NCAA Basketball FanHouse

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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UCLA's Fast-Paced Offense Outpaced

Chas Rich — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 17:22:00 EST

Filed under: UCLA, Washington State, Pac-10

There is no team in the major conferences that plays a slower tempo than Washington State. Heck, there is only one team nationally that plays a slower tempo than the Cougars. UCLA has been experimenting with playing faster, despite coach Ben Howland's general tendencies, and up until recently it had been effective.

As much as anything, though, the speed advantage isn't everything; the UCLA defense still had to do enough. That came to a crashing thud against Washington State. UCLA did force the Cougars to play at a much faster tempo than they are comfortable, but Washington State came away with a 82-81 win at Pauley Pavilion.

Washington State senior guard Taylor Rochestie, a native of Santa Barbara, killed the Bruins with a career high 33 points. He and his teammates just picked apart the UCLA defense with 30-for-51 shooting, including just over 50 percent from the perimeter.

This was a big setback to UCLA after knocking off Washington on Thursday night. It keeps the Bruins at least a game back of the Huskies. It also has UCLA losing three of four late in the season. UCLA has been letting its defense lapse in the last week while it has accelerated its tempo. Given Ben Howland's preference for defense-first teams, this has to be galling. Expect UCLA to be slowing things down until the team starts playing defense.

For Washington State, aside from getting a nice win and showing that they are still dangerous, it puts the Cougars over .500 with three games left. While not easy with games against Arizona and Arizona State before finishing at Washington, it gives Washington State at finishing the season with a winning record and a chance to at least go to the NIT in a rebuilding year.

UCLA's Fast-Paced Offense Outpaced originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 21 Feb 2009 17:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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.

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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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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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Gonzaga Leaves Little Doubt vs. WSU

Adam Papagiorgio — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 03:55:00 EST

Filed under: Gonzaga, Washington State

Just in case there was any lingering doubt as to who ruled college basketball in Washington, Gonzaga erased all doubt with an emphatic 74-52 beating of Washington State. And if a 22-point win doesn't seem impressive enough, realize that Gonzaga held just a slim 3-point lead at halftime.

The win had to be cathartic to Bulldogs fans who long suffered against some pretty good teams from Washington State. Above all of that, Gonzaga proved that they could not only survive against slow-down teams, but actually thrive. And if anything, Gonzaga was getting busy on the defensive end and really forced the action, making the Cougars look pretty bad.

Josh Heytvelt and Jeremy Pargo were once again outstanding. I know I've said this before, but Heytvelt is playing up to his potential and before we anoint Tyler Hansbrough as the greatest player in college basketball, we should give the Gonzaga big man some consideration. I know, it's sacrilege to even mention.

And there was some stat floating out there today that Gonzaga is nearly undefeated when Pargo has more assists than points, but you can forgive him for having only 11 points and 10 assists.

What's really impressive is that Gonzaga is making a joke out of their tough preseason schedule. They have handled Oklahoma State, Maryland, Tennessee, Indiana and now Washington State with relative ease. The Bulldogs will play at Arizona on Sunday, which should be another indicator of how good this team is. But when you look at what they have done, you have to consider this one of Mark Few's best teams ... as we've long contended in this space.

Gonzaga Leaves Little Doubt vs. WSU originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 11 Dec 2008 03:55:00 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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Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series Set for 2008

Charles Rich — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 08:01:00 EST

Filed under: Kansas Basketball, UCLA Basketball, Arizona Basketball, Texas Basketball, Oklahoma Basketball, Big 12 Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, Washington State Basketball

The Big 12 and Pac-10 go into their second year of their cross-conference competition, and have announced this year's slate of games. Most of the games take place in the first weekend of December. Since there is an imbalance in the number of teams in each conference, to allow all of the Big 12 teams to play a Pac-10 opponent, Arizona and Stanford are doubling up and 3 games will be played outside of the series window.

BIG 12/PAC-10 HARDWOOD SERIES

Thursday, December 4, 2008
Oklahoma State at Washington
UCLA at Texas
USC at Oklahoma

Friday, December 5, 2008
Arizona at Texas A&M

Saturday, December 6, 2008
Baylor at Washington State
Oregon State at Iowa State

Sunday, December 7, 2008
Kansas State at Oregon
Nebraska at Arizona State
California at Missouri

Outside the four-day series window
Colorado at Stanford (Sat., Nov. 29, 2008)
Kansas at Arizona (Tue., Dec. 23, 2008)
Texas Tech at Stanford (Sun., Dec. 28, 2008)

The big games are clearly UCLA-Texas and Kansas-Arizona. The latter being a rematch from last season when Kansas pulled off the win in overtime (to say nothing of the 2003 NCAA Tournament meeting to put Kansas in the Final Four).The Baylor-Washington State game looks like a very underrated match-up featuring two of the best young coaches. Oregon State-Iowa State, however, could be painful on the eyes.

Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series Set for 2008 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 08:01:00 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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Tony Bennett Denies Getting Indiana Offer

Michael David Smith — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 13:01:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches, Washington State Basketball

Washington State coach Tony Bennett denied on Saturday a Fox Sports report that he had been offered the Indiana head-coaching job, telling ESPN's Andy Katz that he has had no such conversations:

Reached Saturday morning in Pullman, Bennett told ESPN.com, "I haven't had one conversation with [Indiana] and so, no, I haven't been offered the job.''

Washington State athletic director Jim Sterk said Saturday morning that no school has asked for permission to talk to Bennett.

With college coaches you sometimes have to parse words, and it's possible that when Bennett says he hasn't had one conversation, what he means is that his agent has been the one doing the talking. But it's also possible that the Fox Sports report was premature. Either way, Katz reports that Indiana wants to have its new coach in place by Thursday, so don't expect a long, drawn-out search.

Tony Bennett Denies Getting Indiana Offer originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 29 Mar 2008 13:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Indiana Offers Job to Washington State Coach Tony Bennett, Cal Job Also Available

Michael David Smith — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 09:33:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches, Washington State Basketball

Jeff Goodman of Fox Sports is reporting that Indiana is wasting no time in its coaching search, calling Washington State coach Tony Bennett the day after his Cougars were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament and telling him the job is his if he wants it.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Bennett is expected to leave Washington State, and that he's also one of the top choices of the administration at Cal.

According to Goodman, Bennett is atop a list at Indiana that includes Xavier's Sean Miller, Pittsburgh's Jamie Dixon and Vanderbilt's Kevin Stallings. Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl's name has also been mentioned in connection with the Indiana job.

Kelvin Sampson took a contract buyout during the season after the NCAA said he violated recruiting rules. Dan Dakich, who took over as interim head coach, has said he wants the job on a permanent basis but is apparently not seen by the Indiana administration as a strong candidate.

The question is whether any strong candidates will want the job. When Sampson was hired Indiana was seen as one of the most attractive jobs in the country, but with likely NCAA sanctions, does it make sense for a coach like Bennett, who has a good thing going at Washington State, to leave?

If he does, the financial compensation will likely be substantial. Although Bennett has the job security of a seven-year contract at Washington State, his $800,000 salary is paltry compared to what Indiana will be willing to pay if it thinks Bennett can deliver national championships on the court and compliance with NCAA rules off it.

UPDATE: Tony Bennett Denies Getting Indiana Offer

Indiana Offers Job to Washington State Coach Tony Bennett, Cal Job Also Available originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 29 Mar 2008 09:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tar Heels Pound Washington State; Advance to Elite Eight Again

Shiloh Carder — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 21:29:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Basketball, ACC Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, March Madness, Washington State Basketball, Charlotte, Carolina, East

When you look at the scoreboard, you may think that Washington State's strategy of slowing the pace of the game down against North Carolina worked. The Tar Heels scored just 68 points, 42 points below their NCAA tournament average.

However, that strategy only works if you can score more than you allow. Washington State was nowhere close to that ... losing 68-47.

The slow down game may have worked in the Tar Heels favor as their defense was the story. UNC held WSU to just 31% shooting ... including just 2-of-16 from the three-point line. They also dominated the boards (42 to 28). If not for State's Aron Baynes shooting (6-of-8), the Cougars would have shot 12-of-49 (24% to you and me) and been blown out of the water.

And that little thing about Tyler Hansbrough held to just two points at the half? He ended the game with 18 points and 9 boards after going the first 18-plus minutes of the game scoreless.

North Carolina will move on to face the winner of the Tennessee-Louisville game this Saturday. The taste of their meltdown against Georgetown in last year's East Regional final has left the team bitter ever since.

There was the rather amusing issue that CBS had before the game. As CBS' Greg Gumble was sending everyone to commerical (and then the beginning of the Xavier-West Virginia game), there was dead air. Then after showing a screen of the Charlotte regional feed, well ... this happened:

(Hat tip to Awful Announcing)

Tar Heels Pound Washington State; Advance to Elite Eight Again originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 27 Mar 2008 21:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hansbrough Hasn't Made a Shot, Yet Heels Still Lead Washington State by 14

Shiloh Carder — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:14:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Basketball, ACC Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, March Madness, Washington State Basketball, Charlotte, Carolina, East

Washington State has won two things so far against North Carolina:

They are winning the battle of tempo as the game is being played in the 60s. The slow-down game has limited UNC's ability to run up the score and get easy baskets. They've also shut down Tyler Hansbrough to the tune of two points, no made field goals on four shot attempts and five rebounds.

However, the Cougars go into halfime still trailing the top ranked Tar Heels, 35-21.

For one thing, the Heels defense has been splendid themselves ... holding Washington State to just 9-of-26 shooting. They've held the Cougars' leading scorer Derrick Low to just five points.

Plus, despite the style of play and the defensive prowess of Washington State, the Heels still shot 48% from the field even after getting off to such a rocky start. Wayne Ellington (9 points) and super-sub Danny Green (12 points) are leading the way and picking up Hansbrough's slack.

One noticeable move UNC has made is keeping their shooters opposite their post guys. WSU is doubling down on Hansbrough and Deon Thompson as soon as they get the ball in the block. With a pass out of the double team and a swing pass or two (or a beautiful diagnal pass Thompson made), the Heels are getting wide open looks from deep.

They've also been getting to the free throw line area and hitting short jumpers.

For Washington State, this has to be frustrating. You keep North Carolina from running, you hold Hansbrough to just two points ... yet you still go into the break down 14.

Hansbrough Hasn't Made a Shot, Yet Heels Still Lead Washington State by 14 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Washington State Coach Tony Bennett on His 'Boring' Style: 'Call It What You Want'

Michael David Smith — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:08:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, Washington State Basketball

During his press conference today to promote tomorrow's NCAA Tournament game against North Carolina, Washington State coach Tony Bennett was asked a question that he's no doubt heard a few times: Does it bug him when people describe his style as "boring"?

And he gave it just the right answer: "Call it what you want."

There are some coaches who would feel the need to answer a question like that by insisting, "No, my style is fundamentally sound, predicated on good defense and setting up good shots." But Bennett knows that his style works -- it does, in fact, have him in the Sweet 16 this year, which no one expected -- and that's all that matters.

Having said that, it's also not unreasonable to say that the Cougars' style is boring. Washington State ranks 336th out of the 341 teams in the country in pace. If you like fast-paced basketball, you certainly can call the Cougars boring. But there are no style points, and when they play North Carolina -- the fastest-paced team in the Tournament -- tomorrow night, the Cougars will gladly take a boring game that results in an upset.

Washington State Coach Tony Bennett on His 'Boring' Style: 'Call It What You Want' originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wash State's Tony Bennett Knows Charlotte; Will Charlotte Remember Him?

Shiloh Carder — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:32:00 EST

Filed under: March Madness, Washington State Basketball, Charlotte, East

In the East Regional, the forgotten team is Washington State. With UNC blowing away everyone and fans salivating over the Tennessee-Louisville game, the Cougars are right under the radar.

That happens. Carolina and the Vols are relatively close to Charlotte, the site of the games, with Louisville not tremendously far away. Pullman, WA may as well be on the other side of the planet.

Still, WSU coach Tony Bennett knows a bit about Charlotte. After a nice career as a player at Wisconsin-Green Bay, Bennett was drafted by the NBA's Charlotte Hornets.

"I don't think too many people will remember me and be pulling for the Cougs down there," said Bennett, whose fourth-seeded team plays No. 1 seed UNC in the NCAA Round of 16 on Thursday. "They'll be cheering for the Carolina blues."

He played three years in Charlotte before a foot injury essentially ended his career and was on the court when the biggest moment in Charlotte's NBA life happened: Alonzo Mourning's game winning jumper to eliminate the Celtics in the playoffs.

"It was Kevin McHale's last game, there was probably 9 or 10 seconds left when [I got] put in," Bennett remembered.

"Somehow the ball got back to Alonzo, and he made a step-back. And if you watch the replay ... I was ready to get the tip to put it back in; I was in perfect position."

Bennett also met his wife at a church in Charlotte ... so going back to the Queen City will be nice for both of them.

Wash State's Tony Bennett Knows Charlotte; Will Charlotte Remember Him? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Look Away for a Hint at How Your Team Will Fare in the Tournament

Josh Alper — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 11:20:00 EST

Filed under: Michigan State Basketball, March Madness, Washington State Basketball, USC Basketball, Vanderbilt Basketball

You'll be overloaded with expert opinions on filling out your brackets over the next three days. Pick and choose at your own peril, everyone's got their opinions and things they look for, but at the end of the day few people have a foolproof system for winning you the praise of your friends and officemates.

Still, everyone's looking for an edge and, in that spirit, I point you toward Vegas Watch. They've uncovered a pretty significant trend when it comes to home/road splits and what they tell you about a team's chances at success in the tournament. If you're really into the math behind the findings, you should click there or Teamrankings.com, but I'll summarize the findings.

They took the top six seeds from 1999-2006 and found the ones with the biggest split between their home and road power ratings. The results aren't good for teams who did their best work at home. They won 0.5 fewer games than expected while road warriors won 0.24 more games than projected. They also found that five teams since '99 were seeded 1-6 and finished in the top 20 at home and below 50 on the road. None of those teams made it past the second round.

What does that mean for this season?

It doesn't look good for Vanderbilt. The Commodores are 11th best at home but rank just 68th (behind first-round foe Siena) on the road. The fifth seed in the South, Michigan State, could also be a risky selection. They are fifth at the Breslin Center but tumble to 61st when they're away from home. That, mixed with red-hot Temple, could be bad for Tom Izzo.

The other way, two Pac-10 teams jump out. Washington State is 6th on the road and 58th at home and USC has a 10/52 split. Drake, a team with some doubters, has a 13/39 spread. It's less dramatic but still might make you think twice about writing them off as a product of a weaker-than-usual MVC.

Look Away for a Hint at How Your Team Will Fare in the Tournament originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 17 Mar 2008 11:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCAA Previews: Recognize the Washington State Cougars

Ty Keenan — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 08:25:00 EST

Filed under: Pac-10 Basketball, March Madness, Washington State Basketball, East

Conference: Pac-10
Record: 24-8, 12-8 Pac-10
RPI: 20
How They Got In: At-Large Bid
Seed/Bracket: #4 in the East

Mascot: Cougars. The Wazzu homepage proudly announces that Butch T. Cougar won 2006's Capital One Mascot of the Year competition.

Big Wins: at Gonzaga, USC (home/away), Oregon (home/away), Arizona State (home/away),

Notable Loss: at Cal. The Cougs also dropped all five of their games to conference Stanford and UCLA

Player You Should Know: Guard Derrick Low leads the team in scoring, but wing Kyle Weaver is the team's most athletic and best player overall. He's one of the best perimeter defenders in the Pac-10 and a great playmaker off the dribble.

Outlook: Simply put, Washington State is overseeded. They had some solid non-conference wins, but they failed too register a signature win in the Pac-10. They're not very deep and have questionable athleticism overall. A Sweet 16 now seems like a possibility given the draw, but don't be surprised to see them go out in the second round.

NCAA Previews: Recognize the Washington State Cougars originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 17 Mar 2008 08:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Four Days of Mutually Assured Destruction: Pac-10 Tournament Preview

Ty Keenan — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: UCLA Basketball, Arizona Basketball, Oregon Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, March Madness, Stanford Basketball, Washington State Basketball, USC Basketball, Arizona State Basketball

The Pac-10 had one of its best seasons ever this year, with every team (including UCLA) beating each other up for the entirety of the last few months. Nowhere is that parity more clear than in the fact that seven teams enter this week's conference tournament as locks or legitimate contenders for the NCAA Tournament.

That sort of speculation isn't West Coast bias, either; Joe Lunardi's latest Bracketology has six Pac-10 teams in the field, with Arizona State just outside of the field as part of the "Last Four Out" group. Lunardi's list obviously isn't gospel with a week of tournaments left, but the fact remains that this year's Pac-10 Tournament holds a lot of import for more than half of the field. With that in mind, let's take a look at what's at stake for all ten teams:

1. UCLA (28-3, 16-2 Pac-10): Making the championship game will probably lock down a top seed in the West region. An early exit like last season's quarterfinal loss to Cal could result in a drop down, but the Bruins might have too many quality wins to fall.

2. Stanford (24-6; 13-5 Pac-10): Last weekend's tough weekend in SoCal could knock the Cardinal out of a protected seed and pod placement in Anaheim, but one win this week would probably keep them in California for the opening weekend of the Big Dance. Their opening game will probably come against Arizona, a team they beat twice by a combined five points.

3. Washington State (23-7; 11-7 Pac-10): The Cougs already have an at-large taken care of, but they could improve their seeding up to a #5-seed (and maybe higher if they win the tournament) with a prolonged run. They'll start on Thursday against an Oregon team that usually struggles away from Eugene.

More analysis, including that of the conference's bubble teams, after the jump:

4. USC (20-10; 11-7 Pac-10): The Trojans will definitely be headed to the Big Dance this year, although their seeding is still up in the air. They've won five of their last six games and could be primed for a long run in the tournament, but a loss to Arizona State in the quarterfinals might put them in a difficult 7/10 or 8/9 game.

5. Arizona State (19-11; 9-9 Pac-10): One of the clearest bubble teams in the country. If the Sun Devils win on Thursday, then they'll probably be in the field, but a loss would put them in a tough position heading into Selection Sunday. One thing's certain: if ASU loses out on a bid to Arizona (a team they beat twice), then there will be a lot of unhappy people in Tempe.

6. Oregon (18-12; 9-9 Pac-10): Getting to .500 in this year's Pac-10 is no small feat, but the Ducks just didn't seem like an NCAA team for most of the season. Their nine wins aren't exactly life-affirming, but a solid performance this week could assure them of a spot in the Big Dance. I'm just not sure they deserve it over Arizona State or Arizona.

7. Arizona (18-3; 8-10 Pac-10): Maybe the hardest team to figure out in the whole country. Top-ranked strength of schedule and some unfortunate injuries partially excuse their sub-.500 finish, but they've lost winnable games with a full roster, too. A win over Oregon State on Wednesday is essentially a gimmie, so Thursday's likely matchup against Stanford could decide their fate. Whatever the case, it would be a shame not to have Jerryd Bayless in the NCAAs this year.

8. Washington (16-15; 7-11 Pac-10): The Huskies will need to win the tournament to avoid the NIT. Given their inconsistent play and average talent, I don't see that happening.

9. Cal (15-14; 6-12 Pac-10). Another team that will have to win the whole thing, but, unlike U-Dub, I think Cal actually has a slight chance. The Golden Bears have a ton of offensive talent that, if accompanied by an inspired defensive performance, could result in an unlikely run to the tournament championship. I wouldn't bet on it, though.

10. Oregon State (6-24; 0-18 Pac-10): No chance. Let's just leave it at that.

Four Days of Mutually Assured Destruction: Pac-10 Tournament Preview originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 12 Mar 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stanford Clinches Top 2 Finish in Pac-10

Ty Keenan — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 22:28:00 EST

Filed under: Pac-10 Basketball, Stanford Basketball, Washington State Basketball

Stanford doesn't always play 40 minutes of great basketball, but when they put everything together they show why they've achieved a Top 10 ranking this year. After struggling for most of the first half, the Cardinal overcame an 11-point halftime deficit and topped Washington State 60-53 in Palo Alto.

Brook Lopez keyed the comeback, scoring 19 of his 25 points in the second half and generally dominating the paint at both ends. Lopez was extremely emotional throughout the game, yelling and screaming with nearly every basket and stop in the second half. This was probably the sophomore's final home game for the Cardinal and he certainly made it a memorable one.

While the offense was impressive during the run, Stanford won this game with their defense. Derrick Low scored 14 points in the first half, but he was held scoreless after the break due to some suffocating defense from guard Anthony Goods. Wazzu didn't make a field goal over the last 6:50 and didn't score for the last 3:16. Defense has been Stanford's trademark throughout the year, but their defense over the last few minutes of this game ranks up there with their best performances of the season.

The Cardinal clinched no worse than a second-place finish with this win, and that virtually guarantees them a Top 4 seed and a likely spot in the Anaheim pod. Next Thursday's matchup with UCLA in Westwood will go a long way towards deciding the conference champion. The Bruins have to be the favorite in that game, but the Cardinal have shown that they are often able to overcome their flaws and put together long stretches of dominant basketball.

Stanford Clinches Top 2 Finish in Pac-10 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 01 Mar 2008 22:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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