By Paul Gotham

Don’t sweat the small stuff…

…unless you lose a conference game in overtime, at home.

Preparation for a basketball game does not get much more basic than free throw box outs. Defensive players wait for the shooter’s release, step in front of the opponent, and maintain contact. Easy. Right?

Saturday night, that concept cost Kansas State a win over Kansas. On two occasions late in the second half, Kansas State players committed free throw lane violations. One to no consequence. The other resulted in a point for Kansas.

Remember, the game went into overtime.

The Wildcats misfortunes in the lane did not stop there. Twice, the Jay Hawks rebounded their own missed free throws. One time, with two minutes remaining in regualtion, Brady Morningstar grabbed a Cole Aldrich miss and reset the offense. Eventually, Tyshawn Taylor hit two free throws and Kansas led 69-66.

In overtime, Aldrich grabbed a Sherron Collins missed free throw. Again, the Jay Hawks reset the offense, and the Wildcats committed a foul.

How much rebounding work do you think the Wildcats did the next day in practice?

Cornell in the Top 25

It took 59 years, but the Cornell Big Red made the rankings. This week’s ESPN/USA Today poll had Cornell ranked 25th. The Big Red just missed earning a spot in the AP poll.

Princeton’s ’97-’98 team was the last Ivy League school that earned a spot. The Tigers finished eighth in the final poll of that season.

Cornell spent some weeks in the rankings during the 1950-51 campaign.

Cornell currently ranks 36th in the RPI.

It’s official; Carolina is rebuilding

Over the weekend Carolina lost to Virginia, 75-60. With the defeat, the Tar Heels have dropped four of five and have fallen to 13-8 overall. Any chance last week’s snub from the rankings provided motivation proved futile. The Heels continue to struggle. That’s what happens when you lose a boat load of first round picks.

Things don’t get better any time soon for Roy Williams and his Heels. UNC plays their next two on the road – tomorrow at Virginia Tech and Sunday at Maryland.

This can not be good though. It only means one thing. The biggest game(s) of the season for the Heels will come on February 10th and March 6th when they play Duke. The Heels can erase a mediocre season by spanking their Tobacco Road rival.

Who says you can’t go home?

With a conference record of 1-8 and an overall mark of 8-13, it’s hard to imagine that the DePaul Blue Demons once had a proud basketball tradition. From 1976 to 1989 the Blue Demons missed the NCAA Tournament just twice. Keep in mind, ‘The Dance’ consisted of just 32 teams through the 1978 season. DePaul reached the Elite Eight in ’78, the National Semis in ’79 and made Sweet Sixteen appearances in ’84, ’86, and ’87.

Since 1992, the Blue Demons have made just two appearances: 2000 and 2004.

As a freshman, Mark Aguirre led DePaul to the National Semi-Finals in 1979.  They lost 76-74 to Larry Bird and the Indiana State Sycamores. Aguirre knows a thing or two about DePaul hoops.

According to Chicago Breaking News, the former NBA all-star and current assistant for the New York Knicks is interested in the job.

It would be nice to see DePaul return to prominence. Is Aguirre the man for the job?

How valuable is a coach?

Sometimes, it is easy to overlook the wisdom of the guy on the sidelines.

UConn’s recent struggles should serve as a reminder that a coach has value.

The Huskies won’t take Jim Calhoun for granted. With the hall of fame coached sidelined for medical reasons, the Huskies have dropped their last three games. With a record of 13-9, UConn’s chances for the NCAA Tournament are starting to look bleak.

Niagara’s Tyrone Lewis

ESPN’s Dana O’Neill did a great story on Tyrone Lewis from Niagara University. When you get a chance, click here to give it a read.

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  DeSean Butler – West Virginia

C Greg Monroe – Georgetown

Got any college basketball splinters? Share them here.