Cheat sheet for college hoops season
One thing I learned in college -- or maybe through repeated viewings of National Lampoon's Animal House -- is that getting good grades is easier when you have the test questions ahead of time.
The 2007-08 season is coming fast. No need to pull an all-nighter when I'm here to help:
1. Can Memphis outrun the big fellas? Vegas might tell you the odds aren't steep against the Tigers, but there are some numbers not in their favor.
Such as: Of the past 64 Final Four teams, 61 are current members of BCS conferences. Likewise, of the past 64 No. 1 seeds, 61 are from current BCS schools. Maybe it helps that John Calipari was in charge of two of the interlopers on the seed list -- UMass in 1996 and Memphis in 2006.
2. Can North Carolina control the crowd? All-American Tyler Hansbrough declined slightly as a sophomore because it was too easy for opponents to double-team him. Power forward Brandan Wright lacked the skills to lure defenders away from the lane the way predecessor David Noel did. Thing is, Wright's successor, Deon Thompson, also plays close to the goal.
3. Can Bill Self break through? Here's an ominous stat : No coach has reached the Final Four after falling short four times in the regional _ nals. Connecticut's Jim Calhoun got there after three Elite Eight losses, as did Rollie Massimino at Villanova. But Self and Kansas are looking to explore new territory. What they'd like to avoid: Temple's John Chaney lost in the Elite Eight five times.
4. Can Washington State do it when we're watching? There's no question the Cougars can play; if it wasn't sealed already, scoring guard Derrick Low settled the discussion by pulling the U.S. team out of its funk at the Pan American Games. But the pressures are different when you're expected to be 10th in the nation rather than 10th in the Pac-10. It's nice the non league schedule is so forgiving.
5. Can USC's O.J. Mayo avoid controversy for an entire season?
6. Was Arkansas undercoached or overrated? It's possible all that talent just needed another season to mature and coalesce. New coach John Pelphrey will not have the luxury of taking his time getting this turned around.
7. Will a defensive coordinator help Arizona? Last year's Wildcats ranked seventh among Pac-10 teams in field goal defense and ninth in scoring defense. In light of that generosity, it made sense to open the wallet and hire defensive guru Kevin O'Neill.
8. Is it a good thing or a bad thing that Connecticut has all the players back from a 17-14 team ? (This looks like an essay question.)
9. True or false: You can win the national title without a post presence on either offense or defense. Tennessee would really like the answer to be true. It's false.
10. Is it possible to have five freshmen on the All-American team? It's crazy, I know. But give me Kevin Love (center, UCLA), Michael Beasley (power forward, Kansas State), Eric Gordon (shooting guard, Indiana), Derrick Rose (point guard, Memphis) and Mayo (point guard, USC) and I will sleep peacefully through every class from now to March.
[More
at www.sportingnews.com]
Party photos make splash
Obama shoots hoops with Tar Heels
Coach: Tar Heels' trio still undecided
Shooting the breeze
Hansbrough in black and white
Hansbrough Stays Quiet About His Future Options
Final Four recap: Kansas 84, North Carolina 66
Hansbrough Selected Player of the Year
Final Four Matchup: Jayhawks vs. Tarheels
For Final Four schools, trip can be a costly game
One goal in mind
Hansbrough, Beasley on All-America Team
Tips for attending the Final Four
Tyler Hansbrough - Committee gets it right as four No. 1s head to San Antonio
Final Four Matchup: North Carolina vs. Kansas
Louisville 73, North Carolina 83
Preview: Cardinals vs Tar Heels - East Regional
West Regional - Xavier vs. UCLA
Tarheels 68, Cougars 47
Why the North Carolina Tarheels Will Win the National Championship
Ellington helps North Carolina rout Arkansas 108-77 to reach NCAA round of 16
East regional:Arkansas 77, North Carolina 108
East regional: Razorbacks vs Tar Heels
Heart fuels Hansbrough's play
EAST REGIONAL
East regional: Tar Heels still own talent-heavy bracket
NCAA West Regional
NCAA Midwest Regional
NCAA South Regional
Clemson Tigers 81, North Carolina Tar Heels 86
Hansbrough to have jersey retired
Final Four Update
Tar Heels beat Virginia Tech, 68-66
Tourny time
March Madman
Dascenzo: Take time to appreciate Hansbrough
Tyler Hansbrough Ranks No. 2 - For Now
Tarheel Basketball Report: UNC Vs. Duke
#2 Duke tops #3 UNC 89-78
'Pyscho T' drives foes mad with physical inside game
Hansbrough, fifth-ranked Tar Heels get past 'Canes
UNC to face Georgia Tech in a possible “trap” game
Hansbrough leads way as UNC racks up another win
Hansbrough's big night leads No. 1 Tar Heels past Kent State 90-61
Preview: Nevada at No. 1 North Carolina
Hansbrough leads lethargic No. 1 Tar Heels past Nicholls State, 88-78
Hansbrough, Raji earn ACC weekly honors
On College Basketball | Williams ever the gracious victor
Lawson may be out but Buckeyes still worried about stopping Hansbrough
Hansbrough does it all in Las Vegas
Early look at the player of the year race
Tar Heels Avoid Upset, Beat Davidson
Hansbrough Tops AP's All-America Team
ACC Hoops Preview: #1-North Carolina
Maric Among 50 Wooden Award Candidates
Preseason honors keep coming
Five college basketball teams to watch
Points and Combos: Smelling like a Rose
Cheat sheet for college hoops season
Is a hardwood three-peat in Florida's future?
Florida's headed for a hard fall in hoops
Roy Williams Hall of Fame Acceptance Speech
Fantasyland
Heels have calendar marked for key visits
A case of the blues
All-Rolls Royce Team
Tyler Hansbrough Report
Moore or less correct
Tar Heels coach thinks basketball, deals with vertigo
2008 recruiting class can't get much worse
NBA Draft: A mock for 2008 (and Mr. Mayo is NOT No. 1)
NBA player Williams gives back to community
Changing of guards in ACC
Singletary gives Cavs chance
One More Year: Possible 2008 Early Entries
Selecting the best of the rest
Griz still have chance to score at number 4
How to get a team going
USC Trojans(25-11) Vs. North Carolina (30-6)
Jackets' Future is Now
Tar Heels News
|
