Top Posts
-
There are a myriad of reasons for Washington’s struggles early in the season. They don’t rebound the ball well, they don’t force turnovers, they’re mediocre defensively, they have no low-post presence. But perhaps the biggest reason for their struggles early in the season is arguably the most important player on their roster: Tony Wroten, Jr.…
-
Xavier player comments reopens debate on athlete free speech
Dec 14, 2011, 9:01 AM EDT
Because of Saturday’s Xavier-Cincinnati brawl, and the subsequent PR disaster that ensued when Tu Holloway and Mark Lyons took to the podium for the post-game press conference, there has been a renewal in the conversation over free speech and the college athlete. Critics condemned Holloway and Lyons, and rightfully so, for their words, but the…
-
Wednesday’s Shootaround: Belmont’s loss, Jordan Taylor’s big shot
Dec 14, 2011, 8:29 AM EDT
Middle Tennessee State 65, Belmont 62: For the second time this season, the Blue Raiders and the Bruins played a thriller in Murfreesboro, but this time MTSU got revenge on Belmont for a 87-84 double overtime loss. MTSU blew a 43-30 second half lead, allowing Belmont to use a 29-11 surge to take a 59-54…
-
John Calipari didn’t mince words regarding Terrence Jones’ performance during Saturday’s loss at Indiana. “He absolutely gave us zero today,” the Kentucky coach said. As noted here by the Kentucky Kernel, there was a significant point late in the second half when the Wildcats cut into the lead with Jones on the bench. Once he…
-
Jim Boeheim’s vociferous defense of longtime friend and former assistant coach Bernie Fine has now become an issue for the Syracuse coach and the school. When news emerged that two men accused Fine of sexual molestation, Boeheim called them, among other things, liars and implied they might be seeking a payday. Those two men, Bobby…
-
Forget any of the random matchups on Tuesday. Tonight’s all about the Atlantic Sun’s best team against one of the Sun Belt’s best. Don’t act like you’re surprised. (All times ET; TV info courtesy of HDSportsGuide.com) Belmont at Middle Tennessee, 8 p.m. (ESPN3) Rick Byrd’s team dropped its first two games – at Duke and…
-
Kevin Duffy, a staff writer for the Connecticut Post that covers UConn basketball, had an interesting column go up over the weekend. There are many criticisms of the UConn basketball program under the leadership of Jim Calhoun, but the one that made the most headlines this past offseason had to do with the “education” his…
-
San Diego State’s new home in Big West presents new issues
Dec 13, 2011, 11:30 AM EDT
San Diego State’s move to the Big West in everything except football became official on Monday, leaving school officials to spin the move as a win for the Aztecs. Here’s the official line from athletic director Jim Sterk: “The Big West is a great fit for us geographically, academically and athletically. Most of our teams…
-
Michigan State in midst of best non-conference run since ’01?
Dec 13, 2011, 10:10 AM EDT
Tom Izzo claimed Michigan State wasn’t in rebuilding mode. Ten games into the season, it’s clear he’s correct. The Spartans (8-2) are coming off a 74-67 win at Gonzaga, the latest indication that they’ll be a player in what’s shaping up to be a classic battle for the Big Ten title. Izzo’s team is playing…
-
Thad Matta’s not keen on sitting Jared Sullinger much longer
Dec 13, 2011, 8:55 AM EDT
Ohio State coach Thad Matta’s clearly in no rush to get Jared Sullinger back on the court. If he didn’t push him to play at Kansas – the Buckeyes’ first loss of the season – then he surely won’t push him to suit up Wednesday against South Carolina-Upstate. Or will he? Sullinger, the Buckeyes’ All-American…
-
Tuesday’s Shootaround: Rutgers needs to thank Dane Miller’s Grandma
Dec 13, 2011, 8:34 AM EDT
Rutgers 81, Monmouth 66: The Scarlett Knights have struggled this season, and while much of that can be blamed on the youth that inhabits their roster, a hefty portion falls at the feet of Dane Miller. Miller, a junior, is Mike Rice’s most versatile player, but he has struggled to find any kind of rhythm…
-
I guess Oral Roberts deserved this one. Not two days after Christian Watford and Carrick Felix tried their hands at your typical, run-of-the-mill, buzzer-beating three pointers, Damen Bell-Holter of Oral Roberts decided to show them what a real buzzer-beater looks like: I love the announcer. “Let’s go to overtime. Damen Bell-Holter throws it up ……
-
Miller’s odd comments part of Xavier’s botched post-brawl PR
Dec 12, 2011, 9:09 PM EDT
Cincinnati has handled the aftermath of the Crosstown Knockout about as well as you could possibly imagine. Mick Cronin hid his players in the locker room while he made a strong statement to the media about the future of the program. After levying the suspensions on Sunday, he brought both Yancy Gates and Cheikh Mbodj…
-
It’s finals week, so you know what that means – a dearth of games. There are a whopping 26 college hoops games Monday night, two of which are on TV. But hey, even Fordham-Siena is better than that awful Seahawks-Rams Monday Night Football matchup. Well, not really. But a couple others might be. (All times…
-
Yancy Gates didn’t start the Cincinnati-Xavier brawl on Saturday, but the Bearcats center was the man who inflicted the most damage — to the face of Xavier senior Kenny Frease and to the reputations of his school and himself. And for that, Gates, a Cincinnati senior who grew up The Queen City, apologized Monday, eventually…
-
Indiana’s 73-72 win Saturday against No. 1 Kentucky was hardly just a delight for the Hoosiers or coach Tom Crean. Consider it a victory for most of the state. Crean’s spent the last four years rebuilding the Hoosiers from scratch, a result of NCAA sanctions from Kelvin Sampson’s firing back in 2008. When one of…
-
Memphis’ loss hurts more than Harvard, Creighton or Gonzaga
Dec 12, 2011, 2:06 PM EDT
There were five teams ranked in last week’s Coaches Poll that came from outside the Power Six conferences: Xavier, Creighton, Memphis, Gonzaga and Harvard. Four of those five — with the exception of Xavier, depending on how you view the aftermath of their brawl with Cincinnati — lost this past week. Harvard’s loss, which came…
-
Tyshawn Taylor’s play can be sloppy, maddening and occasionally brilliant. But after Saturday’s win against Ohio State, add gusty to the list. The 6-3 senior played 35 minutes, scored nine points, had seven turnovers and a career-best 13 assists – all on a torn meniscus in his right knee. Taylor’s one of the few experienced…
-
Player of the Week: Jae Crowder, Marquette The Golden Eagles are coming off of a 2-0 week that saw them knock off both Washington in New York City and UW-Green Bay. In those two wins, Crowder was terrific, averaging 19.5 ppg an 6.5 rpg while collecting three blocks and three steals and shooting 60% from…
-
Among unbeatens, Murray State’s most likely to run the table
Dec 12, 2011, 10:15 AM EDT
Plenty of big names are among the nine remaining unbeaten teams: Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Xavier, Baylor and three Big East teams, Syracuse, Marquette and Louisville. That leaves Murray State, the lone school that isn’t from a BCS conference. It’s also the school most likely to make a run at an unbeaten season. The Racers picked…
