Pac-10

Poll: Best Conference in 2008-09?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 08:21:56 -0700

College Football: 2008 Pac-10 Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 09:25:36 -0700

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The last time a Pac-10 team other than USC took the league’s automatic BCS berth was…2002. That year saw Washington State represent the league in the Rose Bowl, but the Trojans still managed to grab an at-large berth in the Orange Bowl. But given the program that Pete Carroll has built in Los Angeles, the better question may be whether or not the Pac-10 can send two teams to the BCS. While the Trojans return a wealth of talent on both sides of the football, making them the clear favorite to once again win the conference, there are two teams that can make sure their road to Pasadena (or Miami should they rank in the top two) isn’t a walk in the park.

Arizona State could be poised to make a run at the top spot this season due to the return of senior quarterback Rudy Carpenter and fifteen other starters. The primary issue for the Sun Devils will be a schedule that is much more challenging than last season’s slate. In addition to hosting Georgia September 20^th, ASU also visits Cal and USC before hosting Oregon. And yes, those four games are all in a row, which makes that stretch all the more important. As for the Ducks, they may be without the services of quarterback Nate Costa for a while due to a knee injury suffered earlier this week. But they do have Justin Roper, who also saw time in place of Dennis Dixon last season. On the other side of the ball Oregon could have one of the league’s best secondary units, led by Patrick Chung at safety and Walter Thurmond III at corner.

Those may be the three most likely suspects to take home the Pac-10 title, but is also a group of possible spoilers who could at the least prevent one of those three from winning the league. California will be looking to recover from last season’s tailspin in which they lost six of their last seven regular season games before beating Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl. Kevin Riley takes over at quarterback, but they’ll have to replace RB Justin Forsett and wide receivers DeSean Jackson, Robert Jordan and Lavelle Hawkins. Seven starters are back on defense, including all three linebackers.

Oregon State also has the ability to pull off an upset or two this season, and they’ll look to get better play at quarterback from Lyle Moevao and Sean Canfield. WR Sammie Stroughter should be in better spirits after injury and personal issues that plagued him in 2007. The problem for OSU could be a defense that while experienced in regards to eligibility returns just three starters. Rick Neuheisel takes over at UCLA and will have Norm Chow with him as offensive coordinator. But the familiar injury woes at quarterback have stuck, with Patrick Cowan being lost for the season and Ben Olson struggling to stay healthy. But DeWayne Walker is back to coordinate the defense, something that should maintain continuity in a unit that ranked 29^th in total defense last season.

A program in desperate need of a good season, both for the job security of its head coach and the sanity of its fan base is Arizona, and they just might be able to reach bowl eligibility for the first time since the 1998 season. Willie Tuitama returns to lead an offense that returns ten starters, most notably wide receivers Mike Thomas, Terrell Turner and Delashaun Dean and tight end Rob Gronkowski. The questions lie with a defense that returns only three starters this season and frankly looked to be overrated at times in 2007. While Washington heads into this season with the conference’s toughest non-conference schedule (once again), head coach Tyrone Willingham’s team may need to show some serious improvement if he’s to return for another season in Seattle. Jake Locker is one of the better dual threat quarterbacks in the country, but the Huskies must find him some playmakers to help carry the load.

Jim Harbaugh may not have gotten to a bowl game in his first season at Stanford, but he did pull off one of the biggest upsets of the season in knocking off USC in the LA Coliseum. The defense could be a strength with nine starters back on The Farm (led by tackle Ekom Udofia and linebacker Clinton Snyder), but new coordinators Andy Buh and Ron Lynn will have their hands full since Stanford ranked 98^th in total defense last season. The offense was even worse last season, ranking 107^th in total offense, but the Cardinal found a way to finish the season +3 in turnover margin. But just like Washington they’ll have a non-conference schedule that could make it difficult to achieve bowl eligibility.

Lastly, there’s Washington State, who welcomes Paul Wulff as its new head coach. Also on the agenda for the Cougars is replacing Alex Brink at quarterback. Despite the heavy criticism for not being able to lead WSU to new heights, Brink left the Paloose as one of the best quarterbacks in school history when looking at the numbers. But they do have four starters back on the offensive line and RB Dwight Tardy, who missed spring ball in order to recover from knee surgery. Eight starters are also back on defense, but that gift could be a curse if they play like the 85^th ranked defense that was on the field in 2007. It will take Coach Wulff and his staff a little time to rebuild, but they do share a campus with a guy who knows how to do the “unthinkable”: head basketball coach Tony Bennett.

So while the Pac-10 has a clear favorite in USC, it would be unfair to sum the conference up as one juggernaut and nine also-rans that go into 2008 hoping for a miracle. And as crazy as last season proved to be, you never know where the chips will fall come January.

Players of the Year: QB Rudy Carpenter (Arizona State) and LB Rey Maualuga (USC)

Coach of the Year: Pete Carroll (USC)

Newcomers of the Year: RB LaGarrette Blount (Oregon) and DE Trey Henderson (USC)

Three Best Non-Conference Games

1. Ohio State @ USC (September 13^th): This could be the best non-conference game of the season in college football, with the winner going a long way in grabbing a spot in the BCS National Championship Game.

2. Georgia @ Arizona State (September 20^th): The Bulldogs take their first trip west of the Mississippi since 1960 and could very well be headed home with a loss. Whether ASU is one year away or their time is now could be decided on this night.

3. Oregon State @ Penn State (September 6^th): This is a measuring stick game for both programs, maybe more so for the Beavers. Luckily for the Beavers their three returning starters are in the secondary, with the Nittany Lions having one of the best receiving corps in the nation.

Conference Game of the Year

Arizona State @ USC (October 11^th): The second of two home games for the Trojans against the likely challengers to their reign with Oregon visiting on October 4^th. Last year USC drilled the Sun Devils in Tempe on Thanksgiving night, cementing themselves as the frontrunner in the conference race. The winner here could very well do the same thing.

How they’ll finish

1. USC

2. Arizona State

3. Oregon

4. California

5. Oregon State

6. UCLA

7. Arizona

8. Washington

9. Stanford

10. Washington State

Rise & Fall: BCS Conference Review

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:21:22 -0700

In recent weeks, the Rise & Fall series has chronicled the progress (or regress) of college basketball's major conference teams. But if I equated each team to a civilization, I was mistaken. It is really the NCAA conference that equates to a burgeoning civilization or nation, each with its sometimes stable and sometimes rotating member states. Like civilizations, the prestige and power of conferences wax and wane..

Today, we finish with the status of the BCS "power" conferencess. (Check out the Rise & Fall: Data article to see how the league groupings were made).

BCS CONFERENCES

ACC - STATUS QUO

For four of the past five years, the ACC has led the nation in RPI.. and it should be in the running for that title once again in 08-09. UNC is obviously loaded, and Duke could arguably finish 2nd in the league and 2nd in the country. The ACC hasn't had a bad season since 2000, and that trend should continue regardless of how schools like BC and Virginia struggle. Bad teams in the ACC are really just mediocre teams in other leagues. For example, last place finisher BC had a non-conference RPI of 132, which was 26 spots higher than 2nd place Big Ten finisher Purdue.

BIG EAST - STATUS QUO

The Beast is hard to judge because league membership has changed a lot since taking on the CUSA expats in 2005. Its also the largest league in the country with 16 teams. Its conceivable that 9 teams make the Dance in 2009, but its also conceivable that bottom-feeders like DePaul, USF, and St. John's finish with sub-200 RPIs. Though this should be the Big East's best season (perhaps finishing 1st in RPI for the first time since the 90's?), it merely makes up for the past two sub-par seasons.

BIG TEN - DECLINING

Outside of a freak 2006 season (1st in RPI), the Big Ten has been rather weak in recent seasons.. hovering around 5th or 6th in the RPI. Last year was certainly the worst in recent memory with an RPI of 6th and a non-league RPI of 8th (worse than the A10 & MVC). This year should continue this recent trend of mediocrity. Indiana is obviously decimated, perennial doormats Northwestern and Penn State will fill their usual roles, while the recent decline of Illinois continues with the suspension of Jamar Smith. Things aren't all bad.. Michigan State has legitimate Final Four hopes, Wisconsin should pull off its usual surprise success, Purdue is on the right track, and Ohio State brings in another monster class. But whatever success those schools have will be offset by the four or five teams that end up being absolutely awful.

BIG 12 - STATUS QUO

Despite being home to the reigning national champs, the numbers suggest that it was basically an average season for the Big 12 (3rd compared to an average of 4.3 over since 1999). Kansas and Texas have dominated the league for the last decade, with '04 Oklahoma State being the only other Big 12 team to lead the league in RPI. This trend should continue as Texas looks to be the heavy favorites ahead of Oklahoma. Overall, there aren't any major trends to note in the Big 12. Baylor is a team on the rise, but those gains are offset by the decline of Oklahoma State and the recent struggles of Iowa State.

PAC-10 - RISING

Just a handful of years ago, the Pac-10 was the ugly step-child of BCS leagues. From 2000 to 2007, the league was arguably no better than the likes of the MWC or A10. It hit an all-time low in 2004 when the Pac-10 finished 9th in overall RPI. However, the league has regained its lost stature in the last two seasons, in large part due to coaching changes in SoCal. Ben Howland has rejuvenated UCLA, while Tim Floyd has brought back a bit of swagger (and NBA talent) to USC. After being 2nd in the RPI last year, I expect a fall back to the 4-5 range, which is still solid considering the lows a few years back.

SEC - DECLINING (SLOWLY)

From 2000 to 2003, the SEC led the nation in RPI each season. Since that impressive four-year run, things have taken a step back and last season's RPI (4th) is the new norm. While the top could be even better than last year (Florida should rebound and Tennessee should once again be great), it is the bottom tier teams holding the league back. Georgia's been plagued by personnel issues, South Carolina's mired in mediocrity, LSU can't find stability, Auburn is going nowhere, while Arkansas recently lost every talented player on its roster.

- Note that league power isn't quite as fluid as team power, so seemingly small baby steps end up counting more..

BCS

ACC

Big 12

Big East

Big Ten

Pac-10

SEC

High-Major

Atlantic 10

Conference USA

MVC

MWC

WAC

Mid-Major

Big West

Colonial

Horizon

MAC

MAAC

Southern

Sun Belt

WCC

Rise & Fall: The Data

Rise & Fall: Mid-Majors

Rise & Fall: High-Majors

Poll: Who is the Pac-10's Top Incoming Freshman?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 06:17:48 -0700

Rise and Fall: Pac-10 Program Review

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:19:22 -0700

Like civilizations, all great basketball programs eventually fall.. replaced by an upstart newcomer. In this week's Rise & Fall series, we'll take a look at which BCS programs are rising, falling, or merely treading water. Up today, the:

PAC-10

ARIZONA - DECLINING (SLOWLY )

While the Brandon Jennings loss hurts, its not the end of the world for this storied program. In fact, a steady decline has been occurring for the last handful of seasons. Bracketing the turn of the century, the Wildcats were a Top 10 RPI team in 8 of 10 seasons, but its hard to imagine those lofty heights being met in the near future. The talent level just isn't what it once was, and with this group, just making the Big Dance will be an accomplishment.

ARIZONA STATE - RISING

In Tempe, there's definitely (and finally) positive momentum building. Herb Sendek was obviously the first key, followed by the big catch of James Harden. With Harden back for another season, some are suggesting this is a Top 15 team. While I wouldn't go that far, this should be the best ASU team since at least 2003 (RPI of 32), and possibly as far back as the mid-nineties.

CALIFORNIA - DECLINING (SLOWLY )

While you might think this program is in a freefall, the reality is that the Bears haven't been good since 2003 (2006 being a flukey interlude). Last year's team won only 6 league games.. and that was with Ryan Anderson and DeVon Hardin. It would be an amazing accomplishment for new coach Mike Montgomery to match that total. Montgomery and stud recruit DJ Seeley prevent Cal from dropping into the Declining (Quickly) category, but it will take some time to get things back on the right track.

OREGON - STATUS QUO

The Ducks have been frustratingly mediocre for the last decade. In fact, there's only been one Top 30 team in the past 8 years. Last year's experienced team blahed it up to a 9-9 Pac-10 record (the NCAA bid simply being a result of the league's undeserved hype). While the roster turns over with some talented kids coming in, another similar mediocre effort should be in store. For whatever reason, the administration is satisfied with this state of affairs (recently extending Kent's contract), but I'm not as easily impressed.

OREGON STATE - DECLINING (QUICKLY)

In a sense, this is an unfair assessment. Last year's results were such an embarrassment (to not only the program, but D1 basketball in general) that there's really nowhere to go but up. But maybe I'm wrong.. their RPI trend is from 103, to 176, to 198, to 276.. leaving 40 more spots for OSU to fall. (In reality, the Pac-10 schedule strength creates a floor around 280 or so that OSU couldn't possibly fall through unless they literally didn't win a game all season).

STANFORD - STATUS QUO

Last year was impressive, but the Lopez twins were the main reason why. Now they should be back to the trend set in 05-06-07, about 17 wins and an RPI of 60. If anything, it might be a little worse this year, but those middling NIT-type teams should be the norm in the near future.

UCLA - STATUS QUO

Ben Howland has already completed one of the all-time great turnarounds.. turning an 11-win program into a three-time Final Four participant in less than a blink of the eye. Now, there's really nowhere to go but down. But considering the monster class heading to Westwood and the return of Darren Collison, another Final Four trip is certainly within reason. When Final Fours become the "status quo", you know you're doing a great job.

USC - RISING (SLOWLY)

While the one-year OJ Mayo era might simply be replaced by the one-year Demar DeRozan era.. Tim Floyd has already done a good job getting the Trojans back on track. In the last four years, the RPI has risen every season.. and this year's crew should once again fall in the Top 25-30 range. The next step for the program (now that they have the Galen Center) is to add the needed depth that will sustain the growth for years to come.

WASHINGTON - DECLINING (SLOWLY)

From 3rd in the country in 2005, the Huskies RPI has dropped from 35 to 81 to 121.. pretty brutal stuff. But they avoid the dreaded "Declining Quickly" category because I expect big-time improvement this season due to the return of Jon Brockman and an impressive recruiting class. Still, this was a program that was seemingly all the rage a handful of years ago, and now Lorenzo Romar and crew barely register on the national radar.

WASHINGTON STATE - RISING (SLOWLY)

Coming off two of the most improbable Top 25 seasons in college basketball history.. WSU is now at a crossroads. Do they begin the steady slide back into the dark & dank confines of the conference cellar, or does Tony Bennett ride the wave and build up a legitimate Top 25 program? Based on this year's loaded recruiting class (for WSU's standards), the latter seems more likely. While a major drop-off should be expected with Weaver, Low, etc gone.. the future is still bright in Pullman.

- up next & last is the SEC -

Additional Resources:

Rise & Fall: ACC

Rise & Fall: Big East

Rise & Fall: Big Ten

2008 Draft: Winners & Losers: Part One

Jason Brubaker — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:13:26 -0700

The 2008 NBA Draft is finally in the books, and most of the viewing audience are regaining their hearing after listening to four-plus hours of Stephen A. Smith, Dick Vitale and Stuart Scott. Sixty picks, a handful of trades, buckets of tears from proud mothers, some odd suit choices and A LOT of camera shots of Darrell Arthur in the green room later, it's time to see who came out ahead this year, and who will be saving seats for next year's lottery.

WINNERS

New Jersey Nets: The Nets pulled off a big trade prior to the draft, acquiring Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons while ridding themselves of Richard Jefferson's contract, and putting themselves in position to make a run at LeBron in 2010. Then, they managed to snag two quality players in the first round, getting Brook Lopez and Ryan Anderson. Lopez may not be a star, but he's a quality big man who should be a double-double machine for many years. Anderson can stretch the floor with his shooting, and could be a great weapon off the bench. But the biggest steal of the night may have been getting Chris Douglas-Roberts in the second round. CDR is a Rip Hamilton-type player, wiry strong with long arms, a good mid-range game, and a solid defender. He should be a solid rotation guy right away. The Nets do have a glut of big men on the roster, which means they might not be done dealing. The Nets won't be contenders next year, but they appear to be on the right path.

Portland Trail Blazers: Once again, the Blazers pulled off a great draft, wheeling and dealing throughout the night. When it was all said and done, they landed a terrific guard in Jerryd Bayless, who will team with Brandon Roy to give teams fits next year. Bayless isn't a pure point, but Roy is a playmaker from the off-guard position, so Bayless could operate as more of a scoring point next year. The Blazers also ended up with Nicolas Batum, a bouncy forward from France who might not contribute right away, but could be valuable down the line. They also managed to secure four future picks, meaning we can expect to see them just as busy at future drafts. With a healthy Greg Oden joining Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and Bayless next year, the Blazers will challenge for the playoffs in the loaded Western Conference.

Indiana Pacers: The Pacers took a page from last year's Blazers' handbook, essentially rebuilding their team in just 24 hours. First, they rid themselves of chronically injured and tragically overpaid Jermaine O'Neal, freeing up a ton of cap space for the future. For O'Neal, they managed to land point guard TJ Ford, which means malcontent Jamaal Tinsley is likely on his way out also. Then, in the draft, they worked the phone lines and landed swingman Brandon Rush, who should be ready to contribute right away. Next, they picked up Roy Hibbert, who won't win any sprints anytime soon, but adds some much-needed size and interior defense to the roster. They also landed Jarrett Jack in the Rush-Bayless trade, giving them another solid PG on the roster. The Pacers should challenge for the playoffs next year, especially in the East.

Miami Heat: The lesson to take from this draft? Never, ever listen to draft rumors. Despite weeks of reports about the Heat being reluctant to draft Michael Beasley, stories about how immature he might be, and word of super-secret, last-minute workouts with OJ Mayo and Jerryd Bayless, the Heat drafted....Beasley. His scoring and rebounding should be a great fit with Dwyane Wade's perimeter ability, and if he stays out of trouble, he could be a star. On top of that, they managed to address their point guard needs by acquiring Mario Chalmers, whose toughness, defense and basketball IQ will be a great fit alongside Wade. After a dismal season, things are starting to look pretty good in Miami again.

Freshmen: In all, 12 freshmen were selected in the draft, including seven in the lottery. While it was no shock to anyone who saw the success they had in college last year, it's still a noteworthy accomplishment for the class. Some, like Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley, will be asked to play right away, while others, like Anthony Randolph or Kosta Koufos, will be given time to develop. But there is plenty of star potential for the class, and no one would be surprised if it eventually produces multiple All-Stars. With this class joining a league already stocked full of young, marketable stars like LeBron, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade, the future of the NBA looks plenty bright.

Pac-10: The Pac-10 is sometimes thought of as more of a football conference, but they proved they play some hoops too, as evidenced by the draft. The conference led the way with 12 players selected, including five in the lottery and two more in the first round. The banner of the class will be carried by lottery picks OJ Mayo, Kevin Love and Jerryd Bayless, who all have star potential. Even second-rounders like Kyle Weaver and DeVon Hardin could prove to be valuable pick-ups. Following the Pac-10, the Big 12 had nine draftees, the SEC had six, the ACC and Big East each had four, and the Big 10 had three.

Check back tomorrow afternoon for the Draft's big losers.

Big 12 / Pac-10 Hardwood Series Schedule

Press Release — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 09:57:07 -0700

Irving, Texas - The Big 12 and Pacific-10 Conferences have announced the dates and matchups for the 2008 Big 12 / Pac-10 Hardwood Series. The series is in its second year after beginning competition during the 2007-08 season.

The majority of the games are scheduled for December 4-7, with three taking place outside the four-day series window. Each matchup is a return contest from 2007. The 2009 games in the series will be played December 3-6, while meetings in 2010 will take place December 2-5. After this season, new pairings will be in place for the next two years of the arrangement.

Last season, the Pac-10 held a 7-5 edge over the Big 12 in Hardwood Series games. Overall, the Big 12 posted an 11-8 advantage between the conferences in regular season and postseason play. The 12 contests averaged more than 10,000 fans, drawing a total of 123,035 to the arenas.

Additional components of the series, including the times and television information will be announced at a later date.

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)

2008 CollegeHoops.net Program & Conference of the Year

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:18:53 -0700

After a lengthy run of individual awards, we finally reach CHN's program and conference awards. As always, CHN writers voted for the best of the best:

CollegeHoops.net Program of the Year: Drake

By now, Drake’s surprise success has been discussed many times over. The 28-5 record, the MVC Championship, the Top 25 Ranking. The unknown players like Adam Emmenecker turning in all-star seasons, and a first year coach earning National Coach of the Year plaudits. But every time you read about the success of Keno Davis’s squad, the more shocking it truly seems.

Here at CHN, we pride ourselves on our top quality season preview and preseason rankings. Yet when it came to Drake, like everyone else, we were completely wrong. 165^th place was our prediction.. and we were only about 140 places off. In fact, Drake was projected to be 85 places worse than the 2^nd lowest team (Western Kentucky) that ended up in our Final Top 40. For shocking CHN’s experts and college basketball nation, Drake is a worthy program of the year.

Runner Up: Texas

After losing NBA All-Rookie performer Kevin Durant to the Draft, many thought that the Longhorns would regress. But instead, Rick Barnes led Texas to a record 31 win season as well as their 3^rd Elite Eight trip of the last six years. Amazingly, not one major contributor from the co-Big 12 champion is a senior, and the program’s continued success seems like a lock.

CollegeHoops.net Mid-Major Program of the Year: Davidson

Davidson was arguably the national Program of the Year due to their amazing Elite Eight tournament run, but their success wasn’t nearly as surprising as Drake’s. After losing some close games to major Top 10 powers like UNC and UCLA, the Wildcats bounced back to utterly dominate the Southern Conference. They won all 20 league games, and swept the conference tournament with an average margin of victory of 26 points. Their overall 25-game winning streak was the best in the nation, and helped Coach Bob McKillop and star guard Stephen Curry amass some impressive hardware. More impressive than their 29-7 record or any individual’s numbers is the way they captivated the country by letting it all out during the NCAA Tournament.

Runner Up: South Alabama

The Jaguars had an impressive season this culminated in at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. This was the first time in 14 years that a Sun Belt team had received at-large consideration. Their 26-7 overall record included two wins over Sweet Sixteen team (and conference rival) Western Kentucky, as well as tournament squads Mississippi State and San Diego. Coach Ronnie Arrow won Sun Belt Coach of the Year honors, returning to a position he once held 13 years ago.

CollegeHoops.net Conference of the Year: Pac-10

Simply put, no league offered more exciting individual and team matchups than the Pac-10 on a weekly basis. With the exception of Oregon State, every team in the league was capable of beating every other team.. and this overall depth of talent lead to an amazing 9 postseason bids for the 10 team league.

At the team level, UCLA was the true class of the league leading the way with a 16-2 record. The Bruins were led by Kevin Love, just one of many potential NBA lottery picks scattered throughout league rosters. Brook Lopez, OJ Mayo, Jerryd Bayless, Ryan Anderson and others lit up the scoreboards on a nightly basis.

Overall, the Pac-10 ended up 2^nd in RPI to the ACC, but the league members led the country with an amazing .798 out-of-conference winning %. This is even more impressive when you consider that as recently as 2004, the Pac-10 was 9^th in overall RPI. With big time coaches and big time programs, there’s no reason not to expect another great Pac-10 run next year.

Runner Up: Atlantic 10

This was somewhat of a renaissance season for the A10, as the league finished 7^th in overall RPI, easily its best season in a decade. Conference leader Xavier made an impressive run to the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight, and they were joined in the Big Dance by conference tournament winner Temple and St. Joseph’s. Even more impressively, the league had great depth as teams like Dayton, UMASS, and URI all made strong claims to Top 25 consideration at one point or another.

Check out all the: CHN 2007-08 Postseason Awards

All-Americans, All-Rookie, Top Coaches & more

And Then There Were 16.. Weekend Review

Jason Brubaker — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 06:56:22 -0700

What a weekend in college basketball. A plethora of close games. A few Cinderellas trying on their dancing shoes. Buzzer-beaters. Fired-up coaches. Chest-thumping players. And at the end of it all, 48 teams have been sent packing, their championship hopes dashed. The final 16 teams includes two 12 seeds, as well as a 10 and 7 seed...who would've thought? Here's a look back at four days of Madness

- How in the world did every major school miss on Stephen Curry? The sharp-shooting Davidson sophomore averaged 35 points per game in leading the Wildcats to wins over Gonzaga and Georgetown on their way to the Sweet Sixteen. Lightly-recruited by bigger schools, Curry has proven time and time again he has no problem match-up up against elite players. He nailed 13 shots from beyond the arc in the first two rounds, using textbook form and a lightning-quick release. The Wildcats will again be giving up size when they face Wisconsin next round, but with Curry on the floor, you can't count them out.

- UCLA and Stanford occupied most of the spotlight in the Pac-10 this year, but don't forget about Washington State. The Cougars had as impressive of a weekend as anyone, pounding upstart Winthrop 71-40, and then shutting down Notre Dame in a 61-41 victory, holding them to an average of 27% shooting from the field. The Cougars calling card all season has been their defense, and they proved why, engulfing Big East POY Luke Harangody and holding him to just 10 points. Their defense will be tested in the next round however, by North Carolina, who has scored over 100 in each of their first two games.

- The RPI aside, most people would agree that the Pac-10 and Big East were the nation's toughest conferences this year, and the remaining teams are proof. Both conferences have three teams still standing, while the ACC and SEC each only have one. However, while the Pac-10 teams (UCLA, Stanford, Washington State) were somewhat expected, the three Big East might be a little surprising. No Georgetown, no Notre Dame and no Connecticut...replaced by West Virginia (5th in the conference) and Villanova (8th in the conference). Madness indeed.

- Out of the six mid-major at large teams, five lost in the first round, including ugly losses by Kent State and South Alabama. However, Xavier is still very much alive, having grinded out tough wins over a hot Georgia team and a scrappy Purdue squad. The Muskies have an incredibly balanced attack, and really get after teams defensively, denying passing lanes and just generally frustrating opponents. Diminutive point guard Drew Lavender, the heart and soul of the team, is a joy to watch as he speeds by defenders, while fellow seniors Stanley Burrell and Josh Duncan are as tough-minded as they come. Guards CJ Anderson and BJ Raymond are versatile players, while forward Derrick Brown has NBA-athleticism. If Jason Love continues to produce down low, Xavier should be able to knock off West Virginia in the next round, setting up a potentially interesting game with UCLA with a Final Four berth on the line.

- Duke haters can rejoice again after another tournament sees the Devils fail to make it past the first weekend. Last year, it was VCU shocking the Devils; this year West Virginia did the deed, exposing Duke's over-dependency on three-point shooting and lack of inside presence. Thought to be the weakest of the 2-seeds in the field, Duke did nothing to disprove that, barely escaping Belmont in the first round before bowing out to the Mountaineers. A severe lack of athleticism outside of Gerald Henderson once again doomed the Devils, who couldn't stay in front of anyone on defense. Another early exit next year, and the over-rated chants will be louder than ever.

- In other over-rated news, how does a team with Arizona's talent keep getting bounced early? The Wildcats boast two probably future lottery picks in Jerryd Bayless and Chase Budinger, along with future NBA player Jordan Hill, yet they won't see the second round of the tournament for the second straight year. It was a trying year to be sure, with the Lute Olson distractions and nagging injuries, but at some point, you'd like to see them start playing up to their potential.

- Indiana concluded their bizarre season by mailing in most of the game against Arkansas in bowing out in the first round. When Kelvin Sampson was replaced as head coach on Feb. 22 following an investigation into NCAA violations, the Hoosiers spiraled downwards, going 3-4 under interim coach Dan Dakich. Star freshman guard Eric Gordon struggled against Arkansas, going 3-15, and many of the Hoosiers appeared uninterested in playing defense. Indiana is too proud of a program to let this bog them down for too long, but there's no doubt this was not the same team that entered February at 17-3.

- Thanks for stopping by Michael Beasley and OJ Mayo. The two superstar freshmen, both likely headed to the NBA, saw their seasons over the weekend. Beasley showed why he's up for POY honors as he led the Wildcats to a first-round victory over USC and Mayo, totaling 23 points and 11 rebounds. The Wildcats then ran into an experienced Wisconsin team in the second round, bowing out despite another good effort from Beasley (23 and 13). But both kids should hold their heads high. They entered the season with enormous expectations and lived up to them, not an easy task for a young kid.

- It's hard to pin down the best game over the weekend, but there were a few that stood out. Western Kentucky and Drake put on a shoot-out for the ages in the first round, with WKU winning in OT on a Ty Rogers' 30-foot heave at the buzzer. Following that, San Diego stunned UConn, getting giant performances from Brandon Johnson and Gyno Pomare, plus a buzzer-beater of their own by De'Jon Jackson. UCLA needed late-game heroics from Darren Collison to hold off Texas A&M on Saturday, while Stanford got a baseline shot from Brook Lopez with one second left to knock off Marquette in overtime. Then, Tennessee needed late free throws to hold off a gritty Butler team in overtime on Sunday, while Memphis grinded out a three-point win over a tough Mississippi State squad. All in all, even though my brackets are destroyed (Siena anyone??), it was a great weekend for hoops.

- Similarly, it's hard to put out a list of the best individual performances of the weekend, since there was so many. But a few that simply can't be ignored: Davidson's Stephen Curry (40 pts vs. Gonzaga, 30 pts vs. Georgetown), Kentucky's Joe Crawford (35 pts vs. Marquette), Marquette's Jerel McNeal (30 pts vs. Stanford), West Virginia's Joe Mazzulla (13 pts, 11 reb, 8 ast off the bench vs. Duke), Arkansas' Sonny Weems (31 pts vs. Indiana), Miami's Jack McClinton (38 pts vs. St. Mary's), Stanford's Brook Lopez (30 pts vs. Marquette), WKU's Tyrone Brazelton (33 pts. vs. Drake), Xavier’s Drew Lavender (18 pts, 9 ast vs. Purdue), Duke's Gerald Henderson (21 pts, 7 reb, 5 stl vs. Belmont) and Villanova's Scottie Reynolds (25 pts, 8 reb, 5 ast vs. Siena).

Let the Madness Begin: Some Love for the Committee & Other Thoughts

Jason Brubaker — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:18:46 -0700

Let the Madness begin! With the dance cards officially punched, the best three weeks in sports are set to begin. Among the participants:

- Georgia, who battled fatigue and tornados, not to mention four SEC opponents, to claim the Sec Tournament crown. The 17-16 Bulldogs completed their surprising run, which included two buzzer-beaters, by knocking off Arkansas on Sunday, in front of a small crowd on Georgia Tech’s campus. With fans, media and tournament officials all scrambling after the severe weather in Atlanta on Friday night, somehow the Bulldogs kept their poise and earned a date with Xavier in the first round of the NCAA Tourney.

- USC and Kansas State, in a 6-11 match-up figures to be one of the better ones, as two young teams follow their freshman leaders. OJ Mayo and Michael Beasley both figure to be wearing NBA uniforms at this time next year, so advancing to the tournament gives college basketball fans at least one more weekend to enjoy these phenomenal talents.

- South Alabama, who earned at-large bid from the Sun Belt. The Jaguars, who own wins over Mississippi State and San Diego, and two over conference foe Western Kentucky, earned a 10 seed, marking the first time in 14 years the Sun Belt has sent two teams to the Dance.

- Arizona, who despite a mediocre 19-14 record, sneaks into the tourney as a 10 seed in the West. The Wildcats, who battle injuries to guard Nic Wise and Jerryd Bayless as well as the Lute Olson distraction all year, apparently did enough to sway the committee. With the team back at full strength, and with Olson set to return next year, the Wildcats have a great chance to pull off the upset against West Virginia in the first round.

- Hats off to the selection committee – easily one of the toughest jobs in sports. To anyone who thinks they could be a part of it, sit down and draw up your own brackets, complete with the 31 conference winners and 34 at-large teams. Keep in mind the travel conditions, conference affiliations, team schedules (possible rematches, etc) and injury situations. Also, be sure to at least glance at the RPI, the polls, conference standings, tie-breakers, non-conference schedule and injuries for each of the teams. Now, after you spend all that time, add in a surprise conference winner (i.e. Georgia) at the last moment. Finally, be prepared to be ripped and criticized by anyone and everyone with an opinion. Not quite so easy is it? This isn’t to say they don’t make mistakes, but all in all, they get it right more often than not.

- As a final note to all the coaches and fans pushing for an expanded tournament, such as 128 games…give me a break. If your team hasn’t done enough after 30-35 games to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they’re among the best 34 teams in the country, they probably don’t deserve to be there. We can argue RPI and non-conference schedules all day long, but the bottom line is that teams have all season to prove themselves. Expanding the field to 128 would mean nearly every one of the 73 BCS-conference teams would make the tournament, as well as fifth and sixth-place teams in smaller leagues…providing for such ground-breaking first round match-ups as Oregon State-Duquesne. The bottom line is that each year, 4-6 teams will feel that they deserved a berth, and they may be right, But to advocate adding another 63 teams to accommodate these bubble teams is just plain ridiculous. The tournament as it is now places enough importance on the regular season to make it relevant, but also allows for enough leniency to mean a loss here or there won’t kill you. I’ll argue all day that the system works the way it is, and doesn’t need to change. Let the Madness begin!