Category: College Basketball

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College Basketball

Why didn’t Drexel and Syracuse get into the tourney? Money


We’ve heard a lot of theories of the selection committee setting up matches not because of relative strength of teams but because of possible second round matchups that would be phenomenal for TV ratings. Gonzaga – UCLA anyone? Well, this is the first we’ve heard of the reasoning why teams like Syracuse and Drexel didn’t get in this year.


Two years ago, the NCAA bought – that’s right, the organization spent more than $50 million to purchase – the National Invitation Tournament. The other tournament, March Not-So-Madness, had gone along very nicely for years by hosting the NCAA’s rejects in a separate-but-unequal shadow tournament.

Now the NCAA owns it. Now the NCAA has incentive to make sure some attractive teams are available for the NIT field. The committee can’t get away with sending Wisconsin and Pittsburgh to the NIT – even Dick Vitale would figure that scam out – but it can send a few big programs from a few big markets.

Drexel and Syracuse, Kansas State and Florida State. They will draw nice crowds and decent TV ratings to their NIT games.

As if Drexel and Syracuse fans aren’t pissed enough. Now they find out that they didn’t make the tourney cause they are too good… for TV ratings anyway.

Links:
[Philly.com]: Phil Sheridan | Enough unfair exclusions: Add teams

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College Basketball

Odds and Ends: Pokey Chatman sold out by assistant coach


We know that a coach sleeping with his or her players is wrong (unless that player is Jennie Finch, in which case we say, bravo…) but did assistant coach Carla Berry really have to go all Judas on her? It wasn’t like Pokey was having sex with a current player. It was a former player. We’re talking former. Not current. Former! (Thank God for AI.)

According to ESPN, Berry is a longtime friend and colleague of Chatman’s and her motivation for alerting university officials was “unclear”. Chatman, meanwhile, is hiding out until this whole thing blows over and then she’ll get a fat contract from a program who just wants to win. Sex with players or not, Pokey delivered as a coach. Although her contract will be the first with a “no sex with players” clause.

In other news…

[Sports By Brooks]: U. OF WASHINGTON LOSES PRIDE FIGHT ON OWN WEBSITE

[Dallas Morning News]: T.O. didn’t bother to learn the playbook

[USA Today]: Who knew Hang Time could prepare Reggie Theus for the NCAAs?

[The Offside]: I really am a soccer player!

[WBRS]: Phil Simms in a skit with Geico Caveman TV Show (there’s just so many things wrong with this)

[HeraldNet]: How the hell did Shaun Alexander not get laid till he was 24?

[SoccerBlog.com]: Steve Nash’s soccer skills

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College Basketball

2007 NCAA Tournament All-Names Team

Once again folks, it’s time for our journey back into the 3rd grade where we make fun of people’s names and secretly wish we had others. The tournament every year is filled with great names. This year we have a bunch of celebrities in Charles Bronson (Xavier), Chris Tucker (VA Tech) and Michael Knight (Albany and Knight Industries Two Thousand). Will any of this year’s All-Names Team be inducted into the God Shammgod Hall of Fame? Only time will tell.

1st Team
C: Idong Ibok, Michigan State: Sorry ladies, this isn’t the ipod attachment you were looking for.
F: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, UCLA: Making his way up to 1st team this year with the coolest name in the NCAAs.
F: Taj Finger, Stanford: “…and Finger bangs the boards!”
G: Pierre Marie Altidor-Cespedes, Gonzaga: It’s tough to be named Marie in the tourney.
G: Mario “Superintendent” Chalmers, Kansas: The greatest pop culture nickname in tournament history.

2nd Team
C: Zach Peacock, Georgia Tech: Completely juvenile selection that we’re not touching with a ten foot pole or anything else for that matter.
F: Jason Love, Xavier: Is that his porn name?
F: Obie Nwadike, Central Conn State: Gotta love a name that reminds us of little Ron Howard but on a 6’4″ black guy
G: Max Paulhus Gosselin, Davidson: Didn’t he play Zack Morris on Saved by the Bell?
G: Matt Coward, VCU: That’s a tough last name come crunch time.

Honorable Mention: Octavious Spann, Georgetown; Thaddeus Young, Georgia Tech; Major Wingate, Tennessee; Rome Sanders, Florida A&M; Chamberlain Oguchi, Oregon; Alex Moosmann, Miami (Ohio).

Did we leave anyone out?

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College Basketball

Joakim Noah will not be on Dancing with the Stars

Step aside Mark Madsen, move over Bob Kraft; you are no longer the benchmarks for the most humiliating championship celebrations of all time. In fact, Joakim Noah might have set the bar to an unreachable height when he flailed about like a sugar starved eight-year-old who just slammed a Double Gulp Slurpee after the Gators knocked off Arkansas in the SEC title game. (We think that’s Noah, or maybe someone just let a retarded epileptic kid on the floor.)

Look, anybody would be happy to win their conference’s championship; it’s just that most wouldn’t celebrate by performing their best Beavis and Butt Head dance impression on national television during the post-game festivities.

Links:
[YouTube]: White People Should Not Dance

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College Basketball

Dick Vitales calls Joakim Noah…


Now that the tournament is officially underway with Selection Sunday, get ready for the onslaught of marketing that accompanies it. In addition to the dumbest television commercials ever produced (remember Applebees popcorn shrimp), companies will be trying to capture your attention online too.

First up is Dick Vitale and Digiorno Pizza with their “send a message” campaign where you can customize a message for a friend and have it email or phone them. Well, here’s a little fun with Dicky V.

Links:
[SC]: Cell phones… they’re AWESOME BABY!

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College Basketball

Oh so that’s why Pokey Chatman left so quickly


We were wondering why everyone was searching for Pokey Chatman. Yes, it’s a little odd when the coach of the #10 ranked team in womens college basketball announces she’s leaving just before the NCAA tourney but not to merit the amount of buzz that “Pokey Chatman” was getting. But now the reason is clear.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune is reporting that the reason for Chatman’s abrupt departure is because she had inappropriate conduct with players and ESPN reported that she had improper sexual relations with a former player. Although she was originally expected to coach the team through the NCAA tourney, she is going to leave immediately instead.

This story would be 1000x better if it was Coach K/ JJ Redick, Pat Riley/Tim Hardway, or Jerry Sloan/ John Amaechi. Oh man that would be priceless.

Links:
[Times-Picayune]: Chatman avoids NCAA tournament, leaves LSU

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College Basketball

Actually Billy, this is the definition of cheap shot

We’ve hated Billy Packer since he dissed St. Joes a couple of years ago. Here’s more Billy Packer magic as he tells us that the Gerald Henderson’s shot to Tyler Hansborough’s face with his elbow wasn’t a cheap shot.

Do Billy Packer and Dick Vitale have a conference call every month to coordinate their schedules for hanging off Duke basketball’s collective jock?

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College Basketball

Cell phones… they’re AWESOME BABY!


It seems that radio is the best method to get in trouble these days. First it was Jim Mora Jr., then Timmy Hardaway, and now college hoops announcing icon/blowhard Dick Vitale. Dicky V is in hot water over some comments he made at a restaurant to a fellow diner while unknowingly on the air via cell phone with WNML-FM in Knoxville. (audio link)

Vitale relayed a private conversation between him and Billy Donovan over the draft prospects of Joakim Noah:

Right now, I talked to some NBA guys who have a little doubt about [Noah]. I mean, he’s still going to get drafted top six or seven, but [he has] no shot. No shot. I’m going to tell you what. I’d take Horford over him. You know who told me that in confidence? Billy Donovan grabbed me all alone and said the pro scouts are making a mistake. He said there’s no way I would take Noah over – he said he would never say that publicly – over Horford.

Vitale called the next day and said he was joking and that conversation between him and Billy never took place. It’s a little too late Dick. There’s no way that any NBA team will take Noah over Horford now. And while the NBA scouts might have come to the conclusion that Horford is a better pick, Vitale might have just cost Noah a lot of money. Thanks a lot, Dick.

Links:
[Loser with Socks]: Dickie Vitale Reveals Billy Dononvan Comments…..Oops and Oh Shit

[TBO.com]:Vitale’s Inadvertent Remark Could Affect Team’s Chemistry

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College Basketball

Inside Josh Heytvelt’s backpack



Those Twix are dangerous!

Police today released photos of evidence in the drug arrest of Gonzaga’s Josh Heytvelt and Theo Davis. More than an ounce of mushrooms, three muffins with mushrooms, and a blunt. Heytvelt might be facing felony charges for the mushrooms.

The mushrooms were found in a “Basketball Hall of Fame Challenge” backpack which Heytvelt said belonged to a friend who grew mushrooms in his basement. Way to sing like a canary, Josh. The three muffins were found in a backpack with Heytvelt’s name and number embroidered on the back. Heyvelt wisely owned up to owning that backpack.

The best laugh we’ve had all week though comes from this satirical article from the Brushback:


Gonzaga forward Josh Heytvelt was suspended indefinitely along with teammate Theo Davis on Saturday after both players were arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms. The arrest was particularly damaging to Heytvelt, a stand-out player and probable NBA draft pick, who had his shrooms confiscated five days before the Panic show at Spokane Arena.
…
This isn’t some evil criminal, just a good kid who made a bad decision and who has some growing up to do,” Few said. “You just hope that he learns from it and it makes him a better person. As for Theo, I have to say I’m very surprised at him. To be honest, I didn’t even think black kids were into psychedelic drugs. I thought it was just a suburban white kid thing. If he’s into Widespread Panic, too, that’s going to turn my whole world upside down.

Links:
[Spokesman Review]: Heytvelt denied mushrooms were his, police say

[Spokesman Review]: Heytvelt evidence slideshow

Categories
College Basketball

Jan 30 in Sports History: UCLA Bruins start streaking



John Wooden

In 1971: UCLA’s basketball team looked to rebound from a tough loss at Notre Dame the week before with a little tune-up against UC Santa Barbara before conference play began. The loss to the Irish ended a 45-game winning streak for the Bruins. Led by Sidney Wicks, UCLA dispatched UCSB 74-61. Then they decided to get serious and win 87 more consecutive games (and three championships). Ironically, the Bruins’ streak would come to an end again at the hands the Irish in South Bend 155 weeks later. Even more ironically (according to a site called referee.com), referee Rich Weiler worked both Notre Dame games. The Bruins’ 88-game winning streak (it could’ve been 133 if Catholics decided not to build a lovely campus in Indiana) will forever be untouched in college basketball.

In 1996: In the only Super Bowl where a player from the opposing team should’ve been given the MVP award, Steelers quarterback Neil O’Donnell “led” the Dallas Cowboys to their third title in five years with two horrendous interceptions in a 27-17 victory in Super Bowl XXX at Arizona’s Sun Devil Stadium. Brown was just sorta standing there, minding his own business and not covering anybody on either play. But O’Donnell insisted on landing him a huge free agent contract by giving Brown the MVP award. Even worse, O’Donnell questioned “which direction” the Steelers were headed that offseason when he landed an even bigger contract with the soon-to-be 1-15 Jets. Karma did the best it could, as Brown only played 14 games the next two years after getting all that money from the Raiders while O’Donnell fizzled out, became a journeyman backup and was not allowed anywhere near the ball during Super Bowl XXXIV with the Titans.