The Thursday 25

1.) Kansas (4-0)

2.) Texas (4-0)

3.) Connecticut (4-0)

4.) Syracuse (5-0)

5.) Kentucky (5-0)

6.) North Carolina (5-1)

7.) Purdue (4-0)

8.) Tennessee (4-1)

9.) Michigan State (4-0)

10.) Duke (4-0)

11.) Villanova (5-0)

12.) Gonzaga (5-1)

13.) Cincinnati (4-1)

14.) Butler (3-0)

15.) Notre Dame (5-0)

16.) Michigan (2-0)

17.) West Virginia (2-0)

18.) Ohio State (4-1)

19.) Washington (4-0)

20.) Memphis (3-1)

21.) Florida (4-0)

22.) Louisville (4-0)

23.) Georgetown (3-0)

24.) Clemson (4-0)

25.) Xavier (3-0)

Did that look familiar, Jayhawk fans?

Because tonight's KU-Syracuse game was like an ESPN Classic replay of last year's national championship game. For virtually the entire game, Kansas led. Sometimes by a lot, sometimes by a little. But for 39 1/2 minutes, the young Jayhawks were in control of the game. They played with superior energy on both ends of the court. They looked like last year's Jayhawks. Great basketball from both teams. But with 6 seconds left, the tides turned when Jonny Flynn capped the final Syracuse comeback by nailing a three-pointer to force overtime. Somewhere, John Calipari is smiling. Because of course, that's just how his Memphis Tigers lost the last game of the 2008 season, a game that looked all but won for the Tigers until the dying moments. And what happened to Kansas tonight is exactly what happened to Memphis last year: the opposition had their way with them in overtime.

Tonight's game meant a lot more for the Orange than it did for Kansas, though. It was the second top 25 win in as many days for Syracuse, who will probably be ranked inside the top 20 next Monday when the new polls are released. I actually enjoyed Dick Vitale's commentary, especially on the subject of Arinze Onuaku. In the modern college game where posts like to pop out and shoot the three more than bang down low and box out, Onuaku is a rare big man in the Shelden Williams/DeJuan Blair mold. At the moment, it looks like the sophomore is only a little bit of motivation away from being a superstar and a household name come March.

Thursday Top 25

1. North Carolina (2-0)
2. Notre Dame (1-0)
3. Gonzaga (2-0)
4. Louisville (0-0)
5. Connecticut (2-0)
6. Pittsburgh (2-0)
7. Wake Forest (2-0)
8. Texas (2-0)
9. Michigan State (2-0)
10. UCLA (2-0)
11. Duke (3-0)
12. Oklahoma (2-0)
13. Purdue (3-0)
14. Davidson (2-1)
15. Tennessee (2-0)
16. UNLV (2-0)
17. Kansas (2-0)
18. Saint Mary's (2-0)
19. UAB (3-0)
20. Memphis (2-0)
21. Syracuse (2-0)
22. Georgetown (1-0)
23. Arizona State (2-0)
24. Florida (2-0)
25. Xavier (2-0)

Outside looking in: USC, Ohio State, Miami, Michigan, Wisconsin

How Manny Harris remained under the national radar for his entire freshman year is becoming more and more of a mystery to me.

Michigan hasn't been dancing in March since Robert Traylor led them there in 1998, and that season (and the previous 3 seasons) have since been vacated due to NCAA violations. However, that's a drought that John Beilein has put the Wolverines in position to overcome, mostly due to the emergence of Harris and junior forward DeShawn Sims as legitimate. All Harris has done this season is put up 56 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists in two games, setting single-game highs in all three areas (30, 10 and 8). I've read a lot about the Wolverines being "one year away," when Harris and Sims have more of a supporting cast, but I'm convinced that their "time" starts now. More to come on the Michigan-UCLA game next week.

Games to watch Friday, November 14:
NC Central @ #21 Wake Forest - You should watch because...tonight is our first regular season glimpse of the new-look Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Don't look for it to be a competitive game, but do pay attention to how Dino Gaudio handles playing time and positions in his frontcourt rotation.
UNC-Greensboro @ Charlotte - You should watch because...UNCG opens their season without the dominant Kyle Hines for the first time in 4 years. Charlotte's Halton Arena is as tough a place to play as there is in the nation.
Bucknell @ Maryland - You should watch because...this might be the only team Maryland plays all year that has a worse frontcourt than the Terps.
American @ #12 Oklahoma - You should watch because...of what should be a great backcourt battle between Willie Warren and Garrison Carr.
Missouri State @ Auburn - You should watch because...Chris Cooks averaged 25 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists in MSU's two exhibition wins. He could have a field day against a horrible Auburn frontcourt.
Hofstra @ Clemson - You should watch because...the sooner you familiarize yourself with Hofstra sophomore Charles Jenkins, the better.

Old Dog, New Tricks: Part One

In Duke's final three games of last season (ACC tournament loss to Clemson, 1-point NCAA win over Belmont, and 6-point NCAA loss to WVU), the Blue Devils fired up 69 three-point attempts and only 99 shots from within the arc.

It looks like Coach K has learned his lesson and adopted a new style. Last night, Duke's four leading scorers (Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith, Jon Scheyer and Lance Thomas) were a combined 19-29 on 2-point shots, and 2-5 from outside. Thanks to trigger-happy Greg B. Paulus, the team as a whole was 3-11 on three-point shots. Of course, it remains to be seen whether or not this style will still apply once the ACC season starts and Duke no longer has a size advangate. But in their first ("tune-up") game last year against NC Central, the Blue Devils still tossed up 3-pointers at an alarmingly high rate (41% of their shots). This step is most certainly in the right direction for Coach K and Duke. Three-point shooting is clearly one of the strengths of this team, but it's far from the only strength. Duke has playmakers. Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith and Gerald Henderson bring versatility to this team, and it's a team that can make a lot of noise in March if Krzyzewski keeps preaching the dangers of being a one-dimensional team.

Unspectacular debuts for Duke freshmen Miles Plumlee and Elliot Williams. Plumlee started at center (opposite a Presbyterian player 3 inches his shorter) and played 13 minutes (0 points, 2 rebounds, 3 turnovers). The flashy Williams displayed very little of that flash (1-3 fg, 2 points, 3 fouls).

Three games today feature sub-DI teams: Arkansas-Monticello vs. UMass, Michigan Tech vs. Michigan, and California (PA) vs. SIU-Carbondale.

The Picks (1-1)
Northeastern 68, IUPUI 52
Houston 75, Presbyterian 52
#8 Duke 90, Georgia Southern 68

Re-Introductions and Preseason Top 25

Isn't this a great time of year? I personally have been almost unable to control my excitement for the last two weeks. But yes; it's November again, which means that I'm back at the computer and hopefully for my first whole season.

Since it's a new season (Houston and Georgia Southern kick things off tomorrow at 4:00), let me once again reiterate the purpose of this blog. I'm a passionate fan of college basketball itself more than I am a fan of one team. If Prarie View A&M is battling North Carolina Central on a Wednesday night, I can watch it and get excited. Simply put, I love the game of college basketball. This space is reserved for my thoughts on everything that the aforementioned game entails. Well, not just mine. Whether you agree or disagree with my analysis, feel free to shoot me an email or leave a comment. All I ask is that you be tactful, or I will remove your comment.

Also, this is my first season of playing fantasy college basketball. This season I'll be running another blog, The Revolution, with fantasy advice in an attempt to get the word out that yes, fantasy college basketball is out there and yes, it's great fun if you, like me, are a big fan of college hoops.

Now, let's get down to business. Here's my take on the top 25.
1. North Carolina - What sets this team apart from other powerhouses this year is its depth. There are a few teams whose starting fives could trade blows with UNC's starters, but the depth of Roy Williams' squad is unmatched, making the Tar Heels the clear favorites to win a title. This is a team that could lose any of their starting five (yes, even Psycho T) and not miss a beat with the talent on their bench.
2. Notre Dame - The Irish return the nation's best floor general (junior Tory Jackson), one of the nation's best three-point shooters (senior Kyle McAlarney) and of course, Luke Harangody. It's imperative that all three stay healthy all season, though, as depth at guard might prove to be the most prominent of this team's few shortcomings. Notre Dame's short bench will likely result in a 8-man rotation. 6-10 forward/center Luke Zeller provides the Irish with another unlikely three-point threat, as he should step into the starting lineup for the first time in his college career.
3. Gonzaga - Austin Daye and Jeremy Pargo turned down the NBA for another season of playing for Mark Few at Gonzaga, and what a season it should be. With most of the key pieces back from last year's WCC Championship squad, GU is poised to break through to their first Final Four, and possibly even further. The Bulldogs will miss the tenacious D of Larry Gurganious and the depth provided by their two graduated forwards, but the positives of this team heavily outweigh the negatives. Josh Heytvelt looks to be in 2006-2007 form, when he was one of the most dominant big men in the country; Austin Daye is poised for a breakout season, as he can score almost at will from anywhere on the court; Matt Bouldin and Steven Gray will provide explosive scoring from the wings, and Jeremy Pargo returns as the WCC's preseason POY.
4. Louisville - Everyone knows about the nation's best starting frontcourt (Terrence Williams, Earl Clark, and freshman center Samardo Samuels), but what determines this team's destiny will be the question mark: guard play. Edgar Sosa will likely start the season by coming off the bench behind two solid but unspectacular guards in Andre McGee and Jerry Smith. If Sosa can step up and be the explosive backcourt scorer that the Cardinals need, there's no reason why Louisville won't be a title contender.
5. Connecticut - Yes, UConn is back, and this time with two of the nation's best pure point guards. AJ Price returns to lead a Husky lineup including the fearsome frontcourt tandem of Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien, along with explosive swingman Jerome Dyson. However, it's the new face in the rotation that is causing the most stir at UConn. The new face is that of highly-touted freshman Kemba Walker, who will inherit the point guard position when AJ Price graduates after this season. Kemba will be the first man off the bench for Jim Calhoun, but he will essentially play a starter's minutes.
6. UCLA - Darren Collison and Josh Shipp return to LA to headline the 2008-2009 UCLA Bruins. Alfred Aboya and James Keefe, both of whom showed flashes of brilliance last year, will form the starting frontcourt, but will still compete with newcomers Drew Gordon and J'Mison Morgan for minutes. Freshman Jrue Holliday will step into the starting lineup immediately and try to fill the gaping hole left by Russell Westbrook. He'll have a lot of expectations and hypelive up to, but the solid core of returning players will ease his transition to the college game. I expect this team to improve by leaps and bounds as the season progresses.
7. Pittsburgh - The one thing each of the top five teams have in common is a top-level point guard, and that's exactly what the Pitt Panthers have in Levance Fields; if he can stay healthy, that is. Fields missed 12 games with a foot injury last season, and re-injured the foot during the offseason. Low-post banger DeJuan Blair could put up All-American numbers coming off his outstanding freshman campaign (11.6 ppg, 9 rpg), while Sam Young will once again be looked to as the go-to scorer (18 ppg last year). Also, look for sophomore swingman Gilbert Brown to be more of a factor on both ends of the court. Pitt's key players will need to stay healthy and out of foul trouble, as Jamie Dixon's bench is almost totally untested. Freshman Ashton Gibbs will be the starting point guard until Fields can rejoin the lineup.
8. Duke - Once again, Duke will begin another season with a plethora of talented guards and a sketchy group of big men. But Coach K is shaking things up in Durham; Skinny (and I do mean skinny; 6-10, 230 lbs.) freshman Miles Plumlee will start at center for the Blue Devils, joining sophomore star Kyle Singler, Duke's leading scorer last year. Meanwhile, Nolan Smith will usurp Greg Paulus as the starting point guard. We have yet to see how explosive freshman Elliot Williams will fit into Duke's loaded backcourt, but you can bet that Krzyzewski will find minutes for the player Gregg Doyel says "will give Duke the athleticism and swagger...it hasn't had in several years."
9. Wake Forest - The #3 recruiting class in the nation will be the #1 impact class. Al-Farouq Aminu, Ty Walker and Tony Woods have Wake fans excited about this season, and for good reason. All three are top 20 recruits, and they join a team which had the necessary talent to be great last year, but lacked the necessary experience. The sky is the limit for Dino Gaudio's second WF team. The good? Wake Forest will have an extremely talented and extremely deep squad. The bad? No NCAA tournament experience. There's also the problem of how Coach Gaudio is planning to have his two best players (Aminu and sophomore James Johnson) on the floor at the same time, as they both are natural power forwards.
10. Michigan State - Rounding out the top 10 is Michigan State. Sophomores Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers appear to be more than ready to take over the Tom Izzo's backcourt. When combhined with explosive forward Raymar Morgan and physical center Goran Suton, this Michigan State team could easily be better than any of Drew Neitzel's MSU teams. Forward Delvon Roe is a highly-touted freshman with a very high ceiling. A large part of the Spartans' fate depends on how much Goran Suton (9.1 ppg, 8.2 rpg last year) is called upon to score this year, and how he responds to that call.
11. Texas - Damion James will pick up where Kevin Durant left off 2 years ago, winning the Big 12 POY.
12. Purdue - Tough, physical defense and young talent. Like Wisconsin, just better.
13. Tennessee - There's just something about Vol basketball that seems completely boring and wrong to me. Maybe it's the 40 three-point attempts every game. Doesn't it seem like they start 5 guys who are all 6-6 and wear white headbands? But nonetheless, with a top 10 recruiting class and returning talent, they'll win the SEC.
14. Davidson - The best player in the nation returns with a good but relatively unknown supporting cast.
15. UNLV - Lon Kruger has a very dangerous and underrated team out west.
16. Oklahoma - Besides Blake Griffin and an untested Willie Warren, who will step up?
17. Kansas - It's time for Sherron Collins to step into the spotlight as a legitimate star.
18. Texas A&M - This team will look a lot different without Acie Law running the show. Look for Josh Carter and Bryan Davis to have breakout seasons.
19. Georgetown - Freshman Greg Monroe takes over for Roy Hibbert, while DaJuan Summers, Jessie Sapp and Austin Freeman form a solid, experienced core. Depth will be an issue.
20. Saint Mary's - Four starters return, including All-America candidate Patty Mills.
21. UAB - Paul Delaney III returns, having missed all but a handful of games last season. He and Robert Vaden form one of the best backcourts in the nation.
22. Memphis - The season depends on the emergence of freshman Tyreke Evans. Can he carry the scoring load by himself?
23. San Diego - This is one of the most underrated teams ever. Why is no one talking about the Toreros?
24. USC - Demar DeRozan will make the Trojans better than they were with OJ Mayo.
25. Arizona State - James Harden can score at will against the weak defenses of the Pac 10. Having Jeff Pendergraph doesn't hurt either.

Outside looking in: Wisconsin, Miami, Ohio State, Nevada, Florida

The Picks - 10 November 08
2K Sports Classic
Houston 68, Georgia Southern 63
#8 Duke 78, Presbyterian 55

Breaking down the NCAA tournament

Assuming that these are the conference champions of their respective conferences, here are my rankings of the potential at-large and bubble teams for the 2007 NCAA tournament:

Conference champions:

America East - Albany
ACC - UNC
Atlantic Sun - Belmont
Atlantic 10 - Massachusetts
Big East - Pittsburgh
Big Sky - Eastern Washington
Big South - Winthrop
Big Ten - Ohio State
Big 12 - Oklahoma State
Big West - Long Beach State
CAA - Drexel
Conference USA - Memphis
Horizon League - Butler
Ivy League - Harvard
MAAC - Marist
MAC - Ohio
Mid-Continent - Oral Roberts
MEAC - Florida A&M
Missouri Valley - Southern Illinois
Mountain West - Air Force
Northeast - Sacred Heart
Ohio Valley - Samford
Pac 10 - UCLA
Patriot - Holy Cross
Southeastern - Florida
Southern - Davidson
Southland - Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
SWAC - Jackson State
Sun Belt - Western Kentucky
West Coast - Gonzaga
WAC - Nevada

At-large teams (1-34 are in, 35-50 are out)

1. Wisconsin
2. Arizona
3. Kansas
4. Alabama
5. Duke
6. Texas A&M
7. Notre Dame
8. Clemson
9. West Virginia
10. Tennessee
11. LSU
12. Oregon
13. Washington State
14. Southern Cal
15. Florida State
16. Northern Iowa
17. Washington
18. Maryland
19. UNLV
20. Texas
21. Arkansas
22. Missouri State
23. Kansas State
24. Wichita State
25. Connecticut
26. Michigan State
27. Villanova
28. Missouri
29. Purdue
30. California-Berkeley
31. Illinois
32. Kentucky
33. Georgia Tech
34. Georgetown

-------------

35. Virginia
36. Marquette
37. Michigan
38. Xavier
39. Creighton
40. Dayton
41. Indiana State
42. Saint Louis
43. Texas Tech
44. Fresno State
45. Providence
46. Appalachian State
47. Virginia Commonwealth
48. Syracuse
49. North Carolina State
50. New Mexico State

--Dave

01/04/07 Recap

USC has finally developed something resembling a basketball program. In fact, a very good one. The excitement at Southern Cal seems to be pointed toward the future, with two of the top recruits in the country in the next two years committed to wearing Cardinal and Gold. But the Trojans have managed a phenomenal start to the 2006-2007 season. The Trojan's start hasn't garnished any national attention; as of this week's AP and Coaches Polls, USC has a combined 0 votes, despite handling then-#14 Washington last week. Led in scoring by junior small forward Nick Young, the Trojans compiled an impressive 10-3 record against tough competition in OOC, and are off to a 2-1 start in the Pac-10.

Well, USC showed up tonight, handing #16 Oregon team its first loss, in Eugene, Oregon. Freshman Taj Gibson led the charge for the Trojans with 18 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 blocked shots. Even more amazing, he only was charged with one foul.

Give the Trojans some credit, please. They deserve it.

01/04/07 Picks

01/04/07 Picks:
Overall Record (14-9)
No time for scores, I'm late for work:

@ETSU over Lipscomb
Pitt over @Syracuse
@Indiana State over Creighton
@Providence over Marquette
@Wichita State over Bradley
Southern Illinois over @Drake
Southern Cal over @Oregon
@Memphis over Cincy
Michigan State over @Iowa
Arizona over @Washington


--Dave

14 games

Louisville @ #17 Notre Dame - The Cardinals have bounced back nicely after losing consecutive home games, by winning 5 straight. However, the lost their only road game to this point in the season.

Kansas State @ Xavier - Freshman Bill Walker makes this squad a legitimate tourney team, and a very dangerous one to the "Big Dogs" of the Big 12. The last 5 games have been brutal for the Musketeers, losing three (@Creighton, @ Cincy, at home to Bucknell) and winning two (Arizona State and Illinois, both at home).

Northwestern @ Penn State - This battle of typical Big 10 cellar teams takes on a new meaning this year. Northwestern's 3 losses have been by a combined 9 points, and Penn State's 4 losses have been by an average of 6 points. Could we be seeing two decent teams? Naw.

#23 Clemson @ Florida State - Clemson, as everyone knows, is boasting a 14-game winning streak to begin this season. Three of those games were on the road, against decent competition. Those 14 wins come by an average of 19 points. FSU has lost only two games: at Pittsburgh, and at Wisconsin. Since then, they have won 8 straight, including a win over then-#1 Florida, and a 30-point rout of Providence.

Chattanooga @ Furman - These SoCon contenders meet for the first of two times this year, and both come in with .500 records and winless in Southern Conference play. Looming in front of each of these teams in a few days is a SoCon powerhouse. On January 6th, Chattanooga hosts Appalachian State (11-3, 3-0). On January 10th, Furman hosts Davidson (12-3, 3-0). Both teams need a win to take positive momentum into the conference season.

Villanova @ #25 West Virginia - A rarity for BCS conference teams, Villanova played 7 of its 12 OOC games on the road. They are rewarded with an RPI of 12. They should be well-prepared for a tough Big East schedule. The Mountaineers have demonstrated that they can win at home, handing then-#9 Connecticut its first loss.

DePaul @ St. John's - At home, the Blue Demons are 8-0, with wins over Kansas, Wake Forest, and California. On the road, they are 1-5, with losses to Northwestern, Bradley, and UAB. On the other hand, St. John's can't beat anyone who is anyone, no matter where the game is. The high point of the year for the Red Storm was a loss to Texas, if that says anything.

Rutgers @ Seton Hall - Things are finally starting to look better for Rutgers. After losing their first five DI games, they have won six of seven. Four of Seton Hall's eight wins have come against team outside the top 300 in RPI.

New Mexico @ TCU - Don't kid yourself. Neither of these teams will challenge Air Force.

Illinois @ Michigan - The Wolverines can't afford consecutive losses at home. Look for Michigan to make a statement, following their so-called "soft" OOC schedule.

Evansville @ Northern Iowa - In the MVC, holding home-court is everything. UNI needs to avoid a letdown coming off the huge win at Wichita State.

Air Force @ Colorado State - Both teams have won 9 straight. CSU is coming off its biggest win yet, a road triumph over Chattanooga. Remember back in the day, when AFA was blowing out BCS schools right and left? They shouldn't lose more than one MWC game.

Gonzaga @ Virginia - After tonight, one of these teams will be headed back in the right direction. The other will probably be a bubble team come March.

Hofstra @ NC-Wilmington - Hofstra seems to have turned around since an 0-3 start, winning 8 of 9. But what about the Seahawks? Last year's CAA champs are 3-7, and not looking at all like a CAA contender.

01/03/07 Picks:
Overall record (6-3)
at Notre Dame 76, Louisville 61
Kansas State 70, at Xavier 68
Northwestern 82, at Penn State 78
at Florida State 85, Clemson 80
at Furman 72, Chattanooga 66
at West Virginia 72, Villanova 71
Depaul 86, at St. John's 66
at Seton Hall 62, Rutgers 61
New Mexico 65, at TCU 59
at Michigan 78, Illinois 60
at Northern Iowa 69, Evansville 56
Air Force 70, at Colorado State 45
Gonzaga 87, at Virginia 81
Hofstra 67, at UNC-Wilmington 51