Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- Shamrock Shake Season!

It's not just the NCAA Tournament that makes March magical-- it's the fact that McDonald's (participating locations only) offers up a bit of minty goodness-- aka the Shamrock Shake. Problem is, not every McD's location isn't participating... so finding a location doesn't guarantee you a shake. And a shake today doesn't mean they'll have the "green colored product" tomorrow, either.




Georgetown responded on the road against Louisville... the Hoyas' 70-60 win snapped a two game losing streak and came thanks to Mr. Second Half, Austin Freeman-- the junior scored 24 of his 29 points after intermission. Also in the win the feast or famine stretch for Chris Wright continues-- the guard has either scored in single digits or more than 20 points over his last eight games. Big East Seed: #6 with a first round battle against the 11-14 game winner... and there are four schools in the mix for #11: Notre Dame, UConn, Seton Hall and Cincinnati will hereafter be referred to as the "Bubble Bunch". 14th? Providence owns the tiebreaker with Rutgers. Next up: a Saturday showdown at noon with Bubblicious Notre Dame.



Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse clinched a bye into the Big East Quarterfinals by pulling away from Providence 99-85 at Dunkin Donuts Arena...(Butternut the flavor of choice at PP). Reason for concern? Wes Johnson struggled with a 4-for-14 performance... hopefully the junior transfer hasn't hit the wall. This weekend the Orange entertain #7 Villanova-- should be an exciting tilt at the Carrier Dome.



Maryland rallied from a fifteen point deficit to beat Clemson 88-79... Greivis Vasquez continues to make his case for ACC MVP-- (15 points and 13 rebounds against the Tigers). What makes Vasquez so key to this team is his versatility-- need a shooter? Check. Floor general? Gotcha. Somebody to crash the boards? He can do that too-- and that's allowed coach Gary Williams to manipulate his rotation better down the stretch. ACC Seed--#2 with a quarterfinal date against Georgia Tech or Miami. Next: a Saturday trip to Virginia Tech... and for whatever reason, the Terps have always had trouble against the former Big East Three (VT, Miami and Boston College).




Commonwealth Collapse? While Virginia's February fall continues with a 74-62 loss to Miami (Sylvan Landesburg's 27 points further cementing him as this year's Sean Singletary), Virginia Tech missed a chance to further secure itself standing in the at-large pool... losing 80-60 at Boston College. The Hokies have three games to give the committee something else to think about other than their 335th ranked non-conference schedule... can they bounce back against Maryland, NC State and Georgia Tech?



George Mason came up huge on the road-- defeating Delaware 61-59. Sophomore Andre Cornelius' 16 points helping end a three game losing streak (and a stretch of 5 losses in 6 games). Priority: get Cam Long back on track... the GMU's leading scorer has been held to 17 of 71 (24%) shooting in February. CAA Seed: #3 with a quarterfinal clash against Drexel or James Madison. Next: Northeastern Saturday... while second place is out of the equation, GMU needs a victory to assure itself of the third seed.


Bracket busted-- the CAA has built quite a reputation as a mid-major league... but 2010 might not be a vintage year. The conference went 3-9 in the annual cross-league competition, with the schools on the radar for at-large consideration coming up short. It appears as though the only route to the field of 65 will be as league tournament champion.



George Washington is one win or a St. Joseph's loss away from clinching a spot in the Atlantic Ten Tournament... Wednesday's 81-72 victory over LaSalle was the Colonials third in four games as Karl Hobbs' crew slides up the A-10 standings. Credit perimeter defense-- GW held the Explorers to 18% three-point shooting after halftime. Seed: 9th vs Duquesne. Next: Charlotte Saturday; the 49ers have dropped three of four.

The Washington Generals are alive and well-- following six beltway teams over the course of the season has one checking out six leagues on a regular basis... and it seems that every week somebody is playing Longwood. And usually pounding the Division I independent Lancers. Longwood lost to Virginia, Maryland and Virginia Tech this year... as well Navy, James Madison plus a smattering of Patriot League and CAA schools. The real achievement by the Lancers is posting a 12-18 record after seemingly losing every time one hears their name.

American found itself on the right side of an overtime affair-- nipping Navy 80-77 in double OT. The hammer/anvil tandem of Vlad Moldoveanu and Stephen Lumpkins combined for 40 points and 20 rebounds; although the Eagles are far from being a favorite or even a "trendy pick" in the upcoming conference tournament--these two provide hope for AU. Patriot League Seed: 5th vs Navy. Next: Saturday against second place Lafayette in the Eagles regular season finale.

Howard enjoyed a January surge; now a February slump has the Bison losing 7 of 8- the most recent a 52-44 defeat at Bethune-Cookman. MEAC seed: 10th vs Hampton. Next: Saturday against Maryland-Eastern Shore.

10TH VS HAMPTON

Beltway Basketball Bonanza... Collecting signatures...

February Fever is in full force. Yes, I so overdo alliteration... but February is a phenomenal time to be following college hoops-as teams get in position to be in position for their conference tournaments. My favorite term outside of "body of work" when examining bubble teams is "signature wins"... reducing schools to frantic autograph seekers. Get your sharpies out...


Georgetown nearly had a comeback for the ages... rallying from 23 down in the second have to more than scare #5 Syracuse. The Orange held on, 75-71, but the Hoyas know full well they can stay with the conference leaders should they meet in Madison Square Garden (as they often do) during the Big East Tournament. Neither the huge deficit nor the comeback was too much of a stretch-- given the Hoyas streaky shooting/lack of rebounding combined with Syracuse's adherence to its 2-3 zone. BET seed--currently #7 (Hoyas lose tiebreaker with Marquette) with a second round matchup against the winner of #10 Cincinnati and #15 Rutgers. Major caveat: there are five teams tied for 8th place... so the Hoyas likely opponent will hinge on what Notre Dame, South Florida, Seton Hall, UConn and Cincinnati all do these last few weeks. Next up-- at Tuesday trip to 5th place Louisville-- a team they beat by five in January...but a club that's won five of six (including a victory at Syracuse).


Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse stumbled against Louisville... the Orange were due to slip after a few sloppy performances- and Rick Pitino's Cardinals have owned SU as of late. A near collapse against Georgetown avoided thanks to clutch play by Andy Rautins. Road games with Providence and Louisville loom-- as well as a Saturday night showdown with second place Villanova.


Maryland after a tough loss at Duke had to slug its way through three ACC games in six days and responded by taking all three in different ways: a comfortable crushing of Virginia (18 point halftime lead), a crazy comeback past NC State (down 10 at intermission) and a fantastic finish against Georgia Tech (not one but two buzzer beating shots). No truth to the rumor the Maryland bench was calling the play "DIME SPOUT" during Greivis' coast-to-coast. Cliff Tucker's three capped an incredible and crucial week for the Terps.

More milestones met-- against the Yellowjackets Greivis Vasquez reached the 2,000 point plateau, making him the only player in ACC history with 2,000 points, 700 assists and 600 rebounds. Lost in the shuffle was a big effort from senior Eric Hayes-- 15 points and 5 assists for the silent partner in the senior backcourt. ACC Seed-- #2 with a quarterfinal matchup against #7 Georgia Tech or #10 North Carolina. Next up-- Wednesday against a 5th place Clemson team that's won three straight.

Commonwealth contrast-- how huge was Maryland's week? Just look at Virginia... the Cavaliers lost all three of their games and are now 5-7 in the conference needing a monster run to enter the postseason discussion. Virginia Tech was unable to come up with a signature win at Duke; but 21 wins should have coach Seth Greenberg's team in line for an NCAA berth-- a second trip to the dance in four years-- barring a major collapse.

George Washington came up short at Richmond 74-70 despite outrebounding and outshooting the Spiders... 16 turnovers ruining a 25 point effort by Lasan Kromah and ending a two game winning streak. A10 Seed-- #9 (thanks to their tiebreaking win over St. Bonaventure) with a first round game against Duquesne. GW needs a win or two to wrap up a trip to Atlantic City-- and has games with 3-conference win schools La Salle and Saint Josephs on the horizon.



What is it with the ACC this season? Duke is the lone conference school ranked in the top 25... now there are more than a few squads in the "also receiving votes" category, but this is the first time since 1977 only one school has been in the rankings. That's one fewer (or is it one less) than the Mountain West-- a league that's been around barely a decade. North Carolina's collapse obviously takes a major player out of the mix, while teams like Maryland and Virginia Tech have yet to post the signature win (there's that phrase again) to make them players while Georgia Tech, Florida State and Wake Forest reside in the land of Underachievement. The conference tournament shapes up as a bubble-berth-knockout round... at least until the Blue Devils or Tar Heels take the title.

George Mason lost a Bracket Buster game with the College of Charleston 85-83... and gets to reset itself for a final week of league play. CAA Seed-- #4 with a quarterfinal clash against #5 VCU or 12th seed Delaware. Next up: games at Delaware and against Northeastern.

24 thoughts... this season has given us a mole, a CTU employee with bad judgement, shouting and shooting, CTU being run by yet another bumbling mid-level bureaucrat, plus the thespian skills of Freddie Prinze Jr... the clock is ticking quickly on what was my favorite show last decade-- and it feels like it's on fumes.

American has seen it's midseason momentum dry up... a 64-51 loss at Holy Cross drops the Eagles to 5-7 in the conference. Patriot Seed-- #5 with a quarterfinal date against Navy.

Olympic hockey saw the US team beat Canada-- and immediately have the game be referred to as a Miracle on Ice sequel. While the 5-3 result was technically an upset and the US was outshot in a similar manner back in 1980 (39-16; the 2010 team was outshot 45-23) that's where my similarities lie. The Soviet team (I watch today's Russian team and still expect to see "CCCP" on their sweaters) was a veteran unit of 25-to-30 year old proven pros... while the US team was comprised primarily by collegians in an era when American players rarely got even as much as a whiff of the NHL. Today's team? Although it's young, everybody's getting an NHL paycheck. Plus, Al Michaels doesn't have a perm now (watch the Youtube-- you'll be shocked).


Howard is another school to fade in February-- the team's 72-67 loss at Florida A&M was the Bison's seventh in eight games. MEAC Seed-- #10 with a first round matchup against #7 Winston-Salem State.

Most people have seen "Miracle" with Kurt Russell... but I dare you to watch the original TV movie: 68-year old Karl Malden playing Herb Brooks (43 when the movie took place)? Andrew Stevens as Mike Eruzione? Marcia Brady's husband as "Les Auge", a composite character cut from the roster? Steve Guttenberg as Jim Craig? Do you believe in comedic casting miracles?

Beltway Basketball Bonanza... with snow and Super Bowl spillover...

Hope everyone got through the wintry weekend in one piece... a time for teams to heat up with about a month before Selection Sunday. While some schools bounce back from disappointing losses by plowing ahead, a few find themselves stuck in a major drift.


Georgetown bounced back from a loss to South Florida (worry not; the Bulls have always been a tough matchup for the Hoyas) with consecutive Big East victories... and while outscoring then- #2 Villanova 103-90 was impressive-- the Hoyas gritty rally from nine down in the second half to top a Providence team playing for its postseason life was notable in its own right. Greg Monroe (12 assists) continues to color outside the big-man box... and one can't help but like the 1-2 backcourt punch of Austin Freeman and Chris Wright--especially as a tournament-tested tandem. Sympathy to the Friar Faithful: PC's next three foes after facing #8 Georgetown are #5 Villanova, #4 West Virginia and #3 Syracuse--ouch.



Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse is off to a 23-1 start (best ever in school history)... Wesley Johnson looks like he could be named Rookie and Player of the Year (although Villanova's Scottie Reynolds remains the likely POY winner)... tough tests remain in the form of top ten teams Georgetown and Villanova; plus a pair of games against a Louisville team squarely on the bubble.



Maryland met its match this week... the only opponent able to slow down Gary Williams' juggernaut is the winter weather-- pushing the Terps Wednesday night game with Virginia to Monday February 15th (hope they don't overdo the chocolates on Valentine's Day). Greivis Vasquez is making his case for ACC Player of the year... nobody means more to his team and nobody electrifies the crowd for or against himself like Vasquez.

Snowstorm thoughts-- WOW. After getting hit by 15-20 inches last weekend... 10-20 were expected this week-- although it reads more like 5 to 10. Once again proving sequels are often disappointing... with the exception of Beat Street 2-- Electric Boogloo...

George Mason cooled off in CAA losses at Georgia State and Drexel... but heated up in the second half aginst VCU-- rallying from 15 points down to nip the Rams in overtime 82-77. While the template for the Patriots this winter has been Cam Long outside and Ryan Pearson inside... coach Jim Larranaga's bench of interchangable parts has produced when put in the right position-- the latest being Mike Morrison's 18 points and 10 rebounds against VCU. Red Flag-- GMU visits Old Dominion Saturday in battle for second place in the conference... and the Patriots are just 4-3 on the road in the CAA this winter.

WHO'S THAT? Another exciting Super Bowl interrupted by another baby boomer rock act. Don't get me wrong-- I've always been a big WHO fan... and Roger Daltrey brings it at age 65 better than most singers one third of his age-- but Pete Townsend "trying to be hip" is worse than Ron Wood "needing a leash to keep him on stage" in the recent SB halftime spectrum (Prince "getting busy with his guitar?" remains untouchable). At first I heard they were going to do a "medley"-- come on, kids--Barry Manilow sings medleys... the WHO's supposed to rock. And also, did we need constant closeup shots of the drummer? I mean, I know he's Ringo's kid (Zak Starkey also has drummed for Oasis this decade) but Keith Moon will forever be the WHO's drummer (sorry, Kenny Jones). Can't wait to see the EAGLES sing next year.

George Washington finds iself battling for its Atlantic Ten tournament life-- the Colonials 70-63 loss to Duquesne was the team's third in a row and plummets GW into a tie for 12th (I know... it's called the Atlantic Ten and there are 14 teams... with 12 making the conference tournament... college math always intrigued me). Not all is lost-- after facing last place Fordham this Saturday, GW has fellow cellar dwellers UMass and Richmond in short order-- an opportunity to clinch an A-10 berth.

Super Bowl thoughts-- Remember when the commercials were great and the games were awful? Since 2001, blowouts have been the exception as opposed to the rule: six SB's were decided by a touchdown or less from 1967 to 1997, seven such games since... and that doesn't include this year's come from behind 14 point Saints win. What a crazy decade... with former laughingstock franchises like the Saints and Buccaneers winning titles (and the Cardinals reaching the big game).

American was outshot and outrebounded by Patriot League leader Lehigh (Mountain Hawks not nearly as cool a nickname as the Engineers) 77-65... early foul trouble for Stephen Lumpkins hampered the Eagles inside game-- and 9 of 34 three point shooting will not get things done.
AU now faces two games in three days--weather permitting--against Bucknell and Colgate (January 17th's win against the Raiders began a 4-2 Eagle run).

Snow songs-- "Moonlight Mile" wraps up the Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers LP in fine fashion... whenever there's even a flurry I throw it on. "Snowblind" by Styx is a cool song as well, unfortunately there was a clamor to ban the song for drug references, spurring Dennis DeYoung to work on an album protesting censorship-- yes folks, the infamous Kilroy Was Here that gave us "Mr. Roboto".




Howard saw its January surge turn into a February swoon...as four straight losses have the Bison at under .500 in the MEAC. Monday's 77-64 loss at South Carolina State was the team's first double digit conference defeat other than the one to league-leading Morgan State (and I should rephrase myself... league-crushing Morgan State) The MEAC with its tight turnaround schedule of Saturday-Monday roadswings can be brutal to teams finding their way-- the good news is the Bison are home for a pair against North Carolina A&T as well as Norfolk State...

Presto's Pick-- Hall Journey...more WHO and the actual game...

Super Sunday is finally here... and I won't promise greatness-- but we may be in luck with a South Florida location, as most of the games at the Orange Bowl, Joe Robbie Stadium, Pro Player Stadium and Dolphins Stadium have been memorable with a few classics...:

Super Bowl II (1968)--Lombardi's last game with the Packers...

III (1969)--no explanation needed-- I guarantee it.

V (1971)-- turnover filled mess that went down to a last-minute field goal.

X (1976) and XIII (1979)-- both Pittsburgh-Dallas clashes took place at the Orange Bowl...

XXIII (1989)-- Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and John Candy...

XXIX (1995)-- Steve Young's six-pack of TD passes...

XXXIII (1999)-- Eugene Robinson's wild ride made this non-classic memorable...

XLI (2007)-- Peyton finally wears the crown-- returns beginning and ending the scoring.


Although past performance is no guarantee of future excitement-- Miami/Dade County has a certain magic to it.

Hall Journey... congratulations to Russ Grimm-- the first member of the Redskins' famed Hogs to enter Canton as a member. Well deserved-and now Joe Jacoby's on deck for the Burgundy and Gold. What made the hall class announcement memorable (outside of Grimm and other notables that included Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith) was the Hall President referring to Saints great Rickey Jackson as "Randy Jackson"...which makes sense when one learns the HOF prez's name is Stephen Perry. I'm just glad Perry didn't call Russ Grimm Ross Vallory. Perhaps 2011 is the year Jonathan Cain and Neil Schon finally enter the Hall.

The WHO--and a stadium--sell out... SB XLIV will be played in Landshark Stadium (spare the CandyGram jokes, Chevy Chase)... a stadium that's changed it's name multiple times. Kind of fitting a group that has pawned more than a few of its songs for commercial use is singing at halftime...isn't it? Kind of makes the classic concept album "THE WHO SELL OUT" even more prescient (by the way, SELL OUT is a masterpiece).


Oh yeah-- the Manning/Saints thing... it's obvious to everyone on the planet that Archie Manning, Saints franchise player when the franchise barely deserved such status, is Peyton Manning's father. One natural story this week has been that Archie is rooting for the Colts against the team and city he's become identified with. Is anyone surprised? Peyton's his son. Game/set/match.


Party Buffet suggestions-- unfortunately my friend Larry "are you having a good time?" won't be having a good time this year-- as he's not having a party. Preston's Perspective does recommend the Can't Stop Eating Dip (aka chili + cream cheese) and Buffalo Wing Dip (chicken puree, bleu cheese dressing and buffalo wing sauce) followed by Butter Bars (50% butter, 35% shortening, 18% sugar)... bon appetit!


Finally, Preston's Pick: let the record show that last year I picked Pittsburgh to beat Arizona 27-21... this winter's clash pits a pair of offensive juggernauts against one another... and I see the Colts outscoring the Saints 34-27.


One more case against the WHO... I purchased The Kids are Allright soundtrack cassette when I was in high school... looking forward to hearing "My Generation", "Can't Explain", "Magic Bus" and of course, "The Kids are Allright". Much to my dismay after listening to both sides I never heard the damn song. They never put the song who the movie is named after on the movie's soundtrack! What's next-- Big Country's Greatest Hits not having "In a Big Country" on it?

Enjoy the game... and by all means have a good time.

Presto's Pick: Super Bowl scramble and why the WHO?

The NFL season concludes this weekend... and naturally we celebrate America's biggest sporting event with a musical act from Great Britain. The WHO play the halftime show this year... and there are plenty of cases for and against their selection-- as there is for anything and everything else this weekend.

Full disclosure-- I was heavy into the WHO while in high school... although I appreciated the Stones and enjoyed the Beatles, I connected with the WHO. Blame two duets: Paul McCartney hamming up with Michael Jackson in "Say, Say, Say" and Mick Jagger being rather ambiguous with David Bowie during "Dancing in the Streets" (SOUTH AMERICA!). Besides, the Beatles were the Good Guys and the Stones were the Bad Boys-- and I was more of a good guy who made bad decisions crossed with a bad guy who tried to do good things. The WHO's ridiculously tight singles from the 60's charged me... while albums like Who's Next and Quadrophenia spoke to me. More on that later...


Hall Pass-- voting's announced at 4pm Eastern... Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith are slam-dunks; then there are more than a few great players who will just sneak in or be left out in the cold. While there's a DC area groundswell for Russ Grimm (and he is deserving), the biggest omission continues. Ray Guy remains unjustly robbed. How can the premier punter of his generation be denied? If Jan Stenerud's in Canton-- lets have at least one punter (who also handled kickoffs and was the Raiders emergency #3 quarterback) to balance things out. They once examined footballs for helium after Guy blasted a few for touchbacks--and anytime the periodic table of elements is called into question...you have to make him a hall of famer.


My generation?-- when will the NFL move into the 21st century artist-wise? I thought the league turned the corner with Prince in 2007... but after Tom Petty (best work was in the 80's) and Bruce Springsteen (best work was in the 70's)...the WHO represent another step back-- say what you will about "Eminence Front" and "Athena", but their best work--singles like "Substitute" and "I Can See For Miles and Miles" with groundbreaking albums like Sell Out and Tommy. Does this mean Little Richard and Chuck Berry (50's icons) are on deck for next year? And who from the 40's can we scare up for 2012? My pick for next year's entertainment: The Eagles. Mainstream enough... still young enough... and they all love football. I already have their set planned: "Life in the Fast Lane" followed by "Take it Easy"... with "Heartache Tonight" sending the fans home happy... and baby boomers off to their mid-game nap. Somebody's gonna hurt someone...

Labor Pains-- the league has prospered over the last 20+ years while we've seen a lockout and a World Series cancelled, an NBA season turned into a 50-game mockery and an NHL lockout plus a season wiped out of existence. The NFL has taken the lead on the sporting landscape because it's been playing uninterrupted since 1987... a message to owners and players-- don't mess this up. Get a CBA in place and avoid an uncapped year... because we want to follow X's and O's, not percentages of the gross and revenue streams. Continue to collect your ridiculous (but market-bearing) checks... don't try to reinvent a wheel that's been printing money for nearly a quarter century.

Another case against the WHO-- did the NFL not realize that two of the band's core members have passed away? John Entwhistle earlier this decade and Keith Moon back in the 1970's. It's like having the Temptations with just Otis Williams... the Grateful Dead with merely Phil Lesh or the Beach Boys with only Mike Love.

While Roger Daltrey's voice and Pete Townshend's mind/heart/soul are the face of this Hall of Fame band, let's not discount how instrumental (literally and figuratively) Entwhistle and Moon were to defining sound. Moon's scattershot ADD drumming always seemed to be one step away from chaos...but along with Entwhistle's melodic bass that made its presence known without overshadowing the others the rhythm section of the WHO provided the perfect springboard for their greatness. New halftime rule: more than 50% of your band must participate to perform at halftime... and no silly substitutions with soundalikes. Attention Journey and Styx: if either of you want to have any hope-- you have to make up with Steve Perry and Dennis De Young.

More on the game, the WHO, what to watch for on TV and on the table plus my pick coming soon...

Beltway Basketball Bonanza...rooting interest?

Sports is a passionate pasttime where the heart often overrules the head. So the question this week is if your main rival plays a team from a rival league-- who do you hope wins? Three years ago I rooted for Georgetown to beat North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament because I was tired of all the Big East bashing and ACC air of superiority...same case in 1999 and 2004 with UConn-Duke in the Final Four. I was rebuked by more than one fellow Syracuse alum who told me that under no certain terms was I even to wish for a tie regarding the hated Hoyas and Huskies. I started to agree until I ran into my ACC apologist friends who wouldn't shut up about how much higher their league's academic standards were compared to my Big East brethren. So heading into Saturday's Georgetown-Duke game... I rooted for the only possible option-- a mononucleosis breakout at Verizon. Little did I know President Obama and Vice President Biden (SU law grad) would be attending. Only college hoops could turn me unpatriotic.





Georgetown bounced back from its loss to Syracuse by blasting Duke... the 89-77 margin not indiciative of their domination. While a lot of attention goes inside to sophomore Greg Monroe (21 points in the victory), Chris Wright's play (3 steals and 2 blocked shots) is more of a barometer-- the Hoyas are 15-0 when he scores in double figures, 1-4 when he doesn't. Red Flag-- they were outrebounded by the Blue Devils... and have only outrebounded one Big East opponent (lowly DePaul) thus far this winter.

Alma mater update-- nice week by the Orange... a 17 point thumping of archrival Georgetown and then a sqeaker in a trap game at DePaul (SU trailed by 18 in the first half). This team has become a pleasant surprise-- one just wonders when the patented 3-game losing streak shows up.

Maryland missed a chance to stay atop the ACC as a second half rally fell short at Clemson (no shame in falling 62 to 53 to the #21 Tigers)...turnovers told the tale as the Terps gave up the ball 26 times (9 by Greivis Vasquez). Factor in 20% shooting from three point range and you're going to have trouble winning anywhere-- especially on the road in the conference. Still, the league this winter is the type than can be tamed by the Terrapins-- 12 ACC wins and title contention remains likely if they can continue to focus as they have thus far. Special props to the play of freshman Jordan Williams-- named ACC rookie of the week (21 pts and 19 reb in two games).

Two, four, six, eight-- is the Big East really great? The league has the second, fourth, sixth and eighth ranked teams in this week's coaches poll...with #6 West Virginia flying under everybody's radar and no longer ranked UConn simply crashing minus its pilot (best of health wishes to coach Calhoun). Writer's rankings have a not-so-catchy 2-3-6-7 lineup. As February unfolds, watch the middle class (one game separates 6th from 11th place) sort itself out.

George Mason fought the snow and James Madison Saturday, prevailing 70-68 despite a dominant day by the Dukes' Denzel Bowles (20 points, 13 rebounds and plenty of alliterative opportunities)... the Patriots have won 17 straight at home and own a one game CAA lead over Northeastern and Old Dominion...GMU plays both this month in an unfriendly February that has only two of seven games against teams with losing conference records.

It's not spelled Dar Heels for a reason-- North Carolina's D has been somewhat absent this winter... the latest disaster saw the Heels allow 40 points in the final fourteen minutes of a 75-60 loss to Virginia. Don't worry, UNC faithful... usually after a national championship a team has to reload and reconfigure its roster--you'll be fine eventually, if not after a late season run. Attention: Florida St., Georgia Tech, Maryland and Virginia--there's a window of opportunity at the top with the lone bully (Duke) fallible as well this winter.



George Washington ended its Atlantic Ten slide with an overtime victory over St. Louis; thank goodness for basketball's sake the Billikens eclipsed their 20 point output of 2008 (a shot-clock low). A 72-66 loss at Rhode Island saw 20 turnovers, an early 16 point deficit and another disastrous outing for Damian Hollis (3 for 12 shooting and 4 turnovers). After a strong start, opponents have focused on stopping the senior: since netting a double-double against LaSalle-- Hollis has shot 7 of 32 over four games and has been held without a rebound twice. Still, plenty of time to turn this team around--after facing Charlotte GW's next three opponents are a combined 4-18 in the league.


The Ringo of Tennis Majors wrapped up over the weekend... with Serena Williams and Roger Federer winning Austrailian Open titles. With Rafael Nadal brittle as can be... is this the year Roger gets his grand slam? And will they ever move Tennis' PGA Championship to February or April where it remains summer down under but more in sync with the tennis major season? Until they do otherwise, this tournament remains a "who's stayed in shape" contest...

American faces first place Lehigh this Saturday after beating first place Lafayette 76-66... Vlad Moldoveanu's tear through the Patriot League continues with no mercy. Lost in the transfer's shadow has been sophomore Stephen Lumpkins-- the perfect anvil to Vlad's hammer: five double digit rebounding efforts highlight his presence inside. Schedule favor? AU's three remaining road conference games are against schools that are a combined 6-15 in league play.


Evidence to the rumor that there are only 5 new ideas out there: the Washington Post ran a feature on Eagle Nick Hendra... his piano playing... and how his father played the band manager in "This is Spinal Tap". Within a week FOX Channel Five and Comcast Sportsnet aired features about Hendra...by the way, my profile of Hendra's coming up next week. Such a fine line between clever and...stupid.


Howard is midway through a weekend roadswing... a one point loss at Maryland-Eastern Shore saw the Bison shoot just 6 of 15 from the free throw line-- Curtis White's late three point shooting not enough to save them this time. Schedule slammer-- just three home games remain on their February slate.