NBA Draft Profiles: Nikola Vucevic, USC

Bjorn Zetterberg of SwishScout.com will be helping us out with all of our NBA Draft Profiles this year. You can follow him on twitter @swishscout.

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Stats: 17.1 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 1.4 bpg, 34.9% 3PT

Age: 20, junior

Size:

• Listed: 7'0", 260 lb
• Official: 6'10.25" (no shoes), 6'11.75" (with shoes), 7'4.5" (wingspan), 9'4.5" (reach), 260 lb

Strengths: Perhaps the biggest strength -- or, rather, the best attribute for this draft -- for Vucevic is his size. At a shade under seven feet with a nearly 7'5" wingspan and checking in at 260 lb, Vucevic is that only player in this draft with the size of a true NBA center. Still just 20 years old, he looks it as well. He's got a fairly chiseled frame and wears that 260 lb well. Vucevic also has a well-rounded offensive skill-set. He's got a soft touch on his jumper with range extending to the college three point line. He's also deadly in the mid-range, which makes him an ideal pick-and-pop candidate in the NBA given his size. His back-to-the-basket arsenal needs some work, as does his ability to make a play when he isn't open on the catch-and-shoot jumper, but that will come with time -- he's only 20 years old. In addition to his offensive arsenal, Vucevic is an excellent rebound that can carve out space in the paint. He's not a great shot blocker or defender on the perimeter due to mediocre explosiveness and lateral quickness, but he makes up for that with desire and his length.

Weaknesses: The biggest weakness in Vucevic's game right now is that he is a below the rim player. His max vert was measured at just 25", meaning that while he is the biggest player in this year's draft class, he is also the worst leaper. Given his size and strength, that won't be too much of an issue, but it will hinder his ability to defend the pick-and-roll and guard quick, face-up big men like Amare Stoudamire. That will likely be his biggest obstacle to overcome in the NBA. Vucevic also needs to improve the consistency on his perimeter. He got better as the season went on, but 34.9% from three is not going to cut it in the league.

Comparisons:

• Best Case Scenario: Mehmut Okur or Luis Scola with a better jumper. Vucevic can one day be a starter in the NBA, and with offensive skill-set he can probably be a 15-18 point scorer if he continues to develop. The question will be whether he become more of a perimeter oriented player or a guy that bangs in the paint. Either way, this 20 year old has a nice upside.


• Worst Case Scenario: Draft Express says David Andersen, while Bjorn is saying Kosta Koufus. Either way, I think you can interpret it to mean that, if Vucevic's game doesn't develop the way many expect it too, then he'll simply be a bench player in the league or a guy that ends up heading back to Europe.

Outlook: Vucevic has promise. He has the size and the length for an NBA center which helps make up for his lack of NBA athleticism. He rebounds the ball well and has the perimeter skills to one day be a serious pick-and-pop threat. Beyond the issue of quickness, Vucevic has another question mark, one that plagues every Euro big man before the draft -- physicality. He may be checking in at a well-defined 260 lb, but Vucevic still had an issue will getting backed down by opponents in the Pac-10 this past season. Regardless, Vucevic should have a long professional hoops career, whether it is in the States or abroad.

Draft Range: Mid to Late 1st Round

And the experts say...

• Chad Ford: "Vucevic is one of the more intriguing players in the draft. He's got a huge 7-foot-4 wingspan and moves pretty well. He's a legit 265 pounds, and Vachet has really gotten his body chiseled. While he's not going to be the most explosive big man in the draft, he's one of the toughest and most accomplished. A number of NBA GMs project him as a first-round pick. He's still on the bubble on our Big Board, but he's a guy who could really come in and blow up at the Chicago pre-draft camp if he continues to work on his explosiveness."


• Draft Express: "Vucevic's continued development with his perimeter shot is crucial for his stock, and the steps he's taken with his improved shooting, strength, and toughness this season are all very helpful. Continuing to work on his pick-and-pop game, becoming a better defender, and maximizing his strength and athleticism should be among his priorities. At just 20 years old, ... seeing how he's improved each of his three seasons so far, he could certainly play himself into draft discussions with continued improvement, and he already has a nice foundation with his rebounding and perimeter shooting."


• Swish Scout: "Solid power forward prospect with the ability to play with his back to the basket, hit the face up jumper, rebound at a high rate, and change shots in the lane with his length. Vucevic isn’t a great athlete and needs to play a hint tougher in the paint, but he’s a standout big man with the chance to be a nice NBA post player because of his physical gifts and mature skill set."

Highlights:




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UPDATE: Kevin O'Neill, Arizona booster get into a scuffle at a hotel bar

UPDATE III: Kevin O'Neill has been suspended for the remainder of the Pac-10 tournament:

"We have met with various parties who have knowledge of the incident," USC athletic director Pat Haden said Friday in a statement. "Based on the information we have gathered, I am immediately suspending Coach O'Neill for the balance of the Pac-10 Conference Tournament. We also have set forth additional discipline that will remain private."

What an idiot.

Kevin O'Neill may have just cost his team the NCAA Tournament. Believe it or not, the Trojans are in the conversation for the bubble, and with a game tonight against Arizona, their argument becomes just that much stronger.

And now, instead of coaching his team in their biggest game of the season, O'Neill will be sitting at home watching the game from his couch.

All those people that ripped the hiring of O'Neill by USC? Yeah, they look like geniuses now.


UPDATE II: O'Neill spoke with Yahoo's Jason King to clarify reports. He said he went out to Wolfgang Puck's restaurant with some friends, and upon returning to the JW Marriott to retrieve some things before heading home, he ran into a booster that he is on bad terms with:

O’Neill said he and the booster got into a verbal confrontation in the lobby and that his wife also became involved. He stressed that there was no physical contact and that the argument ended as soon as a security guard approached.

“My wife and I walked away on our own, we got into a cab and went home,” said O’Neill, adding that he wasn’t intoxicated. “It shouldn’t have happened and I’m sorry that it did.

“I just want to make it clear that this was someone I had a personal history with and not just some random Arizona fan off the street.”

Take that as you will. From what I've heard, O'Neill was, at the very least, quite profane.

UPDATE: News is still breaking in this story. It appears that O'Neill's wife had an altercation with a prominent Arizona booster that O'Neill believes was a factor in why he never got hired at the school. O'Neill was also apparently jawing with Arizona players. There may have been an assault (The Big Lead spoke with the booster that was assaulted) and there is also a rumor that the entire incident has been caught on camera. Stay tuned.

Kevin O'Neill isn't exactly the most well-liked coach.

He's a guy with a love-him-or-hate-him reputation, and, generally speaking, former players and former assistants tend to be of the hate-him variety.

"He's a great guy off the court, but he's bipolar or something. On the court, he's a madman."

That's a quote that a former player gave Jeff Goodman after O'Neill was hired at USC. He wasn't exactly loved. He also spent a year as an interim coach with Arizona, where he thought he was destined to be the permanent replacement for Lute Olson.

All of probably sheds some light on what happened last night. Again, according to Goodman:

According to sources, O’Neill and his wife were involved in a verbal altercation with an Arizona donor. They were kicked out of the hotel, just hours after USC’s win over Cal.

This report is confirmed by PointGuardU (and may have been scooped), an Arizona hoops website, has even more information, including a picture from the bar last night where O'Neill is wearing the same clothes as he was at USC's game last night against Cal:

O'Neill and his wife were in a hotel lobby of the JW Marriott and visibly intoxicated when they exchanged words with a group of Arizona fans. O'Neill reportedly threatened the fan that USC was going to “beat the hell out of Arizona.” Words were exchanged and our sources say that O'Neill's wife struck one of the Arizona fans. O'Neill and his wife were escorted out of the hotel, and Arizona fans were left wondering what just happened.

Chaos and confusion ensued. The craziness of what occurred led to a scuffle between O'Neill and Arizona fans.

USC's athletic director Pat Haden released the following statement:

We have received some information tonight about an incident involving coach Kevin O'Neill, his wife and a fan from another school that occurred following our men's basketball game today. We are looking into this and gathering facts. We will determine what appropriate action is necessary.

I would say it should be a hell of an atmosphere tonight when USC plays Arizona in the Staples Center, but its Pac-10 hoops, so you never really know.
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USC and Washington set up an interesting game Saturday

USC swept the Arizona schools at home this weekend, thanks in very large part to the play of Nikola Vucevic inside. The Trojan big man averaged 22.5 ppg and 11.0 rpg for the week. That's impressive, especially when you consider he went for 25 points and 12 boards while holding Derrick Williams to all of eight points on Thursday night.

Washington's weekend was a bit more disappointing. The Huskies got smoked at home by rival Washington State, putting them into a bit of a troubling situation. They are now 10-6 in the Pac-10 and two games off of the pace for the Pac-10 lead while their road struggles have now spread to their home court.

It sets up an interesting situation next Saturday when USC visits Washington in the regular season finale.


Not a lot of mention has been made about USC as a potential tournament team. Rightfully so. They are 17-12 on the season with an RPI of 80. At best, they will finish at 11-7 in the Pac-10, which includes three losses to the Oregon schools. But they also own wins over Texas, Tennessee, UCLA, and now Arizona. And while the Trojans also lost to Bradley, Rider, and TCU, those losses all came prior to Jio Fontan joining the team. Not quite as bad as you thought, is it?

Now, Washington is on the other end of that spectrum. Despite being ranked in the top 25 for much of the season, this Washington team will be in serious trouble if they lose out this weekend. Their RPI is 43rd, but they have half the number of top 50 wins that USC does (just UCLA and Arizona) and the same number of ugly losses, dropping games at Stanford and both of the Oregon schools.

Imagine this scenario -- USC wins at Washington State on Thursday while Washington loses to UCLA. Both the Huskies and the Trojans would be heading into their showdown on Saturday with a 10-7 record in league play. If USC wins, they finish a game in front of Washington in the Pac-10 standings, having beaten the Huskies to cap off a six game winning streak to end the season, with more than double to number of top 50 wins on their resume.

That would be an interesting situation, wouldn't it?

How much credit do you give to the end of the season, when Washington lost four of five? How much do you factor in the addition of Fontan? Or the loss of Abdul Gaddy?

When you also consider that Arizona just blew a two game lead in the conference standings in the span of three days, tying them with UCLA for first, I think its safe to say we are headed to a wild finish in Pac-10 play.
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2/28 - College Hoops Week in Review: The Pac-10 race just got crazy

Games of the Week: Wisconsin 53, Michigan 52

The Wolverines were so close to finally picking up a marquee win. With 30 seconds left and the score 52-50, Michigan's Darius Morris headed to the free throw line. He missed the front end of a one-and-one (one of six straight free throws Michigan missed down the stretch), but the Wolverines still had four fouls to give. So they worked the clock down to 5.4 seconds left, setting up this final play:



The loss was all the more crushing for Michigan as they continue to chase an NCAA Tournament bid. They are currently sitting right on the cut line with, at best, a shot at a .500 league record. You don't think a win over the No. 12 team in the country could help?

UNC Asheville 61, Coastal Carolina 58: At first, I felt bad for Coastal Carolina. Their season has gone up in flames. Two of their best players have been suspended. Their starting point guard is done for the season with a knee injury. What seemed like a year with the potential to win a game in the NCAA Tournament has become a disaster. But then I read this. Maybe Matt Dickey was just playing the role of karma:




Player of the Week: Nikola Vucevic, USC

Vucevic is one of the best big men in the country, but I'm willing to bet you've never seen him play. Its not necessarily your fault. The Pac-10 has a garbage TV deal that makes it extremely difficult to see any Pac-10 game, let alone ones with a team that was expected to be one of the worst high-majors in the country.

But USC has had a bit of a resurgence of late. They've now won four straight games, including a sweep of the Arizona schools this past weekend, and Vucevic has been the best player on the floor. He has six straight double-doubles, including the 25 points and 12 boards he had in the Trojan's upset of Arizona on Thursday. Making that performance all the more impressive was the eight points that Derrick Williams finished with. All told, Vucevic averaged 22.5 ppg and 11.0 rpg.


All of a sudden, USC looks like a team that could end up stealing a bid. They've got wins over Texas, Tennessee, UCLA, and Arizona. Their bad losses came early in the season, before Jio Fontan was on the roster. If they sweep Washington and Washington State on the road to close out the season, they will be tied from third in the Pac-10. That's stronger than some of the profiles currently on the bubble.

The All-they-were-good-too team:

• G: Jacob Pullen, Kansas State: Pullen averaged 25.5 ppg for the Wildcats in a 2-0 week as they all but locked up a tournament bid with a win against Missouri on Saturday. All told, in the last four games, Pullen is averaging 29.0 ppg, shooting 48.4% from the floor, 15-23 (65.2%) from three, and 41-47 from the foul line.
  
• G: Dwight Hardy, St. John's: Hardy averaged 27.5 ppg this week, including a career-high 34 point performance in the Johnnie's win at Villanova. In the past seven games, Hardy has set his career high three times.
  
• F: Reeves Nelson, UCLA: The Bruins moved into a first place tie in the Pac-10 this weekend with a 71-49 win over Arizona. Nelson outplayed Derrick Williams, a potential top ten pick, to the tune of 27 points and 16 boards. He also had 12 points and 10 boards in a win over Arizona State.
  
• F: John Henson, UNC: Henson has a long way to go before he becomes a legitimate offensive threat, but his performance on the defensive end of the floor and on the glass is a huge reason for the Tar Heel's resurgence. This week, he had 30 rebounds (nine offensive) and 13 blocks in two wins.
  
• C: JaJuan Johnson, Purdue: Johnson had 20 points and nine boards in a win at Indiana, and followed that up with an impressive 20-point, 17-rebound, 7-block performance at Michigan State.
  
• Bench: Tu Holloway, Xavier (12 points, 15 assists, nine boards vs. La Salle, 26 points, 6 boards, 5 assists at Dayton); BJ Jenkins, Murray State (21.5 ppg as Racers clinched OVC title); Marshon Brooks, Providence (52 points in loss to Notre Dame); Tim Abromaitis, Notre Dame (25.0 ppg, had scored 20 just once in 2011)
  

Team of the Week: Virginia Tech Hokies

It was really difficult this week to pick a team of the week given the number of quality options there were. I had to go with the Hokies, though. With their win over Duke on Saturday night, Virginia Tech has all but clinched an NCAA Tournament bid barring a collapse down the stretch.


The Hokies had a nice record coming into the game, but they didn't have the power at the top that you need to make the NCAA Tournament. With how weak the bubble is this year, snagging a win over the No. 1 team in the country is almost enough to carry you from the wrong side of the bubble to the right side. Tech still has some work to do -- they play both Boston College and Clemson, two other ACC bubble teams, down the stretch -- but as long as they can avoid being swept, Seth Greenberg should finally be taking his team to the NCAA Tournament.

Teams deserving a shout out:

Marquette: Have the Golden Eagles finally made their patented late season run? Needing a win on Thursday to keep their tournament hopes alive, Marquette went into Hartford and knocked off the UConn Huskies in overtime. They followed it up with a win over Providence. With two games (Cincinnati, at Seton Hall) left, Marquette should feel like they are in solid position to earn a bid.

Louisville: The Cardinals also picked up two big wins this week, winning at Rutgers before taking care of Pitt at home. With the win over Pitt, Louisville moved into a third place tie with St. John's in the Big East standings. If they win out, the Cardinals will receive one of the double byes in the conference tournament.

UCLA: UCLA wiped the floor with both Arizona State and Arizona in Pauley Pavilion this weekend, the latter thanks to Reeves Nelson's 27 points and 16 boards. The Bruins have now moved into a first place tie in the Pac-10 with the Wildcats. They'll have their work cut out for them this weekend, having to travel to the Washington schools, but a sweep would give the Bruins a share of the Pac-10 title. Who saw that coming?

Kansas State: Is there a team in the country playing better basketball than the Wildcats right now? Jacob Pullen has been on fire, his supporting cast has been playing with purpose and passion, and K-State earned their fourth straight win against Missouri on Saturday, which should be enough to get the Wildcats into the NCAA Tournament so long as they avoid a late season collapse.


Colorado: All of a sudden, the Buffaloes look like they may actually be capable of earning themselves an NCAA Tournament bid after they won at Texas Tech and then came from 22 points down to knock off Texas. They'll have their work cut out for them -- winning out in league play may not be enough -- but its possible.

Syracuse: The Orange continued to prove that they are a better team away from home this season, going into Philly and Washington DC and coming away with hard-fought wins over Villanova and Georgetown. There is a silver lining, however. Villanova has struggled mightily down the stretch in Big East play, while the Hoyas were playing without Chris Wright.

USC: As we detailed earlier, the Trojans are now in a position that they can make a claim for deserving an at-large bid. They knocked off Arizona and Arizona State this week, they have four quality wins, and their bad losses all came before Jio Fontan was eligible to play. If they win out at the Washington schools this week, USC will be an interesting case on Selection Sunday.

Gonzaga: The Zags knocked off St. Mary's on the road in overtime on Thursday, meaning that their win over San Diego on Saturday night gave them a share of the WCC regular season title. They also managed to get themselves back into the thick of the bubble conversation, although they've lost enough games that anything short of an automatic bid will leave them sweating when the brackets are announced.

MATCHUPS OF THE WEEK

• 2/28 - 7:00 pm: Villanova @ Notre Dame
• 2/28 - 9:00 pm: Kansas State @ Texas
• 3/1 - 7:00 pm: Illinois @ Purdue
• 3/1 - 7:00 pm: Alabama @ Florida
• 3/1 - 9:00 pm: Vanderbilt @ Kentucky
• 3/1 - 9:00 pm: Boston College @ Virginia Tech
• 3/2 - 8:00 pm: Cincinnati @ Marquette
• 3/2 - 9:00 pm: UCLA @ Washington
• 3/2 - 9:00 pm: Texas A&M @ Kansas State
• 3/4 - 12:00 pm: Kansas @ Missouri
• 3/4 - 2:00 pm: Notre Dame @ UConn
  
• 3/4 - 4:00 pm: Villanova @ Pitt
• 3/4 - 6:00 pm: Florida @ Vanderbilt
  
• 3/4 - 8:00 pm: Duke @ UNC
  
• 3/4 - 9:00 pm: Texas @ Baylor
• 3/5 - 12:00 pm: Wisconsin @ Ohio State
• 3/5 - 4:00 pm: Kentucky @ Tennessee
  

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Wednesday's Pregame Beat: Georgetown-Notre Dame highlight the early games, while Wazzu/U-Dub visit UCLA/USC

7:00 pm: No. 9 Georgetown @ No. 15 Notre Dame: I said it in our Big East conference play primer -- I think that the Hoyas are the best team in the conference. They have a terrific back court, an underrated front court, and are as well-coached -- and as receptive to good coaching -- as any team in the country.

If Georgetown is the best team in the league, Notre Dame may as well be dubbed the Great Unknown. Of the Big East teams that actually have a chance at getting to the NCAA Tournament, the Irish are the team that I am having the most trouble pegging. I love their versatility offensively. They can play big with Tyrone Nash and Jack Cooley up front and Abromaitis at the two. Or they can use Scott Martin and Carleton Scott up front with Ben Hansbrough and Eric Atkins in the back court, allowing them to play more of a five out offense. They still play at more of a deliberate pace than we are used to seeing out of a Mike Brey team; call it the Luke Harangody hangover.

But what is this team's identity. Are they a defensive team? Are they a three point shooting team? Are they really as good as they looked in winning the Old Spice Classic, or is the second half against Kentucky (when they scored 18 points) more indicative of this team's potential. Hopefully, I'll be able to figure that out tonight.

9:00 pm: Marquette @ Vanderbilt: This is an interesting matchup between two teams in the middle of the pack of their respective conferences power structure. I don't generally like using the term scrappy to define a team, but its tough to find another adjective that correctly defines Marquette. (Feisty? Pesky?) They are exactly the same as every Marquette team the past five years. Versatile forwards, talented guards, play hard. Vanderbilt is flying a bit under the radar right now. They have size, they have shooting, and they have athleticism, but its never a good sign when your point guard is Brad Tinsley.

9:00 pm: No. 25 Illinois @ Iowa: The Illini kick off their Big Ten season with a trip to Iowa City to take on the Hawkeyes. Illinois should handle this one easily, but they also should have beaten Illinois-Chicago easily.

10:30 pm: Washington @ USC: USC has been much improved over the past three weeks or so, especially now that they have Jio Fontan on the roster. We get a chance to see them play against Pac-10 favorite Washington tonight. We should get a feel for whether or not this team will actually make any noise in league play.

11:00 pm: Washington State @ UCLA: This is one of the most important games of the Pac-10 season. UCLA has the talent to compete for the league title, but if they are going to, winning home games against the other teams near the top of the league -- the Washington schools -- is vital. UCLA got a boost yesterday when it was announced that the Bruins would have Tyler Honeycutt in uniform.

7:00 pm: St. John's @ West Virginia: The Mountaineers looked awesome early in the season, but as Bobby Huggins tries to get this team to play the way he demands, WVU has slipped a bit. They aren't losing game, but they also are not playing as well as many expected. St. John's is a question mark heading into the Big East season. They lost to Fordham and St. Bonaventure, but they looked awesome in the second half against Northwestern, hitting 16-20 from the floor.

Other Notable Games:

• 7:00 pm: UNC-Greensboro @ No. 1 Duke
• 9:00 pm: Tx-Arlington @ No. 3 Kansas
• 7:00 pm: Furman @ No. 21 UCF
• 7:00 pm: Boston College @ URI
• 7:00 pm: East Carolina @ Clemson
• 7:00 pm: Wake Forest @ Richmond
• 7:00 pm: George Mason @ Dayton
• 7:00 pm: UT-Martin @ Tennessee
• 7:30 pm: Wofford @ VCU
• 8:00 pm: North Carolina A&M @ Arkansas
• 8:00 pm: North Florida @ Maryland
• 8:00 pm: MVSU @ Southern Miss
• 8:00 pm: New Mexico @ Texas Tech
• 8:05 pm: Missouri State @ Northern Iowa
• 8:30 pm: Lafayette @ Gonzaga
• 9:00 pm: Hawaii @ Utah State
• 11:00 pm: Mississippi State @ St. Mary's
  

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Conference Play Primer: The Pac-10

Favorite: Washington Huskies

Washington has dropped out of the national top 25. Part of the reason for that is U-Dub once again has started the season slowly, going 8-3 in non-conference play without a marquee win, unless you consider beating Texas Tech or Virginia a marquee win. That said, Washington doesn't have a bad loss year, either. They lost close games to Kentucky and Michigan State in the Maui Invitational before losing by one to Texas A&M, who has climbed all the way into the top 25, on the road. Its enough that Kenpom has the Huskies sitting pretty at fifth in the country. It generally isn't a good idea to argue with Kenpom, either. Washington is deep -- ten guys average at least 13.0 mpg and no one plays more than 27.0 mpg -- and they are balanced -- all ten of those players average at least 5.4 ppg. They have athletes, they have shooters, they have playmakers, and they have defenders. You know about Isaiah Thomas and Matthew Bryan-Amaning, so I'm going to mention Justin Holiday, Jrue's brother, who has been great thus far in his senior season. He's averaging 12.5 ppg and 6.2 rpg and has been just as good as Venoy Overton on the defensive end of the floor.


Player of the Year: Derrick Williams, Arizona

With all due respect going to Klay Thompson of Washington State, Williams is my early season pick for Pac-10 player of the year. It isn't just because of the numbers he puts up. Williams averages 19.7 ppg and 7.0 rpg while scoring at an insanely high efficiency -- he averages more than two points per shot attempt, as he is knocking down 63.2% from the floor and 68.4% from three. Its the fact that he is putting up these numbers without a true point guard on the floor with him. Williams is much improved at getting his own shot. At 6'8", he has enough athleticism and quickness that he will likely be a combo-forward in the NBA, but his perimeter skills are still dragging a bit behind his tools. He's improved -- his three point shooting percentage proves that, and he was also become adept at driving left from the perimeter -- but he's still a guy that would benefit from a point guard that could get him the ball in better spots to score. Thompson's numbers are better, but so is his supporting cast.

All-Conference Team

• G: Isaiah Thomas, Washington: 15.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.8 apg
  
• G: Faisal Aden, Washington State: 16.1 ppg, 41.9% 3PT
  
• F: Klay Thompson, Washington State: 22.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 4.2 apg, 2.3 spg, 42% 3PT
  
• F: Matthew Bryan-Amaning, Washington: 13.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.4 spg, 1.4 bpg
  
• C: Nikola Vucevic, USC: 15.2 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 1.6 bpg
  

Biggest Surprise: Washington State

The Cougars finished in last place in the Pac-10 in 2010. Dead last in a conference that many considered to be one of the worst of the decade. With their core basically intact this season, most expected an improvement out of Wazzu, but I doubt many people expected them to become a legitimate contender for the conference crown, a potential tournament team, and a group that is on the edge of cracking the top 25. There are still some concerns that I have -- DeAngelo Casto still isn't much more than a dunker and is a bit of a hot head, Klay Thompson and Faisal Aden are both a bit soft, they don't have much quality depth. Having said that, Thompson's performance in the Diamond Head Classic should help rid him of the "soft" label, and Reggie Moore's return from injury has given this group a big boost. There are not many teams in the country with a perimeter as good as Wazzu's.


Biggest Disappointment: UCLA Bruins

Simply put, there is too much talent on this team for Ben Howland's club to be struggling like this. Their front line, on paper, looks as good as anyone in the country. Joshua Smith is a force on the block when he decides to be, Reeves Nelson is a blue-collar forward that has improved this season, and Tyler Honeycutt has the tools to be a first round pick. Malcolm Lee and Jerime Anderson are blue-chip recruits. Zeke Jones, Tyler Lamb, and Brendan Lane are all capable players. So why the struggles? This team doesn't defend the way Ben Howland teams should defend. Jones and Anderson -- and the entire back court, for that matter -- have a habit of making the wrong decision in critical junctures. They don't get up for games against lesser competition -- UCLA nearly beat Kansas on the road, then lost to Montana at home, beat BYU, then nearly lost to Montana State and UC Irvine. Can we pin all of that on leadership? Who knows, but with the talent UCLA has, they should be a Pac-10 favorite. Few outside of Westwood currently believe that.

Teams to keep an eye on:

• USC: The Trojans have been a different team the last month, and that was true before they added Jio Fontan, who is averaging 16.7 ppg and 3.3 apg, to the mix. They knocked off Texas at home by 17 (without Fontan) and they beat Tennessee on the road after coming up a couple of Josh Selby jumpers short of beating Kansas in the Phog. Nikola Vucevic and Alex Stephenson are big enough to compete with anyone up front, and the tandem of Maurice Jones and Fontan has been tough to handle through three games.
• Cal: There are some decent pieces on the Bears. Jorge Gutierrez is good, as is Harper Kamp. A 25 point win over New Mexico is nice, but I think their five point first half against Notre Dame is probably a better indication of how good this team is.
  
• Arizona State: This is charity, because I think Arizona State has some talent. On the perimeter, they are loaded, with guys like Ty Abbott, Rihard Kuksiks, Jamelle McMillan, and Trent Lockett. But up front, they are relying on the undersized Kyle Cain. And that's about it.
  

Teams to forget about:

• Stanford, Oregon, and Oregon State: These are just not good basketball teams.
  

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George Dohrmann has been on fire

George Dohrmann is single-handedly cleaning up college athletics.

Well, that might be an exaggeration, but if that's his goal he is well on his way.

Yesterday, Dohrmann's article on agents in college football hit the intrawebs and immediately made waves, clogging my twitter feed for a solid two hours. The article (which is required reading, by the way) essentially exposes what the interaction between players and agents is actually like, and how deeply rooted the issue is.

That article came out one week after his book, Play Their Hearts Out, was released. (Ed. Note: We will have more on the book once we finish it. We're currently half way through.) Play Their Hearts Out is the story of Joe Keller, an AAU coach from Southern California, and how he uses his players, specifically Demetrius Walker who was considered the best 12 year old in the country, for profit. Its a sickening and in-depth look into the world of grassroots basketball, but its not what we are here to discuss right now.

Dohrmann got deep into the youth basketball scene in LA, and Walker's story wasn't the only disturbing one he turned up. For starters, he highlighted a potential recruiting violation by Ohio State and CBS's lead color commentator Clark Kellogg:

Ohio State violated an NCAA rule pursuing Roberto [Nelson, now of Oregon State]: Former Ohio State player and CBS college basketball analyst Clark Kellogg called Bruce and lobbied on behalf of his alma mater. (As a former Ohio State player he was forbidden under NCAA guidelines from contacting recruits or their families.) "I heard that the missing piece to the puzzle was a kid in California," Kellogg told Bruce [Roberto's father].

That wasn't the only violation that Dohrmann exposed. He also caught UCLA head coach Ben Howland:

In certain months, coaches are allowed to call a recruit or his family only once. In one of these months, and after a UCLA coach had already spoken to Roberto, Howland called Bruce. "I didn't know it was him until I answered the phone because the number had a Santa Barbara area code," Bruce said. "Ben said he was up in Santa Barbara visiting people, and we talked about maybe getting together while he was in town." Howland had never called Bruce from a Santa Barbara number before. "I guess he knew that if used his UCLA phone, then people could find out he called me."

Neither of those allegations are going to get the NCAA's attention. Even if the NCAA was able to prove them -- which would be quite difficult to do -- they are minor, and potentially innocent, enough that neither would be worth the NCAA's time.

Perhaps the most damning exposure came at the very end of the book. Walker originally committed to USC and Tim Floyd before he wound up at Arizona State. It got so far that Walker was scheduled to sign a Letter of Intent to USC after his junior year. Quoted from the book:

"So what is that I am hearing about ou needing time to make a decison?" [Floyd] said to Demetrius.

"Well, I couldn't sleep last night, Coach, I was tossing and turning, and my gut feeling was that it just wouldn't be right to sign right now. I need some time to think."

"You've been committed to us for months," Floyd said. "Why are you having these feelings now?"

"I don't know, Coach. I don't know why I am having these funny feelings, but it's how I feel."

"I don't really have time for this," Floyd said. "There are other guys out there we can recruit. I don't have time to be waiting around for you."

"Well, that's your choice. I don't want you to sign anyone else right now. I'd like you to wait like two days, just give me some time to think."

Floyd accused Demetrius of wanting to look at other schools. Demetrius denied it, and then the conversation deteriorated.

"I see what kind of person you are," Floyd said. "You are a liar and you are not a man of your word. … I thought you were a player like OJ Mayo and DeMar DeRozan, not afraid of coming in and competing for a spot, but you'd rather be given a position instead of earning one."

"Coach, I'm not afraid of anybody."

"I'll tell you this: If any NBA teams interested in you come talk to me first, I am going to tell them who the real Demetrius Walker is."

Remember, that is Tim Floyd talking to a 17 year old kid. Kinda got a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach? Yeah, me too.

Maybe that's why things like this and this and this have been written about Tim Floyd over the years.

Continue reading...

USC's punishment worse than it looks on paper

Over the weekend, Fanhouse published an article claiming that USC basketball got off light for the violations they committed during the Tim Floyd and OJ Mayo era.

They do have a point -- Floyd recruited Mayo through Ronald Guillory, a known runner who had already gotten the USC basketball program in trouble. Their punishment -- the loss of a few scholarships, some hours recruiting, and last year's postseason ban -- seems relatively benign compared to the book that was thrown at the Trojan football program.

OJ Mayo will be whitewashed from the USC program.
(photo credit: LA Times)

Having said that, the article seems to gloss over a few important details. First and foremost, they fail to mention that the USC athletic department, in an attempt to protect their football team, essentially threw the basketball program under the bus. All the punishments listed above? Those were self-imposed, six months before the NCAA's ruling came down.

The other issue I have is with the way the writer ignores what last season could have been. Sure, the Trojans ended up a mediocre team in a terrible Pac-10. They lost their head coach, their three best players, and their top four recruits as a result of the NCAA's investigation. New head coach Kevin O'Neill was playing against a stacked deck with the 2009-2010 Trojan team, and he was winning.

When news of the self-imposed sanctions came down on January 3rd, USC was he best team in the Pac-10. They had beaten two ranked teams in Tennessee and UNLV (the only non-conference wins over ranked teams for any Pac-10 team), they had just swept the Arizona schools, they were in the midst of an eight game winning streak, and senior point guard Mike Gerrity had just gotten eligible.

Its feasible that USC could have own the Pac-10 last season had they had something to play for. But without the Pac-10 Tournament and the NCAA Tournament to look forward too, how hard could one really expect the Trojans to play?

I'm not saying USC was a Final Four team. I'm not saying they could have made the Final Four of the Pac-10 Tournament. What I am saying is that the school, in an effort to save the football program, effectively ended the 2010 basketball season in early January.

Last season could have been memorable to USC. Not a soul believed that this team, which had been decimated by players, recruits, and coaches abandoning ship, had a shot at any kind of success last year. As of early January, USC was the best team in the Pac-10.

That is a story good enough to be a movie's plot line. Think about it -- vagabond coach takes over a program everyone's written off; injuries pile up early in the season; but something clicks, players start believing in the program; vagabond point guard playing at his third school in his last semester of eligibility then joins the team, and provides the spark to get the team from competitive to the favorite.

We all missed out on that.

And while the punishments, on paper, don't look over whelming, let us not forget how disappointing it was when we found out USC was banned from the postseason last year.

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Let's sue the stars

USC couldn't have picked a better time to have the NCAA hand out their punishment. (Seriously, after four years the punishment for OJ Mayo and Reggie Bush gets handed out at the same time as NCAApocalypse? What are the odds of that?)

While briefly taking over the headlines on Thursday, everyone has seemingly forgotten about the proverbial book that was thrown at USC while they try to figure out just who will be playing where and when it will happen.

And while most have set their focus on expansion, Gregg Doyel offered up one of the most intriguing columns I've read in a while. According to Doyel, Mayo and Bush should repay USC for the money they cost the school:

Mayo owes USC $206,200. That's how much the USC men's basketball team earned for participating in the 2008 NCAA tournament, and it's how much the school had to repay the NCAA because Mayo wasn't an amateur and therefore wasn't eligible. This isn't about reputations -- this is about cash. O.J. Mayo literally cheated the Trojans out of $206,200, and I want him to repay it.

Bush's monetary responsibility to USC is more difficult to pin down, but much larger than what Mayo owes. Thanks to Bush's willful cheating while in school, the NCAA has prevented USC from participating in a bowl game in 2010 or 2011. There's no way to predict what will happen this season or next, but USC played in two BCS bowls during Bush's time at halfback and earned roughly $3 million for those appearances.

USC can't play in a BCS bowl, or any bowl, in 2010 or 2011. That's potentially $3 million the football team won't be able to earn for the school.

I want Bush to write that check.

On the surface, I love this.

The way the system is currently set up, it is in the best interest of the best players to cheat, especially in basketball. Don't get caught until after your one or two year stay in college is done, and there is exactly zero the NCAA can do to you. Sure, they can drop the hammer on the school and vacate some wins, but do you think OJ Mayo cares that a first round win in the Pac-10 tournament now officially never happened? Do you think Reggie Bush cares that his 2005 season is wiped from the record books? Do you think either of them truly cares that they are costing USC sports a grand total of three postseasons? Bush won a national title, a heisman, and was the second pick in the draft. "Vacating" those things doesn't change the fact that he lived through them.

The people that take the brunt of the punishment for a collegiate athlete cheating are the players that are left at the school after the cheater leaves.

That is why Doyel's idea is so interesting to me. Maybe -- just maybe -- if we force these star athletes to be liable for the violations they commit, they will stop committing them. If you never got punished for robbing a bank despite getting caught, wouldn't you continue to rob banks? Bush got paid somewhere around $300,000. If he has to repay $3 million to USC for getting a couple trips to bowl games wiped from the record books, doesn't that create an incentive for future Reggie Bush's not to take money?

Yes, which is exactly why USC will never do it.

The $3 million that the school has to repay is far from all the money that USC made off of Reggie Bush. We've all seen the numbers being thrown around during this expansion talk. The money that a school like USC makes off of football is in the eight figures. While that $3 million no doubt hurt the USC athletics department, it certainly doesn't mean that the program won't be able to operate.

The reason USC is able to make the money that they do off of their television contract is because people want to watch the Trojans play. People want to watch the Trojans play because they generally have some of, if not the, best talent in the country. If USC takes Reggie Bush to court, do you think they are still going to be able to land the best recruits in the country?

There are always going to be star athletes that want to get paid in college. Believe it or not, but it is in the best interest of these programs to allow the kids to receive the impermissible benefits, so long as it can't get tied back to them or the coaches. Look the other way while boosters line your star's pockets, and you'll keep landing the star players. Keep the star players coming through your program, and your program will keep on winning. Win games, get on TV, make the BCS, get paid.

Taking Mayo and Bush to court will end the desire of many recruits to attend USC.

If that endless string of five star recruits dries up, so does the flow of money.

The money those stars would pay back pales in comparison to what USC made off of them.

So yeah, that lawsuit? Never gonna happen.
Continue reading...

USC finally gets the NCAA's punishment

Remember all that talk about how USC threw their basketball team under the bus to try and avoid the penalties they knew were coming against their football program?

I think the NCAA did, because they absolutely threw the book at USC football, including postseason bans, significant scholarship reductions, and having 13 wins vacated.

OJ Mayo and Reggie Bush will be remembered for all the wrong reasons at USC.
(photo credit: LA Times)

USC's basketball team avoided anymore serious penalties. If you recall, back in January, USC AD Mike Garrett self-imposed the following sanctions against the Trojan basketball program:

• All of USC's wins from the 2007-2008 season will be vacated from the record books.
• They lost a scholarship for both this season and next season.
• One less coach is allowed to recruit off-campus next summer.
• The total number of recruiting days USC is allowed to have for the 2010-2011 academic year was reduced from 130 to 110.
• A one year postseason ban, which cost them the Pac-10 and a potential NCAA bid last year (We were not happy about this).
  

In addition to the self-imposed penalties, the NCAA has levied the following (via Jeff Goodman):

• Four years probation from June 10, 2010 through June 9, 2014. (So don't mess up again -- for at least four years.)
  
• The committee stated that the program must also vacate all postseason wins, and conference tournament wins during the 2007-08 season. (I bet they will really miss that first round Pac-10 tournament victory.)
  
• Disassociation of the former men’s basketball player in question (Mayo) and the representative who provided extra benefits (Rodney Guillory). The disassociation includes the refusal of any financial or recruiting assistance, as well as other conditions. (I mean, this was obvious. They'd be fools to allow Guillory to come back -- again -- and I bet Mayo has forgotten where he even went to school by now.)
• Prohibition of all non-university personnel, including boosters, from traveling on football and men’s basketball charters; attending football and men’s basketball team practices; attending or participating in any way with university football and men’s basketball camps: including donation of funds; and having access to sidelines and locker rooms for football and men’s basketball games.

This last one is a bit tricky. Is the NCAA really going to be able to enforce all of that? What about the legitimate family and friends of the players, will they be allowed to make it down to the sidelines or come by and watch a practice during a visit? Are they really going to track every dollar that comes into the camps USC hosts? I highly doubt the NCAA has a lot of trust in the USC athletic department right now.

So like I said, USC really didn't get much in the way of additional penalties.

But there is another point that needs to be made. From Rush the Court:

Forgotten in all of this are three gentlemen who should be revered by any and all fans of USC basketball: Mike Gerrity, Marcus Johnson, and Dwight Lewis. They were the three seniors who lost their last opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament because of the self-imposed postseason ban last season. Gerrity, who had just transferred in as part of his three-college career and performed beautifully for the basketball team, never got to play in an NCAA Tournament — all because the athletic department was seemingly hoping to reduce the eventual sanctions on the football side. We’re not saying they should have their jerseys retired, or anything, but USC basketball supporters should find a way to remember those fellows for a long, long time.

Its true. I know that the early part of the college basketball season is a distant memory for most people at this point, but USC was the story in college hoops for a good two week stretch. Once Gerrity got eligible, the Trojans won eight straight games, including a a twenty point win over Tennessee and a non-conference win against UNLV.

The Trojans went from one of the worst major conference teams in the country in the preseason to arguably the best team in the Pac-10. Granted, that isn't saying much with last season's Pac-10, but USC looked destined to be a tournament team.

And because of OJ Mayo and Ronald Guillory, they never got the chance.

I hope everyone around and associated with the USC basketball team remembers that.
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UTEP hired Tim Floyd, but the question is why

I have no idea what UTEP is thinking with their hiring of Tim Floyd.

Before I get to the obvious, let me just say this: Floyd embodies what is wrong with college basketball. Remember the "5-8 rule"? The rule that stated a coach could not award more than five scholarships in one season and no more than eight in two seasons? Well, that rule was commonly known as the "Tim Floyd rule" in coaching circles.

Tim Floyd was hired by UTEP today.
(photo credit: ESPN)

How did Floyd earn that distinction?

By over-recruiting. During his four year run at Iowa State that saw the Cyclones win 20 games for three straight seasons and reach the tournament three years in a row, Floyd constantly recruited over players he had already given a scholarship too. He would then run off the excess recruits before the school year began.

He has the player's best interests in mind. Right.

Then there is the whole USC fiasco. I think we are all well aware of the OJ Mayo situation that USC is currently dealing with. Floyd allegedly gave an envelope full of cash to OJ Mayo's handler -- Ronald Guillory -- while Mayo was playing for USC. Guillory is about as unsavory a character as you are going to find in the college basketball world. He got Fresno State's Tito Maddox and USC's Jeff Trepangier in trouble in 2000 for receiving extra benefits. He was the mystery man that showed up in Floyd's office when the Trojans were recruiting Mayo.

Floyd resigned from USC last summer as a result of these allegations. Both Floyd and USC are still awaiting their punishment from the NCAA for those violations.

And this is the guy that UTEP hired.

Remember what happened last time a program hired a coach still under investigation by the NCAA? I think Indiana fans do. Kelvin Sampson got in trouble at Oklahoma for making illegal phone calls to recruits. He then did the same thing at Indiana. The Hoosier's program still hasn't recovered from that.

I don't know Tim Floyd. As far as I know, he could be a changed man. I don't think that there is any debate that the guy can coach, either. He turned around both Iowa State and USC during his tenure at each school.

But at what cost?

USC was on the brink of becoming one of the great stories of the '09-'10 season before they withdrew from all postseason consideration as a result of Floyd's conduct.

This is the guy that UTEP hired.

Can't say that I understand it.
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The obligatory Friday morning "Pac-10 is no good" post

Pac-10 games are played on Thursdays and Saturday, and it has become routine to see articles every Friday and Sunday about how weak the Pac-10 is or how no one wants to win the Pac-10.

Its true.

And it amazes me.

Heading into last night, Cal was probably the favorite to win the league. The were tied for first with Arizona, finally getting healthy in their back court, and were arguably the most talented team in the conference.

But then the Bears went out and blew a 13 point lead and lost 66-63 to a USC team that has really struggled since finding out that they would not be allowed to participate in any postseason tournament. USC went on a 25-3 run over a ten minutes stretch spanning both halves. For the record, that's a USC team that has struggled to break 50 points in a game scoring at that rate.

This loss for the Bears came on the heels of blowing a late four point lead to Arizona on Saturday night.

That win for Arizona put them in a tie for first place despite all of their early season struggles and off-season departures. So did the Wildcats capitalize?

Nope.

They lost 81-75 at Washington.

UCLA and Arizona State did win, however, meaning that there is now a four-way tie atop the Pac-10, with Washington and USC a game back.

Apparently, Pac-10 teams are just good enough to make a run to the top, but aren't good enough to stay there.

Saturday will be a big day for the league. Cal will play at UCLA in a battle of first place teams, Arizona State heads to Washington where the Huskies have lost just one game, and Arizona gets Washington State on the road.

The conference is clearly not what it was even two years ago, but its tough to maintain a level of consistency with you have 21 players drafted in two years time from a league with only ten teams.

But no matter how poor the quality of play is, one this that is for certain is that this will be an entertaining race to follow.

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USC's self-imposed sanctions are a joke

I don't follow college football all that closely. I don't believe in a sport that doesn't allow an undefeated team (or three) a shot at a national title.

Sure, I'll watch the occasional Saturday afternoon game, and will never turn down a ticket to a big time gridiron match-up, but that doesn't mean I know much more about the sport than Tim Tebow's good and Notre Dame isn't.

That also means that I don't know all that much about the Reggie Bush situation. What I do know is that Bush allegedly (with overwhelming evidence supporting those allegations) was given a bunch of money (six figures) and other improper benefits while at USC. I also know that the investigation has dragged on for years despite the overwhelming evidence.

Need I mention Joe McKnight?

Somewhere in that mess is a violation that the USC athletics department can prove. Somewhere in there is evidence of wrong doing by the program that could be enough to cost the football program scholarships, a postseason, or even their head coach.

The USC basketball program hasn't been squeaky clean, either. Everyone knows about the way that OJ Mayo was treated during his recruitment and his time with the Trojans, and Tim Floyd even lost his job because of improper benefits he was alleged to have given a Mayo handler.

The violations involving Tim Floyd and OJ Mayo only hurt the current USC players.
(photo credit: daylife)

Today, USC athletic director Mike Garrett handed down some significant punishments for USC basketball team resulting from the Mayo-Floyd fiasco:

• All of USC's wins from the 2007-2008 season will be vacated from the record books.
  
• They lost a scholarship for both this season and next season.
• One less coach is allowed to recruit off-campus next summer.
• The total number of recruiting days USC is allowed to have for the 2010-2011 academic year was reduced from 130 to 110.

But the most significant punishment was a ban from all postseason play for this season.

No Pac-10 Tournament.

No NCAA Tournament.

Nothing.

If the title didn't give it away, this punishment is an absolute travesty.

It makes no sense to punish this year's players for violations committed by a different coaching regime. OJ Mayo is long gone. So is Tim Floyd, who lost his job as a result of the accusations he gave Guillory money. Three USC players from last season headed to the pros. Four Trojan recruits jumped ship, with three landing at Arizona and one heading to Clemson.

Only four players remain from that 2007-2008 team - Dwight Lewis, Marcus Simmons, Kasey Cunningham, and Ryan Wetherall. Lewis is the only starter. Kevin O'Neill, the current coach of the Trojans, was coaching conference foe Arizona at the time.

What does all that mean?

The kids paying the punishment for OJ Mayo and Tim Floyd breaking the rules are not Mayo or Floyd.

It is Mike Gerrity, the two-time transfer who finally landed on his feet with the Trojans. It is Alex Stephenson, who transferred from UNC the season before they won a national title to be closer to his ailing father and to get more playing time. It is Marcus Johnson, who was very close to leaving school to pursue a professional career along with Taj Gibson, Demar Derozan, and Daniel Hackett. It is Dwight Lewis, Nikola Vucevic, and all the other Trojans who decided to remain with the program despite facing a few seasons that looked to be a lost cause.

This would be much less of an issue if USC's basketball team was, in fact, terrible this year, as many (including myself) predicted they would be.

But they aren't.

In fact, they may actually be the best team in the Pac-10.

Before Oregon's win over Washington on Saturday, they were the only team in the league to notch a win over a ranked opponent, beating both Tennessee and UNLV in non-conference play. After sweeping the Arizona schools this past weekend, they are sitting atop the league at 2-0. Since the addition of Gerrity solidified their point guard position, the Trojans have won eight straight, and are arguably the hottest team in the country.

Mike Gerrity and the rest of the current Trojans are the ones paying the price for Mayo and Floyd.
(photo credit: LA Times)

This is a team that could realistically have won both the Pac-10 regular season and tournament titles.

This is a team that had a great chance of not only making the NCAA Tournament, but also winning a game.

This team was the feel good story of the 2009-2010 basketball season.

And all that is gone because Garrett decided to bring the hammer down on the basketball program and a group of kids that had nothing at all to do with the violations they are being punished for.

Which brings me back to the football team.

Why hasn't that program been punished?

Maybe because they win titles. Maybe because they are the most visible athletics program USC has. Maybe because USC doesn't want to have their BCS bowls and Pac-10 titles vacated. Maybe because the money that the football program brings in is greater than the money that the basketball team does.

Mike Garrett said this in the statement released today announcing the self-imposed sanctions: "When we've done something wrong, we have an obligation to do something about it and that is exactly what we are doing here."

And he's right.

The basketball program does need to face some sanctions.

Which is why I would have no problem with the school vacating the season Mayo played, or the team losing recruiting days, or even having their number of scholarships reduced.

But why hasn't the football team been punished?

And why is it necessary to take away the postseason from this group of kids?

Gary Parrish says it best:

Either way, the whole thing is a laughable mess. And guess who pays the price? The basketball program, that's who. And, so far, it's only the basketball program, which is both shameful and transparent.

I don't think the USC team is laughing.
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12/28 - College Hoops Week in Review: Hope everyone had a happy holiday

What we learned this week: Could Texas actually be the best team in the country?

All season long, the Longhorns have been pegged right behind Kansas as the #2 team in the country, but after outlasting top 10 teams North Carolina and Michigan State in the last eight days, some have questioned whether or not the Longhorns truly are the best team in the country.

Before we get crazy, remember this: neither Michigan State or North Carolina is a complete team or a finished product right now. The Heels are still searching for consistency from their perimeter, while Michigan State is dealing with injuries and problems defining roles for their stars (Raymar Morgan, Kalin Lucas, Durrell Summers). Yes, these two teams have the talent to be a top ten team. Yes, both are going to be in the conversation for Final Fours and conference championships come February. But right now, neither of these teams are playing up to that level.

Texas, on the other hand, is.

And the Longhorns are doing it in the most basic way - playing stauch defense on the perimeter, pounding the ball inside, and dominating on the glass. It is akin to the running game in football - you may be able to over power teams early in the season, but as more talented and complex systems begin to come to fruition, it will be the ability of Texas to adapt that will determine whether or not they succeed later in the season.


GAME OF THE WEEK: West Virginia 90, Seton Hall 84 OT

After an and-one bucket from Da'Sean Butler, this game looked to be all but over as West Virginia had taken a 75-65 lead with under a minute left in the game. But Seton Hall was far from done as Eugene Harvey sparked a miraculous comeback. After drawing a foul and hitting two free throws, Butler missed the front end of a one-and-one. Harvey knifed through the West Virginia defense, making a lay-up that cut the lead to six. After Devin Ebanks then missed a free throw, Harvey found Ferrakohn Hall open under the basket for a dunk that cut the lead to four. After forcing a turnover. Harvey hit Hazell coming off of a screen for a three that made it a 75-74 game with 16 seconds left. Butler would hit two free throws at the other end before Harvey again found Hazell, who buried a three from 25 feet to tie the game and force overtime. Before hitting those two three balls, Hazell was 2-14 from deep. All told, the Pirates went on a 12-2 run in 50 seconds.



Unfortunately, Seton Hall lost their momentum in the extra, again falling behind the Mountaineers. This time, however, WVU would hit their free throws, avoiding their first loss of the season. Hazell finished with 41 points, but was just 4-19 from deep. Da'Sean Butler had 21 points, 6 boards, and 6 assists while Ebanks added 20 points, 17 boards, and 7 assists.

They were good too:

• Arizona 83, Lipscomb 82 OT; Arizona 76, NC State 74: In back-to-back games this week, Nic Wise hit a buzzer beater to lift the Wildcats to a win at home. One was legit, the other may not have been.
• Arkansas 66, Missouri State 62: Rotnei Clarke hit a jumper with 4.7 seconds left on the clock, but at the other end the Razorbacks lost Caleb Patterson under the basket who tied the game on a layup at the buzzer. In the extra frame, Clarke hit a go-ahead three with 18 seconds left for the win. It was the Bears first loss of the season.
• South Alabama 67, Florida 66: Tim Williams scored on a putback with just 1.8 seconds left as the Jaguars scored an upset in Gainesville.
  

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Greivis Vasquez, Maryland

Many people predicted that Vasquez would be an all-american this season, and possibly the player of the year in the ACC. But Greivis, who is the focal point of every defensive scheme when the Terps take the floor, struggled early in the season. He was turning the ball over, he was missing shots, and he wasn't finding assists like he normally does. In took until the fifth game of the season before Vasquez reached double figures in points.

Greivis Vasquez finally looked like an all-american this season.
(photo credit: Seattle PI)

Since those first four games, Vasquez has found his scoring touch, but it wasn't until this week that he looked like the dominating player that had a triple-double against UNC last season. In a 2-0 week for the Terps, Vasquez averaged 26.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg, and 8.0 apg while forcing more turnovers than he committed (4 steals to 3 turnovers) and shooting 58% from the floor and 6-10 from three. Granted, these were blowout wins against Florida Atlantic and Winston-Salem, but playing these are the types of performances you expect from a star against inferior competition. With Vasquez seemingly on track, Maryland fans hope that the Terps are now primed for a successful run through the ACC.

They were good too:

• Devin Ebanks, West Virginia: Ebanks struggled initially in his return from suspension, but in two games this week, games where West Virginia beat Ole Miss and Seton Hall and asserted their status as Final Four contender, Ebanks averaged 18.0 ppg, 15.0 rpg, and 5.5 apg.
  
• Mike Gerrity, USC: Gerrity has gotten plenty of love since he debuted in USC's demolition of Tennessee last week, but he was just as good this week, averaging 15.7 ppg as USC knocked off St. Mary's, Western Michigan, and UNLV to win the Diamond Head Classic.
• Jimmer Fredette, BYU: BYU knocked off both Nebraska and Nevada in the Las Vegas Classic, and Fredette was the biggest reason why, averaging 28.5 ppg and 5.0 apg in the two games.
• Trey Thompkins, Georgia: Coming off of a win against Illinois, Thompkins went for 35 points and 15 boards in a win over FAU in the Bulldogs only games this week.
  
• Chris Wright, Georgetown: Wright has been struggling a big with his scoring this season, but he broke out of that slump in a big way in Georgetown's win over Harvard, going for 34 points.
• Samardo Samuels, Louisville: Granted, it was in games against Radford and Lousiana Lafayette, but Samuels was a monster this week, averaging 23.5 ppg and 14.5 rpg. More impressive, he held Radford's Artsiom Parakhouski to just 14 points and 8 boards.
• David Lighty, Ohio State: Most people believed that David Lighty was going to be the most important piece for the Buckeyes with Evan Turner out, and he's doing his best to live up to the expectations. He had 30 points, 7 boards, and 5 assists in a win over Cleveland State.
• Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall: Hazell had 41 points in the loss to West Virginia.
  

TEAM OF THE WEEK: USC Trojans

USC has firmly thrust themselves into the national picture as they have now won six straight games. This week, they won the Diamond Head Classic out in Hawaii, solidly beating St. Mary's and UNLV in the process. We've already gushed enough about the Trojans this week, so we will leave it at that.

They were good too:

• West Virginia Mountaineers: You hear all the talk about Kentucky and Kansas and Texas, and even the chatter about Syracuse in the Big East. No one seems to be talking about West Virginia, but maybe they should be. The Mountaineers continue to pile up wins, adding Ole Miss and Seton Hall to their list of victims. You may not find a more versatile front line than Da'Sean Butler, Devin Ebanks, Kevin Jones, and Wellington Smith. Want proof? There have been times this season where Bobby Huggins runs Butler at the point, Ebanks at the two, and Jones and Smith at the forward spots.
  
• Oral Roberts Golden Eagles: ORU has beaten both Missouri and New Mexico this seaosn, the latter coming last week, despite having just seven scholarship players available after having their depth decimated by injuries.
• UAB Blazers: After knocking off South Alabama and Cincinati two weeks ago, UAB came out against Butler this week and ran the Bulldogs off the court. UAB, led by Elijah Millsaps, has now won 10 straight games and looks to be a contender in C-USA.
  

MATCH-UPS OF THE WEEK:

• 12/29 - 9:00 pm: Syracuse @ Seton Hall
• 12/29 - 9:00 pm: Texas Tech @ New Mexico
• 12/30 - 7:00 pm: UConn @ Cincinnati
• 12/30 - 7:30 pm: William & Mary @ Maryland
• 12/31 - 2:00 pm: Ohio State @ Wisconsin
• 12/31 - 4:00 pm: Tennessee @ Memphis
• 12/31 - 7:00 pm: Richmond @ Wake Forest
  
• 12/31 - 8:00 pm: St. John's @ Duke
• 1/1 - 2:30 pm: West Virginia @ Purdue
• 1/1 - 9:00 pm: Dayton @ New Mexico
• 1/2 - 12:00 pm: UAB @ Arkansas
• 1/2 - 12:00 pm: Notre Dame @ UConn
• 1/2 - 1:00 pm: Gonzaga @ Illinois
• 1/2 - 2:00 pm: Oklahoma State @ Rhode Island
• 1/2 - 3:30 pm: Louisville @ Kentucky
• 1/2 - 5:30 pm: Kansas @ Temple
• 1/2 - 6:30 pm: Michigan State @ Northwestern
• 1/2 - 7:00 pm: Georgia Tech @ Charlotte
• 1/3 - 2:00 pm: Houston @ Iowa State
• 1/3 - 2:05 pm: Missouri State @ Northern Iowa
  
• 1/3 - 3:00 pm: UTEP @ Texas Tech
• 1/3 - 4:30 pm: Ohio State @ Michigan
• 1/3 - 5:30 pm: Xavier @ Wake Forest
  
• 1/3 - 7:45 pm: Clemson @ Duke
  

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Early Season Surprises

USC Trojans: After starting the season 2-4, the Trojans have reeled off six straight wins, four of them with transfer Mike Gerrity running the show. Three of the four wins Gerrity has been a part of: 77-55 over Tennessee, 60-49 over St. Mary's, and a 67-56 win over UNLV on Christmas Day. USC has done it with defense, allowing just 50 ppg and 34% shooting from the field over the six win. No team out west in playing as well as the Trojans right now. Could this team win the Pac-10?


Wichita State Shockers and Missouri State Bears: In the preseason, just about everyone pegged Northern Iowa as the favorite in the MVC. In fact, neither the Shockers or the Bears were voted into the top four of the MVC preseason poll, but both could very well give the Panthers a run in a competitive Valley this season. Wichita State is 11-1 on the year, with their lone loss coming to Pitt, while Missouri State is 10-1 coming off of a loss at Arkansas. While neither team has much of a resume at this point, Missouri State has beaten Tulsa while Wichita State notched a win over Texas Tech a week and a half ago.


Syracuse: The rise of the Orange has been well documented this season. They began the year with blow out wins over UNC and Cal in NYC during the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament, notched wins over Cornell and Florida, and now head into Big East play at 12-0 on the season. All this after the Orange lost to Le Moyne, a DII team, in their last preseason game and coming off of an off-season where Jonny Flynn, Eric Devendorf, and Paul Harris all jumped ship and went pro. I doubt that even the most die-hard, disillusioned Syracuse fan could have hoped for this good of a start to the season.


William & Mary: The Tribe lost their first two games of the season, but they have bounced back nicely, winning eight in a row. They haven't just beaten cupcakes either; that eight game winning streak includes victories over Richmond and VCU, at Wake Forest, and best of all, they beat my alma mater Vassar College. The two losses to start the season aren't too shabby either - they lost road dates with UConn (by nine) and Harvard (in triple overtime on a half court prayer). The CAA looks to be pretty good this season, and William & Mary may very well be the best team in the league.


New Mexico: The Lobos are now 12-1 are losing on the road to a tough Oral Roberts team, but that shouldn't diminish how good New Mexico's start to the season has been. The Lobos won their first 12 games, which included wins over Texas A&M, Cal, and Creighton, while climbing to 12th in the polls. The combination of Darington Hobson and Roman Martinez up front is one of the best out west.


UAB: The Blazers have bounced back nicely from an early season loss to Kent State. They've won 10 straight games, which includes impressive victories over Cincinnati and Butler. UAB's best player early in the season has been Elijan Millsaps, a 6'6" guard nearly averaging a double double (15.4 ppg, 9.8 rpg). C-USA is wide open this season, with UTEP, Tulsa, and Houston all being mentioned as possible successors to Memphis. But thus far in the season, the Blazers may be the favorite to win the league.


Temple: The Owls returned to the top 25 for the first time since 2001 after beating both Villanova and Seton Hall, who were at the time undefeated. Temple has two losses on the season- a one point setback in DC to Georgetown and a seven point loss to St. John's. The Owls have done it with defense, holding their opponents to 37.3% shooting from the field and 23.9% shooting from deep.


St. John's: St. John's basketball has fallen far from their glory days, but Norm Roberts has led the Johnnies to a bit of a resurgence this season. The Red Storm is sitting at 10-2 on the season, with their only losses coming to Duke and Cornell while having beaten Temple, Siena, and Georgia already this season. DJ Kennedy (16.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.3 apg) is playing as well as anyone in the conference, and Dwight Hardy has caught fire in the last couple of week, averaging 17.3 ppg in the last three games. The most impressive part: St. John's is still waiting for Justin Burrell and Anthony Mason, Jr., to get healthy.


Kevin Jones, West Virginia: West Virginia has started the season out 10-0, and the biggest reason may be Jones. The athletic, 6'8" forward has averaged 15.5 ppg and 8.1 rpg while shooting 10-29 from three. West Virginia bases their team around stingy defense and aggression on the offensive glass, and Jones is perfect for that system.


Jacob Pullen, Kansas State: The Wildcats have shot up the rankings the last few weeks, and the biggest reason for that has been Pullen. In KSU's 11-1 start, Pullen is averaging 20.0 ppg and 3.5 apg while shooting 43.6% from deep. KSU has had some impressive wins this year, beating Dayton, Washington State, Xavier, UNLV, and Alabama. In those five games, Pullen averaged 24.2 ppg. He looks to be the early season favorite for Big XII player of the year.


Tim Abromaitis, Notre Dame: Many people wrote Notre Dame off this season after Scott Martin tore his acl, but Abromaitis has more than filled that void. Abromaitis is averaging 15.8 ppg while shooting a ridiculous 50.7% from beyond the arc. His emergence alongside Luke Harangody as a second scoring option has been a big reason the Fighting Irish have a shot at reaching the dance this season.


Quincy Pondexter, Washington: Pondexter was a top 50 player coming out of high school, but was overshadowed by the likes of Jon Brockman and Isaiah Thomas during his first three seasons. But this year, it has been Pondexter's team. Pondexter has averaged 21.9 ppg and 8.7 rpg, and is one of the bright spots for a Washington team still not playing up to its potential.


Ekpe Udoh, Baylor: Udoh had two mediocre seasons playing in Ann Arbor before deciding to transfer to Baylor. After sitting out a season, Udoh has had a phenomenal start to the '09-'10 season, especially on the offensive end. His scoring (14.6 from 6.0), rebounding (9.8 from 5.0), and assist (2.8 from 0.9) numbers have all made marked improvements, while he is also averaging 3.9 bpg and shooting 60.2% from the floor.


Antonio Pena, Villanova: The biggest question mark for Villanova coming into the season was how they would fill the void Dante Cunningham left inside, which became a much bigger issue when Mouph Yarou was diagnosed with Hepatitis. But Pena has done his best to answer those questions, averaging 13.1 ppg and 8.9 rpg thus far in the season.

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Kevin O'Neill is the early favorite for Coach of the Year, right?

He has to be.

When you consider where USC started this season and where they are right now, the turnaround has been nothing short of amazing.

Think about it.

In the preseason, USC was supposed to be an embarrassment. Tim Floyd was run out of town. Taj Gibson, Daniel Hackett, and Demar Derozan all jumped ship. A talented recruiting class bailed.

It wasn't that crazy to think the Trojans would go winless during Pac-10 play.

Mike Gerrity, who joined the team after the first semester, might be the Trojans MVP.
(photo credit: LA Times)

Early in the season, USC did nothing to dispel that line of thinking. They started out the season 2-4, including home losses to Nebraska and Loyola Marymount, and lost Kasey Cunningham to a season-ending knee injruy. As of December 6th, I, as well as just about every other college hoops fan, had all but written off the Trojans.

But then something strange happened.

USC started winning.

And after last night's win over UNLV, USC had now won six straight games, which includes victories over UNLV, St. Mary's, and Tennessee by 22.

A lot of people are going to point to the addition of Mike Gerrity as the reason for their recent success. And he has been a big factor, as he is averaging 14.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg, and 4.3 apg through four games. Gerrity has stabilized the Trojans at the point, which is as important as any position on the floor.

But perhaps more importantly, the Trojans have started to really buckle down defensively. In their six game winning streak, the Trojans are giving up just 50 ppg while allowing their opponents to shoot just 34% from the floor. They don't allow penetration, forcing teams to hoist up tough jumpers from the perimeter.

They have also seemed to buy into Kevin O'Neill's system. You aren't going to see a lot of quick shots from the Trojans. They use the entire shot clock, forcing you to play 35 seconds of defense and completely taking control of the tempo of the game.

Playing this style - controlling the pace, getting good shots, playing staunch defense - USC has managed to rack up the only two wins against a ranked team (Tennessee, UNLV) for the Pac-10.

Could it be?

Could this team be the favorite to win the Pac-10?

While the Trojans do have their issues - after their top seven or eight the talent level really drops off and they lack players that can create their own shots - is their any team in the conference with a front line that can match-up to theirs? Alex Stephenson is a load on the block, Nikola Vucevic is a skilled big man that is effective inside and out, and Leonard Washington is a strong combo-forward that will create a lot of match-up problems.

Combine that front line with a quality point guard, a shooter and an athletic scorer on the wing, and ability to defend, and is it that incomprehensible that USC could compete for a PAC-10?

A month ago, yes.

But today?

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