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By Terrence Mayrose

Rivalry Week Signals Shift of Focus For Sports Fans

For all you football fanatics out there,  make sure you savor the Super Bowl, because as of this morning, it’s time to focus on hoops.  Despite the endless analysis, highlights and “breakdown” sessions  ESPN may have shoved down your throat last week, you should be beside yourself about the slew of college basketball games coming up over the next seven days. Rivalry Week, as it’s become known, is easily the best single week of the regular season. It’s like the best appetizer on the menu. You make sure you order it. Things start on tonight on ESPN’s  Big Monday when Kansas(1)  travels to Texas (10) and Villanova (2) travels to West Virginia(6).

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by Terrence Mayrose

Kentucky Basketball Falls From Its perch.  Who’s Next?

The 75-76’ Indiana Hoosiers can breathe a little easier now that Kentucky, the last remaining unbeaten team this season, has suffered it’s first loss to South Carolina.  Led by an array of tough, clutch, and “how the hell did he hit that” shots from Devan Downey, the Gamecocks made Kentucky’s stay atop the polls very short.

The recent upset of John (“ never actually been to a Final Four”) Calipari, John (“one and done”) Wall and Kentucky as well as the memories of Mario Chalmers trey to beat an undefeated Memphis in 08’ show that even the best of the best can take a loss.  Which makes hoopsters wonder: Will there ever be another undefeated champion ?

Devan Downey dropped thirty in the 68-62 upset, and put himself on the map as one of the nation’s best scorers; although Gamecock faithful will be quick to tell you that he’s no fluke.  The Chester, S.C. native spurned his home state by electing to attend Cincinnati as a freshman. After posting 11.9 ppg in his freshman year,  Downey decided to come home, and it’s been all good since.  After sitting out the ‘06-’07 season, Downey’s scored 18.4 ppg (07-08),and 19.8(08-09).  He’s even better this season as Downey’s 22.4 ppg leads the SEC.  With a scorer like this, and a decent record, 12-8 (3-3), The Gamecocks have a shot to be a dark horse in the SEC tournament. After all, they have shown they can play with (and beat) the best.

Now that no unbeatens remain,  who is the  frontrunner for a national title?  With such a crop of great teams atop the polls there may not be just one, but Kansas stands out. Bill Self’s crew is currently 19-1 with their only setback to #14 Tennessee. A January 30th trip to #13 Kansas State, and Feb 8th trip to #6 Texas could yield two wins that would give the Jayhawks the most impressive resume in the country. It should also be noted that Kansas currently ranks 2nd in both Offensive and Defensive Efficiency and you know how much we like that.

Speaking of frontrunners… CBSSports.com’s Gary Parrish points out that the end of January is a great time to find out who will make the Final Four. Parrish stated that in the past five seasons, at least three of the Final Four teams (all four in ‘08) have been in the Top Ten during the last week of January. Remember to refer back to this in March when filling out your sheets. Kentucky, Kansas, Villanova, Syracuse, Michigan State, Texas, Georgetown, Duke, West Virginia and Purdue are your current candidates.

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By Terrence Mayrose

College Basketball Powerhouses UConn and UNC Struggling

As smoothly as things went for North Carolina and Connecticut last year, they’ve been equally as bumpy this season.  UNC coasted through its schedule  to a championship, and UConn battled through a tough Big East to reach the Final Four.  However, 2010 is giving every indication that a repeat of each performance is a long shot….a real long shot.

The Tar Heels have dropped three straight, and four of their last five in plummeting to #23 in the polls.  Things got worse for Roy Williams and company last week  when it was reported that seven foot sophomore Tyler Zeller will miss 4-6 weeks with a foot injury.  Yes, the same Zeller who missed most of last season.  That Zeller may be injury prone has raised huge concern about his future in Chapel Hill.

Things aren’t going too well in Storrs these days, either, although the Huskies did take care of lowly St.John’s on Wednesday night with to end a three game conference skid.  Adding  to their problems was the news that  Head Coach Jim Calhoun  is taking an immediate medical leave of absence. UConn officials reported that Calhoun’s absence is not heart or cancer related and is not associated to any conditions he has dealt with in the past (Calhoun is a three time cancer survivor). The Huskies will have an up-hill battle the rest of the season without Calhoun on the sidelines, but the immediate future doesn’t look too bad.  After taking on Texas this Saturday,  they’ll have winnable games against Providence, Marquette, Louisville, and  the conference’s whipping boy, DePaul.   A string of four conference wins under interim coach George Blaney could be the key to get back on track for this struggling squad.   Look at this stretch as  a precursor of UConn’s fate the rest of the way.

Kentucky Basketball Stands Alone

Texas dropped from the ranks of the  unbeaten,  leaving only Kentucky, John “make a mess then quickly flee the scene” Calipari, and John “I will commit to the draft in March so don’t look for me in class the final two months” Wall  as the only remaining team with an unblemished record.  Isn’t it sweet that the ENTIRE nation can now bond to root for that first loss now?

UTEP Basketball Showing Strong Caracter

Remember this guy ?  Once highly touted as a program-changing, college superstar, future-pro coming out of high school, he spent his time at Louisville struggling with his weight and grades.  Things got so bad, he actually flirted with the idea of entering the NBA Draft until he realized he’d never get picked.  Despite his shortcomings, however, he’s become the best turnaround story of the college basketball season. If you guessed Derrick Caracter, give yourself a gold star.

The big man from Jersey has found himself at UTEP, after two awful years at Louisville finally ran their course.  Between weight issues, grades, and finding it nearly impossible to deal with Rick Pitino (the latter is becoming a common occurrence these days, isn’t it?), D.C.’s time at Lousiville was one to forget. Luckily for him, his career has rebounded. In better shape, minus his entourage, and obviously much happier, Caracter is averaging 13.6 ppg and 8.3 rpg for the 12-5 UTEP Miners. Most recently, Caracter was a catalyst in his team’s 72-67 win over Memphis with 14 points and 7 boards.

The Key to Winning Your NCAA Tournament Brackets

Here’s a stat to look at when filling out your March Madness sheets; Efficiency, specifically Offensive and Defensive Efficiency.  In a nutshell – Points scored and points allowed per 100 possessions. Why does it matter ?  Simply put… it has been one of ,(if not the), leading indicators of  NCAA champions.

Ken Pomeroy is a stat guru who spends hours determining these stats each season, and every year the eventual NCAA Champion can be determined by Pomeroy’s efficiency ratings.  Need Proof ?

‘09 Champ – UNC- Off. Eff (1) Def.Eff (16)
‘08 Champ-Kansas- Off. Eff (2) Def.Eff (1)
‘07 Champ- Florida- Off. Eff (1) Def.Eff (12)
‘06 Champ- Florida- Off.Eff (2) Def.Eff (5)

The fact is, that if you want to cut down the nets you must be as good defensively as you are offensively.  Here are 5 teams who rate high in both categories, and offer a big reason to believe in them come March : Kansas- OE (2) DE (3), Duke OE(1) DE(9), Wisconsin OE(16) DE(7), Syracuse OE(4) DE(16), Kansas State OE(14) DE(20).   However, be wary of : Villanova- OE(3) DE(80), Kentucky OE(12) DE(37), Gonzaga OE(25) DE(65).   The T&2 will revisit as March gets closer, but it’s never too early to start dissecting the brackets.

Groundhog Day for Duke Basketball

Well, just as it was hinted in the last  T&2, the Duke Blue Devils are in the historically “hell-ish” part of their schedule. Coach K and the boys fit played to form in losing 88-74 to North Carolina State.  An inexcusable loss given their  high expectations coming into the season.  Here’s a challenge for the boys in Cameron: change yourselves from “good team” to “title contender” over the next weeks.

Tilts @ Clemson, @ Georgetown, Georgia Tech  and @UNC are games where Duke can turn their season around.  A sweep of these 4 quality teams, along with games against mediocre Florida State and Boston College would put Duke at 21-3 and give them a stranglehold on the ACC.  If Duke can do this, they’ll have my faith again…until then, I’m expecting a disastrous stretch over the next month; ultimately leading to a quiet exit in March. It’s unfortunate, but this has become Duke’s trademark over the last few seasons.

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by Terrence Mayrose

Pitt Basketball In Good Hands

It seemed pretty clear entering this season that Pitt would be “rebuilding” after losing a veteran core of Levance Fields, Dejuan Blair, Sam Young, & Tyrell Biggs that was seconds away from the Final Four. It would be hard to blame the Panthers for a mediocre season after losing so many talented players; although it seems as if Jamie Dixon, 2009 Naismith Coach of the Year, had other ideas. Off to a 13-2 (3-0) start behind 17.2 PPG from sophomore Ashton Gibbs  and another 12.2 from junior Brad Wanamaker’s , the #20 Panthers are quietly becoming a force in the Big East, and the nation.

Recently seeded as high as four in ESPN’s Bracketology, the Panthers certainly have the resume to back it.  Aside from an inexplicable loss to 7-8 Indiana, Pitt’s only other misstep is to #1 Texas.

Tonight’s game at #15 UCONN could be the most important of the season thus far. A win over the Huskies would solidify them as an elite team in the nation’s toughest conference. Dixon’s crew has made a case to put them in that discussion with a road win over then #5 Syracuse, but taking down another Top 25 conference foe would end any doubts that they are for real. Don’t think the experienced Pitt leader doesn’t know how much this win would mean for his team in the long run. Look for a tough battle between Ashton Gibbs and Kemba Walker in Storrs tonight.

Something to think about if Pitt does win tonight, though, is whether it’s out of the question to name Jamie Dixon Coach of The Year so far .  How many coaches could lose so much talent from an Elite Eight team, and be 14-2 and 4-0 in the Big East ? So far, just one.  Jamie Dixon.

Time for Purdue Basketball To Sink Or Swim

While Pitt was expected to struggle this season, Purdue was touted as a team on the rise. Seems as if the Boilmakers are reading their own press clippings, as they’ve stumbled to a 2-2 start in Big Ten Conference play. Back to back losses toWisconsin, and Ohio State put Matt Painter’s team in an interesting situation as they travel to overachieving 13-2 Northwestern and an Illinois squad currently sitting atop the conference .   We’ll know soon enough if Purdue is a contender or pretender based on the next two contests.

T&Two NCAA Bracket Busters to Watch

Northern Iowa 15-1 (Missouri Valley) – The veteran team already has a win over pre season top 25 Siena.

Louisiana Tech (16-1) (Western Athletic) – 4-0 in conference play, and wins over Houston and Nevada as resume boosters.

Cornell (14-3) (Ivy)- A recent five point loss at Kansas put them on the national radar. Wins over St. John’s, Davidson, Alabama, LaSalle, and UMass show they’re capable of excelling against the  big conferences.

Crucial Stretch For Duke Basketball

Duke enters a critical section of its schedule that could go a long way to deciding if  the Blue Devils can end their five year stretch without a  Final Four appearances . The annual mid-January/early February trek through the ACC has literally been Hell for the Devils. Taking a look at recent years : In 2009-, they were 18-1 on  Jan 28th.  A loss to Wake Forest started a skid that saw  four  losses in a six game span  through Feb. 15th.  The 2007 season found Coach K’s boys at 18-3 before a Feb 1st home loss to Virginia started a four game skein.  Duke went 4-8 from that point to finish the season, including first round losses in both the  ACC and NCAA tourneys.

Coach K has been quick to remind Blue Devil faithful that this year’s team is much older, and bigger than teams of the past. It will be seen very shortly if the 13-2 Dukies will use their age and experience during a stretch of games including Wake Forest, Clemson, and Georgetown in the next few week

Big Fish in a Small Pond

Hats off to Appalachian State’s Donald Sims, who torched Davidson for 44 points last week.

Games to Watch This Week

Wednesday – Pitt @ UCONN- Typical Big East dogfight. Don’t rule out anything amazing…not even  six overtimes.
Thursday- Cal @ Washington State-Preseason top ten Cal is quickly slipping, and needs a win to resurrect its tourney hopes.

Saturday – Syracuse @ West Virginia.  Georgia Tech vs North Carolina.

Head Scratcher of the Week

Got an email from Chris Beermann that informed me that he recently attended a COLLEGE game, where a coach :

• -Asked for a timeout while the other team was dribbling  the ball
• -Asked the ref “if he could have the foul on #11”, instead of  his leading scorer who had just picked up his third personal foul.

It’s not surprising that Chris also informed me that the coach’s team lost.

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Gil Lock Returns For NFL Postseason

Back by popular demand, Gil Lock of Ryno Rife Sports Handicappers ventures out of his collegiate comfort zone to bring you his opinions on this weekend’s divisional round.  Those that followed Rife With Opinions during the college football season remember that Gil came under a bit of fire as he struggled for much of the campaign.  He finished with a strong bowl season, however, and is willing to share his thoughts on how this weekend’s NFL playoff games will unfold.  Here we go.

New Orleans Saints – Arizona Cardinals Under 57

(Saturday 4:30 EST-FOX) Classic contrarian pick here, with a little logic thrown in for good measure.  Drew Brees hasn’t played for real in almost a month.  He may take a quarter or so to get going while I don’t think the Cardinals will have as much success once New Orleans gets a look at the Green Bay game film.

Indianapolis Colts – 6 1/2 over Baltimore Ravens

(Saturday 8:00 EST-CBS) The Colts have put themselves squarely behind the eight ball by forfeiting their last two games.  If they don’t win it all, they’ll never hear the end of it. Baltimore’s secondary isn’t what it used to be, even at full strength, let alone with Ed Reed nursing a sore groin.  Peyton Manning should devour the Ravens’ blitzes while Joe Flacco struggles to keep up.

Dallas Cowboys + 2 1/2 over Minnesota Vikings

(Sunday 1:00 EST-FOX) This one will break the heart of my good friend F-r-a-n-k Tufano, but I don’t see the Vikings recovering from their stumbling finish.  Dallas may be the hottest team in football right now and absolutely has the better QB.  Look for a big day from Jason Witten.

New York Jets +7 1/2 over San Diego Chargers

(Sunday 4:30 EST-CBS) Now, before Fireman Ed offers to take me out to dinner, let me say that San Diego wins this one.  I just don’t think they have the firepower to run away and hide from the Jets’ defense.  The Chargers incredibly tall receivers will force the Jets into adjustments that should open up the running game for San Diego.