Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Barkley, Manning among several inducted into college Hall of Fame



Barkley, Manning among several inducted into college Hall of Famefrom www.cbssports.com
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Charles Barkley isn't afraid to talk about race, readily explains how dumb college basketball players are for leaving school, and doesn't hesitate in making fun of NBA players when they do something foolish.
A man of many words, Barkley had just a few when he was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame on Sunday night.
"This is a really cool honor," he said. "I've had obviously a magnificent life and this is just more icing on the cake."
Barkley was honored with a 2008 class that included former Kansas star Danny Manning, Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson and longtime Mount St. Mary's coach Jim Phelan. Former Utah All-American Arnie Ferrin also entered the college hall, as did announcers Dick Vitale and Billy Packer as contributors.
In a room full of basketball dignitaries that included Bob Knight, John Thompson and Kansas coach Bill Self, Barkley was arguably the biggest draw -- ESPN's Vitale was probably a close second -- because of his visibility.
One of the NBA's greatest players, Barkley's presence didn't diminish after his playing days thanks to his success as a commentator, pitchman -- Ferrin said his grandson wanted to know if Barkley ever got his socks from Dwyane Wade -- and late-night talk show guest.
But before he became a multimedia presence, Barkley was a pretty good college player.
Nicknamed the "Round Mound of Rebound" because of his rotund stature, Barkley was a phenomenally talented, undersized center for three years at Auburn.
Generously listed at 6-foot-5, Barkley led the Tigers to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 1984, the same year he was an All-American and the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year. Often facing players six inches taller, Barkley led the SEC in rebounding three years straight and set the Auburn career record for career field goal shooting at 62.4 percent.
"He impressed me as one of the most outstanding big guys I had ever seen in my entire life," Richardson said.
At the opposite end of the attention-getting spectrum is Manning.
He's been credited with single-handedly leading Kansas to the 1988 national championship, playing one of the greatest games in NCAA tournament history with 31 points, 18 rebounds, five steals and two blocked shots in the title game.
Despite that performance, and winning the Wooden and Naismith awards along with being a first-team All-American, Manning never liked the attention that came with being part of "Danny and the Miracles." The 6-foot-10 forward shied away from media attention, particularly after his career, returning to comfortable Lawrence to coach at his alma mater, where he can blend in at least a little bit.
"Awards like this are very special," he said. "You have to be a little fortunate to receive them. You have to be with a team that is very unselfish. That is certainly something I had a chance to experience."
Vitale might be the antithesis of Manning.
He had a nice college coaching career, leading the University of Detroit to the 1977 NCAA tournament and a 78-30 record from 1972-78. Vitale didn't have much visibility, though, until he sat behind a microphone.
Known for his bombastic style and catch phrases -- "That's awesome, baby!" -- Vitale has become a voice of college basketball for ESPN since the network went on air in 1979. He also became a pop-culture icon, appearing in commercials and drawing his own fans at arenas across the nation.
Now, even at 69, just one year removed from throat surgery that could have ended his career, Vitale is still a bundle of energy, hitting the motivational speech circuit, doing book signings, still shouting at all those college basketball games.
"It's unbelievable. It's a dream," Vitale said. "I'm in the last stage of my life. I'm in the last chapter. I want to make it my best."
Packer's approach to announcing was a bit more low-key than Vitale's.
He occasionally riled up players, coaches and fans with his brutally honest approach -- he received death threats after downplaying Larry Bird's significance at Indiana State -- but was always a steady presence courtside.
Packer served as an analyst for 28 seasons at CBS and called some of the greatest moments in college basketball history during 34 consecutive years at the Final Four.
"I've been involved in television as a broadcaster and it's not only humbling to go into the hall of fame, but also as a person who really understands the history of college basketball on television, there are many guys who should be in way before somebody like myself," Packer said.
Richardson started his career under mentor Don Haskins at Texas Wesleyan and later coached at Tulsa. But it wasn't until he arrived in Fayetteville, Ark., that Richardson made his mark.
The fiery coach used his "40 minutes of Hell" defense to swarm opponents, leading Arkansas to NCAA tournament to the Final Four three times, including a national title in 1994. The first black coach in SEC history, Richardson is the only coach to have won junior college, NIT and national championships.
Still Arkansas' all-time winningest coach with 389 victories, Richardson was fired in 2002 and later lost a discrimination suit against the school.
Phelan was famous for wearing a bow tie on the sideline while coaching 49 seasons at Mount St. Mary's. He's the all-time leader in games coached with 1,354 and is fourth in wins with 830. A two-time national coach of the year, Phelan led Mount St. Mary's to the NCAA Division II tournament 16 times, winning in 1962.
The sweet-shooting Ferrin is the only four-time All-American in Utah history, leading the Utes to the NCAA championship as a freshman in 1944 and to an NIT title in 1947. He later went on to win a title with the Minneapolis Lakers, joining Tom Gola as the only players to win NIT, NCAA and NBA championships.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

College Gameday Final




The BCS Championship Game is the kind of girl that Mom warned you about. She flirts, she dangles her heart, and when you reach for it, it's not there. Ask Texas Tech.
The rivalry game is the kind of girl you can take home to Mom. Year in, year out, she will always be there. She may bring joy. She may stomp on your heart. But you can depend on her. She is frequently kind and she's suddenly cruel. She can do as she pleases -- oh wait, that's a Billy Joel song.
Despite its historical success, Oklahoma shouldn't look past Oklahoma State.
The point is, as the back half of the Rivalry Fortnight begins, four of the top five teams -- No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Texas, No. 3 Oklahoma and No. 4 Florida -- play in-state rivals this week, and the fifth, No. 5 USC, plays Notre Dame. All five games could have an impact on who plays for the crystal football. But even if they didn't, all five games would be charged with emotion.
That's the thing about rivalry games. It doesn't matter what the records are. Take Alabama, the last remaining unbeaten team among the six automatic-bid conferences. One week before the Crimson Tide play the Gators for the SEC championship in a game that has been billed as a BCS semifinal, Alabama must first play 5-6 Auburn.
If you have no knowledge of the Iron Bowl, you might think that the Tide could overlook its mediocre opponent. But the last time Alabama beat Auburn, in 2001, Dennis Franchione was the winning coach. It was so long ago that Alabama freshman receiver Julio Jones was in sixth grade. And let me be the first to tell you what you will hear dozens of times in the coming days: Alabama has never beaten Auburn in Tuscaloosa (they played there in 1895 and 1901, and not again until 1999).
In the wake of Oklahoma's crushing 65-21 defeat of Texas Tech, the Sooners must refocus on playing at No. 12 Oklahoma State. The rivalry is called the Bedlam Series, which is mostly wishful thinking. The results have been downright orderly. Oklahoma, winner of five straight over Oklahoma State, leads the series 79-16-7.
Florida is 3-0 against Florida State during coach Urban Meyer's tenure in Gainesville. Seminoles coaching legend Bobby Bowden's record against the Gators has been a yo-yo. In 32 seasons, with two bowl games tossed in for good measure, Bowden is 17-16-1 against Florida.
While Texas jockeys for position in the BCS standings, rival Texas A&M will attempt to shore up its precarious footing. The Aggies (4-7) have never gone winless against the Big 12 South teams in 12 seasons of conference play.
Notre Dame, like Texas A&M, is playing both for an upset and to salvage a season gone awry. Though the Irish (6-5) have improved since going 3-9 in 2007, the fourth-quarter collapse and loss at home to Syracuse on Saturday sucked away all the goodwill Notre Dame had created this season. Playing a USC team fighting for a foothold in the BCS is no way to regain that goodwill.
Whither Notre Dame? Take out the first "h" and the answer is "Yes."

Two Years In The Making
By Graham Watson, ESPN.com
SALT LAKE CITY -- As the media started to leave the press area and Utah coach Kyle Whittingham was left with his family at his side, he sat in a chair, fingers folded, and said, "How about that."
It wasn't really a question per se, but rather a statement, a testament, to a gut feeling he'd had about his team more than a year ago, and then he finally saw that feeling come to fruition.
After a 27-0 loss at UNLV on Sept. 22, 2007, which put the Utes at 1-3 to start the season, Whittingham and his Utes vowed to never have a performance like that again.
Despite injuries to key players, Utah went on to win eight of its last nine -- its only loss to BYU -- and beat Navy in the Poinsettia Bowl. It laid the foundation for a belief that an undefeated season was not out of the realm of possibility. It became a reality after Utah's 48-24 win over Brigham Young completed a 12-0 season.
"Last year, we had a very good team and the injuries kind of hurt us," cornerback Sean Smith said. "But to see us fight back and have that little streak we had, we knew that next year was going to be something special. Going through fall camp, all the pieces started to come together, not to mention the recruits we had coming in. We knew the defense was going to be dominant and Brian Johnson was going to lead this offense. And then to do it. To finish 12-0 is just amazing, especially seeing how we came from last year."

Legacy Complete
By Adam Rittenberg, ESPN.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State's senior class always will be viewed through two different prisms.
Within Buckeye Nation, these seniors will forever remain conquering heroes, a group that dominated the Big Ten Conference and archrival Michigan like none before. Ohio State won outright Big Ten titles (2006, 2007) or shared the championship (2005, 2008) in all four seasons that they played.
Ever since the fifth-year seniors set foot on campus back in 2004, Ohio State hasn't lost to Michigan. The Buckeyes' 42-7 victory against Michigan on Saturday ensured the seniors their own chapter in team history.
"I don't think we really realize it now," senior linebacker and co-captain James Laurinaitis said, "but as we get older, we'll look back on our career and stuff and realize to be a part of the first team to win five times in a row is something that is very special."
Backup quarterback and co-captain Todd Boeckman will always remember Ohio State's dominance of Michigan.
"When you get five pairs of gold pants, that's something you never forget," said Boeckman, referring to players' reward for beating Michigan.

Pike Shines
By Brian Bennett, ESPN.com
CINCINNATI -- The second week of training camp in August, Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly called Tony Pike in for a meeting. The fourth-year junior quarterback had shown some potential during his time on campus but not much else. And Kelly told Pike that if that's all there was, he need not stick around for his senior season, because the team could use his scholarship on younger players.
"It was now or never for me," Pike said.
There's not much chance Pike will have to foot his own tuition bill anytime soon. Firmly entrenched as the Bearcats' starter, he turned in a dazzling performance in his team's most important game. Pike completed 26 of 32 passes for 309 yards and tossed three touchdown passes in Cincinnati's 28-21 win over Pittsburgh on Saturday night. He was so in control that the occasional incompletion felt like an upset.
"We could have thrown for as many yards as we wanted to throw for with him," Kelly said. "He was outstanding tonight."

Three Weekend Observations
By Ivan Maisel, ESPN.com

1. It turns out that Florida State safety Myron Rolle is not the only football player to win a Rhodes Scholarship this weekend. Former UCLA center Chris Joseph, who graduated earlier this year and finished his career last season, won one of two Rhodes Scholarships awarded in San Francisco on Saturday. Unlike Rolle, Joseph, who will study geography at Oxford, asked his school not to publicize his quest for the scholarship. The good news: At least one Bruin will win a major award this season.

2. Party like it's 1964: Oregon State is one win away from clinching its first Rose Bowl berth since then. Cincinnati could win its first outright conference championship (Missouri Valley then, Big East now) since 1964. Alabama is one win away from finishing the regular season undefeated and No. 1. The Tide could play Texas in Miami in January. That matchup also occurred in 1964, but this time, a Longhorns victory would give them the national title. Back then, it didn't.

3. Lumping Kevin Sumlin of Houston and Turner Gill of Buffalo together because they are African-American is arbitrary. But so is decrying the firings of African-American coaches Ty Willingham at Washington and Ron Prince at Kansas State. They got fired because their schools didn't think they succeeded. So here it is: Give it up for Sumlin, one win away from a berth in the Conference USA championship game, and Gill, who led the Bulls to the MAC East title.

RECE DAVIS
A three-way tie like the one in the Big 12 South always brings up an interesting dilemma. Oklahoma is probably playing the best football of anyone in the country, but you can't just totally dismiss the head-to-head loss to Texas.

Helmet Stickers Go To:
• QB Pat White, West Virginia
200 rush yards, 5 total TDs vs. Louisville
• DT Arthur Jones, Syracuse
15 tackles, 4 TFL, 1½ sacks vs. Notre Dame


LOU HOLTZ

I hope people have an open mind in the Heisman race, because I've never seen so many viable candidates for the trophy. So don't vote early. Let's let this thing play out until the very last game on Dec. 6 -- and then decide.

Helmet Stickers Go To:
• LB Travis Lewis, Oklahoma
13 tackles, INT, forced fumble vs. Texas Tech
• QB Brian Johnson, Utah
30-36, 303 yards, 4 TDs vs. BYU


MARK MAY

These things change and one should reassess every week, but right now my top 5 would look like this (in order): Alabama, Oklahoma, Florida, Texas and USC.

Helmet Stickers Go To:
• QB Daryll Clark, Penn State
341 yards, 4 TDs vs. Michigan State
• QB Tony Pike, Cincinnati
26-32, 309 yards, 3 TDs vs. Pitt

Monday, November 24, 2008

BCS is Total BS

No Cut-InsBy Ivan Maisel, ESPN.com

It's not unusual that Alabama and Texas Tech have a clear path to the BCS Championship Game: Win all their games and they will reprise their Cotton Bowl matchup of three seasons ago. After all, if a team from an automatic-bid conference wins all its games -- and it isn't Auburn in 2004 -- then it plays for the BCS title.


But what is unusual is that the teams first in line behind the Crimson Tide and the Red Raiders are from their own conferences. Check out the new BCS standings.

Florida, Alabama's last obstacle on the road to Dolphins Stadium, is, at No. 4, the Tide's biggest obstacle, too. They will play for the SEC championship on Dec. 6.

In the Big 12, No. 5 Oklahoma plays Texas Tech on Nov. 22. If the Sooners defeat the Red Raiders, will the computers and voters vault the Sooners past No. 3 Texas, which defeated Oklahoma 45-35 on Oct. 11? The Big 12 South championship depends upon the answer. If the Red Raiders, Longhorns and Sooners finish 11-1, 7-1 in the Big 12, the team with the highest BCS standing will advance to the Big 12 championship game.

That's not how it has worked in past years in the BCS. In the typical season, the teams in the two best conferences in the nation beat each other into submission, and the champion or champions of other, less arduous conferences waltzed past the brawls and into the BCS Championship Game.


Ohio State has taken a lot of heat for using this formula in each of the past two seasons. But the Buckeyes aren't the only program to do so. In 2001, Nebraska bulked up on such a diet of weak teams that the Huskers survived a regular-season rout by Colorado and made it in to the Rose Bowl to play for the national title. Oregon, which won a Pacific-10 Conference that had four teams in the top 15 of the final BCS standing, finished fourth.

The BCS commissioners have changed the BCS formula a couple of times since then, and in the past three seasons, there have been few complaints about the final pairing. Still, none of this bodes well for the other three undefeated teams -- No. 7 Utah, No. 9 Boise State and No. 14 Ball State -- as well as No. 8 Penn State, which fell from No. 3 after losing at Iowa 24-23 on Saturday.

In more trouble is No. 6 USC, despite a defense displaying a stinginess that hearkens to an earlier era. The Trojans have allowed 60 points this season, an average of 6.7 points per game, and only one touchdown in their past five games. No team has allowed less than seven points per game since the 1986 Oklahoma Sooners. Yet, in this offense-crazed season, USC is having trouble gaining traction in the BCS standings. The Trojans' last three opponents -- Stanford (5-5), Notre Dame (5-4) and UCLA (3-6) -- won't help.





Calm Before The StormBy Tim Griffin, ESPN.com

LUBBOCK, Texas -- Graham Harrell had a few early jitters. But he didn't have the meltdown that many observers expected.

His early fumble and the resulting Oklahoma State touchdown sparked a few groans about how Texas Tech would respond after last week's upset over Texas.



Sam Adams/US Presswire

Graham Harrell had no problems after the game's first series.

"I just wanted to stay calm," Harrell said. "It was only two minutes in the game and there was no reason to worry about it. We gave them the ball and they scored. But it was no reason to panic because we still had 58 minutes of football to play."

Harrell and the Red Raiders proceeded to erupt with a vintage offensive performance that even had Mike Leach smiling at the end of the game.

"Yeah, it [the fumble] wasn't good," Leach said. "But if anything, it was beneficial. It settled us down and we had better tempo after that."

Tech charged ahead with touchdowns on seven-straight possessions as they cruised to a resounding 56-20 victory over Oklahoma State.

"Seven-straight was good," Harrell said. "That's what it's all about: putting the last drive behind as you are scoring the next one."

The length of the drives were equally impressive. Tech marched for touchdowns on drives of 80, 70, 97, 72, 48, 80 and 96 yards. Only another fumble by Harrell on his final play of the game ended the streak.

"That's probably as good of a whole game as we've put together," said Eric Morris, who led Tech with 10 catches for 97 yards and a touchdown. "We were clicking on all cylinders."


To read the rest of Tim Griffin's story, click here.




Special DeliveryBy Chris Low, ESPN.com
BATON ROUGE, La. -- Alabama coach Nick Saban didn't want to waste any time.
He told offensive coordinator Jim McElwain and quarterback John Parker Wilson that he wanted to take a shot on the Crimson Tide's first play in overtime.
It's no coincidence that first shot went to freshman receiver Julio Jones, whose catch down on the goal line was the kind of play Alabama fans salivated about when he signed with the Crimson Tide back in February.
"He's a special guy. He works so hard. He's a tremendous athlete, the best I've ever seen," Wilson said. "The way he carries himself and makes plays and doesn't let anything affect him … he's really good and going to be really good for a long time."
Jones' body control on his 24-yard catch to set up Wilson's game-winning touchdown plunge in overtime was amazing enough. He came out of his route, went high in the air and made a tough adjustment on the ball look routine in Alabama's 27-21 win over LSU.
It's the kind of play Alabama players have become accustomed to seeing from the 6-foot-4, 210-pound Jones.
"He's been doing that since the first day he got here," Alabama senior center Antoine Caldwell said. "If the ball's thrown around him, he's going to go get it."
Here's the other thing about Jones: He's a bull after the catch. He's so strong and rarely goes down with the first hit.
He also uses his size to his advantage when smaller cornerbacks try to match up one-on-one against him.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Improbable Storylines from College Football



Improbable Storylines from College Football
from www.si.com

We're living in a world where impossible is nothing, or so Adidas has told me. Dancing With The Stars is still a ratings monster despite bringing on Ted McGinley, the patron saint of jumping the shark. Guns N' Roses' long-gestating Chinese Democracy will actually be released Nov. 25. College football has also had its share of "oh, no they didn't" storylines this season and the Tenth Power is more than happy to dive into a collection of them.

1. Redemption, thy name is Joe Paterno. The Penn State coach came under fire before the season for the rash of off-the-field troubles that had plagued his program, which were infamously highlighted on Outside The Lines. Had he lost his team? The preseason No. 22 is now ranked third and has the clearest path to the BCS title game. Take that, Bob Ley.

2. Nick Saban is college football's Norm Abram. Saban inherited an Alabama program that had gone 6-6 in 2006 and had suffered its fifth straight loss to rival Auburn. Two years and two impressive recruiting classes later, Saban has remodeled the Crimson Tide faster than anyone could have expected, guiding them to No. 1. Though that losing streak to the Tigers has reached six games ...

3. The Phillip Fulmer era finally ends. As colleague Andy Staples points out, it was a little late coming (like three years), but did you ever think you'd see Fulmer actually leave? Let's face it, the man is as synonymous with Tennessee as Dolly Parton, but of late he's become as much fun as a trip to Dollywood or a 9 to 5 marathon.

4. Georgia's allergic reaction to big games. The Bulldogs ended 2007 as the hottest team in the country and it helped earn them the preseason No. 1. How did they respond? They were outscored by a combined score of 90-40 by Alabama and Florida in their toughest tests of the season. At least they can lean on the fact they look good in black.

5. The lack of a marquee running back. SI.com's preseason All-America RBs were Georgia's Knowshon Moreno and Ohio State's Chris "Beanie" Wells. Moreno has had four sub-100-yard games and Wells missed three games with a toe injury. The top three rushers in the country are solid -- UConn's Donald Brown, Michigan State's Javon Ringer and Iowa's Shonn Greene -- but there's no transcendent star here. Is it too late to bring Darren McFadden back from football purgatory?

6. The polls are alive with the sound of mid-majors. There are currently five teams from outside the BCS conferences in the AP Poll, led by eighth ranked Utah, and a week ago, six mid-majors appeared in the Top 25. The Mountain West has three teams in the BCS' top 15, which ties the SEC. The little guys haven't been this prevalent since Gary Coleman and Emmanuel Lewis were on TV.

7. The ACC is no longer the most inept BCS conference. That distinction belongs to the Big East this season. The league's highest-profile team this year is West Virginia, which is 25th in the BCS standings. South Florida, which was ranked as high as 12th in the AP Poll, is currently 1-3 in conference play and tied for seventh ... with Syracuse. Some BCS bowl is going to be awfully lucky to land a Big East team.

8. Big 12 North's fall back to Earth. Last season, the division announced its return by landing a pair of Sports Illustrated covers featuring Kansas and Missouri, and Tigers QB Chase Daniel earned a trip to the Heisman ceremony. Right now, the North's best team is No. 13 Missouri and the division is a collective 3-13 against the South. Was last year just a hallucination? I know I shouldn't have eaten those brownies Adarius Bowman gave me.

9. Georgia Tech's blast form the past actually works. When Paul Johnson was hired to succeed Chan Gailey, the biggest question was whether his triple-option, normally reserved for the service academies and ESPN Classic, could still succeed. But with a 7-2 record and the ACC Coastal Division lead, Johnson's offense is proving as retro cool as a pair of Nike Cortez.

10. That Greg Robinson still has a job. While the likes of Fulmer, Clemson's Tommy Bowden and Washington's Tyrone Willingham are either unemployed or will be at season's end, it's stunning that Robinson and his 9-34 record at Syracuse haven't yet suffered a similar fate. What will it take to get G-Rob fired? Does he have to show up to a press conference in a game-worn Jim Brown jersey and spread jelly over it a la George Costanza?

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

ESPN College Gameday Final



ESPN College Gameday Final

Gators ready to stay focused for stretch run
Florida coach Urban Meyer checked the messages on his cell phone late Saturday night and was surprised by one in particular.
New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick had called Meyer shortly after the No. 4 Gators blasted No. 25 South Carolina 56-6 on Saturday.
"Just make sure you stay on top of them," Belichick advised Meyer. "They're going to be hearing a lot."
What haven't the Gators heard during their six-game winning streak? That they're playing better than any other team in the country? Even better than No. 1 Alabama, which they'll meet in the Dec. 6 SEC championship game in Atlanta's Georgia Dome?
Florida has dominated SEC opponents like never before, becoming the first team in league history to win six consecutive games by 28 points or more.
Since losing to unranked Ole Miss 31-30 in The Swamp on Sept. 27, the Gators have outscored their past six opponents 299-63. They outscored those opponents -- including then-No. 4 LSU, No. 6 Georgia and No. 25 South Carolina -- by a whopping 101-0 in the first quarter.
"I think it's one of the most impressive stats I've seen," Meyer said. "The momentum our players think about, and our coaches stress to our players, is very important, whether it's a blocked punt or great defense. That's why we ran a reverse on the first play of the game. I always feel like early momentum is worth at least 14 points."
And once the Gators get rolling, they've been nearly impossible to slow down. Florida scored three touchdowns in 135 seconds against South Carolina, which came into the game ranked No. 1 in the SEC in total defense. Seven Florida players produced plays of 20 yards or longer, and the Gators had 519 total yards, including 346 rushing.
The Gators will play FCS opponent The Citadel at home Saturday, and then will play at rival Florida State on Nov. 29.
Meyer said he is confident his team will stay focused until the showdown against the Crimson Tide in three weeks.
"I have a lot of trust in the maturity of our team," Meyer said. "We have a great core group of guys I have a lot of trust in."

Firing On All Cylinders
By Chris Low, ESPN.com
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- A tearful Tim Tebow promised the Florida fans this back on Sept. 27.
Ole Miss had just come into the Swamp and shocked the Gators, and Tebow and the rest of his teammates were struggling to find answers.
The Gators' Heisman Trophy winner didn't vow that they would win the rest of their games. He didn't guarantee that they would average 49.5 points along the way. He didn't promise that the Gators would put themselves in a position where they control their own destiny as far as getting to the BCS National Championship Game.
But he did promise that fans would see a different Florida football team the rest of the way.
"What I said was something I could control, and that was that we were going to play with a passion, an enthusiasm and love for the game like this university has never seen before," Tebow said. "I knew I could control beyond a shadow of a doubt my effort, our team's effort and the kind of intensity we play with.
"I said what I said to give our fans confidence and our team confidence that we were going to come out and play with the kind of effort and passion that we're playing with right now."
Call Tebow a prophet, because since that disappointing September day, there hasn't been a better or more complete team in college football.

Finding An Identity

By Adam Rittenberg, ESPN.com
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Handshakes had been exchanged, the postgame prayer had been recited at midfield and Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel was ready to get out of the cold.
His players had other ideas.
As Tressel began to move toward the locker room, the Buckeyes took off running toward a large contingent of their fans in the southeast corner of Memorial Stadium.
"They've got a flair for the dramatic," a smiling Tressel said, before joining the players.
Tressel doesn't mind this kind of drama: singing Carmen Ohio, slapping hands with supporters, acknowledging signs in the stands. OK, he might not have liked Terrelle Pryor's taunting Illinois fans after Saturday's 30-20 win, but, as Pryor explained, it's all in fun.
If this is as dramatic as it gets for the Buckeyes, they'll be thrilled. They've been through plenty of plot twists this season, and they're hoping the script stays the same the rest of the way.
"Thank God, it feels a little more calm now," wide receiver Brian Hartline said. "Unfortunately, it's the end of the season. It will be talked about -- did we waste time dealing with that kind of stuff? Maybe, but the facts are the facts and this is where we're sitting."

Three Weekend Observations
By Mark Schlabach, ESPN.com

1. Because of quarterback problems and other personnel losses, LSU is a shell of the team that won the BCS National Championship last season. But give the Tigers credit for coming back from a 31-3 deficit against Troy to earn a 40-31 win at Tiger Stadium. Because of its resolve, LSU avoided the worst loss ever by a defending national champion.

2. Does any team want to win the ACC? The league had three teams in last week's BCS rankings, and each of them -- No. 16 North Carolina, No. 19 Florida State and No. 24 Wake Forest -- lost on Saturday. Miami, which lost its first two ACC games, is now in the driver's seat in the Coastal Division.

3. One of the best coaching jobs in the country has gone largely unnoticed. Rutgers lost five of its first six games, but has somehow rebounded to win four games in a row, including a 49-16 rout at South Florida on Saturday. If the Scarlet Knights beat Army and Louisville to finish 7-5, Rutgers coach Greg Schiano will have to get serious consideration for jobs at larger schools.

RECE DAVIS
The term "student-athlete" has always meant something at Vanderbilt -- and we can all respect that. Now, for the first time in 26 years, the term "bowl-eligible" means something at Vanderbilt. How cool is that?
Helmet Stickers Go To:
• QB Jeremiah Masoli, Oregon
21-26, 387 total yards, 5 TDs vs. Arizona
• CB D.J. Moore, Vanderbilt
2 rec TDs, 2 Ints vs. Kentucky


LOU HOLTZ
If anyone tells you he knows how the ACC is going to turn out, he's lying. What a crazy conference. But the competitive balance sure makes it fun.
Helmet Stickers Go To:
• RB Shonn Greene, Iowa
211 rush yards, 2 TDs vs. Purdue
• QB Case Keenum, Houston
402 pass yards, 7 total TDs vs. Tulsa


MARK MAY
Right now Florida is playing the best football in America. It's not only that phenomenal offense, but defense and special teams as well.
Helmet Stickers Go To:
• CB Jason McCourty, Rutgers
2 Ints, TD, fumble rec vs. USF
• WR Percy Harvin, Florida
167 rush yards, 2 TDs vs. South Carolina

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Is it too soon to call Greg Oden a bust?


Is it too soon to call Greg Oden a bust?

Greg Oden thought he was done wearing a protective boot on his right leg, finished with using crutches to limp out of arenas and past watching his team play on television while he got treatment. Yet there Oden was, no more than one half into his NBA debut, back on the trainer's table, unable to play and barely able to walk.
"It sucks, but I have to keep on working," he said. "Hopefully, this is just a little setback, but I have no idea when I'm going to be back."
It was an inauspicious opening night for Oden, who missed all of last season after having microfracture surgery on his right knee and also suffered a right ankle sprain earlier this month. The early report on Oden's injury Tuesday was a mid-foot sprain in that same right leg, although judging from Oden's demeanor and the inconclusive X-ray results after the game it could be worse.
As he sat atop the trainer's table in the cramped visiting quarters of the Staples Center, Oden looked helplessly at his right foot as he shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. It's about the same reaction most fans had at the news of Oden getting hurt.
Oden has gone from simply being "injury-prone" to being compared to Sam Bowie, whose career in Portland was cut short due to injuries after being the second overall pick of the 1984 NBA draft ahead of Michael Jordan. Bowie, however, played in 76 games and averaged 10 points and 8.6 rebounds before injuries limited him to only 63 games over the next four seasons, including only five during the 1986-87 season and missing the entire 1987-88 season. Already in his second season, Oden has yet to play more than 13 minutes or score his first point.
It may be early to label Oden a bust -- he should probably be given an opportunity to at least play a complete game before being lumped into that category -- but it would be foolish at this point to think that Oden will be the player he was hyped to be coming out of college.
He hasn't played a complete season since he was in high school after he had surgery on his right wrist to repair a ligament injury late in his senior season, and he missed the beginning of his only season at Ohio State. He has made more news since the NBA draft for MRI results than anything he's done on the court and there is little proof that this will change. Much was made before the draft that Oden's right leg is slightly longer than his left (notice all his injuries are on his right side) and that he had alignment problems. That's never going to change and, sadly, in all likelihood neither will Oden's propensity for getting injured.

Monday, November 17, 2008

5 Future NBA draft picks to watch this season


5 Future draft picks to watch this season
www.si.com

5. Blake Griffin, 6-foot-9 sophomore power forward, Oklahoma. "He's undersized for a 4 but unbelievably powerful," the scout said. "He can jump out of the gym, he has great hands. Really, really strong and explosive. He's going to have to improve his perimeter game a little because his size will make it tougher for him to get to the rim; he can get there with ease in the Big 12, but he can't do it in our league on a nightly basis. He can become a pick-and-pop guy, and I think he will because he has a really good work ethic. He wants to be good, so I think the skills he needs to develop will come his way. He would have been in the lottery last year had he decided to come out as a freshman.''

4. Brandon Jennings, 6-1, 19-year-old point guard, Lottomatica Roma. The former Arizona recruit has averaged 9.7 points in 19 minutes in his first three Euroleague games with his Italian club.
"I'll be curious to see what kind of year Jennings has in the Euroleague and Italian league," the scout said. "He's a highly talented guy, and I think his life has gone well over there so far. His brother is there with him, he's in a great school in Rome, his mom is over there. But the basketball -- I think he's finding out that it's really hard. The Euroleague is more than people think.
"He's left-handed and he can fly. He's a little wild, though, and he's not a great shooter. He can definitely score, and there will be nights when he'll bang out a bunch of jumpers, but that's not his forte. He's not as powerful as Derrick Rose. Jennings has the same kind of speed and elevation, but Rose is taller and wider. This kid is thinner but he's just going to attack, attack, attack.
On Dec. 11, Jennings matches up against Ricky Rubio, the 18-year-old point guard for the Spanish Olympic team who now plays for DKV Joventut of Spain.
"There will be more NBA scouts that day than there will be at the Carolina-Duke game, I promise you," the scout said.

3. Demar DeRozan, 6-6 freshman shooting guard, USC. "Most of the other top Americans in the draft are going to be college freshmen, like it is every year. DeRozan is athletic, he can really score and he can make shots. It's unfair to say this about anybody, but he is Kobe Bryant-ish. What I mean is that if it all works out for him, he can do some of the same things. I don't know yet what kind of kid he is and whether he has the same kind of killer instinct; I doubt whether anybody does. I'm just talking about DeRozan's skill set.
"This guy is a definite one [year] and done. He's different from O.J. Mayo, who always had the ball in his hands for USC last year. This kid is more of a wing. He'll be mainly a 2 in our league, though he'll swing to the 3 sometimes.

2. B.J. Mullens, 7-foot freshman center, Ohio State. "He has skills and a little bit of bounce to his game. I'll be curious to see how he develops this season and to see whether he's grown physically since last spring. He's one guy I don't know enough about yet, but I'm interested.
"The thing with big guys is to find guys like him who have skills, who can catch and shoot and who don't look lost down there. When you have a big man with that kinds of skill set, then you can build upon that. It's much harder to take an athlete and try to teach him a skill set. Give me a big guy with a lot of skills and I'll surround him with athletes.''

1. Austin Daye, 6-10 sophomore forward, Gonzaga. "He's very skilled. He's also -- as of last year -- very thin [190 pounds]. And that's OK, because at his age you're supposed to be skinny and developing physically. I think with lineage of his father [Darren Daye], who played in the NBA and in Europe, he'll tell Austin, 'Look, you've got to get stronger.' And I'm sure his coach addresses that also.
"To me, he's a lottery pick without question. He shoots threes [41.3 percent last season], he shoots free throws [88.1 percent]. If you're asking me how he compares to a guy like Jonathan Bender, I'd say that Bender was way more athletic. I really liked Bender, but this kid doesn't jump like he did. This kid has better ball skills, however. Bender was a 4 morphing into a 3, but Daye is a 3 right now.
"I see something of Danny Manning in him. I never thought of Manning as a super-quick high flyer, and this kid isn't either. But Daye is very cerebral, he cuts without the ball, he's long, he makes shots and he has all of that skill. Plus, he plays on a Gonzaga team that is loaded with multiple players, so people will be seeing a lot of him this year.
"You notice I don't have someone like Tyler Hansbrough on this list. He is a very good player, but as a senior he is an aberration in the draft. He won't get taken in front of Daye because people will see Hansbrough as a finished product -- albeit a very good one -- who doesn't have the upside and skill set of someone like Daye. An NBA team might win more games with Tyler six years from now than with Daye, who is thin and soft as butter. But you know how we all think: We all want upside. That's the nature of our game right now.''

Friday, November 14, 2008

Getting A Line On LeBron's Future

Getting A Line On LeBron's Future
By Marc Stein

ESPN.com
There was a definitive declaration about the future earlier this week from LeBron James. You probably just haven't heard about it yet.
The official decree from King James: "22, 10 and 10."
That's how LeBron replied when someone in Dallas asked him what his ideal, every-night line in the box score would be.
I think I can safely predict the response, too: All of the fans in all of the cities whose teams fantasize about signing James away from the Cleveland Cavaliers in the summer of 2010 will inevitably seize on the fact that LeBron didn't specify where he dreams of racking up all those triple-doubles.
Of course, even had he pronounced himself a Cav For Life in the same sentence, who outside of Ohio would hear him? No. 23 could clearly state his intentions to stay with his home-state team -- and he pretty much did in October at a Barack Obama rally when no one was expecting it -- and it wouldn't discourage anyone in the basketball mecca of New York … or the Nike capital of Portland, Ore. … or now Detroit.
Clevelanders, I'm afraid, will just have to accept that this is going to be their lives for the next 589 days or so. It really has little to do with the usual torture they expect to absorb from their Cavs, Indians, Browns and weather. It's not that deep, folks. Cursed as Clevelanders believe themselves to be, they simply have the most coveted young talent in the game and maybe all of American sport in their midst -- after winning a draft lottery, don't forget -- and lots of teams are planning to have spending money in LeBron's free-agent summer. What else are we going to talk about?
Doesn't matter that LeBron could be heard at that Obama rally announcing to a downtown crowd: "I love Ohio and I ain't goin' nowhere." If the other teams in the NBA aren't listening, why would their fans be?
The line for LeBron, as you've undoubtedly heard by now, got one team longer this week when the Pistons traded for Allen Iverson and a huge chunk of financial flexibility that might just hold up until July 2010. If the cash does stay stashed that long, Detroit won't merely try to sign James, either. We're sittin' here talkin' about Joe Dumars, so trust us: If the Pistons' uber-aggressive president can keep enough cap space to afford two max players in 2010, I'm reasonably sure that his A-1 scenario would be trying to sign James and Chris Bosh.
But try not to tax your brain with too many hypotheticals this far out.
Common sense says that there certainly is a scenario in which LeBron would swap Lake Erie for the, uh, glamour of Motown, crazy as it sounds. If the Pistons are clearly set up better than any other team at that point for LeBron to win multiple rings -- since rings are the thing, as much as anything, that could make him a Global Icon -- how could he ignore Detroit?
Yet you should also be able to work out that there are too many variables, too many things that can happen over the next two years, to start throwing out absolutes here or anoint favorites in the LeBron Sweepstakes. Yes: I've spoken to smart, well-connected folks around the league who have relayed what appear to be highly credible "LeBron's gone" whispers. Yes: I've heard trusted sources say the Cavs are privately but legitimately worried they won't be able to keep him away from a sexier market … even though trying to sign Bosh away from Toronto, to put him next to James, is believed to be Cleveland's A-1 scenario as well.
However …
Why would LeBron decide anything now?
What possible benefit could there be to committing this soon to definitely relocating to storied Madison Square Garden to go play for Mike D'Antoni, or to promise he'll stay and try to be the guy who lifts the Cleveland curse?
Things change too fast in this league to lock in any plans.
Look at Detroit, for starters. How can we be so sure, given all the trade and free-agent possibilities that will inevitably present themselves to the Pistons over the next 20 months, that Dumars will be able to pass on them all to wait on a LeBron maybe?
Look at New Jersey, which seemingly had the ultimate LeBron recruiting tool -- his mentor Jay-Z as part-owner -- and which now can't be sure if it will ever be able to offer James the lure of Brooklyn home games.
Just look at the Lakers. Before the thoroughly unforeseen Pau Gasol donation -- er, trade -- remember how bleak and tenuous L.A.'s future with Kobe Bryant looked at this time last year?
Things change fast in this league, friends.
No fewer than 15 teams -- including the Cavs -- have less than $40 million in committed salaries on their books for the 2010-11 season, hoarding cap space for a free-agent class so deep that we don't even talk about Amare Stoudemire, Dirk Nowitzki and early Eastern Conference player of the month favorite Joe Johnson. Among those teams are Chicago, Houston, Miami, Phoenix, Portland and Bosh's Toronto Raptors. I also fully expect the likes of San Antonio and Dallas to be major bidders by the time LeBron and Co. hit the open market, which is to say that the Pistons, between now and the NBA's Free Agent Frenzy of 2010, won't be the last team to be mentioned as a new threat to steal LeBron away from Cleveland. Far from it.
The Cavs, though, are still in a pretty good spot. James, for starters, is a certifiably proud Ohioan, which has to help. What happens if they make one more trade for one more difference-making sidekick this season or next? What happens if they actually manage to win it all once before LeBron's contract expires? The Cavs better have a convincing championship plan to hit James with when he's free to leave, because the closest thing to a sure thing in this whole process is what we were told this week by one source close to LeBron: "He knows that championships will determine his legacy." Then again, they're not that far off with what they've got right now to surround their potential 22, 10 and 10 guy.
We're convinced that this could all be much worse for Clevelanders, too, no matter how they've suffered for decades in various stadiums and arenas. Lusting after their LeBron isn't personal, or even original. Orlando lived with the same panic and insecurities every day of Shaquille O'Neal's first four seasons, except for one crucial difference.
The Magic Kingdom's Hall of Fame-bound, larger-than-life superstar, if my recollections are right, sure seemed more determined to leave than LeBron does.

2 Eastern Conference
Another news flash from LeBron James: "I can do a lot of things."
"I can play the 1, I can play the 2, I can play the 4," he continued. "But I will always be more comfortable at the 3 spot."
This was James' way of saying that his new part-time gig -- regularly playing some power forward -- doesn't exactly feel natural yet. But Cavs coach Mike Brown isn't worried. In Brown's view, LeBron is adapting nicely to his twice-nightly shifts as a 4 man.
Although Brown has always held the option of going small and playing James there, since LeBron is merely the most hulking perimeter player we've ever seen, this is the first time in Brown's four seasons that it's an element of Cleveland's regular rotation. Brown explained this week that his plan most nights is to play LeBron at the 4 for about four minutes each in the first and third quarters, typically around the six-minute mark when teams start going to their bench and inevitably get smaller.
Yet the most significant LeBron-related strategic development with the Cavs can be found in the offensive changes Brown is trying to implement. He's been rapped for years for a lack of ingenuity at that end, but there is clearly more movement and variety in Cleveland's sets this season, with the minutes at power forward only one element of Brown's apparent intent to get his 23-year-old hulk to spend more time playing inside the 3-point line. LeBron's scoring limitations in the low post have been well-documented, but it looks as though he's starting to develop a feel for running the game out of the elbow area. James is also clearly benefiting from the fact that Mo Williams and Delonte West can get the ball up the floor.
Given that this is a transitional phase for the Cavs after the offseason acquisition of Williams -- and considering that they opened the season with a flurry of tough roadies at Boston, New Orleans and Dallas -- coach and superstar sound understandably encouraged. Especially since Cleveland is off to a decent start despite the fact James has struggled mightily with his shot so far, shooting a combined 7-for-41 (just 17 percent) -- on 2- and 3-point jumpers entering Friday's play.
"Preseason can only do so much," James said, "because you don't play as much with each other during the games."
P.S.: Regular readers know that fantasy hoops hasn't been my thing since college, but team owners with LeBron on their rosters can thank the Weekend Dime for prodding some more scoring out of their franchise player. Since we expressed some tongue-in-cheek concern to James on Monday that his first three games were on the quiet side, he's rumbled for 70 points in the past two.
P.P.S.: LeBron's 3-point drought to start the season isn't all bad when you think about it, because James, who was 0-for-13 from behind the line entering the weekend, was also averaging less than three long-range attempts per game.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Phoenix Suns vs Houston Rockets Brawl Fight 11/12/08

This is just to show you how strong Shaq is. Watch him shove Mcgrady and everyone falls like Dominos!!!!!

Calm, cool and collected, Quinn will be a winner



Calm, cool and collected, Quinn will be a winner
from www.msnbc.com
Brady Quinn’s career began on the night his team’s season ended. And all a Browns fan can ask after watching Quinn play with veteran aplomb is, "Why wasn’t this kid in there weeks ago?"
Nobody in Cleveland has any delusions that the Browns would be battling Pittsburgh and Baltimore for the AFC North lead if Quinn had been playing all along instead of Derek Anderson. The team has too many problems for one player to solve. A lot of them are on the other side of the ball with a defense that can’t put pressure on the quarterback and has a remarkable knack for fourth-quarter collapses.
The problems have to be traced back to the general manager and the coaching staff who should be expected to field a team that can pressure a quarterback and make big tackles. It’s also a coaching staff that kept playing an underperforming Anderson instead of switching to Quinn a month ago, when he may have made a difference.
Quinn isn’t Joe Montana or Joe Theisman yet. He’ll take his lumps, especially when he plays against a varsity defense instead of the porous Denver unit he picked apart Thursday night.
But he showed he has what it takes to play in this league. It wasn’t so much in the statistics, which were impressive enough: 23-for-35 for 239 yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions and zero sacks. It was more the way he approached the job.
He had one full day of practice for this game, and until Thursday, his NFL career consisted of three completions in eight pass attempts in one relief effort last year against San Francisco. But from the moment he was introduced to a crowd that has been begging coach Romeo Crennel to start him, Quinn looked and acted like a veteran.
He didn’t charge out of the tunnel when his name was called with adrenaline squirting out of his ears and his eyes wide with excitement. Instead, he took several purposeful strides onto the field, looked up to scan the crowd and offer the fans a wave, then trotted onto the field as if he’d been doing it all his life.
He missed his first pass, completed his second and was three-and-out on his first series. But on his second possession, he drove his team to a score. His first NFL touchdown pass was a beauty. It was third-and-goal from the 5, and with a defender about to crush him, he leaped in the air and drilled a bullet between two defenders into tight end Kellen Winslow’s arms.
It was the kind throw coaches don’t want their quarterbacks to make. He was in the air and he threw into double coverage. Most quarterbacks try that and they get picked because they can’t put enough on the throw.
He didn’t go nuts when Winslow hauled it in. And he didn’t go nuts when he threw his second touchdown pass on the next possession, again hitting Winslow, who broke two tackles and ran it in.
Quinn didn’t get confused on his play calls and didn’t have a single delay-of-game penalty. He didn’t fumble. He stepped away from the rush time and again and hit outlet receivers when he was in trouble. He was cool. He had presence.
Even after the Browns had coughed up their 13-point lead, giving up seven on a 93-yard Jay Cutler completion over blown coverage, Quinn brought his team back to take the lead again with just a few minutes left.
Cleveland’s defense had played well in the first half, but collapsed in the second. They gave up the lead for the final time with just over a minute left. Quinn said later it was plenty of time.
On fourth-and-1 at his own 42, Quinn threw a perfect pass to Winslow that would have kept the drive alive. And it went right through Winslow’s hands.
The tight end had a great game with 10 catches and two touchdowns, but he had a miserable second half. Earlier he had fumbled the ball away and negated a critical first-down pickup by committing a flagrant and senseless offensive pass interference penalty. Afterward, he took the blame for the loss.
“It was a routine catch,” Winslow said. “I let my team down."
That was in the locker room. In the interview room, Quinn, the guy who threw the pass that Winslow neglected to catch, refused to blame anyone.
“This is on me,” he told the media. “This loss is on me.”
That’s not the truth, but it’s what you want to hear. Quinn started his first game for the franchise he grew up cheering. He put 30 points on the board. And he did that without being asked to throw a single deep ball.
Cleveland didn’t win the game, but they got a quarterback for the future. Now all they need is a team — and coaching — as good as he is.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Nobody is likely getting past Big 12 or SEC

Nobody is likely getting past Big 12 or SEC
College Gameday Final from www.espn.com

No Cut-Ins
It's not unusual that Alabama and Texas Tech have a clear path to the BCS Championship Game: Win all their games and they will reprise their Cotton Bowl matchup of three seasons ago. After all, if a team from an automatic-bid conference wins all its games -- and it isn't Auburn in 2004 -- then it plays for the BCS title.
But what is unusual is that the teams first in line behind the Crimson Tide and the Red Raiders are from their own conferences. Check out the new BCS standings.
Florida, Alabama's last obstacle on the road to Dolphins Stadium, is, at No. 4, the Tide's biggest obstacle, too. They will play for the SEC championship on Dec. 6.
In the Big 12, No. 5 Oklahoma plays Texas Tech on Nov. 22. If the Sooners defeat the Red Raiders, will the computers and voters vault the Sooners past No. 3 Texas, which defeated Oklahoma 45-35 on Oct. 11? The Big 12 South championship depends upon the answer. If the Red Raiders, Longhorns and Sooners finish 11-1, 7-1 in the Big 12, the team with the highest BCS standing will advance to the Big 12 championship game.
That's not how it has worked in past years in the BCS. In the typical season, the teams in the two best conferences in the nation beat each other into submission, and the champion or champions of other, less arduous conferences waltzed past the brawls and into the BCS Championship Game.
Ohio State has taken a lot of heat for using this formula in each of the past two seasons. But the Buckeyes aren't the only program to do so. In 2001, Nebraska bulked up on such a diet of weak teams that the Huskers survived a regular-season rout by Colorado and made it in to the Rose Bowl to play for the national title. Oregon, which won a Pacific-10 Conference that had four teams in the top 15 of the final BCS standing, finished fourth.
The BCS commissioners have changed the BCS formula a couple of times since then, and in the past three seasons, there have been few complaints about the final pairing. Still, none of this bodes well for the other three undefeated teams -- No. 7 Utah, No. 9 Boise State and No. 14 Ball State -- as well as No. 8 Penn State, which fell from No. 3 after losing at Iowa 24-23 on Saturday.
In more trouble is No. 6 USC, despite a defense displaying a stinginess that hearkens to an earlier era. The Trojans have allowed 60 points this season, an average of 6.7 points per game, and only one touchdown in their past five games. No team has allowed less than seven points per game since the 1986 Oklahoma Sooners. Yet, in this offense-crazed season, USC is having trouble gaining traction in the BCS standings. The Trojans' last three opponents -- Stanford (5-5), Notre Dame (5-4) and UCLA (3-6) -- won't help.

Calm Before The Storm
LUBBOCK, Texas -- Graham Harrell had a few early jitters. But he didn't have the meltdown that many observers expected.
His early fumble and the resulting Oklahoma State touchdown sparked a few groans about how Texas Tech would respond after last week's upset over Texas.
"I just wanted to stay calm," Harrell said. "It was only two minutes in the game and there was no reason to worry about it. We gave them the ball and they scored. But it was no reason to panic because we still had 58 minutes of football to play."
Harrell and the Red Raiders proceeded to erupt with a vintage offensive performance that even had Mike Leach smiling at the end of the game.
"Yeah, it [the fumble] wasn't good," Leach said. "But if anything, it was beneficial. It settled us down and we had better tempo after that."
Tech charged ahead with touchdowns on seven-straight possessions as they cruised to a resounding 56-20 victory over Oklahoma State.
"Seven-straight was good," Harrell said. "That's what it's all about: putting the last drive behind as you are scoring the next one."
The length of the drives were equally impressive. Tech marched for touchdowns on drives of 80, 70, 97, 72, 48, 80 and 96 yards. Only another fumble by Harrell on his final play of the game ended the streak.
"That's probably as good of a whole game as we've put together," said Eric Morris, who led Tech with 10 catches for 97 yards and a touchdown. "We were clicking on all cylinders."

Special Delivery
BATON ROUGE, La. -- Alabama coach Nick Saban didn't want to waste any time.
He told offensive coordinator Jim McElwain and quarterback John Parker Wilson that he wanted to take a shot on the Crimson Tide's first play in overtime.
It's no coincidence that first shot went to freshman receiver Julio Jones, whose catch down on the goal line was the kind of play Alabama fans salivated about when he signed with the Crimson Tide back in February.
"He's a special guy. He works so hard. He's a tremendous athlete, the best I've ever seen," Wilson said. "The way he carries himself and makes plays and doesn't let anything affect him … he's really good and going to be really good for a long time."
Jones' body control on his 24-yard catch to set up Wilson's game-winning touchdown plunge in overtime was amazing enough. He came out of his route, went high in the air and made a tough adjustment on the ball look routine in Alabama's 27-21 win over LSU.
It's the kind of play Alabama players have become accustomed to seeing from the 6-foot-4, 210-pound Jones.
"He's been doing that since the first day he got here," Alabama senior center Antoine Caldwell said. "If the ball's thrown around him, he's going to go get it."
Here's the other thing about Jones: He's a bull after the catch. He's so strong and rarely goes down with the first hit.
He also uses his size to his advantage when smaller cornerbacks try to match up one-on-one against him.

Three Weekend Observations
By Ivan Maisel, ESPN.com
1. Here's the secret to Iowa 24, No. 3 Penn State 23: The Hawkeyes didn't stop the Nittany Lions as much as they slowed them down. Penn State, which in nine games had 52 plays of 20 yards or more, had only one such play in cold, wet Kinnick Stadium. Also, Penn State had scored 33 touchdowns in 47 trips inside the red zone, a rate of 70.2 percent. The JoePas scored two touchdowns in five such trips Saturday. That's how nearly 36 minutes of possession and one turnover (excluding the squib kick on the last play of the game) added up to only 23 points.
2. Florida State coach Bobby Bowden made a reputation with his "barnyard plays." Bowden used to say he called them because he had to. In the 1990s, when the Seminoles had more talent than their opponents, Bowden's teams didn't run trick plays. That came to mind when Louis Givens ran that double reverse for 27 yards Saturday in Florida State's 41-27 victory over Clemson. The Seminoles may be 7-2 and tied for the ACC Atlantic lead, but they haven't separated themselves from anyone just yet.
3. What if they gave a bowl and nobody qualified? The Pac-10 has deals with seven bowls and has a real chance of coming up short. The Pac-10 needs a Stanford victory over No. 6 USC or Cal just to get a sixth team into the postseason. And if USC makes it to the BCS Championship Game, the Pac-10 could leave three from among the Las Vegas, Poinsettia, Emerald and Hawaii bowls scrambling for replacements.

RECE DAVIS
Penn State's loss to Iowa reminds us once again the golden rule of the BCS: Never complain about the system until the regular season is complete. Note to fans: Stop worrying about getting left out and start worrying about winning out.
Helmet Stickers Go To:
• NT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
12 tackles, 2½ sacks, receiving TD vs. Kansas
• RB Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon State
144 yards, 2 TDs vs. UCLA


LOU HOLTZ
I don't know if anyone is playing better than Oklahoma, at least offensively. Those guys score pretty much whenever they want. I cannot wait to see OU and Texas Tech butt heads in Norman.
Helmet Stickers Go To:
• WR Jamarko Simmons, Western Michigan
11 rec, 174 yards, TD vs. Illinois
• FS Rashad Johnson, Alabama
3 Ints (one for TD, one in OT) vs. LSU


MARK MAY
How can you not be impressed with Alabama receiver Julio Jones? He's physical and has a nose for the football, and I love the yards after contact he gets. He doesn't play like a freshman. He plays like a senior.
Helmet Stickers Go To:
• PK Daniel Murray, Iowa
Game-winning FG vs. Penn State
• QB Graham Harrell, Texas Tech
40-50, 456 yards, 6 TDs vs. Oklahoma State

Monday, November 10, 2008

Father of suspended Buckeyes WR lashes out at Ohio State

Father of suspended Buckeyes WR lashes out at Ohio State

good article about OSU's Ray Small's daddy crying about his son not being treated fairly, despite the fact that he keeps getting in trouble for the same thing over and over again......... skipping classes, late to meetings, practice, ect.....
www.si.com

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Before walking out of a brief, contentious meeting with reporters on Thursday, an irritated Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said receiver and punt returner Ray Small was suspended for one game "to start with" and that he had handled the situation correctly.
Tressel confirmed that Small, a 5-foot-11, 180-pounder from Cleveland, will not play when No. 12 Ohio State plays at Northwestern on Saturday. Team spokeswoman Shelly Poe said the suspension was due to a "repeated violation of team rules."
But Small's father, Ken Small, said he is mystified why his son is being suspended.
"They're intentionally trying to blow his career," Ken Small told The Associated Press by telephone from his home in suburban Columbus.
It has been no secret that Ray Small has continually been in and out of Tressel's doghouse for the past two seasons. His father said that the latest suspension stemmed from missing or being late for some classes and meetings. He also said part of his problems was parking tickets.
Ken Small cited several other recent legal transgressions by Ohio State players and compared them to the minor problems his son has had. One player a year ago was arrested for propositioning a female police officer posing as a prostitute. At least two players have been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Ken Small said it was clear his son is being treated unfairly by Tressel.
"He had a couple of incidents, but he never got caught smoking marijuana before the national championship game. Or he never got a DUI, or picked up a prostitute. He was just late," Ken Small said. "And the punishment is you can't even go into the (practice) facility? They act like he's dangerous. These other kids ... didn't get banned from the facility. All they got was being sat down for the first few plays of a game."
Tressel hinted that Small was being punished for ongoing problems.
"If a guy makes repetitive mistakes in football, he's probably going to lose opportunities to play," Tressel said. "The same would be with anything off the field, if a guy's repetitive, it's going to impact (his playing time)."
Tressel, speaking at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, grew increasingly upset as reporters asked him questions about Small's suspension. Tressel meets with reporters every Thursday for 15 or 20 minutes after he finishes his radio show.
He abruptly ended the interview after 5 minutes on Thursday.
"OK, guys. Thanks. I appreciate it. I thought we were going to talk about Northwestern. Thanks. Thanks," he said tersely.
As he walked down a corridor lined with trophies from the team's past, he shook his head in disgust.
Reporters asked him if the suspension was just for one game. Tressel's brief reply: "To start with." He also said that the length of the suspension would be determined by what Small does "from this point on."
He also said that Small and his family had never discussed transferring out of the football program -- which Ken Small said was not true.
"No, that's false. That's an outright lie," he said. He said he and several family members, along with Ohio State defensive lineman Rob Rose, all met with Tressel last spring and they discussed Small transferring. But Ken Small said he talked his son out of it.
Ray Small got off to a great start this season, but his playing time has been drastically cut. He had 14 catches in the first three games to lead the team, then was benched for the third game and didn't catch a pass in the game after that. After making two receptions against Wisconsin, he didn't catch a pass during the next two games.
In Ohio State's most recent game, a 13-6 home loss to No. 3 Penn State on Oct. 25, he had two catches for 37 yards.
He currently is second on the team in receptions with 18 for 149 yards.
The speedy Small is also the Buckeyes' top punt returner, with 18 for an average of 13.2 yards, tops in the Big Ten and 14th in the nation.
This spring, due to unspecified team infractions, Tressel took away Small's preferred uniform No. 4 and gave him the No. 82.
Tressel said he was sure that he had both critics and supporters when it came to disciplinary moves.
"I'm sure there's both ends of the spectrum out there in opinions, like there are about what we're doing with football," said Tressel, who has also caught heat because of his team's erratic play this season. "There's one end that feels this way and one end that feels that way. Most things lie somewhere in the middle. But I don't feel bad about how we've tried to help any of our guys."
Ken Small said Tressel has it in for his son and has no intention of playing him in games.
"Yes, that's what it sounds like to me," he said. "He's saying, 'We're not going to kick him off the team, but he won't play."'

Friday, November 7, 2008

NBA ref Scott Foster breaks silence


NBA ref Scott Foster breaks silence

good article from www.si.com
HOUSTON -- Over the last 16 months NBA referee Scott Foster has been poked and prodded by government and independent agencies to determine the nature of his relationship with Tim Donaghy, the disgraced former official who is serving 15 months in a Florida prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud and transmitting wagering information across state lines.
Foster, 41, has been crucified by the press for the 304 phone calls he exchanged with Donaghy between December 2006 and April 2007, during which time Donaghy has admitted he shared inside information with two known gamblers. Foster has been convicted by the public for nothing more than what he characterizes as a friendly relationship that began 17 years ago in a Los Angeles airport, when two young men armed with the same dream first struck up a conversation. And he has had to come to grips with the fact that a man he once considered a close friend "probably" involved him, however unwillingly and unknowingly, in the worst scandal in league history.
Through it all, Foster has remained silent. He has waited for the FBI to finish its investigation, which revealed no evidence that Foster was associated with any illegal activities. He has waited for Lawrence Pedowitz, an independent investigator hired by the NBA to probe the Donaghy scandal, to publicly clear him in a 133-page report released last month, eight pages of which were devoted entirely to Foster.
He has waited. Patiently. Well, maybe not patiently.
Sitting behind a wooden desk in a downtown Houston hotel room Monday afternoon, Foster doesn't look particularly angry. He is clean-shaven and neatly groomed, and his face does not reflect the torturous months that have seen the reputation he had worked so hard for -- and one that earned him a coveted spot officiating in the 2008 NBA Finals -- torched and his family embarrassed. But in his first public comments since a July FoxNews.com report detailed the 134 phone calls made by Donaghy to Foster's cell phone, the frustration in Foster's voice quickly becomes evident.
"Two or three days after [the report] came out, I remember telling [NBA president for league and basketball operations Joel] Litvin that I can't just sit on the sidelines and let them beat my ass," said Foster. "If someone said, 'He raped me' and they were in Portland, Maine, and I was in Portland, Ore., I would get on a pulpit and say this isn't fair. But because this had an NBA thing attached to it, I couldn't speak."
When asked if he had ever gambled on the NBA or provided information or assistance to gamblers, Foster responded with an emphatic "No."
Since Foster's close friendship with Donaghy first became public, Foster says he has been eager to tell his side of the story. Foster first met Donaghy in 1991, when both were invited to an officiating camp in Los Angeles. The two became friends in part due to their parallel lives. Both entered the NBA the same year (1994) and started families at roughly the same time. Their relationship was close enough that Foster asked Donaghy to be the godfather to his eldest son, Jake.
The two continued their friendship as their careers moved forward but, as Foster said, "There wasn't a lot of face time." Foster and Donaghy did carry on regular phone conversations.
"I'm on the road 150 days a year," said Foster, crouching forward in his chair. "It's not atypical for officials to play phone tag from time to time. Just today I've talked to two refs twice and two refs once. We go back and forth. I get to the airport and I'm in the security line, I'd give him a call. I'd be watching SportsCenter, I'd give him a call. It's constant water-cooler chatter. That's how we work out here. You have one or two buddies who you bounce things off of and share experiences with.
"I made a list of things [Donaghy and I] could have been talking about. It was about 45 things. It could be a family thing or who was hotter, Betty or Wilma. If I'm in Houston or he is in Miami and we're watching the same game and we see a play in the first quarter, that's a call. [NBA VP] Stu Jackson might fine somebody, I might call him up. There are all kinds of little things and information that we share in phone calls."
In fact, the frequency of the phone calls contributed to Foster's first learning that something might be up with Donaghy.
"It first started to break for me in early June [2007]," said Foster. "Timmy called me in the locker room and said he couldn't come to a golf tournament. He said he had a bad back and had to get an MRI. I called him to see if he was OK and he wouldn't return my phone calls. So a few weeks went by and I finally left him a kind of nasty message and said, 'Hey, if you're not going to call me back and be a jerk, basically go screw yourself.' Nothing came from that. Another couple days went by and I spoke to some people who told me that Timmy had gotten into some trouble with the NBA. I assumed it was something he had done off the court. I thought he had a tiff on the street. I never put it in the context of where we are now. When the [New York] Post broke the story [about an NBA ref being investigated by the FBI], it didn't take a scientist to figure out [who it was]."
When NBA commissioner David Stern confirmed during a news conference in July 2007 that the league was investigating Donaghy, Foster knew that his personal relationship with Donaghy would tie him to the probe.
"The first thing I said to my mom was, 'Do you know how this looks for me?' This is [going to be] guilt by association!' " said Foster. "The day he resigned [July 9, 2007] people were looking to me for answers and the only answer I had is that he hadn't talked to me in almost a month. I had a real fear of how I was going to prove myself, that we were strictly friends. One of the attorneys that works for the union called and said the FBI wanted to talked to me. He said he thought Timmy's phones were tapped. I said if that's the case, maybe that will be the thing that really sets me free. My personal attorney said based on his experience with the FBI he didn't think that was the case. That was a downer for me."
Foster's relationship with Donaghy, however, remained a secret until last July, when the phone records became public. With fans still reeling from the initial Donaghy scandal and unwilling to give the NBA -- or anyone associated with it -- the benefit of the doubt, suspicion was immediately cast over Foster. The public flogging took a tremendous toll on Foster and his family, which includes three children, ages 10, 8 and 6.
"That's a pretty emotional thing for me to talk about," said Foster. "My dad is a big talking-head fan and they were talking about me. I could see he was pissed. My name was on the bottom line all day long. My mom saw it. My kids know how to Google and they had some pretty odd questions. They understood Tim did something bad and that he was in jail, and then they see my name attached to this and they ask, 'Dad, are you going to jail?' Especially my 6-year-old. He couldn't put it together."
Three days after the FoxNews report ("Days of complete anguish and anger," said Foster) the veteran referee flew to New York for a meeting with Pedowitz. At the NBA offices, the two men had an emotional two-hour meeting.
"I was talking about my family," said Foster. "I told him, There is no way that you can write a report that clears my name. Until the NBA lets me speak to the press and lets me let them see how angry I am about this, it's not going to mean a hill of beans. People don't want to hear from lawyers, they want to hear it from my mouth."
Foster says that for him the relationship with Donaghy is over. The Pedowitz report cleared him, the FBI case is closed and the league publicly has stood behind him, giving Foster a vote of confidence at the annual coaches and officials meeting in Chicago in September.
"We have absolute confidence in Scott Foster," said Litvin.
Foster says he hasn't explored removing Donaghy as Jake's godfather but doesn't see how the two men could ever remain friends. He says he thinks about a potential Donaghy book ("He can say whatever he wants in it," said Foster) and worries that his association with Donaghy will haunt him forever. But he also knows the only thing he can do is move on.
"I don't think he can affect me any more professionally than he already has," said Foster. "I felt like I was reaching the point in my career where I was a go-to guy. I've been striving to be that for 22 years. You want to be the referee who walks on the floor and people say, 'Hey, we're going to get a fair shake tonight' or, 'He's professional'. People in the NBA have been told that [the NBA] has 100 percent confidence in me. [But] my credibility in some way has been diminished. Now I have to go back out and build those brownie points back up by being professional and doing my job. I think there is some doubt. Not just in the players and coaches and general managers, but the fans as well. I'm attached to the worst thing that has happened in pro sports."

Thursday, November 6, 2008

NBC College Basketball's All-American Teams






NBC College Basketball's All-American Teams

A.J. Price
School: Connecticut
Position: Guard
Year: Senior; Height: 6-2
2007-08 stats
PPG: 14.5
RPG: 3.5
APG: 5.8


Price tore his ACL during the Huskies' loss to San Diego is the NCAA tournament, but swears he'll be ready for the season. If that's true, UConn could be headed for its first Final Four since 2004. The Huskies are loaded, but it's Price, a unanimous All-Big East selection last season, who will be leading the way.

Stephen Curry
School: Davidson
Position: Guard
Year: Junior; Height: 6-2
2007-08 stats
PPG: 25.9
APG: 2.9
FG percentage: 48.3


Everyone's favorite sharpshooter could prevent Tyler Hansbrough from claiming back-to-back player of the year honors, but he'll have to be even better than his shining moments in 2007's NCAA tournament when he averaged 32 points a game. The Wildcats will use him at the point this season, which could cut down on his scoring average. A little.

James Harden
School: Arizona State
Position: Swingman
Year: Sophomore; Height: 6-4
2007-08 stats
PPG: 17.8
RPG: 5.3
APG: 3.2


Harden is a dynamite slasher and scorer, getting to the basket with ease or ending up at the free-throw line because he blew by a defender. He's an equally impressive defender and leader, whose presence should ensure ASU snaps its five-year NCAA tournament drought.

Luke Harangody
School: Notre Dame
Position: Forward
Year: Junior; Height: 6-7
2007-08 stats
PPG: 20.4
RPG: 10.6

The reigning Big East player of the year will see double and triple teams this season, which means he'll have to work harder than ever. That shouldn't be a problem for Harangody, a relentless worker and ever-improving shooter. Having Kyle McAlarney open up defenses with his three-point shooting should help.

Tyler Hansbrough
School: North Carolina
Position: Forward
Year: Senior; Height: 6-9
2007-08 stats
PPG: 22.9
RPG: 11.5
FG percentage: 54.0


If there's a sure thing, it's that Hansbrough will be a first-team All-American. Maybe he won't repeat as the player of the year, but another season of 22.6 points, 11.5 rebounds a game -- along with ensuring the Heels are among the top five teams all year -- should earn him first-team honors for the fourth straight season.

2ND Team

Darren Collison
School: UCLA
Position: Guard
Year: Senior; Height: 6-0
2007-08 stats
PPG: 14.5
RPG: 2.6
APG: 3.8

Collison has helped the Bruins to three-straight Final Fours, and remains one of the game's best leaders and defenders. It'll be interesting to see how he meshes with freshman Jrue Holliday, who will assume the playmaking duties when Collison's off the court. UCLA remains Collison's team, though.

Lester Hudson
School: Tennessee-Martin
Position: Guard
Year: Senior; Height: 6-3
2007-08 stats
PPG: 25.7
RPG: 7.8
APG: 4.5


Hudson established himself as one of the game's best all-around talents last season, recording the first quadruple double in D-I history and finishing among the top 10 in scoring, steals and threes per game. He'll be too good to ignore this year

Tyler Smith
School: Tennessee
Position: Swingman
Year: Junior; Height: 6-7
2007-08 stats
PPG: 13.6
RPG: 6.7
APG: 3.4


Smith led the Vols in field-goal percentage, rebounds and assists last year -- and expects to carry an even bigger load this season. He's unstoppable in transition and an improving outside shooter.

Patrick Patterson
School: Kentucky
Position: Forward
Year: Sophomore; Height: 6-8
2007-08 stats
PPG: 16.4
RPG: 7.7


Patterson should be fully recovered from offseason surgery on a stress fracture in his left ankle, which was the only thing that slowed him last season. A relentless, powerful inside player, Patterson could be the nation's best power forward if he stays healthy and can get a little help from the 'Cats' supporting cast.

Blake Griffin
School:Oklahoma
Position: Forward/center
Year: Junior; Height: 6-10
2007-08 stats
PPG: 14.7
RPG: 9.1


Griffin's a double-double machine, recording 10 last season despite various injuries and ailments. He's a virtual lock for the NBA lottery, but also lives up that hype. The more he develops as a basketball player and not just brute force, the better he and Sooners will be.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Ten college basketball coaches heating up -- and not in a good way

Ten coaches heating up -- and not in a good way
from www.cbssportsline.com

The national unemployment rate is at a five-year high, and you can bet your bottom dollar (assuming you still have a bottom dollar) that by April the world of college basketball will do its part to contribute to the mess. In other words, men will lose their jobs. It happens every year. And if you're curious about the names of those who are entering this season under pressure, never fear, I've got 10 of them right here.

Here are 10 coaches on the hot seat:

Bill Carmody (Northwestern)
Why he's here: The fact that Northwestern has never made the NCAA tournament suggests something is broken within the program that has little to do with the coach. Still, Carmody hasn't come close to breaking through. He finished 1-17 in the Big Ten last season, which was his eighth at the school. And at some point you change simply for the sake of change.

Ed DeChellis (Penn State)
Why he's here: The good news for DeChellis is that people don't really concern themselves with basketball at Penn State, not with Joe Paterno nearing a berth in the BCS Championship Game. So why go through the trouble of changing coaches if nobody cares either way? Perhaps that's true. But the reality is that DeChellis hasn't finished better than seventh in the Big Ten in five seasons on the job, and eventually the school will be forced to ponder why winning should be viewed as impossible at Penn State when it's not at a place like Washington State.

Dennis Felton (Georgia)
Why he's here: Things were all warm and fuzzy when Felton made an improbable run to the SEC tournament title last season, but don't be fooled. Anything short of that would've led to Georgia removing Felton in favor of VCU's Anthony Grant (sources have said it was as close to a done deal as you can imagine), so don't think for a minute that Felton is safe entering his sixth season. He has never had a winning record in the SEC, and if there isn't a sign of improvement this season (and/or a signed letter of intent from top-rated recruit Derrick Favors) there's a chance Georgia could decide to move on.

Bobby Gonzalez (Seton Hall)
Why he's here: It's OK to be fiery and rub people the wrong way when you're winning, Bob Knight's long and distinguished career serving as a prime example. But when you're not winning it doesn't go over too well, and that's why Gonzalez could be in trouble in just his third year on the job. Yes, he won 17 games last season. But he also lost 15 and finished 1-10 against opponents who went on to make the NCAA tournament. And though all this would be fine under normal circumstances, it's not fine given Gonzalez's circumstances -- one of which has him suspended for the first Big East game this season, another of which features a less-than-ideal relationship with athletic director Joe Quinlan.

Mark Gottfried (Alabama)
Why he's here: Gottfried got a pass the last two years (because of the injury that forced Ron Steele to play the 2006-07 campaign at about 25 percent and miss the entire 2007-08 season), but patience is wearing thin in Tuscaloosa. Nick Saban can only distract the masses for so long before they notice that their basketball program hasn't made the NCAA tournament since 2006 or survived the first weekend of the event since 2004, which is why Gottfried is at risk of being removed unless he competes for the SEC West and makes the NCAA tournament.

Leonard Hamilton (Florida State)
Why he's here: Hamilton is an accomplished recruiter who seems to never stop getting players. Problem is, he also never seems to do much with them, evidence being how he has made zero NCAA tournaments in six seasons in Tallahassee. Hamilton will find it difficult to survive if that streak is extended.

Ernie Kent (Oregon)
Why he's here: On the surface Kent doesn't belong here because he's made consecutive NCAA tournaments and just received a contract extension. However, the opinion in basketball circles has long been that Kent is one bad year away from getting moved so that Oregon can pursue Gonzaga's Mark Few, who is from Oregon and good friends with athletic director Pat Kilkenny. So what's my point? My point is that you have to wonder if the Arizona vacancy for which Few will be a candidate might make Kilkenny a little quicker to pull the trigger based upon the idea that he'll never get Few if he doesn't try to do it after this season. If so, that's not good for Kent. And don't pay attention to his contract extension. In the grand scheme of things, it means nothing.

Tom Penders (Houston)
Why he's here: Penders has won 81 games in four seasons at Houston, which is great, I guess. But he hasn't made an NCAA tournament since replacing Ray McCallum and is 1-11 in the past two seasons against opponents who went on to make the NCAA tourney. Meantime, recruiting is ho-hum and attendance is embarrassing for a place that was once a national power. So if the Cougars finish middle-of-the-pack in C-USA this season (which is expected), it might be time for athletic director Dave Maggard to consider injecting some young enthusiasm into the program that he so badly needs to be relevant again.

Norm Roberts (St. John's)
Why he's here: There was a lot of speculation last February that Roberts was on the way out, so much so that St. John's had to issue a statement claiming he was not. Then the school gave the former Kansas assistant a five-year extension to create a perception of security for the purposes of recruiting, but nobody believes that will prevent St. John's from changing directions if this season goes as poorly as most believe it will.

Gary Williams (Maryland)
Why he's here: In a perfect world a man would win a national title, watch the school build his statue and retire whenever he damn-well pleases. But this is not a perfect world, Williams is no longer running a perfect program and that -- combined with the theory that he and his athletic director aren't best friends -- is why he's in trouble. The Terrapins have missed the NCAA tournament three of the past four seasons and will likely do it again. That isn't acceptable at a program with the tradition and natural recruiting base of Maryland. So if Williams doesn't overachieve this season it's reasonable to think it might be his last.