AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

A spot in Monday’s final game is at stake when the SEC does battle with the Big East.

Kentucky is in its 108th season of basketball.  The Wildcats are the all-time NCAA leader in wins with 2,052. UK is making its 14th appearance in the Final Four, fourth most in NCAA history. The Wildcats are 105-45 (.700) in the NCAA Tournament. John Calipari is one of only two coaches (Rick Pitino) to lead three different schools to a Final Four. Kentucky owns a 7-2 record in national semifinal games.

UConn has a record of 48-27 in 30 NCAA Tournament appearances. The Huskies have won two NCAA National Championships, in 2004 and 1999, and the Huskies have advanced to the Final Four in 2011and 2009. UConn has reached the NCAA Elite Eight ten times and the Sweet Sixteen 16 times in school history. UConn is 44-
13 in the NCAA Tournament in 17 appearances under Jim Calhoun and were 4-14 in 13 appearances in the tourney prior to Calhoun’s arrival in Storrs.

Projected starters

Kentucky Wildcats
P # Name Pts. Rebs. Assts
G 1 Darius Miller 11.1 4.6 1.7
• Shooting 44.9 pct. from 3-point range
F 3 Terrence Jones 15.8 8.7 1.9^
• Has SEC best 12 double-doubles
G 12 Brandon Knight 17.3 3.9 4.2
• East Region Most Outstanding Player
G 34 DeAndre Liggins 8.8 4.1 2.5
• Shooting 45.5 pct. from 3-point range in NCAA Tour.
F 55 Josh Harrellson 7.6 8.8 1.5^
• Avg. 14.8 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 1.5 bpg in NCAA Tournament

Connecticut Huskies
P # Name Pts. Rebs. Assts
G 3 Jeremy Lamb 11.1 4.3 1.5
• Shooting 48.3 pct. from the field
F 10 Tyler Olander 1.5 1.8 0.4
• Avg. 9.8 minutes per game
G 15 Kemba Walker 23.9 5.3 4.5
• Player of the Year finalist
F 22 Roscoe Smith 6.5 5.2 1.2
• Second on team with 76 offensive rebounds
F 34 Alex Oriakhi 9.6 8.6 1.6^
• Team leader in blocks and offensive rebounding

Notes courtesy of ukathletics.com and uconnhuskies.com.

TEAM STATISTICS……………………………. UK…………… OPP
SCORING ……………………………………………..2790…………. 2356
Points per game …………………………………….75.4………….. 63.7
Scoring margin …………………………………….+11.7 -
FIELD GOALS-ATT …………………………….981-2121……. 840-2139
Field goal pct…………………………………….. . 4 6 3………… . 3 9 3
3 POINT FG-ATT ………………………………..272-680……… 209-637
3-point FG pct …………………………………….. 4 0 0…………. . 3 2 8
3-pt FG made per game …………………………..7.4……………… 5.6
FREE THROWS-ATT ……………………………556-777………. 467-647
Free throw pct ……………………………………. 7 1 6…………… . 7 2 2
F-Throws made per game ……………………….15.0…………….. 12.6
REBOUNDS …………………………………………..1383……………. 1247
Rebounds per game ……………………………….37.4…………….. 33.7
Rebounding margin ………………………………+3.7 -
ASSISTS ……………………………………………….470……………… 403
Assists per game ……………………………………12.7…………….. 10.9
TURNOVERS …………………………………………396………………. 443
Turnovers per game ………………………………10.7……………… 12.0
Turnover margin ………………………………….+1.3 -
Assist/turnover ratio…………………………….. 1.2………………… 0.9
STEALS ……………………………………………….200……………….. 196
Steals per game ……………………………………..5.4………………… 5.3
BLOCKS ……………………………………………….236……………….. 129
Blocks per game …………………………………….6.4………………… 3.5
ATTENDANCE ……………………………………354046………….. 326281
Home games-Avg/Game …………………….15-23603……….. 11-15222
Neutral site-Avg/Game – 11-14440
Score by Periods …………………1st…….. 2nd…. OT………….. Totals
Kentucky …………………………1375….. 1409….. 6…………… 2790
Opponents………………………. 1154…… 1195….. 7 ……………2356

TEAM STATISTICS……………………….. UCONN…………….. OPP
SCORING……………………………………………. 2793……………….. 2500
Points per game ……………………………………73.5…………………. 65.8
Scoring margin …………………………………….+7.7 -
FIELD GOALS-ATT …………………………….988-2269…………… 916-2291
Field goal pct…………………………………….. . 4 3 5……………….. . 4 0 0
3 POINT FG-ATT …………………………………227-671…………… 239-717
3-point FG pct …………………………………….. 3 3 8……………….. . 3 3 3
3-pt FG made per game…………………………… 6.0…………………… 6.3
FREE THROWS-ATT ……………………………590-777……………. 429-623
Free throw pct …………………………………….. 7 5 9……………….. . 6 8 9
F-Throws made per game …………………………15.5…………………. 11.3
REBOUNDS ……………………………………………1504………………… 1327
Rebounds per game …………………………………39.6…………………. 34.9
Rebounding margin …………………………………+4.7 -
ASSISTS …………………………………………………502………………….. 470
Assists per game ……………………………………..13.2………………….. 12.4
TURNOVERS ……………………………………………435………………….. 447
Turnovers per game …………………………………11.4………………….. 11.8
Turnover margin …………………………………….+0.3 -
Assist/turnover ratio ………………………………..1.2……………………. 1.1
STEALS …………………………………………………..245…………………… 228
Steals per game …………………………………………6.4……………………. 6.0
BLOCKS ………………………………………………….209 …………………….137
Blocks per game………………………………………. 5.5…………………….. 3.6
ATTENDANCE ………………………………………196671……………… 273188
Home games-Avg/Game …………………..17-11569……………….. 10-13272
Neutral site-Avg/Game – 11-12770
Score by Periods ……………………….1st……….. 2nd…….. OT….. OT2…. Totals
UConn ……………………………………1288……. 1453……… 43…… 9……. 2793
Opponents ………………………………1140…….. 1311…….. 39….. 10……. 2500

AP Photo/Julio Cortez

One last ticket to the Final Four will be punched when the SEC clashes with the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Kentucky is in its 108th season of basketball and is the all-time NCAA leader in wins with 2,051. The Wildcats are 104-45 (.698) in the NCAA Tournament and 14-1 (.933) in tournament games played in the New York City metro area. The Wildcats own a 13-18 record in regional final games, but haven’t won a regional final since the 1998 season. The Wildcats are 123-62 against the ACC overall and 10-6 against the conference in the NCAA Tournament. UK’s last meeting against an ACC foe in the tournament was last season. Kentucky defeated Wake Forest 90-60.
Since 1992, UK is 96-25 (.793) in postseason play (SEC, NIT and NCAA). Kentucky has faced six schools from the ACC in the NCAA Tournament, including Duke (3-2), Florida State (3-1), Maryland (0-1), North Carolina (0-2) Virginia Tech (1-0) and Wake Forest (3-0). Kentucky is making only its second appearance as a No. 4 seed. The Cats were a four seed in the 2002 tournament, when they advanced to the Sweet 16 before losing to top-seed Maryland, 78-68. UK has a 5-1 record as a four seed.

The Tar Heels are making their 25th appearance in an NCAA regional final. Carolina has won nine of its last 10 regional finals, losing only in 2007 in East Rutherford, N.J., since a 1988 loss to Arizona in the West Regional final in Seattle. A win on Sunday against Kentucky will earn the Tar Heels their NCAA-record 19th Final Four berth and their eighth consecutive decade with at least one Final Four appearance. u UNC is 18-6 in its 24 previous NCAA
Tournament regional finals and has won nine of its last 10 regional finals (since 1988). Carolina has appeared in the regional finals (Elite Eight) 25 times: 1941, 1946, 1957, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011. UNC’s 25 regional final appearances rank second in NCAA history behind Kentucky’s 32. UCLA is third with 22.The Tar Heels have reached the regional finals four times in the last five years. Carolina also played in four regional finals in a five-year span from 1981-85 (Elite Eight appearances in 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1985).

Notes courtesy of ukathletics.com and tarheelblue.com.

Tar Heels eyeing another Final Four

UNC’s Knox knows Kentucky

DeAndre Liggins is Wildcats’ battle-tested, blue-collar guy

Kentucky and North Carolina duke it out for spot in Final Four

Tar Heels vs. Wildcats a royal matchup

Elite Eight preview

Probable starters

Kentucky Wildcats
P # Name Pts. Rebs. Assts
G 1 Darius Miller 11.1 4.6 1.7
• Has hit a 3-pointer in 23-straight games
F 3 Terrence Jones 15.9 8.7 1.9^
• Has SEC best 12 double-doubles
G 12 Brandon Knight 17.2 3.8 4.2
• Scored two game-winners in three NCAA Tour. games
G 20 Doron Lamb 12.4 2.0 1.7
• Shooting 47.4 pct. from 3-point range
F 55 Josh Harrellson 7.5 8.8 1.6^
• Avg. 13.0 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 1.2 bpg in postseason

North Carolina Tar Heels
P # Name Pts. Rebs. Assts
G 1 Dexter Strickland 7.4 3.1 2.2
• Leads team with 43 steals
G 5 Kendall Marshall 6.2 2.1 6.2
• Has team-high 222 assists
F 31 John Henson 11.9 10.1 3.3^
• Team-high 118 blocks
F 40 Harrison Barnes 15.6 5.8 1.4
• Shooting 81 pct. from the free-throw line
F 44 Tyler Zeller 15.6 7.2 1.1^
• Shooting 54.0 pct. from the field

TEAM STATISTICS …………………….UK……………………. OPP
SCORING ……………………………………..2714…………………… 2287
Points per game …………………………….75.4……………………. 63.5
Scoring margin …………………………….+11.9 -
FIELD GOALS-ATT …………………….954-2065…………….. 813-2077
Field goal pct ………………………………. 4 6 2………………….. . 3 9 1
3 POINT FG-ATT …………………………260-658………………. 206-621
3-point FG pct ………………………………. 3 9 5…………………. . 3 3 2
3-pt FG made per game …………………….7.2…………………….. 5.7
FREE THROWS-ATT ……………………..546-761………………. 455-632
Free throw pct ………………………………. 7 1 7………………… . 7 2 0
F-Throws made per game ………………….15.2………………….. 12.6
REBOUNDS …………………………………….1349…………………… 1211
Rebounds per game ………………………….37.5…………………… 33.6
Rebounding margin …………………………+3.8 -
ASSISTS …………………………………………..454…………………… 390
Assists per game ……………………………….12.6………………….. 10.8
TURNOVERS ……………………………………..382…………………… 430
Turnovers per game …………………………..10.6…………………… 11.9
Turnover margin ……………………………….+1.3 -
Assist/turnover ratio …………………………..1.2……………………. 0.9
STEALS ……………………………………………..190…………………… 187
Steals per game …………………………………..5.3…………………….. 5.2
BLOCKS ……………………………………………..231……………………. 124
Blocks per game …………………………………..6.4…………………….. 3.4
ATTENDANCE ………………………………….354046…………….. 308003
Home games-Avg/Game ………………….15-23603……………. 11-15222
Neutral site-Avg/Game – 10-14056
Score by Periods ……………………1st……….. 2nd………. OT………. Totals
Kentucky …………………………….1337…….. 1371………. 6 …………2714
Opponents …………………………..1124……… 1156………. 7……….. 2287

TEAM STATISTICS……………………… NC …………………OPP
SCORING ……………………………………….2799………………. 2469
Points per game ………………………………77.8……………….. 68.6
Scoring margin……………………………….. +9.2 -
FIELD GOALS-ATT……………………. 1017-2256………… 921-2283
Field goal pct …………………………………. 4 5 1……………… . 4 0 3
3 POINT FG-ATT…………………………. 187-564…………… 255-784
3-point FG pct ……………………………….. 3 3 2………………. . 3 2 5
3-pt FG made per game…………………….. 5.2…………………… 7.1
FREE THROWS-ATT ………………………578-863…………… 372-564
Free throw pct ………………………………. 6 7 0 ……………….. 6 6 0
F-Throws made per game ………………….16.1…………………. 10.3
REBOUNDS …………………………………….1542…………………. 1309
Rebounds per game …………………………42.8………………….. 36.4
Rebounding margin ………………………..+6.5 -
ASSISTS …………………………………………560…………………… 459
Assists per game ……………………………..15.6………………….. 12.8
TURNOVERS ……………………………………480………………….. 514
Turnovers per game …………………………13.3………………….. 14.3
Turnover margin …………………………….+0.9 -
Assist/turnover ratio …………………………1.2……………………. 0.9
STEALS …………………………………………..223…………………… 268
Steals per game ………………………………..6.2…………………….. 7.4
BLOCKS …………………………………………..199…………………… 109
Blocks per game ………………………………..5.5……………………. 3.0
ATTENDANCE ………………………………287155……………… 280462
Home games-Avg/Game ……………….15-19144…………… 10-11604
Neutral site-Avg/Game – 11-14947
Score by Periods ……………………1st…………. 2nd…. OT………. Totals
North Carolina …………………….1366……….. 1414…. 19……….. 2799
Opponents …………………………..1156……….. 1299… 14……….. 2469

By Paul Gotham

Setting: The Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York is the place for the East Regional final as Bob Huggins and his No.2 seed West Virginia Mountaineers (30-6) tip it off with John Calipari and the No. 1 seed Kentucky Wildcats (35-2).

Plot: Big East clashes with the SEC for a spot in the Final Four. The Mountaineers seek their first trip to the Final Four in 50 years. WVU lost the national championship in 1959. Kentucky won the national title in 1998. The Wildcats have not made it back to the Final Four since then.

Sub-plot: With a win, Calipari will take a third different school to the Final Four. WVU would be the second school Huggins has taken to the last weekend of the season. Huggins is 7-1 all-time against Calipari.  WVU will play without their starting point guard, Darryl Bryant who was injured in practice.

Flashback: Jodie Meeks dropped 19 and Patrick Patterson added 15 as the Wildcats trimmed the Mountaineers 54-43 in last year’s Las Vegas Invitational.

Kentucky holds a 13-4 advantage in a series that dates back to the 1923-24 season. The Wildcats have taken the previous seven games in the series. The last time WVU beat Kentucky was 1959 – a 79-70 triumph in the Kentucky Invitational.

West Virginia is making its 23rd appearance in the NCAA Tournament and third trip to the Elite Eight.  This is Kentucky’s 50th appearance in The Dance. The ‘Cats have 13 Final Four appearances and seven national championships.

Foreshadowing: Thirteen Mountaineers have played in the NBA. Joe Alexander is the only current alum of West Virginia basketball in the Association. Sixty-seven Wildcats have made their way into the NBA including current players Kelenna Azubuike, Keith Bogans, Chuck Hayes, Jamal Magloire, Jodie Meeks, Nazr Mohammed, Randolph Morris, Tayshaun Prince and Rajon Rondo.

Conflict:  Who will establish tempo, and which players will execute? Kentucky averages almost 79 a game while allowing 60.  West Virginia goes for almost 73 and keeps opponents to 63. Thursday night, they held Washington to 24 points under their average.

Huggins deploys seven of his troops for double digit minutes. Da’Sean Butler leads three Mountaineers in double figures.

Kevin Jones and Devin Ebanks combine for 25 points and 15 and a half rebounds for the Mountaineers. The Mountaineers hold a +7 advantage on the glass.

WVU will need to slow the ‘Cats in transition.

Freshman phenom, John Wall, leads four Wildcats in double figures with 16 and a half per game. Wall adds 6.6 assists, four rebounds, and just under two steals.

Eric Bledsoe averages 39.8 percent from long range. It is not so much that Bledsoe has hit from behind, but that he is threat from long range. West Virginia will need to stay close to Bledsoe which opens up more room for Wall to drive.

Patrick Patterson and DeMarcus Cousins combine for 17 boards per game. Cousins grabs almost four offensive rebounds per game. The front court tandem scores almost 30 a game.

Resolution: In the Regional semi-final Cornell held Kentucky to 62 points. The Wildcats did not break 40 until the game’s 32nd minute. Huggins had a front-row seat for the game. Can the Mountaineers execute a page or two from the Big Red’s play book? West Virginia will need to resist the temptation to get into a track meet with Kentucky.That would be an exercise in futility. The Mountaineers need to win the game in the paint.

Huggins’ troops will slow it down and give Butler another chance to finish one. WVU advances to the Final Four.

Got any comments on the game? Post them here.

Were you talking to me coach?

By Paul Gotham

On the lighter side

Leading off with a funny one from the folks over at The Big Lead. Not that Kentucky was caught in a close game with Vanderbilt or anything (The ‘Dores missed a chance to tie the game at the buzzer), but obviously, whatever the sideline reporter was scribbling on her pad was more important to DeMarcus Cousins than what Coach Calipari was discussing.

Darn those omnipresent digital cameras. I am trying to imagine the discussions in the Kentucky clubhouse about this one.

In all fairness, Cousins did lead the Wildcats with 19 points.

Familiarity breeds contempt

Speaking of UK-Vanderbilt, the final score of that tilt was 58-56.  Kentucky entered play Saturday averaging 81 per game. Conference play has a way bringing teams down to size. Opponents know tendencies and have seen familiar offensive sets. It all makes for great battles.

Kentucky isn’t the only top team to feel the pressure from a conference opponent. Texas A&M held Kansas to 59. Unfortunately, the Aggies only scored 54.  Pittsburgh beat Marquette 58-51. Wisconsin lost to Minnesota 68-52. New Mexico trimmed the Air Force 59-56.

Yeah, nothing comes easy in conference play.

Giving opponents a second chance is never a good idea

Sunday, Pittsburgh upset Villanova 70-65.  One statistic stands out as the difference: 21 – as in the number of offensive rebounds the Panthers grabbed. To put this in perspective, Pittsburgh grabbed more offensive rebounds than they made shots (20).

Villanova made more field goals (24). The Wildcats even made more threes, 6-4.

How did the Panthers win?

All that work on the offensive glass gave Pitt a 26-11 advantage at the charity stripe.

It’s never a good idea to give an opponent a second chance.

Player to watch: Damian Saunders – Duquesne

The 6’7″ junior forward averages 15 points and 11.6 rebounds for the Dukes.  Saunders has 18 double-doubles this year, including a 16 point, 16 rebound performance at Iowa and 21 point, 11 rebound at Dayton earlier this year. Saunders also grabs nearly three steals per game. The surprising thing about this stat is that Saunders gets many of his steals off the dribble. The 6’7″ forward is lightning quick and can step out on opposing point guards.

Bracketology anyone?

Zach Hayes, over at Rush The Court, puts together his weekly projections. He includes seedings and predictions all the way through title game. Zach’s projections include the A-10 getting five bids with the Mountain West getting three. Conference USA, West Coast, and Colonial all get two spots in Zach’s bracket.

What do you think?

Is this heaven? No, it’s Dayton.

The week break from classes afforded the better half and myself the opportunity to put miles on the Chevrolet. We made our way to southern Ohio where our eldest attends college at Xavier. The Musketeers hosted St. Joe’s.

One day later, we trekked north along I-75 to the wife’s alma mater, Dayton. Yeah, I know it’s crazy. Daughter attends Xavier. Wife graduated from Dayton. They are rivals, but it all works.

The Flyers hosted LaSalle. No disrespect to the Explorers, but they entered play Thursday with a record of 11-13/ 3-7. Attending the game was more about it fitting into the schedule than anything.

I was more than pleasantly surprised. Check that. I was humbled.

Keep in mind LaSalle’s record, and that the game took place during the middle of the week.

Three hours prior to the game, we visited one of the better half’s favorite dining spots. Already there were people in attendance wearing their Flyer gear. One by one and two by two people trickled in. Ninety minutes before the game, there was not an open seat in the restaurant…and everyone was wearing Dayton colors. And everyone was talking hoops. As I walked through the dining area, the discussions focused on the game plan for the night.

I had to pinch myself.

Dayton has never won a national title. The Flyers played in the ’67 title game. They advanced to the Elite Eight in ’84, but their fans LOVE hoops.

The experience obviously continued with the game. Little things made all the difference. People milling around the concession stands before the game talking about rebound margins and shooting percentages. The television screens indicate how many minutes before the game starts or restarts at half. And fans are in their seats when play starts – nearly 13, 000 for a weekday game against a team with a losing record. Dayton fans not only cheer for their team, but they acknowledge a good play by opponents.

After the game, fans stayed in their seats while the cheerleaders gave a quick performance. It’s all part of the experience. Then it was time for Coach Brian Gregory post-game interview – done on the court. When the interview finished, people applauded.

Dayton fans aren’t front runners. They love their basketball.

There is a poster on the wall in the concession area. It has a picture of Andy Katz with a quote from the ESPN analyst. I don’t have it word for word, but it is something like this – when they decided to put the NCAA play-in game at the UD Arena, they picked the right place. Those fans are hoop crazy.

Yeah, it was Dayton. It just felt like hoops heaven.

1st Team All Casey

PG Scottie Reynolds – Villanova

SG Jordan Crawford – Xavier

SF Wesley Johnson – Syracuse

PF Damion James – Texas

C Greg Monroe – Georgetown

2nd Team All Casey

PG – Jon Scheyer – Duke

SG  Matt Bouldin – Gonzaga

SF  Evan Turner – Ohio State

PF  Patrick Patterson – Kentucky

C Cole Aldrich – Kansas

All-freshmen

John Wall – Kentucky

Xavier Henry – Kansas

DeMarcus Cousins – Kentucky

Isaiah Armwood – Villanova

Mason Plumlee – Duke

Got any college hoops splinters? Share them here.

By Paul Gotham

South Carolina slays KU

Indiana Hoosier fans can rest easy. Your’75-’76 Hoosiers still hold the title as – the last division one men’s basketball team to go undefeated.

Not that there was any real cause for concern.

Devan Downey led a spirited Gamecock squad to an upset of the previously last remaining undefeated team, Kentucky. Downey scored 30 including 17 in the second half as South Carolina triumphed 68-62. Twice Downey converted three pointers the old-fashioned way as South Carolina outscored Kentucky in the second half, 42-33.  The senior guard also hit 10 of 11 from the free throw line.

There is not any one number that jumps out and indicates how South Carolina upset Kentucky. Rather, the Gamecocks brought a balanced attack into the game.

Sam Muldrow grabbed 11 boards as the Gamecocks out-rebounded the Wildcats, 40-38. Kentucky entered play Tuesday with a rebound margin of 4.8. The Wildcats had been previously out-rebounded just three times.  South Carolina limited Kentucky to 13 offensive rebounds – their fourth lowest output of the season.

South Carolina held Kentucky to just 57 shots on the night.  In comparison, the Wildcats took 77 against Arkansas and 68 versus Florida. But it’s not just that South Carolina cut down on the number of shots, but it’s how the Gamecocks did it. South Carolina made Kentucky play half-court offense much of the night. The Wildcats want to get out in transition and get into 3 on 2 or 2 on 1 situations. South Carolina eliminated those opportunities.

Kentucky finished the night 22 of 57 from the field (38.6 percent) including 3 of 12 (25 percent) from behind the three-point arc.

A telling number was the amount of time played by Kentucky’s starters. Patrick Patterson, DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall all played 34 or more minutes. Eric Bledsoe logged 31 minutes. These guys are accustomed to playing five minutes less per game. The Wildcat bench might become an issue at some point this season.

South Carolina fans stormed the court and earned the school a fine.

Indiana finished the ’75-’76 season 32-0.

Shot selection leads to Temple victory

Being limited to fewer shots does not always equate with a losing performance.

If ever a new secretary of energy is needed, Temple’s head coach, Fran Dunphy, might be the man. Dunphy’s Owls showed how to get a lot out of little indefeating Xavier 77-72.

Temple needed just 49 shots to account for the night’s total. The Owls shot 59.2 percent from the field including five of ten from behind the three-point arc.

In each of Temple’s three losses this year they took more shots and scored fewer points. Georgetown defeated the Owls 46-45 in a game where Dunphy’s squad shot 18 of 56 from the field. In an 84-52 loss to Kansas, Temple went 16-64. The Owls shot 18-64 while losing to St. John’s 55-48.

Xavier is no slouch on defense. The Muskies limit opponents to 40 percent from the field. The nation’s leader, Florida State, holds opposing shooters to 35.5 percent.

What was the difference? Temple played a patient game against the X-Men. They worked the ball from side to side, created a rhythm and found open shooters. There is a better tendency for that to happen when the defense is responsible fr the entire width of the court. Against Kansas and St. John’s, Temple rushed shots.

Player to watch: Julius Coles, Canisius

The junior guard averages 15 points and 5 rebounds for the Griffins. At 6’4″ and 180 pounds, Coles is not going to move anybody out of his way. But he is a lanky guard who is difficult to keep a body on when a shot caroms off the rim. Coles connects 35 percent (41-117) of the time from behind the arc. He has a quick release. Defenders struggle to defend his shot when he gets the ball to his release point.

A.P.B.:  Pac 10

This week’s polls had a conspicuous absentee: the Pac 10. The conference considered the king of the west did not have any ranked teams. None. Nada. Zilch. In fact, only California managed any votes: two votes from the AP and two votes from ESPN. No school in the conference has fewer than six losses. California, Arizona St. and Washington all have six defeats. USC and Washington have each lost seven games. UCLA is 9-10.

1st Team All Casey

PG Scottie Reynolds – Villanova

SG Jeremy Hazell – Seton Hall

SF Wesley Johnson – Syracuse

PF Al-Farouq Aminu – Wake Forest

C Cole Aldrich – Kansas

2nd Team All Casey

PG – Sherron Collins – Kansas

SG  Jordan Crawford – Xavier

SF  Evan Turner – Ohio State

PF  Patrick Patterson – Kentucky

C Jarvis Varnado – Miss State

Got any college basketball splinters? Share them here.

By Paul Gotham

Setting: It’s time for an SEC showdown at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center on the University of Florida campus.  John Calipari comes calling with his No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats (16-0/1-0) to take on Billy Donovan and his Florida Gators (11-4/0-1).

Plot: After beginning the season with eight victories, the Gators have limped through a 3-4 stretch with losses to Richmond, South Alabama and most recently at Vanderbilt, 95-87. Six of Kentucky’s victories have been by single digits.

Sub-plot: Florida has shown flashes of brilliance this year. They recovered from a second-half eight-point deficit to draw even with the Syracuse Orange in November. Kentucky deceives its opponents into thinking they can be beaten. SEC rival, Tennessee knocked Kansas from the ranks of the undefeated by going with a zone. Will Billy Donovan follow Bruce Pearl’s lead?

Flashback: Walter Hodge led Florida with 18 points as the Gators closed last year’s SEC regular season play with a 60-53 victory over Kentucky. Alex Tyus added 11, and Erving Walker chipped in 10 off the bench. Kentucky leads the all-time series 86-32, but Florida has won the last five in Gainesville and eight of the last ten meetings between these rivals.

The two schools have combined for 15 NCAA Tournament appearances since 2001. The Wildcats reached the Elite Eight in 2003 and 2005. Florida won back-to-back national titles in 2006 and 2007.

Foreshadowing: Sixty-seven Wildcats have made their way into the NBA including current players Kelenna Azubuike, Keith Bogans, Chuck Hayes, Jamal Magloire, Jodie Meeks, Nazr Mohammed, Randolph Morris, Tayshaun Prince and Rajon Rondo. Twenty former Gators have made rosters in the Association. Current players include Matt Bonner, Corey Brewer, Udonis Haslem, Al Horford, David Lee, Mike Miller, Joakim Noah, Marreese Speights and Jason Williams.

Tone: Florida needs redemption. Losing four of their last seven has the Gators in a tail spin. Knocking off the number two team in the country could propel Florida into SEC play. Going undefeated is unrealistic in 21st century division one play. Kentucky will lose eventually. Is it tonight?

Conflict: Nine Wildcats average double-figure minutes played per game.

Six Gators log at least 22 minutes per game. Ray Shipman plays just under 15 minutes per contest. Erik Murphy gets 9.8 per game. Which number is closer to reality and which is closer to fiction?

Do all the Wildcats get meaningful minutes, or has Calipari been able to substitute liberally in blowout games?

Five Gators average double figure points per game while three Wildcats score 15 or more.

Kentucky scores at a rate of 82.4 per tilt. Florida holds its opponents to 61.7 per game. Kentucky has a rebound margin of 10.6 while Florida grabs 2.6 more boards than its opponents.

Kentucky hands out 16.6 assists per game. Florida gets eights steal per night.

Which force will succeed?

Figuring out Kentucky out Kentucky becomes an analysis of the cart and horse theory.

Popular opinion suggests rookie sensation John Wall is the horse. Wall leads the Wildcats with 17,  seven assists and two steals.

Would Wall’s effectiveness decrease if he did not have Eric Bledsoe hitting threes. Bledsoe averages 45.2 percent from long range. It is not so much that Bledsoe has hit from behind the arc, but it is THAT he can hit from long range. Bledsoe nailed back-to-back three pointers as the Wildcats took a one-point halftime lead over Indiana and turned the game into a 17-point blowout.

Of course, Bledsoe and Wall benefit from Patrick Patterson and DeMarcus Cousins combining for 17.5 boards per game. Cousins grabs almost four offensive rebounds per game.

Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker combine for 26 points and eight and a half assists per game to lead the Gators. The back-court tandem has hit 60 three pointers and 73 free throws.

Vernon Macklin, Alex Tyus, and Dan Werner will have the responsibility for keeping the Wildcats off the boards. The trio combines for 17 rebounds.

Chandler Parson adds 11 points and six and a half rebounds off the bench.

Symbol: Florida prides itself on defensive pressure, but playing an extended man-to-man against Kentucky is a losing proposition. Will Billy Donovan deploy a zone?

Resolution: There is long way to go before the end of the season, but Florida needs this game more than Kentucky.  The Gators can not afford to start out conference play in a two-game hole.

As a team, the Gators shoot 70.4 percent from the free throw line. Kentucky finishes 68.6 percent from the stripe, but the Wildcats have made 118 more attempts (398-280) than their conference rival.

Kentucky is ripe for a loss, and the Gators are prepared to do the picking.

Got any comments on the game? Please post them here.

Phot by Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

By Paul Gotham

If all goes as planned, the Seattle Seahawks will announce Pete Carroll as their new coach early this week. The two sides continue to negotiate the extent of Carroll’s potential role with the NFC West team.

Carroll leaves behind a USC program that he led to 97  wins including a 55-19 victory over Oklahoma in the 2005 BCS title game.

Carroll’s potential move appears to be that of a coach looking for a new challenge. There is not much more the San Francisco native can accomplish at Southern Cal. His teams have won 10 or more games in seven of his nine seasons. Beyond that, 50 Trojans have moved on to the NFL during Carroll’s  tenure including Heisman Trophy winners Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush.

With the past closing in on him the nine-year coach knows the time is now for him to make a move.

Recently, the USC athletic department self-imposed sanctions upon its men’s basketball team.  A similar request was made for the Trojan football team. The NCAA declined, thus sending a clear message to Southern Cal: WE want to continue the investigation of the Trojan football program.

It has been four years since Reggie Bush left USC, and that is about how long the NCAA has been looking into possible violations surrounding the Heisman winner. A forced deposition could be coming from the star tailback soon after the NFL season. It appears as if the granules of sand are quickly diminishing from the hour glass.

No one knows what sanctions lie ahead, and Carroll has good reason for not wanting to stay around and find out.

Carroll’s case parallels that of current University of Kentucky basketball coach, John Calipari. The coach who made popular the mantra: “Refuse to Lose,” is on the short list of coaches who have led more than one school to the NCAA’s Final Four. He is on an even shorter list of coaches who have multiple appearances to the Final Four vacated because of violations.

Calipari’s named has been cleared of any wrong-doing with the 1996 University of Massachusetts Minutemen and the 2008 Memphis University Tigers. In other words, Calipari has avoided any consequences for those two programs of which he had direct supervision.

Much of the blame for the situation in Memphis has been placed on the NCAA. College basketball’s governing body gave Derrick Rose his eligibility only to recant that decision later. On the surface, Calipari avoids blame, but it is hard to ignore the coach’s role in the infraction. The NCAA oversees roughly 400,000 athletes. Calipari supervises less than 20.

Both Carroll and Calipari have more than likely addressed current and former players about personal responsibility – responsibility to self, family, team and school.

By week’s end, Carroll will have probably moved up the coast from Los Angeles to Seattle. Calipari’s Kentucky Wildcats will still be undefeated. Both leaving behind the responsibility for cleaning up situations which they were entrusted.

What should remain with these coaches is the reputation for leaving when the crime came to light.

Holloway

By Paul Gotham

Sunday sweep for the A-10

Rumors of the Atlantic 10′s demise appear greatly exaggerated, at least for now. After a sluggish November characterized more as opportunities lost rather than seizing chances, the A-10 seems to have landed on its feet. In a pair of intra-city rivalries, Xavier downed Cincinnati, 83-79 in a double overtime classic, and Temple took down Villanova, 75-65.

Sophomore, Terrell Holloway led the Musketeers to their third consecutive victory in the Crosstown Shootout.  The 6’0″ (that is generous) point guard did everything possible to seal the victory. Holloway finished with 26 points, four assists,  a steal, a rebound, and a defensive assignment not found in the box score.  The point guard from Hempstead, New York went a perfect 11 for 11 from the line including six in the first overtime period.  Holloway also assisted on the eventual game-winner when he drove the lane and dished to teammate, Jason Love, for the lay up.

All those numbers might take a back seat to Holloway’s late defensive stand. During a time out in the second OT, Holloway informed Xavier head coach, Chris Mack he could  stop Lance Stephenson. The Bearcat freshman had 22 points BEFORE Holloway manned up. After that, Stephenson got nothing…and had no choice whether he liked it or not. Holloway, giving up five inches, drew a pivotal charge late in the game.

Key numbers in the game: Xavier went 28-36 from the line. Cincy finished 10-22. Ouch! Both teams grabbed 43 rebounds. This is an important stat for the Musketeers who have been out-rebounded of late. Kansas State held a 39-30 edge on the boards in a victory of XU. Likewise, Baylor got the best of the boards 40-29 in a 69-64 victory over XU. Xavier’s rebounding woes can be traced to Jamel McLean whose father recently passed away. McLean is Xavier resident ball-getter. He is active on the glass and tough to box out. Here’s hoping McLean and the Muskies can continue moving forward.

Jason Love grabbed 19 rebounds against Cincy. The senior is averaging 9.9ppg and 11rpg.

The game was the 77th meeting between the schools divided by 3.3 miles. Cincinnati holds a 47-30 advantage.

ESPN’s Pat Forde enjoyed the spice of the Crosstown Shootout.

Xavier’s wasn’t the only victory by an A-10 team over a Big East squad.  Juan Fernandez dropped 33 points, Ryan Brooks added 20, and Lavoy Allen led the Owls on the boards as Temple took a Big 5 match-up from #3 Villanova.

Down six at half, the Owls opened the second stanza on a 11-0 run. Fernandez led Temple with seven 3s for the game. The Owls shot 11-22 from long range. Lavoy Allen pulled down 17 rebounds, and Temple bested their Philly ruval on the glass, 32-24. Allen pulled down three offensive rebounds.

Earlier this year, the Owls lost to Georgetown by one. Temple is currently 8-2. Temple plays Seton Hall later this week and has a date with the Kansas Jayhawks on January 2nd.

The loss was Villanova’s first of the season and first in Big 5 play since February of 2008. Scottie Reynolds led three Wildcats in double figures with 23. Antonio Pena scored 16, and Corey Fisher added 14.

What is the best non-conference rivalry in the country?

These wins come on the heels of a pair of other big victories for the A10. Charlotte tripped up Louisville, 87-65.  Rhode Island trimmed Boston College, 80-69.

Capel making adjustments

Oklahoma coach, Jeff Capel, knew he would have to adjust. After losing 22ppg, 14 rpg, and 2apg when Player-of-the-Year, Blake Griffin, moved on to the NBA, Capel prepared for changes.  Oklahoma dropped to 2-3 when they lost to Houston, 100-93. Since then, Capel shifted to a four-guard lineup. Capel has surrounded freshman center, Tiny Gallon, with Tommy Mason-Griffin, Tony Crocker, Cade Davis, and Willie Warren. The result is a four-game winning streak with triumphs over Arkansas, Arizona, Centenary, and Utah.

All the rage

Not sure the last time a freshman received as much attention as Kentucky’s John Wall. The 6’4″ freshman is averaging 18ppg, 7.1apg, and 4.1rpg.  Everyone from Dickie Vitale and Jason Williams have heaped praises in Wall’s direction calling him the greatest freshman ever.

Okay, so it is as if in Wall they took Magic Johnson’s touch, put it in Adrian Dantley’s frame, and gave it Calvin Murphy’s speed. Wow! Did I just date myself? Right now, there are a half dozen hipsters googling Calvin Murphy. Save your energy. Trust me. As far as basketball court speed goes, no one is faster than the former Niagara Purple Eagle.

Murphy

Here’s the thing with Wall. Yeah, the Wildcats have beaten Stanford, Carolina, UConn, and Indiana. Those aren’t exactly Little Debbie cupcake all-stars. But it is a matter of time before the Wildcats meet their own personal speed bump. Saturday, the Hoosiers used a 2-3 zone in the first half to keep the Wildcats in check. It was 42-41 at half. In the second stanza, the Wildcats converted two turnovers into a 19-2 faster than Kelvin Sampson can punch out a 150 character text message. The Hoosiers were forced to go man and Kentucky went on to a 90-73 victory.

Once a team takes care of the ball and can play a soft man, Kentucky will meet their match. That sounds like Florida on January 12th.

Is the medicine getting to Roy?

With his UNC Tar Heels en route to a 103-64 trouncing over big, bad Presbyterian, head coach Roy Williams had a rare moment of losing his cool. Ol’ Roy is recovering from shoulder surgery and it is well-known that the head coach suffers from occasional dizzy spell. Is it possible Roy is experiencing some side effects from the meds? Speaking of side effects to medicine – does it bother anyone else when seeing a TV ad for a medicine when the precautions and list of side effects outnumber the benefits?

Who says the Ivy League doesn’t care about wins?

Glen Miller found hot seats can exist in the Ivy League. After Pennsylvania started 0-7, Miller found himself on the outside looking in. The Quakers made the move to dismiss the third-year coach. Assistant coach and former Quaker great, Jerome Allen, takes over on an interim basis. Allen is the last Ivy Leaguer drafted into the NBA.

Staying in the Ivy League – Harvard recently topped Boston College 74-67. The Crimson also dropped a close one to UConn, 79-73. Harvard plays Georgetown on December 23rd.

Syracuse jumps to #5

Spurned by the pre-season voters, Jim Boeheim’s Syracuse Orange have run off 10 in a row to open the season. The Orange show how the total can be greater than the sum of the parts. With glue-like players, Andy Rautins and Wes Johnson the Orange are exceeding expectations. Many thought the Orange would stall with the exits of Jonny Flynn, Paul Harris, and Eric Devendorf. Instead, the Orange run the floor and play selfless basketball.  Coming soon to a high school team near you – zone defense.

Got any college basketball splinters? Share them here.

Leading up to the 2009 NIT Season Tip Off on November 16th, Pickin’ Splinters will be counting down the top 25 of the college hardwood nation.

’08 – ’09 Results: 22 – 14 (8 – 8 SEC) Lost in the third round of the NIT Tournament to Notre Dame, 77 – 67.

Coach: John Calipari (first season) 444 – 140 17 seasons

Key Returners:

Patrick Patterson – 17.9ppg, 9.3rpg

Darius Miller – 5.3ppg, 3.1rpg

Perry Stevenson – 7.8ppg, 5.9rpg

Ramon Harris – 5.5ppg, 3.8rpg

Notable Non-Conference Tilts: 11/24 vs. Cleveland State, 11/25 vs. Stanford or Virginia, 12/5 vs. North Carolina, 12/9 vs. UConn, 12/12 at Indiana, 1/2 vs. Louisville

Stat of Identity: 77.3% from the free throw line – 6th in the nation.

By Paul Gotham

Kentucky’s Wildcats have made grabbing headlines a major pre-occupation this off-season – not always to their liking. New head coach, John Calipari, found himself having to answer questions about his former place of  employment. Recruit, John Wall, recently found his eligibility called into question.

Calipari and his Wildcats will need to cast aside any and all distractions and focus on the task of grabbing positive headlines.

Veterans, Patrick Patterson and Darius Miller will lead the way, but this Wildcat squad might be more about its freshman than its experience.

DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, and Wall come with plenty of fanfare. The three freshmen are immediately expected to jump into the Kentucky and make an impact. Calipari is experienced with helping freshmen make a quick adjustment into the college. The Calipari has done well in the past using freshmen, but he has never done it at Kentucky where every move will be scrutinized.

Not only will Calipari need to bring along his freshmen quickly, but the upper-classmen will need to adapt to Calipari’s ‘dribble drive’ offense. While the set is not overly complicated, it will still take some getting used to.

An area of concern for Calipari has to be success from the three-point arc. Kentucky converted 202 trifectas last year – 117 came from the fingertips of the now departed Jodie Meeks. Without a deep threat, defense will easily collapse on Patterson in the post.

At 6’7″, Miller will present match up problems for opponents. The guard should get good looks at the basket.

Sophomores, Darnell Dodson and DeAndre Liggins will see time off the bench.

Considering the free throw woes of his Memphis teams, it will be interesting to see how Calipari’s Wildcats do from the charity stripe. Kentucky ranked high in this category last year.

AP Photo/Mark Humphrey

By Paul Gotham

It’s one thing to lose – make sure you don’t lose twice.

Sage advice shared by many a coach.

In the past, the suggestion of such words offered perspective for young athletes. Losing a single contest should serve as an opportunity for learning. One needs to make sure to not lose respect through such a process – respect for the opponent, respect for the game, and respect for oneself.

On this day like so many other days, with sports stories swirling through the ticker,  those words of advice need to find the ears of Coach John Calipari.

The Memphis Tigers’ 2007-2008 season faces extinction. Like a common advertisement delivered by the post man quickly whisked to the circular file, college basketball fans can dispose of the Memphis run to the NCAA finals. For John Calipari, this is not the first time through such an experience.

Followers can consider what might have been for those teams that lost to Memphis. There was the first round victory over Texas-Arlington. It didn’t matter. The Mavericks earned a sixteen seed and would have only fallen to someone else.

Then came the three-point victory over Mississippi State in the second round. Memphis promptly blew out the ‘Sweet Sixteen’ candles of Michigan State before eliminating Texas and earning a spot in the Final Four.  UCLA posed little threat to the Tigers in a national semi-final decided by 15 points.

Maybe fans of those schools can seek the counsel of Central Florida, Stanford, Arkansas, and Georgetown. After all, those teams found themselves trudging through the manure of John Calipari’s University of Massachusetts Minutemen as they rode their horses into the 1996 Final Four.

Forgive me if I overlook those injustices.

I find it difficult to believe Coach Cal is “not implicated in either instance.”

Calipari made famous the mantra: ‘Refuse to Lose.’ As if he possessed some deep understanding of the virtues needed to inspire young men on a quest to become part of something larger than themselves.

Now, it seems impossible to separate Calipari from the allegations of a  fraudulent SAT score, doctored high school grades, and paid trips for relatives.

Yet Calipari has conveniently left all of that behind as he now prepares his Kentucky Wildcats for the upcoming season.

Calipari and his fans can rationalize all they want. Hey! at least Calipari isn’t like that thug Michael Vick who killed defenseless dogs, lied to the Feds, and smoked pot.

No, Calipari didn’t do those things. All he did, in his dapper suit with a clean-shaven face, is lead a team of young men. And he led them to believe in another mantra: “It ain’t cheating unless you get caught.” Now, it seems Calipari has even figured out how to manipulate that adage. Calipari’s new motto reads: it ain’t cheating when you can run from the consequences.

Maybe,  Calipari could consider the wisdom found on a wall of the Philadelphia Palestra:  ”To win the game is great . . . To play the game is greater . . . But to love the game is the greatest of all.”

Winning is NOT the most important thing; loving the game is what matters. For all those who came before him, Calipari needs to take responsibility for what he has done. From now on, all of us will wonder what could have really happened in the 2008 NCAA tournament.

Let’s hope Michael Vick is not like John Calipari. Let’s hope Vick can make good on his second chance.