College Basketball Fan

Ernie Munoz

To put in perspective how long it's been since the UConn women's basketball team last lost a game, consider that Heath Ledger had just died, Beyonce's "Single Ladies" was atop the pop charts and the Jersey Shore was still a place and not a TV phenomenon.

That win streak is now history.

In a game that isn't nearly as big a David-felling-Goliath story as it has so far been portrayed, ninth-ranked Stanford halted the Huskies' NCAA record-setting 90-game win streak with a 71-59 victory in Palo Alto, Calif. It's UConn's first defeat since another loss to Stanford in the 2008 Final Four, meaning the Cardinal have bracketed the Huskies' streak just the way Notre Dame bookended the UCLA men's 88-game win streak from 1971-74.

UConn appeared so invincible at times during its streak that it often seemed the Huskies might never lose again, but there's a reason Thursday's game has long been circled as the date Geno Auriemma's squad might show its mortality.

National player of the year Maya Moore returned from UConn's undefeated title-winning teams of the past two years, but three starters from those squads have graduated, including co-stars Renee Montgomery and Tina Charles. And Stanford had no reason to be intimidated facing the Huskies, having twice held a lead at halftime against them last season and playing in front of a sellout crowd at Maples Pavilion, where the Cardinal had won 51 in a row.

Nonethless, other teams have believed they could beat UConn, so credit Stanford for having the combination of size, talent and sheer will to accomplish what nobody else has been able to do.

Point guard Jeanette Pohlen scored 31 points and sank clutch shots whenever it seemed UConn was about to unleash the type of second-half run that cost the Cardinal twice last season. And at the other end of the floor, Stanford's athletic front line shackled Moore, holding her scoreless for nearly the first 17 minutes of the game and limiting her to 14 points on 5-for-15 shooting overall.

As UConn piled up blowout victories last season, there was always the debate over whether it was healthy for women's basketball that one team was so dominant over everyone else.

The streak demanded attention from TV viewers when UConn eked out a 65-64 win over second-ranked Baylor in November and when the Huskies eclipsed UCLA's 88-game streak with a win over Florida State earlier this month. Now we'll see whether casual fans will still pay attention to women's basketball when the perception is that the sport features a handful of very good teams instead of one historic one.

Source: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/Stanford-toppling-UConn-is-not-as-shocking-as-yo?urn=ncaab-301992

Basketball History College Football Schedule baseball Scores Basketball rules

Ernie Munoz

Source: http://blog.mlive.com/highschoolbasketball/2010/12/tuesdays_stars_in_michigan_hig_2.html

Basketball rules College Football Scores baseball Reference UCLA Football

Ernie Munoz

After a week off, the Inside the Hall podcast is back one more time in 2010. This week, Zach and Ryan chat about Indiana’s recent three-game slide, some important statistical trends, necessary leadership and other important issues ahead of the Hoosiers’ New Year’s Eve clash with Ohio State. Listen below in the embedded media player, [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/insidethehall/~3/hq8t9S1u6no/

Basketball rules College Football Scores baseball Reference UCLA Football

Ernie Munoz

We’ve discussed the Triad Pro-Am in previous years, a summer league that features a lot of the Wake Forest incoming players and some other area college players. This year featured several new Wake players, including J.T. Terrell and Travis McKie, along with guys who just finished up their careers at Wake such as L.D. Williams. [...]

Source: http://accbasketballrecruiting.wordpress.com/2010/08/08/triad-pro-am-highlights-2010/

NFL Football Schedule College Football players College Football Preseason Rankings ESPN golf

Ernie Munoz

A familiar argument early in the season is which conference is tops. The preseason hype tended to go in the direction of the Big Ten, but with strong starts by the Big East and Big 12 there has been room for discussion. But what about the opposite end of the spectrum: which BCS conference member is the worst team to this point in the year? Unlike the best conference question, that answer has been rather straightforward as the Auburn Tigers have put forth quite the display of ineptitude through the first ten games of the Tony Barbee era. Lacking experience and dealing with some key injuries, the Tigers may be slipping under the radar in their own town thanks to the exploits of the football team and fans looking forward to their bowl game on January 10th. The hope for January 11th (besides the celebration of a national title): that Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton announces that he'll be joining the basketball team. Below is a breakdown of each of the BCS conference members currently with a losing record in alphabetical order, beginning with the team that may be the least deserving to be on the list.

Alabama (5-6)
Wins: Florida A&M, Troy, Alabama A&M, South Alabama, Southeast Louisiana
Losses: Seton Hall, Iowa, Saint Peter's, Purdue, Providence, Oklahoma State
Pomeroy: 74
Sagarin: 163
*Five of the Crimson Tide's six losses have come against teams from BCS leagues

The above note is exactly why Anthony Grant's team shouldn't be on here but they make the list simply because of their record. The Crimson Tide don't own any eye-popping victories, and five of their six defeats have come to teams in BCS conferences (with three of those losses on a neutral floor). Alabama is one of the better defensive teams in regards to efficiency and the triumvirate of Tony Mitchell, Senario Hillman and JaMychal Green is talented enough to make some things happen offensively. Ken Pomeroy projects Alabama to win eight games in the SEC this season, a number that isn't far-fetched when considering the strength (or lack thereof) of the SEC West. With their next three games at Coleman Coliseum look for the Tide to make their way off of this list.

Auburn (3-7)
Wins: Middle Tennessee, Georgia Southwestern, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Losses: UNC Asheville, Samford, Campbell, Jacksonville, Rutgers, USF, Presbyterian
Pomeroy: 225
Sagarin: 306 (in between Longwood and Manhattan)
*Frankie Sullivan (knee) returned to the lineup last night

Things got off to a bad start in the summer when leading returning scorer Frankie Sullivan went down with an injury to his left knee. Sullivan's trying to give it a go, beginning with their loss last week at USF, but he doesn't look 100% and what good does that do for a team that needs a capable creator offensively? The Tigers are the lone team in the SEC with an adjusted offensive efficiency under 100 (96.7), and five of their seven losses have come to teams ranked 172 or worse in Ken Pomeroy's rankings. You'd like to say that their next three games (USC Upstate, Georgia Southern and Grambling) are likely wins, but what is a "likely win" for Auburn? If any of Gene Chizik's guys are as good on the court as they are at Jordan-Hare maybe they can make their way over once football season ends.

DePaul (5-6)
Wins: Chicago State, Northern Illinois, Central Michigan and Milwaukee
Losses: Western Carolina, Oklahoma State, Cal-State Northridge, Stanford, Indiana State, Ball State
Pomeroy: 197
Sagarin: 262 (in between UIC and Bethune-Cookman)
*Only Big East team not in the Top 100 of the Sagarin

Many expected there to be an adjustment period for the Blue Demons in the first year of the Oliver Purnell era, but a 0-3 showing in the 76 Classic didn't help the process. Included in that trip was an 88-66 loss to a rebuilding Cal-State Northridge squad, and the other 22-point beating the Blue Demons have taken this season came at the hands of Indiana State. DePaul hasn't been the most efficient team offensively and that was to be expected given their personnel. But to be allowing an effective field goal percentage of 51.1% (241st in America) certainly doesn't help matters. The good news for DePaul throughout the remainder of their non-conference slate is that four of their six losses have come by seven points or less. The bad news: they have to deal with Big East play, and as the lone team below 100 in the Sagarin it's likely going to be another long conference season in the Windy City.

Oklahoma (5-6)
Wins: Coppin State, North Carolina Central, Texas Southern, Gardner-Webb, Oral Roberts
Losses: Kentucky, Virginia, Chaminade, Arkansas, Arizona, Cincinnati
Pomeroy: 114
Sagarin: 125
*Lone team on this list with a loss to a Division III program (Chaminade)

After starting the season 3-0 Jeff Capel's team has lost six of their last eight (including five in a row immediately after that start), and they managed to set themselves apart from the other teams on this list by losing to a Division III squad (Auburn's loss to Division II Columbus State came in an exhibition) in the Maui Invitational (Chaminade). Why have the Sooners struggled? The same as just about anyone else on this list: the absence of a player who can make things happen in a variety of ways offensively. Cade Davis, who is also Oklahoma's lone senior, is a good shooter and players such as Steven Pledger and Andrew Fitzgerald can also score. But who's getting them the basketball? Oklahoma has a turnover percentage of 23%, and opponents are shooting 39% from behind the arc. But they, like Alabama, have lost five of their six games to teams from BCS leagues and you can definitely argue that they've had the toughest schedule to date. But given the start for the top of the Big 12 it could be a long year in Norman.

Oregon State (4-6)
Wins: Texas-Arlington, Charlotte, Howard, Texas-Pan American
Losses: Seattle, Texas Southern, Utah Valley State, Colorado, Montana, George Washington
Pomeroy: 188
Sagarin: 266 (in between Southern Utah and Mississippi Valley State)
*last night's loss at Montana moved the Grizzlies to 2-0 in Pac-10 play

The good news for Craig Robinson on Saturday was that the highly touted Roberto Nelson was finally able to play. But it didn't matter much as Oregon State fell at home to George Washington in their fifth loss to a team from a non-BCS conference this season. Oregon State owns three losses to teams with a Pomeroy ranking of 275 or worse, making for a stunning start for a team with one of the worst schedules in college basketball (SOS: 333). Three of the four wins have come at the expense of teams ranked 287 or worse (Howard and UTPA are in the 300s), but they receive a minor boost for being able to beat Charlotte (which Tennessee could not do). What works in Oregon State's favor is the fact that the Pac-10 is once again limping into conference play, meaning that once chemistry with Nelson is established they could win a few more games than expected. And it isn't as if Coach Robinson's team lacks experience; they simply need to get better at defending (eFG% 53.6% ranks 307th) as the season wears on.

Texas Tech (5-6)
Wins: Louisiana-Monroe, Stephen F. Austin, Liberty, Georgia Southern, Oral Roberts
Losses: North Texas, Saint Mary's, USF, Washington, TCU, UTEP
Pomeroy: 105
Sagarin: 185
*One of two teams on this list (Oklahoma) to own a win over Oral Roberts

Many saw this as a big year for head coach Pat Knight in regards to his future in Lubbock and it's gotten off to an uneven start to say the least. The Red Raiders have just one win over a team ranked in the Top 100 of the Pomeroy rankings, and with Stephen F. Austin sitting at 97 that doesn't say a whole lot. Three of their other four wins have come over teams ranked 264 or worse, but on a positive note North Texas (Pomeroy: 158) is the worst team they've lost to thus far. Texas Tech executes well offensively thanks in large part to Mike Singletary and John Roberson, but this is one of the poorest shooting teams in the Big 12 when it comes to the three-pointer (31.0%). And without a bell cow in the paint that they can look to on a regular basis that hurts the Red Raiders even more. Texas Tech has their next six games at home but with the final two being Baylor and Texas they're going to need a good finish to non-conference play in order to avoid a complete nosedive.

Dishonorable Mention: Iowa (6-5), USF (6-6), Wake Forest (6-5)

Source: http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/which-bcs-conference-team-worst-168896

College Football Rankings ESPN College Football North Carolina Basketball Basketball History

Ernie Munoz

Pull up a chair and sit down at the breakfast buffet, an assortment of all the freshest newsworthy college hoops stories on the net. To make a submission, contact me via email or Twitter.

• It can't be good news for Tennessee's Bruce Pearl that NCAA president Mark Emmert told a group of reporters Tuesday that he believes coaches who lie to investigators should be "held to at least the same" standard as student-athletes. That answer was in response to a question comparing Pearl to former Oklahoma State receiver Dez Bryant, who was suspended one year by the NCAA for lying to investigators.

• As if it wasn't sad enough that Missouri's Marcus Denmon lost his beloved cousin Marion in a shooting last week, the family had to endure another horrifying incident at the funeral on Tuesday afternoon. Occupants of two vehicles sent mourners diving for cover when they opened fire outside the Kansas City church where services were held, though thankfully nobody was hit.

• Seton Hall's correct that moving its student section behind the opposing bench hasn't produced an incident yet, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out that's a recipe for disaster once the Pirates host the likes of Syracuse or St. John's. That's why it's hard to understand why the Seton Hall administration is feigning ignorance at the Big East expressing displeasure with the new arrangement.

• A 2-6 start had been a shock to the system for a Siena program accustomed to winning the past few seasons, but the Saints got back on track with a 72-69 victory over Florida Atlantic on Tuesday night. "We made our minds up we were going to make this like the beginning of our season and forget about the negatives in the past and move on," Jonathan Breeden told the Albany Times Union.

• The latest update on the timetable for injured Duke point guard Kyrie Irving's return is ... that there is no update. Irving's father told FoxSports.com that the freshman's injured toe will be reevaluated by doctors later this week and at that point the family and the team will make a decision on how to proceed.

• Charlotte's discouraging start to the season got a little bit worse on Tuesday night when coach Alan Major booted leading scorer Shamari Spears off the team as a result of disciplinary issues. Spears had previously tweeted earlier this season that he missed former Charlotte coach Bobby Lutz and that he was getting close to quitting the team.

• When Billy Gillispie was the coach at Kentucky, he once became so angry at Josh Harrellson during a game at Vanderbilt that he ordered the big man listen to the halftime instruction from a bathroom stall. As a result of stories like these, it's always interesting when the outspoken Harrellson opens up about what he really thinks of Gillispie and his time at Kentucky.

• It's always nice when a German 7-footer materializes out of thin air, which appears to be what's happening at Connecticut this week. The Huskies announced Tuesday that center Enosch Wolf has been added to the roster and will be eligible to practice Sunday and to play Monday against Coppin State.

• Is there a more difficult team to analyze this season than Minnesota? The Gophers come out of the gates blazing hot with victories over North Carolina, West Virginia and three quality mid-majors, only to slump badly immediately afterward losing to Virginia at home and struggling with the likes of Cornell and Eastern Kentucky. Gopher Daily examines the issues, not all of which are related to point guard Al Nolen's absence.

Source: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/Breakfast-Buffet-NCAA-chief-wants-coaches-held-?urn=ncaab-296293

NCAA Basketball Recruiting NCAA College baseball ESPN College Football

Ernie Munoz

The world we live in is increasingly filled with responsibility, more stressful, and fast-paced. Because of this, everyone needs some time to decompress and have some refreshment. Our modern technique of life as well tends to be inactive, and the meals we eat are not healthy. Exercise is an important component in invigorating us. For these grounds, sports recreation activities are some of the best recreation we can choose. There are many options for spare-time activity to allow for sports recreation. You may even would like to discover some new recreational sports skills.

Source: http://www.blogbasketball.com/2010/01/24/friendly-recreational-outdoor-sports-4/

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Ernie Munoz

It's just Week 1 in the Pac-10. After their trip to Los Angeles with games at USC on Wednesday and UCLA on Friday, the Huskies will play 16 more league games.

And yet, this feels like a big opportunity for Washington to dictate what happens over the next eight weeks in the conference race.

Winning two games on the road to start league play would give UW a significant advantage over the conference contenders. Lose two games and the Huskies will be forced to scramble as they did last season when they started 1-3 and 3-5 in league play before finishing third at 11-7.

What do you think will happen this week?

Source: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/huskymensbasketballblog/2013788231_poll_question_h_4.html?syndication=rss

NCAA Basketball Recruiting NCAA College baseball ESPN College Football

Ernie Munoz

IT'S OVER --- UW 73-67 OT.

UW FANS ENJOYING THEMSELVES --- Husky fans are shouting: "Just like football!" UW 71-67, 4.7 seconds.

FREE THROW CONTEST --- Refs taking over again. UW 68-64, 26.6.

OVERTON TAKING OVER --- He's got four points in the extra period. UW 66-61, 47.9 seconds.

ROSS FOULS OUT --- Ross picked up his fifth foul on an awful call. He was going for a loose ball and the ref 20 feet away called the foul. UW 60-58, 2:37.

OVERTIME --- Overton missed a long jumper and UW corralled the rebound. The Huskies had the ball with 39.9 seconds. Thomas dribbled out the shot clock before lofting a long shot that missed. USC never got off a shot. UW 55-55.

ROOKIE MISTAKE --- Ross fouled Vucevic while going for a missed free throw. He had no shot at the rebound. Vucevic drained both. UW 55-55, 1:15.

HERE WE GO --- Ross knocked down a big basket in the lane before Vucevic drained a three-pointer. UW 54-53, 1:26.

TERRENCE ROSS WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN! --- Ross drained a step-back three. Amazing. UW 51-46, 4:49.

BYE, BYE N'DIAYE --- N'Diaye fouls out. Bryan-Amaning checks in with three fouls. UW 48-46, 5:17.

BIGGEST LEAD FOR UW --- Ross sank a short hook. UW 48-45, 6:40.

REFS ARE TAKING OVER --- Hate to beat a dead horse here, but the Pac-10 officiating is brutal. They're calling fouls that's not there. UW 46-45, 8:03.

HOLIDAY HAS FOUR --- That's four fouls for Holiday. He's out. N'Diaye is in. USC 45-42, 9:06.

YOU'RE NOT GOING TO LIKE THIS ... --- But I got to slow down. I wont' abandon the game thread. I know more folks may be reading than normal, but I got to start the game story. USC 42-40, 10:47.

N'DIAYE HAS FOUR --- That's four fouls on N'Diaye. He's out. Holiday is in. USC 38-36, 13:23.

ROSS CHECKS IN --- The freshman is back in the game. The Huskies have also gone back to their zone defense. USC 38-36, 14:26.

THIS IS PAC-10 BASKETBALL --- Great action on both ends. Vucevic blows past N'Diaye for a layup. Thomas counters with a driving layup over Vucevic despite being fouled. The building is electric. Both crowds going at it. Good stuff. USC 38-35, 14:26.

WAITING FOR THE ZONE --- The Huskies haven't broken out the zone just yet. USC 34-33, 15:42.

THREE ON GANT --- That's three fouls on Gant. He's replaced by N'Diaye. USC 31-30.

THREE ON BRYAN-AMANING --- That's three fouls on Bryan-Amaning. Looks like he's staying in. USC 31-30, 17:53

NO WILCOX --- If you're wondering what happened to C.J. Wilcox, he's out with a sore hip. UW 28-28, 18:44.

ROMAR HEATED --- The Huskies started the half with a play for Holiday in the post perhaps wanting to take advantage of the size matchup. He lost the ball, but UW retained possession because it called a timeout. Before going to the bench, Holiday got an earful from Romar. UW 28-26, 19:35.

SECOND HALF --- Gant started in place of N'Diaye. (Sorry for the earlier post).

HALFTIME OBSERVATIONS --- Great half of basketball for the Huskies. I think I understand what Romar is doing. He's turned this game into a three-point shooting contest with the zone and hoping the Huskies better shooters do their thing. It's a sound strategy. Anyone whose ripped Romar for not being a good Xs and Os coach needs to get video of this game. Too bad it's not on TV. He's packed the paint with bodies. Vucevic and Stepheson are negated. He's put the game into the hands of Fontan, Maurice Jones and Simmons. He's daring them to shoot. The zone doesn't tire out the Huskies. They can get a hand up for the shooters. The ploy has worked marvelously. USC is 1 for 10 on three-pointers.

Offensively, the Huskies are taking advantage of 5-7 Maurice Jones. This is what what Texas and Kansas did to the Trojans. He's a short guy and you can shoot over him, which is what Ross has done for three three-pointers.

Thomas was taken out of the offense by Simmons, but Thomas hasn't stopped probing and looking for his shot. He found Ross for a three-pointer and he's scored on two dribble drives.

Tough sledding for Bryan-Amaning, who has a team-leading nine points. He has his hands full with Stepheson. N'Diaye has three fouls and he's been ineffective. The Huskies can't lose Bryan-Amaning, who has two fouls. He's still being very aggressive with Vucevic and that could be dangerous.

It's been a little surprising that Holiday hasn't made a bigger impact.

HALFTIME STATS --- Click here.

HALFTIME --- UW 28-26.

Leave a Comment

Source: http://www.zagsblog.com/2010/12/29/planet-athlete-national-showcase/

NCAA College baseball ESPN College Football Basketball games

Ernie Munoz

Unfortunately, my brand-new Flip cam froze up just before coach Beilein started talking, so no video today. Below are notes and quotes and you can find audio of the interview here. “Between E’Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson they have two just really good All-Big ten players.” They will be tough to stop and Michigan must [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/UMHoops/~3/OQlRl7qxSIQ/

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Ernie Munoz

Photo Credit: AnnArbor.com Expectations were slim to none heading into this season. The last off season was filled with fluff pieces, top 25 rankings, and preseason All-American hype. This off season was the opposite; an array of disappointments and calamities. Michigan lost Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims, the two players that accounted for over half [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/UMHoops/~3/5TOpUF6RxXE/

College Football hall of fame Duke Basketball report High School baseball teams nba teams list

Ernie Munoz

With conference play beginning in earnest this week, it's time to revisit our preseason projections. Here's a look back at how the Big East fared in non-conference play and an updated forecast for the league season:

Conference RPI: 1

Record against Big Six opponents: 24-12

Conference favorite: Whereas many of college basketball's other top leagues have clear-cut favorites, the Big East has a handful of formidable teams that appear capable of capturing the league crown. Syracuse and Connecticut are undefeated and Pittsburgh began as the most popular choice, but the slight edge goes to Georgetown, which defeated Old Dominion, Missouri, Memphis and Utah State in the preseason thanks to one of the nation's best backcourts.

Pleasant surprise: Three of UConn's four top scorers graduated from a team that missed the NCAA tournament last season, making the Huskies appear to be a prime candidate to struggle for a second straight season. Instead UConn defeated Wichita State, Michigan State and Kentucky in Maui and then feasted on a bevy of cupcakes afterward, taking an undefeated record and a top-10 ranking into Big East play.

Biggest disappointment: In a league in which almost everyone else overachieved in non-conference play, Seton Hall over-scheduled, suffered a key injury to guard Jeremy Hazell and then floundered. All six of Seton Hall's losses were against quality opponents and all six were by eight or fewer points, yet it doesn't excuse the Pirates taking a 6-6 record into a Big East play in a year when they expected to contend for an NCAA tournament berth.

Player of the Year: Even though Rick Jackson has enjoyed a breakout season for Syracuse and Georgetown's trio of guards have exceeded expectations, this one is a no-brainer at this juncture of the season. UConn guard Kemba Walker has been the best player in the nation the first two months of the season, averaging 26.5 points per game, hitting 42.1 percent of his threes and contributing 4.0 assists and 2.1 steals as well.

Freshman of the Year: There haven't been very bright spots for woeful DePaul so far this season, but guard Brandon Young certainly offers some hope for the future. In a league curiously devoid of impact freshmen, Young's 13.4 points, 3.9 assists and 53.3 percent shooting stand out, even if those stats come for a team that would be lucky to escape the Big East cellar this season.

Three best wins:

1. Georgetown 111, Missouri 102 (OT)

Comment: In perhaps the best game of the season thus far, Georgetown squandered an 18-point first-half lead, tied the game in the final second of regulation on a Chris Wright three-pointer and pulled away in overtime.

2. Pittsburgh 68, Texas 66

Comment: This November neutral-court win has aged well as Texas has emerged as a legitimate top 20 team.

3. Connecticut 84, Kentucky 67

Comment: Nobody has enjoyed a better three-day stretch this season than UConn, which beat Wichita State, Michigan State and Kentucky to win the Maui Invitational in late November.

Three worst losses:

1. Fordham 84, St. John's 81

Comment: If St. John's contends for an NCAA tournament berth, this brutal loss to Atlantic 10 bottom feeder Fordham will be an anchor weighing the Johnnies down.

2. Cal State Northridge 88, DePaul 66

Comment: As if providing the Matadors their only win wasn't bad enough, DePaul was never even in this game after the opening five minutes.

3. Drexel 52, Louisville 46

Comment: The Dragons aren't a bad team by any means, but this is the sort of game Louisville has to win at home to make the NCAA tournament.

Three fearless predictions:

1. Capitalizing on a strong non-conference season, the new 68-team field and the weakness of the Pac-10, SEC and ACC, the Big East will put nine teams in the NCAA tournament.

2. Cincinnati's weak non-conference schedule helped the undefeated Bearcats pile up non-league wins, but they will regret not preparing themselves better for the challenge of Big East play.

3. Steve Lavin will have St. John's back in the NCAA tournament before too long ... but it won't be this season. Those losses to Fordham and St. Bonaventure are killers for the senior-heavy Johnnies.

Source: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/Big-East-reset-At-least-five-teams-will-contend?urn=ncaab-300801

College Basketball Schedule Duke Basketball Schedule High School Basketball players NCAA Basketball champions

Ernie Munoz

The Kohl Center should be rocking for the Big Ten opener between Wisconsin (10-2) and border rival Minnesota (11-1), a game that could hold even more importance come March for resume reasons. Tubby Smith's Golden Gophers have an in-season tournament title (Puerto Rico Tipoff) to their credit already, a run that includes likely valuable wins over North Carolina and West Virginia. Wisconsin, on the other hand, may not have a better win than their wins over Boston College (Old Spice Classic) and at Marquette although their most impressive showing thus far was a 39-point whipping of NC State (that game loses its luster as the Wolfpack stumble their way through the remainder of non-conference play). But computer numbers aren't as good of an indicator as head-to-head play, meaning that Tuesday's matchup will tell us quite a bit about both teams.

The Golden Gophers have also had to manage their rotation for much of the season, from Devoe Joseph's suspension to Al Nolen's injury, and they've done a good job of winning games despite the issues. A major factor in Minnesota's success is their deep frontcourt, boasting returnees Colton Iverson and Ralph Sampson III along with newcomers Trevor Mbakwe and Rodney Williams. While their rebounding margin of +5.7 is solid, Minnesota has a quartet of players who are a physical equal to just about any team they take on (and that's to be conservative). Mbakwe, who very nearly ended up at Memphis this summer when there was fear that he'd never suit up for Minnesota, is averaging 13.3 points and 9.8 rebounds per game to lead the way and has a pro-ready physique right now. As a team the Golden Gophers rebound 39% of their misses, and those extra opportunities can result in Blake Hoffarber (13.9 ppg, 39.1% 3PT) threes is opponents aren't careful.

In looking at the Badgers offensively it should come as no surprise that they're averaging more than ten possessions per game less than Minnesota (70.4-59.5) on the season, but that doesn't mean that Bo Ryan's team lacks offensive firepower. Forward Jon Leuer (19.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg) is one of the Big Ten's best frontcourt players, possessing the ability to go to work with either his back to the basket of via the face-up game. Leuer shoots a shade under 51% from the field and makes half of his three-point attempts, and his cashes in when sent to the foul line as well (79.2%). While Minnesota may have seen more "household" names when taking on North Carolina (thanks to high school All America teams) they haven't seen a player better than Leuer this season. The "yin" to Jon's "yang" offensively would have to be point guard Jordan Taylor, who averages 15.4 points per game while handing out 4.8 assists per game (turning it over just 1.8 times per game). Add in players like Keaton Nankivil, Josh Gasser and Mike Bruesewitz (just to name three) and you've got a group that's more than capable of winning a Big Ten title.

Comparing the offensive efficiency of both teams Wisconsin is the more efficient team (120.2-109.5) while also doing the better job defensively (90.9 opposition efficiency to 96.8 for Minnesota opponents). But judging by the percentages of their opponents (Wisconsin's opponents shoot 38.8% from the field to Minnesota's 39.0%) one could argue that the efficiency discrepancy is just as much about tempo as it is performance. So keep an eye on tempo as well as offensive rebounding as this game wears on. There's nothing more disheartening than defending a team for 30 seconds and force a missed shot, only to have them grab the ball and run another 30 seconds off the clock. Both teams are in the 39% range when it comes to offensive rebounding but the Badgers do a better job of keeping their opponents off of the offensive boards (72% defensive rebounding percentage). And with Wisconsin being close to unbeatable at home Minnesota will need every extra possession they can get.

In other action Tuesday try to fit in an afternoon nap in order to stay up for the nightcap in the Big West. In a rematch of last year's Big West Tournament final Long Beach State visits defending league champion (and preseason favorite) UCSB. The Gauchos, who have a win at UNLV to their credit this season, are led by the nation's top-scoring tandem in James Nunnally and Orlando Johnson. Long Beach State has played one of the nation's toughest schedules and has five players scoring in double figures with Casper Ware (14.6 ppg) and T.J. Robinson (14.5) leading the way. Three more Big East games are on the schedule, including Providence visiting Syracuse in a game that will test their defensive improvement and Seton Hall hosting a USF team that may be weary from having to bus from Washington, D.C. to Newark thanks to the snowstorm. Same goes for North Carolina, who will fly up to New York City Tuesday morning in hopes of getting in town with enough time to spare before taking on Rutgers at Madison Square Garden.

Top 25
9:00 PM Providence at (5) Syracuse (ESPNU)
2:00 PM (11) Purdue at Michigan (BTN)
7:00 PM Coppin State at (12) Kentucky (ESPN3)
7:00 PM (13) Minnesota at (24) Wisconsin (ESPN2)

NCAA Division I Games
4:00 PM Alabama A&M at North Carolina State
7:00 PM Rider at Howard
7:00 PM Fairfield at Florida (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Charleston Southern at Georgia (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Siena at St. Bonaventure
7:00 PM Binghamton at Marshall
7:00 PM DePaul at Cincinnati (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Niagara at Drexel
7:00 PM Union (KY) College at Liberty
7:00 PM Bucknell at Loyola (MD)
7:00 PM Kent State at Morehead State
7:00 PM Western Carolina at UNC Asheville
7:00 PM South Florida at Seton Hall (ESPN3)
7:00 PM Albany at Xavier
7:00 PM Long Island at NJIT
7:05 PM Saint Joseph's at Holy Cross
8:00 PM Midland Lutheran at South Dakota
8:00 PM Panhandle State at North Texas
8:00 PM Brescia at Austin Peay
8:00 PM Oakland at Centenary
8:00 PM Chicago State at TCU
8:05 PM North Dakota State at UMKC
8:05 PM IPFW at Oral Roberts
8:05 PM Central Baptist College at Arkansas State
8:05 PM Ball State at Valparaiso
9:00 PM North Carolina vs. Rutgers* (ESPN2)
9:00 PM Pepperdine at Alabama (ESPN3)
9:00 PM West New Mexico at UTEP
9:00 PM Kennesaw State at Wyoming
9:00 PM Florida International at Utah Valley
10:00 PM Yale at Stanford
10:00 PM UC Riverside at UC Irvine
10:00 PM Colorado State at San Francisco
10:05 PM UC Davis at Cal State Fullerton
10:05 PM Pacific at Cal State Northridge
10:30 PM Hartford at California
11:00 PM Sam Houston State vs. Air Force*
11:00 PM Long Beach State at UC Santa Barbara (ESPNU)

Source: http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/college-hoops-tuesday-your-commentary-168909

baseball Scores Basketball rules College Football Scores baseball Reference

Ernie Munoz

As I noted in TMA last night, the Hoosiers gave up several wide-open 3-point attempts in the first half against Penn State, ones that allowed the Nittany Lions to shoot 50 percent (5-of-10) in the first 20 minutes of the contest. Here’s a detailed look at three straight Penn State possessions which resulted in nine [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/insidethehall/~3/DDYwhBeK11w/

High School Basketball Schedule NFL Football teams rivals Basketball College Basketball Recruiting

Ernie Munoz

If there's a Kansas basketball fan on your last-minute Christmas shopping list and you have a few hundred dollars to burn, here's a gift you can be sure won't wind up being returned on the 26th.

Bill Self's charitable foundation is auctioning off a 15-minute Skype video call with the Jayhawks coach on Christmas Eve.

Although the starting price of the eBay auction was $100 when it was posted Tuesday, it has already reached $317.66 in less than 24 hours of bidding. The auction closes Sunday evening and all proceeds will support Self's Assists Foundation, which serves a variety of youth initiatives in the community.

"I saw on Twitter that Sarah Silverman was doing the same thing, and I thought that would be a cool thing for us to do if coach would agree to do it," said Erin Zimney, director of the Assists Foundation. "Not only would it raise money, it also connects him to some of the KU fans that may not live around here and have a chance to interact with him."

If it seems mind-boggling that Kansas fans are willing to shell out hundreds of dollars for 15 minutes of 1-on-1 Skype time with Self, consider how much more others have paid in the past to take celebrities out to dinner. Lexington businessman Paul Orberson, president and CEO of Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing, paid $98,000 in a charity auction earlier this year to have dinner with Kentucky coach John Calipari, his family and actress Ashley Judd.

It wasn't a difficult sell for Zimney to convince Self to sacrifice 15 minutes of his Christmas Eve for a good cause, but the Kansas coach did have one significant concern about the idea.

"He wasn't quite sure what Skype was," Zimney said. "He was like, 'Do I know how to do that?' I told him, I'd get his son involved. I'll make sure he has his computer handy."

Hopefully someone can help Self out with the technological aspect because it would be a shame if a Kansas fan shelled out hundreds of dollars but wasn't able to connect with the Jayhawks coach.

Said Zimney, "I'll be nervous until it goes off without a hitch."

Source: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/How-much-would-you-pay-to-Skype-with-Kansas-coac?urn=ncaab-296448

Football Recruiting John Wall Basketball court ESPN Soccer

Ernie Munoz

If you're looking for pictures of Ben Wallace and the games that he has participated in, then there are many fans sites all over the Internet which specialise in Ben Wallace pictures. In fact, there is certainly no shortage of them and a quick search on Google images will show you that.

Source: http://www.blogbasketball.com/2010/02/05/ben-wallace-pictures-on-the-internet/

ESPN College Football Basketball games ESPN 360

Ernie Munoz

Source: http://www.slipperstillfits.com/2010/12/11/1870791/postgame-thread-zags-fall-to-irish

Basketball hall of fame College Football Lines College Football predictions College Football teams

Ernie Munoz

Source: http://blog.mlive.com/highschoolbasketball/2010/12/familiar_foes_meet_in_northern.html

College Basketball Recruiting College Basketball Schedule Duke Basketball Schedule High School Basketball players

Ernie Munoz

Source: http://www.slipperstillfits.com/2010/12/19/1885667/it-feels-so-good-to-get-this-win-sacre-said-weve-had-some-tough-games

NCAA Football Recruiting NFL teams list College Basketball games College Football hall of fame

Ernie Munoz

Finals week kicked off last week with Louisville and Tennessee picking up big wins on Saturday as the Cardinals beat UNLV while the Vols handled Pittsburgh. And what did both teams do in their next act? They lost games many expected them to win to Drexel and Oakland respectively. A key trait of teams who tend to reach high levels come March is the ability to maintain focus and take care of business regardless of the opponent, and that's why the matinee between Jacksonville (6-3) and Florida (8-2) is a game to keep an eye on. Billy Donovan's Gators are coming off of an impressive defensive performance against Kansas State, limiting the Wildcats to 22.2% shooting from the field (and 0-10 from three) in the second half of the 57-44 victory. Their play defensively helped make up for eighteen turnovers, and Kenny Boynton led three Gators in double figures with 15.

Florida goes into Monday's game with the nation's best strength of schedule and sits second in the RPI, but while those numbers may take a hit in playing Cliff Warren's Dolphins this could be a tough contest if they don't show up ready to go. Senior forward Ayron Hardy leads JU in scoring (12.6 ppg), rebounding (7.0 rpg) and assists (3.7 apg), but this is a balanced club that offensively has six other players who average at least seven points per game and four others who grab at least four rebounds. This is a balanced outfit that will win games this season due to the sum of the parts as opposed to one exemplary player. But the Dolphins are up against history as they've beaten Florida just once since 1980 (68-64 win in 1994) and the average margin of defeat is fifteen points.

Another issue for Jacksonville, who has dropped their last two games to Winthrop and Saint Louis, is their lack of size when compared to Florida. Forwards Delwan Graham and Shamile Jeffers are the tallest players in the Jacksonville rotation and they're both 6'7". Compared to the size and strength of players such as Vernon Macklin, Alex Tyus and Patric Young the Dolphins will be at a disadvantage on paper. But numbers don't account for the intangibles, meaning that they've got a chance provided they keep Florida off of the offensive boards (offensive rebound percentage of 39.5%). Add in the tough matchup of versatile wing Chandler Parsons and to say the least the Dolphins will have their work cut out for them. But with the tip being an afternoon game during the week, and with the students on holiday break, Jacksonville could put a scare into the Gators if Billy Donovan's team isn't focused on the task at hand. And as Louisville and Tennessee showed last week, doing such could result in an unexpected outcome.

Four other ranked teams are in action on Monday, including an inexperienced Memphis squad that's struggled with seemingly inferior competition this season (Arkansas State and Austin Peay have both taken the Tigers to overtime). Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is only 4-6 on the young season but they've played the 11th-toughest schedule in the nation thus far, including road games at Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and Kansas, and the Islanders are coming off of a win over Houston. If any of the ranked teams in action could be susceptible to a pre-Christmas letdown it could be the Tigers, who are dealing with the loss of Wesley Witherspoon while also trying to figure out the roles of their talented youngsters. Winthrop's trip to Dayton could prove profitable for the Big South team given the Flyers' struggles at times, and Brian Gregory's team has proven to play only as well as PG Juwan Staten does running the show. And the Aeropostale Holiday Festival tips off in New York, with Northwestern and St. John's looking to move into Tuesday's title game with wins over St. Francis (NY) and Davidson respectively.

Top 25
7:00 PM Elon at (1) Duke (FS South)
7:00 PM Coppin State at (4) Connecticut (ESPNU)
7:00 PM Morgan State at (5) Syracuse (ESPN3)
8:00 PM Texas A&M-CC at (19) Memphis
1:00 PM Jacksonville at (24) Florida (ESPN3)

NCAA Division I Games
5:00 PM Valparaiso vs. Eastern Michigan*
7:00 PM American University at Mount St. Mary's
7:00 PM Bucknell at Cornell
7:00 PM Norfolk State at Virginia
7:00 PM Thomas More at Coastal Carolina
7:00 PM Illinois State at North Carolina-Wilmington
7:00 PM Belmont at Alabama State
7:00 PM South Dakota State at Central Michigan
7:00 PM Winthrop at Dayton (FS Cincinnati)
7:00 PM Towson at Hampton
7:00 PM Northwestern vs. St. Francis (NY)* (MSG)
7:30 PM Vermont at Fairfield
7:30 PM Rochester Coll at Oakland
8:00 PM Eastern Washington at South Dakota
8:00 PM Xavier LA at Southern University
8:00 PM North Dakota at Green Bay
8:05 PM Jackson State at Bradley
8:05 PM Western Illinois at Creighton
8:05 PM Savannah State at Arkansas State
9:00 PM Northern Colorado at Colorado State
9:00 PM Samford at Texas-San Antonio
9:00 PM Centenary at Wyoming
9:00 PM Mayville State at Utah Valley
9:30 PM Davidson at St. John's (MSG)
10:30 PM Portland State at Nevada
10:30 PM Stephen F. Austin at UTEP

Source: http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/college-hoops-monday-your-commentary-168895

ESPN College Football Basketball games ESPN 360

Ernie Munoz

Study the history of Puerto Rico's most successful college basketball players, and it's not difficult to see how Louisville might benefit if Rick Pitino indeed becomes the next coach of the Puerto Rican national team.

Ex-Seton Hall coach P.J. Carlesimo first spotted future all-Big East big man Ramon Ramos at age 14 while coaching for the summer in a Puerto Rican league. A member of Ralph Miller's staff at Oregon State discovered future Pac-10 player of the year Jose Ortiz in a similar way. And Temple coach John Chaney landed future NBA power forward Ramon Rivas via a friend who coached in Puerto Rico.

Stories like those illustrate how Pitino could easily create a new recruiting pipeline if he takes the Puerto Rican national team job. He'll have unique access to Puerto Rican coaches and prospects and more visibility on the island than virtually any other college head coach.

"It's a definite edge when the youngsters feel he has some roots in Puerto Rico," Rivas said Tuesday. "There are some guys out there that don't come to the United States for high school and he'll have an opportunity to make a connection with them. It will be a great opportunity for him to reach out to those kids. It will be very easy for him to go over in the summer time and spot some of the local talent capable of playing major college basketball."

Reports out of Puerto Rico surfaced Monday that Pitino is close to finalizing an agreement to become the country's next basketball coach. A Louisville spokesman denied that Pitino has accepted the job, telling reporters that the coach "hasn't taken it" and "has not indicated his level of interest or a timetable."

Rivas believes taking a chance on Pitino would be more than just a splashy hire for Puerto Rico, which appeared to be on the rise in international basketball before crashing out of this summer's World Championships in the group stages. Pitino's college and NBA pedigree give him credibility and the fact that he has no prior affiliation with Puerto Rico allows him to bring a fresh perspective.

"We were very excited this year thinking that the national team would have probably its best talent ever, so it was pretty sad to see that they didn't go as far as they should have," Rivas said. "I'm really looking forward to Pitino coaching the national team and seeing how far he can take this team."

It's reasonable for Louisville fans to be concerned that Pitino may not be on the AAU summer circuit during the all-important July evaluation period, but Rivas believes the positives outweigh the drawbacks for the Cardinals.

"We have great talent in Puerto Rico," Rivas said. "I wouldn't be surprised if Louisville benefits from him being there."

Source: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/If-Pitino-coaches-Puerto-Rico-Louisville-recrui?urn=ncaab-295951

AAU Basketball teams College Basketball teams College Football odds kentucky sports radio

Ernie Munoz

Small consolation for Memphis after a humbling 86-69 home loss to surging Georgetown on Thursday night: At least the Tigers produced by far the game's most memorable highlight.

With Memphis trailing Georgetown 64-53 four minutes into the second half, 6-foot-5 D.J. Stephens took a feed from point guard Joe Jackson on the baseline and found himself with a clear path to the rim. Stephens launched himself at the rim and threw down a one-handed slam over Georgetown's Hollis Thompson, who sacrificed his dignity rushing over in an attempt to block the shot a few seconds too late.

Crowd-pleasing plays like that one were rare for Memphis, which dropped to 0-2 against ranked teams this season after an 81-68 loss to Kansas earlier this month. Memphis trailed by only four at halftime, but Georgetown shot 63 percent in the second half, helping the Hoyas stretch their lead to as many as 21 late in the game.

It's no surprise that Georgetown emerged with a victory on Thursday night because the Hoyas have played better than the Tigers all season. Whereas Memphis has lost to the quality opponents it has faced, Georgetown is 11-1 with victories over Old Dominion, NC State, Missouri and Utah State.

Previous Dunk of the Year nominees:

Illinois forward Brandon Paul

Central Florida guard Marcus Jordan

Syracuse forward C.J. Fair

Old Dominion guard Kent Bazemore

High Point guard Shay Shine

Source: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/Dunk-of-the-Year-nominee-Memphis-forward-D-J-S?urn=ncaab-300042

College Basketball Rankings College Football polls High School Football teams Basketball Reference

Ernie Munoz

Source: http://blog.mlive.com/highschoolbasketball/2010/12/this_weeks_best-bet_games_in_m_1.html

College Football Recruiting Basketball hall of fame College Football Lines College Football predictions

Ernie Munoz

Source: http://www.nj.com/rutgersbasketball/index.ssf/2010/12/your_comments_rutgers.html

nba teams list Duke Basketball Recruiting Duke Basketball tickets High School baseball Schedule

Ernie Munoz

Who's left without a scratch? We've got the list and some details about the teams, who they play next, and why they will/won't lose in the immediate future. Funny to see how easily teams get lopped off this list, by the way. We're at 14; 10 days ago, we were at 28.

This'll be whittled down even further next week, as anticipation and attention grows for those unblemished.

OK, let's do this thing, you know? Off we go. Enjoy.

Unbeatens remaining: 14.

Cleveland State (12-0). Norris Cole (right) and the Vikings have a good formula going; it's called, "Get Cole the ball." The Vikings senior guard is factoring into 33 percent of the team's possessions - good for 14th best in the country. Who knows how long Gary Waters' team can continue this unexpected run, though. The 12-0 mark is misleading, to an extent, because two of the wins have come against non-Division I competition, plus, there hasn't been a game yet against a school ranked in the top 100. That changes in just a few days. Next two games: Saturday at West Virginia; Dec. 22 vs. South Florida.

Duke (10-0) Kyrie Irving's toe injury has made the Blue Devils even more interesting than before. Without him, no one believes this team has any chance of going undefeated. With him, I still don't think there's a prayer. Nevertheless, the enigmatic point guard is on the shelf for an undetermined amount of time. Fortunately for Duke, the cushiony portion of the schedule is now, as the team has its largest break between games all season, then gets patsies to play before the ACC slate starts. Next two games: Dec. 20 vs. Elon; Dec. 29 vs. UNC-Greensboro.

Syracuse (10-0) We've got a Syracuse team that lacks one of its signatures: a deep-shot threat. Nobody on this team has the range or consistency of Andy Rautins, Gerry McNamara, etc. But can Rick Jackson's incredible play offset that? Likely not, but it goes a long way. And Scoop Jardine can still come into his own. The Orange's next real test likely won't come until after New Year's decorations are still being tossed away: Jan. 1 vs. the Fighting Irish. Next two games: Saturday vs. Iona; Dec. 20 vs. Morgan State.

Brigham Young (10-0). Cougars are still in the clear, and Jackson Emery and his hipster hairstyle are likely saying a thank you to the hoops gods every night because of it. This team's backed up its talked - Utah State, Saint Mary's, Arizona all lay in its wake. Next two games: Saturday vs. UCLA; Dec. 21 at Weber State.

San Diego State (10-0) A fun, fun team that's appropriately getting more and more love, more and more press by the week. The Aztecs are now a top-10 team in the polls, and many are rightfully calling them the best team in the West. (Yes, better than BYU.) SDSU has the 10th-most-effective offense in the country, which is only helped by the fact this group shoots the ball effectively well and doesn't turn itself over. The upcoming schedule isn't tough now (SDSU's had a healthy dose of decent teams, though), so this group has a real chance to creep into the top five in the next three weeks. Next two games: Tonight vs. Cal Poly; Saturday vs. UC Santa Barbara.

Kansas (9-0) Bill Self wants you to know his team is awful. Thanks, Bill. Now, look! Here comes Josh Selby! Getting ready for your hideous, no-good, despicable Kansas Jayhawks! Destined to not be threatened with a loss until mid-January! Next two games: Saturday vs. Southern Cal; Dec. 22 at California.

Central Florida (8-0). In the inaugural post, I wrote, "Forgive us for being presumptuous again, but we're not seeing how the Knights knock off the Gators in Gainesville." Uh, whoops. How shortsighted of me. And now UCF is being discussed as a possible C-USA winner. Laughing? OK, now go check the stats. Team's a top-40 KenPom.com squad, and it rates third in eFG% defense (a stat you need to take seriously) and 11th in eFG% offense. This group is a lot of fun to watch, plus there's a Jordan kid involved. Stay undefeated as long as possible, Knights. Please. Next two games: Wednesday vs. Louisiana-Lafayette; Saturday at Miami (FL).

Cincinnati (8-0). Sneaky team. Yances Gates (right) and the Bearcats haven't played anyone except Dayton, really, and the Flyers are proving to be one of the biggest letdowns of 2010-11. Mick Cronin's team will need to avoid being the South Florida of a year ago. Bulls started 10-2 and then nosedived once Big East play began. Unclear how truly talented this group is right now. If it wants to make a statement soon, beat OU by double digits. Next two games: Tonight vs. Georgia Southern; Saturday vs. Oklahoma.

Connecticut (8-0) Is it all Kemba Walker? No. But most of it is. Alex Oriakhi has looked fine, but he's got to demand the ball more. Not thinking newbie Shabazz Napier (what a name) can sustain a full season and turn into a reliable Robin to Walker's Bruce Wayne. But UConn getting to this point without a loss is incredible enough. And Walker is as must-watch as it gets right now in college basketball. Next two games: Dec. 20 vs. Coppin State; Dec. 22 vs. Harvard.

Ohio State (8-0). Jared Sullinger is nearly as must-see-TV worthy as Walker, to be completely truthful. (And why wouldn't I be?) Sully dropped 40 - becoming the second Big Ten freshman to do so in league history - on the poor fools playing for IUPUI last Thursday. Sort of amazing this team could be a lot better than it was last year with Evan Turner. To be fair, this was expected by quite a few, too. Matchup to look forward to: two days before Christmas, it'll be big man on big man, future pro vs. future pro, as Oakland's Keith Benson bodies up on Sullinger. Next two games: Wednesday vs. Florida Gulf Coast; Saturday vs. South Carolina.

Louisville (8-0). Rick Pitino truly is one of the best combinations of X-and-O and recruiter in the country. You're seeing that proven here in the final days of fall. The Cardinals easily taking down Vegas Saturday was an incredibly promising sign for this team's long-term viability this season. They're too inconsistent at guard to stay unbeaten for much longer, but I'm as surprised by this start as any other team listed above or below. Next two games: Tuesday vs. Drexel; Saturday vs. Gardner Webb.

Tennessee (7-0). To borrow a phrase, Bruce Pearl is an absolute magician. This team has the best free throw rate in the country. A Tennessee team ... ! Scotty Hopson is playing like the NBA talent he is, and the Volunteers haven't looked weak once this season. How do you beat Tennessee? Hope the foul shots don't fall, wait for Melvin Goins to hurt the team with turnovers, and slow the Vols down as best you can. Next two games: Tuesday vs. Oakland; Friday at Charlotte.

Baylor (6-0) Haven't seen too much of the Bears because the team took a week off for exams. That Gonzaga game Saturday should be plenty interesting. Zags are down this year, need a win bad, and we may not see them play more aggressively all year than in that game; it's that dire, I think. As for the Bears, life is just fine with LaceDarius Dunn in the fold and freshman sensation Perry Jones living up to his billing. Team will be a force in the Big 12. Next two games: Wednesday vs. Bethune-Cookman; Saturday vs. Gonzaga.

Northwestern (5-0). Wildcats have milked this, as they've only gotten in five games. What's that about! It's a long road to the first NCAA tournament for Northwestern, but getting off to an undefeated start is going to be paramount in a tough, tough Big Ten. Basically, most out-of-conference wins are currency that's worth about one-fourth of what a W in the Big Ten will be, on average. Next two games: Tonight vs. Long Island; Thursday vs. American.

Photos: AP.

Matt Norlander is the editor of College Hoops Journal. You can email him at editor@collegehoopsjournal.com and follow him on Twitter.

Source: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/Tracking-the-Undefeateds-Vol-II?urn=ncaab-295418

NCAA Basketball champions unc Basketball Schedule College Basketball players College Football point spreads

Ernie Munoz