#BIAHRoadTrip The Diary Part X: Troy's selfish when it comes to cheese curds so I try to kill his car

8:15 pm Day 13
La Quinta Inn
Columbia, MO
Total Miles: 2280

Road Trip Part-I
Road Trip Part-II
Road Trip Part-III
Road Trip Part-IV
Road Trip Part-V
Road Trip Part-VI
Road Trip Part-VII
Road Trip Part-VIII
Road Trip Part-IX

When we last left you, we were just arriving in Wisconsin to some delicious cookies and Miller High Lifes.

High Lives?
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Pics/Vids: Game 6: Marquette vs. Pittsburgh

Saturday, January 14th
Bradley Center, Marquette University
Marquette 62, Pittsburgh 57


Game 5 - Butler vs. Cleveland State
Game 4 - Indiana vs. Minnesota
Game 3 - Xavier vs. Duquesne
Game 2 - Kentucky vs. South Carolina
Game 1 - Belmont vs. Lipscomb

(The court-side entrance to the Bradley Center.)

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Jae Crowder's a matchup nightmare, but he almost didn't make it out of the JuCo ranks

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

MILWAUKEE, WI - Far too often, we overlook the blessings in our lives.

Whether it's because the app we downloaded onto our iPad isn't working or our internet provider doesn't carry ESPN3 or even something as simple accidentally buying the wrong brand of toothpaste, the little things in life always seem to be the most annoying. I know I've come close to throwing my cell phone out the window because the picture I took wouldn't upload to twitter.

Life is hard, you know?

Jae Crowder doesn't look at it that way.
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Tuesday's Shootaround: Two upsets and a buzzer-beater

Davidson 80, No. 11 Kansas 74: See here.

LSU 67, No. 10 Marquette 59: See here.

Southern Miss 64, Arizona State 61: The Golden Eagles did everything they could to hand this game to Arizona State.

USM dug themselves a 30-21 hole in the first half by missing seemingly every shot they took. After battling back to take the lead, they got Torye Pelham -- who had nine offensive rebounds in the game -- ejected for fighting with Ruslan Pateev. Then after rebounding to build up a double-digit lead with just 1:33 left on the clock, USM decided to miss free throws and turn the ball over, allowing Arizona State to tie the game with 5.0 seconds left. Luckily, Darnell Dodson was there to bail them out:
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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: Vander Blue does it again

No single player has had a more impressive week dunk-wise than Vander Blue.

Against Washington in the Jimmy-V Classic, he dropped a nasty one-handed dunk on Abdul Gaddy that highlighted a fantastic performance by the Golden Eagles.

While everybody else was watching the Crosstown Brawl and Indiana's amazing buzzer-beating win over Kentucky, Vander Blue was dunking on every single UW-Green Bay player.



After what I've seen from Vander Blue this week, it's become abundantly clear that you do not want to try and stop him on a fast break.


But was it as good as these?

Ronald Roberts, St. Joseph's vs. Creighton, 12/10
Dion Waiters, Syracuse vs. George Washington, 12/10 (DotY Candidate)
Victor Oladipo, Indiana vs. Kentucky, 12/10
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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POSTERIZED: Marquette gives Abdul Gaddy "a case of the Blues"

The nightcap of the Jimmy-V Classic on Tuesday night featured Marquette and Washington, two teams known for exciting play and scoring points.

While last weekend's game between North Carolina and Kentucky remains the favorite for "Game of the Year", the tilt between the Huskies and the Golden Eagles certainly deserves recognition.

After all, the game was a back-and-forth affair. There were 15 lead changes in the final 12 minutes, a game-winning 3-pointer by Jae Crowder with under 10 seconds left, and even two signature POSTERIZED dunks.

We showed you the first one a couple hours ago.

But here's the other one.

Abdul Gaddy will be singing the blues after being on the wrong end of a POSTERIZED jam from Marquette sophomore Vander Blue.



The best part about this dunk is that Blue initially goes up with a finger-roll, but decided to change plans mid-flight. You can see him turn his wrist as his hand descends on the rim. The average human-being probably can't do something like that.

Marquette is one of the most exciting teams to watch this year. They have the coaching, experience, talent, athleticism, and now with Blue, a play-making guard who can do it all, the Golden Eagles should be considered legitimate Final Four contenders.


But was it as good as these?

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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Marquette's tough, but they have some talent too

NEW YORK - A basketball team is always a work in progress. From the first day that the players arrive on campus until the day that the season ends -- whether that is in the conference tournament, the first round of the NCAA Tournament, or, if you are lucky enough, on the final day of the season -- the goal is too simply get better.

Yes, you want to win games along the way, but its more important for the team as a whole to grow, each and every time they step foot on the court.

"We don't want to play for the record. We don't want to play for the ranking. We want to play to improve. We want to play to grow," head coach Buzz Williams said after his team's thrilling, 79-77 win over Washington in the nightcap of the Jimmy V Classic. "Its like a stock, an investment. We're investing in ourselves so that our stock continues to grow."


No one has epitomized that more than Marquette over the past couple of seasons. The Golden Eagles have been dubbed Team Bubble Watch, as they have developed a reputation over for struggling to close out games early in the year before coming together and making an impressive stretch run.

Last season, that run came during the postseason. After dropping their last two games of the regular season, the Golden Eagles needed two wins in the Big East Tournament just to be able to get themselves an at-large invite to the Big Dance. Marquette proceeded to upset both Xavier and Syracuse en route to the Sweet 16. The year before that -- in 2009-2010 -- Marquette started out the season 11-8 overall and 2-5 in the Big East, but then won nine out of ten games, including three straight in overtime, to play their way into the NCAA Tournament.

This season is different.

Marquette has played one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country to date. They have played just three of their eight games at home, something you rarely see out of high-major programs. They won the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands and also own a tough win over Wisconsin at the Kohl Center, which is one of the most difficult places for a road team to come out victorious. The win is made all the more impressive considering the Golden Eagles were playing without starting point guard Junior Cadougan.

And after knocking off what is probably the most talented team in the Pac-12, Marquette improves to 8-0 on the season, something that Team Bubble Watch isn't exactly used to.

"Its different than what we've done in the past, that's for sure," Williams said. "I think that's just the maturity of our guys. I think out schedule is probably just a little too hard. We still have to play at LSU, we still have to play Vanderbilt at home."

"We haven't been able to get to this point before, having played who we play."

The stereotype that gets called into play when talking about this Marquette program is toughness. A gritty group of JuCo players led by a gritty JuCo head coach toughing out wins based purely on their blue-collar work ethic and their mettle as a team.

And that's not necessarily a bad thing, according to Williams.

"We don't want to be tactical and we don't want to be technical. We want to be tough," he said. "I don't think that if you diagnose how we played tonight, that you would consider us a top 40 teams. but if you were diagnosing our toughness relative to what we've been through over the last four days, we're pretty tough."

Toughness only gets you so far in a college basketball landscape dominated by one-and-done prospects, the McDonald's all-americans that draw the biggest crowds and the highest-spending agents and runners. Toughness allows you to hang with the best, but talent lets you beat the best. And this season, Marquette has as much talent on their roster as they have in Buzz Willliams' tenure.

And that's saying something, considering the fact that the Golden Eagles have sent a number of players to the professional ranks -- Jimmy Butler, Lazar Hayward, Wesley Matthews -- during Buzz's tenure. No one seems to notice that.

For Buzz, that's perfectly ok.

"At some point you have to give it up that our program is much deeper than just being the deepest team," Williams said. "At some point, the problem with it is because I don't say it, nobody writes it. I don't want to talk about what we do, I want our character to be revealed. Its more than just playing hard. Its more than just being the toughest. At some point, somebody has to have enough guts to say that."

Ok.

I'll bite.

He's right, and I'm not just saying that because Williams told me too. Yeah, the quote is nice (thanks Buzz), but this team's performance speaks for itself. Darius Johnson-Odom, who averages nearly 20 ppg, went for 23 points and four assists against Washington. Jae Crowder, the team's second-eading scorer and leading rebounder at 16.9 ppg and 6.7 rpg, had 18 points and six boards, which includes the game-winning three pointer with six seconds left. Vander Blue, Junior Cadougan and Todd Mayo are all capable back court players.

Throw in a trio of capable big men up front -- Chris Otule, Davante Gardner and Jamil Wilson -- that Williams said "changes the complexion of our team", and Marquette has a team that is capable of winning the Big East.

Seriously.

They do.

Sooner or later they are going to get that respect.

"For sure we get overlooked," Crowder said. "People think we're one-dimensional, and that's not who we are."

"Its all people talk about, but at some point it has to end.
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Marquette proves themselves with a win at Wisconsin

Pretty soon, we are going to start having to put No. 16 Marquette into the discussion of the elite teams in the country.

Today wouldn't be a bad time to start, as the Golden Eagles went into the Kohl Center and took down No. 7 Wisconsin 61-54 behind 17 points from Darius Johnson-Odom and 14 points off the bench from Todd Mayo. Making the win all the more impressive is that Marquette was without the services of starting point guard Junior Cadougan, who missed the game after being suspended for violating team rules.

Wisconsin jumped out to a quick, 8-3 lead and managed to have control of the game's tempo until the under eight timeout. Down 17-16 at the seven minute mark, Vander Blue hit a three to spark a 16-5 Marquette run, sending them into the break with a 32-22 lead on the Badgers.


The second half started the same way, as Marquette pushed their lead to as much as 13 points. But Wisconsin had a run in them, using a 16-4 spurt to cut the lead to one. The Badgers didn't get the benefit of the home whistles during their surge, however, as Jordan Taylor got hit with his fourth foul -- a terrible charging call -- that erased an and-one layup with the score 41-33.

And while having Taylor strapped to the bench didn't hurt Wisconsin's comeback, it cost them once that got the game within striking distance. The possession after a Ben Brust layup cut the lead to a single point, Mayo scored at the other end for Marquette to push the lead back to three. Wisconsin's next four possessions ended in missed jumpshots before Juan Anderson got a bucket to push the lead to five. After another missed jumper from Jared Berggren -- his third straight -- Jamail Jones scored to make it a seven point game with just over six minutes left. Wisconsin never had a possession with the game a one possession difference the rest of the way.


What We Learned

Marquette:

- Marquette's perimeter attack is going to be really tough to slow down. This wasn't exactly a secret coming in, but seeing the Golden Eagles slice up a good Wisconsin defense was all the confirmation I needed. We all know about Darius Johnson-Odom at this point, but Vander Blue and Todd Mayo are both weapons. Mayo, OJ's younger brother, is an aggressive scorer, while Blue has shown to have a pretty solid all-around game.

- Jae Crowder is one of the most valuable players on Marquette because of everything that he is able to do on the floor. But Marquette doesn't need him to win. He had just two points and three boards in 24 foul-plagued minutes.

- Davante Gardner, if he ever gets in shape, watch out.

Wisconsin:

- The Badgers are going to struggle defensively against quicker teams. Wisconsin, as always, is going to play solid and fundamental man-to-man defense, but they just don't have the pieces to stay in front of quicker and more athletic opponents.

- Remember when we all though that Mike Bruesewitz was going to be the second coming of Jon Leuer? Yeah, well, that's not happening. He's a good player, but he's a role player and a blue-collar guy.

- I think we can safely say now that Jordan Taylor is not the same player he was last year. And that's not because his skills have gotten worse, but because he doesn't have the same kind of pieces around him. Leuer and Keaton Nankivil were so good in pick-and-pop situations, and that created so many more chances for Taylor to find assists and make plays in the pick-and-roll. But with Bruesewitz and Jared Berggren struggling this year, Taylor doesn't have those options. He's not the kind of 1-on-1 player that is going to be able to take over a game by himself, and that's showing through right now.

- A three point loss at UNC is one thing. Getting smacked by Marquette at home is a different story.
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2011-2012 Top 50 Countdown: No. 24 Marquette Golden Eagles

Over the coming weeks, we will be counting down our Top 50 teams in the country. Teams 26-50 will be posted in groups of five, while we will count backwards from No. 25 to the No. 1 team in the country. You can find a complete schedule of our 2011-2012 Season Preview coverage here. To browse through the rest of the Top 50, click here.

Last Season: 22-15, 9-9 (t-9th, Big East), lost to UNC in the Sweet 16

Head Coach: Buzz Williams

Key Losses: Jimmy Butler, Dwight Buycks, Erik Williams, Joseph Fulce, Reggie Smith

Newcomers: Juan Anderson, Derrick Wilson, Todd Mayo, Jamil Wilson

Projected Lineup:

- G: Junior Cadougan, Sr.
- G: Darius Johnson-Odom, Sr.
- F: Vander Blue, So.
- F: Jae Crowder, Sr.
- C: Chris Otule, Jr.
- Bench: Davante Gardner, So.; Jamil Wilson, So.; Jamail Jones, So.; Juan Anderson, Fr.; Derrick Wilson, Fr.; Todd Mayo, Fr.


Outlook: Much of the talk of the first weekend of the 2011 NCAA Tournament centered on the Big East and the fact that, of the 11 teams that earned a bid to the dance from the league, only two made it past the first weekend. One of those teams was UConn, who would eventually win the national title. The other? Marquette, who knocked off league rival Syracuse before getting smoked by UNC in the Sweet 16. And while Marquette's postseason success left Golden Eagle fans with a satisfied feeling after the season, it masked what was an up-and-down year. Marquette lost a number of close games in non-conference play, they blew an 18 point lead in six minutes against Louisville and they lost their last two regular season games against Cincinnati and Seton Hall, which forced the Golden Eagles to need a run to the Big East quarterfinals just to earn a bid to the Big Dance.

Perhaps the biggest victory for Marquette came after the season actually ended, when they were able to resign Buzz Williams to a seven-year contract. Williams drew heavy interest this offseason from schools like Oklahoma and Texas A&M when their head coaching positions came open.

Marquette should once again find themselves in a position to make a run at the NCAA Tournament. While they lose two starters in Dwight Buycks and the criminally underrated Jimmy Butler, the Golden Eagles have some pieces back that should minimize the negative effect. At the point, Junior Cadougan has proven himself to be a capable playmaker, posting just six fewer assists on the season than Buycks despite playing two-thirds as many minutes. What made Buycks so dangerous, however, was his ability to hit from long-range. Cadougan made two threes all season long.

Butler's graduation will allow Jae Crowder to play a bigger role this year. Marquette is becoming a powerhouse when it comes to the tweener-forward position. Buzz Williams loves players of that ilk -- 6'7" forwards that battle on the glass, hit from long-range, and create matchup problems with their ability on the perimeter. Crowder should, theoretically, be able to thrive next season simply because he does some many things well. He defends, he attacks the glass, he'll knock down a three if you give him space, he'll put the ball on the floor if you crowd him and he doesn't turn the ball over.

This may be the only Marquette preview you read that gets five paragraphs deep before mentioning Darius Johnson-Odom. DJO has a legitimate chance to be the Big East Player of the Year. He is the leading returning scorer and a senior that will be counted on to provide leadership for a group with some young-but-talented pieces. DJO can do a lot of different things on the offensive end of the floor, but he is at his best when he is a slasher that uses his ability to get to the rim and finish to set up his perimeter shot.


The rest of the Marquette perimeter attack appears to be solid. Vander Blue was a top 30 recruit coming out of high school, and while he did crack the starting lineup 12 times as a freshman and played tough defense throughout the year, his offense never came around. Blue could end up being an x-factor if he develops into a double-digit scorer this year. Oregon transfer Jamil Wilson -- a former top 50 recruit that started for the Ducks as a freshman in 2009-2010 -- is an athletic small forward that may end up starting this year alongside Crowder. Also expect freshman Juan Anderson -- who is cut from the same cloth as Butler and Crowder -- to see minutes as well. Freshman Derrick Wilson will back up Cadougan at the point.

What's interesting about Marquette this season is that they actually have a couple of legitimate low-post threats. Chris Otule started last season and appears to finally be healthy heading into his junior year. Otule, who was born with one eye, has trouble catching quick, dump-off passes, but that's really the only issue he has with his vision. He's a bid-body inside that takes up space and will block a couple of shots. Like Blue, Davante Garnder will end up being an x-factor for Marquette. The 6'9" sophomore has some terrific moves around the rim, which is why he was so productive last season in the limited minutes that he played. But his weight and conditioning kept those minutes down. It appears he has bought into the idea of getting into shape and being a 20 mpg player, which should finally give Buzz Williams a low-post threat.

Marquette will be an interesting team to watch. Their reputation is as a scrappy club of over-achievers that always find themselves in dogfights, but there appears to be more talent on this team. DJO is a legitimate Player of the Year contender in the Big East. Crowder, Wilson, Blue and Anderson once again give the Eagles a deep, talented and versatile crop of forwards to work with. There is size inside and a playmaker at the point. The key, in my opinion, will be defensively. Marquette needs to get better at forcing their opponent's into difficult shots and must improve on their defensive rebounding. If this club can consistently get stops, they can make a push for a top four finish in the league.
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Did DJ Newbill do Southern Miss dirty?

From the outside, you'd think that the Southern Mississippi fan base and administration would be mad at DJ Newbill.

Newbill had a terrific freshman campaign, averaging 9.2 ppg and 6.2 rpg for the Golden Eagles as a 6'4", 205 lb guard. Newbill, who was without a scholarship as late as mid-July in 2010, started all 32 games and played over 30 mpg. Not bad for a late-addition to your program.

But Newbill will not be finishing his career at Southern Mississippi. He announced earlier this week that he would be transferring to Penn State and new head coach Pat Chambers to finish out his career, sitting out the 2011-2012 season per transfer rules.

"D.J. will make an immediate impact on our program with his toughness, basketball IQ and work ethic," Chambers said in a statement. "It's great to get a Philadelphia kid that is passionate about Penn State basketball and wants to be here. We are very confident he will show that a Philadelphia player can have great success and an outstanding career at Penn State."


Like I said, its easy for USM to be mad at Newbill. Here's a kid that was given a chance by Larry Eustachy that jumped ship to a bigger program after one successful season and just 32 games with the Golden Eagles. From the surface, it looks like Newbill is ungrateful, that he's just another spoiled, selfish athlete out to get his.

Saying that ignores the reason that Newbill was forced to go to Southern Miss in the first place.

Back in March of 2010, Newbill -- a Philly native -- signed with Marquette. He called it his dream school. But three months later, when a former top 100 recruit and Wisconsin native named Jamil Wilson decided he wanted to return home to finished out his collegiate career, Buzz Williams needed a scholarship. Newbill, who had signed a Letter of Intent, was the one on the chopping block. Marquette used some cover story about Newbill's academics and cut ties.

Now, as I explained in detail in this post from a year ago, I don't necessarily have a problem with Newbill being cut. It happens. What I do have a problem with is the LOI system that locks a player into a school but allows the school to drop the player when someone better comes along.

Newbill got screwed by the system.

For a Philly native that had chosen to go to college in the state of Wisconsin, I think its safe to say that attending college in Hattiesburg, MS, was not exactly his first choice. But at the time, he didn't exactly have many options. Eustachy offered him a lifeline, if you will; an opportunity to continue his education while playing a high-level of collegiate basketball.

Newbill took advantage of that opportunity, but with a chance to return to his native Pennsylvania, play for a guy that cut his teeth in Philly in Chambers, and get the exposure that the Big Ten brings, it only makes sense Newbill made the jump.

Did Southern Miss get screwed? Probably. Did they get taken advantage of? I'm sure some can make that argument, and I wouldn't necessarily disagree.

But can you really be mad at Newbill? If it wasn't for the hypocrisy of the LOI program, he never would have been in that position.
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NBA Draft Profiles: Jimmy Butler, Marquette

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.

To browse through the latest prospect profiles, click here. To see a complete list of the players we have profiled, click here.

Stats: 15.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.3 apg,

Age: 21, senior

Size:

• Listed: 6'8", 220 lb
• Official: 6'6.25" (no shoes), N/A (with shoes), 6'8" (wingspan), 8'5" (reach), 215 lb

Strengths: From a skills perspective, there isn't anything that Butler is great at. For some prospects, that is considered a weakness. Not so for Butler, especially considering the success his former teammate Wesley Matthews is having in the NBA. We'll get to his skill-set in a bit, but the most important part of what Butler brings to the table isn't necessarily going to show up on a stat-sheet. He does a lot of things well that help teams win games. He's a willing and capable defender on the perimeter, one of those guys that never lets his man get an easy look. He's a great teammate and should have no problem accepting the fact that he will be a role player in the NBA. He makes the extra pass, he rebounds the ball, he'll dive on the floor, and by all accounts he has a terrific attitude and work ethic. That is exactly what you look for in a guy that will be playing bench minutes.

Weaknesses: As we said, Butler is not great at any one skill. He's a solid three point shooter from college range, but he is going to have to spend some time in the gym to become a threat from deep in the NBA. He's a solid athlete, but he won't be making highlight reels with his above-the-rim antics. He can use his dribble to get to the rim, but he's not what you would consider a great ball-handler. Butler is well-rounded but far from awe-inspiring. Is that really a weakness?

Comparisons:

• Best Case Scenario: Maurice Evans. Very similar type build and supporting man type roles on the perimeter with their defensive play. Butler is a supporting cast player who could have Mo Evan’s type impact for a team that needs help defending the other guys 3 and making the occasional nice offensive play.


• Worst Case Scenario: Poor Man’s Wesley Matthews. Former Marquette star stunned the NBA with his defensive play and emerging offensive game that blossomed in Portland. Butler isn’t nearly the talent of Wes, but he has a similar pedigree after playing at Marquette under Buzz Williams to at remind a team of a lesser version of the breakout undrafted free agent.

Outlook: Butler is not going to be a star in the NBA. He'll be lucky if he ends up being a starter. If Butler does want to have an NBA career, its going to be as a bench player, someone that has a specifically defined role that he is expected to play when he is on the role. The good news is that Butler has the attitude to accept that kind of role. What's even better news is that Butler backed up some impressive late-season performances by winning the MVP at the Portsmouth Invitational, impressing just about everyone that saw him play. There are some things that Butler could stand to improve -- his perimeter shooting and ball handling to start -- but with the way that he plays defense and how well-regarded he is as a teammate, its not difficult to see Butler carving himself out a career.

Draft Range: Early to Mid 2nd Round

And the experts say...

• Chad Ford: "Virtually every NBA scout I spoke to had Marquette's Jimmy Butler as the clear player of the PIT. While Butler doesn't necessarily shine in any one area, he's one of those all-around players who scouts think could be in the mold of a Wes Matthews or Landry Fields. That should bode well for Butler's chances as a second-round pick."


• Draft Express: "Butler is a heady player who plays within a team concept. He defends, he makes the extra pass, he crashes the glass, he has a terrific basketball IQ, and his attitude is a coach's dream. A product of tireless reps in the gym and a detail oriented system, the senior has a very solid floor game, makes good decision with the ball, scraps on both ends, and maximizes the physical tools he does have."


• Swish Scout: "Solid defender who can make a difference in an NBA rotation with his team defense and understanding of his role. Butler is a blue-collar player who does a number of things well on offense too, but has limited upside and is just an average athlete. Had a great showing in the Big East Tournament guarding Providence star Marshon Brooks and holding him while putting up a near triple-double. Was MVP of the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament in April 2011 amongst numerous invited NCAA seniors looking to be drafted, and he stood out. He’s nothing special at forward, but a very solid player on both ends of the floor."

Highlights:




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Vander Blue facing assault and battery charge

Thomas Robinson isn't the only college hooper that is in trouble with the law today.

Marquette's Vander Blue had a hearing on Tuesday stemming from an assault and battery charge that he was cited for back in October. The incident apparently occurred at 1:30 in the morning outside a Qdoba after someone referred to Blue as 'Vander Orange':

Police said Blue punched another student after that student called Blue a name. His attorney, Gerald Boyle, said Blue plans to fight the charge.

"The young man called Mr. Vander Blue, Vander Orange, and he invited the guy to step outside, and the guy said OK, and they both went outside, a little fisticuffs. I think one punch took place and that was it. That, in my opinion is not battery, because in order to have battery, you have to have it without the consent of, and it seems to me the invitation to step outside, which was taken, takes it out of the battery category," Boyle said.

Blue refused an offer from prosecutors to reduce the battery ticket to disorderly conduct.

"I know why he got the ticket. He got the first punch. There was only one punch, and it wasn't a very serious matter. I think the boy said his face hurt a little bit," Boyle said.

I don't know the situation, but I'm not sure that being called a name should result in a fight, especially when you are a student-athlete at a high-profile school with a scholarship on the line.

Blue averaged 5.1 ppg and 2.8 rpg for the Golden Eagles this season after coming in as one of the best recruits Buzz Williams has landed at the school.
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Buzz Williams once again proves to be a press conference hit

Coaching basketball at the lower levels of the college ranks is far from glamorous.

Its like any industry. Pay your dues and work your way up. Don't believe me? Read this story from Buzz Williams, taken word for word from his press conference in Cleveland this afternoon. Thanks to Todd Rosiak, who wrote about this story back in 2008, for alerting me to this epic quote:

Q. When you came out of Oklahoma City and started as a young assistant at Navarro, would you say you had modest career ambitions or big career ambitions?

COACH WILLIAMS: I was a student assistant at Navarro from '90 to '92, and then I was a student assistant at Oklahoma City University my junior and senior years, '92 to '94.
The first job that I took was a high-paying job. It paid$400 a month in a dorm room, and that was at the University of Texas at Arlington. It's a long story in how I got that job, but from the beginning of my first day of college until the last day of college, any college coach that I met, regardless of title and regardless of classification, from that point forward I wrote them a letter once a week. That's before the iPhones and Internet and Twitter. And I was 17 when I enrolled in college.
And I didn't know anything about college basketball, to be honest with you, but I knew how to say yes, sir, and no, sir. I wasn't scared to work, and I knew that being polite and being honest would at least give you a chance.

And of the 425 coaches over the course of my college career that I met, one of them was at the Final Four in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1994. In January of '94 I went to the financial aid office at OCU, and I used to steal stationery and envelopes from a lady there so I could write letters. I said, I need a loan. She said, You don't qualify for a loan. I said, I need some sort of loan. She said, Why? Because I want to go to the Final Four.

And she gave me an emergency student loan for $1,200. I bought a suit, a shirt, a tie, a belt, a pair of socks and shoes and a roundtrip plane ticket to Charlotte, North Carolina. Paid for it all in cash. I arrived in Charlotte on a Thursday afternoon, with zero dollars in my pocket, dressed with what I bought at Bachrach, and as many colors of construction paper with my resumé on it that in essence said I knew how to sweep the floor from corner to corner. And for three consecutive days and three consecutive nights I stood in the lobby of the Adam's Mark Hotel in Charlotte and passed out every resumé that I could.

On the Saturday night of the semifinals, one of the coaches that I knew told me about the job at UTA. And so every hour on the hour until Monday afternoon before the championship game, I went to the house phone and left a message for the head coach at UTA.

I flew back on Monday night. And when I got to Oklahoma City, I got in my car. It was a 1974 Ford Courier pickup that had a U-Haul box on it that I sold the box for $500 so I could afford the truck for a thousand, paid for it in cash, and I drove from Oklahoma City to Arlington, Texas.

I took the first exit at Arlington. It was West Park Row. I exited and I stopped at a Shell station. And back then they had phonebooks. Arlington's a big city, and Eddie McCarter, his name was in the phonebook, and I went in there and asked the convenience store attendant if she happened to know where this street was.

She halfway guided me there. This was without a GPS. I got closer. Stopped at three other convenience stores. I set in my car until about Tuesday night in front of Eddie McCarter's house. He drove up Tuesday night, drove in his parking garage, and when he got out of his car I got out of my truck.

And I don't know if you would call it a truck. It was more like a red wagon. I bought two-by-sixes and drilled them to the chassis of the truck and then stained it kind of a dark cherry wood stain.

And when he got out of the car, I got out and I said, Hi, Coach McCarter, I just wanted to say one more time how much I really want the job. And he said, You have to be the craziest son of a bitch I've ever seen. And I said, Coach, I wanted to tell you one more time that I wanted the job.

Now, understand, this is April the 6th. I don't have a degree. And so he invites me in his house and he said, I don't really know what else to tell you. I said, Coach, you don't have to tell me anything. I know you don't know me. I'm just telling you I want the job, and I'm telling you I don't care who you can hire, nobody will work harder.
That was on a Tuesday night. I turned around and drove through the night back to Oklahoma City. He called me on a Friday after visiting with the AD. The AD's name was B.J. Skelton. He came from Clemson. And he told me that the AD wanted to talk to me over the phone and if everything went fine he would hire me.

So I talked to the AD on that Saturday morning, and Monday I went to the registrar at OCU, who sang the National Anthem before every game, and I handed her a microphone like this, minus the NCAA logo, and I said -- I called her Aunt Nell. She looked like the African-American lady from the hit show "Give Me a Break."

And I said, Aunt Nell, I got a job. She said, Boy, that's great, Buzz. I said, Well, they don't know I don't have a degree. And she said, What do you mean? I said, I've dreamed my whole life to be a Division I coach, and I'm going. And I start next Monday.
And so whatever you have to do, if you need me to go to the president, you know, I can go to the president, because I steal letter envelopes and stationery from the secretary. I need to get out of here because I start next Monday morning.

And so I was enrolled in 15 hours. I was magna cum laude at that moment in time and I went to every teacher, some of which gave me the grade I earned up until that point. Some of which I had to finish projects, book reports, whatever, tests. I would take zeros on it. I would do the best I could. I had four days.

And I told Aunt Nell, I'm going to pull up in a U-Haul on Friday afternoon and I'm going to have an 11-by-13 frame in the front of this U-Haul truck and it's going to be blank, and I'm going to honk the horn and I'm driving the truck all the way up on the curb into the stairs, and I'm going to walk up and I want you to give me my diploma. That was on Friday afternoon at 4:30.

I got in the U-Haul and drove to Arlington, had no money, had nowhere to live. I slept in the U-Haul in the parking lot of the athletic office until Monday morning at 8:00. Monday morning at 8:00 I walked in there and I said, I'm here. That's how it all started.

So I don't know if you would deem that to be modest or not. But I can tell you that you can't create a story such as that. There was zero exaggeration in what I just told you. And for me to elicit those facts as verbatim as I did, you can't exaggerate anything like that.

Only God could author something of that magnitude, and I tell our kids, I've told everybody, I'm living the dream 1,075 days into being the head coach at Marquette, bigger than any I've ever had as a kid. And I'm unbelievably humbled and grateful for the opportunity.

But I don't know what the right adjective would be to describe what I thought or what my dreams were. I just knew that the only chance I had as a non-player, as no one that was connected to anybody associated with anybody in college athletics, was to wake up early, be very hard and diligent and effective and efficient in my work, to always tell the truth and to always try to treat people the right way.

And that's not a secret. And that's just kind of how it's played out. And I just wanted to be the head coach at Navarro some day. I never thought that the day I would be hired as the head coach at Marquette that I would hire the guy that I worked for at Navarro, and he's arrived here somewhere. He was 76 years old. He was a college coach for 50 years. He's not Gene Keady at Purdue, and I'm not Steve Lavin at St. John's, but the stories are similar. It's just we're from the country, and it's worked out the way that it has.
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Marquette's win shows lack of relevance in bubble talk

The bubble.

For the past month, that is all anyone can talk about.

If the season ended today, would Team X be in? What does Team Y have to do to become a lock? Team Z just cemented their trip to the Big Dance with that win.

Honestly, the bubble isn't for me. I haven't done a bubble watch in two years. I haven't tried to predict a bracket prior to Selection Sunday in that time. If you follow me on twitter, than you probably know that whenever I am asked what a team has to do to get into the tournament, I say win games and don't lose games.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not hating on the process. I understand how much fun it is to follow. I get the story lines and the drama that it creates. Its the perfect build up to the conference tournaments and March Madness. People eat it up.

Its just not for me. Because once Selection Sunday rolls around, the "bubble" really consists of a handful of spots for two handfuls of teams.

Marquette head coach Buzz Williams isn't a fan either. When asked after his team's 67-61 win over West Virginia about the consensus that the Golden Eagles had locked up a bid, Williams essentially said "phooey".


"I went out early again tonight and I was looking for someone on the selection committee," Williams said. "I didn't see anybody. I thought they would be the best dressed here. I saw guys from Wall Street but I didn't see anybody from the selection committee."

"You get so caught up in the melodrama of what happens during this time of the year that you have to win this, you don't have to win that, ESPN says this, Fox Sports says that. I don't think any of 'em know. I think the best thing is to continue to win because the teams that are continuing to play this late in March are typically going to play next week."

And he's right.

The teams that win late tend to be the teams that get in. Lose down the stretch, and you'll be prepping for the NIT. Focusing on what kind of implications a win or a loss has on tournament standing only creates distraction and unneeded pressure on the task at hand -- winning games.

"Our local media talks about it every day," Clemson head coach Brad Brownell told reporters during the ACC's media day. "I've told them throughout most of the year, we've had a bunch of games they've asked me if they're must-win. Seems like we've done all must-wins in February and here into March. We certainly have some idea of where we are, what we're doing. But we don't talk a lot about it with our players."

"It's not something we go around talking about, 'Hey, we need to win this game to stay in', any of those kinds of things. I think you have to keep your team pretty focused on the job at hand. So we do more of that."

Boston College head coach Steve Donahue agrees: "I'm probably the least informed about those kinds of things. Joe Lunardi is a friend of mine probably since seventh grade. I don't read his stuff. For me it's just not conducive to me producing a good practice, having my head clear about what I'm doing."

"I just think for me it's a lot easier, my life is a lot easier, coaching my team is a lot easier, if I just block it out."

At the end of the day, the bubble is a determination of whether or not you won enough games. Look at George Mason. They hardly beat anyone this season. Their best non-conference wins are against the likes of Harvard, Duquesne, and Florida Atlantic, but they won 26 games and went 16-2, winning a top 10 conference by two full games, so they were able to survive a semifinal loss in the CAA tournament and are still a lock to go dancing.

For major conference teams, the bubble talk is even less important. Marquette is the perfect example. They were on the bubble when they on Tuesday when the Big East Tournament started, but since they had the opportunity to knock off West Virginia in postseason play, they were able to build their resume. The same can be said for a team like Colorado. The Buffaloes are on the outside looking in right now, but if they can beat Kansas State in the Big 12 quarterfinals on Thursday, they will be looking pretty good in the eyes of the selection committee.

But Williams, Brownell, and Donahue are also missing the point.

By marginalizing the "bubble" and the concerns of the fan bases that follow the bubble all year long, he in neglecting the importance of making the NCAA Tournament.

Seasons are defined by whether or not a team goes dancing. Jobs are lost when a coach can't get his team into the right postseason tournament. The NCAA Tournament is the greatest spectacle in sports. Speculating about the bubble only adds to the furor. It brings attention to a sport that has become more or less a niche for 11 months out of the year.

March is the greatest month of the year if you are a fan of college basketball.

Neglecting the discussion of who is in and who is out throughout the season would trivialize everything the season builds up to. Beating a rival is great. Winning on a buzzer-beater is a thrill.

But what people remember -- what people truly value -- are the results that come in the postseason.

So those bubble watches you see every Monday morning in late January? Those will never go away.

And they shouldn't.

But just remember. For all future queries, all your team needs to do to get into the tournament is to win games.

And don't lose them.
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Buzz Williams is no Bruce

I've always like Buzz Williams.

Not just as a head coach (although his Marquette teams are always one of my favorite teams to watch), but he genuinely seems like a good guy. He's a blue collar, hard-worker that gets so into his team's games that he's left without a voice at the end.

I'd love to play for a coach that is that passionate.

I'd also love to play for a coach with a sense of humor. And, for someone to willingly agree to the following video, you know he has a sense of humor:


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POSTERIZED: Dickie Simpkins, you are one of a kind

I'm a big Darius Johnson-Odom fan. I've been touting him for almost two years now. The dunk he had on UConn tonight wasn't exactly a posterization, but it still made get up out of my seat. I still yelled. Because, damn, did he throw that down with some authority.

But the best part about the following video isn't the dunk. Its what Dickie Simpkins, who was broadcasting the game on the Big East Network, said after the dunk. Take a listen:



I love that Scott Van Pelt corrected him.
But was it as good as one of these?:

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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Tuesday's Shootaround: Marquette routs Notre Dame

Marquette 79, No. 11 Notre Dame 57: Who ever said the Big East was easy?

Just hours after Notre Dame got bumped up to 11th in the country thanks to wins over UConn and St. John's, the Irish went into the Bradley Center and got manhandled by the Golden Eagles. Marquette shot 12-17 from three on the night, led by 21 points and a 5-5 performance from three by Dwight Buycks, as they picked up their first marquee win of the season.

Notre Dame looked sluggish -- its understandable, they played on Saturday night -- but its not an excuse. The Saturday-Monday turnaround happens all the time in the Big East for teams that play on Big Monday. Eric Atkins had 15 points to lead the Irish, who shot 39.6% as a team. Tim Abromaitis, Ben Hansbrough, and Scott Martin combined for just 29 points on just 34.4% shooting from the field.

If there is a bright side for Notre Dame, its that their stinker came on a night when Marquette probably wasn't going to get beaten. When Marquette is going to shoot 70% from three, there aren't a lot of team that are going to win in the Bradley Center. Its a good time to have your worst game of the year as a visitor.

For Marquette, this win is huge. It gets them some meat on their resume. Prior to Monday, their best win had come against West Virginia and they had lost five games -- all by eight points or less -- to the NCAA Tournament teams they had faced.

The issue gets a little murkier for Notre Dame. The Irish have now played three road games -- at Marquette and Syracuse and against Kentucky in Freedom Hall -- and lost all three by an averaged of 16 points. That's not a good sign.

Belmont 81, Jacksonville 50: The Bruins moved into sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Sun by smoking the Dolphins in Nashville thanks to a balanced scoring attack (no one had more than 15 points, bu seven players scored at least six) and a defense that held Jacksonville to 29.8% shooting. No one is going to want to play the Bruins in they go dancing. They are now 14-3 on the season, and the three losses have all come to Vanderbilt and Tennessee (twice), and none by more than nine points.

Austin Peay 71, Tennessee-Martin 61: The Governors got 27 points and eight boards from Josh Terry as they overcame a 34-25 halftime deficit to remain undefeated in the Ohio Valley.
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