#POSTERIZED: Victor Oladipo sends it in

What you are about to see is the clubhouse leader for Division-I Dunk of the Year. Indiana's Victor Oladipo is morphing into one of the premier "Human Highlight reels" in the country this season and it showed against Central Connecticut State last night.



If you can throw down a dunk like this, you deserve to have our name chanted by the entire arena.

Dunk of the Year?

As of 12/9/12, I certainly think so.

But was it as good as these:
Travis Releford - Kansas vs. Colorado, 12/8
Archie Goodwin - Kentucky vs. Portland, 12/8
Rodney Williams, Minnesota vs. Florida State, 11/27
Week In Review - Feast Week, 11/18 - 11/25
Tarik Black - Memphis vs. Minnesota, 11/23
Ben McLemore - Kansas vs. Washington State - 11/20
Andre Roberson - Colorado vs. Murray State, 11/18
Doug Anderson - Detroit vs. Drake, 11/17
Archie Goodwin - Kentucky vs. Lafayette, 11/16
John Brown - High Point vs. Appalachian State, 11/13
Stefan Jankovic - Missouri vs. Alcorn State, 11/14
Cole Dickerson - San Francisco vs. Cal State-East Bay, 11/13
Clancy Rugg - Vermont vs. UConn, 11/13
Jamari Traylor - Kansas vs. Michigan State, 11/13
Doug Anderson - Detroit vs. St. John's, 11/13
Kris Brewer - Kent State vs. Temple, 11/13
Rakeem Christmas - Syracuse vs. San Diego State, 11/11
Deandre Daniels - UConn vs. Michigan State, 11/9
Ben McLemore - Kansas vs. Emporia State, 10/31
Keion Bell - Missouri vs. Northwest Missouri, 10/31

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Which buzzer-beater was better?

The 2011-2012 season isn't over just yet. But it's quite possible that we've already seen it's two most-signature moments.

Indiana wasn't supposed to beat Kentucky. Sure, it was at Assembly Hall, but this Hoosiers team was still a year away, right? Yeah, Kentucky and Indiana are two legacy programs, but even with Assembly Hall on the brink of eruption, there was no way Indiana was going to beat the Wildcats.

Duke dropped back-to-back home games against Florida State and Miami. The Blue Devils had no superstar leader. Austin Rivers, their all-world freshman, was struggling. People started to doubt Duke. Hell, Duke started to doubt Duke. The North Carolina Tar Heels just had to much size, too much talent, too much everything. Duke was going to keep the game close, but North Carolina would win.

Then Christian Watford happened.





Then Austin Rivers happened.



But which was better?

That question is much more difficult to answer than you may think.

If you are a fan of Kentucky or North Carolina, it's probably a bit easier.

But really, which was better?

The conventional wisdom will suggest that River's shot was best, as it should. That's a shot that kids in North Carolina emulate in the backyards, in their driveways, and on the playground. That's a shot that will forever be stored in the highlight videos for future Tobacco Road showdowns. His team was trailing late, somebody needed to step up. That shot will be replayed, re-aired and rehashed from now until forever.

But Rivers' shot was nailed in the unfriendly confines of The Dean Dome. His shot wasn't set up, rushed or hurried, there were certain elements of "the moment" that were lacking from this shot.

What Watford's shot lacks in historical significance, it makes up for in "spur-of-the-moment" pandemonium.

His shot was the result of a nice drive to the basket by Verdell Jones. His release had just a hint of "step back" to it. When his shot went through, he struck a pose. A beautiful, beautiful pose. Then there was the court-storming. If you ever want to know when/why/and how to storm a court, use that video as a guideline. It was magical. It was marvelous. It was the perfect court storm.

But both of these shots explain why sports are better than any movie or any TV show. You can't script it. You don't want it scripted. The best things in life happen when you least expect it.

So maybe Watford's was better, and maybe Rivers' was better.

And maybe, when it's all said and done, there will be another moment, one we don't know is going to happen, one we can't explain, that will trump both of these shots. Continue reading...

Pics/Vids: Game 4: Indiana vs. Minnesota

Thursday, January 12th
Assembly Hall, Indiana University
Minnesota 77, Indiana 74


Game 3 - Xavier vs. Duquesne
Game 2 - Kentucky vs. South Carolina
Game 1 - Belmont vs. Lipscomb

(It was the perfect weather for a weekday night Big-10 Conference game.)

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Minnesota exposes Indiana as a flawed basketball team

You can find the rest of the features from the #BIAHRoadTrip here.

This post is sponsored by the Fairfield Inn Bloomington.

BLOOMINGTON, IN - Indiana fans are going to want to chalk up the Hoosier's 77-74 loss to Minnesota, who was previously winless in Big Ten play, to having an off day.

They wouldn't necessarily be wrong. Indiana did have an off day. Coming off of a game at Penn State where they shot 16-24 from beyond the arc, the Hoosier's pedestrian 4-18 performance provides a stark contrast.
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Michigan State survives Indiana

Think about this for a second: No. 15 Indiana lost to No. 17 Michigan State 80-65 at the Breslin Center on Wednesday night.

Beyond the fact that the game got away from the Hoosiers down the stretch and that it was their first loss of the season, there isn't much about the final that is really noteworthy.

But what if I were to tell you that during a 10 minute stretch that spanned both halves, Indiana outscored Michigan State 25-2? Because that happened. Michigan State opened the game on a 34-16 surge, taking what appeared to be a commanding lead on a Keith Appling three at the 5:11 mark of the first half. Indiana caught fire, however, hitting three consecutive threes to spark the 25-2 run that was capped by a gorgeous, spinning layup from Victor Oladipo in transition with 15:02 left in the game.
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The Emery Board: Featuring Chane Benhanan

This weekly column is in honor of BYU's Jackson Emery, who, for two straight seasons, claimed his squad would go undefeated and win the National Championship. Unfortunate for Jackson, his statements never really panned out. In 2009-2010, BYU went 30-6 and lost to Kansas State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. In 2010-2011, they finished 32-5, and lost to Florida in the Sweet-16. So, in those two years, BYU lost 11 games compared to Emery's projected total of zero, won zero National Championships, and in fact, didn't even win the the Mountain West Conference Tournament.

We were going to put the Emery Board to sleep this season. But thanks to Louisville freshman Chane Behanhan, this post has been giving new life.

If you remember correctly, about a week ago, the freshman forward stated that the Cardinals would not lose a single game this season, and that his team is the best in the country.

College basketball has not seen a team go undefeated since Bobby Knight's Indiana Hoosiers went 32-0 in 1975-1976. The closest we have seen since then was a Jameer Nelson-led St. Joseph's team that went 27-0 in the 2003-2004 season before losing to Xavier in the Atlantic-10 tournament. Every season a team flirts with the notion of an undefeated season, but every season that notion slowly fades as January turns to February and February turns to March.

The Emery Board: 5th Edition
Marquette dropped off the Emery Board thanks to a shaky performance at LSU. Louisville barely made it through the week undefeated, as they were given stern tests from Charleston and Western Kentucky. As conference play heats up, the Emery Board will get smaller and smaller. This week is loaded with a couple of very important games featuring undefeated teams. Will any of them suffer from the post-Holiday hangover?

No.1 Syracuse (13-0)
Next game: 12/28 vs. Seton Hall (11-1)
First realistic loss: 12/28 vs. Seton Hall (11-1)

Syracuse continues to play steady ball, easily handling Bucknell and Tulane this past week. Their game against Seton Hall should be a dandy. The Pirates have played much better than anybody expected, and have been flying way below the radar. The match-up between Herb Pope and whoever the Orange throw at him will be very interesting. I can see Fab Melo, James Southerland and Rakeem Christmas all taking shots at Pope, but I'm not sure which of the group will be able to shut him down. That being said, the Pirates don't have nearly as many weapons as the Orange, so conventional wisdom suggests that the 'Cuse should win. But this is a Big East game, so you never know what may happen.



No.4 Louisville (10-0)
Next game: 12/28 vs. No.12 Georgetown (10-1)
First realistic loss: 12/28 vs. No.12 Georgetown (10-1)

If anybody on Louisville going to make a bonehead statement, it makes sense that it was the freshman Benhanan. After all, he has yet to play a single Big East conference game. And wouldn't you know, the Cardinals get a top-15 opponent in their first conference game of the year. See Chane, this is what the Big East is like, and if your team struggled with Charleston and Western Kentucky, Georgetown might be the team to make you eat your words. But lets say Louisville does beat Georgetown, which they more then capable of doing, they get No.3 Kentucky on New Year's Ever in the only rivalry game in the country as tumultuous as the Crosstown Shootout. With what we saw from Louisville last week, I just can't put a lot of faith in them to enter the New Year with a "goose egg" in the loss column.



No.6 Baylor (12-0)
Next game: 12/28 vs. No.14 Mississippi State (12-1)
First realistic loss: 12/28 vs. No.14 Mississippi State (12-1)

The Bears are in the toughest portion of their non-conference schedule. They haven't looked uber-dominant, but they were able to beat a game BYU team in Provo, and beat Saint Mary's and West Virginia on a neutral court. Now comes their toughest test of the season: No.14 Mississippi State. The Bulldogs feature a front-court with enough size to give the bears some struggles, and back-court play could be the difference-maker in this game. If Pierre Jackson can come up large, as he did against BYU (game-clinching block) and WVU (game-winning shot), the Bears should squeak by with a victory.



No.8 Missouri (12-0)
Next game: 12/30 at Old Dominion (6-6)
First realistic loss: 12/30 at Old Dominion (6-6)

Realistically, Missouri should run through Old Dominion on New Year's Eve. But Blaine Taylor's squad is seasoned and tested. The Monarchs aren't nearly as good as they were two years ago, but this setting has all the makings of a trap game. The Tigers just defeated their "Border War" rivals Illinois last week, they had the holiday weekend off, and they start Big-XII play next week. If there was ever a time to catch Mizzou sleeping, it would be now. But let's say Missouri wins, which I expect them to do. It's possible that the Tigers are the last undefeated team standing. They start Big-XII play against Oklahoma, Kansas State, Iowa State and Texas. While that's not exactly an easy start, it's not a murder's row either. This team has showed very few weaknesses thus far, and I could totally see the Tigers being undefeated heading in to their 12/21 showdown with Baylor in Waco.



No.13 Indiana (12-0)
Next game: 12/28 at No.17 Michigan State (11-2)
First realistic loss: 12/28 at No.17 Michigan State (11-2)

The Hoosier's had cupcakes for Christmas, as they faced Howard (4-9) and UMBC (1-10). Indiana waxed the east coast teams by a combined score of 196-97. But the non-conference schedule is over, and the Hoosiers begin Big-Ten play with a murder's row: at No.17 Michigan State, No.2 Ohio State on New Year's Eve, and No.16 Michigan. The Hoosiers have been a pleasant surprise thus far, but I'm 100% confident that they will lose one of their next three games.



No.22 Murray State (13-0)
Next game: 12/30 at Eastern Illinois (6-5)
First realistic loss: 12/30 at Eastern Illinois (6-5)

So here we are. Murray State has finished their non-conference schedule and still has not been defeated, they are clearly the best team in the Ohio Valley Conference and will be the favorites in every game they play. But, like I said last week, they will be getting the best shot from every team they play. They will get more TV coverage, more publicity, more everything. I think Murray State will lose a game this year. In fact, I'm nearly sure of it. But I have exactly no idea which game it will be.



Bottom of the Barrel


Run The Floor did a good job breaking down the teams that have yet to notch a victory this year. I suggest you give their site a good-read, but not before you read our stuff first.


Binghamton (0-10)
Next game: 12/28 at Canisius (2-9)
First real chance to win: 12/28 at Canisius (2-9)

Chicago State (0-13)
Next game: 12/31 at Ball State (6-4)
First real chance to win: 1/15 vs. St. Francis (Ill) (Non-DI)

Grambling State (0-9)
Next game: 12/29 at LSU (9-3)
First real chance to win: 1/3 vs. Alabama State (2-9)

Hartford (0-11)
Next game: 12/31 at LaSalle (8-4)
First real chance to win: 1/15 at Binghamton (0-10)

Northern Illinois (0-11)
Next game: 1/2 vs. Roosevelt (Non-DI)
First real chance to win: 1/2 vs. Roosevelt (Non-DI)

Towson (0-12)
Next game: 12/30 vs. No.24 Virginia (10-1)
First real chance to win: 1/2 vs. Northeastern (3-7)

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The Emery Board: Chane Behanan Edition

Dear Louisville freshman Chane Behanan,

Thank You.

Sincerely,

Locker room bulletin boards everywhere


For now, this weekly post will remain as "The Emery Board", but a new title could be coming soon, and it's all thanks to the first-year forward.

You see, Louisville just beat Memphis this weekend in a tough non-conference affair to remain undefeated at 10-0, good enough to land them at No.4 in the AP/Coaches Poll. But according to Behanan, the Cardinals are better than that. His team is the best team in the country:
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The Emery Board

This weekly column is in honor of BYU's Jackson Emery, who, for two straight seasons, claimed his squad would go undefeated and win the National Championship.

College basketball has not seen a team go undefeated since Bobby Knight's Indiana Hoosiers went 32-0 in 1975-1976. The closest we have seen since then was a Jameer Nelson-led St. Joseph's team that went 27-0 in the 2003-2004 season before losing to Xavier in the Atlantic-10 tournament. Every season a team flirts with the notion of an undefeated season, but every season that notion slowly fades as January turns to February and February turns to March.

The Emery Board: 3rd Edition
After a roller-coaster weekend, we are left with just nine undefeated teams. Indiana remains undefeated thanks to a game-winning three point buzzer-beater by Christian Watford. Murray State stayed in the mix with a strong road victory at Memphis. Plus, there was the Crosstown Brawl. How does that effect Xavier's unbeaten record?


No.1 Syracuse (10-0)
Next game: 12/17 at North Carolina State (6-3)
First realistic loss: 12/17 at North Carolina State (6-3)

The Orange have looked down-right impressive this season. Fab Melo has improved by leaps and bounds, and the Orange sport one of the deepest benches in the country. Plus, all the distractions with the Bernie Fine investigation have yet to rattle this bunch. But they've also yet to play a true road game, and will receive a stern test from North Carolina State this Saturday.


No.4 Louisville (9-0)
Next game: 12/17 vs. Memphis (5-3)
First realistic loss: 12/17 vs. Memphis (5-3)

The Cardinals rolled through IUPUI and FDU this past week, and have a tough non-conference game against Memphis on the horizon. Gorgui Deing has been very impressive this year, and Kyle Kuric continues to improve as one of the leaders of this team. And remember, this team continues to fight the injury bug. With games against Georgetown and Kentucky down the road, it's unlikely they will stay undefeated for long, but this team should be considered a real threat to contend for a Final-Four bid.


No.7 Baylor (7-0)
Next game: 12/14 vs. Bethune-Cookman (3-4)
First realistic loss: 12/23 vs. West Virginia (6-2)

The Bears didn't play last week, and don't face any real competition until 12/22 when they play Saint Mary's. But that starts a tough stretch against quality teams, with West Virginia, Mississippi State and Texas A&M to follow. Guard-play and coaching will continue to be the team's question-marks. Can Pierre Jackson and A.J Walton get it done? And can Scott Drew actually coach this team up during late game situations? We should have some answers once 2012 rolls around.


No.8 Missouri (9-0)
Next game: 12/15 vs. Kennesaw State (2-5)
First realistic loss: 12/22 vs. No.19 Illinois (10-0)

This team continues to impress. The Tigers have yet to score less than 80 points in a game, and while rebounding will continue to be a question, the team's chemistry and efficiency will get them by. Phil Pressey is emerging as one of the best guards in the country, and if Kim English can continue to shoot well from outside, teams will have serious match-up problems. This team has rallied behind Frank Haith, and the results thus far have been tremendous. Illinois' seven-footer Meyers Leonard will provide Missouri with a tough match-up, but if the Tigers can defeat the Illini, it's likely they remain undefeated heading into the new year.


No.9 Xavier (8-0)
Next game: 12/18 vs. Oral Roberts (6-3)
First realistic loss: 12/18 vs. Oral Roberts (6-3)

If you spent your weekend under a rock, you might be confused as to why Oral Roberts has a chance to beat an undefeated, top-10 team. But due to the Crosstown Brawl, Xavier will be without their three best players for this game. While the length of suspensions are down-right embarrassing, this team is scary-good when they have all their horses on the court. After Oral Roberts, they play Long Beach State and Gonzaga. I have to imagine Xavier will lose one of the next three games. If not, then we have to start considering this team as a legitimate Final-Four contender.


No.11 Marquette (9-0)
Next game: 12/17 vs. Northern Colorado (3-5)
First realistic loss: 12/29 vs. No.25 Vanderbilt (6-3)

The Golden Eagles may be the most entertaining team in the country. They have a variety of weapons and role players, and one of the most talented coaches in the country. But injuries have started to pile up in the past week. Center Chris Otule will miss significant time with an ACL injury. Plus, freshman Juan Anderson injured his shoulder during practice and sophomore Jamil Wilson sprained his ankle late in the week. Marquette has a tough stretch of games towards the end of the month, and probably will suffer a defeat before January first. Nonetheless, this team is really talented and should be considered a legitimate Final-Four contender.


No.19 Illinois (10-0)
Next game: 12/17 vs. UNLV (9-2)
First realistic loss: 12/17 vs. UNLV (9-2)

Did any of us expect Illinois to be undefeated at this point in the season? If your answer is no, you're clearly lying. Center Meyers Leonard has been playing inspired basketball as of late, and transfer Sam Maniscalco has stepped up as well. This is a much different team than last year. The departures of Demetri McCamey and Jereme Richmond have made this team more cohesive and while they aren't uber-talented, they are a rough, tough team that will be a difficult out.


No.20 Indiana (9-0)
Next game: 12/17 vs. Notre Dame (7-4)
First realistic loss: 12/28 at Michigan State (8-2)

Christian Watford's buzzer-beating, game-winning three pointer against Kentucky has been the signature moment of the season. Indiana came into the contest undefeated but untested, and with the victory, Tom Crean got a career-defining win. This team has a superstar center in Cody Zeller, some big-time athletes in Will Sheehey and Victor Oladipo, and a bunch of veteran leadership. A let down will come at some point, but for now, this team should be given all the praise in the world.


Murray State (9-0)
Next game: 12/15 vs. Lipscomb (6-5)
First realistic loss: 12/30 at Eastern Illinois (6-3)

The Racers passed their first real test of the season, a road victory over Memphis. With all their tough non-conference games out of the way, the Racers have set themselves up to make a run at finishing the season undefeated. That might sound ridiculous, but no team in the Ohio Valley Conference is as talented as them, and if they can avoid a significant letdown, going undefeated isn't out of the realm of possibility.



Bottom of the Barrel

Binghamton (0-7)
Next game: 12/17 at Hofstra (3-7)
First real chance to win: 1/5 vs. Stony Brook (3-5)

Chicago State (0-9)
Next game: 12/14 at Wichita State (7-2)
First real chance to win: 12/17 at Loyola (IL) (2-7)

Grambling State (0-6)
Next game: 12/18 at Texas Tech (4-4)
First real chance to win: 1/3 vs. Alabama State (2-6)

Hartford (0-10)
Next game: 1221 at Marist (4/5)
First real chance to win: 1/15 at Binghamton (0-7)

Morgan State (0-7)
Next game: 12/14 at UMBC (1-7)
First real chance to win: 12/14 at UMBC (1-7)

Northern Illinois (0-8)
Next game: 12/14 vs. DePaul (6-3)
First real chance to win: 12/17 vs. Southern Illinois (1-5)

Towson (0-9)
Next game: 12/14 at Coppin State (3-5)
First real chance to win: 12/14 at Coppin State (3-5)



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College Hoops Week in Review: Jae Crowder and Indiana get nominated

Player of the Week: Jae Crowder, Marquette

The Golden Eagles are coming off of a 2-0 week that saw them knock off both Washington in New York City and UW-Green Bay. In those two wins, Crowder was terrific, averaging 19.5 ppg an 6.5 rpg while collecting three blocks and three steals and shooting 60% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. But with Crowder, its about more than just the numbers. You want an example? He's all of 6'6" and probably would be listed as a small forward in a normal lineup, but when Chris Otule injured his knee on Tuesday at the Jimmy V Classic, Crowder was the guy that slid into the center spot for the Golden Eagles. Another example? Crowder also hit the game-winning jumper against the Huskies.

Marquette isn't a secret anymore. This is a tough, physical team that is as talented this season as they have been under Buzz Williams. They have a stable of big, athletic wings that can shoot and penetrate, they have a pair of capable big men and they have an underrated, playmaking point guard.


But Crowder is the piece that brings it all together. His ability to play on the perimeter and in the post is a major reason for the versatility that Williams has in the lineups that he is able to put on the floor. He defends, he rebounds and he is one of the most efficient offensive players in the country. He's a leader for this group, and it shows. As Williams said of Crowder after the close win over Washington, "that's my guy. I'll roll with that cat no matter where he goes."


The All-They-Were-Good-Too Team:

- G: Phil Pressey and Marcus Denmon, Missouri: Denmon scored 50 points in two games this week, including 28 in the Tiger's win over Villanova. But we went over him earlier this week. Pressey deserves just as much credit for his team's success. He only shot 5-18 from the field, but he had 17 assists in the two games, including 12 in just 24 minutes against Nova.

- G: Truck Bryant and Kevin Jones, West Virginia: The 'Eers went 2-0 this week with wins over Kansas State and Miami, two other teams that will be on or around the bubble come March. Bryant had 51 points in the two games. Jones went for 30 points and 12 boards against the Wildcats, including a three at the end of regulation to force overtime.

- F: Christian Watford, Indiana: Watford had 20 points, including 17 in the second half, as Indiana knocked off then-No. 1 Kentucky. He also hit a pretty big shot.

- F: Draymond Green, Michigan State: Green was sensational as the Spartans knocked off Gonzaga in Spokane, finishing with 34 points on 11-13 shooting from the floor and adding three assists and three steals. Green added 14 points and nine boards as Michigan State knocked off CCSU at home on Wednesday.

- C: Patric Young, Florida: Young was completely dominant as the Gators knocked off Arizona in overtime, going for 25 points and 10 boards while blocking two shots and shooting 12-15 from the floor. He added another double-double on Friday night, finishing with 12 points and ten boards in a win over Rider. For the week, Young shot 17-22 from the field.

- Bench: Will Barton, Memphis (27.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 3.5 spg, 22-33 FG); Ben Brust, Wisconsin (25 points, 7-7 3's vs. UNLV); Deonte Burton, Nevada (24.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4.0 apg); Jack Cooley, Notre Dame (22.0 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 3.0 bpg) DJ Cooper, Ohio (14 pts, 10 rbs, 10 asts, 5 stls vs. Portland); Vincent Council, Providence (21 pts, 11 asts, 9 rbs vs. Brown); Gorgui Deing, Louisville (16.0 ppg, 12.0 rpg, 13-15 FG); Thomas Gibson, Kansas State (19.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg); John Henson, North Carolina (18.5 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 3.5 bpg); Tay Jones, St. Joseph's (29 pts, 5 asts, 5 rbs vs. Creighton); Kevin Murphy, Tennessee Tech (26.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 2.5 spg); Mason Plumlee, Duke (13.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 3.5 spg, 3.5 rpg, 11-15 FG); Herb Pope, Seton Hall (25.5 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 18-24 FG); Thomas Robinson, Kansas (23.5 ppg, 9.0 rpg); Josh Terry, Austin Peay (21.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg); Alex Young, IUPUI (43 pts, 9 rbs vs Western Kentucky)


Team of the Week: Indiana Hoosiers

Indiana played just one game last week, but it was a big one. The Hoosiers hosted heated rival and then-No. 1 Kentucky and won a thriller, using a three-pointer from Christian Watford as time expired to upset the Wildcats. The shot set off a wild scene, as the fans stormed the floor, setting off a wave of emotion that had built up for four years.


But this win was about more than just a party. I think that its safe to say Indiana is for real this season; knocking off the no. 1 team in the country will make a lot of people think the same. The question I have, however, is just how fluky this game was. Kentucky did not play well. Terrence Jones was no where to be found, Anthony Davis was in foul trouble and Doron Lamb didn't have his best game. Combine that with the energy in the building that was fueling the Hoosiers, and its not difficult to see why it would be easy to assume that this game was more about the circumstances surrounding the teams than it was about the game. Styles make the fight, so to speak.

This is the best Indiana team to take the court in the Tom Crean era, and there is no question that the Hoosiers are probably better than we thought heading into the season. But, at best, I still think this is, at best, a borderline top 25 team.


Teams deserving a shout out:

Austin Peay: The Governors won their first two games of the season this week, beating Arkansas State in overtime before going into Knoxville and taking down Tennessee. Josh Terry led the way, averaging 21.0 ppg and 5.5 rpg for the week. He had 20 points, six boards, five assists and four steals in the win over Tennessee.

Dayton: The Flyers are still the most confounding team in the country. After solidly handling No. 15 Alabama on Tuesday, the Flyers struggled to hold off USC-Upstate over the weekend. The Flyers have some talented scorers and a couple of big guys on their roster, but with Dayton, the issue seems to be whether or not they are going to decide to show up.

Duke: The Blue Devils won two games this week, including a six point win against Washington in Madison Square Garden in a game that wasn't as close as the final score indicated. Austin Rivers played well in both games, but the performance of the week belongs to Mason Plumlee. He averaged 13.0 ppg and 9.5 rpg while totaling seven blocks and seven steals in the two games. But while he shot 11-15 from the field, Plumlee was 4-17 from the free throw line.

Marquette: The Golden Eagles picked up two wins on the week, knocking off UW-Green Bay on Saturday after their thrilling win over Washington in the Jimmy V Classic. Its tough not to like Marquette this season. Size, balance, athleticism, experience and toughness. Can't ask for much more than that.

Missouri: Like Marquette, Missouri put together a strong performance at the Garden on national television, one that swayed the national consciousness in their favor. The Tigers are fun to watch simply because everyone of the players on their roster plays a vital role. While its the ability of Kim English to spread the floor at the four spot, its the play of Phil Pressey and Michael Dixon that gets the Tigers all of those open looks.

Murray State: Its time for us to starting talking about the Racers more seriously. Murray State is now 10-0 on the season after Sunday night, when they went into Memphis and knocked off the Tigers. Isaiah Canaan -- who seems like he has been in college for a decade -- is the player to watch, averaging 19.8 ppg and 4.0 apg.

Northern Iowa: The Panthers improved to 9-1 on the season by going 2-0 this week with a pair of impressive wins. First, they knocked Iowa off 80-60 despite finding themselves down 10-0 in the first couple of minutes. UNI followed that up by putting a whooping on Milwaukee, beating them 67-51. Milwaukee was coming off of a double-digit win over DePaul.

Oklahoma: Lon Kruger has done an impressive job turning this program around. The Sooners, who are now 7-1 on the season, went 2-0 last week, knocking off in-state rival Oral Roberts before earning a win over Arkansas. The Sooners also have wins over Washington State and Santa Clara, but we may not know how good they are until Big 12 play starts considering that their last non-conference test, Cincinnati, will be dealing with suspensions when they play.

St. Joseph's: Langston Galloway had 30 points in a win over Boston University on Wednesday while Tay Jones had 29 points -- including 20 in the second half -- on Saturday as the Hawks knocked off Creighton.

Temple: The Owls may be playing without Michael Eric right now, but they still have Ramone Moore. The talented small forward had 32 points as the Owls handled Villanova fairly easily at home. Temple also picked up a win against Toledo on the road.

West Virginia: Playing two teams that they appear destined to share the bubble with this season, West Virginia went into Wichita and knocked off Kansas State in double overtime, following that up with an impressive and fairly dominating win over Miami. Kevin Jones and Truck Bryant combined to scored 93 points in the two games.

Wichita State: Coming off of a 19 point win over UNLV, Wichita State went into Tulsa and knocked off the Golden Hurricane, following that up with a win over Utah State. Combine that with the loss that Creighton had at St. Joseph's, and the Shockers might be the favorite in the Missouri Valley.


Five Thoughts:

- Is it time to call Washington just mediocre?: After losing to both Marquette and Duke at the Garden last week, the Huskies are now just 4-4 on the season and losers of three straight. That's not exactly ideal from the team that many believe is the most talented team in the Pac-12. Why are they struggling? Washington doesn't play enough defense, for starters. They also are a poor decision-making team. Their shot-selection leaves much to be desired and they average 15 turnovers per game. Washington is extremely talented, but they consistently under-perform every season. Why should we expect any different this year?

- Struggles for the WCC?: Two weeks ago, I said that the WCC was the best mid-major conference in the country. My sentiment hasn't exactly changed, but the league doesn't appear to be quite as strong as I had originally thought. Over the weekend, Gonzaga lost at home to Michigan State while Santa Clara got dropped by 38 against Washington State. Portland got worked over by both Boise State and Ohio while Loyola Marymount is only a week removed from losing to both Columbia and North Texas. Throw in St Mary's loss to Denver, and the strength and depth of the league isn't what it appeared to be.

So who is the best mid-major league? If you are asking me today, I'm taking the Missouri Valley. Creighton is ranked and, in my opinion, should still be ranked even after losing at St. Joseph's this weekend. Wichita State has won three straight against UNLV, Utah State and Tulsa. Northern Iowa is 9-1 with wins against Iowa and Milwaukee this past week. Not a bad top three.

- Murray State should be ranked: The Racers are now 10-0 on the season, but that record is only 7-0 against Division I teams. The thing is, all of those wins are solid. Four of them came on the road against the likes of UAB, Morgan State and Western Kentucky. The other three were against Dayton, Southern Mississippi and San Francisco. And then on Sunday, the Racers went into Memphis and knocked off the Tigers. You think there are really 25 teams in the country that a) have a better resume than that and b) are actually better than the Racers?

- Reeves Nelson had to go: There was no other choice for Ben Howland. You cannot suspend a player three times during a single season and keep him on the team. As a head coach, you lose credibility, and Howland is already struggling with that. The next step, however, would be to kick Josh Smith off of the team. The big fella is, simply put, too big to be an effective basketball player. His conditioning is a bigger issue and more of a detriment to the Bruin's success Nelson ever was. Nelson may have been a clubhouse cancer, but Smith can be Jared Sullinger if he wanted to be.

- The Crosstown Punchout: Before I say what I am about to say, remember this: I think that the suspensions given to the players on the Cincinnati and Xavier teams were too short. Six games and one Big East game for the sucker punch that was landed on Kenny Frease's chin or the stomp that was placed on his head is too short. Four games for being the spark that ignited the entire brawl is not enough.

That said, I am sick of hearing people say that basketball has to be taken away from these kids to teach them a lesson. Isn't the point here that this is bigger than basketball? That we are trying to get these kids educated not just in sports and the classroom, but in how to be able to be a functioning member of society? If Yancy Gates thinks its ok to throw a sucker punch like that, doesn't that show you he is a long way away from that lesson? And if you kicked him out of school, would he even get that point?


Games of the Week:

Indiana 73, No. 1 Kentucky 72: We all know what happened by now:



West Virginia 85, Kansas State 80 2OT:



Marquette 79, Washington 77:



Matchups of the Week:

- Tue. 9:00 pm: No. 16 Wisconsin @ Milwaukee
- Wed. 8:00 pm: Belmont @ Middle Tennessee State
- Thu. 8:00 pm: Oral Roberts @ No. 22 Gonzaga
- Fri. 10:30 pm: Weber State @ Cal
- Sat. 2:30 pm: No. 25 Texas A&M @ No. 12 Florida
- Sat. 4:00 pm: No. 20 Memphis @ No. 4 Louisville
- Sat. 4:00 pm: Arizona @ No. 22 Gonzaga
- Sat. 5:00 pm: UNLV @ No. 22 Illinois
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POSTERIZED: OLADIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIPO

For the second straight Saturday, Kentucky was involved in the game of the day, game of the week, and game of the year.

And for the second straight Saturday, Kentucky was involved in a wicked posterization.

Unfortunately for Big Blue Nation, the Wildcats were on the wrong end this time.



In any other game, this dunk leads the highlight package. But well, I mean, you all saw the finish. You can't script that.


But was it as good as these?

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia vs. Georgia Tech, 12/10
Vander Blue, Marquette vs. Washington, 12/6
Terrence Ross, Washington vs. Marquette, 12/6
Deville Smith, Mississippi State vs. West Virginia, 12/3
Terrence Jones, Kentucky vs. North Carolina, 12/3
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Georgetown, 12/1
Anthony Marshall, UNLV vs. UNC, 11/26
Michael Kidd-Glichrist, Kentucky vs. Portland, 11/26/11 (DotY Candidate)
Markel Brown, Oklahoma State vs. Virginia Tech, 11/25
Rodney Williams, Minnesota vs. DePaul, 11/24
Thomas Robinson, Kansas vs. Duke, 11/23
Stan Okoye, VMI vs. Ohio State, 11/23
Kyisean Reed, Utah State vs. Southern Utah, 11/19
Ra'Shad James, Iona vs. Western Michigan, 11/18
Alandise Harris, Houston vs. Arkansas, 11/18
Sam Thompson, Ohio State vs. Jackson State, 11/18
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Wichita State, 11/18
Eric Griffin, Campbell vs. North Carolina A&T, 11/18 (DotY Candidate)
Olek Czyz, Nevada vs. Pacific, 11/17
Chris Watson, Pikeville vs. Mountain State, 11/16
Ray Willis, North Carolina Central vs. Wagner, 11/16
Mike James, Lamar vs. Ohio, 11/15 (DotY Candidate)
Quincy Acy, Baylor vs. San Diego State, 11/15
Deniz Kilicli, West Virginia vs. Kent State, 11/15
Chris Evans, Kent State vs. West Virginia, 11/15
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Oakland, 11/14
Isaiah Brown, East Tennessee State vs. Virginia Tech, 11/12
Michael Lyons, Air Force vs. Army, 11/11
Dezmine Wells, Xavier vs. Morgan State, 11/11
Jeremy Lamb, UConn vs. Columbia, 11/11 (DotY Candidate)
Andre Drummond, UConn vs. CW Post, 11/4
Moe Harkless, St. John's vs. CW Post, 10/26





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VIDEO: Indiana upsets No. 1 Kentucky on a buzzer beater

Kentucky had two fouls to give.

That's why, with less than five seconds left and only a two point lead, Marquis Teague lunged at Verdell Jones in the back court. Teague missed, however, and Jones got into the Kentucky defense, finding Christian Watford all alone on the wing. Watford hit the three, setting off a court-storming that was four Kelvin Sampson-induced years in the making:



Indiana needed this win.

Its a statement. It shows the country that the Hoosiers are, in fact, back and relevant. And college basketball is better when Indiana is relevant.

All you have to do is look at this game to understand why. The state of Indiana is as basketball crazy. Their fans are as boisterous and passionate as any in the country, and that includes the members of Big Blue Nation. The atmosphere in Assembly Hall on Saturday afternoon was unreal. The place was rocking hours before the game started, and while some blue managed to make its way into the stands, the fact that there was so little from a fan base that travels incredibly well and shares a border with Indiana tells you how tough of a ticket this was.

Indiana students tried to lineup for this game on Tuesday in weather that was so cold the university deemed it unsafe for them to camp out. Their dedication was rewarded when Watford hit that three, but the court-storming that ensued wasn't just a reaction to the excitement of a buzzer-beating victory, one that may not be topped this season.

It was the release of years of pent-up frustration. It was the wave of joy, the celebration that, finally, after toiling through the initial rebuilding process, Indiana basketball is back. It was concrete proof that Tom Crean's plan for the future of this program is working. And there was no better way for that to happen than the Hoosiers taking out a heated rival that was ranked No. 1 in the country on their home floor.


What We Learned

Indiana:

- The Hoosiers have quite a few offensive weapons at their disposal. Cody Zeller -- who finished with 11 points -- has been terrific all season long, giving Indiana a low-post scoring presence. Jordy Hulls is a lethal shooter that has come a long way as a distributor. Victor Oladipo, Will Sheehey, Verdell Jones -- these are all guys capable of scoring double figures on any given night.

Indiana's biggest weapon, however, is probably Christian Watford. The junior hasn't exactly had an ideal season, but he's played his best when the lights are the brightest. He had 16 points and nine boards against NC State. And he had 20 points, including 17 in the second half and the game-winning three, against the Wildcats. Watford showed on an impressively versatile offensive skill-set. If he can use this game as a springboard, he and Zeller can create a devastating high-low, front court combo.

- As good as Indiana was in this game, they nearly blew it because they stopped getting the ball to Zeller. The big fella had Anthony Davis, who was saddled with four fouls, guarding him down the stretch, but the Hoosiers barely even looked his way during the last eight minutes of the game. It worked out this time, but that's something that will have to be addressed.

- Depth may end up being a major problem for this team. Eight players saw time for Indiana against Kentucky, but Crean essentially used a six-man rotation -- Tom Pritchard isn't the kind of player that is going to see a lot of minutes if Indiana is going to be a Big Ten contender.

Kentucky:

- I loved what I saw out of Marquis Teague tonight. The freshman has not had the easiest start to his career, but given the ability of the point guards that John Calipari recruits, its hard to keep in mind that he is, in fact, a freshman. Teague didn't play like it on Saturday. He finished with 15 points and five assists (and just three turnovers) while making a number of big plays down the stretch to bring Kentucky back.

- I hated what I saw out of Terrence Jones: four points, one rebound, six turnovers, three shots, and the bench down the stretch. He was quite clearly sulking late in the game when he wasn't getting playing time. If this happened in a vacuum, I might be able to chalk it up to Jones having a bad day. But we've seen this before, although not quite to this degree. I went overboard ripping him on twitter during the game, and while I regret the words I used to describe him, the sentiment in the same -- Jones can be soft and a primadonna. He appears to have an attitude that doesn't respond well to adversity. I guarantee NBA teams have noticed that as well.

- Indiana did get a bit lucky with Anthony Davis getting in foul trouble. Combine that with how Jones played, and the Wildcats got minimal production out of their front court on Saturday.

- I think that, by the end of the season, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will end up being the most valuable player on this team. He's just a scrapper, but an incredibly talented scrapper. He defends, he's vicious on the offensive glass, he finishes around the rim and he has the skills to play the point if need be. If I could have one player in college basketball to start a team, it would take some convincing for me not to take MKG first.
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Maurice Creek suffers another devastating injury

This post can also be found at Beyond the Arc.

For the third time in less two years, Indiana's Maurice Creek has suffered a devastating injury that will cost him a significant amount of time.

In December of 2009, Creek -- then a freshman -- broke the patella in his left knee. He had last season cut short when he suffered a stress fracture in his right patella. And on Monday, Indiana officially announced that Creek had undergone surgery after tearing the achilles tendon in his left leg. He apparently suffered the injury in a non-basketball activity, but its unclear exactly what that activity was.

"This is a devastating blow for someone who has worked so hard to get himself in a position to help this program again," Indiana head coach Tom Crean said in a statement. "He is going to receive the best medical care possible and we will take his recovery one day at a time. I think the most important thing that we can do is to make Maurice know that despite his injury, he can serve a very vital role in helping our program and we will actively keep him involved every day."


His official status for this season in undetermined, but it should be pretty safe to assume that Creek will not be suiting up this year.

Frankly, I'm not sure how big of a loss this actually ends up being for Indiana. Don't get me wrong, Creek was a beast when he was a freshman. He averaged 17.6 ppg in the 11 games before he suffered that first -- gruesome -- injury, but Creek was just not the same player last year. There were flashes, going for 15 points at Boston College or scoring 12 points against Ohio State, but it was obvious that Creek wasn't his old self last season.

And as of September 20th, Creek still wasn't close to 100%. Crean told Yahoo's Jason King that "he’s not ready to practice. He’s done some one-on-one in limited settings but it hasn’t been with his teammates." I don't think off-base to assume that Creek likely would have struggled to even match the 8.4 ppg he averaged last season. With freshman Cody Zeller joining the now-upperclassmen Verdell Jones, Christian Watford and Jordan Hulls, the Hoosiers will have some pieces to work with. But if Crean is smart -- and I assume he is -- he has been preparing for this season as if Creek's availability would have been limited anyway.

In a way, that makes this injury even sadder. It sucks seeing a kid with a promising future in a sport suffer because of a serious injury. Seeing that kid suffer three devastating injuries in the span of 22 months is heartbreaking. Here's to hoping for a quick and complete recovery.
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UPDATE: Hanner Parea responds to the ESPN article on the Indiana Elite and A-HOPE

In a spring that has been filled to the brim with controversies on the college gridiron -- Ohio State, anyone? -- the big news on the hardwood came in the form of a five-month investigation by ESPN into the relationship between Indiana University and the Indiana Elite AAU program, which is associated with the A-HOPE Foundation run by Mark Adams.

Now, there was a bit of controversy when the article first ran in late May about what, exactly, it meant. There wasn't much in the article that put Indiana in a bad light. The piece did, however, paint Adams, his son Drew, and Indiana Elite founder Mike Barnett in a bad light. We can argue back and forth all day about whether the A-HOPE Foundation is credible and legitimate and whether or not the pipeline that the Hoosiers had established was legal.

But we can probably all agree that the most concerning piece of information that was dug up involved 2012 recruit Hanner Parea. A native of Colombia, Parea played for the Indiana Elite, but had trips home paid for and received hand-me-down iPods and lap-tops.

By the letter of the law, that is an NCAA violation.

Parea spoke to Kyle Neddenriep of the Indy Star about the article.

"I read it," he told the paper. "I didn't know somebody was doing a story like that. Not everything they said is true so I’m not going to worry about it. I haven't done anything wrong."

"I'm just going to keep playing and doing what I'm doing. In the end, everyone will know what is true. When I first saw it, it bothered me but I just have keep moving ahead."

UPDATE: Parea also spoke to the Herald-Times:

"People said they are trying to make me go to IU," Perea said. "I picked IU because that's where I feel good. I feel that I'm going to be in a nice place with good people around me. That's why I picked IU. … They never tried to push me. The first thing they told me was I could go anywhere I want. I like IU. I've been around IU a lot, so that’s why I picked them."

"I don't really care because I know all of that stuff isn't true," Perea said. "I'm not worried about it."

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Tom Crean joins the search for the Lauren Spierer

Tom Crean's tenure at Indiana has not exactly gone well.

In his three seasons in Bloomington, Crean has won a grand total of 28 games. He is just 8-46 in Big Ten play, finishing in last place in two of his three years. Part of that has been the result of injuries to key players, part of it is due to the massive hole that Kelvin Sampson left the program in. And while Crean has been cleaning up on the recruiting trail -- especially for future classes -- its worth noting that an ESPN investigation into the Indiana Elite AAU program may dry up the pipeline that Crean has established.

Despite all of that, you don't really hear Indiana fans, who are as die-hard as any hoops fan base in the country, calling for Crean's head. The good folks of the Hoosier State generally seem to like Crean, and its not just because he's landed commitments from a couple of talented Indianans from the class of 2014.

If you haven't been following the news, the most heartbreaking story this week is of IU student Lauren Spierer, a 20 year old from upstate New York that went missing at 4:30 am on Friday morning. There have been massive searches throughout the town and the neighboring areas looking for the girl, and Crean has taken part in those searches.


You see, Crean gets it.

He's not just a coach in Bloomington, he's a member of the community. He's a neighbor that happens to coach basketball, not a basketball coach that happens to live in town. And he's not just tweeting about Spierer. He's not just posting the fliers on his website. He's actually out there, digging through trash and walking through fields trying to help Spierer's parents find out what happened to their daughter.

I can't imagine what the Spierer family is going through. I doubt that Crean can, either. But the fact that he is actually out there helping search -- and doing it with little to no fanfare -- is why he has a longer leash than most coaches that win eight league games in three years.


If you know anything, please call the number listed.
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POSTERIZED: Indiana: Where white guys go to dunk

Indiana's Tom Pritchard stole the dunk-show this week with his legitimate "Dunk of Year" contender against Minnesota.

But his teammate Will Sheehey will be all over SportsCenter this weekend.

Trust me.



White guys not-named Brent Barry and Chase Buddinger aren't suppose to be able to dunk like that. Holy crap that was a vicious posterization.

(H/T to @TheMikanDrill)

But was it as good as one of these?:

POSTERIZED - Tom Pritchard, Indiana
POSTERIZED - Shay Shine, High Point
POSTERIZED - John Holland, Boston
POSTERIZED - Keith Gabriel, VMI
POSTERIZED - Travis McKie, Wake Forest
POSTERIZED - Jefferson Mason, Minnesota State (D-II)
POSTERIZED - Tyler Johnson, Fresno State
POSTERIZED - Justin Williams, UNC-Ashville
POSTERIZED - Derrick Williams, Arizona
POSTERIZED - Hollis Thompson, Georgetown
POSTERIZED - Darnell Wilks, Cincinnati
POSTERIZED - Rodney Williams, Minnesota
POSTERIZED - Darius Johnson-Odom, Marquette
POSTERIZED - Darrius Garrett, Richmond
POSTERIZED - Travis Cohn, Jacksonville
POSTERIZED - Ramon Galloway, South Carolina
POSTERIZED - Terrence Jones, Kentucky
POSTERIZED - Justin Tubbs, East Tennessee State
POSTERIZED - John Williams, UNC-Ashville
POSTERIZED - Kevin Smith, Richmond
POSTERIZED - Mitchell Watt, Buffalo
POSTERIZED - Chandler Parsons, Florida
POSTERIZED - Kenny Gabriel, Auburn
POSTERIZED - Paris Horne, St. John's
POSTERIZED - Travis Leslie, Georgia
POSTERIZED - Laurence Bowers, Missouri
POSTERIZED - Drew Gordon, New Mexico
POSTERIZED - Tony Mitchell, Alabama
POSTERIZED - Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt
POSTERIZED - LaMarcus Reed, UT-Arlington
POSTERIZED - Marcus Morris, Kansas
POSTERIZED - Jared Cunningham, Oregon State
POSTERIZED - Langston Morris-Walker
POSTERIZED - Chris Wright and Juwan Staten, Dayton
POSTERIZED - D.J Stephens, Memphis
POSTERIZED - Derrick Williams, Arizona
POSTERIZED - Reeves Nelson, UCLA
POSTERIZED - Kendall Marshall and John Henson, UNC
POSTERIZED - Terrence Jones, Kentucky
POSTERIZED - Rodney Williams, Minnesota
POSTERIZED - Joe Jackson, Memphis
POSTERIZED - Shay Shine, High Point
POSTERIZED - Harrison Barnes, North Carolina
POSTERIZED - Kent Bazemore, Old Dominion
POSTERIZED - CJ Fair, Syracuse
POSTERIZED - LeBryan Nash
POSTERIZED - Rodney Williams, Minnesota
POSTERIZED - Travis Leslie, Georgia
POSTERIZED - Terrence Jones, Kentucky
POSTERIZED - Marcus Jordan, Central Florida
POSTERIZED - Lorenzo Brown, NC State
POSTERIZED - Tai Wesley, Utah State
POSTERIZED - Trent Lockett, Arizona State, and Derrick Williams, Arizona
POSTERIZED - Brandon Paul, Illinois
POSTERIZED - Jordan Hamilton, Texas
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What is going on in the Big Ten?

Indiana has become the spoiler in the Big Ten.

Last week, it was a 52-49 upset of Illinois at home. Then after nearly knocking off Michigan State on the road in overtime, the Hoosiers held off a furious rally by the Gophers to beat Minnesota 60-57.

Making this run all the more impressive is that Indiana is going it without four players that were expected to start in the preseason.

Christian Watford is out after having surgery on his broken hand. Maurice Creek is out after fracturing his left patella. Guy-Marc Michel was ruled ineligible by the NCAA. And Verdell Jones came off the bench to see his first action in three games due to a sore knee.


I think we can officially forget about all that talk of Tom Crean being on the hot seat. He has this team playing hard, playing smart, and competing in the Big Ten. Imagine what will happen when he starts putting better talent on the floor.

At the other end of the spectrum in Michigan State.

The Spartans suffered what may be the worst loss in the Tom Izzo era on Wednesday night. The Spartans went into Iowa City and were utterly embarrassed by a bad Iowa team.

The Hawkeyes jumped out to leads of 15-2 and 30-8 before coasting to their second Big Ten win this season.

Can anyone figure out what is wrong with the Spartans? This is no longer an on-the-court issue, in my opinion. Say what you will about this team's talent level, there is no way that Iowa is 20 points better. Not a chance.

Think about this -- Michigan State has lost five of their last eight games. The three wins in that stretch all came in overtime, and their last win before this downward spiral was a three point win against Northwestern that was preserved thanks to a missed box out on the front end of a one-and-one by the Wildcats.

The Spartans are four possessions away from being in the midst of a nine game losing streak.

But hey, at least Izzo should look at the bright side.

The Cavs have lost 22 straight games and 32 of their last 33.

I guess that's the lesser of two evils, right?
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POSTERIZED: Luckily for Indiana, Tom Pritchard isn't injured

What are the ingredients for an instant-classic POSTERIZED post?

One slow white-guy, one missed jump-shot, and one Gus Johnson.



Do you really need anything else?

UPDATE: Sure you do. Check out this awesome picture snapped by @PeterWStevenson of Pritchard's dunk:


But was it as good as one of these?:

POSTERIZED - Shay Shine, High Point
POSTERIZED - John Holland, Boston
POSTERIZED - Keith Gabriel, VMI
POSTERIZED - Travis McKie, Wake Forest
POSTERIZED - Jefferson Mason, Minnesota State (D-II)
POSTERIZED - Tyler Johnson, Fresno State
POSTERIZED - Justin Williams, UNC-Ashville
POSTERIZED - Derrick Williams, Arizona
POSTERIZED - Hollis Thompson, Georgetown
POSTERIZED - Darnell Wilks, Cincinnati
POSTERIZED - Rodney Williams, Minnesota
POSTERIZED - Darius Johnson-Odom, Marquette
POSTERIZED - Darrius Garrett, Richmond
POSTERIZED - Travis Cohn, Jacksonville
POSTERIZED - Ramon Galloway, South Carolina
POSTERIZED - Terrence Jones, Kentucky
POSTERIZED - Justin Tubbs, East Tennessee State
POSTERIZED - John Williams, UNC-Ashville
POSTERIZED - Kevin Smith, Richmond
POSTERIZED - Mitchell Watt, Buffalo
POSTERIZED - Chandler Parsons, Florida
POSTERIZED - Kenny Gabriel, Auburn
POSTERIZED - Paris Horne, St. John's
POSTERIZED - Travis Leslie, Georgia
POSTERIZED - Laurence Bowers, Missouri
POSTERIZED - Drew Gordon, New Mexico
POSTERIZED - Tony Mitchell, Alabama
POSTERIZED - Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt
POSTERIZED - LaMarcus Reed, UT-Arlington
POSTERIZED - Marcus Morris, Kansas
POSTERIZED - Jared Cunningham, Oregon State
POSTERIZED - Langston Morris-Walker
POSTERIZED - Chris Wright and Juwan Staten, Dayton
POSTERIZED - D.J Stephens, Memphis
POSTERIZED - Derrick Williams, Arizona
POSTERIZED - Reeves Nelson, UCLA
POSTERIZED - Kendall Marshall and John Henson, UNC
POSTERIZED - Terrence Jones, Kentucky
POSTERIZED - Rodney Williams, Minnesota
POSTERIZED - Joe Jackson, Memphis
POSTERIZED - Shay Shine, High Point
POSTERIZED - Harrison Barnes, North Carolina
POSTERIZED - Kent Bazemore, Old Dominion
POSTERIZED - CJ Fair, Syracuse
POSTERIZED - LeBryan Nash
POSTERIZED - Rodney Williams, Minnesota
POSTERIZED - Travis Leslie, Georgia
POSTERIZED - Terrence Jones, Kentucky
POSTERIZED - Marcus Jordan, Central Florida
POSTERIZED - Lorenzo Brown, NC State
POSTERIZED - Tai Wesley, Utah State
POSTERIZED - Trent Lockett, Arizona State, and Derrick Williams, Arizona
POSTERIZED - Brandon Paul, Illinois
POSTERIZED - Jordan Hamilton, Texas
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Another Hoosier-state hooper loses his second straight season to knee injuries

Robbie Hummel's story is heart breaking.

One the second day of practice after he had worked all the way back from a torn acl that ended his 2009-2010 season in February, Hummel blew that same acl again. One and a half days of practice is all he was able to get out of eight months of strenuous rehab. For a kid as genuine and nice as Hummel his, you have to hurt for him.

He's not the only Hoosier state star that's lost a second consecutive season to his balky knees.

You may not have heard about it over the weekend, but on Saturday afternoon Indiana's Maurice Creek had his sophomore season ended by injury a year after his freshman campaign was cut short with a fractured left patella. He tried to stop abruptly after chasing down a long lead pass and suffered a stress fracture to his right patella. Creek will have surgery on Thursday, which could very well mean he is done for the year.


"You can't imagine how big a blow it is to him," said Indiana head coach Tom Crean. "It's a tough, tough situation and I hope everyone will think bout him and say a prayer for Mo and his family."

Making the situation worse is that Creek was clearly still struggling with the injury he suffered last season. He had a limp when he played and was noticeably less explosive and athletic than he was a year ago.

His numbers had take a big hit as well. He was averaging 16.4 ppg and 3.8 rpg in 25.4 mpg when he was injured as a freshman. As a sophomore, he was playing just 20.0 mpg and scoring only 8.3 ppg. If Creek had that much trouble overcoming a fractured patella in one knee, it only reasons to make sense that he will struggle with a fractured patella in the other knee.

(I'm not a doctor, so this is a completely uneducated statement, but take a look at Creek's legs in the picture above. They are twigs. I'm not trying to make light of the situation, I'm stating a fact. He has extremely skinny legs. Can someone with medical knowledge enlighten me -- can this make one more likely to suffer a knee injury?)

This is obviously a blow to this young man's career, one that looked so promising when he was a freshman.

But its also a blow to the rebuilding of the Indiana program. Creek was supposed to be a cornerstone for Tom Crean. Instead, Creek will once again miss the majority of Big Ten play.

Only time will tell how he will rebound from this injury.

I, for one, am hoping that he can get back to 100%.

I hate to see talent wasted, especially when it is the result of an injury. Its not Creek's fault that his knees have given out on him.

Get well soon, Mo. We're pulling for ya.
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What's the deal with all these rap songs?

Earlier in the week, I documented a rising trend in the media-heavy world of college hoops. Well today, I must document another trend, which, unlike the hilarious spoof videos, is not nearly as entertaining.

Listen, I like hip-hop. In fact, I damn-near love it. The same goes for college hoops. But I cannot say the same about auto-tune-heavy rap videos made by college students about their favorite teams.

You see, Indiana became the most recent addition to the club of awkward white kids rapping about college hoops.



The video is actually pretty well done, and probably earned the director a B+ or A- in their Comm355 Advanced Production class. But still these videos just seem like a trend I think we all would rather do without.

Take a look at the other esteemed programs that have homemade rap videos made about them:

Central Florida



Duke



Syracuse



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Guy-Marc Michel ruled ineligible

This post can also be found at Beyond the Arc.

Indiana's Guy-Marc Michel has been ruled ineligible by the NCAA.

But its a bit of a different situation than you think.

Yes, Michel played with a professional team when he was in France. More specifically, he played with SLUC Nancy, a French League club team, as an amateur, but at the end of the 2007-2008 season, Michel was called up for five games with the pros.

The NCAA determined that Michel would be suspended for a year, and then get 10 games -- two for every one he played with the pros in France -- the next season. The suspension itself seems pretty unfair. Michel, by all accounts, only received necessary expenses during that time. He also seemed to make the effort to stay eligible for NCAA basketball. To get essentially the same punishment that Renardo Sidney did seems a bit excessive. But don't ask me, ask the guys over at Inside the Hall. They rip the NCAA plenty for this ruling.

The biggest issue, however, was that Michel enrolled in classes at a French university in 2006. His high school and the college he took classes at had the same name which complicated matters a bit, as does equivalency when it comes to schooling in the states and abroad. But the NCAA has a rule called the four-in-five rule, which essentially says that from the minute an athlete steps on campus, he has five years to exhaust his or her eligibility in every sport. Its why Greg Paulus was only allowed one year to play football at Syracuse.

Throw in the two seasons that Michel spent at the Northern Idaho College, and the NCAA ruled that Michel had at most one season of college eligibility remaining. The one year suspension wipes that out.

Here is Crean's statement through the athletic department:

We are disappointed by this decision because everyone involved in this process agrees that Guy did not intentionally do anything that would have jeopardized his ability to play here or at any of the number of institutions that also recruited him. We will regroup, assess all our options and do whatever we can for Guy, who has demonstrated to us that he deserves to be part of the IU program.

The only further demonstrates the NCAA's unwillingness to mold their rules to allow for foreigners to get educated through their athletic talents.
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