Tyreke Evans Is Now Slightly Less Attractive To Recruiters... Well, Except Calipari

Most college basketball fans don't know Tyreke Evans. Not yet. And that's probably because he is not yet a college basketball player. But he is probably the top unsigned high school senior and there's a chance he might be regretting not committing somewhere sooner. In a police affidavit released last week, it was revealed that Evans was driving a car when a passenger, his 16-year-old cousin, shot and killed someone on Nov. 25 in Evans' hometown of Chester, PA. The cous was charged with first degree murder (obviously) but Evans won't be charged.

Evans is a 6-6 guard who plays at American Christian in Aston, PA. He is filthy and a national star already. He's more of a point guard in the Lebron James and OJ Mayo mold. Rivals has him as the No. 6 player in the class, Scout has got him at No. 7.

He is also a bit of a shady character, in the, well, Lebron James and OJ Mayo mold. His brother Reggie, also his legal guardian, handles all of his recruiting and media contact and was also given an AAU team to run by Nike. He has been linked to ubiquitous basketball diplomat William Wesley, who has allegedly been responsible for John Calipari landing a number of recent recruits, including DaJuan Wagner, Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts. It's tough to describe Wesley succinctly so I recommend reading those links, but he is essentially an agent, a shoe rep, a scout and a recruiter all rolled into one. What he does isn't illegal per se, but a lot of people could perceive it as unethical.

Around the middle of his junior year, it seemed like a lock that Evans would go to UNC, where his family is from. But he eventually backed out of that, most likely because people told him to wait it out so the interest would grow. He had long said that a decision would be made by this year's signing period, which came and went in November without Evans making a commitment. The supposed frontrunner changes every week, from UNC (who has now been ruled out) to Villanova to Memphis to Louisville, who is said to be the momentary leader, with Texas and UCONN rounding out his top five.

I'm mostly speculating (because that's what bloggers do), but I've got to think Nova might lay off Evans after the latest red flag given his growing notoriety in the area (although Jay Wright has said otherwise). Obviously Rick Pitino and John Calipari have had no problem choosing talent over public image so I don't see any reason for them to show trepidation. But the issue here isn't how it will affect recruiting, but the reasons it won't affect recruiting. Evans, by all accounts, seems to be a good enough kid himself but with all of the precedent following athletes who keep criminals as company, will there ever be a point where talent can be trumped? I don't need to run down all the past offenders but it's clear that in a number of cases where a kid showed red flags, he was still recruited and he ended up falling into the same trap when he got to college (Derrick Caracter, Sean Banks, Billy Edelin, Herb Pope, the list goes on).

Clearly, there is very little concern for rehabilitating kids off the court -- which should be one of the main benefits for inner city players to go to college -- as long as they perform on it. And it's not enough to just suspend a kid or kick him off the team, it should be a coach's responsibility to simply not let a situation get to that point. If the NCAA doesn't want college players to just appear as cash cows, then it has to make sure coaches turn them into good people as well as good players. It's an issue that has been argued about forever and certainly there will be kids who cannot be helped, but is it too much to ask for progress over all these years?

Evans has a lot of things to worry about outside basketball now; he is a cooperating witness in a homicide case in one of the worst neighborhoods on the East Coast and will not be charged because of his cooperation. By all accounts he is a one and done player so, as a player, prepping for the NBA may be more important than prepping for college. But it would be nice if whichever high-paid, high-profile, supposed "leader of men" coach lands him, puts an end to the trend of big-time recruits controlling their own lives and everyone around them and teach him something besides a jump shot and preps Evans for life, not just basketball.

The Big East All Ugly Team

My dad's shortlived phase as a basketball fan reached its peak in the early to mid-Eighties, which coincided with the emergence of the Big East as a national power. Things were different then. There were fewer teams, none of which were C-USA transplants or cupcakes like Rutgers or South Florida, the rivalries were storied, heated, NBA-level battles because players hung around for more than a year and there were no pesky NCAA regulations forcing players into archaic practices like taking classes and paying for things. It was a grand time.

Anyway, my grandfather was a Syracuse grad and a family allegiance toward the Orange, eventually passed onto me, was born around this time. My father raved of Pearl Washington's heroics, his hatred of Chris Mullin and his attendance at the 1981 triple OT championship game between Syracuse and Villanova that jumpstarted a lifetime of disdain for the Cats and a storied history of basketball for the conference. But perhaps my favorite story from the Big East's early years had nothing to do with the history of the conference. The Big East All-Ugly Team.

My father and his friends would vote on the team every year. A collection of the most hideous mugs from their beloved league. It was a bar conversation in theory but, in spirit, a tribute to the rough-and-tumble league that saw freaks of nature (athletically and aesthetically) do battle every night under a, let's just say, loose interpretation of the rulebook. Extra points were given to particularly villainous players, who, if they happened to own a mug of fugliness, were shown no mercy. Because there is nothing more exciting than disgracing your least favorite player by pointing out his insecurities. Staples of the annual team included Chris Mullin, a McDonald's fryolator operator who never missed a jumper, Patrick Ewing, who looked like he could be John Thompson's father (in short shorts) and, later, Rony Seikaly, who often looked like a cross between Gheorge Muresan and an unemployed stand-in for a Godfather-era James Caan (although he is somehow married to this).

So, for nostalgic purposes, and with the conference play beginning New Year's Day, I thought I would revisit the Big East All Ugly Team. The league sure has changed over time but that doesn't necessarily mean it hasn't gotten uglier. First, a disclaimer. All players were judged on ugliness and unlikability. You aren't going to pick on the benchwarmer who happens to also be grotesque. That's just wrong. No, you are going to make fun of the bastions of deformity that kill your favorite team but, because of their on-court talent, probably still enjoy a prolific and hazardous sex life for reasons pertaining solely to celebrity, riches and a high-profile, in spite of their circus-like features. Those guys are just assholes.

This year was probably tougher than past seasons would have been. There are no Pittsnogles, no Biguses, no Aaron Grays. But with 16 teams, I knew there was a leper colony in there somewhere. The 2007-2008 Big East All Ugly Team, after the jump.
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Eric Devendorf, Syracuse
I feel bad putting Devendorf on the list because of his recent misfortunes, which derailed my favorite team, but man, look at that guy. Not only does his chinstrap ensure that he has tinted windows on his Hyundai, but he is covered in tattoos that seem to be necessary only for Tupac or extremely forgetful people. Syracuse fans have had their problems with Devo's shot "selection" and turnovers but we are generally mourning the loss of some, any, experience and ballhandling he had provided. White collar, sweater vest wearers in lower level seats across the Big East, however, celebrated in the streets when Devo's knee popped as they now feel safe bringing their impressionable children to games, Eminem posters and pocket knives be damned.
Looks Like: Kevin Pittsnogle, if he wasn't from West Virginia and listened to rap.


Luke Harangody, Notre Dame
He was an easy target, mainly because he had two 20 and 10 games against my Orange last year and, since he looks like an offensive lineman from the 60s, infuriates fans across the league for his unexpected talent. From his hair to his waist, he is shaped as no human should be shaped, let alone a basketball player. And to make matters worse, despite being a student at Notre Dame, the picture on the right doesn't make me confident that he will be penning any sonnets or filling any test tubes in the near future. I've never watched a Notre Dame game without someone laughing and making an acerbic comment on his flat-top, the mark of a true champion of ugliness.
Looks Like: That guttural lineman in The Waterboy crossed with Guile from Street Fighter.


Levance Fields, Pittsburgh
His late-game heroics against the hated Dukies almost knocked him off this list due to enhanced likability but big shots aside, the roly-poly Fields remains yet another obnoxious Pitt guard. His braids appear to be holding the contents of his body (likely nougat) inside, with his headband providing added security from potential seam-busting. When he jumps around the court following a particularly big basket, there is nothing but that headband preventing a Ghostbusters-like catastrophe.
Looks Like: Khalid El-Amin crossed with, well, Khalid El-Amin.


Jamie Smalligan, West Virginia
I don't really know much about this guy, but he gets decent minutes for West Virginia and, by my count, is the only bald player in the Big East (as Larry David astutely points out, people who shave their head are not members of the bald community), so not only should he be mentioned on this team, but should probably be given a Medal of Honor. Any man, especially one occasionally on national TV, who doesn't go to extreme measures to hide his baldness is a courageous man. I haven't seen Smalligan play much, but I would assume, in accordance with the Bald Man Basketball Player Creed, he passes the ball well, dribbles exclusively with one hand, boxes out exceptionally, can make "jump" shots when completely and utterly wide open and will generally be the only player who cares to dive on the floor, usually when it's absolutely unnecessary. He will also manage to find his way into any argument over rules or a foul call and will be wholeheartedly ignored in said disputes.
Looks Like: Toby from The Office crossed with this badass.

Kentrell Gransberry, South Florida
As an example of the weak field this year, Gransberry, a likable and only moderately unbecoming player, makes the list. Gransberry has lost some weight over his career but still looks like he ate Orlando Pace. He's put up some outstanding numbers over the past couple seasons, surely earning him some "How the hell is that guy killing us?!" responses from fans (or as I like to call it, The Aaron Gray Effect) and causing disdain amongst fans is a key prerequisite for this amazing honor.
Looks Like: Grimace crossed with the Western Kentucky mascot, except neither purple nor red.

So that's this year's team. Not the strongest squad in the league's history but certainly ghastly enough to shoulder the burden of Big East fans' angst and aggression. If I missed anyone or there are bench players too disgusting to be ignored, be sure to let me know, I'd like to leave no stone unturned... especially if a hideous creature lives under those stones.

Bloggers Can Vote Too!: BlogPoll Dec. 25

The outstanding March to Madness, the Susan B. Anthony of bloggers, has gathered the finest minds on these here Interwebs for a weekly top 25 college hoops poll. This week the poll is being handled over at Vegas Watch. The votes consider games played on or before Monday, December 24. My entry and the consensus poll after the jump.
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Super, Scintillating and Sarcastic Top 25- Dec. 18

1) Memphis

2) North Carolina

3) Kansas

4) Washington St.

5) Michigan St.

6) Texas

7) UCLA

8) Pittsburgh

9) Duke

10) Tennessee

11) Georgetown

12) Vanderbilt

13) Indiana

14) Texas A&M

15) Marquette

16) Butler

17) Miami (FL)

18) Villanova

19) Arizona

20) Ole Miss

21) USC

22) Rhode Island

23) BYU

24) Stanford

25) Clemson

Consensus Blogpoll Top 25- Dec. 25
1) Memphis (9)
2) North Carolina (3)
3) Kansas
4) Washington State
5) UCLA
6) Michigan State
7) Texas
8) Pittsburgh
9) Georgetown
10) Duke
11) Tennessee
12) Marquette
13) Indiana
14) Texas A & M
15) Butler
16) Vanderbilt
17) Miami (Fl)
18) Arizona
19) Ole Miss
20) Villanova
21) BYU
22) Rhode Island
23) West Virginia
24) Clemson
25) Dayton

This Blogpoll consists of: SEC Hoops: The Good, The Bad and The Dirty, March Madness All Season, A Sea of Blue, Tar Heel Mania, A Pudge Is A Sandwich, Storming the Floor, Vegas Watch, Storming the Court, Super Scintillating and Sarcastic, College Hoops Journal and George Mason Basketball.

The End Is Near: Duke Might Be Likable

I need to tread lightly with this post, but here goes.

I have hated Duke basically as long as I've been a basketball fan. It used to be for the same reasons as everyone else. They were rich, cocky and white, with usually their coach and a few select stars carrying the torch of douchebaggery for that oh so cultured student section. Sure, there were a ton of Duke players that do not exhibit any of these traits. Grant Hill, Carlos Boozer, Elton Brand... actually, any player that succeeded in the NBA was alright in my book. Those guys had the right to be arrogant if they wanted, they could back it up and weren't just a product of privilege/hype/media coverage. But everyone knows the real icons of Dookiness, the guys who embodied all that hatred, we don't need to name them.

Anyway, so I used to hate them because of all that, plus the excruciating media coverage, the Vitale/Patrick dynamic, the floor-slapping, the favorable officiating and the seemingly familiar face/athletic ability that didn't appear to be any different than the guy's I went up against in high school. This hatred was probably predicated on the fact that Duke was almost always good, and I was not a fan of them. I've found that I've hated them the same reason the Patriots are hated now or the Yankees have been hated for eternity. As I became a more rational sports fan, I realized that anyone who hates a team for those reasons is an idiot. Media coverage and whiteness are not crimes against humanity. But that's not to say I didn't stop hating Duke.

With the help of my new rationality and Will Blythe's book To Hate Like This Is To Be Happy Forever, probably my favorite sports book ever, I had new reasons to hate Duke. They represented everything that is wrong with America. I'm not saying that to be a sensationalist, it's the truth. They represent an elite, entitled America. They think they deserve things for being Duke the same way the majority of Americans think they deserve things for being America.

In Blythe's book he profiles the difference between UNC and Duke. I'm going to save his outstanding cultural analysis of that rivalry for when that game rolls around, but one element of his argument was that Duke was imperialistic. A bunch of rich, elite kids from the North, coached by a Polish guy from Chicago, settling in the heart of North Carolina, an area full of humble, middle-class folks, who were genuinely passionate about few things: religion, family and basketball. Not American Express or taunting or media favoritism or anything in basketball that doesn't happen on the court. Duke, and more specifically Coach K, stormed Durham and turned the town into something the rest of North Carolina couldn't identify with, and thus, resented. Now I'm from the Philly area, but if you have certain political views, it's not hard to empathize with those UNC fans. I hated Duke for the reasons they did, which is far different, and I think far more substantial, than the reasons of the general public. I think you could even say that Duke has stormed the college basketball landscape in general and turned it into something true hoops fans couldn't identify with as well, but that might be painting with too broad a brush.

Anyway, those are the foundations for my hatred of Duke over the last few years and last season was a microcosm of my new rationalism. Sure, the standard annoyances were there, but it was the immediate arrogance and expected success of that team, full of big name recruits like McRoberts, Paulus, Henderson, Thomas that made their eventual demise so much more enjoyable. For most of the season, the media loved them, the Crazies loved them, they loved themselves. "We were All-Americans, we got a scholarship to Duke fucking University, we are going to stomp anyone who comes near us." But as sometimes happens in college hoops, things don't work out as they should. Talent doesn't trump heart and it doesn't denote chemistry. Watching them lose to VCU, a mid-major team with a young upstart coach and an unsung star, Maynor, who in reality, was more talented than anyone Duke had, was ever so sweet.

Now, at the beginning of this year, I knew something was up. They only lost McRoberts, which could be considered addition by subtraction, and they brought in three All-Americans. Given the general exodus of veteran talent amongst the top teams and the media's jock-sniffing of the Devils I thought Duke would be top 7 team for sure. But when they were out of the top 10 and lambasted for their lack of inside presence and point guard play, I was almost disappointed. Was Coach K removed from his pedestal above the colleges hoops world? I saw the doubts, but where were the benefits of the doubts? Hopefully they are even worse than people are saying. Hopefully they are still overrated somehow. Then I watched them play.

Let me tell you something. Not only is Duke better than expected, they are the most fun team to watch in the country and they are the BEST TEAM IN THE COUNTRY. Yes, it's true. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I've got to think Coach K's time with Mike D'Antoni this summer influenced this. They are playing small ball like the Phoenix Suns. They certainly don't have Nash or Stoudemire, but they spread the floor with versatile shooters and ball-handlers, drive and kick flawlessly and create enough defensive chaos to keep teams from exploiting their weaknesses inside. They have speed and ballhandling matched by maybe no one in the country besides, ironically, UNC and can get scoring from about eight different guys. Henderson, King and Singler is the best wing combo in the nation and cause constant mismatches, ala, Shawn Marion for Phoenix. A more detailed analysis of their greatness would be pointless, it's not hard to watch them play and see why. (Or just read this outstanding article by Grant Wahl at SI.com)

You might say, well how does style of play change how they are assholes? Well, besides King, there is a quietude to this team that is unassuming. When you can't pick one player to hate, whereas in the past there was always one figurehead of Duke-ism, from McRoberts to Redick to Battier all the way back to Laettner, you realize this team seems to embrace a team concept in both their style and their attitude. And if Coach K truly did change his style to adapt to what he had, rather than change what he had to embrace his style, isn't that a lack of stubbornness that we could have never expected out of him? And when we see this dynamic, a program that has gotten along forever by practicing their own brand of arrogance on their own island amidst the college basketball landscape trying to get things done like everyone else, should we embrace them? I say yes, and I will watch them with joy every time they are on. (I still hate the Crazies though, they haven't changed at all).

Yes, the end of our Duke-hating paradise might be near, and in what is surely no coincidence, Dick Vitale is nowhere to be found. Certainly I wish Dukie V well, but this might be a year he's better off missing.

Bloggers Can Vote Too!: BlogPoll Dec. 18

The outstanding March to Madness, the Susan B. Anthony of bloggers, has gathered the finest minds on these here Interwebs for a weekly top 25 college hoops poll. The votes consider games played on or before Monday, December 17, which of course, excludes Houston's destruction of the Powerhouse Formerly Known As Kentucky last night. My entry and the consensus poll after the jump.

Continue...

Super, Scintillating and Sarcastic Top 25- Dec. 18

1) North Carolina

2) Memphis

3) Texas

4) Duke

5) Kansas

6) Washington St.

7) UCLA

8) Georgetown

9) Michigan St.

10) Texas A&M

11) Clemson

12) Indiana

13) Marquette

14) Butler

15) Vanderbilt

16) Miami (FL)

17) Pittsburgh

18) Tennessee

19) Oregon

20) Arizona

21) Villanova

22) USC

23) Rhode Island

24) BYU

25) Ole Miss

Consensus Blogpoll Top 25- Dec. 18
1) North Carolina
2) Memphis
3) Texas
4) Kansas
5) Duke
6) Washington St.
7) Georgetown
8) UCLA
9) Michigan St.
10) Marquette
11) Indiana
12) Texas A&M
13) Tennessee
14) Butler
15) Pittsburgh
16) Clemson
17) Vanderbilt
18) Miami (FL)
19) Arizona
20) Gonzaga
21) Rhode Island
22) Oregon
23) West Virginia
24) Xavier
25) BYU

This Blogpoll consists of: NCAA Hoops Today, SEC Hoops: The Good, The Bad and The Dirty, March Madness All Season, March to Madness, A Sea of Blue, Tar Heel Mania, Plissken At The Buzzer, A Pudge Is A Sandwich, Storming the Floor, Vegas Watch, WSU Hoops, Storming the Court, Super Scintillating and Sarcastic, College Hoops Journal and George Mason Basketball.

The NBA Comparison Series: Brook Lopez

NBADraft.net is a great Web site. They do a ton of really detailed scouting, compile all the best NBA news and prospect reports and are generally the best resource for the NBA Draft. But there is a catch. Those NBA Comparisons given for each prospect. Some of them are completely ridiculous. I've spent a lot of time reviewing them, not to learn more about potential draftees, but to laugh hysterically for hours and hours. By my count, the greatest comparison ever is Josh McRoberts, whose NBA Comparison is...

Chris Webber (less athletic)... yes, less athletic than Chris Webber. Last time I checked Josh was not in a wheelchair.

Anyway, I loathe comparing players to each other when it comes to style of play. I'd like to think basketball, in all its glory, is a free-moving game where in the infinite combinations of movement, athletic ability and skill sets that the sport allows to be expressed, no two players can be all that similar. Like snowflakes... or some crap. There are too many factors in this game and too much freedom to define a player by anything but his own unique ability. Ken Pomeroy wrote a great piece on this over at Basketball Prospectus, mocking the way most people only compare white players to other white players, or lefties to other lefties or how any factor unrelated to style of play seems to creep into most people's assessment of a player. So allow me to introduce a new series here at SSS where I handpick some of the more ridiculous comparisons over there and offer some thrilling analysis. Enjoy!

Previously: Roy Hibbert (Joel Pryzbilla)
Next Up: Brook Lopez

Strengths: NBA-ready frame with great athleticism, shot blocking, good touch from 15 feet in, XBox.

Weakness: Post moves, staying out of foul trouble, attending things.

NBA Comparison: Rasho Nesterovic
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We could get into Lopez's academic troubles this year and how it affects his draft status, but that doesn't really pertain to our comparison besides the fact that both the Slovenian Nesterovic and Lopez have seen very little of the inside of an American university classroom (incidentally, Lopez was just granted eligibility and will begin playing immediately). With Lopez being slotted at No. 16 and Nesterovic being the whipping boy of even the most inane columnist, Screamin' Stephen A. Smith, the same dynamic as we saw with Hibbert and Przybilla could be in place. Is NBADraft.net predicting Lopez will be overrated just as Nesterovic, the 17th pick of the 1998 draft, was when he was drafted?

But we already tackled those issues of time travel in the first NBA Comparison, let's look closer at the actual players. First, Lopez, and I don't need to be an anthropologist to figure this out, is not Slovenian. Because we do not discriminate at SSS, this of no matter. However, there does tend to be a certain style that European centers, specifically woefully mediocre ones, exhibit. Allow me to bring on expert of all things Nesterovic, and nothing else, Stephen A. Smith himself.

(Enter Stephen A. Smith)

RASHO NESTEROVIC HATES CONTACT AS MUCH AS HOWIE MANDEL. RA-SHO NEST-ER-O-VIC AVERAGES 0.6 BLOCKS PER GAME. THOSE NUMBERS ARE PALTRY BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION. INSERT MISUSED CLICHE OR 25-CENT WORD HERE.

(Exit Stephen A. Smith)

Interesting Stephen. Brook Lopez is an outstanding shot blocker, averaging 1.7 per game last year, including a 12 block game against USC. He rarely ventures outside of the paint and keeps his offensive arsenal to deft jump hooks, relentless offensive board work and the occasional mid-range jumper. Nesterovic is basically a spot-up 18-foot shooter on offense and merely a lane clogger on D. Good point, Stephen.

(Enter Stephen A. Smith)

THANK YOU. IT IS A GOOD POINT BECAUSE I SAID IT. TO COMPARE THE TWO IS DESPICABLE AND EGREGIOUS. THAT'S LIKE SAYING LOPEZ IS NO BETTER THAN SLA-VA MED-VE-DENKO, ITS JUST THAT SIMPLE. YOU GOTTA COME WITH SOMETHING BETTER THAN THAT NBADRAFT.NET FOUNDER ARAN SMITH.

(Exit Stephen A. Smith, for much better impersonation, click those links, or go here)

Yes, clearly Stephen, now could you please get out of my face. Here's a cupcake for your time... and an altoid. Um, yeah, so as you can see, even the biggest expert on Rasho Nesterovic (and, again, nothing else) finds this to be a humorous, if not enraging, comparison. At least Lopez can look at Rasho's nearly $8 million a year salary as consolation.

More Appropriate Comparison, If Such Things Were Productive: Andris Biedrins

Less Appropriate Comparison, Because Such Things Are Humorous: Robin Lopez

Other Endeavors

In an effort to spread my potent seed of college hoops goodness, the 4th Edition of the Freshman 10, my biweekly freshman ranking for College Hoops Net.

This week's ranking, minus elaboration:
1) Eric Gordon, Indiana
2) Michael Beasley, Kansas State
3) Jerryd Bayless, Arizona
4) OJ Mayo, USC
5) Kevin Love, UCLA
6) Derrick Rose, Memphis
7) Andrew Ogilvy, Vanderbilt
8) Donte Greene, Syracuse
9) Davon Jefferson, USC
10) DeJuan Blair, Pittsburgh

For previous editions:
December 4
November 20
November 6
Freshmen All Americans
Mid Major Freshmen
Miscellaneous Awards

Dick Vitale to Have Throat Surgery, Out Till February

With that headline, there is a delicious-looking platter of irony sitting right in front of me, that I could easily enjoy and feed off for a solid 1,000 word post. But I have a heart and no matter my thoughts on Dick Vitale, surgery is a big deal and I wish him the best. The surgery will have him out until February, which could cause him to miss the first UNC-Duke game on Feb. 6. No matter what you think of the man, that game would not be the same without Vitale. Maybe he'll make a Willis Reed-like return just for that match-up (and then get lambasted for Duke-slobbering before the scar disappears). He wrote a letter on his Web site about the condition, which was a bit melodramatic, but used the opportunity to raise some more money for the Jimmy V Fund, which is admirable. Get well, Dick (seriously), I'll have to bite my tongue until you return.

Oh, and despite the title, URL and general subject matter of this blog, it will be active until February, in spite of this news.

Bloggers Can Vote Too!: BlogPoll Dec. 11

The outstanding March to Madness, the Susan B. Anthony of bloggers, has gathered the finest minds on these here Interwebs for a weekly top 25 college hoops poll. The votes consider games played on or before Monday, Decemeber 10, which, of course, excludes last night's St. Mary's-SIU and Bradley-Wright State games. My entry and the consensus poll after the jump.

Continue...

Super, Scintillating and Sarcastic Top 25- Dec. 11

1) North Carolina

2) Memphis

3) Texas

4) Kansas

5) UCLA

6) Duke

7) Washington St.

8) Georgetown

9) Michigan St.

10) Texas A&M

11) Clemson

12) Indiana

13) Marquette

14) Butler

15) Xavier

16) Vanderbilt

17) Oregon

18) Tennessee

19) St. Mary's

20) Louisville

21) Arizona

22) Miami (FL)

23) Pittsburgh

24) Villanova

25) USC

Consensus Blogpoll Top 25- Dec. 11 1) North Carolina (8)

2) Memphis (5)

3) Texas (1)

4) Kansas

5)Duke

6) UCLA

7) Georgetown

8) Washington St.

9) Michigan St.

10) Marquette

11) Texas A&M

12) Indiana

13) Tennessee

14) Butler

15) Oregon

16) Xavier

17) Pittsburgh

18) Clemson

19) Vanderbilt

20) Louisville

21) Gonzaga

22) Miami (FL)

23) St. Mary's

24) Arizona

25) BYU

This Blogpoll consists of: NCAA Hoops Today, SEC Hoops: The Good, The Bad and The Dirty, March Madness All Season, March to Madness, Rush the Court, A Sea of Blue, A Pudge is A Sandwich, Storming the Floor, Vegas Watch, WSU Hoops, Storming the Court, Super Scintillating and Sarcastic, College Hoops Journal and George Mason Basketball.

From ESPN, This Just In: That OJ Mayo Character Is A Rapscallion

Last night I watched E:60, a show that managed to go from promising to atrocious in about four episodes (I'll take Real Sports on HBO ANY day) and saw their story on OJ Mayo. The story was informative, especially for those that have spent recent months beneath rocks or in Kazakhstan.

UPDATE: Here it is.


The reporter, Lisa Salters, clearly was out of her element in the college basketball arena, essentially taking the stance of the casual, uninformed fan, that Mayo was a selfish, arrogant, thug when those who have read about him, met him and written about him and seen him play know he is certainly not. Plus, on top of all that, she tells a story that has been told a million times before, adding no new information but adding a brooding soundtrack, askew camera angles and basically ESPN-ifying the entire thing to make it look like an in-depth scoop or Unsolved Mysteries or something. In the cheesy black and white thing they do afterwards, Salters says most people still don't really know OJ Mayo. I disagree, Ms. Salters. Here are several links that tell the EXACT same story that you told and refute your justification for telling that story.

Slam
New York Times
USA Today
CBS Sportsline
Daily Trojan
SI.com
Sports Illustrated
Orange County Register
And the LA Times has had about four recent good pieces on Mayo, but they are archived.

Now I probably shouldn't complain. Everyone knows ESPN often appeals to the average fan, not necessarily the informed one. They also constantly blur the line between journalism and entertainment, reporting and opinion (couple of GREAT pieces by the ombudswoman over there on this). Their college basketball writers generally do a great job and occasionally they do turn in some really good TV segments (the Kimbo Slice piece from the recent episode being one) with good journalism. But this piece was a disaster.

The self-proclaimed "World Wide Leader" in sports shouldn't be the 9th or 10th media outlet to report on a story and they certainly shouldn't regurgitate an uninformed stance. Salters claims Mayo is as good a prospect as Lebron James. That is completely insane. She brings up the dropped marijuana charges, the ref bump, the Daniel Hackett incident and paints a picture that has essentially been refuted by the college basketball media, who have seen an unselfish, coachable player, a good defender and a strong student. The recruiting process certainly wasn't orthodox, but neither was Michael Beasley's, Eric Gordon's or Derrick Rose's. But the MSM just see a talented, flashy, black kid with a few incidents that perpetuate that image and still push the Legend of "Thug" OJ Mayo (and exploit it).

There will be more on Mayo as the season progresses from me and everyone else, but hopefully something, you know, different at some point.

Where In the World Is Herb Pope?

For those of you not in the know, there is one elite freshman out there who's not yet reported to the Domination Station that is the 2007-2008 season. Herb Pope, a top 25 recruit out of Western PA, was supposed to be a key contributor for a New Mexico State team that wasn't supposed to suck so much. Pope is a guy I touted highly coming into this season, claiming he had more raw talent than any player in the WAC. I said he was the best non-BCS freshman besides Derrick Rose and was the No. 9 freshman in the whole country preseason. I claimed he would outperform Kyle Singler in a Nov. 12 showdown with Duke that I predicted the Aggies would win. They lost by 25, are now 4-7 and Duke might be the best team in the country. I still believe all of that was possible, but my words have not yet had a chance to be vindicated because Pope hasn't played a game yet, due to eligibility issues.

Before we get to the present, you have to look at Pope's amazing past. A 6-8 forward with the floor skills of a guard, Pope had NBA written all over him in high school. He could shoot threes effortlessly, jump out of the gym and had post moves that were beyond his years. He was mentioned directly after guys like Mayo, Love and Rose as one of the top prospects of this class. He committed to his hometown school, Pitt, after his sophomore season and seemed destined for Big East dominance. But off the court, Pope's life was far from easy. He lived in a bad neighborhood. The problems he faced in the hood often spilled onto the court as he consistently got in trouble for brash behavior. But by all accounts Pope was just misunderstood. He did well in school, realized the ill effects of his neighborhood and tried his best to make an informed decision on where to go to college. He decided to go to New Mexico State over Oklahoma, Maryland and Texas, but not for reasons that had anything to do with basketball. He committed to Las Cruces because it was the farthest thing away from Alquippa. No one could find him there.

(This NY Times feature, also linked above, on Pope is absolutely outstanding).

But just days before he was to play in the '07 Roundball Classic in Chicago, he was shot at a party in his hometown. He narrowly escaped long term injuries, but soon had a new decision to make. Reggie Theus had taken a job with the Sacramento Kings and Pope was without a coach. The Aggies promoted assistant Marvin Menzies and Pope eventually decided to stay, deciding the distance from his home was the most important factor. He rehabbed all summer to get ready for the season and was all set to make a Beasley-ian impact.

As if the kid hadn't been through enough, as if his past hadn't haunted him the entirety of his short life, after he nearly lost his life, he lost basketball as well. Just days before the season began, Pope's eligibility was put under review because of one class he took in high school. It was expected to be resolved quickly, perhaps in time for that Duke game, but the case is still lingering. Word is that if the issue isn't resolved soon, Pope may just redshirt this season.

I'm not going to pretend to know the details of the eligibility situation. Some people will be angry that it isn't resolved, others will say the kid is just bad news, but, honestly, there isn't a lot of new information out there. And that's part of the reason I did this post; to shed light on a freshman talent that hasn't sniffed the spotlight that much-fawned recruits like Beasley, Rose, Gordon, Love and Mayo bask beneath. For what Pope has been through, shouldn't this be his chance to finally make it known what he can do on the court, rather than be defined by what happened off of it? Wasn't that the whole point of leaving Alquippa, to make The Herb Pope Story about basketball again?

Selfishly, I want to see Herb Pope play, so an amazing talent doesn't get undeservedly lost in the shuffle as another troubled prospect who couldn't escape his past no matter how hard he tried. As a basketball fan who knows how rare a player like Pope can be, I say, forget the high school class, the kid needs to play. But I've got to think that although basketball would be a great diversion for a kid trying to forget all the struggles he's already had to endure, Pope might not be in as big a hurry as I am. I think Pope can take solace in the fact that he's actually in college. That's more than his neighbors, his detractors and, most importantly, the thugs who shot him can say (those scumbags are in prison, for awhile). And while the stud freshmen enjoy the attention and make plans to leave programs that were turned upside down just to have them, I doubt Herb Pope -- a kid who has every reason to be selfish, arrogant and downright angry at the way his career has unfolded -- wants to go anywhere. After all, basketball will always be there, peace of mind may not.

The NBA Comparison Series: Roy Hibbert

NBADraft.net is a great Web site. They do a ton of really detailed scouting, compile all the best NBA news and prospect reports and are generally the best resource for the NBA Draft. But there is a catch. Those NBA Comparisons given for each prospect. Some of them are completely ridiculous. I've spent a lot of time reviewing them, not to learn more about potential draftees, but to laugh hysterically for hours and hours. By my count, the greatest comparison ever is Josh McRoberts, whose NBA Comparison is...

Chris Webber (less athletic)... yes, less athletic than Chris Webber. Last time I checked Josh was not in a wheelchair. I peed my pants when I read this, literally.

Anyway, I loathe comparing players to each other when it comes to style of play. I'd like to think basketball, in all its glory, is a free-moving game where in the infinite combinations of movement, athletic ability and skill sets that the sport allows to be expressed, no two players can be all that similar. Like snowflakes... or some crap. There are too many factors in this game and too much freedom to define a player by anything but his own unique ability. Ken Pomeroy wrote a great piece on this over at Basketball Prospectus, mocking the way most people only compare white players to other white players, or lefties to other lefties or how any factor unrelated to style of play seems to creep into most people's assessment of a player. So allow me to introduce a new series here at SSS where I handpick some of the more ridiculous comparisons over there and offer some thrilling analysis. Enjoy!

First up: Roy Hibbert

Strengths: Good hands, touch around the rim; can hit face-up jumper from 12 feet in; makes up for lack of athleticism with good positioning at both ends; closer to sky than most earthbound creatures.

Weaknesses: Can't get up and down the court easily; limited athleticism; can't remember how to jump.

NBA Comparison: Joel Przybilla

What's interesting about this one is not the black/white thing, if anything that aspect is progressive and racially harmonious and NBADraft.net founder Aran Smith should be recognized for his contributions to the basketball civil rights movement. (mild applause)

What interests me is that they have Hibbert all the way up at No. 9 in the draft. As far as I know, Joel Przybilla is a bad basketball player. So by comparing the two, they are essentially predicting Hibbert will be a bust in the NBA, right?

That brings up a fascinating mock draft dynamic. Do you account for the stupidity of NBA GMs when mocking a draft? If they think Hibbert will end up like Joel Przybilla, who was also the ninth pick, in the 2000 draft, but probably wouldn't be a first rounder if they did it over again, are they predicting that some poor GM will make the same mistake by overrating Hibbert? Why else would they have someone so Przybillian at No. 9 if its based strictly on pro potential? If they can not only predict a player's NBA potential but the exact reaction NBA GMs will have to his potential, I am not sure I should even be reading content with such precise prognosticating ability. I would hate to get caught in a time warp at the expense of Roy Hibbert and Joel Przybilla.

More Appropriate Comparison, If Such Things Were Productive: Bill Cartwright

Less Appropriate Comparison, Because Such Things Are Humorous: Lurch

College Hoops Takes A Break For Finals, Players Report to Class For First Time

The debate over which part of the year is the worst in sports has been going on for awhile. Some people say it's February, after the Super Bowl and before March Madness. Others go with August, a month filled only with regular season baseball, the PGA Championship, swamp ass and the slow, NFL Live-ridden death march to football season. Allow me to offer another contender, the first three weeks of December. Sure there are still weekly NFL games with playoff spots on the line, but there are usually only or two per week that are even watchable, or in this week's case, absolutely none. College football, even though it sucks, lies dormant and for college basketball, we have the dreaded finals week, where players take time off from their full time job of playing basketball to bang smart, fat girls in exchange for answers, get their assistant coaches to threaten their professors and finish that big marketing presentation on brand loyalty that their friends at Nike were so helpful with. For fans, this means a lightened schedule and, thus, a world without meaning with only the Meineke Car Care Bowl to save us.

So in order to keep college hoops in my life, I've decided to take focus away from the game and toward the classroom. And while focusing on academics will usually illicit the occasional bedside horse head courtesy of a school's booster association, I'm going to focus on the fields of study that some of our favorite players have chosen.*

Tyler Hansbrough- Double Major in optometry and psychology, he plans to write a thesis proving the conditional relationship between "Crazy Coach" and "Crazy Person Eyes."

Greg Paulus- A Major in public policy with a minor in international studies, he will be giving a presentation on flawed homeland security, using his own game tapes as a learning tool.

OJ Mayo- Everyone knows about his high ACT scores, but not many know that he recently took a journalism seminar course. Because Mayo loves OJ Mayo so much, the professor gave him an 'A,' saying he exhibited the traits of many at the top of the industry.

Michael Beasley- Is the President of Kansas State University.

Bill Walker- According to civics professors, has a bright future in waste management.

Josh Heytvelt- Majoring in alternative agriculture.**

Kevin Love- Master of the culinary arts.

Chase Budinger- Volunteered to serve as a study subject in an Arizona biology class trying to figure how one can stay that pale in FUCKING ARIZONA.

Darren Collison- Professors have commented on his advanced understanding of Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto.

Dominic James- After earning just a 2.0 GPA his freshman year, he decided to focus all his attention on academics his sophomore and junior years. Boy has it showed! He now has a 3.2 GPA and zero hopes of being drafted!

Brook Lopez- He, uh, watches the Price is Right a lot... and, um, routinely performs well in the Showcase Showdown!

*none of this is real, but if you need to read this to figure that out, you are an idiot.
**way too easy.

Yeah, It Was Probably Too Good To Be True

Well after lauding the press for their handling of the Lute Olson situation, it turns out that some reporters found it appalling for a coach to leave a team for something as vague as "serious family issues." Yep, turns out Olson is getting a divorce and the Tucson Citizen and Arizona Daily Star feel that the nation must be informed before the ink dries on the court documents.

His wife will make a statement today and all the privacy that Olson had to deal with his own matters will vanish. I suppose there was no keeping this info a secret but Jesus, give the guy an afternoon at least. Ugh.

Don't forget Olson's first wife, Bobbi, died of cancer is 2001, which also wore on him tremendously but he didn't miss significant time from the team. Gotta wonder if that experience played into this decision to take the year off. I just hope Lute gets as far away from reporters as he can during this little sabbatical.

Lute Olson Out For Season

We still don't know what exactly is going on with the Lute Olson situation but last night he announced he wasn't coming back this season, only citing "family issues" as a reason. Kevin O'Neill, a more than worthy replacement, will take over.

No jokes for this one, obviously. The problems must be serious to keep him away from the game. And in response to his decision, I stand up and applaud. Olson has handled this whole situation better than any other coach probably would. Coaching a college basketball team is a glamorous job, unlike the NBA it's the coaches who are the celebrities and cornerstones of their program. But as we've seen countless times in the past, the job can control your life. For every Lute Olson, someone with a, you know, healthy perspective on life, there are a dozen crazed lunatics who let their lives, their conscience and their ethics go to hell for the sake of winning and maintaining that life of glamor. Every time I see Jim Calhoun blow a gasket on the sideline or Coach K ream out some official, I wonder the price they paid to earn the privilege to act like that. Yes, everyone in Storrs and Durham love them and they get paid tons of money, make the Hall of Fame and have old media heads slobber all over them. But does anyone really want to take a game that seriously? It's sport, it's entertainment, it's teaching (and not the American Express commercial-style teaching), it's a job-- it's not life.

I thought the media handled this well, never seeming to pry, respecting Olson's track record and his privacy. Andy Katz has been all over the story but used a tremendous amount of discretion in reporting and turns in a great piece today on the whole ordeal. O'Neill is more than capable of leading this team, which is clearly a talented one. I mean, I suppose the recruiting situation gets murky with the uncertainty surrounding Olson's status, but then again, who gives a shit?

Doug Gottlieb Wants You to Know He Banged Your Mom

This is from Deadspin but I absolutely had to post it. The more the merrier.

On TV Doug Gottlieb reminds me of the spoiled little kid who has been given a position of leadership or prominence. He doesn't really care how you think he should be doing his job, he's going to do things his way no matter what. He writes articles even though he is not a writer, announces game (usually of the low-major variety) as though he was the only announcer and he makes statements with the conviction of a prolific message board member, from the safety of his studio, with all the world to hear and no direct interactions with his detractors. Plus, I think Tom Brennan cries himself to sleep every night. Some of Gottlieb's past transgressions:

-Said Brian Butch was the most overrated player in the Big Ten
-Said Big East teams, especially Syracuse, play "fraudulent" non-conference schedules.
-Suggested an official of an Indiana-Wisconsin game was crooked.

This was all in his first year as a broadcaster and, off the top of my head, I specifically remember him calling Kevin Durant a "chucker." He also stole a roommate's credit card his freshman year at Notre Dame and rang up a monster bill, was convicted of fraud and transferred. Well apparently Mr. Gottlieb doesn't believe his glass house should prevent him from chucking stones-- like the many errant jump shots that marked his career-- at helpless ESPN chatters, who are probably the future Doug Gottliebs of the world anyway.

Behold...

Mike Indiana: How did your mediocre basketball career prepare you for a mediocre broadcasting career?
Doug Gottlieb: (4:04 PM ET ) So your mediocre life can prepare you for a mediocre afterlife...and by the way, which one of us works for ESPN... hey and next time...when I you say 30 minutes or less....get here on time with my pizza.

John (Notre Dame): Doug, I lost my credit card, where were you last night?
SportsNation Doug Gottlieb: (4:27 PM ET ) Ask your mom.

Johns Mom (Notre Dame): GOTTLIEB I KNOW YOU STOLE MY SON'S CREDIT CARD!
SportsNation Doug Gottlieb: (4:34 PM ET ) Ten years ago I made a mistake...and payed for it...18 years ago YOU WERE your parents mistake and they are still paying for it.

I love how he saw these kids ripping on him and POSTED THE QUESTIONS! I mean, he screens all the entries! That means he saw the questions that put his entire career on blast and absolutely couldn't resist responding with the always mature "I banged your mom,"you'll deliver my pizza" and "you were a mistake" busts. Just wonderful.

Bloggers Can Vote Too!: BlogPoll Dec. 3

The outstanding March to Madness, the Susan B. Anthony of bloggers, has gathered the finest minds on these here Interwebs for a weekly top 25 college hoops poll. The votes consider games played on or before Monday, Decemeber 3. My entry and the consensus poll and after the jump.
Continue...

Super, Scintillating and Sarcastic Top 25- Dec. 3

1) Memphis

2) Kansas

3) Duke

4) North Carolina

5) Texas

6) Georgetown

7) UCLA

8) Butler

9) Washington St.

10) Clemson

11) Indiana

12) Michigan St.

13) Tennessee

14) Texas A&M

15) BYU

16) Oregon

17) Marquette

18) Vanderbilt

19) Louisville

20) Villanova

21) USC

22) St. Mary's

23) Miami (FL)

24) Gonzaga

25) Xavier

Consensus Blogpoll Top 25- Dec. 3
1) Memphis
2) North Carolina
3) Texas
4) Kansas
5) UCLA
6) Duke
7) Georgetown
8) Washington St.
9) Butler
10) Louisville
11) Texas A&M
12) Tennessee
13) Michigan St.
14) Indiana
15) Marquette
16) Oregon
17) Gonzaga
18) Clemson
19) Pittsburgh
20) Xavier
21) BYU
22) Miami (FL)
23) Vanderbilt
24) USC
25) Villanova

This Blogpoll consists of: NCAA Hoops Today, March Madness All Season, March to Madness, Rush the Court, A Sea of Blue, Tar Heel Mania, A Pudge is A Sandwich, Storming the Floor, Vegas Watch, WSU Hoops, Storming the Court, Super Scintillating and Sarcastic and George Mason Basketball.

As If It Wasn't Hard Enough to Watch

I was going to write my thoughts on last night's big Memphis-USC game because it was an interesting game in terms of the big picture of college hoops and there were not two but three, 2008 lottery picks (do NOT sleep on Davon Jefferson). But I've been reminded this morning why I don't write game summaries or recaps on this site: Because they are fucking EVERYWHERE. In case you want your mind to be overcome by Roses and Mayos and Triangle-and-Twos and Floyds and Caliparis and Dickie Vs and Jimmy Vs and Sloppiness and Slothiness, here are your Memphis-USC recaps. Choose your weapon wisely.

Luke Winn at SI.com- "Man that game was sloppy, Rose and Mayo are pretty good, but not in that game, man that OJ Mayo is popular."

Gary Parrish at CBS Sportsline- "Man that game was sloppy, those guys couldn't even shoot! How bout that triangle and two! Jeez!"

Someone named Heather Dinich at ESPN.com- "Man that game was sloppy, Rose and Mayo were pretty inconsistent, but they are still great! John Calipari was certainly perplexed."

Mike DeCourcy at Sporting News- "Man that game was sloppy, Memphis really got a test though and USC showed a lot, how bout that triangle and two! Jeez!"

The freaking Chicago Tribune(?!)- "Man that game was sloppy, the Rose-Mayo showdown could've been better, but this isn't about individuals!"

The AP- "Man that game was sloppy, Calipari even said so! Those teams couldn't even shoot! But at least it was close!"

The New York Times- "Man that game was sloppy, it was all slow and stuff, Mayo and Rose didn't even play that well!"

And so on and so on and so on... That doesn't even include the avalanche of local coverage in Memphis and LA which probably said the same exact thing. It's almost like they were afraid to give a different perspective for a game with so much hype because it wouldn't have been obvious enough. "Everyone was excited for the game, the game wasn't too exciting, can there be an easier storyline?!" I thought the hype leading up to the game was justified and that it was actually a pretty entertaining game with great defense, great coaching, an unselfish, team-oriented approach from Rose and Mayo and two talented, young teams trying to fight through bad shooting, little time for preparation, some not-quite-there-yet chemistry and the pressure from all the hype to get a tough, important win. But where I thought Rose and Mayo would prove bigger than the game, it turned out to be two guys with even bigger profiles and egos that put their names on the marquee, John Calipari and Tim Floyd.

But um, yeah, I'm not going to talk about the game or anything.

Gary Parrish Is A Boss

I don't do link dumps on this blog and rarely will post about articles I've read because I started this as a place to write my own thoughts and ramblings on college basketball. But sometimes other people(read: professionals) come along and articulate an opinion better than you could ever hope to. Gary Parrish's column on Derrick Rose and OJ Mayo today at CBS Sportsline is terrific, maybe the best college hoops piece I've read this year and comes from a guy who is, in my opinion, the best college hoops writer on the Web. Obviously those two face off tonight in what could be a poor man's Bird v. Magic in 1979, the first meeting of a rivalry that will hopefully still be playing out 15 years from now (well second, as Parrish points out, they faced off in some summer game a couple years ago with Mayo converting a four-point play to win by one... seriously). And while what happens on the court will be breathtaking, what has happened off the court to produce this match-up should inspire apathy, not awe.

I'm not going to go over the whole column because everyone should really read the whole thing, but just be skeptical of what you hear about the two tonight. They are both ridiculously great players but, as I wrote today at CHN in my Freshman 10 column, don't think for a second that the "Memphis" or "USC" on the front of the jersey is more important than the "Mayo" or "Rose" on the back. And it appears that as we usher in the era of the one-and-done super-duper-star college players and the crazy recruiting protocol that comes with them, the name on the back must be more important. I don't think Rose and Mayo are conceited but these two freshmen are already bigger than the game and -- for better or worse -- they know it.

Other Endeavors

In an effort to spread my potent seed of college hoops goodness, the 3rd Edition of the Freshman 10, my biweekly freshman ranking for College Hoops Net.

This week's ranking, minus elaboration:
1) Eric Gordon, Indiana
2) Michael Beasley, Kansas State
3) OJ Mayo, USC
4), Derrick Rose, Memphis
5) Kevin Love, UCLA
6) Kyle Singler, Duke
7) Donte Greene, Syracuse
8) Patrick Mills, St. Mary's
9) Andrew Ogilvy, Vanderbilt
10) Jerryd Bayless, Arizona

For previous editions:
November 20
November 6
Freshmen All Americans
Mid Major Freshmen
Miscellaneous Awards