NCAA Basketball FanHouse

Mississippi State Rack and Rollin'

Michelle Smith — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:54:00 EST

Filed under: California, Connecticut, Gonzaga, Maryland, Mississippi State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas, UCLA, Virginia, WCC, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Mid-Majors, MWC, Pac-10, Women's Basketball

Two weeks ago, Pat Summitt surveyed the national scene and said this:

"A lot of people don't have Mississippi State on their radar screen and they should."

Never argue with Pat.

Mississippi State is climbing the rankings -- moving from No. 25 to No. 19 in this week's poll -- and the ladder of national recognition, particularly after Sunday's 84-55 win over No. 20 Maryland.

Granted, Maryland is remodeling after the graduation of Kristi Tolliver and Marisa Coleman and the transfer of Marah Strickland, and Brenda Frese's program will likely struggle with change most of the year, but the Bulldogs took it to the Terrapins on their home floor.

Senior guard Alexis Rack -- one of eight seniors on the roster -- broke out for 43 points, including seven 3-pointers in the victory. It was the fourth-best individual scoring performance in school history.

"Sometimes I was just letting it go," Rack (above, right) said after the game.

Mississippi State is flying high at 4-0, and it has enjoyed its home court advantage. It's time to hit the road now ... which leads up to the sun and sand of the Paradise Jam Tournament next week in the U.S. Virgin Islands. This year's eight-team field will feature five ranked teams.

Mississippi State will be there, playing in the "Reef" division along with Rutgers, USC and No. 13 Texas.

The "Island" division includes No. 5 Notre Dame, No. 20 Oklahoma, No. 23 San Diego State and South Carolina.

San Diego State, who broke into the national rankings for the first time in 14 years, feels like there's a little honor in the invitation to play.

"Three years ago, the only way we get there is to hold a fundraiser and go in the spring," Aztecs coach Beth Burns said.

The holiday's other big tournament is the Junkanoo Jam in the Bahamas. It is a bit more of a second-tier group with four ranked teams in the field including George Washington, No. 25 Michigan State, South Dakota State, Indiana, Minnesota, TCU, No. 18 Kansas, UNC Charlotte, No. 15 Virginia, Marist, Oklahoma State and No. 9 Xavier.

Don't overlook Tennessee

Summitt was handing off credit to Mississippi State, but her own team was building some impressive momentum after beating Virginia, 77-63. Angie Bjorklund, Shekinna Stricklen and Glory Johnson combined for 56 points.

The Lady Vols were even good enough to get their locker room back at Thompson-Boling Arena. The team had been kicked out of it for lackluster play in February and Summitt had said her team would have to "win something" to earn its way back in.

Apparently, beating a Virginia team that beat the Vols by one point in Knoxville last year was good enough to unlock the door.

Tennessee is young and inexperienced right now. But they look very, very good -- good enough to turn Connecticut and Stanford's intimate party as national championship contenders into a legitimate threesome.

Now for the bad news: Freshman center Faith Dupree will be sidelined for the season with a back injury. She played in two games, including 18 minutes against Texas Tech on Tuesday night in San Antonio. The Lady Vols are down to 11 active players for the season and need to keep Kelley Cain healthy to avoid serious depth issues in the post.

A View From the Top

The Huskies and the Cardinal don't look to be moving off their top two rankings any time soon. Here's a look at how the best of the best are stacking up so far.

Tale of the Tape
Category	No. 1 UConn	No. 2 Stanford
Scoring Avg.	91.7	86.2
Reb. Margin	17.0	23.0
Victory Margin	49.4	20.4
Next Five Games	vs. Hofstra vs. Richmond vs. Vermont vs. Hartford vs. Iona	vs. Utah vs. Gonzaga vs. DePaul vs. Duke vs. Tennessee

The Week Ahead

The most intriguing non-tournament matchups of the coming week:

UCLA at Tennessee: Former Vols assistant Nikki Caldwell comes back to Knoxville with an intriguing team that should finish near the top in the Pac-10.

Gonzaga at Stanford: One of the country's top mid-majors has a major-league test at Maples Pavilion against the Cardinal.

Cal vs. Ohio State in the Buckeye Holiday Tournament: Cal has showed its youth with poor shooting performances and the Bears lost to Baylor by 20 at home on Sunday. The No. 3 Buckeyes will be an even bigger challenge.

Randoms...

For a mid-major, Dayton is having a good early season run playing tough against big-conference teams. Dayton threw an opening salvo with a 77-74 win over Michigan State, lost a two-point game to Louisville and then knocked off Purdue 56-53 in the Boilermakers' own tournament ... The top nine teams in this week's AP poll went 19-0 last week with an average victory margin of 27 points ...There are two conferences in which every team has at least a .500 record thus far: the Big East and the Big Ten.

Mississippi State Rack and Rollin' originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Griner's Influence Extends Beyond Dunk

Michelle Smith — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:59:00 EST

Filed under: California, Big 12, Pac-10, Women's Basketball

Change doesn't always come quickly.

For example, when everyone says that Baylor freshman Brittney Griner will change women's basketball. Well, sure, she will.

But did we all expect it to happen in the first couple of weeks?

In the first three games of her college career, she has tried to dunk twice and missed both. Sunday at No. 17 Cal in Berkeley, Calif., Griner had an opportunity in the closing moments of a 69-49 victory. Baylor had the ball in transition and guard Melissa Jones passed the ball to Griner behind her back at the baseline. Griner went up with her right hand to dunk and the ball bounced off the rim. She pulled down the rebound and was fouled.

The Sunday afternoon crowd at Haas Pavilion buzzed, even with the miss.

"I should have went up with two hands and I only went up with one," Griner said. "I was hoping to go up for a second try, but I got a little tied up."

Griner finished the game with 15 points, seven rebounds, five blocks and five turnovers.

She was tentative in the first half in response to Cal's triple-teams, zone and trapping pressure and the efforts to push her out of the paint. It's not like she didn't know it was coming.

"I think it was butterflies," said Griner, who missed her first four shots before scoring with 6:08 to go in the first half. "It took a little time, but once things started going, the flow of the game started in the second half and things opened up."

Being 6-foot-8 and immensely talented doesn't protect you from nerves. Only experience can do that and Griner doesn't have it yet.

The dunk, the thing that defines her game, is far down on the list of things that she needs to do to move her game to the college level.

She needs to learn how to pass more efficiently out of those triple-teams, to find open teammates, ala Stanford's Jayne Appel, who has made it an art form.

She needs to learn how to establish her position under the basket more assertively, without looking like she's afraid to foul.

She needs to use the face-up game that showed up in the second half.

But changing the game and altering a game are not the same thing. The influence she exerts over 40 minutes on the floor is undeniable.

She is the center of the defensive gameplan. She changes the opponents' offensive choices. And she is giving her teammates opportunities. Guards Shanay Robinson and Melissa Jones scored 18 and 15 points respectively.

"Brittney has such a big presence on the floor," Jones said. "It allows openings on the outside on the perimeter and in the post. It opens things up all over."

Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said there is no statistical category for Griner's pervasive influence on the floor.

"We don't have a stat for altered shots, we don't have a stat for the mindset of a player who says, 'I'm not turning that corner on that on-ball screen with her standing there.' It's very obvious if you watch the game, the presence of Brittney Griner in the paint. She just has been blessed with height and athleticism and I'm just glad she's on my team."

Griner would probably like to get her first official dunk out of the way -- her dunk in Baylor's exhibition win over Incarnate Word doesn't count. She knows everyone is waiting for it. They are certainly asking about it.

"I would love to do it some more, but they will come," Griner said.

Added Mulkey, "Look, we've played three games and I don't think I've coached a kid that's had as much attention thrown at her defensively as Brittney. You work your way through it and she does."

Griner is finding herself, and so is Baylor. The Bears have already played on the road at Tennessee and at Cal, splitting those two games, but showing promise.

"You have to remember that we are so young, so it's hard for me to gauge if we really did well," Mulkey said. "The good part is we won. Taking this team on the road to Knoxville and here is really throwing a lot at them. I saw a lot of improvement. But I don't know yet. We are still working hard."

Griner's Influence Extends Beyond Dunk originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cal's Youth Movement Taking Hold

Michelle Smith — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:32:00 EST

Filed under: California, Pac-10, Women's Basketball

Joanne Boyle came to Cal four years ago as the head coach, inheriting a team built on freshmen talent.

And here she is again, in a gym full of young, inexperienced players, not entirely sure what she has or how they will perform when games begin in two weeks.

"It's going to be an interesting season," Boyle said. "I think we're going to be good. I'm just not sure when."

Boyle has taken the Bears from a struggling program to one that has cemented itself among the national elite -- a regular member of the rankings, an NCAA participant, a player in the Pac-10.

Last year ended with the program's deepest foray into the NCAA Tournament -- to the Sweet 16, where Cal fell to Connecticut. This upcoming season isn't quite like starting over, even though Boyle's freshmen outnumber her returnees.

She has a trio of veteran guards with seniors Alexis Gray-Lawson, Lauren Greif and Natasha Vital. They will provide the leadership, experience and, in a change from Cal's post-dominated game with Ashley Walker and Devanei Hampton, most of the offensive punch.

The offense is likely to switch from the post-oriented triangle to something more free form to allow the guards room to create scoring opportunities. Defensively, the Bears will be more pressure-oriented as well.

"We're letting them go a little bit to see because I think that's more conducive to what we have," Boyle said. "Allowing people to play and get to the basket ... we could look different."

Gray-Lawson, the fifth-year senior who arrived with Boyle back in 2004, is being asked to go from a hot-cold shooter who could bust out for 37 against Stanford in one game and then tally just a handful of points in another, to a consistent source of point-production.

"When you have post players like Dev and Ash, you say, 'Ok, you guys go ahead'," Gray-Lawson said. "But this year, because you don't know what you are going to get, I have to be selfish."

"On the first day of practice I was thinking, 'Oh boy, we've got a long way to go', but by Wednesday I was thinking that we are going to be all right."
-- Cal coach Joanne Boyle The seven freshmen that came to Berkeley this year, comprising one of the top recruiting classes in the nation, is down to six active players. Tierra Rogers, the San Francisco product whose father was murdered at halftime of one of her high school games in 2007, is no longer able to play after being diagnosed with a heart defect after collapsing following a training session last month. Rogers had surgery following her diagnosis to implant a defibrillator and her playing career is over.

Rogers remains on scholarship and with the program. She was named as one of the three team captains along with Vital and Greif, a chance to serve as a leader for the freshmen and stay closely connected to the team. She is going through counseling and learning to cope with a new life that doesn't include basketball. The team is coping as well.

"There was the initial shock of telling them that she wasn't going to be able to play anymore," Boyle said. "Not every day for her is a good day and we all make sure on bad days that she's with us. None of us have been through this, so we are all trying to figure out what it should look like and we aren't going to have the answers tomorrow."

Cal's freshman class includes prep All-American DeNesha Stallworth of nearby Richmond, a 6-3 forward/center who was the state's leading scorer last season at 27.7 points a game; McDonald's All-Americans Gennifer Brandon (forward) and Eliza Pierre (guard); guard Layshia Clarendon, a WBCA All-American and center Talia Caldwell from Los Angeles.

"They are a coachable group and they want to do well," Boyle said. "It's a quicker turnaround with the upperclassmen, who are able to tell them, 'This is how we do it'. More of our systems are in place than four years ago. It all happens more quickly now."

Greif said her new teammates are gaining an understanding of how hard to play every day, how mistakes are an opportunity to learn.

"It means doing a lot of drills two or three times and not being excited about it, but we have to do it," Greif said. "There's a lot of 'You can do its' out there, a lot of 'Don't worry, turnovers happen...' But it's also fun to see them perform because you don't know everything that they have."

The Bears will learn about themselves quickly, particularly with a Nov. 22 home date against Baylor.

"On the first day of practice I was thinking, 'Oh boy, we've got a long way to go', but by Wednesday I was thinking that we are going to be all right," Boyle said. "Every day you see a little bit more from each of them."

Cal's Youth Movement Taking Hold originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Digger Phelps Bumps, Grinds and Jives

Will Brinson — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: California, UCLA, Pac-10, Campus, Fans, Media Watch, Video

Digger Phelps is one of ESPN's most colorful characters. I mean that literally, too. The guy matches his highlighters to his ties. Which, all ridiculousness aside, seems like it would be really difficult to manage in terms of a long-term dress code. Well, Digger only added to his colorful notoriety Saturday night, when he got down with some Cal cheerleaders during a timeout. On the bright side, at least he wasn't talking about Notre Dame. Via Bruins Nation.

Digger Phelps Bumps, Grinds and Jives originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 01 Mar 2009 20:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Mike Montgomery: Coach of the Year

Adam Papagiorgio — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 03:00:00 EST

Filed under: California, Pac-10

When Mike Montgomery was hired as Cal's basketball coach, many figured that it would be only a matter of time before he led the Bears to the top of the conference. Few thought he would do it so quickly. The Pac-10 media picked the Bears to finish eighth in the conference. So much for that. Cal is a legitimate contender for the Pac-10 title.

Cal has just completed a sweep of the Arizona schools, including a win over No. 17 Arizona State, and will be looking to join the Top 25 in the very near future. Cal previously had a couple of nice wins over UNLV and Utah, but this win should legitimize them.

While Cal's rebirth has been amazing, it's important to note that it wasn't horrible last season. The Bears were 17-16 and did qualify for the NIT tournament. And there were a couple of talented players coming back -- Patrick Christopher and Jerome Randle. But Montgomey has molded them from alsoran to legitimate tournament team.

And you have to believe that even the most ardent of Bears fans didn't think that they would be this good.

The biggest difference seems to be in the scoring output, especially the 3-point shooting. Randle is one of the best in the nation. Unlike last year, Cal seems to be running acutal plays. The players seem to always be on the right spot of the floor. Like they are organized or something. And, I don't have the stats for this, but it seems that Cal always scores following a timeout. It's uncanny. That, too me, is one of the measures of a good coach -- if his teams score after timeouts.

Plus, he's always been a guy that rides the referees. That, to me, is the difference between being an NIT team and a tournament team.

To me, Montgomery is the coach of the year.

Mike Montgomery: Coach of the Year originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 03:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pete Newell Dies at Age 93

Shiloh Carder — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:16:00 EST

Filed under: California, Michigan State, Coaches

You may not know what he looks like, who he was and why people felt he was special enough to teach them but Pete Newell was one of the best coaches college basketball has ever seen.

Newell died yesterday at the age on 93.

Newell was a legend and held the respect and admiration of the game's other legends. Newell coached for 14 years at San Francisco, Michigan State and California. He compiled a 234-123 record and won the 1959 NCAA Tournament while at Cal. His final head coaching gig came the very next year when he took an Olympic team with Oscar Roberston, Jerry West and Jerry Lucas to a gold medal.

He also beat UCLA's John Wooden the last eight times they met.

He's legacy lives on with his "Pete Newell Big Man Camp". The camp has been going on for over 30 years and has taught the likes of Lew Alcinder, Bill Walton, Shaquille O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson. The camps have become a mandatory stop for any big man wanting to get into the NBA.

Newell didn't ask for a dime from the camps and felt that he owed it to the game of basketball.

Newell is gone but his legacy lives on. His camps will continue, his students will keep on playing, he is in the Basketball Hall of Fame and Cal's home court is named after him. Only Newell, Bobby Knight and Dean Smith can claim they coached a team to an NCAA Tournament championship, NIT Championship and an Olympic gold medal.

Pete Newell, 1915-2008.

Pete Newell Dies at Age 93 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:16:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How I Spent My Summer Vacation: Pac-10

Adam Papagiorgio — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST

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

With the fall beginning and college basketball just around the corner, it's time to look back at what our favorite teams did during their summer vacations. Some did some good things; some had a bad time. So let's look back at who did what in our How I Spent My Summer Vacation series.

Today's look is the Pac-10 Conference.

The Pac 10 is coming off a season where six of its members (Arizona State was jobbed) reached the field of 64. And UCLA was bounced in the Final Four, again. Hey, at least it's not the Sweet 16 anymore, UCLA. Although, you have to wonder if the Bruins squandered their best shot under Ben Howland. No matter, the team is loaded again. So you could probably pencil the Bruins in for the Final Four. Just figuring out who will beat them is the kicker.

Let's see how each team did during its summer vacation.

Arizona
The good news is that Chase Budinger, Jordan Hill and Nic Wise all return from last year's team, but head coach Lute Olson won't after a dramatic resignation in October and revelation that he'd suffered a stroke and suffered from depression. Not much else has gone right for Arizona since. The Wildcats lost three recruits in the immediate aftermath of Olson's departure and likely hobble into the season a bit shellshocked.

Arizona State
Coach Herb Sendek and the Sun Devils were screwed out of the tournament, but there is a solid program building in Tempe. He recently scored a verbal agreement from Corey Hawkins, son of former NBA guard Hershey Hawkins. Corey, however, is a junior, so there will be some waiting. But this is a sign that the Devils are on the rise. And why shouldn't they be? They have a beautiful campus, beautiful women and a pretty good facility. Expect them to make some noise and be players in the Pac-10 this season.

Cal
The cross-bay rivalry between Stanford and Cal took a new turn as Mike Montgomery was introduced as the Bears new leading man. Montgomery said that he now has a bigger recruiting window in Cal, than he did at Stanford. The team did lose top recruit Garrett Sim, who went to Oregon. Because obviously Sim hates good coaching.

Oregon
The Ducks extended the contract of Ernie Kent, proving that they don't like good coaching, either. Hey, just trying to have a little fun here, folks. Kent gets a lot of heat from Ducks fans, and it seems a little bit undeserved. He takes the Ducks to the tournament every year and has a couple of Elite 8 appearances. Now suddenly the fans in Eugene think they are UCLA fans. And that shouldn't quell this season, with a young team and Tajuan Porter. But Michael Dunigan is a nice player and this team should at least be interesting. But face it Ducks fans, you are going to have Kent to kick around for a while.

Oregon State
The Beavers long for the success that Kent has provided at Oregon. Craig Robinson is the new coach in Corvallis. Robinson is the brother-in-law of presidential nominee Barack Obama. He even appeared at the Democratic national convention. Now he is trying to show that he is an agent of change in college basketball.

Stanford
The Trees hired a new coach, Johnny Dawkins from that great coach factory, Duke. Of course, Montgomery was hired at Cal before Trent Johnson bailed for LSU, preventing a reunion. (Nice career move, Johnson. Why leave the Pac-10 for the SEC?) Dawkins was unsuccessful in his first order of business -- finding a pair of 7-foot twins to replace the Lopez twins.

Washington
Remember that time when the Huskies were actually a pretty good basketball team? The Huskies were coming off consecutive Sweet 16 berths in 2005 and 2006. Now they languish behind Washington State and Gonzaga in the state of Washington. Lorenzo Romar probably isn't in jeopardy, but he's getting close. Jon Brockman returns and he's still a load. But reports indicate that he's much leaner and has some new post moves. Expect the Huskies to play that up-tempo style that Romar used earlier in his tenure with Washington.

Washington State
The Cougars only return two starters, losing most of its scoring. Which, of course, means they only lost about 20 points per game. Just kidding, people. Tony Bennett was brought in an outstanding freshman class to help his team remain among Pac-10 elite. One of those recruits is Klay Thompson who, just like his dad Mychal, doesn't know how to spell his first name.

UCLA
The Bruins will miss Kevin Love, but Howland has the team loaded again. Darren Collison, Mike Roll and Josh Shipp all return. Jrue Holliday, J'Mison Morgan, Jerime Lee and Malcom Lee bring a lot of athleticism to the team. Morgan (6-foot-10), will be a monster down low. Morgan had originally committed to LSU, but probably made a wise choice coming to Pauly. UCLA will be much more athletic this year and should be able to dominate and a Final Four berth is the minimum.

USC
There is an old Jerry Tarkanian quote -- at least attributed to him -- that the NCAA was so pissed at (insert big name school here) that they put (insert mid-major school here) on probation. While USC is not a mid-major school, you have to wonder if the basketball program will eventually be held responsible for all of the alleged activities of the school's football team. Does that seem fair? No. But this is the NCAA. The Trojans hoop team could end up paying dearly for the O.J. Mayo payment allegations. And if not, maybe Yahoo! can do some more investigations.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation: Pac-10 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cal Without a Frontline as Anderson Remains in the NBA Draft

Charles Rich — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:04:00 EST

Filed under: California Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, NBA Prospects

New Cal Coach Mike Montgomery won't be getting anywhere near the production from the frontline of the Golden Bears this season. CenterDeVon Hardin graduated and now sophomore power forward Ryan Anderson has decided that he will stay in the NBA Draft.

Anderson said last Thursday the feedback he'd gotten from NBA teams fairly consistently suggested he would be taken somewhere between the 17th and 25th picks in the June 26 draft. He also said at the time that none of them had specifically committed to picking him.

Only first-round picks typically are given guaranteed contracts.

A prolific 3-point shooter and clever low-post scorer, Anderson hoped to show NBA scouts during workouts that he had improved his mid-range game and ballhandling.

Far be it for me to question Anderson's feedback, but no mock draft has him going in those spots. That's not to say he isn't hearing that, but he shouldn't be taking it with some caution -- especially with no "guarantee" from a team.

There's no doubt he has potential at 6'10" and the leading scorer in the Pac-10 last year. That said, he's likely a project to become strong enough to take NBA play, especially inside.

Cal Without a Frontline as Anderson Remains in the NBA Draft originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cal Fans Should Temper Their Expectations for Montgomery

Ty Keenan — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 21:09:00 EST

Filed under: California Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches

Cal's high-profile hiring of Mike Montgomery is a huge one for a program that has seen some mediocre coaching and play over the last few seasons. Monty deserves every bit of his reputation as a top-shelf teacher who gets everything out of his players. But he also comes with some baggage that could limit the effect that he will have on the Bears.

The most important of these issues is his willingness to recruit. Towards the end of his time at Stanford, Montgomery didn't put a ton of energy into recruiting, and the team suffered for it. His last two recruiting classes of Fred Washington, Tim Morris, Taj Finger, Peter Prowitt, and walk-on Kenny Brown produced some important contributors, but none of these players never showed the promise of being anything more than key role players. Now, much of the reason for Monty's lack of vigor can be attributed to very high admissions standards for athletes that won't be present in Berkeley; he won't ever lose out on a player like David Padgett because of grades. Nevertheless, this issue remains an important question mark that could limit his success.

More analysis after the jump.

Several of Montgomery's most talented teams at Stanford went out early in the tournament, with critics claiming that he didn't give his players enough freedom and that his teams peaked early in the season. While not entirely accurate, these observations hold some water. Players like point guard Jerome Randle, one of the most erratic players in the Pac-10, could have some trouble adapting to Montgomery's rigid system. Additionally, would he have ever given Ryan Anderson the freedom to move out to the perimeter and become on one of the best inside-out threats in the nation? The fact of the matter is that Cal generally draws better, more versatile athletes than Stanford, and it's hard to say how much Montgomery will allow them to move outside of their prescribed roles.

I'm not trying to say that this is a bad move for Cal. Montgomery is a terrific coach who always gets his teams ready to play. But this move is not a perfect fit, and it would be silly to assume that he will automatically turn Cal into one of the best programs in the conference. The Pac-10 is much stronger than it was during Monty's heyday -- for one thing, the other coaches are much, much better -- and it will be a chore to convince high-end recruits that Cal is a big program. This is a great day for Cal fans (if only because Montgomery will almost assuredly beat Stanford more often than Braun), but they need to be realistic about what this move means for the program. There's still a lot of work left to do in Berkeley.

Cal Fans Should Temper Their Expectations for Montgomery originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 04 Apr 2008 21:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cal to Name Mike Montgomery New Coach

Michael David Smith — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:39:00 EST

Filed under: California Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches, Stanford Basketball

Former Stanford and Golden State Warriors coach Mike Montgomery will be the next head coach at Cal, Sports Illustrated and ESPN are reporting.

Montgomery fills the opening created when Ben Braun, who had been on the job for 12 years, was fired last week. Braun only reached the NCAA Tournament once in the last five years.

Montgomery was a very successful coach at Stanford, with an overall record of 393-167, 12 NCAA tournament berths and a Final Four appearance in 1998. He was significantly less successful when he left Stanford in 2004 to coach the Golden State Warriors, leaving the NBA with a 68-96 record.

Montgomery has maintained close ties to Stanford, including advising his successor and former assistant, Trent Johnson, and the school's athletic director, Bob Bowlsby. It's fair to say Stanford fans won't be happy to learn that he's now coaching their biggest rival.

Cal to Name Mike Montgomery New Coach originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:39:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Washington State Coach Tony Bennett Will Not Take Indiana or Cal Jobs, ESPN Reports

Michael David Smith — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 21:37:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana Basketball, California Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches, Washington State Basketball

Andy Katz of ESPN.com is reporting that Washington State coach Tony Bennett has decided not to take the Indiana head coaching job after having a conversation with Indiana athletic director Rick Greenspan.

"I thought about it, but I'm not going to pursue it," Bennett told Katz, adding that he wouldn't consider the vacant Cal job either.

A Fox Sports report on Saturday said Bennett had been offered the Indiana job. Bennett has said that he didn't receive a formal offer from Indiana, although most indications are that Bennett was, in fact, Indiana's first choice.

For Indiana, the other names that have been mentioned -- Xavier's Sean Miller, Pittsburgh's Jamie Dixon, Vanderbilt's Kevin Stallings,Tennessee's Bruce Pearl -- may all take a back seat to former Golden State Warriors and Stanford coach Mike Montgomery, Katz reported.

And for Washington State, the fact that Bennett has said no to Indiana and Cal doesn't mean he'll be back. His wife is from Louisiana, and he might consider the vacant LSU job.

Washington State Coach Tony Bennett Will Not Take Indiana or Cal Jobs, ESPN Reports originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 30 Mar 2008 21:37:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cal Seeks Early Rejections in Coach Search

Charles Rich — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 10:08:00 EST

Filed under: California Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches

You know how fans and pro teams place a higher value on their own players than others do when it comes to trade discussions? The same thing is common when it comes to the perception of the attractiveness of one's own program in college. It's not uncommon, but it seems Cal is just the latest to see itself as being a program better than it is in terms of attractiveness.

I'm not saying that Cal can't be a good program. A top-25 team on a regular basis with potential. The right coach, some good recruiting, and a firm, long-term commitment from the school and athletic department. I am saying it isn't nearly as attractive as the fans think it is (I am definitely not saying it is the crap shoot as Ray Ratto seems to portray it).
A coach who is already achieving at another major conference program, isn't going to be lured there without a huge contract and at least comparable facilities. Haas Pavilion is nice, but the rest of the athletic facilities are hardly in the upper half. It's not like the struggles to upgrade the football stadium are a secret. How many name coaches are going to go to that situation without a lot of money being offered and some serious guarantees of commitment to the facilities and budget (recruiting, travel and assistant coaches)?

Add in the higher cost of living in the Bay Area, and the fact that as a University of California school they are constrained in the way in which they can pay their coaches. That means the new coach will either be an unemployed retread, an assistant at a bigger achieving program or the head coach at a mid-major team.

That hasn't stopped Cal from making a run at Pitt's Jamie Dixon -- only to be shot down. The other rumored target is Dave Tony Bennett at Washington State. That seems even more far-fetched since Indiana may or may not be pursuing him as well. Bennett makes $800K per year at Washington State. That goes a lot further in Pullman than it would in Berkley, and it's hard to believe Cal would offer enough to go lure him south.

Don't even start with the fantasy of ex-Stanford Coach Mike Montgomery taking the job. It just isn't happening.

The names that make more sense include Denver Nuggets assistant Mike Dunlap or St. Mary's Randy Bennett. Dunlap was a top flight head coach in Division II before becoming an NBA assistant and admits his interest. Plus, he has the blessing of Cal's living legend, Pete Newell.

Randy Bennett is also a hot name for the other open Pac-10 job at Oregon State. Yet he has not been contacted by the Golden Bears at this point.

It seems that Cal feels a need to placate the fans and alumni by taking swings and misses at bigger names first (Dixon, T. Bennett, Monty). The problem with this approach is that when you go with the guy who does take the job, it looks like a 4th or 5th choice who the school had to settle upon. It makes sense to take one swing at a name, but not multiple whiffs.

Cal Seeks Early Rejections in Coach Search originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 30 Mar 2008 10:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pitt's Jamie Dixon Dismisses Cal

Charles Rich — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 20:37:00 EST

Filed under: Pittsburgh Basketball, California Basketball, Big East Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches

After firing Ben Braun, Cal wasted no time in pursuing a replacement. They just found out they aren't that attractive.

Pitt coach Jamie Dixon was contacted about Cal's vacant coaching position within 24 hours of Ben Braun being fired on Wednesday, but has no interest in the job...

When a coach isn't even willing to bother using the interest from another school as leverage for a raise and extension before rejecting, well that's telling. Either the money they were talking was so low that it deserved an immediate dismissal or the job didn't even reach the status of "lateral move."

Either way, Cal looks like a program that thinks higher of itself than others do.

Pitt's Jamie Dixon Dismisses Cal originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 29 Mar 2008 20:37:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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