Cal State certainly did enough to win that game, but Wake Forest was able to prevail in the end. The Demon Deacons are a very good team, and had a great height advantage. Eventually, they just wore down the Titans, who weren't quite able to make that big play to push them past Wake Forest.

Cal State, though, no longer has room for moral victories (save that for Northridge and Long Beach) and need to beat a quality opponent like St. Mary's. When they flashed Bob Burton's record at Cal State, it really sticks out just how far this program has come. The Titans won 20 games under the three-year reign of Donny Daniels, now they routinely post 20-win seasons. Now, it's time to get some big ones.

Wake Forest and UTEP should have a pretty entertaining affair in the morning tilt. Randy Culpepper was great for the Miners. And the Deacon's Jeff Teague was really impressive. His dunk over Gerard Anderson likely will live on for years on YouTube (will try to find some video of it soon).

In the evening session, Arizona State looked awesome against pretty average looking UNC Charlotte. Jeff Pendergraph was unstoppable. The Sun Devils should be playing Wake in the title game on Sunday. (That's should be good news for UTEP.)

Providence is just awful. Too be honest, I don't watch a lot of Providence basketball, but was shocked by how poorly they played. They look a step behind everybody in the field, except maybe Charlotte.

A Mulligan on Picking St. Mary's originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 28 Nov 2008 13:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments