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College Basketball: Top 25 Commentary: UNC #1

Matthew Ryter — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 12:11:24 -0700

The Story: After being ranked No. 1 for the first eight weeks of the season, the Tar Heels find themselves back on top of the polls. North Carolina defeated Duke yesterday, 79-71, to complete the season sweep against their rivals. Pittsburgh and Memphis are the only other teams to receiving first place votes in the Coaches’ poll. Pittsburgh, No. 2, also completed a season sweep this past weekend over Big East foe Connecticut. Memphis, No. 3/4, is riding a 22-game win streak. Last week’s No 1, Connecticut, falls to No. 4/3. Louisville, Big East’s regular season champion, received one first place vote in the AP poll and sits at No. 5 heading into the conference tournament. Big Ten champions Michigan State move up to No. 6/7. Big 12 champion Kansas fell two spots to No. 11 after losing earlier in the week to Texas Tech. Syracuse jumped up an impressive seven spots in the AP (No. 18) poll after closing out the regular season with two conference wins. Illinois is the only team to fall from the AP rankings this week. The Fighting Illini are still ranked in the Coaches’ poll at No. 25. They are replaced in the AP poll by No. 25 BYU.

AP Top 25
1. North Carolina (35) 27-3 1,734
2. Pittsburgh (33) 28-3 1,731
3. Connecticut 27-3 1,592
4. Memphis (2) 28-3 1,544
5. Louisville (1) 25-5 1,513
6. Oklahoma 27-4 1,399
7. Michigan State 25-5 1,349
8. Wake Forest 24-5 1,246
9. Duke 25-6 1,237
10. Villanova 25-6 1,108
11. Kansas 25-6 1,038
12. Gonzaga 25-5 978
13. Washington 24-7 910
14. Missouri 25-6 779
15. UCLA 24-7 752
16. Butler 26-4 536
17. Clemson 23-7 528
18. Syracuse 23-8 518
19. Xavier 24-6 465
20. LSU 25-6 461
21. Marquette 23-8 453
22. Florida State 23-8 333
23. Arizona State 22-8 199
24. Purdue 22-9 169
25. Brigham Young 24-6 158

Others Receiving Votes
Illinois 131, Texas A&M 63, Saint Mary's 56, Utah 21, West Virginia 17, Auburn 9, Dayton 7, Utah State 6, Virginia Commonwealth 6, Weber State 5, Creighton 4, Northern Iowa 3, Siena 3, Oklahoma State 3, Penn State 2, New Mexico 2, California 2, Texas 2, American University 1, Ohio State 1, Tennessee 1.

ESPN/USA Today Poll
1. North Carolina (23) 27-3 767
2. Pittsburgh (5) 28-3 740
3. Memphis (3) 28-3 702
4. Connecticut 27-3 679
5. Louisville 25-5 659
6. Michigan State 25-5 608
7. Oklahoma 27-4 592
8. Duke 25-6 545
9. Wake Forest 24-5 532
10. Washington 24-7 466
11. Kansas 25-6 444
12. Gonzaga 25-5 426
13. Villanova 25-6 410
14. UCLA 24-7 369
15. Missouri 25-6 327
16. LSU 25-6 274
17. Butler 26-4 251
18. Clemson 23-7 223
19. Xavier 24-6 196
20. Syracuse 23-8 182
21. Marquette 23-8 157
22. Florida State 23-8 135
23. Arizona State 22-8 133
24. Purdue 22-9 68
25. Illinois 23-8 57

Others Receiving Votes
Saint Mary's 43, Brigham Young 30, Utah State 23, Dayton 11, California 9, Utah 7, Boston College 3, Texas 3, Texas A&M 2, Siena 1, Weber State 1.

Ryter’s Block: It’s interesting to think that Oklahoma, 2^nd in the Big 12, is ranked ahead of Big 12 Champion Kansas. Louisville, the Big East champs, is ranked behind both Connecticut and Pittsburgh. Although the Jayhawks and Cardinals earned regular season titles and a No. 1 seed in conference play, the rankings are still spot on. The Tar Heels find themselves back on top of both polls. Many people thought it was inevitable that UNC would be No. 1 when the regular season ended; however it wasn’t easy. The Tar Heels overcame two early conference losses to win the ACC regular season crown. Washington and Villanova’s rankings are flip flopped in both polls. Washington is No. 10 in the Coaches’ poll and No. 13 in the AP, whereas ‘Nova is No. 13 in the Coaches’ poll and No. 10 in the AP. Can’t they agree on one? I like Washington at No. 13, ‘Nova at No. 10. These rankings won’t even matter next week. We already have several teams who have punched their ticket…who will earn theirs next?

Games to watch this week…

MARCH 9th-14th: EVERYTHING!

MARCH 15^th: SELECTION SUNDAY

College Basketball: Top 25 Commentary

Matthew Ryter — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 08:17:29 -0800

The Story: The Connecticut Huskies have reclaimed the top spot in the nation this week. The Huskies will have a much anticipated rematch against Pittsburgh this Saturday. Pittsburgh won the first match-up, which enabled the Panthers to grab the No. 1 ranking last week. Pittsburgh lost their very next game to Providence, which has dropped them to No. 4/3 this week. The only other team receiving first place votes besides the Huskies in both polls is Memphis. Memphis has continued to dismantle every Conference USA team in sight (56 consecutive Conference USA wins including the postseason) and sit at No. 3/5. ACC leader, North Carolina, has jumped up to No. 2. Oklahoma, No. 5/4, fall a few spots from their previous No. 3 ranking after losing a game to Kansas without Player of the Year candidate Blake Griffin. The win by Kansas and their most recent home blowout win against Missouri have enabled them to crack the top ten, jumping six spots to No. 9. LSU, the SEC leader, also makes a significant jump to No. 11/12. Texas is the only team to drop off both polls after losing at Oklahoma State. No. 25 Syracuse replaces the Longhorns in both polls with two straight Big East victories.

AP Top 25

1. Connecticut (67) 27-2 1,792
2. North Carolina (3) 25-3 1,678
3. Pittsburgh (1) 26-3 1,612
4. Oklahoma 26-3 1,576
5. Memphis (1) 26-3 1,543
6. Louisville 23-5 1,462
7. Duke 24-5 1,340
8. Michigan State 23-5 1,302
9. Kansas 24-5 1,190
10. Wake Forest 22-5 1,158
11. Villanova 23-6 913
12. LSU 25-4 894
13. Marquette 23-6 860
14. Gonzaga 23-5 837
15. Missouri 24-5 795
16. Washington 22-7 704
17. Xavier 23-5 629
18. Clemson 22-6 564
19. Purdue 22-7 545
20. UCLA 22-7 497
21. Arizona State 21-7 347
22. Butler 25-4 302
23. Illinois 23-7 287
24. Florida State 22-7 272
25. Syracuse 21-8 99

Others Receiving Votes
Creighton 52, Brigham Young 41, Utah 22, Saint Mary's 13, Dayton 11, West Virginia 10, Davidson 9, Texas 9, California 8, South Carolina 7, Providence 7, Washington State 4, Arizona 3, Oklahoma State 2, Boston College 1, Rhode Island 1, American University 1, Utah State 1.

ESPN/USA Today Poll

1. Connecticut (27) 27-2 769
2. North Carolina 25-3 711
3. Memphis (4) 26-3 698
4. Pittsburgh 26-3 667
5. Oklahoma 26-3 653
6. Louisville 23-5 630
7. Duke 24-5 597
8. Michigan State 23-5 557
9. Kansas 24-5 509
10. Wake Forest 22-5 480
11. LSU 25-4 420
12. Missouri 24-5 377
13. Washington 22-7 346
14. Gonzaga 23-5 339
15. Marquette 23-6 327
16. Villanova 23-6 324
17. UCLA 22-7 295
18. Xavier 23-5 260
19. Clemson 22-6 219
20. Purdue 22-7 211
21. Arizona State 21-7 189
22. Butler 25-4 168
23. Illinois 23-7 107
24. Florida State 22-7 67
25. Syracuse 21-8 37

Others Receiving Votes
Saint Mary's 26, Utah State 17, Texas 15, Creighton 13, Brigham Young 12, Utah 10, Dayton 9, California 6, Providence 4, Boston College 4, West Virginia 2.

Ryter’s Block: The roller coaster year for No. 1 teams continues. It seemed as if Pittsburgh took a night off in Providence and paid for it. You can’t take a night off in the Big East, the conference is too deep. Memphis deserves to receive some first place votes, however, I like them more at No. 5 in the AP rather then No. 3 in the Coaches’ poll. Marquette is a tricky team to rank at this point. They have lost Dominic James for the year and two straight games, albeit to the top two teams in the Big East. It doesn’t get any easier as they close out the regular season with another two tough games at Pittsburgh and home against newly ranked Syracuse. With the loss of James and the remaining games, look for them to slide down a few more spots next week. LSU and Villanova should swap spots in the AP poll. LSU only has one conference loss, while Villanova is coming off a loss to Georgetown at home. This week is do or die for many teams vying for a tournament bid. Conference tournaments begin this week and Selection Sunday is only a few weeks away (March 15). It will be fun to see how things pan out. What teams will fall? What teams will rise to the occasion?

As some conference tournaments begin this week, here are some other games to watch that will be sure to change the polls…

Monday, March 2: No. 16 Villanova at Notre Dame

Wednesday, March 4: No. 15 Marquette at No. 4 Pittsburgh

No. 5 Oklahoma at No. 12 Missouri

Saturday, March 7: No. 1 Connecticut at No. 4 Pittsburgh

Texas at No. 9 Kansas

California at No. 21 Arizona State

Sunday, March 8: No. 7 Duke at No. 2 North Carolina

No. 19 Clemson at No. 10 Wake Forest

College Basketball Top 25's: Pittsburgh #1

Matthew Ryter — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:39:35 -0800

The Story: Last week’s top three teams all suffered losses which enabled Pittsburgh to grab this week’s No. 1 ranking in both polls. Pitt was one first-place vote shy of being the unanimous No. 1 team in the Coaches’ poll and had all but three first place votes in this week’s AP poll. This is the second time this year that Pitt has been ranked in the top spot. The Panthers defeated last week’s No. 1 team Connecticut last Monday. The Huskies fall only one spot to No. 2. Oklahoma, previously No. 2, falls to No. 3 after losing at Texas and North Carolina, previously No. 3, falls to No. 4/5 after losing an overtime battle with Maryland. Memphis has cracked the top 5 in both polls and is currently riding an 18 game win streak. Syracuse falls from both polls this week. The Orange are currently tied for 8^th in the Big East after losing a close game at home against Villanova. Utah State joins Syracuse as the other team dropping off the Coaches’ poll. Dayton was the only other team to fall from the AP poll. The Texas Longhorns, after a two week absence off the polls, are once again ranked after beating the aforementioned Sooners. Florida State was the only other team to join the rankings this week.

AP Top 25
1. Pittsburgh (69) 25-2 1,797
2. Connecticut (1) 25-2 1,692
3. Oklahoma (2) 25-2 1,643
4. North Carolina 24-3 1,556
5. Memphis 24-3 1,543
6. Louisville 21-5 1,403
7. Duke 22-5 1,228
8. Marquette 23-4 1,169
9. Michigan State 21-5 1,136
10. Villanova 22-5 1,125
11. Missouri 23-4 1,094
12. Clemson 22-4 1,050
13. Wake Forest 20-5 992
14. Arizona State 21-5 869
15. Kansas 22-5 812
16. Purdue 21-6 765
17. Gonzaga 21-5 661
18. LSU 23-4 541
19. Xavier 22-5 413
20. Illinois 22-6 364
21. Washington 20-7 291
22. UCLA 20-7 268
23. Florida State 21-6 217
24. Butler 23-4 192
25. Texas 18-8 162

Others Receiving Votes
Utah 108, West Virginia 96, Syracuse 53, Arizona 33, Dayton 21, Creighton 21, Utah State 16, Florida 14, California 11, Siena 9, South Carolina 8, Penn State 8, Saint Mary's 5, Davidson 3, Minnesota 3, Kansas State 3, Brigham Young 2, American University 1, Kentucky 1, Maryland 1.

Dropped From Rankings
Syracuse 24, Dayton 25.

ESPN/USA Today Poll
1. Pittsburgh (30) 25-2 774
2. Connecticut (1) 25-2 721
3. Oklahoma 25-2 691
4. Memphis 24-3 682
5. North Carolina 24-3 668
6. Louisville 21-5 585
7. Duke 22-5 559
8. Missouri 23-4 517
9. Michigan State 21-5 511
10. Marquette 23-4 471
11. Arizona State 21-5 434
12. Villanova 22-5 428
13. Clemson 22-4 424
14. Wake Forest 20-5 411
15. Kansas 22-5 355
16. Purdue 21-6 261
17. Gonzaga 21-5 257
18. LSU 23-4 239
19. UCLA 20-7 202
20. Illinois 22-6 197
21. Washington 20-7 178
22. Xavier 22-5 175
23. Butler 23-4 75
24. Texas 18-8 55
25. Florida State 21-6 52

Others Receiving Votes
Utah 22, Utah State 22, Dayton 21, Syracuse 18, Florida 16, Penn State 10, Arizona 9, California 7, West Virginia 7, Brigham Young 6, South Carolina 5, Saint Mary's 4, Boston College 3, Creighton 2, Kentucky 1.

Dropped From Rankings
Utah State 23, Syracuse 25.

Ryter’s Block: DeJuan Blair and Pittsburgh are deserving of this week’s top spot. Blair manhandled Thabeet and UConn. Blair played like a man possessed scoring 22 points and grabbing 23 boards against one of the best defensive big men in college hoops. The difference in height didn’t matter to Blair. He plays so well around the basket that he should be selling his own version of Better Basketball DVD’s for post guys, which will highlight the game against the Huskies. I don’t see how Pitt wasn’t the unanimous selection for No. 1 this week. I don’t have any other big problems with this week’s rankings. I would drop Illinois a few more spots after only scoring 33 points against Penn State. 33 points, really? It’s almost impossible to score 33 only points unless you are missing on purpose; even then you would think eventually some shots would fall. However, they did bounce back and beat Ohio State later in the week. My only other problem is that No. 16 Purdue and No. 18 LSU should switch spots. Although the SEC is having a down year, LSU is 11-1 in the conference and 23-4 overall.

Some games to watch this week that leading up to an exciting Saturday day of games…

Monday, February 23: No. 15 Kansas at No. 3 Oklahoma

Tuesday, February 24: Florida at No. 18 LSU

No. 25 Florida State at Boston College

Wednesday, February 25: No. 2 Connecticut at No. 10 Marquette

No. 7 Duke at Maryland

Thursday, February 26: No. 11 Arizona State at No. 21 Washington

Darius Washington Jr: Whatever Happened To This Guy?

Matthew Ryter — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:29:00 -0800

Whatever Happened to This Guy??

Darius Washington Jr. (Memphis)

Darius Washington declared for the 2006 NBA draft after his sophomore season. He signed with an agent two days before the draft. Not a smart choice because draft day came and went and his name was not called. Since he had signed with an agent, he lost his college eligibility.

Although leading Memphis to a No. 1 seed and an Elite Eight appearance in the ’06 NCAA Tournament, he’s remembered for missing two clutch free throws in the Conference USA championship game against Louisville. Washington was fouled while shooting a 3 with no time left on the clock. The Tigers were down 2 and needed to win the game to make the tourney. Washington hit the first, but his next two rimmed out. It’s painful to watch but here’s the clip.

Where is he now? He signed with the Spurs in 2007 and was assigned to the D-League where he played for the Austin Toros. In December of 2007, DWJ was called up to the league due to an injury to Mr. Tony Longoria Parker. Washington was waived by the Spurs later that month. He was on the Chicago Bulls roster this past preseason but was waived before the season started. Washington now plays for Ural Great Perm of the Russia-A Super League.

Next Week's Whatever Happened to This Guy?

- Khalid El-Amin (Connecticut)

Email Matt, or post a comment, if you have a suggestion for a player to feature in the WHTOG series.

College Basketball: Top 25 Polls

Matthew Ryter — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 12:09:04 -0800

The Story: The top 4 teams, including No. 1 Connecticut, all remain the same entering the week of February 16. Two of those teams, No. 1 Connecticut and No. 4 Pittsburgh face off tonight on ESPN. Fellow Big East foe Louisville, last week’s AP No. 5 team lost to Notre Dame last week which enabled Memphis to take its No. 5 ranking. Duke has fallen to No. 9 in both polls after losing two consecutive games to North Carolina and Boston College. UCLA has fallen to No. 20 in this week’s AP poll after being swept by both Arizona schools. Big 12 surprise Missouri cracked the top 10 this week in the Coaches’ poll and are riding a 5 game win streak. Syracuse, 7-6 in Big East play, are in danger of dropping out of both polls sitting at No. 24/25. Mid-major Utah State has fallen from the AP poll after losing to Boise State last week, but remain ranked No. 23 in the Coaches’ poll. Ohio State and Florida State have also dropped from the AP rankings this week. Replacing these three squads on this week’s rankings are No. 22 Washington, No. 24 LSU, and No. 25 Dayton.

AP Top 25

1. Connecticut (66) 24-1 1,794
2. Oklahoma (4) 25-1 1,709
3. North Carolina (2) 23-2 1,676
4. Pittsburgh 23-2 1,589
5. Memphis 22-3 1,465
6. Michigan State 20-4 1,443
7. Louisville 19-5 1,280
8. Wake Forest 19-4 1,217
9. Duke 20-5 1,048
10. Marquette 21-4 1,045
11. Missouri 22-4 1,041
12. Villanova 20-5 983
13. Clemson 20-4 939
14. Arizona State 20-5 830
15. Kansas 20-5 651
16. Xavier 21-4 646
17. Gonzaga 19-5 599
18. Illinois 21-5 589
19. Purdue 19-6 582
20. UCLA 19-6 473
21. Butler 22-3 373
22. Washington 19-6 334
23. LSU 21-4 294
24. Syracuse 19-7 207
25. Dayton 23-3 194

Others Receiving Votes
Texas 83, Utah State 72, Ohio State 45, Arizona 38, California 34, Utah 34, West Virginia 26, Florida State 18, Davidson 15, South Carolina 10, Minnesota 6, Boston College 5, Kentucky 5, Miami (FL) 2, Wisconsin 2, Tennessee 2, Robert Morris 1, Brigham Young 1.

Dropped From Rankings
Utah State 21, Ohio State 24, Florida State 25.

ESPN/USA Today Poll

1. Connecticut (30) 24-1 774
2. Oklahoma (1) 25-1 739
3. North Carolina 23-2 711
4. Pittsburgh 23-2 689
5. Michigan State 20-4 634
6. Memphis 22-3 618
7. Louisville 19-5 508
8. Wake Forest 19-4 489
9. Duke 20-5 468
10. Missouri 22-4 429
11. Marquette 21-4 409
11. Arizona State 20-5 409
13. Clemson 20-4 393
14. Villanova 20-5 377
15. UCLA 19-6 324
16. Illinois 21-5 294
17. Xavier 21-4 278
18. Kansas 20-5 268
19. Washington 19-6 224
20. Gonzaga 19-5 191
21. Purdue 19-6 176
22. Butler 22-3 162
23. Utah State 24-2 121
24. LSU 21-4 114
25. Syracuse 19-7 74

Others Receiving Votes
Dayton 69, Texas 22, Florida State 20, California 16, South Carolina 14, Arizona 13, Brigham Young 13, Ohio State 12, Utah 11, Davidson 5, Saint Mary's 3, Miami (FL) 2, Penn State 1, Tennessee 1.

Ryter’s Block: Just like last week’s UNC vs. Duke match-up, this week is highlighted by Pittsburgh vs. Connecticut. Duke had a very tough week losing two games and dropping to No. 9 this week. Although losing two games in one week usually ends up in a bigger drop in the rankings; I believe Duke is right where they belong. After watching UCLA lose to both Arizona schools I believe that their AP ranking, No. 20, is more accurate then their Coaches’ poll ranking, No. 15. I gave them some praise and hype last week and I was clearly wrong. I love Missouri’s ranking. They are on a five game winning streak and post a 22-4 overall record. DeMarre Carroll can fill the stat sheet and he is an extremely entertaining player to watch. He does it all for the Tigers. I like the fact that Dayton has climbed into the AP poll, and they should be in the Coaches’ poll over Utah State. Memphis has been climbing up the rankings and is riding a 16 game winning streak. Although they don’t play in a Big 6 conference, any time a team can post a 16 game win streak it’s impressive. LSU should be ranked a little higher; they are a top 20 team.

Here are the games to watch this week that should shake up next week’s rankings…

Monday February 16: No. 4 Pittsburgh at No. 1 Connecticut

Tuesday February 17: No. 5 Michigan State at No. 21 Purdue

Wednesday February 18: Penn State at No. 16 Illinois

Thursday February 19: No. 19 Washington at No. 15 UCLA

Saturday February 21: No. 22 Butler at Davidson

No. 2 Oklahoma at Texas

Sunday February 22: No. 8 Wake Forest at No. 9 Duke

No. 14 Villanova at No. 25 Syracuse

Tennessee's OUTLIVE Campaign Set to Take Center Stage

Matthew Ryter — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 14:01:10 -0800

“You’re going to get knocked down. It’s whether you stay down or whether you get back up and fight that counts.”

Around the campus of University of Tennessee you will find what they call their brand icon: This “UT” brand icon has been around since 1986. For example, its used in the slogan “FUTURE.” This brand icon visually and graphically ties the UT community together.

Brooks Savage, a 23-year-old graduate assistant at the University of Tennessee, has used the brand icon in an attempt to raise awareness and money for cancer research. His “OUTLIVE” program is another way to tie everyone together, not only at UT, but hopefully across other college campuses as well. He started off as a student manager his freshman year under then coach Buzz Peterson and is still with the team now under Coach Pearl. Brooks was nice enough to talk with CHN about this program…

Interview with Brooks Savage, OUTLIVE

CollegeHoops.net: What is the OUTLIVE program?

Brooks Savage: The goal of the Outlive program is to raise money towards early detections and cancer screenings. The money is going to the UT Medical Center. Our idea with these screenings is hopefully to catch symptoms early. Almost everyone has been effected by cancer in some way, shape, or form. Our goal coming into this project was that if we can just help one person it will be worth it.

CHN: How did you come up with the name OUTLIVE?

Brooks: I wanted to use the “UT” brand icon in some way. Outlive means to live longer then, or to survive. That’s the point that I wanted to drive home.

CHN: When did you come up with the idea for this program? Who were your biggest supporters?

Brooks: I came up with the idea for the project around August. Of course with football going on I didn’t expect this to really take off. Tennessee has a variety of projects going on at all times and at first it didn’t seem as if they wanted to take on another one. I was hesitant at first. My parents told me to stick with it because they knew I was passionate about it. Coach Pearl also told me to stay after it. He really kept me motivated. I honestly can’t say enough about the guy. He has been behind this program since day one and has encouraged me to keep after it.

CHN: How did you approach Chris Lofton with the idea? What is his take?

Brooks: I asked Chris first. He can be a private guy, like anyone can be. I didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable. He is an inspiration behind this idea. Everyone got to see a small part of the person he is while he played at UT. He’s and even more tremendous person off the court. I have never been around a bigger competitor or a harder working player since I have been here.

CHN: What is “white out” night? How can people get a shirt?

Brooks: We want to create a white out effect against Florida this Saturday. (ESPN 9PM) White Outlive t-shirts will be given to the students and we have been selling these shirts since the Gonzaga game. They can be found around campus or bought online. This is taking place during Coaches vs. Cancer week and figured this is as good a time as any. It is not about the shirts though. The point is to honor someone, a loved one, a friend, whatever it may be, and to honor their story.

CHN: Are there other events/ideas to take OUTLIVE to the next level?

Brooks: There has been a great deal of message boards online with responses of people telling their stories. It’s a great way to get people connected. Players from the team have visited the hospital. You can tell that the patients had a sense of normalcy while they were there. They were asking questions like “Are you guys going to beat Memphis this weekend?” It’s nice to see something like that.

Tennessee will welcome ESPN College Gameday and play Florida on ESPN at 9 PM. Join Brooks, and the thousands of OUTLIVE supporters in attendance, by purchasing your t-shirt online.

Georgia Fires Dennis Felton

Press Release — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 10:51:22 -0800

ATHENS, Ga. --- University of Georgia men’s basketball coach Dennis Felton has been relieved of his duties by UGA Director of Athletics Damon Evans effective immediately.

Evans met with Felton Thursday morning. Associate Head Coach Pete Herrmann will serve as interim head coach the remainder of the season according to Evans.

“I’m disappointed that things have not worked out better,” said Evans. “I do think it is in the best interest of our men’s basketball program that we move in a new direction and while this may be unusual timing, I’m convinced it is the right time. I want to extend my best wishes to Dennis and his family and thank him for his service to the University over these five-plus years.

“We have goals and expectations at Georgia for every sport and that includes competing for championships on a regular basis both on the conference and national levels. We have significant resources, a brand new $30 million basketball practice and office facility that is without equal, there is outstanding high school talent in our state, and the high school and AAU coaches in Georgia are the best in the country.

“My number one priority is to do what is best for the University of Georgia and our basketball program and I’m committed to beginning the process that will identify the right person to lead our team,” said Evans. “I want our students and fans to know that in difficult times, their support is critical for the young men on our team and I hope they will rally around them during this period of transition.”

“I accepted Athletic Director Evans’ recommendation with regret, but I believe this decision to be in the best, long-term interest of the men’s basketball team,” said UGA President Michael F. Adams. “I also regret the impact this decision has on Coach Felton and his family. Dennis is a good man, and I wish him well in all future endeavors.”

Georgia is currently 9-11 overall this season and 0-5 in the Southeastern Conference. Felton’s overall record at UGA is 84-91 with an SEC record of 26-59 in regular season games. The Georgia team made an improbable run through the 2008 SEC tournament by winning four games in three days after finishing 13-16 overall during the regular season and a sixth place finish in the SEC East with a 4-12 record.

The last five Georgia teams have finished 16-14, 8-20, 15-15, 19-14, and 17-17. The 2004 and 2007 teams each earned a spot in the National Invitation Tournament while the 2008 team earned an NCAA bid by virtue of winning the SEC Tournament title.

Felton came to Georgia in the spring of 2003 following a successful five-year run at Western Kentucky that included an overall record of 56-20, three conference championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances. He served as an assistant coach at several schools including Clemson, Providence, St. Joseph’s, Tulane, and the University of Delaware.

Herrmann served as head basketball coach at the U.S. Naval Academy from 1986-92 after six years as chief assistant at Navy. He has also held assistant coaching positions at Western Kentucky, Virginia, and Kansas State.

College Basketball: Top 25 Polls: Duke New #1

Matthew Ryter — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 12:18:16 -0800

The Story: For the third week in a row there is a new No. 1 team in the nation. Duke sits atop both polls this week replacing Wake Forest, last week’s No. 1 team. The only other team to receive first place votes in the Coaches’ poll is Connecticut. A total of four teams received first place votes in the AP poll starting with Duke with 62, Connecticut (6), Pittsburgh (3), and Oklahoma (1). Louisville made the biggest jump in this week’s coaches’ poll. After winning seven straight games the Cardinals jumped up five spots to No. 7; they also sit at No. 7 in the AP poll. Clemson and Syracuse have both fallen from the top 10. The Tigers went 1-1 this week and after losing by 24 to North Carolina find themselves at No. 12 in the newest AP poll. The Orange fell to No. 15 after losing by double digits to Pittsburgh. Georgetown helped Seton Hall earn their first Big East victory yesterday and fell thirteen spots to No. 25. Notre Dame, Minnesota, and Florida have all fallen from this week’s AP poll. Notre Dame’s 45 game home winning streak was snapped this past week after Connecticut paid South Bend a visit. Replacing those three teams in this week’s AP poll is Saint Mary’s, Washington, and Kentucky. Baylor was the only team to fall from this week’s coaches’ poll; they are replaced by Gonzaga.

AP Top 25

1. Duke (62) 18-1 1,789
2. Connecticut (6) 18-1 1,694
3. Pittsburgh (3) 18-1 1,647
4. Oklahoma (1) 19-1 1,539
5. North Carolina 17-2 1,529
6. Wake Forest 16-1 1,509
7. Louisville 15-3 1,351
8. Marquette 17-2 1,209
9. Michigan State 16-3 1,136
10. Xavier 17-2 1,084
11. Texas 14-4 1,017
12. Clemson 17-2 929
13. Butler 18-1 916
14. Arizona State 16-3 834
15. Syracuse 17-4 808
16. Purdue 15-4 724
17. UCLA 15-4 544
18. Memphis 16-3 530
19. Illinois 17-3 401
20. Gonzaga 14-4 381
21. Villanova 15-4 276
22. Saint Mary's 18-1 247
23. Washington 15-4 218
24. Kentucky 16-4 217
25. Georgetown 12-6 189

Others Receiving Votes
Notre Dame 154, Minnesota 138, Kansas 84, Florida 65, Missouri 52, Virginia Tech 37, Baylor 34, West Virginia 32, Davidson 27, Utah State 23, Dayton 14, California 13, UNLV 4, Florida State 3, Ohio State 1, Virginia Commonwealth 1.

Dropped From Rankings
Notre Dame 19, Minnesota 21, Florida 24.

ESPN/USA Today Poll

1. Duke (30) 18-1 774
2. Connecticut (1) 18-1 733
3. Pittsburgh 18-1 706
4. Wake Forest 16-1 666
5. Oklahoma 19-1 663
6. North Carolina 17-2 636
7. Louisville 15-3 547
8. Marquette 17-2 538
9. Michigan State 16-3 475
10. Xavier 17-2 458
11. Clemson 17-2 425
12. Texas 14-4 402
13. Butler 18-1 384
14. Arizona State 16-3 378
15. Syracuse 17-4 321
16. UCLA 15-4 311
17. Purdue 15-4 267
18. Saint Mary's 18-1 212
19. Memphis 16-3 193
20. Illinois 17-3 181
21. Villanova 15-4 113
22. Notre Dame 12-6 97
23. Georgetown 12-6 92
24. Minnesota 17-3 84
25. Gonzaga 14-4 60

Others Receiving Votes
Florida 59, Utah State 56, Kentucky 50, Baylor 42, Washington 41, California 31, Missouri 22, Dayton 18, Davidson 14, Kansas 13, Brigham Young 6, Florida State 3, UNLV 2, Virginia Tech 1, West Virginia 1.

Ryter’s Block: For three straight weeks we have watched a No. 1 team fall. Duke was very impressive in man-handling Maryland and shutting Greivis Vasquez up. We may see a new No. 1 next week as Duke will have a tough test Wednesday at Wake Forest. Any of the top 6 teams in the nation could be ranked at No. 1. Their combined record is 106-7. I think this week’s top 10 in the AP poll is spot on. I shouldn’t even have to point out that I don’t agree with the Coaches’ poll but this week I was very displeased. How are both Notre Dame and Georgetown ranked in the coaches’ poll? Both teams are 12-6, meanwhile Kentucky (16-4) and Washington (15-4) aren’t ranked. I also think that Georgetown should have dropped off of the AP poll as well. Missouri may be the next team to crack the top 25. If the Tigers beat Baylor on Saturday they should be in next week’s polls. I think that St. Mary’s should be ranked ahead of Gonzaga in the AP poll. I am excited to see the outcome of their game this Thursday. As conference play heats up, things will sort themselves out.

Games to watch this week…

Monday 1/26: No. 8 Marquette at No. 22 Notre Dame

Tuesday 1/27: No. 12 Texas at Baylor

Wednesday 1/28: No. 1 Duke at No. 4 Wake Forest

No. 3 Pittsburgh at No. 21 Villanova

Thursday 1/29: No. 18 St. Mary’s at No. 25 Gonzaga

No. 20 Illinois at No. 24 Minnesota

Weekend: 21 ranked teams in action

What do you think about this week's polls? Post your thoughts below:

5 Things: ACC Proposal, WCC Shift, UK Legit?

Kevin McNeill — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 08:53:37 -0800

Kevin McNeill's weekly 5 Things column breaks down what's important in the world of college basketball.

This week, we learned that...

1) Kentucky may be getting better, but it’s hard to tell in the weak SEC

There were no shortage of Kentucky fans already calling for the head of second year Coach Billy Gillispie after his Wildcats started the season off with a stunning loss to VMI and a blowout to North Carolina. After engineering incredible turnarounds at UTEP and Texas A&M, Gillispie was beginning to hear grumblings that he is simply unable to work that kind of magic in Lexington.

The nation’s all time winningest team won 18 games last season, was sitting at 7-9 at this point last year, and hasn’t advanced past the second round of the NCAA Tournament since losing in double overtime to Michigan State in the Elite Eight four years ago.

But after Jodie Meeks’ record-setting day on the road against Tennessee, scoring an amazing 54 points, the Wildcats found themselves with a bona-fide star on their hands and newfound respect nationally. Kentucky is also off to a 4-0 start in the SEC.

Whether they can keep it up remains to be seen. That same Jodie Meeks shot 5 for 20 against UNC, and 4 for 17 in a loss against Miami (including just 2 for 12 from behind the arc), but now is playing better than ever. Perry Stevenson had been in foul trouble or fouled out in every loss but the opener to VMI, and fouled out again against Tennessee. But he also scored in double figures against Vandy and Georgia, on 9 of 12 shooting, and only committed 2 and 3 fouls, respectively. Patrick Patterson has been solid all season, and was especially impressive against Louisville.

But is Kentucky back to its old self, now that they are 14-2 since that brutal start? This is the SEC after all. If Florida stumbles before their meeting with the Wildcats on February 10th, it is possible that the Wildcats could go the remainder of the season without playing a single ranked team. In fact, should West Virginia not re-enter the Top 25 before season’s end, they could go the entire season without even beating a team ranked in the final regular season polls. Outside of the Tennessee rout, their most impressive performance may actually have been a loss, the 74-71 thriller in front of a raucous crowd at Freedom Hall two weeks ago against Louisville.

It looks like we won’t know if the Kentucky Wildcats are back to being the Wildcats we all remember until March.

2) St. Mary’s could end Gonzaga’s stranglehold over the WCC this season

When you think of the West Coast Conference in recent years, there really has been only one team that comes to mind. Gonzaga has won the conference regular season title six years in a row. They have won the WCC Tournament 7 of the last 9 years, with San Diego stunning them in the finals in 2003 and last season. The Zags have also been in every WCC finals game for the last decade. The “Cinderella” that almost knocked off eventual champ UConn in the Elite Eight in 1999, is now considered a major program, every bit the equal of a program in the Big 6 or Memphis. The rest of the WCC? Not so much.

St. Mary’s on the other hand has made it to three NCAA Tournaments in the last 50 years (1989, 1997, 2005), never winning a game. They have won the WCC’s automatic bid just once, in 1997, and the regular season outright twice – in 1989 and…1959. They were however tied for the regular season title in 1997 and 1980.

In other words, the WCC has long been the Zags’ playground. But this week that could all change.

The #22 ranked Gaels have developed into one of the best rebounding teams in the nation, and have a brutal road trip coming up this week against San Diego, Portland, and, of course, Gonzaga. Those three teams are a combined 9-1 in conference play and two or three victories could well mean that not only is St. Mary’s looking good for another trip to the NCAA Tournament, but could do some serious damage once they get there. No WCC team besides Gonzaga has advanced to the Sweet 16 since Loyola Marymount was hammered by UNLV in the Elite Eight in 1990.

3) Its getting harder not to like Oklahoma’s chances

In snapping their six game losing streak to the Texas Longhorns, and earning a big win Saturday on the road at Texas A&M, Oklahoma now not only is starting to look like the runaway favorite in the Big 12, but a certified threat to bring the conference its second national title in as many years.

Of course, the conversation with the Sooners begins and ends with Blake Griffin. The frontrunner for the Wooden Award already has 14 double doubles, is shooting a staggering 63% from the field (the eighth highest in the country, and that’s with roughly 80 more attempts than the top two), and leads the Big 12 in rebounding by a mile. There just doesn’t seem to be anybody who can stop him right now, other than the referees, and the foul line.

But Griffin isn’t the only reason Oklahoma is dangerous. Freshman Willie Warren has lived up to the hype, averaging over 15 points a game and shooting right around 50%.

Point guard Austin Johnson also has really come alive, especially against Texas A&M, dramatically improving his court vision while providing much needed senior leadership to the young team. He is also developing into the team’s emotional leader, even if those emotions sometimes get the better of him (just ask Coach Mark Turgeon and the A&M bench, who were on the receiving end of an uncharacteristic outburst Saturday).

Looking back on the most recent NCAA champions, there is definitely a pattern of solid inside-outside combinations. Whether you are talking about Brandon Rush and Darrell Arthur, Ray Felton and Sean May, Ben Gordon and Emeka Okafor, Lee Humphrey and, well, take your pick, it is not hard to imagine Warren and Griffin comfortably in that company, and making it all the way to Detroit.

4) The ACC proposed a good idea

According to the Associated Press, the Atlantic Coast Conference recently proposed a new rule, to be voted on in some form by the NCAA in April, that underclassmen have only a 10-day period to decide whether to remain committed to entering the NBA draft. As the rule stands today, a player who declares for the draft after this season will have all the way up to June 15^th, 2009 to withdraw their name and return to school. The NBA Draft is on June 25^th.

Those two months that some players spend deciding what to do are excruciating for their college programs. Right after the Final Four is a crucial recruiting period, and for a coach to be twisting in the wind for two months, and in that time being unable to tell a prospect that they don’t know whether or not they will have a scholarship available is simply too much to ask.

But to me the more pressing problem is the effect the lengthy evaluation period has on the athletes themselves.

Last year, there were 39 collegiate underclassmen (not including international players) that stayed in the 2008 NBA Draft, only 21 of which were chosen in the first round. In the previous season, there were 32 players who forfeited their college eligibility and decided to remain in the NBA Draft, and only 19 went in the first round. In other words, 31 underclassmen found themselves without any guaranteed NBA contracts by either being drafted in the second round, or not at all.

How many of these college players were told by their agents that this would be the case? That, based on what they heard, they might not be first round NBA picks? My guess is somewhere around zero.

A player does not need over 60 days to gather information from scouts, coaches and others on where they are likely to wind up in the NBA Draft. But it is plenty of time for hovering would-be agents, to hammer home to them and their families, that riches await them no matter what should they sign on the dotted line.

There are some who make the argument that there are coaches are just as bad as some agents, that they apply as much constant pressure in those two months (as well as supposedly false information on draft stock) for kids to return to school as unscrupulous agents do for them to leave it.

I have never, ever heard of a kid returning to school because they said they wrongly believed they were not a first round choice. If someone is good enough to be a first round pick, there will be no shortage of friends, scouts and would-be-agents telling them as much. Secondly, rarely is coming back to school a bad decision. No one who was ever considered a future pro has ever come back to school and suffered a career-ending injury, and by and large their future draft stock only improves once they come back. This isn’t always the case of course, Glen Davis not coming out after LSU’s Final Four run, for example, eventually hurt him in the wallet. But he was the exception, not the rule.

Finally, how can there be equal amounts of pressure? What is more tempting? Becoming a multi-millionaire or being a broke college kid for another year? I think agents have the slight upper hand.

There are kinks to be worked out sure. Almost everyone agrees the 10 day number was only a starting point, something to begin negotiations, and that the amended rule that will actually be voted on in April will allow for a longer period. Also, there will need to be an agreement with the NBA to ensure the continuation for some form of pre-draft workouts for underclassmen put on by NBA teams, considering the importance NBA scouts place on it in determining talent.

In other words there will be a compromise between a time period that is too short and forces athletes to rush what is a life-altering decision, and one that draws out for months at the expense of putting college programs in limbo, and to the benefit of persistent, and unscrupulous, agents.

It’s a step in the right direction.

5) Northern Iowa can put itself in the driver’s seat in the MVC this week

After stumbling out of the conference gate with a double overtime loss to Indiana State, a game where they were down 41-24 at halftime, the Panthers have quietly put together a six game winning streak that has landed them in the top spot in the Missouri Valley Conference.

With home games coming up against Bradley and Illinois State, Northern Iowa could open up a two game lead, and put itself in great position for an MVC regular season title and a possible NCAA Tournament berth.

This is quite an accomplishment so far for 3^rd year Coach Ben Jacobson, whose team was picked to finish sixth in the MVC in the preseason, after losing three starters from last year’s 18 win squad.

For the record, Northern Iowa has only one NCAA Tournament win, a first round victory over Missouri in 1990, since moving up from Division II. The Panthers have participated in three other tourneys since, all in a row between 2004 and 2006, and all first round losses. Interestingly enough, their current win streak began around the same time a certain famous UNI alum began leading the Arizona Cardinals, who have won just one NFL playoff game in their history, to the Super Bowl.

Providence: City of Brotherly Love?

Matthew Ryter — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 08:32:18 -0800

The Story: Providence College guard Jeff Xavier was elbowed in the right eye by Marquette’s Joseph Fulce with 17:15 remaining on a drive to the basket last Saturday (Jan 17) night. The Friar guard remained on the floor clutching that right eye as trainers rushed to his aid.

Geoff McDermott had been fouled on the play after he picked up the loose ball. Xavier made his way over to the bench as his teammate Geoff McDermott made his way to the free throw line.

As McDermott approached the charity stripe, a man sitting in the stands hopped over the Marquette bench, onto the court, and approached referee Todd Williams. Marquette coach Buzz Williams ran onto the court and removed his players from the free throw line and towards their respective bench. “I've never seen anything like that. I just wanted to pull my team off the court and get them away from that,” Coach Williams said.

The man was later identified as Jonathan Xavier, a brother of Jeff Xavier. Jonathan was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. Providence Coach Keno Davis said he was also concerned for his team’s safety and is hoping that the security at the Dunk, Providence’s home court, can be vastly improved.

Ryter’s Block: Really? Jonathan Xavier hopped directly over the away team’s bench, onto the court, and walked straight up to the ref. Really? Security seemed to take their time as Jonathan exchanged a few words, although never made contact with the ref, let him know his opinion on the non-foul call. Either that or he asked referee Todd Williams to have a drink with him after the game in downtown Providence. The elbow, which after watching the replay, was inadvertent and the call could have gone either way. Jeff Xavier was clearly upset after getting elbowed and became even more irate after the incident. There is absolutely no need for this. Yell at the refs, call him names, call his mother names if you want to, but stay in the stands.

Jeff Xavier played 23 minutes in Monday night’s game against Cincinnati.

Matthew Ryter keeps you up to date on the world of college basketball with his "Ryter's Block" column. What do you think about this story? Post your comments below: