CBB Stock Market - March 1st-2nd

Looking for something else on Sports News on Tap, I found a gem called 'CBB Stock Market' which highlighted what happened on the weekend of college hoops. Sometimes I will use this space for a longer form recap, but mostly, it will be a subheading.

BUY BUY BUY 

Arizona Wildcats - College basketball along with other sports lead to jumping on and off the bandwagon of teams. Arizona... I was on for most of the year and then fell off with Brandon Ashley breaking his foot and now I am back on the wagon!! Nick Johnson is playing at a high level with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson doing some big things inside as well. They are running at a high motor right now and it is very impressive to say the least. In the last three games, Arizona is averaging 84 points a game with wins against Colorado, California and Stanford. They finish tricky with two road games to Oregon where a loss might be possible. If they win these ones, they are a clear one seed in my mind.

Wichita State Shockers - This team is receiving a ton of criticism right now, but they deserve credit. Winning 31 straight games is damn impressive. Who cares they have a weak strength of schedule right now. Can't we just have Wichita State's regular season separated from what they do in the postseason. If they win a couple games in the postseason, I think it is a good season. I realize people think they should not be a one seed and a post is probably coming up about this during the week, but short and sweet, they 100 percent deserve a one seed. Strength of Schedule is important, but it is not the only important stat out there. If the conference tournaments go chalk, we might need a little more of a discussion.

Big 12 = Best Conference - I know people around here want to say the Big Ten, and while I think the conference is very unpredictable, I still think the Big 12 holds the crown. They are like a sandwich with great meat and a good top meat with a soggy bottom. TCU is a godawful basketball program, but other than that, this conference is loaded with talent. Yes Kansas won their 10th straight title, but this conference is nine deep with talent. It will be a hell of a conference tournament with many of them vying for a better position or a spot in the Big Dance.

HOLD HOLD HOLD

Saint Louis Billikens - I would not make a big deal about Saint Louis dropping two games this week. They won 19 straight games, fell into a trap against Duquense and lost at one of the toughest gyms in the nation with VCU. They do not have an easy finish to the season as the Billikens take on Dayton at home then a road trip to UMass. Both of those teams need wins when it comes to the tournament. Saint Louis should be able to rite this ship.

SELL SELL SELL 

Michigan State Spartans - Remember what I said about bandwagons? Yeah I am completely off Michigan State's. They do not lose to Illinois at home and expect to be a Final Four team. It feels like this team does not have the chemistry you would expect them to have with seniors like Adrein Payne and Keith Appling. But with all the injuries Michigan State had this year, the Spartans have not put it all together. Would I get back on the wagon if Sparty made a run in the Big Ten Tournament? You bet your ass. Right now, this team is a bit questionable.

Kentucky Wildcats - Another team I am completely off. I went from thinking this is a team that could either lose in the first round or the Elite Eight to being a team that is completely lost right now. John Calipari gets kicked out of the game when his team may have needed him the most trailing South Carolina in a game no NCAA Tournament team should lose on any given Saturday. Kentucky is lost right now, and I do not know what it will take for them to fix things. It does seem like the correct narrative is 'If the Harrison Twins are on, this is a good team.'  But the other narrative is they do not have one strong defender on that roster which is definitely true too.

Ohio State Buckeyes - I am totally out here. This team should be so much better than what they are right now. Ohio State is loaded full of strong talent yet they cannot figure it on the offensive end. Buckeyes dropped road games to Penn State and Indiana this week. In the last five games, Ohio State has averaged 64 points a game. They have two scorers and that's it. If the Buckeyes do not get a third scorer whether it is Aaron Craft, Sam Thompson or Shannon Scott, they will continue to lose basketball games.

Ted Valentine... In General - Can he retire please?  

GAMES TO WATCH THIS WEEK 

Tuesday: 13. Creighton at Georgetown 6:00 pm FOX Sports 1, 16. Iowa State at Baylor 6:00 pm ESPN2

               

Wednesday: 11. Louisville at SMU 6:00 pm CBS Sports Network 

                     Dayton at 17. Saint Louis 8:00 pm CBS Sports Network, 

                     3. Arizona at Oregon State 10:00 pm FOX Sports 1

Thursday: 6. Villanova at Xavier 6:00 pm FOX Sports 1, 20. Memphis at 15. Cincinnati 6:00 pm ESPN

                22. Iowa at 24. Michigan State 8:00 pm ESPN 

Charlie. 

CBB Stock Market: February 21st-23rd

Looking for something else on Sports News on Tap, I found a gem called 'CBB Stock Market' which highlighted what happened on the weekend of college hoops. Sometimes I will use this space for a longer form recap, but mostly, it will be a subheading. 

BUY BUY BUY 

Kansas Jayhawks - This might be jinxing Kansas tonight, but if they were to win tonight, Kansas notches their 10 straight Big 12 title.  That's phenomenal. No coach has done that in college basketball. While people talk about John Calipari, Coach K, Tom Izzo and others, people sort of forget about how good Bill Self is at his job. Self might be when it is all said and done, one of the best coaches in the sport as he continues to win games, conference titles and I am wondered if he had more than one National Champion and two Final Four appearances if people would consider Self differently. This season was up and down a bit, but they pulled it together to win big in a tough Big 12.

North Carolina Tar Heels - All of the sudden, here comes the Heels. They were 1-4 to start the ACC season, and people began to wonder if this team would even make the tournament after falling to Miami at home. They have reeled off nine straight wins vaulting them nearing the top of the ACC Conference. The thing about North Carolina is it seems like there is another guy every night stepping up for them which has not been the case for the entire year. Recently, it is Leslie McDonald but in the past, Kennedy Meeks came up big, same goes for Marcus Paige (This holds for most of the season) and throw in James Michael McAdoo as well. North Carolina is without question a Final Four contender if they get the right avenue.

New Mexico Lobos - Remember when people questioned where this team would go when Steve Alford left the program for UCLA? It really did not happen as they have only lost five games this season including winning their last 14 of 16 including a big win at The Pit against San Diego State. They held the Aztecs to 44 points in a truly dominating performance. Cameron Bairstow might be one of the least talked about players who has been fantastic in the last couple of months. Bairstow had 15 or more points since late December where he only put up 14 points against Grand Canyon. It will be interesting to see if they can be better in March than they were last season.

Virginia Cavaliers - With the ACC this season, people are forgetting about Virginia due to being not very sexy of a team. It is like watching an offensive lineman in spandex and nothing else. They have only lost one game in the ACC. ONE. They currently have an opportunity to win the ACC outright something not been done by the Cavs since the mid-eighties. Their remaining three games are home against Miami and Syracuse before heading to Maryland. They will likely have a share of the ACC crown at the very worst. Tony Bennett did a great job with this program building it from where it was before taking over.

HOLD HOLD HOLD

Syracuse Orange - I am not ready to give up on Syracuse's tournament chances. This was bound to happen. They might lose to Maryland tonight too, so what? They were due for it. Let's break it all down here... Syracuse still has Tyler Ennis running point guard and he already proved to have ice in his veins throughout the year. Orange still have depth, senior leadership and coach that knows how to get them there. If Syracuse loses out the year, sure I will press the panic button but this team could still be a one seed right now, still a Final Four contender.  

Kentucky Wildcats - I do not think we should ignore Kentucky beat LSU in the last second in overtime at Rupp Arena. Like that's not a good thing at all. Kentucky is a team that will either find its way into the Elite Eight or Final Four, or be knocked out in the first round to some no-name team. The possibilities are endless with this team as they are chalk full of talent, but it does not seem like they give a shit on defense besides Julius Randle. They will be able to handle the SEC and probably lose another game with heading to Florida at the end of the season with them probably losing to the Gators again in the SEC Tournament.

SELL SELL SELL 

Players not helping Jim Boeheim - One of the big things missing from all of the #HotTakes about Jim Boeheim explosive tirade after the C.J. Fair offensive foul call late in the game in their loss against Duke is how none of the players grabbed him. You see players all the time grab their coach to settle them down. Marquette did them with Buzz Williams at times, same goes for other coaches around basketball. Watch the video below and tell me why Rakeem Christmas, a senior, does not grab him to restrain him from getting kicked out of the game. Fair's comments should be taken with a grain of salt as it happened right after the game. I do not think there is any beef with Fair and Boeheim. The players needed to be there more for their long-time coach.

GAMES TO WATCH THIS WEEK 
Monday: 4. Syracuse at Maryland 6:00 pm ESPN, Oklahoma at 5. Kansas 8:00 pm ESPN

Tuesday: 1. Florida at Vanderbilt 6:00 pm ESPN, 20. Iowa at Minnesota 6:00 pm Big Ten Network
               Indiana at 14. Wisconsin 8:00 pm ESPN

Wednesday: 16. Michigan at Purdue 6:00 pm Big Ten Network,
                    19. North Carolina at NC State 7:00 pm ESPN3, Baylor at 24. Texas 8:00 pm ESPNU                               California at 3. Arizona 8:00 pm ESPN  

Charlie. 

CBB Picks: Bubble, Bubble, Bubble Watch

With all over sports done, I need to make some picks so we do it with college basketball. Let's have some fun with it and see what happens. I should probably record my record, but I will say this is the hardest sport to pick without question.

FIRST TIER
3. Florida at 14. Kentucky 8:00 pm ESPN - Only one of two SEC games that mean a damn. People are hyping up the Gators right now, but this will be the game where we could say 'They are legit' versus them racking up wins against inferior opponents. The matchup of day will be the Harrison Twins versus Scottie Wilbekin and Michael Frazier II. Both teams have strong forward play, but the guards playing well can make these teams that much better. Julius Randle versus Patric Young should be bar fight. I have a feeling the Wildcats get up for the game, and win this game with a big performance from Andrew Harrison plus a couple great Randle moments. UK 73-67

6. Villanova at 18. Creighton (Played Sunday) 4:00 pm FOX Sports 1 - Revenge game for the road team as Creighton shot lights out from three when they last played. Odds are it will not happen again, but Nova needs to do a better job guarding the perimeter. Doug McDermott has been out of mind of late, and he tends to step up in the big moments. Nova's balanced attack could give the Jays a ton of problems especially since they do not really play much defense I will take Dougie McBuckets at home. CREIG 75-72

21. Wisconsin at 15. Michigan (Played Sunday) 12:00 pm CBS  - Another revenge game for the road team. Wisconsin seems to have figured it out a bit in the last couple of games. They continue to get great effort out of Nigel Hayes and Ben Brust had a big scoring day against Minnesota. Michigan picked up a key road win Tuesday with a big Derrick Walton Jr. performance. Nik Stauskas got going again as well which is important to Michigan's success. While Badgers have looked better as of late, Michigan is a tough team to beat at home plus their balance should give Wisconsin problems. MICH 73-64

SECOND TIER 
20. Memphis at 24. UConn 11:00 am ESPN - Great guard matchup here with Joe Jackson and Michael Dixon versus Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright.  I feel like all four of these players could equal everyone out meaning it will come down to big men. This could mean a big game from Shaq Goodwin whose been known for a big game here or there. Or for UConn, DeAndre Daniels could come big for the Huskies. I will take UConn at home. I do not trust Memphis to go into a hostile environment to win a big game.
UCONN 69-63

VCU at 12. St. Louis 1:00 pm ESPN2 - This game will be all about pace. If St. Louis is able to slow down 'Havoc', they should win this game. But if VCU makes the Bilikens run a bit, it favors the Rams in a major way. Both teams are red hot as St. Louis has won 16 straight games and VCU won seven of their last eight games. I am going out on a limb and taking the Rams. They seem to be rounding into form, and I feel like they could catch St. Louis on the road with their frenetic offense.  VCU 82-73

25. Pittsburgh at North Carolina 12:00 pm CBS - People might not know this but North Carolina has won their last five games slowly gaining momentum. Tar Heels are not playing the greatest ACC teams, but it could make a splash here with win against Pitt. Panthers are reeling after a buzzer-beater defeat to Syracuse, and they need to respond quickly. Talib Zanna and James Michael McAdoo should be a fun matchup in the middle. I do not think Pittsburgh has a good enough answers for Marcus Paige, and he goes off for a big game to keep Carolina rolling. UNC 65-61

2. Arizona at Arizona State 8:00 pm (Played Friday) ESPN - Sun Devils are warming up with winning five of their last six games. This one will be huge for their NCAA resume. If they could get a win against rival Arizona, it will do wonders for them. I am curious to see whom the Wildcats put on Jahii Carson because I do not know if they have an answer. The battle in the middle between Kaleb Tarczewski and Jordan Bachynski. I am tempted to ride with the Sun Devils, but Wildcats with a Nick Johnson game-winner are the difference. ARIZ 68-67

THIRD TIER 
West Virginia at 19. Texas 7:00 pm Longhorn Network - Don't sleep on the Mountaineers as they have won their last four of five with their only loss being at Allen Fieldhouse. They blew the doors down against Iowa State hitting 13 threes and going 53 percent from the field. I expect a close game. I think these two teams match up well, but it seems like Texas always has one guy go off for 20+ points whether it be Javan Felix, Johnathan Holmes or anyone else. Too many weapons for the Horns take down West Virginia.
TEXAS 76-68

Maryland at 8. Duke 5:00 pm ESPN - Remember when this game mattered in the large scope of things? This will I believe be the last meeting for the Terrapins heading to Cameron Indoor. Duke will likely send them off the right way. I do not not really believe this will be a close game in any facet. Jabari Parker will have a big time game for the Dukies. DUKE 82-65

NC State at 1. Syracuse 3:00 pm ESPN3 - With how soft the bubble is this year, NC State still has a legitimate chance to get into the NCAA Tournament. They could bolster their resume with a win at the Carrier Dome. T.J. Warren has been great in the last couple games, but I think the zone suffocates him leading to yet another Orange victory. CUSE 62-57

16. Iowa at Penn State 12:00 pm ESPNU - I need to make an upset pick as I have been on fire the last couple weeks. I nearly went with Arizona State, but here it is from Happy Valley. Penn State had an amazing comeback win on Wednesday night at Indiana, and I think they will ride the momentum to take down Iowa. Just feels like a trap game for the Hawkeyes as they have a big week upcoming with a road trip to Indiana and home against Wisconsin. PSU 68-62

DOY: Willie Cauley-Stein

Many people have ridden Kentucky big man Willie Cauley-Stein as they do not really like his hustle this season along with some other things. I would agree it is bizarre how Cauley-Stein sort of appears and disappears with great ease. All the sudden he can be involved and engaged and then he cannot. Cauley-Stein enters the DOY lounge with a big dunk against Auburn last night early in the game. He shows great athleticism by going straight to the lane with a big time dunk as a seven footer.  Kentucky beat Auburn, 68-56, with Cauley-Stein having five points in the game. Wildcats have a big one this weekend against Florida at Rupp.

Charlie.

New Rupp Arena: Kentucky's Latest Recruiting Tool

Rupp Reinvented from Rupp District on Vimeo.

Kentucky basketball is one of the biggest and best programs in the nation. Yesterday, Lexington, Kentucky introduced a renovations to new Rupp Arena, and it looks terrific. The look on the outside is almost as sharp as the inside with the square forming a triangle. It does great thing for the state of Kentucky as well. They keep up with the Jones as rival Louisville built the KFC Yum! Center a couple years ago, and now Rupp can compete when it comes to major events like concerts and NCAA Tournament rounds coming to Kentucky. It is not given Louisville will get instead, Rupp becomes the shiny new arena. The nice thing is by the looks of it; Kentucky basketball will not lose their home edge.

Charlie.

CBB Stock Market: Duke & Syracuse Special Opening Act

While Super Bowl happened on Sunday, the best game of the weekend happened on Saturday night in upstate New York. Duke and Syracuse played a phenomenal game of college basketball as the Orange won in overtime, 91-89. The game had it all with big shots, questionable foul calls and a new born rivalry in the ACC.

Rasheed Sulamon had set up the perfect story for sportswriters. A guy whom Duke buried on the bench after a slow start to the season and instead of packing it in this season, he started contributing more and became a player again. Sulamon hit a game-tying three at the buzzer as well as another three with 48 seconds left in the game. With Jabari Parker and Amile Jefferson fouled out, Sulamon and Tyler Thornton stepped up in a major way to force overtime in a game where they probably did not even belong there. Great effort by Duke.



One of the big reasons Syracuse will be the new number one team today as Arizona fell to California is Tyler Ennis' play late in games. This guy is a freshman, and he acts like a Van Wilder team member when the game gets down to the final three minutes. Ennis is the Mariano Rivera of college basketball right now. A complete closer, and this is something that becomes very important when it gets down to March. Another thing helping Syracuse is the consistent play of C.J. Fair. In years past, Fair was a wildcard of sorts, but this year he is coming up in the big moments. Fair had 28 points, a season-high, and for the season, Fair is averaging 17.2, three points higher than last season's average.

You cannot help but wonder 'what if' about this game because Parker and Jefferson fouled out on shit calls from Karl Hess. Jefferson's was a foul, but Rakeem Christmas made it look like Jefferson committed a crime against him. If both played the extra period, would anything had changed? Would Sheed have even took the two 3-pointers? Who knows. Good thing these two teams meet again in three years at Cameron Indoor. As some would say, I think this is a start of a beautiful thing.

BUY BUY BUY 

St. Louis Billikens - Anyone realize this team is unbeaten in conference. St. Louis made the postseason last season as a four seed winning their first game of the tournament, but it seems like they are being forgotten again. They did nearly lose to a struggling George Mason team on Saturday, but St. Louis is playing better than most teams right now ranked in the top 25. Dwayne Evans is having another great season inside averaging nearly 15 points a game while pulling down 6.5 rebound a game, a team leader in both categories. Jordair Jett is having a great year as well at guard with his scoring up to nearly 13 points a game and his assist average up by 1.5. St. Louis hits the road this week with games against St. Joes and LaSalle.

HOLD HOLD HOLD

Kentucky Wildcats - On Tuesday, I was ready to go all in on selling Kentucky. For weeks I have been thinking the John Calipari model might not work again in college basketball. Kentucky got a nice win Saturday on the road against Missouri. It really all comes down to what Andrew Harrison are we going to get on a nightly basis. He played his worst game against LSU and then his best game against Missouri. I think the jury is still out on whether the Cats can be a team that goes far in the NCAA Tournament.

SELL SELL SELL 

Oklahoma State Cowboys - With how good the Big 12 is right now, it seems like every week, a team falls on hard times. But this has to be disappointing for Oklahoma State. This team had a great deal of expectations, and I am willing to bet no one thought they would 4-4 in conference at the start of February. They suffered a road loss to rival Oklahoma and a home loss against a desperate Baylor team whose starting point guard, Kenny Cherry, did not play. Marcus Smart looks off right now, and Oklahoma State needs to figure it out quickly with a big game tonight at home against Iowa State. 

GAMES TO WATCH THIS WEEK 
Monday: Norte Dame at Syracuse 6:00 pm ESPN, Xavier at Villanova 6:00 pm FOX Sports 1
                Iowa State at Oklahoma State 8:00 pm ESPN

Tuesday: Ohio State at  Iowa 6:00 pm ESPN, Kansas at Baylor 6:00 pm ESPN2,
               Missouri at Florida 8:00 pm ESPN, Wisconsin at Illinois 8:00 pm Big Ten Network

Wednesday: Wichita State at Indiana State 7:05 pm ESPN3,
                     San Diego State at Boise State 8:15 pm CBS Sports Network

CBB Picks: Ranked on the Road - Always Dangerous

Since college football and basically National Football League is done, we have been making picks for college basketball. Let's have some fun with it and see what happens. I should probably record my record, but I will say this is the hardest sport to pick without question.

FIRST TIER  
17. Duke at 2. Syracuse 5:30 pm ESPN -This should be an electric atmosphere. 35 to 36,000 people are expected to be at this basketball game. That's crazy to think about honestly.  Duke rounded themselves back in the form in the last couple weeks with Rodney Hood playing like a manbeast, Andre Dawkins finding his three stroke again and oh yeah, Jabari Parker is not bad either. Syracuse just keeps winning games with the combination of C.J. Fair and Tyler Ennis. This is a tough game to predict with Duke's ability to shoot lights out against the patented 2-3 zone, and Blue Devils lack of defensive prowess. I cannot bet against the Cuse in the dome, but man, it will be close. SYR 73-71

6. Kansas at 25. Texas 3:00 pm ESPN - Remember when this game used to mean the world to the Big 12? This might be the most anticipated one in awhile. Kansas seems like the best team in the country right now, and Andrew Wiggins' big performance did not go unnoticed Wednesday against Iowa State. I guess no one is talking about Texas because they are Texas, they are supposed to be good. Isiah Taylor had 27 points in their win against Baylor and it will be interesting to see what the encore will be like this Saturday. I think Texas is good enough to beat above-average teams, but they are not beating great teams. It is a close game, but Kansas takes control late with another strong performance from Wiggins and Naadir Tharpe. KU 81-75

Virginia at 18. Pittsburgh (Played on Sunday) 12:30 pm ESPNU - Some of you might not realize both of these teams are near the top of the ACC right now especially Virginia with only one ACC loss and honestly deserving of a ranking. They head up to Pittsburgh in what could be a rock fight. Both teams are strong defensively meaning first to 55 could win this game. I like Pittsburgh though. Lamar Patterson can become a problem if he gets going from deep, and Panthers usually do not lose two straight at the Oakland Zoo.
PITT 57-51

11. Kentucky at Missouri 12:00 pm CBS - I could not believe Kentucky is ranked eleventh. They did not look that good against LSU. Somehow I watched the whole game, and their effort was horrible. You want to believe this team will respond in a major way in a national televised game and blow out Missouri yet it is not a given. Willie Cauley-Stein and Andrew Harrison need to step up in this one. Both have drifted in and out from being bad to good players all season. For Missouri, they need this win with three losses already in the SEC and a win against Kentucky could help their resume in major way. Jabari Brown and Jordan Clarkson are probably the most unheralded one-two punch in college basketball. It is a must-win and Kentucky's first visit to Columbia as an SEC foe. Lock it up, Mizzou. MIZZ 83-75

SECOND TIER
1. Arizona at California 9:30 pm Pac-12 Network - In their first test in awhile, Arizona showed great grit on Wednesday night holding Stanford's offense to barely any points in the last nine minutes as they came back from the dead. Nick Johnson is a Player of the Year front-runner if he played at Duke. He is so damn good, and can take control of any game. They head to Berkeley where Cal suffered three straight losses including a heartbreaker to Arizona State on Thursday night in overtime. How does a team respond to losing when number one is in town? I am going out on a limb and saying very well. Justin Cobbs has a big night, and the Bears stun number one. CAL 64-60

10. Michigan at Indiana (Played Sunday) 12:00 pm CBS - Since their win against Wisconsin, Indiana dropped their last three of four games. It does not appear the Hoosiers are even close to the bubble right now as they are near the bottom of the B1G standings. This all being said, they NEED this win badly which is always dangerous for the ranked team. Michigan is a complete fire beast right now. I cannot see how they would let an inconsistent Hoosiers team beat them honestly. Even though college basketball is weird sometimes, there is no way this happens on Sunday. MICH 78-63

22. UMass at St. Joesph's 5:00 pm CBS Sports Network - It looks like UMass streak of good fortune is starting to come apart. They have lost three of two of their last three including this week to St. Bonaventure. These two teams met early this season with the Minuteman getting a four-point victory.  Chaz Williams took over late for UMass as they trailed nine with six minutes left to play in the game. This Hawks team knows how to beat this team, they just did not close last time. They will play a full 40 at home and win this game.
ST JOES 69-63

23. Oklahoma at 16. Iowa State 3:00 pm ESPN3 - I feel like these rankings should be reversed. Oklahoma scored another big win this week as they took care of rival Oklahoma State at home with a big performance from Ryan Spangler whom had 15 points and 17 rebounds. Iowa State fallen in four of their last five games including a loss to the Sooners, the second team they are facing twice already this conference season. In game one, Iowa State gave up 22 second-chance points and only had two of their own. That will not win games. Everything in my bones says 'Take the hot team against the struggling team', but then there is a Hilton Magic meaning Iowa State is the pick. ISU 75-69

THIRD TIER 
24. Ohio State at 14. Wisconsin 11:00 am ESPN - Could this be the worst ranked game of the season thus far? Both teams are in complete flux. In one corner, Ohio State has lost five of their last six games while in the other corner, Wisconsin fallen in four of their last five. Who can tame their dumpster fire more? I am going with Wisconsin. Sam Dekker seems like he is ready to have about a 25-14 performance on Saturday, and I think Traevon Jackson can keep his composure against Aaron Craft's style. UW 73-66

22. Memphis at SMU 1:00 pm CBS Sports Network - Would like to send out a 'Been There Bro' to SMU and their fanbase as they looked ahead when traveling to the Sun Dome against South Florida and lost ending their five-game winning streak. Memphis has won four straight, but not really beaten anyone in the process although Joe Jackson is playing pretty well. I like the Mustangs in this one. They need the win, and Memphis is due for a good ole brain fart of a game. SMU 76-67

Baylor at 8. Oklahoma State 1:00 pm ESPN - Man, Baylor. They are 1-5 for the season including a home loss to West Virginia this week and now head to Stillwater with a pissed off Cowboys team. In my best 'Taken' Liam Neeson voice, 'Good luck.'  OSU 79-64

Charlie.

Closing Time: Nike's CBB Throwbacks are Awesome

God bless ya Nike. They are not buying into the sleeved jerseys as that is Adidas' baby and that's perfectly okay with me. They decide to go old school with some of their biggest teams on the roster as Michigan State, Kentucky, Duke, Ohio State, Oregon, Syracuse, and North Carolina all get new jerseys. Spartans are the only ones where the jersey is actually new as Nike is still trying to make bronze happen with Sparty. I do not know if I like Syracuse's or Ohio State's the best. Both are very slick, and I do not mind the shorts being a different color. I also love North Carolina going back to the heel on the short plus the Carolina blue triangle running up the short. All of theses are great. Good night Tappers. (H/T @nikebasketball) 

Charlie.

WALK OFF PUT-BACK DUNK

There are certain games that have incredible finishes but really were not good games. This is what happened to Kentucky and Arkansas on Tuesday night. The game was as choppy as AOL dial-up internet with 58 personal fouls called throughout the game including 50 during regulation. But this game had an unreal finish with Andrew Harrison hitting a game-tying 3-pointer with two seconds left to sent the game to an extra session. That makes things exciting, but the overtime period delivered in more ways than one. Once again, Kentucky hits a three to tie the game late with James Young after an unreal rebound Alex Poythress then madness happened as Rashad Madden missed a three only to have Michael Qualls dunking the ball with only .03 seconds left. WOO PIG SOOIE.

Charlie.

13 Thoughts About College Basketball Thus Far

It has been awhile since we have talked about college basketball here. I will start writing more in the coming weeks as we have conference games coming up after Christmas. I will probably do something Monday and Friday for college basketball plus whenever Marquette plays I will have a recap the following night. If you are wondering about Wisconsin, the door has been wide open for someone to start writing about them, but no one seized the opportunity. Yes this is a blogger's version of a subtweet.

The off-base Kansas and Andrew Wiggins' criticism - No one expected Kansas to lose three games in the first month or so of the season. It really comes down to this is still a young team, and they are not going to be perfect right of the gate. Big 12 is off to a fast start with good non-conference wins meaning this could be a better conference than expected.  Andrew Wiggins has took some heat because he does not have the one 'Holy shit, that's why he's Andrew Wiggins' yet averaging 15 points, five rebounds and assists per game is not a bad stat line for a freshman, but people act like he's going to be a bust. Wiggins, Joel Embiid and the boys will round perfectly into form. If they are not a one or two seed, I will be shocked.

Kentucky finishing 37-3 apparently - Kentucky's fan base believed this team could go unbeaten. Even though they were freshman for the most part, people wanted to live the dream with their loaded class featuring Julius Randle, Harrison Twins and others. Sadly for Wildcats fan base is everyone expects all their freshman classes to be in the 2011 squad forgetting they had guys like Darius Miller and Doran Lamb who were both experienced leaders. 2011 is not walking through that door.  Kentucky fell to North Carolina, Baylor and Michigan State this season. They have one more difficult non-conference game against Louisville, but then the SEC should be a breeze other than Florida/Missouri matchups. Kentucky will be fine even if their fan base wants to fire John Calipari.

Arizona is a true number one - In college basketball, it is nice to see the number one whom deserves their ranking at this time of year. Sometimes that can be hard to achieve yet Arizona is the real deal. Who cares Aaron Gordon is not having the best freshman start. They have the likes of Nick Johnson whose off to a great start as well as new transfer T.J. McConnell running the point. Besides Johnson, Gabe York is playing at a high level as well. The fact of the matter is Arizona lucked into a big freshman not having a great year in 2012 meaning almost all of them stayed combining classes making them a true threat for the National Championship.  It really looks like Arizona could be number one by the time they play UCLA on the road in mid-January.

B1G is far and away the best conference - It is pretty easy to say this team won the non-conference belt for conferences. Three of the top five are Big Ten teams. Iowa and Illinois will be rated in and around the top 25 all season. Minnesota is not that shabby either with young coach Richard Pitno. Indiana will be better in January when their freshman start to get cooking. Not to mention, Michigan who has four losses already should be better in conference play. I do not expect a one seed out of the Big Ten honestly. I could see them getting two 2 seeds, but that might be generous. It is not a knock to the B1G, in fact it is a compliment because everyone is going to beat up each other.

Joel Embiid is the college basketball hipster favorite freshman - A part of me thinks by March, he will be right up there with Wiggins and Parker in terms of the best players in college basketball that casual and NBA fans are talking about. ESPN Chad Ford already has him in his top three which means Embiid does not need to do much more for the expects. It will be interesting to see if casual fans will end up buying into him. When a player is getting compared to Hakeem Olajuwon at age 19, you know he could be really great

Jury is still out on Marquette - It probably is time where I talk about Marquette. I would love to say Marquette solved all their problems with wins against IUPUI and Ball State yet they could really use a marquee win this weekend against New Mexico. They looked good with a trap/press defense plus they have found their balance scoring yet it is still concerning who will be the go-to scorer with four minutes left to go in a tight game. Duane Wilson might be coming back this Saturday from an injury. Freshman Deonte Burton and Jajuan Johnson are looking more confident with each game. But I am not ready to be sold on this team until they can do it against solid competition.

I cannot figure out North Carolina - What a bizarre team. They are undefeated against ranked teams and they are 4-3 against unranked teams this year. I have no idea what to think about this squad. Marcus Paige looks like an All-American, but other than that, there is not much there to feel confident in. Leslie McDonald did come back this week in a loss against Texas and the P.J. Hairston decision should come down before the end of the week. This has all the makings of a sixth seed that ends up in the Final Four.

Jabari Parker and Duke are must-watch - People hate Duke all the time. It is the fun thing to do, but is this the most likable Blue Devils team in the last 10 years?  I would say it is damn near close. They do not have the one hateable guy that everyone can rally behind. Jabari Parker is fun as hell to watch because he can shoot six threes or bang it down in the post. At least right now, he is more fun to watch than Wiggins. They have a top three player in the country along with other key contributors. If Duke wants to be more disliked, we need to get Marshall Plumleee some more time

How did people forget about Shabazz Napier? - Naturally, he did not play well last night against Stanford at home, but Napier seemed to be the lost soul in the 'Player of the Year' talk.  I am not saying he will take home the award, but rather, he deserves to be mentioned as one of the best 10 players in the college basketball. I think the reason why Napier did not get the same amount love besides freshman is UConn plays in the AAC versus heading to ACC or you know the Big East.

Not ready for Wisconsin to be this good - As a Marquette fan, I made mention earlier this year about the weirdness of this rivalry but I cannot deal with Wisconsin being a top five team right now. This looks like their best year to get to the Final Four. Sam Dekker will be right up there for Big Ten Player of the Year, and the jury is still out whether Evan Anderson will take J.P. Gavinski's title of 'Best B1G Towel Waver.'  I expect we will see much more Bronson Koenig in conference play.  

Could Wichita State get a top three seed? - This is a honest question with Wichita State sitting at number eleven in the polls, and they are unbeaten for the non-conference. Missouri Valley Conference is missing two games with Creighton meaning Wichita State might have the ability to damn near run the table in that conference. If they do, I would not be surprised if the Shockers get a top 16 seed given their Final Four run last season. I feel like that gives them a little more respect than other mid-majors.

Villanova is not the best team in the Big East, right? - To be frank, it has not been the best start for the new Big East. Villanova clearly has the best win against Kansas in late November, but none of the teams are off to quick starts besides Nova. Is it fair to call Nova the favorites? Probably not. I would say it is wide open, and teams will round into form. Villanova is rated eighth due to beating Kansas and Iowa in one weekend after that, they have played virtually no one. It should be fun to see them against Syracuse next Saturday.

It will never be easier to make the NCAA Tournament - Look at how many teams have three or four losses already and I think it will be very easy for people to get into the tournament. It is not because there is parity in college basketball rather there are more good programs than ever before. This means there will be more upsets leading to a couple eleven or maybe 12 loss program gets into the tournament. I may or may not be saying this to ensure Marquette finds a way in, I don't know.

Charlie.