But first, a special comment...
Our Moment of Zens are basically weird cheesecake photos, emphasis on the weird. We would not normally post some chick just posing like in Playboy or something. You can get that anywhere. But the below picture just took us by surprise. It is "classic" in the true sense of the word. But don't worry, the bizarre Zens will continue next week. For now, Shalom.
Pitt leapfrogging over UConn is unconscionable in our opinion, clearly the Tar Heels and the Huskies are the teams to beat right now. What? Buffalo almost beat UConn? Man, forget that. Buffalo is a better team than people think and would have made it a close game with even North Carolina for about 15 minutes. We're not saying it would be a toss up between UConn and UNC, the Heels would clearly win. But it would be a yummy battle.
- March to Madness, 12/10/08
Mea culpa. We were dead wrong. Georgetown came in and absolutely shellshocked, blasted, plastered, decapitated, PWNDED UConn.
"I hated our body language early. For fleeting moments, [I] liked it, and detested it in the last eight minutes. With eight minutes to go we were down like 12, and I didn't like looking at my team. It's the first time all year I can tell you that. It was just a very, very poor performance for us. Opening Big East game, sold-out crowd, electricity in the gym and for us to perform like that . . . I apologize. I just don't know how we could play that poorly."
- UConn coach Jim Calhoun, 12/29/08
That my friends is a coach saying What The Fuck Happened. We think Calhoun should look at this stat below because not only does it summed up the night but will sum up the Huskies' season:
Yep, real life is taking over today so enjoy our column at Sports Illustrated in the meantime.
Clicky here.
With losses to Virginia Military and Da U, Kentucky's coach Gillispie feels that his Wildcats have room for improvement...
"I think they're starting to understand that for us to go to another level we need to carry out responsibilities intently and we have to execute much better," Gillispie said. "Because the real season is now here."
"I think our team usually gets better as the year goes on, and we usually peak at the right time."
We don't even know where to begin with that. It's akin to a hungry man saying he could eat. A marathon runner saying he was tired. Billy boy, at 9 and 3 with two of those losses done in humiliating fashion you freakin' BETTER feel your team can get better. Sheez.
Here is the official consensus top 25 blogpoll -
I have failed you, Adam!!!!!!!
1) North Carolina
2) Connecticut
3) Pittsburgh
4) Oklahoma
5) Duke
6) Georgetown
7) Gonzaga
8) Wake Forest
9) Notre Dame
10) Texas
11) Ohio State
12) Purdue
13) UCLA
14) Xavier
15) Syracuse
16) Villanova
17) Michigan State
18) Tennessee
19) Clemson
20) Arizona State
21) Louisville
22) Baylor
23) Missouri
24) Michigan
25) Minnesota
Everyone's vote can be found here.
Comments - We think Gonzaga might be a wee bit lower in the blogpoll next week. Missouri will be on the outside looking in after the ass pounding they received by a certain Native American tribe. Now the Tigers faithful are looking around and wondering who's to blame.
UNC yada yada can beat pro team at this point yada.
Miami's Haith really, really, really wants his team to be more gangsta out there on those courts.
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) -- After using the same word 15 times within a five-minute postgame interview, Miami coach Frank Haith stopped and apologized.
"I know, I keep saying tough," Haith said (emphasis added).
Haith offered phrases like this:
-- "They were tougher than we were."
-- "It's all about being tougher."
-- "We got out-toughed."
How's that for tough? Feel free to use it as motivation, coach.
We get comments from people saying that we hate Duke. That we are just haters and jealous of Duke's success. How could we not rank Duke in the Blogpoll? We just don't like them because we wish our school could be like them.
Nothing could be further from the truth. We love Mike Krzyzewski's style and was praying that he wouldn't go pro when he was flirting with the LA Lakers.
We loved J.J. Redick and his swagger. We like Greg Paulus and his selflessness.
What we don't like is when people year after year give Duke a top 10 ranking and proclaim that they will be in the Elite 8 when common sense seems to show otherwise. Yes, the Blue Devils are a good team. But we think their name brand gives them more credit than what is warranted.
This article perfectly explains what we feel in a cool, rational way with actual facts and figures.
I recognize problems in all facets of their game. Specifically, the team’s dependency on making three-pointers is troubling. Even when Duke makes them at a good success rate, I am critical of the shooter’s decision to do so because it further increases the team’s tendency to rely on three-pointers.
Another problem is the level of intensity that the team brings on the defensive end, believe it or not. Though at times they are successful in creating turnovers and forcing bad shots as a result of their pressure, other times they give up valuable position around the paint, which leads to open three-point shots and easy layup opportunities for the opponent.
Ok, we are done with this subject. Just had to address the internets who said we only had blind hatred.
Go Blue Devils!
We were quite surprised when Auburn announced it had grabbed four early commitments to it's program.
AUBURN - Frankie Sullivan, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound guard from Uniontown, Ala.; Tay Waller, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound guard from Manchester, Ga.; Kenny Gabriel, a 6-foot-8, 200-pound small forward from Charlotte, N.C.; and Johnnie Lett, a 6-foot-9, 240-pound power forward from Mobile, Ala.; have signed national letters of intent to attend Auburn University and play basketball in 2008-09, head coach Jeff Lebo announced Tuesday.
The part that really surprised us was Tay Waller signing because he had some top 10 basketball teams after him. And he went with... Auburn?
That maddening middle of the road so close but so far light years away from being a contender Auburn? THAT Auburn?
Okie.
So by now everyone has heard that Syracuse's Eric Devendorf will be readmitted to the team on January. That is in essence a two game suspension, really. That is what he got for popping some chick in the mouth.
Some of you were outraged that coach Jim Boeheim felt Devendorf shouldn't of been suspended at all. Fuck her, ya know. But our favorite has been the reaction on the internets...
Yeah. Ridiculous. About as ridiculous as you having the nerve to demand some sort of justice be done if say Mike Tyson came up to you and bust you in the mouth.
Anyways, next up Valparaiso's Logan Jones has been spared from the bloodbath when the Crusaders face North Carolina this Saturday. He was found in his car, drunk and contemplating Tyler Hansbrough when police showed up and arrested him.
Because he broke the team rule of underage drinking, he was suspended and will not suit up for the contest against the Tar Heels. Lucky him.
Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy has been arrested this morning for punching the lights out of a Muslim cabbie.
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A Cincinnati newspaper says police and court records show Mississippi basketball coach Andy Kennedy was arrested early Thursday on an assault charge involving a taxi driver.
Why do we bring up the cab driver's religion? Because Kennedy was saying some pretty racist things too.
(Kennedy is) accused of attacking Mohammed Ould Jiddou and hurling racial slurs at the man, according to police and court records.
Did we mention he had more than likely been drinking too? Oh yes, citizen.
Also arrested was William Armstrong, the director of operations at Mississippi, on a charge of disorderly conduct, reports show.
Reports state Armstrong, 31, was drunk and thrown out of the Lodge Bar downtown early this morning.
After that, he and Kennedy got a cab. A report says Armstrong, taunted the driver "in which his conduct was likely to cause a violent response."
All this leads to the question "Who is going to coach the Rebels tonight?!"
The ninth-ranked Louisville Cardinal and the Ole Miss Rebels will meet this evening in Cincinnati as part of the SEC/Big East Invitational.
This is the fist I make when I drink and hate
Way to go, coach.
UPDATE: If you want to know what coach Kennedy and director of operations Armstrong were drinking that night...
(HT: JerseyChaser.com)
Here is the official consensus top 25 blogpoll -
1) North Carolina
2) Pittsburgh
3) Connecticut
4) Oklahoma
5) Texas
6) Gonzaga
7) Xavier
8) Louisville
9) Duke
10) Georgetown
11) Wake Forest
12) Notre Dame
13) Ohio State
14) Syracuse
15) UCLA
16) Villanova
17) Tennessee
18) Memphis
19) Purdue
20) Baylor
21) Davidson
22) Arizona State
23) Michigan State
24) Clemson
25) Missouri
Everyone's vote can be found here.
Comments - Yup, we are running a theme here. Baby blogpoll didn't like the fact that Kansas got out played in the final minutes of two games. That caused them to fall completely out of the poll. What's more, the Jayhawks didn't even make any adjustments to compensate between the first game and the second game. It was like watching Bill Murray in Groundhog Day trying to figure the shit out.
Also, UNC unanimous blah blah blah...
Welcome to the party, Mizzou! Hopefully your stay will not be brief or you will do better against Oklahoma than your football team did.
And remember, live blog this Saturday, the Zags vs. UConn! We'll see just how good the Huskies defense is.
Come join us this Saturday, December 20th at 1 pm for the UConn / Gonzaga throw down. We promise snarky comments, nudity and suspect analysis for you to enjoy while you watch the game.
Note: Those bastards at CBS might swap us out for the Davidson contest but we are hoping since Gonzaga is in our region they will not. If they do then we will continue the liveblog with Davidson.
Mondays Tuesday was crazy for us too, so check out our SI.com column today as well. Actually you should do it every day. All good citizens should.
One of the things we talked about was how UConn's Calhoun is pissed off that his team is not blowing out opponents by more. Sheez.
We only won by 30...
Mondays are always crazy for us, so in the meantime go check out our column at Sports Illustrated heyah.
Notice our public jab at SDSU too. Yes we are self hating Aztec alums.
Not only does UNC currently dominate college hoops, but they also dominate video games?
Also, in all our years of covering NCAA basketball we have never heard of a COACH being suspended...
Eastern Michigan men's basketball coach Charles Ramsey was suspended for three days for what the school called a "postgame altercation" with a fan
They're saying that there wasn't physical contact but c'mon man. Why else would a HEAD coach be suspended especially after his team was embarrassed?
Coach Ramsey (after game walking towards the team bus): This is embarrassing. We just lost to the University of Detroit! We'll never live this down.
Detroit fan (walking by): Hey coach, you suck!
Coach Ramsey: Hey, you don't have to rub it in.
Detroit fan: Like we rubbed our cocks in your face on the court tonight?
Coach Ramsey: Don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry.
Detroit fan: Hey, we're gonna go to your house now and bust a nut on your wife's face because she's starving for a real man who wins games.
(cut to the next day)
Eastern Michigan AD Derrick Gragg: You Did WHAT?!
Coach gets suspended. Fin.
Temple University... This is SPARTA!!!
The Owls put the beat down on No. 8 Tennessee 88 - 72.
Although Tennessee lost to Gonzaga in the title game in the Old Spice Classic final, the eighth-ranked Vols are the one team the SEC can count on to reside in the Top 25 throughout the season and be a legitimate threat to go deep in the NCAA tournament.
- Andy Katz, ESPN
Well then, how about another loss now to an UNRANKED team? How's that ranking look now?
Tennessee looks extremely average without Chris Lofton. Temple is utilizing a zone to perfection and Tennessee is shooting as accurately as Dick Cheney.
- James Carr, UGA Sports Blog
That's more like it. Leave it to a non-mainstream type to speak the truth.
That's Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, the Too Hot Tamales on Food Network. We got to meet Susan (the one on the right) at Ciudad, one of their restaurants in LA.
We are happy boys right now.
Ok, back to basketball.
Are you kidding me?! Are we so terrible that opposing teams make bets against us before games??
University of Arizona sophomore forward Jamelle Horne was asked at the press conference if Wednesday’s victory over San Diego State carried any special meaning for him.
"You know, we even had a little wager on the game. So I’ll be going out to dinner, and my dinner will be paid for," Horne said.
Fuck me! Fisher, you better do something about this shit or else we are gonna be the laughing stock of the college basketball world just like our football team is.
*sigh* In other news...
Bettie Page dead? *double sigh* This has turned out to be a sad day indeed. We usually end posts on Friday with "Happy Friday" but that seems inappropriate today.
In a true sign of the decline of pro ball, the NBA is going to broadcast their All Star Game in 3-D. No. Joke.
The game, which will be shown live on February 14 in 80 movie theaters in 35 states equipped with gear provided by Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp, is the first time an NBA game will be shown in 3D to a paying public across the country, the companies said on Tuesday.
"We want to be progressive. We want to be involved in future technologies," NBA vice president of engineering Mike Rokosa said in a telephone interview.
We need viewers. We are so desperate for viewers we will do any lame 1980s style gimmick.
Wow, look at Kobe jump...
We actually dated a girl named Fate decades ago. The name was very appropriate for the relationship. Crazy gal. Lolz!
Anyways, so would a San Diego State win against Arizona count as a "signature" win tonight? We think not. They are not ranked, losing their best players and the program is in complete chaos.
Did we also mention Lute Olson is no longer the coach? I think we have previously...
The only thing Arizona has at this point is Über forward Pan Chase Budinger. And that will be enough to beat us unless State can play a near flawless game.
Post Script: Btw, would we be crazy enough to post a picture of an ex-girlfriend mentioned above on this blog for the scrutiny of all the internet to see? Yes. We. Would. We have no shame. Of course if you hear about some basketball blogger in LA found dead, it was her husband (or Mrs. March To Madness) that did it!
Here is the official consensus top 25 blogpoll -
1) North Carolina
2) Pittsburgh
3) Connecticut
4) Gonzaga
5) Oklahoma
6) Texas
7) Tennessee
8) Louisville
9) Duke
10) Xavier
11) Wake Forest
12) Georgetown
13) Notre Dame
14) UCLA
15) Syracuse
16) Villanova
17) Memphis
18) Purdue
19) Arizona State
20) Ohio State
21) Baylor
22) Davidson
23) Kansas
24) Michigan State
25) Marquette
Everyone's vote can be found here.
Comments - We told you so, we told you so, we told you so...
Duke lost to unranked Michigan. At least they got it out early in the season. We completely dropped them out of our ballot, dropped them like they hot!
UNC was the unanimous number 1 again. We're starting to believe the hype that they will win March Madness although history is against them. Pitt leapfrogging over UConn is unconscionable in our opinion, clearly the Tar Heels and the Huskies are the teams to beat right now. What? Buffalo almost beat UConn? Man, forget that. Buffalo is a better team than people think and would have made it a close game with even North Carolina for about 15 minutes. We're not saying it would be a toss up between UConn and UNC, the Heels would clearly win. But it would be a yummy battle.
UPDATE: We love it when people agree with us.
Oklahoma State's Travis Ford has pretty much had it with forward Ibrahima Thomas. Lack of effort, passion and drive has ultimately forced the coach to boot his behind off the team in a most permanent way.
Ford says he had several conversations with the sophomore over the past week and determined that he lacked the commitment to make the program successful.
Ibrahima Thomas: Yawn
A little bit behind the 8 ball today, but our column over at Sports Illustrated is up. Click heyah.
Overheard by a ball boy during West Virginia's game against Ole Miss:
"...(you) have to get under the goal and get the fucking rebound! You're rebounding like fucking children! So y'all need to get y'all's asses together and get some fucking rebounds!"
Coach Huggins everybody! Such a class act. Type of guy you would want your son to imitate. Without that alcohol issue...
We've previously mentioned Huggins insanity when it comes to rebounds in our column at Sports Illustrated. Where's Dennis Rodman when you need him?
Oh. *Tsk tsk*
Hey everybody, Lorenzo Wade is back after being suspended for unplugging a TV!
We certainly could have used him during that game against Arizona State which we led all the way until the Sun Devils started to hit a barrage of threes. I wonder which Aztec is great at three point shots, hmmmmmm?
Fucker...
Here is the official consensus top 25 blogpoll -
1) North Carolina
2) Connecticut
3) Pittsburgh
4) Gonzaga
5) Oklahoma
6) Notre Dame
7) Duke
8) Texas
9) UCLA
10) Louisville
11) Tennessee
12) Michigan State
13) Purdue
14) Wake Forest
15) Memphis
16) Syracuse
17) Xavier
18) Georgetown
19) Villanova
20) Arizona State
21) Miami (FL)
22) Davidson
23) Baylor
24) Marquette
25) Florida
Everyone's vote can be found here.
Comments - Miami got a break with the timing of the blogpoll. We assure you they will be gone next week with that abysmal play against the Buckeyes. Despite our best efforts (we ranked them 24th), Duke continues to be held high. Until they show us some signature wins, we will not change our views. We would also love to see a UConn/UNC matchup right about now...
So coach Gillispie yanked Kentucky point guard DeAndre Liggins from play after he turned the ball over during the game against Kansas State. That totally made him look like a chump in front of his mom and homies. Liggins was so pissed off that when Gillispie told him to get back in, Liggins basically told the coach to go fuck himself and sat out.
Liggins, who has shared the point guard position with junior Michael Porter, was pulled from the Kansas State game after playing two minutes and committing a costly turnover. He refused to re-enter the court minutes later when Gillispie called him up.
So how did the coach deal with that level of insubordination?
He made him play nearly 30 minutes straight the next game against West Virginia.
Coach Gillispie "claims" that it would have been easy to bench him but that would not have dealt with the situation. Observe...
"The easiest thing for him to do was to not play on Saturday," Gillispie said. "It showed a great deal of toughness, a great deal of caring and a great deal of remorse by playing. It would have been easier for him to say 'I'm not playing today.'"
Ummmm, ok. If you say so. Another example of this type of thinking would be if some dude slept with your girl, you should take him out to dinner at a fancy steakhouse. Tell him good job. Kinda like that?
So besides doing this blog we are also doing the Reporters Notebook for SI.com. So catch us there Monday through Friday as well.
So, we were in Vegas over Thanksgiving weekend (multiple family members live there) and took advantage of the sports books to watch a few games. Our brother-in-law who is really not into college hoops made a comment about how empty the stands were.
Brother-In-Law: "Wow, I thought college basketball was more popular than this. There's barely anyone there."
Us: "Well, this is mostly preseason tournament stuff."
Brother-In-Law: "So they don't count."
Us: "Well, they do. But not so much."
Brother-In-Law: "Huh?!"
(pause)
Us: "It's kinda hard to explain. You wanna beer?"
And that was it. We were at a loss. If anyone can explain that to a non-basketball person, we would be happy to hear it and pass it on.
Maybe we were wrong about Western Kentucky.
Hilltoppers give a biblical style beat down to Louisville, 68 to 54.
Go Big Red. And This Is Sparta!
