The First Week of Hoops...

The feeling of waking up knowing you will be able to watch a college basketball game that night is very refreshing for all the diehard fans like myself. Even at this early point of the season, there is a good game to watch almost every night. Last night was Syracuse-Kansas with the Orange pulling out the W in overtime. The night before it was Ohio State over Bowling Green by only four points and Syracuse pulling out another victory (this time over Florida). That same night Stephen Curry had 39 points in a win over Florida Atlantic, which brings me to my first point.

Steph Curry is held to zero points for the first time in recent memory. Loyola had the "genius" idea of double-teaming Curry the entire game. No matter where he went, they went with him. Davidson, therefore, was essentially playing 4-on-3. The Wildcats won 78-48, and Stephen is still averaging a blistering 29.2 points and 7 assists per game. Not so genius after all.

Blake Griffin is the early favorite to win the National Player of the Year Award. His averages of 26 points, 20 rebounds, and 3 steals are remarkable for a 6-10 sophomore. In all four of his games, he's pulled down at least 18 boards and scored at least 20 points. It also helps that his team beat the other very-early frontrunner for the award (Curry and Davidson) and that Tyler Hansbrough hasn't been playing very much as of late.

Is it the Year of the Mid-Major? Four mid-majors (Memphis, Davidson, Xavier, and Gonzaga) are ranked in the AP Top 25 and five more received at least a dozen votes (Saint Mary's, UNLV, Siena, BYU, and UAB). There have been many big upsets and almost-upsets as well. VMI defeated Kentucky 111-106 on the road. Saint Louis upset Boston College 53-50, and Northeastern took down the Providence Friars. Both Iona and Vermont took Wisconsin and Maryland, respectively, to overtime, and the mighty Duke Blue Devils defeated Rhode Island by only three after trailing for parts of the game.

Does this mean that there is an equaling of the major and the mid-major? No, but it does mean that the gap isn't so wide as it was five years ago. Never before could Kentucky lose two straight home-openers to two unknowns. Never before could Duke be knocked out over the tournament by VCU one year and then almost get upset by Belmont the next. Let me be the first to say that there will be at least five mid-majors in the Sweet 16 and two in the Elite Eight come March.

The debate for the best point guard in the nation begins. Ty Lawson are undoubtedly the two that come to mind when the topic of college point guards is discussed. One must, however, look much deeper than that. Eric Maynor, the man made somewhat-famous by his team's win over Duke two years ago, is averaging 25 points, 7 assists, and 4 rebounds. Although Jeremy Pargo has had a rough shooting start to his season, he is dishing out nine assists and is pulling down six rebounds per game.

Not to be outdone, Jonny Flynn is averaging 21 points and 5 assists and is fresh off leading his team to two big wins over Florida and Kansas in the CBE Classic. Levance Fields is possibly the most underrated point guard in all of college, and he plays in the Big East! His averages of 14 points, 8 assists, and 3 rebounds tell only a small part of the story. Pitt's success depends largely on him and how efficient his is in running their offense.Currently, Fields is shooting 53% on threes, 53% on field goals, and 82% on free throws. He boasts an unbelievable 7.6 assist-to-turnover ratio as well.

Patty Mills of Saint Mary's plays a huge role in this discussion, too. He is the only college point guard in America that can say he scored 20 points and the gold-medal United States Senior Men's National Team. This season, he's putting up 20 and 5 numbers for the 3-0 Gaels. His ability to get to the rim and either score or set up a teammate for an easy shot is uncanny.

Lastly, Scottie Reynolds (13 and 5), Sherron Collins (20 and 3), and AJ Price (9, 4, 5, and 2 steals) all deserve mention for their play this season. They have kept their team in the top 25, and Collins is having to do this after losing practically everyone from last year's title team.

The Big East is as good as advertised. The conference that received so much hype coming into the season is living up to it...for now. Currently, they have eight teams in the AP Top 25, four in the top 8, and three in the top 4. It is also easy to say that Syracuse will be in the upcoming week's top 25 after their impressive run out in Kansas. West Virginia and Seton Hall are also playing well. It's not so crazy to think that they could get nine, or even ten, bids this season.

North Carolina is still the favorite to cut down the nets in April. The Heels are 5-0 with three of those games being playing without the reigning National Player of the Year, Tyler Hansbrough. Last night they beat up on Oregon, who "attempted" to do the unthinkable and run with North Carolina in an uptempo game. Individually, Danny Green and Deon Thompson (the team's top two scorers so far) have stepped up, and the true freshman Larry Drew II proves that the Heels now have three solid point guards to go along with Bobby Frasor and Lawson. Roy Williams is smiling somewhere in Maui.

A three-guard lineup is now the norm. According to Sports Illustrated, 59.2% of Division I programs are planning to start three guards this season. It isn't too surprising either. The three-point line was moved back which means teams want more shooters on the floor. Gone are the days where Roy Hibbert can spot up and nail a game-winning three. #1 North Carolina, shoots 40% from deep, scores 92 points per game, and features the 6-9 Hansbrough as their starting center. Even their 6-6 starting small forward is listed as a Guard/Forward.

So that's it. Enjoy the action from Maui and Florida and New York and every place else hosting an early-season tournament. Enjoy watching the talented group of mid-major teams and the uniqueness of players like Curry or Griffin. Enjoy that college basketball is finally back.

To contact this writer, you can email him at marchmadness14@gmail.com.

College Basketball Season Preview

With the 2008-2009 college basketball season drawing ever closer, it is time to sit down, predict, and discuss the future and what it holds for fans and players alike. Will anyone stop the dominant Tar Heels? Can Stephen Curry repeat such an extraordinary late-season performance? Is the Pac-10 still the cream of the crop when it comes to conferences? No matter what the answers are to those inquiries, one thing is for certain: This year will be as thrilling and astounding as in past seasons.

Top Five Returning Players

1. Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina- No one can deny Psycho T’s work ethic and passion for the game of basketball. His decision to return to Chapel Hill catapulted North Carolina to their indisputable preseason number one spot.
Last season’s stats: 23 points per game, 10 rebounds per game, 2 steals per game

2. Stephen Curry, Davidson- Curry was everyone’s favorite player in March and hardly a soul in the country was rooting against him. He did, however, earn this type of respect and hype. Steph’s tournament run, in which he averaged 32 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals, proved that this under-recruited, under-sized shooting guard from a mid-major school has the ability to play at the next level.
Last season’s stats: 26 points per game, 5 rebounds per game, 44% three-point

3. Luke Harangody, Notre Dame- The reigning Big East Player of the Year is back for another year with hopes of reaching the second weekend in the NCAA Tournament. ‘Gody can expect to see much more attention from the defenses and very few easy baskets. He is no longer a talented unknown but rather a high-profile star and will have to get his teammates involved when he is double-teamed.
Last season’s stats: 20 points per game, 11 rebounds per game, 50% field goal

4. Darren Collison, UCLA- After starting the year with an injury, Collison recovered to lead his team to a 29-4 record and a Final Four appearance last year. He was the floor general and provided experience in the backcourt when the team needed it the most. Collison’s decision to return for his senior year could place the Bruins among the nation’s elite.
Last season’s stats: 15 points per game, 4 assists per game, 53% three-point

5. Ty Lawson, North Carolina- The junior point guard will be leading the lethal Tar Heel fastbreak this year and should be getting much consideration for the Cousy Award. His unmatched quickness and speed give him an advantage over other guards and are essential for him to be effective. The UNC fans can only hope he stays healthy this season.
Last season’s stats: 13 points per game, 5 assists per game, 2 steals per game

Blake Griffin and Scottie Reynolds were very difficult to leave off the list and will undoubtedly have an impact on college basketball this year. It was, however, unjustifiable to take any one of those chosen out of the top five. It must be remembered, though, that individuals do nothing without their team. The chemistry and cohesiveness is more important than any star player. If it were the other way around, Kansas State would have been cutting down the nets last April.

Top Five Teams

1. North Carolina Tar Heels- The odds-on favorite to win the National Championship this year is Roy Williams’s squad. They have what every team wants: good coaching, depth, star power, and chemistry. The Heels lose only minor role players from last year’s Final Four team and add a very talented recruiting class.
Last season: 36-3 record, 14-2 ACC conference record, lost in Final Four

2. Connecticut Huskies- UConn is back. Returning five players with 22+ minutes per game, they have a wealth of experience and talent, enough to win a Big East championship. Jim Calhoun’s teams have been disappointing in recent seasons and need big performances from senior point guard A.J. Price.
Last season: 24-9 record, 13-5 Big East conference record, lost in first round

3. UCLA Bruins- Losing three starters will not prevent UCLA from a fourth consecutive Final Four appearance. If Darren Collison, Josh Shipp, and Jrue Holiday can bear the scoring load, they could run the table in the Pac-10 and go far in the NCAA Tournament. Lucky for the Bruins, Ben Howland has brought in yet another stellar recruiting class to replace the losses in both the backcourt and frontcourt.
Last season: 35-4 record, 16-2 Pac-10 conference record, lost in Final Four

4. Pittsburgh Panthers- Pitt returns five players who averaged 20+ minutes per game on last year’s squad. They have a high-quality coach and a plethora of depth as a result of a notable recruiting class featuring the 6-5 true freshman Nasir Robinson.
Last season: 27-10 record, 10-8 Big East conference record, lost in second round

5. Gonzaga Bulldogs- The NCAA’s best mid-major program may be ready for its best season yet. They return six players who received a good amount of playing time last season and have brought in several talented freshmen to help both the backcourt and frontcourt.
Last season: 25-8 record, 13-1 West Coast conference record, lost in first round

Many other teams will challenge these elite teams as the season progresses, and it will be a testament to the coaching, preparation, and poise under pressure if they are able to survive. As usual, the powerhouse teams—North Carolina, UConn, and UCLA—are in the preseason talk for national contenders. There are, however, also some unusual, unconventional teams being mentioned such as Notre Dame, Purdue, and Miami.

What will separate the contenders from the pretenders, so to speak? The difficulty of their non-conference schedule, the experienced seniors who emerge as leaders, and the discipline that is applied from the start of practices are just a few of the many factors that are crucial to success late in the season. Interestingly enough, Davidson, the team that annihilated everyone’s bracket yet captivated each fan’s attention, possessed the majority of those team traits last season.

For the big conference teams, however, the competition a team faces on a nightly basis determines will prove to us whom the superior teams are. But that, of course, begs the question as to which conference is the toughest? Last season, the Pac-10 and Big East seemed to be head and shoulders above the rest. This year will tell a different story though. The Pac-10 is suffering many individual losses—Ryan Anderson, Brook Lopez, OJ Mayo, Jerryd Bayless, Kevin Love, and Russell Westbrook—and many of its teams will be experiencing a down year. Washington State and Stanford, two of last year’s Sweet 16 teams, will be fortunate to even make the tournament, let alone actually winning a game once they arrive.

The Atlantic Coast Conference, formerly regarded as the best conference in the nation, is making somewhat of a reemergence this year. North Carolina and Duke will be very good, both top ten teams undoubtedly, and should be the favorites to win the conference tournament in March. Clemson, who finished third in the conference last season, will be just as good despite the losses of Cliff Hammonds and James Mays. Miami returns a team with an abundance of experience and talent and could be the main contender to Duke and the Tar Heels among anyone else in the conference. Rounding out the top five in the league is Wake Forest. They return practically everybody and also have one of the best recruiting classes in the nation, headlined by Al- Farouq Aminu.

Whether North Carolina wins the championship or not, we shall be ready for an intriguing season yet again. Stephen Curry is back and the freshmen class is just as good as ever before. The Big East and ACC are both predicted to have 6+ teams in the NCAA Tournament, but can the other power conferences—the Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC—send several teams as well? It remains uncertain, as do many other things in college basketball. No matter what happens though, the questions and the improbability of an upset are what keep us ever vigilant.

To contact the writer, you can email him at marchmadness14@gmail.com.