The best ten days of the pre-March college hoops season starts tonight

For anyone that stayed up to watch all 24 plus hours of the 2009 Tip-Off Marathon, kudos. You are probably just as tired as I am right now.

But don't think, not for a second, that we are done with this season's non-conference craziness.

You see, today kicks off the best ten day stretch of the college basketball season that doesn't involve the terms "March" or "Madness". In early November, most teams are playing cupcakes, ironing out the kinks in their rotations, their offense, and their defense, and trying to find an identity. When December rolls around and finals hit, most schools tone down their scheduling. Flying cross-country the day before a exam is not the best way to keep up a GPA.

That leaves the end of November. And while much of the country will spend Turkey week watching football, if you get sick of watching the Lions or this weekend's meaningless college football schedule, you can rest assured that there will be plenty of hoops to be seen.

So without further ado, here are the 10 questions we hope will be answered by the end of Feast Week (for a full breakdown of the preseason tournaments, go here)

How will UNC play against real competition?

North Carolina is 3-0 early in the season, but they haven't exactly played the meat of the ACC schedule. They also haven't looked all that impressive in wins over FIU, North Carolina Central, and Valpo. There are two major issues for the Heels - perimeter shooting and the play of their younger guys. In their first three wins, UNC won, for the most part, because Deon Thompson, Ed Davis, and Tyler Zeller were just too strong inside. Playing against teams with similar strength inside, will the back court be capable of winning games? Larry Drew has been solid, but unspectacular, in his first three games starting at the point. Marcus Ginyard and Will Graves are smart veteran players and good defenders, but they aren't exactly Wayne Ellington offensively. Dexter Strickland, Leslie McDonald, and John Henson have been disappointing thus far. If the Heels don't find a perimeter shooter and their young back court kids don't develop in a hurry, Roy Williams may regret his team's difficult early schedule.


Will UCLA's defense pick up?

Did you watch the UCLA-Cal St. Fullerton game? The Bruins lost a double overtime snoozefest to the Titans in one of the ugliest games I have seen in a long time. Why? UCLA doesn't have a go-to guy offensively. Malcolm Lee was expected to be that guy, and while he had his moments, against CSF he showed he still has a long way to go. PG Jerime Anderson looked nervous and played without confidence throughout the game, and Drew Gordon is without an effective offensive game. Michael Roll and Nikola Dragovic, when he finds he jumper, are effective complimentary scorers, but they aren't the guys you want to rely upon for a big basket. With their injuries in the pre-season, these struggles were somewhat expected. UCLA's struggles defensively weren't. Don't be fooled by the numbers, the Bruins allowed the Titans to penetrate at will, and if CSF had been able to finish at the rim (the Titans must have missed 15 lay-ups), UCLA would have lost by 20. UCLA will get a talented Portland team in the opening round of the 76 Classic, followed by a tough match-up with either Butler or Minnesota. Their defense will be tested.


Is Gonzaga's front line really as good as they played against Michigan State?

Everyone knew about Gonzaga's back court coming into the season. Matt Bouldin, Demetri Goodson, and Steven Gray (ED. Note: Until he cuts his hair, I propose the nickname of Geico for Steven Gray. He looks just like one of the cavemen.) are as talented as any three in the back court. The question was in the front court, and Robert Sacre and Elias Harris more than proved themselves. Sacre has 17 points on an impressive variety of post moves, while Harris used his strength and athleticism to bully his way to 17 and 9. The question is was that a result of a young and depleted Spartan front line, or are Sacre and Harris really that good? With Colorado and the winner of Arizona/Wisconsin in the first two rounds of the Maui Invitational, Sacre and Harris will get a chance to prove this wasn't a fluke performance.


Will Greivis Vasquez break out of this shooting slump?

Greivis Vasquez has struggled through the first two games of the season. He is just 6-25 from the floor, 2-7 from three, and averaging a paltry 8.0 ppg. How is this possible? Everyone knows that he is one of the most talented players in the country, and by far the best player on the Maryland team.

Therein lies the problem. If the fans know it and the writers and bloggers know it, then shouldn't you expect opposing coaches to know it as well? When you are as good as Vasquez is, team's are going to key in on you. And that is precisely what has happened. The shooting numbers for Vasquez are going to come around. It is only a matter of time, and as anyone that has played basketball knows, all it takes is for one to go down and a player is right back on track. The good news is that the rest of Vasquez's game hasn't suffered. As he is drawing more attention on the offensive end, he has been great at distributing the ball. Through two games, he has 19 assists and just six turnovers. Hopefully, he can find his stroke against Chaminade in the Maui Invitational, because the Terps are going to need him against Cincinnati or Vanderbilt in the second round.


Can Cincinnati play an effective brand of basketball with Lance Stephenson and Deonta Vaughn on the court at the same time?

Two games in, and the Lance Stephenson experiment isn't exactly going perfectly. In the opener, the Bearcats struggled to run their offense against an extremely out-talented Prairie View A&M. Lance Stephenson struggled, finishing 2-10 from the floor for 7 points, while Deonta Vaughn played so poorly that he was benched for the start of the second half. Then against Toledo, the Bearcats allowed a team that starts three freshman to hang around, cutting the lead to 57-49 with 14 minutes left, and while shooting 48% from the floor for the game. Clearly, this is not a team that is firing on all cylinders right now. There seem to be two issues at hand - Stephenson is a bit too anxious early in the season (Cronin went so far as too call him a nervous wreck in the opener), and Vaughn seems to lack the leadership qualities that Cronin is looking for. Will they figure it out by the time they play Vanderbilt out in Maui?


Are Kansas State's post players good enough for the Wildcats to compete in the Big XII? Is Georgia Tech's back court good enough to make them relevant in the ACC?

Kansas State and Georgia Tech are in similar situations. The Wildcats have one of the most talented back courts in the country in Denis Clemente, Jacob Pullen, and Rodney MscGruder. But their front court, which is full of potential, is largely an unknown commodity. Is Curtis Kelly the Curtis Kelly that scored 22 in their opener, or is he the kid that couldn't get any minutes at UConn? How good will Wally Judge and Jamar Samuels end up being? We find out starting tonight as K-State takes on Boston U.

Georgia Tech is the other way around. With Zach Peacock, Gani Lawal, and Derrick Favors, the Jackets have one of the best front courts around. But will their perimeter play be enough to carry them to the top of a wide open ACC? Iman Shumpert was good at times last season, but all erratic and inconsistent. Mfon Udofia, Glen Rice Jr, and Moe Miller are talented, but unproven. The return of DeAndre Bell from a back injury should help provide leadership, but this group of youngsters has their work cut out for them. We should learn a lot from their match-up with the tough Dayton Flyers today.


Is UConn going to live up to their lofty expectations this year?

UConn is 3-0 on the season, but with the exception of the second half against Colgate, UConn has been far from impressive this season. William & Mary was down seven with the ball in the final four minutes, Colgate was down one at halftime (and outplayed the Huskies in the first half), and Hofstra was up by nine with nine minutes left before Jerome Dyson took over. The problem the Huskies have had is on the offensive end - they can't score in the half court. Where they are most effective defensively is in their 2-2-1 press, but UConn can only set up that press after a made basket. The press not only creates turnovers and offense, it takes the opposition out of there rhythm. Unless UConn can find a shooter or two (Jamal Coombs-McDaniel has been their best thus far, but Dyson can shoot with time as well), teams are going to pack in their defense, forcing the Huskies into tough drives at the rim. While Dyson and Kemba Walker excel at slashing to the basket, its a much tougher task going against a sagging 2-3 zone than a close-out in a man-to-man situation.


Can Evan Turner continue to impress playing against quality competition?

Sure, Evan Turner has great numbers right now. Can anyone really argue with 19 ppg, 17 rpg, 7 apg, and 2 spg? No, they can't. But Turner posted those numbers against less than stellar competition. His triple-double came against Alcorn State, who shut down Rotnei Clarke to the tune of 51 points later that week. The 24 point, 17 rebound performance in his second game came against James Madison, a middle of the pack team from the CAA that lost three of their top four scorers. On Thursday and Friday, Turner will be going up against North Carolina and either Syracuse or Cal. Will he continue to dominate playing the point guard spot, or were these first two games a fluke? Personally, I think his domination continues. Turner is an all-american and arguably the most versatile, well-rounded player in the country. His numbers may drop (I don't see him getting 17 boards against UNC), but that should be expected. Don't expect his value to the Buckeyes success to diminish at all, however.


Are Rider and Cornell for real?

Rider has wins on the road against Mississippi State and Lehigh. Cornell has won games at Alabama and UMass. This should have been expected from Cornell. They are a talented and experienced group that has won back-to-back Ivy League crowns. Louis Dale, the '07-'08 Ivy player of the year, is one of the best point guards you have never seen player. Two-time Ivy first-teamer Ryan Wittman is on the short list for best shooter in the country. 7'0" center Jeff Foote is the reigning defensive player of the year, and has added some offense to his game this season, averaging 13.5 ppg. Cornell has a great point guard, a big center, shooters on the wing, and a solid group of experienced role players. Isn't that the ideal situation for a mid-major?

Rider, on the other hand, was not a team a lot of people were talking about in the pre-season. They play in the MAAC, which is a conference headlined by Siena and Niagara. There is not a lot of space at the top. But what people forget is that Rider won 19 games last season, 12 in the MAAC including splits with Siena and Niagara, and returned their top five scorers, including Ryan Thompson. Rider, however, may not be able to carry this momentum like Cornell. They rely a little too much on the three ball (their top four perimeter players are a combined 25-35 from deep in two games, that's 71%), and when those stop dropping at that rate, the Broncs may come back down to earth.


How will Purdue react to the loss of Lewis Jackson?

As we talked about yesterday, this will be a big change for Purdue. Without Jackson, they do not have a true point guard on their roster. The Boilermakers were fine with Keaton Grant and E'Twaun Moore sharing point guard duties two years ago when they reached the NCAA Tournament, and given the team-oriented offense that Purdue likes to run, the Boilermakers should have enough on their roster to survive. But after spending an off-season preparing for running an offense through Jackson, it will be an adjustment getting used to Grant and Moore running the show.

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Top 10 moments from 2008-2009 - No. 9

College basketball season tips off today, and in an effort to get you guys (and ourselves) excited, we will be counting down the Top 10 moments from last season. Check back with us throughout the day as we will be posting on the hour until 7pm, when UNC and FIU kick off the 2009-2010 college basketball season.

9. We have a three-way tie because, well, we couldn't make a decision. Sue us. Michael Washington's dunk to beat then No. 7 Texas was one of my favorite plays of the year, but Greivis Vasquez's performance in Maryland's upset of UNC was one of the most dominating performances I have ever seen, perhaps only topped by Jodie Meeks going for 54 against Tennessee.






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2009-2010 College Basketball Season Preview: Point Guards

The season is fast approaching. The first games are on Nov. 9th, and the BIAH live blog during ESPN's season kickoff is just two weeks away. So with just a week until actual games are played, we figured the best way to finish up our 2008-2009 season previews is to give you our Top 10 players at each position. You know how much we love a good Top 10 list here.

A few caveats. First, we're talking about how good these guys are as college players, not how well they project as a pro. Second, while it may be too much power for me, I am making the executive decision on what "position" a player is (and it may not necessarily be what he is listed as on a roster). Third, I am not putting the freshman in the list. As much as I've read about these guys and as many Youtube clips as I have watched, I have yet to see many of them play a real game (the all-star games don't count), and I don't think that I could give an accurate assessment until I see them play. Lastly, I love me a good argument, so if you think someone is too low or too high or the wrong position, leave a comment and let me hear about it.

Here are the point guards.

Best Freshman:

• John Wall, Kentucky
• Abdul Gaddy, Washington
• Maalik Wayns, Villanova

Best of the Rest:

• Charles Jenkins, Hofstra
• Chris Warren, Ole Miss
• Courtney Fortson, Arkansas
• Jimmer Fredette, BYU
• Trevon Hughes, Wisconsin
• Mac Hobson, Idaho
• Corey Fisher, Villanova

Top 10:

• 10. Talor Battle, Penn State: Talor Battle was the major reason that Penn State was relevant down the stretch last season. Battle's offensive game is based on his ability to shoot, where he is excellent, especially in the clutch as he knocked down a couple game-winners last year. When he puts the ball on the floor, Battle is good at getting into the paint and is a solid finisher in the lane despite lacking outstanding explosiveness. If he improves his ability to create for his teammates (he averaged 5.0 apg last season, but a lot of that was simply the result of moving the ball around the perimeter), this ranking may end up being too low by the end of the year.


• 9. Shelvin Mack, Butler: Mack is one of the more underrated point guards in the country. Playing on a team with Gordon Hayward and Matt Howard in the Horizon League will do that to you. But don't doubt his ability. Mack is an effective scorer, capable of carrying the Bulldogs if Hayward and/or Howard happen to be struggling. A big, strong kid (6'3", 215 lb), Mack is an excellent defender and a good rebounder from the guard spot. He needs to improve on his quickness getting into the lane, as well as add some consistency to his perimeter jumper, but the bottom-line is that Mack is the guy that runs the shows for Butler, who most believe will be a top 10 or 15 team this season.

Shelvin Mack is one of the most underrated point guards in the country.
(photo credit: Horizon League)

• 8. Nic Wise, Arizona: Arizona caught a huge break when Nic Wise decided to return to school. With all the turnover in the Arizona program, Wise declared for the 2009 NBA Draft and expected to end up playing overseas this season. But when Sean Miller was able to sign five top 100 recruits this summer, Wise decided that the Wildcats just might have enough talent to be a factor this year. Arizona is going to go as far as Wise carries them. After slimming down before his junior season, Wise had an exceptional junior campaign, at times carrying a Wildcat team with two NBA draft picks on it. While he is capable of creating opportunities for others, Wise is going to be asked to shoulder much more of a scoring load this year as the young Wildcats adjust to the college game.


• 7. Scottie Reynolds, Villanova: Reynolds doesn't get the national credit that he deserves. He's not a guy that is going to be a great pro, as his athletic limitations will limit his effectiveness at the next level. But at the collegiate level, his smarts allow him to get by. Reynolds is a deadly three-point shooter, but when he is playing his best, he is putting the ball on the floor and going to the rim. Despite an underwhelming vertical, he finishes well in the paint because he is able to use his body to shield his man. He has had his play-making duties reduced with the emergence on Corey Fisher along side him. Where Reynolds is at his best in the clutch. He is the guy that Jay Wright is going to go to when he needs a basket.


• 6. Jerome Randle, Cal: I've said it before and I'll say it again - Jerome Randle might be my favorite player in the country to watch. The catalyst for Cal's resurgence last season, Randle should once again carry the team that was picked to win the Pac-10. Randle is the perfect fit for the spread system that Mike Montgomery is running in Berkeley. Very solid with the ball in his hands, Randle is adept at beating his man off the dribble thanks to his fantastic ability to change speeds. But you cannot lay off of him as he is one of the best shooters in the country. If Cal is going to win the Pac-10, it will be Randle's play that will carry them there.

Despite his small stature, Jerome Randle is one of the best scorers in the country.
(photo credit: DailyCal)

• 5. Devan Downey, South Carolina: Downey is small, even for a point guard, but he is unbelievably quick. Downey can flat out score. He is at his best when he is attacking the rim, where an effective floater and an impressive ability to create space through contact with the defender allows him to finish inside. Downey tends to settle for threes, but when he is on he can hit four or five in a row from deep. Downey is a high-risk, high-reward kind of guy. He takes a lot of tough shots, but makes a good number of them. He tries quite a few risky passes and gambles for steals on the defensive end, but again, he is successful enough of the time that it isn't a huge issue. Expect big numbers once again from Downey, as his speed and ability to create in the open court will be instrumental in Darrin Horn's uptempo, pressuring style of play.


• 4. Kemba Walker, UConn: Walker came into UConn as a much-herald recruit out of NYC's Rice High, but was stifled a bit last season by UConn's slower tempo and the presence of all-american AJ Price. With UConn being a smaller, more athletic team this season, expect Jim Calhoun to play a much faster pace with Walker being the catalyst. He is an absolute menace on the defensive end as he may be the quickest player in the country. Offensively, he is near impossible to stay in front of. Despite his small size, Walker can finish at the rim, but he is at his best when he collapses a defense and finds an open man - be it a big at the rim or a shooter on the perimeter. While his jump shot could still use some improvement, Walker is going to be the motor that makes the Huskies engine run this season.


• 3. Greivis Vasquez, Maryland: Simply put, Vasquez will be the most exciting player in the ACC this season. While his time in College Park has been maddeningly inconsistent, Vasquez improved his decision making last year. He didn't force as many tough shots and more often settled for the smart, easy pass as opposed to the highlight reel play. When he is playing well, Vasquez can completely take a game over, even against a much more talented team (see his triple-double is MD's win over UNC last year). He still will need to focus on making the smart play this year, but in terms of pure talent, Vasquez is good enough to carry an undermanned Terp team to a second straight NCAA tournament.


• 2. Kalin Lucas, Michigan State: Lucas is the perfect fit for the team-oriented offense that Tom Izzo likes to run. He can play on the ball or off, and is excellent at picking his spots to attack. Not the quickest player in the world, he is excellent at changing speed and direction when putting the ball on the floor. Lucas is going to be instrumental for the Spartans this season as Izzo is going to look to play a quicker pace than he did last year. Lucas is valuable for a talented MSU team because he can run a team and keep an offense moving without dominating the ball, but if the shot clock is winding down, he is more than capable of creating a good shot, either for himself or for a teammate.

Sherron Collins and Kalin Lucas are the two best point guards in the country.
(photo credit: daylife)

• 1. Sherron Collins, Kansas: Collins is an easy pick atop these rankings. First team pre-season all-american and the star player and leader for the consensus best team in the country. Collins is a great scorer at this level. He is strong enough to get to the rim on just about anyone, but he has three-point range well beyond NBA line. What makes Collins so good is he really developed into a point guard last season. While he had to shoulder a bulk of the scoring load for a young Jayhawk team, he was a good decision maker. He knew when he should pass and he knew when he needed to shoot. But the biggest difference between Collins and anyone on this list is his ability to make a big play when you really need it. If you are down one with 15 seconds left on the clock, is there anyone in the country you would rather have with the ball in their hands?

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2009-2010 Team Preview: Maryland Terrapins

2008-2009 Record: 21-14, 7-9 ACC (7th)

Key Losses: Dave Neal (8.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg), Braxton DuPree

Key Returners: Greivis Vasquez (17.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 5.0 apg), Landon Milbourne (11.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg), Eric Hayes (10.3 ppg, 3.2 apg)

Newcomers: Jordan Williams, James Padgett

Fiery PG Greivis Vasquez will try to lead Maryland to their second straight tournament.
(photo credit: Washington Post)

In late January last season, after the Terrapins had lost four of five, speculation over the job security of head coach Gary Williams came to a head as he and the Terp's athletic director had a very public feud in the media about the reason a couple recruits were not allowed into Maryland. But the Terps were able to rally at the end of the season, knocking off a couple of the ACC bigwigs en route to a trip to the NCAA Tournament's second round and earning Williams a contract extension.

The Terps hope to carry some of that momentum into 2009-2010 as they return basically everyone. They caught a break when Greivis Vasquez, their leader and a potential first team all-american, decided to return to College Park for his senior year. Vasquez is a bit of an enigma. There may not be a more passionate player in the country, but that passion does not always manifest itself in the right way; Vasquez has a reputation for being vocal with opponents, the media, and the fans (sometimes even Maryland fans), and not necessarily in a good way.

The thing you cannot deny about Vasquez is his talent. While he has been inconsistent from game to game throughout his career, when he is clicking he can take over against any team in the country (case in point: the 35 point, 10 board, 10 assist, 3 steal, and 3 block performance he had in an OT win over UNC last year might have been the best all-around game of the '08-'09 season). There isn't much Vasquez can't do on the offensive end, but his biggest problem might be that he knows that. He has three point range, can score in the mid-range, is able to drive and find the open man and can also finish around the rim. The problem is the degree of difficulty of the plays he tries to make. For example, during his breakout sophomore season, Vasquez averaged 6.8 apg, but also 4.4 t/o's. As a junior, he averaged just 5.0 apg, but cut his turnovers to just 2.8 per game. That was a result of better decision making - he didn't try to make the spectacular play as often, instead making the smart pass even if it didn't draw the wows. If he can continue to mature in his play and decision making, a 20, 6, and 6 season is not a stretch.

But Vasquez can only take the Terps so far by himself. As a team, Maryland had two major issues last year - they did not have really have a second option offensively and they were small on the interior. The Terps lost both Dave Neal and Braxton Durpree, returning just Dino Gregory in the paint. I did like some of what I saw from Gregory in the limited minutes he got last year, but he is going to be counted on for much, much more production this year in an expanded role.

Williams did address the issue up front, adding two big man recruits. The better of the two is Jordan Williams, a 6'9", 250 lb Connecticut native (you may know him as this kid). Williams does show promise, as he is a big body that he can get out and run the floor but also absorb contact in the paint. If he can improve his conditioning (aka trim the baby fat) and continue to improve his developing back to the basket game, Williams could be a significant factor for the Terps this year. The other newbie is James Padgett, a 6'8" athlete from Lincoln High School in NYC. Padgett is raw on the offensive end, but he has long arms, some serious hops, that NYC mean streak, and he plays hard. He will provide a Maryland with some excellent energy off the bench. Also expect 6'9" junior Jerome Burney and 6'10" Steve Goins to compete for minutes.

The two most important players for this Maryland team will probably be seniors Eric Hayes and Landon Milbourne. Both have been solid role players for the past two seasons, but if Maryland has any hope of competing for what is a wide open ACC title, they are going to need to have a second legitimate scoring option. The issue is that both guys are stuck in a bit of a tweener role. Milbourne is a swingman, most effective when he can slash to the basket and utilize his length and athleticism, but he has been forced to play a lot on the interior as Maryland has lacked size. While it could be to his advantage when he is guarded by a four (he can get by his man), he does not yet have a perimeter shot that is consistent enough to be respected. Hayes has basically been a spot up shooter for the Terps the last two seasons, but he can do much more than that when given the opportunity. He can create shots for himself and others, but he is most effective playing on the ball, which he can't do as much playing with Vasquez.

The one place Maryland is set is with perimeter depth. Adrian Bowie, Sean Mosley, and Cliff Tucker are all capable players on the perimeter. While they each bring a different skill set to the table (Bowie is the most dangerous penetrator, Mosley is a shut down defender, and Cliff Tucker, at 6'6", is probably the most versatile and best shooter), what they give Gary Williams is the ability to use a variety of different combinations on the perimeter.

Outlook: With Greivis Vasquez on the court, Maryland is going to have a chance to win every single game they play. But, as they proved last year, they are also capable of throwing up as poor of a showing as anyone in the country (losses to Morgan State and to Duke by 40). Maryland has to be in the conversation as a sleeper in a wide open ACC, but unless a secondary scorer emerges and their inexperienced front line develops, Maryland will probably be a middle of the road ACC team and headed to the NCAA tournament.
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Who are we still waiting on?

Tyler Smith and Dominique Archie have both pulled their names out of the NBA Draft, which provides a huge boost to both schools.

So with four days left for players to return to school, who are the big names we are still waiting to hear from?

- Brian Davis, Chinemelu Elonu, and Donald Sloan, Texas A&M: None of these three guys seem likely to be drafted, and all three should return to school. Elonu is probably the best bet to have a solid NBA career given his size, length, and athleticism. The Two Man Game even compared him Joakim Noah and Tyson Chandler, although I think Louis Admunson is a lot closer.

- Austin Daye, Gonzaga: Daye is in a tricky situation. There have been numerous reports about him - that his dad wants him to stay in the draft and that he has been promised in the top 20. Although he really could use another season in college to let his body (and his personality) mature enough to where he is ready for the league, can you really argue with being a top 20 pick and taking the guaranteed money. Reports yesterday have Daye staying in.

- Devan Downey, South Carolina: Downey would likely not be selected into the NBA, but reports have said that he is interested in doing the Euro route.

- Luke Harangody, Notre Dame: As Andy Katz writes, this is a tough decision for Harangody. He has a chance to be the best player ever at a school with a pretty solid basketball tradition. If he leaves now, odds are he won't be a first-rounder and may even end up in the D-League. 'Gody is exactly the kind of player that should come back to school, especially when you consider that Notre Dame, who returns Tory Jackson and Jonathon Peoples but, more importantly, add transfers Ben Hansbrough and Scott Martin, will be a good team next season.

- Damion James, Texas: James is a crapshoot. He has not impressed many teams thus far with his workouts, as reports have said he is settling too much for his jumper and not attacking the glass the way we have seen. James could probably use another season developing his perimeter game so he can play the wing in the pros, but there is a chance he is a first round pick. With James back, Texas probably vaults into the conversation as a sleeper for the Final Four with their returning front line and incoming freshman class.

- Jodie Meeks, Kentucky: Meeks, along with Harangody, will probably be a pre-season national player of the year candidate. Unlike Harangody, Meeks has an excellent chance of bringing home a national title next season. The biggest issue I can see arising is that Meeks, who is a borderline first round pick (more likely early second), is going to take a hit in his numbers playing a season with that much talent surrounding him. Does he want to risk it?

- Jeff Teague, Wake Forest: Teague was almost a lock to leave, as he has played his way well into the first round while drawing comparisons to solid role players like Louis Williams and Monta Ellis. But after spraining his MCL last week, Wake Forest fans should be hoping the injury, while not too serious, is enough to scare teams off and send Teague back to school.

- Greivis Vazquez, Maryland: Vazquez should return to College Park. He is not a first round pick, and may not even be drafted. He is simply not athletic enough for the NBA. But what if Maryland lands Lance Stephenson? Can two overpowering personalities co-exist on the same team, especially when both players want the ball in their hands every possession? Vazquez, with his dual citizenship, would be a valuable commodity overseas.


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Greivis Vazquez to Europe?

One of the major factors in the decision of Nick Calathes and Terrence Oglesby to leave school and head to Europe is that they have dual citizenship (Calathes in Greece, Oglesby in Norway), which means that they do not count against the cap of two americans per team.

Thus, both Calathes and Oglesby are going to be valuable assets, meaning they will likely get a fatter paycheck than if they didn't have that extra passport.

There has been speculation that Greivis Vazquez, who is a citizen of his native Venezuela, will follow those two overseas.

Jeff Goodman caught up with Vazquez, and it looks like Maryland fans need not be worried:

"Eventually, I’d like to go overseas, but I’d like my career to start in the NBA," said the talented and fiery 6-foot-5 guard. "But I have no pressure. Let's make something clear: I’m not going overseas."

From the sounds of it, Vasquez is determined to either play his way into a spot where he is comfortable in this year's NBA Draft or return to College Park and spend another season – his senior campaign - with the Terps.

Getting Vazquez back would be huge for the Terps. They only lost one senior (Dave Neal) and one transfer (Braxton Dupree), and would return seven of their top nine players from a team that reached the second round of the tournament.

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Friday Morning Shootaround: Western Kentucky, Michigan, and Maryland the only upsets

Pretty exciting first day of the tournament. No buzzer beaters, but we did have some great games and some great performances:

GAME OF THE DAY: UCLA 65, VCU 64

UCLA went on a 13-0 run late in the first half to open up a 35-23 lead on the Rams. The Rams would make a couple runs in the second half, but each time UCLA had an answer. Two Eric Maynor fre throws cut the lead to 47-43, but Jrue Holiday responded with six straight points to cap an 8-1 spurt and the Bruins would open up a 55-44 lead. But that is when Maynor would take over. The senior would score 7 points and dish out 2 assists in a 14-6 run that cut the lead to 65-64 with just 48 seconds left on the clock. After Darren Collison had a lay-up blocked by Larry Sanders, it was Ram ball with 11.6 seconds left down one.

But Maynor's jumper at the buzzer, which was very closely contested by Collison, came up well short and UCLA advanced to take on Villanova. I had all sorts of issues with the last play run by the Rams. Maynor got the ball in the back court with about 8 seconds left, but a VCU player ran over to set a screen for him about 40 feet from the rim. As he came off the screen, the other defender hedged hard, forcing Maynor to dribble wide around him, wasting valuable seconds off the clock. Instead of allowing your senior point guard, conference player of the year, future first round draft pick, and already proven March performer a chance to take his time and go one-on-one for the win, you forced him to rush a tough shot against a great defender.

Darren Collison and Josh Shipp celebrate after holding on against VCU.
(photo credit: Michael Perez/AP)

Maynor finished with 21 points, 6 boards, and 7 assists for VCU, while Sanders added 10 points, 11 boards, and 4 blocks. All five UCLA starters reached double figures, led by 16 from Josh Shipp.


PLAYER OF THE DAY: Roburt Sallie, Memphis

Roburt Sallie, a big-time recruit coming out of high school, was supposed to be playing for Washington right now, but he was declared ineligible out of high school. After spending a year at Laurinburg Prep in North Carolina, he signed with Nebraska. But once again, Sallie was declared ineligible. After sitting out the '06-'07 season, he played at the City College of San Francisco the next season, earning JuCo all-american honors. He was all set to finally attend Nebraska, but some weird rule made him ineligible for any Big XII school (while awaiting his eligibility status, he started attending classes at Nebraska, but was not supposed to enroll. He was declared ineligible on September 11th and left school, but a mix-up somewhere in the school had him enrolled. The Big XII has some rule where once you enroll at a school, you must meet initial eligibility requirements or yo can never play at a Big XII school). So it looked like Sallie was out of luck, until former Laurinburg Prep teammates currently at Memphis (Antonio Anderson, Robert Dozier) convinced Sallie to join the Tigers

Roburt Sallie scored a career-high 35 points to lead Memphis. His previous high was 13.
(photo credit: Orlin Wagner/AP)

Why does all this matter? Because if Sallie had not been in the line-up against Cal St-Northridge, Memphis would not have won. The Matadors threw multiple zone looks at the Tigers, and they could not figure out the defense. Except for Sallie that is. The sophomore, who came in averaging just 4.5 ppg, went for 35 points, hitting 10-15 three's in the process. For the day, Sallie was 12-17 from the field. The rest of his team went 17-42 (37%) and 1-13 from deep.

They were good too:

• Marcus Thornton, LSU: The SEC Player of the Year went for 30 points, including a number of critical baskets down the stretch, and the Tigers held off Butler 75-71.
• Greivis Vazquez, Maryland: Vazquez led Maryland to a win over the Cal Bears by scoring 27 points and adding 5 boards and 4 dimes.
• Manny Harris, Michigan: The sophomore went for 23 points, 7 boards, and 6 assists in his first ever NCAA Tournament game.
• Dwayne Anderson and Dante Cunningham, Villanova: The two Wildcat frontcourt starters combined to go for 50 points and 15 boards and Nova came back from 14 down against American. Anderson was 9-10 from the floor and 4-5 from three.
• Blake Griffin, Oklahoma: Griffin finished with 28 points and 13 boards, and was only flipped once.
  

TEAM OF THE DAY: Western Kentucky

For the second straight season, Western Kentucky came in the tournament as a twelve seed and has advanced. This year, it was against short-handed Illinois (who was playing without Chester Frazier who broke his hand). A 15-2 run midway through the first half gave WKU a 27-13 lead, and the Hilltoppers would hold on to the lead the rest of the way. Illinois got within single digits at the half, but WKU pushed the lead back to 15 midway through the second.

The Illini were not about to go away without a fight. Spurred by the tenacious defense they played all season long, Illinois got it down to 74-72 on a Trent Meachem (who had a season-high 24 points) lay-up, but on the ensuing inbounds WKU was able to run the clock all the way down to 0.9 seconds. Two free throws game the final margin.

The Hilltoppers, who put all five starters in double figures, were led by 17 points from a Name All-American Steffphon Pettigrew.

Deserves mention:

• Maryland: For everything that the Terps and Gary Williams have gone through this season, it is fitting that they have made it to the second round of the tournament. Maybe it speaks to the overall strength of the ACC versus the Pac-10, but Maryland looked like a much better team than Cal. One of the most impressive parts of this game was how well Vazquez played within the offense. He is not always known as a team player, but watching him and Eric Hayes play off of each other down the stretch was something special. I said it a number of times in yesterday's Day 1 live-blog, but when basketball is played the right way, it is one of the prettiest things to watch. How many open threes did those did get each other in Maryland's final push?
  

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Jeff Allen does not like the Maryland fans

Flipping off the crowd is never a good idea, especially when it gets caught by the TV cameras.

Jeff Allen did just that after fouling out against Maryland on Saturday.



By all accounts, the Maryland fans were brutal as usual on Saturday. Among other things, they were chanting "Doc-Tor Pep-Per" at AD Vassallo because the Hokie star was caught shoplifting a 12 pack of the soda.

The Terp faithful do have a bit of a reputation of being particularly rowdy. How ruthless are they? Well, when Maryland PG Greivis Vazquez was struggling in one game, they booed him to the point that Vazquez turned to the crown multiple times (one while dribbling) telling them to "shut the f- up!". Continue reading...