College basketball thread...

I think you've got a good point, Norman. The guards can shoot from time to time-like yesterday against Marquette, but that's just the problem-they're terribly inconsistent.

And while yes, it was only a few years ago when they won the title, but to me UConn hasn't quite been the same since they lost some of their top assistants--Dave Leitao to DePaul, Karl Hobbs to GW, and Howie Dickenmann to CCSU. Hobbs and Leitao especially, were quality recruiters, and I'm not sure they've replaced them yet. Add to that the fact that Calhoun's health has never been great--and he's already missed two games this year.

 

They'll find a way to lose to the bottom feeders. And it'll hurt them in March.

 

Meanwhile, Marquette can't beat anyone who's any good on the road. I like what happened in Storrs less than I liked what happened in Louisville.

 

Except for Georgetown, I don't think anybody in the Big East has won more the one road game so far.

 

Getting back up a ways, Stacey King was one of the great notebook-fillers of all time. In 1988, he was the star in KC. Funny, funny kid.

 

And a good point on the assistants. Everyone makes a big deal out of George Blaney being there, but really, does a Hall of Fame coach REALLY need another old-timer sitting next to him telling him what buttons to push? I don't think so.

I don't know much about his current other assistants, but I'd guess they'll be (or maybe have already -- I don't follow them THAT closely) beating the bushes for perimeter players.

 

Norman, you talked about Le Affair De Doug Wiggins. Rumor has it that it has caused hard feelings between Calhoun's and Roberts' staffs. Would Wiggins have made that much of a difference for another pretty lousy St. John's squad?

 

Just catching up on this thread. Covered the UNC-Maryland game on Saturday. For the record, the fans didn't boo the team off the court at halftime; the fans were booing the officials as they walked to the tunnel. Maybe they should have booed the defensive coordinator. Hansbrough scored a lot of points, but he also gave up a ton. Gist and Osby had a field day.

 

Drake University is ranked for the first time since the mid-70s.

Baylor is ranked for the first time since the 60s.

Pardon me while I open the blinds and look for airborne ovines.

 

Nice to know that it's not just my school that gets entirely too hung up on officials.

Chapel Hill was 18-0, yet somehow the officials were at fault against the Terps? Gimme a freaking break. The blueprint was unveiled over the last week: Gang up on Hansbrough and make the others actually do something besides run up and down the floor and shoot. Easier said than done, sure, but doable as Maryland proved.

And, as usual, the "classy" wine and cheese crowd tried to blame someone else. Oh well ... until someone else emerges to offer Hansbrough some help on the boards and defensively, Chapel Hill better get used to teams with enough strength moving them around.

 

In the big picture, probably not. But when you're as bad as the Johnnies are, you need all the help you can get, and I'm sure Wiggins would help them at some level since they're sorely lacking in guard play.

Would he be the difference in Roberts not getting canned at the end of the season? No way. But I think he'd definitely be making more of an impact there than he is, or ever will, at UConn.

 

Wiggins is a local CT guy, and I think that played into UConn's decision to get him. But yes, he'd definitely do more on St. John's.