Knowledge Gained While Nogging

I. WKU tops D-II Kentucky State, 87-71.
It was lackluster. It was a sleepwalk by the Tops. It was a coast to the finish line. But, coach Darrin Horn ignited a firestorm of controversy when he publicly berated Saint Anthony Winchester both on the bench and during the post-game radio show. If you have read this blog over the course of the last few months, you know how high the expectations were for this Topper team. They are currently 7-4, which is not terrible, but many feel this team should be 9-2 or even 10-1 at this point. The talent is there, and it looks like Horn is trying to find a way to shake these guys up. They have yet to put it all together for forty minutes in a game. They have had long stretches of brilliant basketball at Arizona, at UAB, and at Eastern Kentucky, but those have been more than offset by interminable stretches of uninspired, turnover-laced lolly-gagging. The gauntlet has been thrown down. Virginia comes to Diddle on Monday night. Tune in then for As the Hill Turns.

II. Memphis and UCLA Are Good. Really good.
The Tigers (10-1) have all of the pieces of a Final Four team. Solid PG: check. Athletic wings that can defend and score: check. Big players who can bang, rebound, and defend: check. Solid coach: check (though a more tentative tally mark). The Tigers always have a lull during the season, though. Last year it was a horrible start that kept them out of the dance. In 2004, they were 20-4 before losing four of their last five games. However, this team has "that" look.

UCLA (11-1) hammered hapless Stanford last night and have non-conference wins against Temple, Michigan (the Wolverines only loss) and Nevada on their resume. It looks like the Bruins will battle Washington and maybe Arizona for supremacy in the Pac-10. This is certainly the best UCLA club in several seasons. They also have a dynamite PG (Farmar), capable wings, and bigs who can defend. Ben Howland is a fine coach as well.

III. We still do not know if #10 Louisville is any good.
They have played ONE game against a team that could be considered anywhere near the top 75 in the land. That game at Kentucky was also their only road game to date and they were manhandled by the Cats. By the end of next week, we will have a much clearer picture of who the Cards are. They play at Miami-FL tomorrow, host Villanova on Thursday, and travel to Providence next Saturday. Oh, and speaking Kentucky, they play Ohio tonight in Cincinnati. That could be an interesting matchup. The Bobcats are 5-1 and looking for a signature non-conference win.

This Weekend's GOI
Tonight
--Ohio vs Kentucky. This aforementioned contest is a big one for Ohio. They had two "name" opponents on the docket this season and Cincinnati thoroughly embarrassed them earlier. They need this one to stay in the at-large picture.
--Indiana State at Missouri State. Both are coming off road losses at Wichita State and Creighton repsectively. This is one of many important MVC games for conference and postseason positioning.
--Bradley at Wichita State. See last sentence above. The Braves are sort of the unknown among the MVC players, but they may also be the most talented overall.
--George Washington at NC State. Lo, and behold! These two clubs do play games against comparable competition!
Saturday
--Indiana at Ball State. IU continues their Winter Road Tour of In-State Universities.
--Saint Joseph's at Gonzaga. This would be a huge win for the Hawks' resume. Martelli's Bald Dome vs Morrison Mop. Nice.
--Louisville vs Miami-FL. Both teams have a LOT to prove. The Cards seek to validate their lofty ranking while the Canes look to fulfill their preseason (over)hype.
--LSU at Ohio State. The Tigers badly need a big win. Their resume is sorely lacking at this point.
--Alabama at Oklahoma. A frontcourt-lovers dream; both clubs have not lived up to billing.
--Wisconsin at Pittsburgh. May be the game of the weekend.
--Villanova at Temple. Big Five tilts are always tasty. Temple must dictate tempo to have a shot.
--California at UCLA. Can Cal be included in the convo with the Big Three?
--Arizona at Washington. Winner gets an early leg up in the standings. Great, great matchup.

Happy New Year! The official non-conference bracket will be up on Monday.

I'll Be Home for Christmas...maybe?

1. The University of Detroit is playing at Louisville at noon ET today. Do these teams know that it's Christmas Eve?!?! Well, at least Detroit is a short flight and early reports this morning show no airport delays.

2. Indiana took out Butler in Hinkle Fieldhouse 73-55 last night. Again, kudos for IU's willingness to go on the road against in-state teams.

3. Kentucky managed to slip by Iona 73-67 last night, but it certainly was not easy. It was a three-point game with a minute remaining. Watch the Gaels in the Metro-Atlantic conference this season. The conference is as good as it's been in a long, long time.

4. Southern Cal won their eighth straight game last night, smoking North Carolina A&T last night, 68-38. The Trojans have won eight in a row since dropping their first two games, including that big win over North Carolina.

5. Perhaps folks (including this writer) were a little hasty in talking about Iowa State as a disappointment. The Cyclones have three games to Iona, Fresno State, and Ohio State. Those teams' combined record is an eye-popping 21-4. Iowa State is 8-3 with wins over Iowa, Northern Iowa, and Colorado State. There is nothing wrong with their NCAA profile at this point.

TBB will return on Tuesday or Wednesday. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Some Quick Hitters

1. NC State defeated Alabama 68-64 last night in Tuscaloosa. This 'Bama team is looking more and more like a Bubble team...at best. The SEC West is ripe for Arkansas' taking this season.

2. Has anoyone noticed that Florida State is 8-1? It may be fool's gold, but the Noles have only lost at rampaging Florida by 8, and have numerous 30+ point wins. They at least bear watching in the ACC, as does 10-0 Clemson. Those two square off on Jan 4.

3. Tennessee finally lost last night. Oklahoma State took care of the Vols rather handily. Still, Tennessee has not had a team to be this excited about since the Jerry Green years of highly talented, albeit terribly underachieving, squads.

4. Indiana at Butler tonight. I have a soft place in my heart for Big Six powers that are willing to go on the road against in-state non-Big Sixers. Indiana does it as often as anyone.

5. Iona vs Kentucky. This will not be played in Lexington. This game constitututes UK's annual "home" game in Louisville. Iona is a perfect 7-0 and they could give UK fits. They have had two weeks to prepare and UK is coming off an emotional win over Louisville.

6. Colorado State plays Iowa State in the Rainbow Classic tonight. With wins over Colorado, Auburn, and Hawaii in tow, a win over the Cyclones would put the Rams in great position for at-large consideration provided that they win their fair share of Mountain West games.

7. My latest article on SCS.com is up. Enjoy the Twelve Games of Christmas.

Tops Lose in OT to Zona

I. Arizona 86, WKU 81 (OT)
The Toppers led by as many as ten, but Hassan Adams and Chris Rodgers made key shots to get Zona back in it midway through the second half and the Cats built a 10-point lead of their own. A furious last game rally fueled by Courtney Lee and Anthony Winchester sent the game into overtime, but it was not to be as Arizona benefited from the advantages that come with hosting your own tourney. If you did not see the game, I am not going to chronicle the calls at the end, because it will only sound like sour grapes. In any event, the Toppers' twenty-five turnovers were too much to overcome, and they fell in overtime.

However, for the first time all season WKU put together two high-intensity halves of basketball. If they can sustain that momentum through January and February, this group can still get to where they want to go. The Tops must find an answer at point guard, as Ty Rogers and Orlando Mendez-Valdez both had stretches of solid play, but the two WKU point guards combined for 10 turnovers (5 each). This team is starting to figure it out, though. I have said all season that we cannot judge this team before mid-January. It's still time to stay patient.

II. Last Night's GOI
--at Bucknell 63, Saint Joseph's 51. Bucknell is good. Not good "for a Patriot League team" or "for a mid-major," just plain ol' good.
--DePaul 68, at California 65. Is there a more Jekyll-and-Hyde team in America than DePaul? They beat UAB at home, and have won at Wake and now at Cal. They have also lost by FORTY-FOUR to Old Dominion and were routed at home by Bradley. Bradley and ODU are good teams, but this guys are all over the map.
--at Duke 70, Saint John's 57. Ho-hum.
--at Nevada 68, Georgia 62. The Dawgs did compete against a tough Nevada squad, and I still say that the SEC East is going to be very competitive. It is Florida and everyone else at this point, and that includes you, Kentucky.
--Arkansas 78, Texas Tech 65. The Hogs are officially a contender in the SEC West. The Red Raiders are officially not in the NCAA picture right now.

III. Christmas Break
I will be traveling for several days. I may try to post periodically between now and Tuesday, but it's not a given. I will get back up and running full speed after the New Year, including a new bracket on Jan. 2.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Tops to Face Arizona

I. Tops Lance UCF, Will Face Arizona
WKU came from thirteen points down to get past the Central Florida Golden Knights by a score of 73-68 on Monday night. Courtney Lee led the Tops with 22 points, 9 rebs, 5 assists and 5 steals. WKU also got a big lift from SO F Boris Siakam who chipped in 9 points, 7 rebs, and zero turnovers in 27 mins. This opening round win sets up a matchup with the Arizona Wilcats at approx. 7:30 pm tonight. This will be the championship game of the Fiesta Bowl Classic. The Tops will then take a nice, long break until their Dec 29th home game against Kentucky State.

More on the Zona tilt tomorrow.

II. Last Night's GOI
--at LaSalle 70, FIU 61 (OT). The Explorers ran away in overtime to remain a perfect 7-0.
--at Wichita State 55, Miami-OH 46. The Shockers are 8-2 and their only losses are to Michigan State and Illinois (by ONE). The MVC is shaping up to be quite a dogfight this season.

III. Tonights GOI
--Saint Joseph's at Bucknell. The Bison welcome another fairly high-profile team to Sojka Pavilion tonight. Both of these teams need this win if they harbor at-large hopes come March.
--DePaul vs California. Two potential bubble teams.
--Saint John's at Duke. SJU just lost at home to Marist. I don't like their chances in Cameron.
--Georgia at Nevada. The Dawgs are coming off a loss to Oregon State. This will be a nice test to see if their young squad can bounce back and compete against a high-calibre opponent.
--Arkansas vs Texas Tech. Bob Knight's crew needs quality wins...ANY wins, actually. The Ark has won all the games that they are supposed to win. This is another one of those games.

Bracket Update

I. My latest column is up on SCS.com. Read about the heated UK vs. UL match up this weekend.

II. Bracket Update time! It is still way too early for this to mean much, but this is as good a time as any to set the ground rules and explain what will happen here on a (mostly) weekly basis from now until March.

Usually, I will make bracket updates on Monday mornings. Tuesdays will be reserved for Bracket Buster Saturday discussion. We will track possible match ups and see who is going to be on national TV on February 18th. It will be a challenge tracking 100 teams, but I will find a creative way to do it. Wednesdays is Bubble Boy day. The title is an ode to Seinfeld, but it's basically a breakdown of the NCAA tournament bubble teams. Thursdays are a wild card day. Fridays will usually consist of weeding through all of the weekend games and determining the can't-miss TV match ups and games with Bubble implications. Of course, there will still be a good dose of Topper talk here, but less than has been present thus far.

Why should you listen to me about the bracket? Well, I've been doing this awhile and I've done pretty well at it. Last year, I got 63/65 correct, including 59/65 within one seed of actual. I also seeded 33 teams exactly right and I did not miss a single team by more than two seed lines. I also chaired the South Central Kentucky Selection Simulation Project (SCKYSSiP, pronounced "SKISS-ip). Our six member committee replicated the NCAA selection process as closely as we could. We got 64/65 teams correct and 59/65 within one seed. We seeded 34 teams exactly and missed just two teams by more than two seed lines. I got 64/65 in both 2003 and 2004, although my overall numbers were not quite as good. The 2006 SCKYSSiP is already being formulated. So without further ado, let's have a look at the pre-Christmas bracket. The next bracket will likely be on Monday, Jan 2. From that point on, it will be a weekly event.

ATLANTA REGION.........................................MINNEAPOLIS REGION
Greensboro, NC......................................................Dayton, OH
1. Duke (ACC) .........................................................1. Villanova (B East)
16. Fairleigh Dickinson (Northeast)....................16. NW'n State (Southland)

8. Kentucky..............................................................8. Iowa
9. UNC-Wilmington (Colonial)...............................9. Indiana State

Dayton, OH..............................................................San Diego, CA
5. Ohio State.............................................................5. Wake Forest
12. California.............................................................12. LSU

4. Louisville...............................................................4. UCLA
13. Western Kentucky (Sun Belt)..........................13. Northern Illinois (MAC)

Auburn Hills, MI......................................................Greensboro, NC
6. NC State ...............................................................6. Indiana
11. Notre Dame........................................................11. Temple

3. Michigan State..................................................... 3. Oklahoma
14. Pennsylvania (Ivy).......................................14. Winthrop (Big South)

Dallas, TX .................................................................Dallas, TX
7. Bucknell (Patriot).................................................7. Arkansas
10. Missouri State....................................................10. West Virginia

2. Texas (Big 12).......................................................2. Memphis (CUSA)
15. Murray State (OVC).........................................15. Valparaiso (Mid-Con)

OAKLAND REGION...................................WASHINGTON, DC, REGION
Jacksonville, FL........................................................Philadelphia, PA
1. Florida (SEC).........................................................1. UConn
16. Montana (Big Sky)............................................16. Play-in Winner

8. Michigan................................................................8. Arizona
9. Cincinnati .............................................................9. Iona (Met-Atl)

San Diego, CA (News team, ASSEMBLE!)...................Jacksonville, FL
5. North Carolina.....................................................5. Maryland
12. Xavier.................................................................12. Vanderbilt

4. Nevada (WAC).....................................................4. Boston College
13. Colorado State (Mtn. West)............................13. Loyola-Chi (Hrzn)

Salt Lake City, UT...................................................Philadelphia, PA
6. Wisconsin..............................................................6. Pittsburgh
11. Syracuse ............................................................11. Houston

3. Gonzaga (West Coast).........................................3. GWU (A-10)
14. Pacific (Big West)..............................................14. Davidson (Sthrn)

Salt Lake City, UT..................................................Auburn Hills, MI
7. Northern Iowa (MVC)........................................7. Iowa State
10. Kansas State.....................................................10. Alabama

2. Washington (Pac-10)..........................................2. Illinois (Big Ten)
15. Boston U (America East).................................15. Gard-Webb (Big South)

Play-in Game: Bethune-Cookman (MEAC) vs. Alabama State (SWAC)

Last Four In: Vanderbilt, Temple, Syracuse, Xavier
First Four Out: Clemson, Georgetown, Old Dominion, Georgia
Closely Watching... LaSalle, Dayton, Saint Joseph's, Texas A&M, Colorado, Texas Tech, Kansas, DePaul, Minnesota, Old Dominion, UAB, Butler, Buffalo, Ohio, Wichita State, Bradley, Creighton, Air Force, Utah, Washington State, Oregon, Stanford, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia

Tops fall at Bradley

I. TOPS FALL AT BRADLEY, 78-76
For the third game in a row, WKU dug a massive hole from whence it could not emerge. Actually, the Toppers did emerge briefly when they executed a monster 22-6 run from the 15-minute mark to the 7-minute mark in the second half. That spurt erased a deficit that had been as large as 15 and gave WKU a 62-60 lead. The Braves answered with an 11-0 run of their own to put the Tops away late, 78-76.

The Braves' Zach Andrews was the difference maker, as the forward went for 19 points and 15 rebounds, eleven of them on the offensive end. That's right...eleven offensive rebounds. Bradley (4-2) grabbed 32 O-rebs as a team. I bet I know what the Tops (5-3) are working on in practice before their match up with Central Florida on Monday. Read more here.

II. Last Night's GOI
--at South Carolina 68, Winthrop 54. The Gamecocks took care of the Eagles in Columbia. The SEC East is shaping up to be VERY interesting. Florida looks tough, and they you can throw a blanket over everyone else. Kentucky is down, Vandy looks solid, and SC, UGA, and Tennessee all look to be better than last season.
--at Cincinnati 86, Ohio 58. Oy. The Bobcats were throttled by a Bearcat team that is finding their footing after Huggie-gate.

III. Tonight's GOI
--Missouri State at Arkansas. Two teams looking to secure at-large bids this season will face off in Fayetteville tonight. The Bears have looked strong to this point. The Hogs have won the games they are supposed to and this would be a nice resume-builder for them as well.
--UW-Milwaukee at Wisconsin. In-state match up alert! Last year's darling Panthers are learning to live without Ed McCants. The Badgers have been solid once again under Bo Ryan.

Ah, what the heck. Let's do a bracket tomorrow. It's still too early, but it will be fun to see Bucknell and Missouri State with such high seeds (especially if the Bears win tonight).

Quick Stop

I. This is finals weeks at WKU, so I am awash in a sea of grading. Today's entry will be short, but I will have a lot more time on my hands in the coming weeks--including a stab at the current NCAA seeds tomorrow or Friday. Stay tuned.

II. WKU at Bradley tonight. Huge road game for the Tops against a tough MVC opponent. I will have more on the game tomorrow. You can watch the game live online at WKUsports.tv.

Tonight's GOI
--Ohio at Cincinnati. Somewhere, Nick Lachey is nervous.
--UAB at Minnesota. Potential bubble teams in a big non-conference game for both.
--Winthrop at South Carolina. In-state game...we know what those are like. Winthrop beat Marquette and South Carolina lost to them. This one should be a treat.

Maraker-thon: Pacific 91, WKU 75

I. Topper fans were feeling good. WKU was 5-1 with just one loss on Danny Rumph memorial night to a Georgia team that is kicking butt and taking names. The Tops had played poor halves on the road at Eastern Kentucky and at home against Evansville, but had managed to get wins. Now, a solid opponent was coming to town, and the Tops were ready to put two halves of good basketball together. So, when the Pacific Tigers (6-3) jumped out to a 10-0 lead, the situation did not seem all that dire. This Tiger team is no EKU or E-ville, however. Bob Thomason's club kept their cool when the Tops made a mid-first half run and kept Darrin Horn's crew at bay for the duration of the second half. And they did it in convincing fashion.

Senior F Christian Maraker went for 34 points and 12 boards and F Anthony Esparza made critical slashes and cuts to the goal for easy buckets all night long. I know Pacific lost Guillaume Yango, David Doubley, and others from last year's group, but Pacific sure looked like a tournament team to me. They were fundamentally solid on both ends, and they made a conscious effort to get the ball to Maraker and force someone to stop him. WKU never found a player or a scheme that could do that. PU has big guys that hustle and position themselves well, and quick perimeter players who make good decisions. Star WKU G Anthony Winchester never really got it going (1-6 from Three), which is another credit to the Tiger defense. The combination of these factors resulted in a 16-point loss that dropped the Tops to 5-2.

II. I successfully completed my first marathon on Saturday at the Rocket City Marathon in Huntsville, AL. I was hoping to keep my time under 3:30, so I was elated with my 3:19.42 finish. Aside from a sore knee and a deep purple second toe on my left foot (both of which are healing nicely), I seem to be no worse for the wear. I was in good enough shape to ride in a car for 3 hours, then go to the Pacific/WKU game that evening. Click here to view my results (I'm #111).

Tonight's GOI (it's a light night in Hooptown)
Boston U at UMass. Another in-state throwdown.
UNC-Wilmington at Wisconsin. Both teams are 7-1.

Tops Win Ugly vs Evansville

Normally, I write a game log covering the highlights of Topper games. Last night was not a "game log" kind of night. Add to that fact that I truly do not have time for a proper game log, and I am going to rely on WKUSports.com to give you the game summary. I will share this to indicate what type of night it was for the Tops: they shot 15-31 from the free throw line in the 2nd half in a close game...and won. It was ugly. The good news is that WKU shot horribly and managed to win the game, 84-77.

Time is going to be short for the next few days, but I will return full-strength on Monday. I am traveling to Huntsville, AL, for the Rocket City Marathon on Saturday morning. This is my first marathon, so I'm excited to see what happens. I will squeeze in a post tomorrow and/or Friday, if time permits.

Last Night's GOI
--Michigan State 77, at Boston College 70. The Spartans have re-established themselves as a major contender. Lost by 22 at Hawaii? Hmmm. The Warriors topped UNLV 78-72 last night to move to 3-1 last night.
--Villanova 79, at Bucknell 60. You gotta respect Nova for going into Sojka Pavilion and coming away with a win. Even without Curtis Sumpter, this group is very dangerous.
--at Northern Iowa 67, Iowa 63 (OT). It is tough to win on the road against good teams. Whether it's the Big Ten, Big West, Pac-10, A-10, SEC, or Sun Belt, beating a good team in their gym is tough. UNI is a good team.
--Indiana State 72, Indiana 67. It is tough to win on the road against good teams. Whether it's the Big Ten, Big West, Pac-10, A-10, SEC, or Sun Belt, beating a good team in their gym is tough. Indiana State is 4-0.
--Saint Joseph's 70, Kansas 67. The Jayhawks are now 1-4 against D-I competition. Saint Joseph's looks to be a player in the A-10. GWU is the clear favorite, but with Charlotte struggling, the Hawks could be in the mix for 2nd or 3rd.
The Sun Belt Slate
--at Texas A&M 72, North Texas 70. ANOTHER near-miss for the Sun Belt. *Sigh.*

Tonights GOI
--Utah at Colorado. Both are potential bubble teams.
--Notre Dame at Alabama. ND needs to start piling up wins before the Big East season rolls around. It will not be easy in Tuscaloosa.
--Penn at Duke. The Ivy League fave goes into Cameron on ESPN at 6 pm CT.
--Georgia Tech at Georgia. In case you haven't noticed, TBB almost always highlights the in-state games. Very few have disappointed so far, and I would expect that this one is no exception.
--Rider at Iona. The undefeated Gaels face another MAAC favorite.
--Colorado State at Kansas State. Two overachievers looking to sustain their suprising starts.
--George Mason at Old Dominion. For my money, GMU is the only team in the Colonial with a chance to stop ODU from winning the league crown.
--UW-Green Bay at Wisconsin. Satellite versus Research I.
--Idaho State at Idaho. Yet another in-state throwdown.
--Portland State at Portland. Battle for the City of Roses.

Pre-Bracket Update!

While, I'm not ready to unveil a bracket just yet, I think it is time to evaluate the where teams are at this point.

Virtual Locks
These teams look like sure-fire NCAA teams. It would take a season of monumental underachievement to miss out.

Boston College, Connecticut, Duke, Florida, George Washington, Gonzaga, Illinois, Iowa, Memphis, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Villanova, Washington, Wake Forest

Overachievers
Not all of these teams will make the Dance, but some will and these clubs bear close watching after their better-than-expected starts.

Buffalo, Colorado State, Iona, Kansas State, Loyola-Chicago, Loyola-Maryland, Nebraska, North Carolina, Rutgers, Texas A&M, UNC-Wilmington, Vanderbilt

Underachievers
These clubs have high expectations, but have looked vulnerable early.

Arizona, Charlotte, Iowa State, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami-FL, Michigan State, Stanford, Southern Illinois, Texas Tech, West Virginia

On Track
With continued success, these teams could move into Virtual Lock status.

Alabama, Bucknell, Indiana, NC State, Wisconsin

Bubble Boys
At this early date, these teams look like the ones that will scrap for the 8-12 seeds.

Air Force, Arkansas, California, Clemson, Colorado, Creighton, Georgetown, Hawaii, Houston, Maryland, Marquette, Michigan, Missouri State, Northern Iowa, North Carolina, LSU, Oklahoma State, Ohio, Ohio State, Old Dominion, Syracuse, Utah, Wichita State

I'm sure I missed a few teams. Please email and tell me how I stupidly ignored the obvious. Thanks.

Tonights GOI
--Michigan State at Boston College. The Spartans need a statement win over a top opponent. The Eagles certainly qualify. I like BC, though.
--Villanova at Bucknell. That's right. AT BUCKNELL. The Cats go on the road against giant-killer U. The Bison have a great chance to pad their resume with a gargantuan win.
--Indiana at Indiana State. In-state games mean so much to the "smaller" school. The 3-0 Sycamores welcome the resurgent Hoosiers for some Indiana basketball. Cue the Gene Hackman speech.
--Iowa at Northern Iowa. See above, except that the Panthers have a much better chance to upend the Hawkeyes than the Sycamores do against IU. This should be a great in-state matchup.
--Saint Joseph's at Kansas. This Jimmy V Classic game is a big one for the young Jayhawks. Phil Martelli's Hawks are 3-1 and looking to return to the NCAA tourney after a one-year hiatus. They are looking to build on last year's NIT Runner-Up run.
The Sun Belt Slate
--Evansville (2-2) at Western Kentucky (4-1). The Purple Aces are coming in on a high after defeating in-state foe Purdue over the weekend, but the Hilltoppers are playing great basketball...in spurts. The Tops made a school record 16 three-pointers in their road win over Eastern Kentucky on Saturday.
--North Texas (1-2) at Texas A&M (4-0). The Mean Green have a tall task ahead. Going into College Station and pulling out a win over the undefeated Aggies will not be easy. The Sun Belt is in dire need of some big non-conference wins.

The Real Battle of the Bluegrass

Across most of the nation, the phrase “Kentucky rivalry” usually conjures images of former Kentucky and current Louisville coach Rick Pitino, the “Dream Game,” Tubby Smith’s defensive philosophy, or the Cardinals annual pasting of UK in their annual football game. For forty minutes in Richmond last night, that more TV-friendly rivalry took a back seat to one with a longer and equally storied past. The oldest rivalry in this state exists between Western Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky. This was a classic rivalry game, too. The teams were not evenly matched in terms of talent, but what the Colonels lacked in athleticism or speed, they made up with good, old-fashioned guts and desire.

As McBrayer Arena was filling to near capacity (6,250 on hand), the Kentucky Barbershop Chorus executed beautiful renditions of both the “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “My Old Kentucky Home.” The rich baritones and tenors echoed off of McBrayer’s cathedralesque, wooden-domed roof and the chorus drew bipartisan applause. The watertight harmonies soon gave way to a “WKU—YOU SUCK!” chant in a thick eastern Kentucky accent. Everyone was ready for some hoops at that point.

1^st Half
“The sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home.”
14.51: Both teams have come out ready to play. EKU senior PG Matt Witt scares the living crap out of me. He will pull up from anywhere and in a rivalry game with a throng of students and fans at his disposal that man is going to be hard to stop. He just juked and launched a fade away three from Pikeville that ripped the net. It is 13-10, WKU.

“The young folks roll on the little cabin floor.”
7.04: Topper young ‘un (FR) Daniel Emerson just made a nice spin to the goal for a hoop plus the free throw. The Toppers superior athleticism is starting to make an impact. That bucket capped an 8-0 run that forces an EKU timeout. 28-20, Tops.

4.39: A rash of EKU turnovers followed by a waterfall of Topper threes pushed the lead to 42-20. Western completes a run similar to the last ten minutes of their last game at UAB. Anthony Winchester has made two threes during this run and Ty Rogers added another. EKU’s Jason McLeish hits a three to end it and make it 42-23.

Halftime
It is 51-32 Toppers and EKU is on the verge of being royally embarrassed on their home court. This is a rivalry game though, and I do not expect them to go quietly. And they didn’t. Not by a long shot.

2^nd Half
“By and by hard times come a-knockin’ at the door.”
13.05: EKU storms out of the second half gate behind a barrage of threes from Witt and G Mike Rose (who hit five on the night). They have shaved a 19-point halftime lead to just six in seven minutes. The crowd finally gets to be a factor and is getting amped.

More hard times come a-knockin’.
3.03: The last ten minutes have consisted of both teams making a ridiculous amount of three-point shots. The WKU lead has fluctuated from six to ten for this stretch, but a Darnell Dials dunk and then two Witt free throws trim the once robust Topper lead of 22 point to just ONE. 83-82, WKU.

“Weep no more my lady!”
1:36: Back to back threes by Benson Callier removes the sinister specter of a monumental EKU comeback win. A three from the corner took guts, but with a six point lead, WKU only had to run clock and make free throws. Instead, they hoisted two rushed bricks, with the last ending up in Callier’s hands. He promptly lofted another ill-advised three that tickled the twine and buried the Colonels. Not a good shot, but a good result as that Three made it 91-82.

“To my old Kentucky home, goodnight.”
0.03: Courtney Lee leaks out for a monster two-handed slam to emphatically end the scoring. 97-89, WKU wins.

Click here for the game story and the box score. In short, WKU set a school record by making 16 Threes (16-37). EKU made 13 of 26 of their own. Lots of runnin’ and gunnin’ and lots of points, but the defense left something to be desired. Both teams must find a way to give up fewer wide-open perimeter looks. Still, it was a great game and it is a great rivalry. The Tops also got that valuable “gut-check” that they needed on the road.

More tomorrow on the national hoops scene.

Early Season Brackets

Since this is "The Bracket Board" and all, you might expect to see all kinds of early season brackets popping up on here. If need be, you can go to Bracketography.com or Bracketexpress.com and get your fix. Those guys do a nice job. But romancing the bracket is about MUCH more than simply slapping 64 teams into four regionals. There has to be some basis for placing teams into the bracket. Four or five games is not enough, in this (somewhat) humble writer's opinion. Three weeks ago, few teams had played a game! It's never too early for a bracket, but it is too early for a meaningful bracket.

So, until the New Year, here is what will happen at The Bracket Board. I will post lists of bracket-related items. Lists like "Remaining Undefeated Teams," "The Danger Zone" (Preseason/perennial powers who are on the ropes), "Stockpilers" (teams that have nice early season wins that will help come Selection Sunday), "Keep an Eye On..." and other lists like this. I will publish a non-conference season bracket at the end of the month to serve as a reference point for the weekly brackets that will start sometime in January.

For kicks, let's start today with a Danger Zone list. All records are against D-I teams.
1. Kansas (1-3). KU has Saint Joseph's, Cal (both in the Jimmy V Classic), and Kentucky (in Lawrence) left on the non-conference slate. In addition, they have Western Illinois, Pepperdine, Northern Colorado, New Orleans, and Yale left to play at home as well. That's right. Kansas plays ZERO true road games in the non-conference. NONE. They played neutral court games in Maui and will play two more in the Jimmy V Classic. If they head into Big 12 play with a losing record, the Jayhawks could be in major trouble.
2. Miami-FL (4-3). The 'Canes were a sexy pick to make serious noise this season, but already have sustained losses to Temple, Michigan, and Air Force. Those are not horrible losses, but Miami-FL's wins are Morgan State, TX-Arlington, and North Carlolina A&T. In a couple of weeks, the Canes will play NC State, Florida and Louisville. They will need to win a couple of those games to get back on track.
3. UW-Milwaukee (0-2). Last year's NCAA darlings have been utterly routed by Memphis and also lost to Tennessee Tech. It's only two games and they are transitioning under a new coach, so it's too early to panic, but UWM needs to start piling up some wins.
4. Southern Illinois (2-2). The unbelievable event regarding SIU was their loss to D-II Alaska-Anchorage (not reflected in the record displayed here). They also lost to Monmouth and Saint Louis. The perennial MVC power will have to step it up to hang with Northern Iowa and Creighton this season.


Last Night's GOI
--at Denver 78, Northern Arizona 63. The Pioneers (4-1) look like the team to beat in the Sun Belt West. They won the Top of the World Classic, then lost to undefeated Colorado State (5-0) before cruising past the Lumberjacks last night. C Yemi Nicholson went for 20 points and 18 boards. Ho hum.
--at Tennessee-Martin 80, Arkansas State 77 (OT). Oy. The Indians lose again. The Skyhawks roared back from a 30-19 halftime deficity to topple ASU in overtime.
--Nevada 72, at Kansas 70. What a big win for Nevada. They are a better team than Kansas and they went into Lawrence and proved it.

Tonight's GOI
--Missouri at Arkansas. Two coaches who need BIG seasons to cool their respective seats.

Dukies and Bison and Gaels. Oh My.

1. My latest SCS.com piece is up.
2. Kentucky's Randolph Morris is ineligible--for now.
3. Indiana's Marco Killingsworth went berserk last night in a tough loss to Duke.
4. I hate to say I told you so, but Bucknell is on fire. I said it then and I'll say it now. That win over Kansas was not THAT big of an upset.
5. Iona is on fire. Yes, I said Iona.

Tonight's GOI
--Northern Arizona at Denver (3-1). The Pioneers look to get back on track after a loss to undefeated Colorado State.
--Arkansas State (1-2) at Tennessee-Martin. ASU has not beaten a D-I team this season. They SHOULD get off the schnide tonight.
--Nevada at Kansas. Very important game for both teams. Nevada is looking to validate itself as a legit Top 25 team and Kansas needs quality wins, because they could take some lumps in conference this year.

Last Night's GOI
--Duke 75, at Indiana 67. Both teams made some bad decisions down the stretch. Both teams are going to be very good by the end of the season.
--at Iowa 45, NC State 42. I picked the Hawkeyes yesterday, but man, was this game ugly. Take a look at these ghastly shooting percentages.
--at Michigan State 88, Georgia Tech 86. I'm sorry, but Michigan State is not that good right now. They are just NOT.
--at Utah 67, Utah State 66. Told ya this was a huge in-state game.
--at Arizona State 83, North Texas 67. I must admit the Sun Belt is down this year overall.
--at Mississippi State 67, New Orleans 59 . I must admit the Sun Belt is down this year overall. Again. ASU and Miss State are not good teams this year and North Texas (0-2 vs D-I teams) and UNO (0-3 vs D-I teams) were supposed to have breakout seasons.

Tops Strike Down With Great Vengeance

(For this post, the part of Jules Winfield will be played by Courtney Lee. Vincent Vega is played by Anthony Winchester)

Act I (Cue Dick Dale surf guitar music)
Now I wanna dance, I wanna win. I want that trophy, so dance good. (Mia)
10.05: And this dance is a sixth grade sock-hop where the gangly girls tower over the prepubescent boys. It is an exercise in disjointed incoordination. It is UGLY. There is no rhythm, no tempo. It's a free-for-all and the Toppers have continued their turnover woes. Luckily, UAB cannot throw it in the ocean, so the Tops have somehow managed to hold a 2-point lead, 16-14. A Royale with cheese has more rhythm than this contest.

Oh man, I shot Marvin in the face. (Vincent Vega, er, I mean Anthony Winchester)
7.42: Winchester gets it going with a leaner +1 on a foul for an old-fashioned 3-point play. There is still little flow to this game as UAB continues to force a ridiculous amount of Topper turnovers, but cannot shoot straight against an intense WKU defense. 24-20, Tops.

I got a threshold, Jules. I got a threshold for the abuse I'll take. And right now I'm a race car and you got me in the red. (Vince/Winchester)
4.52: Winchester has been red-faced and furious all night. He's been getting in teammates' faces, murmuring to himself after poor decisions, and then he absolutely hammered a UAB player driving to the goal to send a message to the more physical Blazers, drawing boos from the surprisingly sparse crowd. He is a race car in the red...and he just drilled a Three to make it 28-25 Tops. Mike Walker added 1-2 free throws and a put back hoop to make it 31-25 Tops. Time out, Blazers.

Intermission: Tied at 36. (Cue "Girl You'll Be A Woman Soon" for halftime entertainment)
The home team closes with a furious run to tie it at 36. WKU has committed 17 first half turnovers. The Tops can run with the Blazers, but they MUST stop the throwaways. Freshman PG Orlando Mendez-Valdez has done a solid job and probably needs to log the bulk of the PG minutes. He looks the calmest and coolest of the Topper ballhandlers. Is there a home court advantage for the Blazers? UAB has shot 20 free throws...WKU? THREE.

Act II (Surf guitar reprise)
Every time my fingers touch brain I'm SUPERFLY T.N.T, I'm the GUNS OF THE NAVARONE! (Jules)
13.47: After committing three turnovers in 38 seconds to start the second stanza, the Toppers fell behind 43-36. But, the Topper Armada of three-point shooters started firing at will. Orlando Mendez-Valdez, Ty Rogers, and Benson Callier all drilled longballs during a 14-6 spurt that made it 50-49, Tops.

And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. (Courtney Lee)
7.58: Lee has taken over this game in the last five minutes. He tied the game at 55 with a Three, made two $5-dollar-milkshake-quality drives to hole and 2 FT's. A Winchester 3-ball off of a Mendez-Valdez steal followed by another Ty Rogers' Three has swelled the Topper lead to 11 (67-56). This team looks like it has found its groove.

Okay man, it was a miracle, can we leave now? (Winchester/Vince)
o.oo: Yes, we can leave now because the last few minutes have been a cavalcade of Topper Threes and Lee free throws. 92-76, Tops win. And though a team that markets itself as "The Fastest 40 Minutes in Basketball" will never admit it, this Topper team wore down UAB. Yes, the tremendous Topper shooting did in the Blazers, but those open looks came largely as a result of a fresher Topper team. Those open looks were not there earlier in the game. UAB was tired, and the Tops scorched the earth to the tune of 15-23 from 3-point land as a result of open looks.

What's inside the briefcase? A gigantic road win for WKU and an exorcism of the Georgia demons. This Topper team gained a massive 92-76 road win for their season resume. UAB had 35 free throw attempts to WKU's 17, and the Tops turned it over 27 times ON THE ROAD...and the Big Red still won by 16. That has to be a good sign. I really liked the intensity and killer instinct of this team. Sophomore G Courtney Lee was simply brilliant as well, so says the Mid-Majority.

The 3.75 hour one-way drive was absolutely worth watching this team put it all together for the last ten minutes. I expect that wild inconsistently will often be the norm for this Topper team with so many new players (Does that mean that they actually ARE consistent? Hmmm...). Jules and Vince are always going to be there with guns blazing, but there will be nights that Mia snorts heroin and needs to be saved by a giant needle to the heart. Also, there will be nights when all cylinders click and this team looks nigh unstoppable. For now, I'm just savoring the nearly flawless last ten minutes of the UAB like one might savor a Big Kahuna Burger.

Last Night's GOI
--Dayton 75, at Cincinnati 66. It's official. The Bearcats are officially on the way-too-early season Bubble Boy list.
--at Iowa State 68, Northern Iowa 61. The Cyclones righted the ship a bit and UNI missed out on a big non-conference scalp.
--at Michigan 74, Miami-FL 53. OUCH. Canes are reeling.
--Illinois 68, at North Carolina 64. 2005 title game rematch goes to the Illini.
--at Wake Forest 91, Wisconsin 88. Great early season game. These teams both look like solid tourney teams early on.
--at Middle Tennessee State 81, Chattanooga 71. MTSU (2-1) rebounds a bit after the Indiana State loss.
--at FIU 69, South Florida 64 (2 OT) . The Golden Panthers (2-2) also bounce back with a win over a Big East team.
--at Georgia State 76, UL-Lafayette 61. The Cajuns (0-3) started with three road games and took three L's. They get Charlotte in the Cajun Dome on Saturday.

Tonight's GOI
--Duke at Indiana. Indiana has steamrolled everyone so far. They get #1 Duke in Bloomington. This should be a great barometer for both teams.
--NC State at Iowa. Another nice matchup of probable NCAA teams. I need more convincing that NC State is worthy of the attention that they have received so far. I like the Hawkeyes here.
--Georgia Tech at Michigan State. I am simply curious as to how the Jackets got blasted by 22 AT HOME to Illinois-Chicago. The Flames were promptly routed by 20 at Georgia Southern. Let's see if GT is that bad.
--Utah State at Utah. Huge in-state game that cannot be ignored.
--North Texas at Arizona State. Good chance for a Sun Belt win over a Big Six school.
--New Orleans at Mississippi State. See above.

Tops at UAB: Old Sun Belt Foes

WKU visits the Blazers of UAB tonight in a reunion of long-lost conference foes. The Tops (2-1) are coming off of a bitter home loss to Georgia on Saturday, while the Blazers (2-0) have defeated their first two opponents (UMass 86-77, and South Carolina State 79-48). The Tops will need more than the Big Three of Anthony Winchester, Courtney Lee, and Elgrace Wilborn to pose serious threat to UAB. Nine other players will likely play tonight for WKU, and at least a couple of them are going to have to contribute some scoring and some solid floor play.

This game should be a track meet. Both teams like to play an up-tempo, pressing style of hoops and score a lot of points off of that pressure D. UAB is led by F Demario Eddins (21 ppg, 5 rpg) and PG Squeaky Johnson (6.5 ppg, 8 apg). Eddins is one of the best frontcourt players that WKU will see all season and Johnson is one of the fastest, most disruptive PG's that the Tops will face. Click here for complete stats on UAB. They are deep, athletic, and are playing at home. This is a very tough road opener for the young Toppers.

These concerns are especially worrisome due to the horrendous PG play on Saturday against UGA. Freshmen Orlando Mendez-Valdez played solid in 14 mins of action, but fouled out in that short span. JC transfer Joemal Campbell had a terrible game and G Ty Rogers was clearly not ready to play PG against tough, athletic defenders. The Tops will need improvement at PG and some production from PF to challenge the Blazers. I will be making the trip, so I will have a full game log tomorrow.

Tonight's GOI
--Dayton at Cincinnati. In-state matchup that will tell us a lot about the Bearcats. Dayton played a very good Creighton team tough on Saturday (lost by one in double-OT).
--Northern Iowa at Iowa State. HUGE, HUGE game. UNI needs this scalp for their at-large resume and Iowa State has stumbled badly out of the gate (a 17-point loss at home to Iona).
--Miami-FL at Michigan. Two teams that figure to be on the bubble come March. This is as important as it gets in November.
--Illinois at North Carolina. 2005 title game rematch, but both have lost a lot. Illinois is better, but a win in the Dean Dome will not be easy.
--Wisconsin at Wake Forest. Why do people constantly underrate Wisconsin (4-0)? It would not surprise me in the least if they beat the Deacons tonight.

Sun Belt Games
--Chattanooga at Middle Tennessee State. MTSU (1-1) backed up a big home win over Utah State with an OT loss at Indiana State.
--South Florida at FIU. The Golden Panthers (1-2) have disappointed so far. This win could be a giant boost.
--UL-Lafayette at Georgia State. The Cajuns (0-2) have also been fairly lackluster in a blowout loss to struggling SIU and a loss at Tennessee. Then need a win badly.

Turnover, Boy! Good Dawg!

Coach Dennis Felton and the Georgia Bulldogs visited WKU on Saturday night, and honestly, I gave myself the full day on Sunday to recover before I attempted to write about this one. After a very emotional tribute to fallen Topper Danny Rumph, the Tops broke out in all black uniforms and in place of their individual names, they all had "Rumph" on the back of their jerseys. If that did not put a lump in your throat, then watching Coach Felton walk back into the UGA locker room before the game with tears streaming down his face surely did.

The irony of ironies is that Danny Rumph would have made a HUGE difference in this game. The Tops lacked a steady, level-headed PG, especially in the early going. FR Orlando Mendez-Valdez did an admirable job in his 14 mins (3 assists, 1 turnover), but he fouled out in that short span. Danny's measured passes and careful ball-handling sure would have helped the Tops on Saturday.

Thanks for everything, Danny. We still miss you...off and on the court.

^1st Half
15.29: Have I ever witnessed a worse start by a Topper team? Not that I can recall. Well, UGA hit their first four shots and have jumped all over the Tops to the tune of a 10-0 start. Some semblance of order is restored as WKU scored four straight to make it 10-4 at the first media timeout.

11.56: The Tops’ inexperience is being thoroughly exposed by a feisty Georgia defense. It’s 20-6, but it feels even worse. WKU has turned it over on nearly every possession it seems. The SOLD OUT crowd in Diddle Arena has been turned into little lambs in the pasture. There are 7,300+ plus in a small, loud arena and they have nothing to cheer about. That is truly an injustice. Panic is creeping in among the Topper faithful.

7.31: More of the same—our first-year PG Joemal Campbell (JC transfer) has been harassed into numerous turnovers and 5-second calls. Georgia’s stifling halfcourt defense is tremendous. They are making quite difficult for Winchester or Lee to find open space. They are going to force someone else to beat them…and the candidates are few at this point. 28-15, Dawgs.

3.48: Hello! The Topper defense comes alive and has been able to speed up the Dawgs and cause numerous some turnovers of their own. Freshman F Matt Maresca came in and made an immediate impact with a nice turnaround baseline shot and another nice post move resulting in a miss, but a Wilborn tip-dunk. 30-22, UGA. The crowd, and the Tops, are back in it!

Half: UGA closes on an 11-4 spurt to lead 41-26 at the half. Although the Dawgs are a young team, it is apparent that their Sophomores and Juniors are battle-tested from having to play on a very short-handed team last season. This is the first test of high-level Division I hoops for MANY Topper players including two starters (PG Joemal Campbell and F Daniel Emerson) and significant bench players (F Mike Walker, PG Orlando Mendez-Valdez, F Matt Maresca, F/G Butch Jointer). While both teams turned it over a great deal, the Tops made a lot of mental errors through throw-aways, lack of strength with the ball (especially Campbell and Ty Rogers) and blown defensive assignments. Plus, the free throw shooting was horrendous (3-8).

2^nd Half
15.33: Now, this is what a coach wants to see from his seniors! Seven straight points from G Anthony Winchester and then three straight from Elgrace Wilborn sandwich a Georgia bucket to pull the Tops within seven at 43-36. The defensive intensity by WKU is on another level out of the locker room. Then, a Wilborn rejection leads to a Three by Winchester to make it 43-39. The Tops have come out breathing brimstone in the second half. The crowd is in full throat for the first time all night.

11.34: Georgia methodically cranks up the D again and forces Campbell into back-to-back turnovers. The Dawgs have responded with a 10-3 spurt of their own. The lack of confidence from the WKU ballhandlers is really thwarting any effort to take full control of this game.

7.33: Wow…the Dawgs are playing STIFLING half-court D. It’s 57-43, and once again, the Tops are on the ropes. A run needs to begin right now.

4.37: And it does. Courtney Lee just made a lay-in to cut it to 61-54. This 11-4 run did not truly seem like a huge burst, but Lee has come alive during the stretch after being silent much of the night.

2.50: Another critical missed FT by Winchester…his fourth miss of the night. He has gone weeks without missing four!

1.19: Unbelievably, WKU is still alive in this game. It’s 65-61 after UGA finally misses a FT and Lee finishes off yet another drive to rack. UGA is coming unraveled a bit on offense. The Tops just need that final push to get over the hump. It’s ripe for the taking!

0.15: A Winchester lay-in cuts the UGA lead to two (65-63), but the Dawgs’ lumbering center, Dave Bliss, somehow gets behind the defense on the press and makes an awkward lay-up and gets fouled by Benson Callier (67-63). He misses the FT and Lee cashes in two FT’s on the other end to make it 67-65. Then, in a move that must have made UGA coach Dennis Felton quake with frustration, FR G Mike Mercer hoisted up an ill-advised shot that was grabbed by WKU…and promptly thrown out directly of bounds by Callier, which in turn probably sent WKU coach Darrin Horn into an apoplectic rage.

0.10: After UGA made 1-2 at the line (68-65), WKU calls timeout and sets up an inbounds play that gets Winchester an open look, but he opts to dribble left to get a cleaner shot. His pocket is picked from behind (his seventh turnover) by UGA G Billy Humphrey, and UGA makes 1-2 FT’s for the final margin of 69-65. I am utterly deflated.

Fifty-eight is numerical theme for this season so far. Last Tuesday vs. IUPUI, there were 58 fouls called during the game. In Saturday’s game vs. UGA, there were 58 turnovers—30 by the Dawgs and 28 by the Tops. WKU’s dynamic duo of Winchester and Lee were responsible for 13 of those WKU turnovers, which is completely out of character for them. Much credit goes to Georgia for their intense, Felton-brand half-court defense. The Topper press was extremely effective in the second half (helping to force 18 Dawg turnovers) and allowed to Tops to outscore the Dawgs 39-28. The Toppers played poorly in many phases of the game, but a lot of that was because of Georgia’s in-your-face, ball-hawking defense. The turnovers were indeed horrendous, but UGA turned it over even more. The keys to the game were free throw shooting (12-25 for WKU) and spotting UGA a 10-0 lead to start the game. Giving a great defensive team a 10 spot to start the game is a tremendous hurdle to overcome. For most of the game, the Tops looked like the better team. But, crawling out of a 20-6 hole was simply too much to overcome, especially for a team still trying to mesh so many new parts.

That is danger for fans of this Topper team. We see the talent and where they are going to be in February and not where they are right now. Horn will have to put on the lab coat and play chemist for awhile with this bunch of horses. They should have his full attention after losing a very winnable game at home—again, no slight intended to UGA. WKU is a very talented team with a lot of rotation issues to figure out.

It does not get any easier as the Tops travel to UAB on Tuesday. I will have a full preview tomorrow and a game log on Wednesday as I will be on hand in Birmingham to take in the game.

That's A Lot of Tears, Mr. Cash

“When I hear that whistle blowin’, I hang my head and cry.” ~Johnny Cash, “Folsom Prison Blues.”

It was not the dominating performance that the Tops put on display against Austin Peay last week, but WKU (2-0) did enough to keep IUPUI (1-2) at arm’s length for the duration of this whistle-prolonged game. Fifty-eight fouls were called in this affair, and it severely hampered either team’s ability to establish any offensive or defensive continuity. Johnny, if you can hear me, you would have had vertebrae damage from all of the head-hanging and crying in this game. The whistles blew every possession for awhile. There were 27 real-time minutes between media timeouts at one point in the second half. The Tops did not do a good job of adjusting to the tight foul-calling. And the end of the one hour and twenty minute second half, the Tops had earned an 89-75 victory.

1st Half
15.53: Both teams have come out with excellent defensive intensity. It is a mere 4-2 at the first media timeout.
11.14: The Tops go on a one-minute mini-burst that includes a Benson Callier leaner and an Anthony Winchester stick-back on the offensive glass to make it 14-6. I allow myself to entertain the thought of blowing this team right out the water.
7.57: Hee hee hee. No. IUPUI refocuses their defensive effort and the Jags slice through the Topper press at will. 18-17, Tops.
4.43: The Tops are starting to dictate tempo, and IUPUI seems to be just fine with it as George Hill buries a Three from the right wing. 28-25, Tops.
0.41: The next few possessions are characterized by sloppy Topper defense resulting in a bevy of open looks for the Jags. This nonsense is brought to a quick halt by my first pterosaur sighting of the season. The Great Red Pterodactyl (aka Elgrace Wilborn) throws down a monster two-handed jam that ignites the crowd and gives the Tops a 44-38 halftime lead.

2nd Half
Holiday travels…you gotta love it. I left my game notes in Bowling Green and I am now on the road. I'll do my best from memory.

Let me sum it up this way: IUPUI scored 35 second half points and only made FIVE field goals. There were 58 total fouls in the game. IUPUI shot 48 free throws as the road team. Just let those numbers sink in a bit.

With about 11 minutes to go, it was 60-56. The Tops then went on an 18-7 spurt that essentially put the game away by the 5-minute mark. Anthony Winchester and Courtney Lee both were there to make big baskets when needed…and they certainly were needed. They were the catalysts in the run that gave the Tops a comfy double-digit lead. Read more about the game and see stats here.

IUPUI played solid defense throughout and consistently broke the Topper press for the first 30 minutes, but they started to break down during the last 10 minutes. Lee and Winchester, coupled with the Tops’ depth, proved too much. The Jags should have some success in the Mid-Con this year, although Oral Roberts is likely to dominate the conference.

The Tops have a giant game on Saturday at 7 pm CT when former Coach Dennis Felton makes his return to Diddle with his Georgia Bulldogs (2-1). It will take a good effort to beat the young, but talented Dawgs. WKU made a quantum leap in Felton’s third year on the Hill, and I expect Georgia to be much better this year than most experts project them to be (it’s Year Three for Felton in Athens). Fallen Topper Danny Rumph, who died unexpectedly of cardiomyopathy this past summer, will be honored before the game. He was recruited by Felton and played under him for a year before Horn arrived. Emotions will be high for both Danny and for Felton’s return—and for a big win over a power conference opponent.

IUPUI and Medieval Torture

Indiana University-Purdue Univerisity at Indianapolis. Now, that's a mouthful. But not only is that lengthy title more commonly known as IUPUI or "Oooey Pooey" a mouthful, but in the Mid-Con the IUPUI Jaguars have been a handful for opposing teams as well. They went to the NCAA tournament as a 16-seed in 2003, and have been at or near the top of the conference for the last three seasons. In addition to Oral Roberts and Valpo, they have been one of the most consistent Mid-Con programs over the past few seasons. They are currently 1-1 this season after splitting two games at the Marquette Blue/Gold Classic. They were hammered by a solid Winthrop club (73-50), but defeated WAC member Rice, 58-56. Tonight, they venture into Diddle Arena to take on Western Kentucky (1-0) in an 8 pm CT tip.

Blue Ribbon picked the Jaguars to finish second behind Oral Roberts in the Mid-Con this season. The Jags have a lot of talent returning and have a real shot at competing for the MCC title. Senior F Brandon Cole (14.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg last season; 18 ppg through 2 games this season) is a do-it-all, workhorse type. In addition to being the leading returning scorer, Cole logged 37 minutes per game last year, shot 40% from 3-land, and hit 86% at the free throw line. He is an All-Mid-Con level player and could challenge for the conference MVP, although that will likely go to Ken Tutt or Caleb Green from Oral Roberts. The other returning starters are senior G Maushae Byles (8.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg), 6’9” C Michael Vavrek (3.1 ppg, 1.9 rpg), and 6’2” sophomore G George Hill (10.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.2 apg). Hill put up nice numbers as a freshman last year and could be the most talented player on the team.

The big addition is Xavier transfer Angelo Smith (6’9”, 230 pounds). He is a powerful presence on the block that IUPUI has lacked on recent squads. Smith served as AP Player of the Year David West’s backup three seasons ago at Xaver, and he figures to be a major contributor for the Jags. He tallied 14 points and 13 rebs in IUPUI's recent win over Rice. In addition to this strong starting five, the Jags return a bevy of solid perimeter role players in guards David Barlow, Blair Crawford, Troy Shanks and Matt Burks. In the frontcourt, seven-footer Bill Van Senus and freshman F Andy Hampton should provide serviceable depth.

The Tops cruised over Austin Peay without either of their point guards and without freshman F Daniel Emerson. If the Tops walk over IUPUI, it will be a bit of a surprise. This is a veteran team that has played in three of the last four conference title games in the Mid-Con. After being out-rebounded 35-32 against Winthrop, the Jags out-rebounded Rice 48-28 in their last outing. The Toppers still hold a distinct advantage on paper and will have the Diddle faithful on hand to cheer them on, but the Jags should offer a much stiffer test than did Austin Peay.

Last Night's GOI (Games of Import) Results
--Texas 76, West Virginia 75. The 'Eers let a huge win slip away late. As advertised, Texas has a lot of talent. I really like Texas' team.
--Iowa 67, Kentucky 63. A point guard with 19 rebs? Despite what you may be thinking, this is NOT a good thing. UK has three seven footers, and Rajon Rondo grabs 19 boards? Big win for Steve Alford's Hawkeyes, and this loss will have Tubby-haters out in full costume in Lexington.
--Arizona 61, Kansas 49.
--Miami-OH 58, Dayton 42.
--UConn 77, Arkansas 68.
--Gonzaga 88, Maryland 76. The Zags are good. They need to deliver in March this year.
--Georgia 76, Eastern Kentucky 68.
--Wisconsin 84, Old Dominion 81. The Monarchs could have used a major scalp to start their at-large resume, but Bo Ryan and the Badgers are always a tough out. No one is talking about Wisconsin, but they will be there in the end...just as they always are.
--Middle Tennessee 60, Utah State 59. Hold the phone! This is a HUGE win for the Blue Pegasi. Maybe this group with NINE new players will jell more quickly than anticipated.
--Mississippi State 68, Arkansas State 63. Different story if this game was in Jonesboro. Alas, that is the life Sun Belt scheduling. This is why all WKU fans should relish the upcoming Georgia and Virginia games in Diddle Arena.

Tonight's GOI
--Iowa vs. Texas. For the Guardians Classic Championship.
--Kentucky vs. West Virginia. To avoid two consecutive losses in two days.
--UConn vs. Arizona. To establish themselves as Final Four contenders.
--Kansas vs. Arkansas. To bolster their at-large resumes, because both could be bubble teams when it's said and done.
--Gonzaga vs. Michigan State. For the Zags, to solidify their status as a player as a Final Four-calibre team. For the Spartans, to somewhat offset the bludgeoning that they took from the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (84-62!). And I'm talking about a good, old-fashioned, medieval-style bludgeoning with an old rusty mace in a dirty castle dungeon by an executioner named Olaf.
--Virginia at Richmond. We'll see what the Cavs (future WKU opponent) have on the road against an in-state team.
--Bucknell at Syracuse. The Bison struggled in their first game at Rider. They need to come strong if they want to start building an at-large case.

Sun Belt Games
Navy at Arkansas-Little Rock.
Central Conn at FIU.
South Alabama at Purdue.
UL-Lafayette at Tennessee.
New Orleans at Tulane.
North Texas at UNC-Wilmington.

Game log of the IUPUI game coming tomorrow.

Tops Flush Peay

Last Thursday, I blogged that APSU was no match for WKU on paper. Turns out, they were no match on the court either as the Toppers prevailed last Friday by an 83-54 count. The Tops blew the Govs' doors off with a 14-0 run in the first half that led to a 25-7 score and the home team never looked back. Florida State transfer Benson Callier exploded for 17 first half points (21 for the game) and G Courtney Lee chipped in 13 points, 4 assists, and 3 steals. Sophomore F Boris Siakam tossed in 12 tallies and 5 boards (4 offensive) in just 14 minutes in a most impressive display of efficiency. The Tops did this without either of their true PG's. JC transfer Joemal Campbell sat out with a busted jaw, and FR Orlando Mendez-Valdez attended his grandfather's funeral. Freshman F Daniel Emerson also sat out with an injured collarbone. Everyone should be healthy and in uniform tomorrow night against IUPUI or certainly for Saturday's game against the Georgia Bulldogs.

Of course, this rather bland recap comes as a result of my ill-timed education conference in Chicago. I had a frigid run down to Navy Pier in 19-degree weather with a 30 mph+ wind on Friday, but a much more pleasant 8-mile jaunt down to Solider Field and Grant Park on Saturday (31 degrees at 6 am! Nice!). T-minus 19 days until the Rocket City Marathon. I also took in some tremendous sushi at Kamehachi and some delicious Chicago deep-dish pizza at Gino's East while I was in town. As major cities go, I really like Chicago...and I'm not a big city guy. My home "town" was a postal area with lots of fields, cattle, tobacco, and soybeans in rural north-central Kentucky. Bowling Green, KY, a city of just over 50,000 people, seemed like a gargantuan metropolis when I came to WKU as a student in 1996. Chicago is nice. Great fun on Michigan Ave.

On with the hoops.

Tonight's Games of Importance
--Texas vs. West Virginia. 6:00 CT [ESPN2]
--Kentucky vs. Iowa. 8:30 CT [ESPN2]
--Arizona vs. Kansas. 8:00 CT [ESPN]
--Arkansas vs. UConn. 10:30 CT [ESPN2]
--Dayton vs. Miami-OH
--Gonzaga vs. Maryland.
--Eastern Kentucky vs. Georgia. The Tops host Georgia this Saturday (Nov 26) and play at EKU next Saturday (Dec 3).
--Old Dominion vs. Wisconsin. This is for the Paradise Jam title. ODU could really get onto the national map with this win and start building that at-large resume.

Sun Belt Games
--Utah State at Middle Tennessee. On Saturday, USU won at Oral Roberts in a matchup of two of the country's top non-power conference teams. This would be a BIG win for the Blue Pegasi.
--Arkansas State at Mississippi State. Tough roadie for the Indians, but this is the year to get the Bulldogs. They will be down from recent seasons, but the cavalry is coming in next year's recruiting class.

Tomorrow, a closer look at the IUPUI Jaguars.

Storm Warning

For the last couple of days, I have been assessing damage on my home due to a (probable) tornado that ripped through South Central Kentucky on Tuesday evening. Most of the damage came from shingles that were peeled off of a neighbors house and hurled at my vinyl siding like hundreds of ninja stars. That normally does not happen IN NOVEMBER in Kentucky, but 78 degrees and high humidity was tumultuously displaced by a fierce Canadian air mass that spurred some terrific storms and had us at 21 degrees this morning, just 36 hours later.

The warm bath-like atmosphere of goodtime exhibition games are past, and the cold, hard season starts tomorrow for WKU. The Tops have high expectations from fans, the conference, and themselves. The start with Austin Peay tomorrow night in Diddle Arena.

The Govs will be lead by local boy G Maurice "Squeaky" Hampton (14.7 ppg)and C Zach Schlader (12.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg). Truly, the Govs are no match for WKU on paper, but APSU always seem to play the Tops very tough. Last year, the Tops trailed by double-digits before storming back to win on the road by an 87-80 count. It should not be that close this time, but APSU is a regional rival with a local star. They will probably come out with guns blazing.

Sorry to cut this short, but I am leaving for Chi-town today. More on Monday after I return.

Also, my latest column dealing with the NCAA selection process is up on SCS.com.

Wed. Random Stuff

I. We have the first major contender for this year's UW-Milwaukee. The Seahawks of UNC-Wilmington won the BCA Classic by toppling Northwestern, 56-48. The Seahawks drop-kicked Butler and Wyoming (in Laramie) on the way to the BCA crown. UNCW has games at Colorado (on Friday) and at Wisconsin (Dec 12) left on the non-conference slate. It will be interesting to see if they can compound the interest accrued on this early season tourney title.

II. There are some pretty nice games on tap tonight and tomorrow. Tonight, Seton Hall visits Duke in the Preseason NIT (6:30 CT, ESPN). Tomorrow night, there are a four fairly important early season games.

Coaches vs Cancer
Florida vs. Wake Forest (6 pm, ESPN)
Texas vs. Syracuse (8 pm, ESPN)
Preseason NIT
Memphis at Alabama (9 pm CT, ESPN2)
Temple at UCLA (10 pm CT, ESPNU)

These are particularly important for Florida, Wake, and Temple, as they could be fighting with other Bubble Boys at the end of the season. Actually, ANY of these teams COULD be, but those three are projected as middle-of-the-pack or Bubble teams in regard to preseason seeding projections.

III. The Randolph Morris saga lurches inexorably to its controversial conclusion. Hiring a legal gun is not a good sign for Morris or UK. However this goes, it is going to cause pain and finger-pointing.

IV. Have a peak at Bracketography.com's preseason NCAA Tourney projection. They like Kansas, Wake, and Cincy a LOT more than I do, but you have to love the inclusion of San Francisco. However, after having followed current USF coach Jesse Evans at UL-Lafayette for many years, I'm fairly sure the Dons will find a way to stay out when it's said and done.

V. It's official: Michael Southall is back on the court at aforementioned ULL. Southall rang up 25 points, 10 boards, 4 blocks, 4 assists, and 4 steals in a Cajun exhibition win.

More tomorrow, and then a short hiatus for a conference trip to Chicago over the weekend.

Western Humbles Bellarmine, 91-67

I was unable to attend the Tops opening exhibition game, so ladies and gentlemen, I give you...Mr. Sivart Worfner. (Smattering of unsure applause)

S-Dub will be chronicling a couple of Topper games early in the season as I travel to conferences at incredibly inopportune times. Thanks, SW!

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While it was just an exhibition game, Hilltopper fans were a little concerned about the opener against the Bellarmine Knights of the Roundball. Bellarmine stayed within seven of Louisville in what was essentially a two point game until the end. They had stayed within three of Murray State, one of the favorites to win the OVC. Tack on that WKU would be without starting center Elgrace Wilborn, redshirt freshman forward Matt “MoMo/Dirk” Maresca, and true freshman manchild Daniel Emerson, and there was ample reason for doubt.

Starting lineup of JuCo transfer Joemal Campbell, senior Anthony Winchester, sophomore Courtney Lee, sophomore Ty Rogers and sophomore Boris Siakam, WKU jumped out to a 15-0 lead. Those former doubts, frankly, seemed silly at that point. But after Bellarmine scored their first basket (with 12:42 remaining in the first half) they got re-energized and the man to man pressure defense that held the Knights scoreless was matched with a 2/3 zone that cooled the Tops’ hot hands and allowed Bellarmine to tie the game.

WKU came back to take a 41-32 lead into the break then opened the second half on a 20-8 run into the first TV timeout. The game was history and the Knights of the Roundball were humbled to the tune of 91-67. Now that you know what happened, I’ll tell you how.

Darrin Horn’s commitment to defense is no joke. WKU swarmed the floor with impressive man to man full court pressure and even a trapping zone in the fullcourt. They created turnovers, they got steals, there were runouts, and there were dunks. It was exactly the kind of output Hilltopper fans have been anticipating with this team, if only against a good DII squad. The Tops gave up some transition threes, but it wasn’t bad for the maiden voyage.

Joemal Campbell is real fast. (No, that’s not how Cort would say it.) Joemal Campbell challenged the laws of physics and the arena was often filled with sonic booms when he accelerated. (That’s a little more Cort-esque.) He ran the offense well and he flat ran well. He was the kind of the guy that seemed so committed to defense it made him furious when someone got past him, the one time that someone actually did get past him that is.

Orlando Mendez-Valdez (henceforth, “Dez”) looked solid. His shot was a bit tentative, but he also ran the team well. While Dez is not nearly the defensive gem that Campbell is, he was solid and only got beat a few times. Mostly by Illinois State transfer Matt Miller who will give fits to the GLVC this year at DII.

The other PG was Courtney Lee. I SAID, the other point guard was Courtney Lee. But that honestly didn’t last too long. Lee had a typically strong night from the floor with double-digit scoring, driving baskets, pull up jumpers, and chipped in with seven rebounds.

The leading scorer was…Winchester. How anti-climactic is that? AW did his best “Robin of Locksley” impression as he drilled shot after shot, going 4-4 from outside and finishing with 23 points. Oh, did I mention he played PF most of the night and grabbed 7 rebounds. Does this even impress Hilltopper fans anymore? Anyone? Are we that spoiled? Yes, yes we are.

As predicted by Cort, Boris Siakam will be the X-factor and on Thursday night the X variable was equal to the sum of hard work + solid defense + good rebounding + steals at the top of the press + break away dunks. Siakam may be forgotten by some Hilltopper fans, but they were quickly reminded of what a good athlete he is and his boundless potential.

If Benson Callier was a playground legend in Florida, I’m glad I never played on that playground. Callier started out 0-3 (all from outside) before finding his touch and leading WKU with ten points at the break hitting from outside, working inside, and playing good defense. In the second half, his skin turned green, his eyes white and he ripped down two massive dunks that caused at least two Bellarmine players to require a change of dress.

Butch Jointer enjoyed a solid night stroking three pointers inspiring that age-old cliché, “There’s nothing wrong with that,” from yours truly. Jointer will fit in nicely and is going to get his share of minutes with hustle, good defense and nice looking jump shot. All very impressive contributions from a late signee.

Ty Rogers was Winchester, Jr. I’m usually one who hates to label a player like that, but Rogers just fits the mold. He’s willing to get in and mix it up, but has a feathery touch from outside that exudes confidence.

The jury remains out on Mike Walker. Not because of anything Walker did, but because he didn’t get time to do much of anything. Walker fought the law and the law won all night as he stayed in foul trouble.

All in all, the Tops dispatched Bellarmine by 27 points. If you’re scoring at home, that’s 20 points better than UofL. That’s 24 points better than Murray State. And NONE of that means anything except that WKU looked better in a game that doesn’t matter than those two teams did.

Still, the press is going to be a defensive weapon that would make Patton grin, we have more outside shooting than a night at the Source awards, we have more athletes than a BALCO stockholder meeting and we’ve got a coach who is moving this team forward quickly. It’s going to be a very fun season.

Thanks to Cort for letting me fill in for him. I’ll close with the immortal words of Jerry Reed.

“East bound and down, loaded up and truckin’. We gonna’ do what they say can’t be done.”
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Thanks again for the report, SW. Stay tuned for more Worfner during the season.

Tops vs. Bellarmine, New SCS Column

The WKU hoops team will be officially unveiled tonight at 7 pm. Well, most of the team will be unveiled. Two Toppers will remain veiled in street clothes. Freshman F Matt Maresca, who was redshirted last season after suffering a broken wrist, has a dinged foot and will be out. True frosh F Daniel Emerson is out with a fractured collarbone. He will be out for a couple of weeks. In addition, senior C Elgrace Wilborn will dress, but will see limited action due to a strained neck. The good news is everyone should be healthy in a couple of weeks, barring further injuries.

Bellarmine has played a couple of other D-I Kentucky schools very tough so far. The Knights lost to Louisville, 70-63, and to Murray State a 59-53 tally. With the Tops being shorthanded, it could be a good test for the home team.

Still, these questions should/could begin to be answered tonight.

1) Can newcomers Joemal Campbell and Orlando Mendez-Valdez handle the PG responsibilities? More importantly, does Coach Horn trust either of the two newbies to play the bulk of the minutes at PG?

2) How good is Mike Walker?

3) Was Benson Callier's Hilltopper Hysteria performance for real? Is he THAT good?

4) Will we really press a lot more this year?

5) Is all of the hubbub surrounding Ty Rogers' improvement legit?

My good friend, Mr. Sivart Worfner, has agreed to write a summary of tonight's game as the TBB will be prevented from attending by unavoidable circumstances. I'll post his take tomorrow.

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Also, I have addressed "20 Questions" about the new season in this week's column on SCS.com.

The Monday Ten

1. Here's my take on the new rules changes for this season in my SouthernCollegeSports.com weekly column.

2. The season officially kicks off tomorrow night when Saint Francis-PA v. Cornell, and Syracuse v. Bethune-Cookman square off in the Coaches v. Cancer. Both games will be played in the Carrier Dome. These games are for keeps! The seasons starts tomorrow!

3. Recently watched films: Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, Twelve Monkeys, In Good Company, Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

4. The WKU Hilltoppers play an exhibition this Thursday night, Nov 10, against Bellarmine University (Louisville, KY). Bellarmine played Louisville (lost by seven) and Murray State (lost by six) close last week. It should be a decent test for the Tops. The first regular season game occurs on Nov 18 when the Tops host Austin Peay.

5. Check out the Mid-Majority's philosophical waxing about the state of the game, Science v. Creationism, and how Einstein was a big, fat rip-off artist. Kyle has cooked up a nice batch of thought-provoking essays during the preseason.

6. T-minus 33 days until I run my first marathon. I have a massive 21-mile training run planned for Saturday. The weather looks supreme at this point.

7. The CBS hoops schedule of televised games is up.

8. The Sun Belt is celebrating it's 30th year of basketball with some optimism about this season.

9. Need more proof that it's hoops season? Wonk is back!

10. The preseason AP Poll is out.

First Coaches Poll Out

Some coach(es) out there think that the WKU Hilltoppers are for real, too. The Tops garnered three votes in the season's first ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, which was good for a 42nd place tie with Vanderbilt. The Tops sit just behind Miami-FL and just ahead of the group of two-vote teams (Cal, UNLV, Ohio, Utah State, and Oral Roberts). If the Tops can string together some early season wins, then they will not have to come from completely off the radar to crack the Top 25. While the real value of polls is minimal, it sure helps with exposure and name recognition.

It is also nice to see that the coaches recognize that George Washington and Nevada belong in the preseason Top 25. Old Dominion and Bucknell probably deserve more votes than they got.

Can't get enough of Top 25 polls? Head over to YOCO's rankings composite. See what a lot of the experts think.

My distaste for polls has been well-documented here, but in case you missed the unveiling of my preseason brackets, here were my top 6 seeds (or my "Top 24" if you prefer)

1 seeds: Duke, Texas, Michigan State, Villanova
2 seeds: UConn, Oklahoma, Boston College, Arizona
3 seeds: Gonzaga, Louisville, West Virginia, Kentucky
4 seeds: Stanford, Illinois, UCLA, Iowa
5 seeds: Washington, Memphis, Iowa State, Maryland
6 seeds: George Washington, Alabama, Nevada, Wisconsin

Early Season Tourney Preview

We are now just twelve days out from real college basketball games! I have written a preview of the early season tourneys for SouthernCollegeSports.com. Hop on over and give it a read if you have time.

Sports, Music, and Gnus

1. Villanova's Curtis Sumpter is hurt again. With fellow big Jason Fraser battling injuries yearly, the Wildcats cannot seem to keep everyone healthy for a season. Even worse, it sounds like Sumpter may be gone for the year. This is a tremendous blow to 'Nova's Final Four hopes. They will need their freshman frontcourt players (especially Shane Clark, who will become eligible in January) to mature quickly if they are to remain the top team in the Big East.

2. I ran the Bowling Green 10k Classic in 40.34 on Saturday. I harbored hopes of breaking the 40 minute barrier, but the realist in me felt that it was probably a year away. Still, I took nearly two full minutes off of my 10k time from last year (42.23), so next year should be my coronation into the sub-40 group. My wife finished the 5k in 27.32, also a personal best and good for 7th in her age group. I have one major race left this year: the Rocket City Marathon in Huntsville, AL, on December 10.

3. Who wants to bet a gazillion dollars that Memphis does not live up to the preseason hype? Any takers? None? I did not think so.

4. In my heavy rotation of music right now:
Willie Nelson's Red Headed Stranger: if there is a better country album EVER out there, I have not found it.
Sufjan Stevens' Illinoise: just try not to bob along to one of the trumpet-ladened tracks. I dare you.
Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits: some form of Paul Simon is always in my heavy rotation.
Wilco's Woody Guthrie Songs: if it's remotely country/folky and my wife likes it, it's good.

5. On Thursday, my first piece on SouthernCollegeSports.com should be up. I will be talking about the slew of early season tournaments that kick off a mere two weeks from today. The following week, I will look at some of the experimental rules being used in many of these tourneys.

6. My alt.country band, Redfoot, has a MySpace.com page up and running now. There are a couple of shows listed and there are a couple of more dates to be added soon. An album is coming in the early spring (hopefully).

7. Some non-power conference names to remember this season: Yemi Nicholson, Denver; Jose Juan Barea, Northeastern; Christian Maraker, Pacific; Anthony Winchester, Western Kentucky; Courtney Lee, Western Kentucky; Bucknell (NOT a one-year fluke last year); Nick Fazekas, Nevada; Paul Millsap, La Tech; Daniel Kickert, Saint Mary's-CA.

8. For everyone who thought I was off my rocker, here is proof that The Great Space Coaster was a real TV show for kids in the early-to-mid 1980s. "No gnews is good gnews with Gary Gnu." I loved that guy.

9. Shameless WKU plug: the #1-ranked (in D-IAA) WKU Hilltopper football team will play conference nemesis #8-ranked Southern Illinois on ESPNU at 6:30 pm on this Thursday night, October 25. The Tops (sledge) hammered the Western Illinois Leathernecks 42-7 in Macomb, IL, last week and appear to be putting it all together as they head for the home stretch.

10. I give little to no time to the NFL here, but I should mention that I will be attending my first NFL game on Sunday. I will be heading to Nashville to watch the Oakland Raiders (a team I half-heartedly call my own) play the Tennessee Titans. Thanks to a buddy who landed free tix, I will be watching these two mediocre teams battle to get to not-quite-.500. Catch the fever! Honestly, I am excited about the experience. I might actually devote some blog time to this trip. Road trips to any sporting event are made of life's good stuff.