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Sunday, December 17, 2000
The Word's Answer Man
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Wow, the e-mails keep coming in about two subjects this week: a brief list of top rivalries and the Wooden Award midseason top 30 list.
First, the rivalry list was done as a quick response to a question. The rivalries that were sent in like Indiana-Purdue, Iowa-Iowa State, Missouri-Kansas and Penn-Princeton are all legit and as intense as any I listed. The only comment that I did take offense to was someone who thought putting New Mexico-New Mexico State in a top five was absurd. Well, you're wrong.
The Lobos-Aggies rivalry in the '80s and early '90s was as good as it gets. The games in the Pit and the Pan Am Center between Neil McCarthy and Dave Bliss were as intense and filled with hatred as much if not more than most rivalries. The arenas were sold out and the noise level was piercing.
As for the Wooden Award midseason list? It's flexible. Candidates can be voted on to the final list in March even if they weren't included in the December list.
Now, on to this week's questions:
I'm a little confused about the 5/3 rule. I had always assumed that the 13 scholarship limit was still in place; you can recruit five players that first year, three the next, but only so long as you stayed within the current scholarship limit. However, a number of schools, I've noticed, seem to be recruiting over that. Kentucky loses only Saul Smith next year, and already has three signees, which will put them at 14 scholarships next year. It's unlikely anyone else will leave, at most one guy, but Tubby Smith is still trying to recruit another big man, like Brandon Bender. Louisville loses only Marques Maybin, but has three guys signed already and is still looking at Ousmane Cisse. Many other schools have already signed more than what they'll likely lose: Notre Dame, DePaul, Utah, Kansas. What gives? I have a real hard time seeing Smith, for example, push Tayshaun Prince into the pros, which he is nowhere near ready for, in order to keep, say, Chuck Hayes.
Chris Harris
Philadelphia, Pa.
Chris, here's a simple answer. A school can only sign five players in a given recruiting class and eight in two years, not three. It's a 5/8 rule. If a school doesn't have five available then it can't sign five. Kentucky isn't about to send Prince into the pros (not that they would have him) if he's not ready. No school can go over 13 for a year. Either you're counting someone you shouldn't to add up to 14, or Kentucky over-signed and is expecting attrition.
The Penn Quakers are 0-7, and may be 0-8 after they play Temple. They're still probably the favorite to win the Ivy League, and have taken very good teams down to the wire in Maryland and on the road at Seton Hall. Their loss to Fordham also doesn't seem so bad anymore. My question is, when it comes time for the Tournament, how much will Penn suffer in terms of seeding and location because of this slow start?
Jesse Spector
Philadelphia, Pa.
Penn will only suffer from the early losses if it loses too much confidence and can't win the Ivy. If the Quakers win the Ivy League, they'll probably be a 14th seed in March. It would be hard for them to be higher than a 13 without winning any of the non-conference games against higher-ranked opponents.
Hey Andy,
If Ugo and Josh Davis stay healthy do you see the pokes making the NCAA tourney this year?
Shaun Gardiner
Dayton, Wy.
If Davis is healthy, and Ugo Udezue and Uche Amadi raise their scoring averages, Wyoming has a shot to reach the NCAA Tournament. Wyoming will get decent guard play out of Chris McMillian and Marcus Bailey. Their bench has been lifted by the production of Ronell Mingo, too. The Cowboys have to make the AA a nightmare for visiting teams. If they can split their road games in the Mountain West, split the road swing to LSU and South Carolina, then they've got a chance to get into the tourney as an at-large.
With the new rules on physical play this year, I have witnessed a number of games determined by players fouling out of games. Is there any possibility that the NCAA will raise the player foul limit from five to six?
No chance. The NCAA wants to tone down physical play and if that means the players who are committing the fouls play less then that is the sacrifice the rules committee is willing to make.
I love reading your column each week. But it seems you made a glaring omission in your top 30 Wooden Award candidates. You somehow failed to include Rahim Lockhart of Ole Miss. He has been a man among boys in nearly every game this year, which includes victories over Oklahoma and road games at Memphis and VCU. He is averaging a double-double and has been the most consistent player on both sides of the ball for the undefeated and nationally ranked Rebels. How could you not include Rahim when discussing the top 30 candidates?
Mike Phelan
Oxford, Miss.
Lockhart deserves mention and if he keeps it up then he'll make the cut, or at least be seriously considered, for the final list in March.
Hi Andy, I love reading your columns because I've noticed that you, by far, have the most accurate and objective outlook on college basketball. Keep it Up! That said, how can you include a player like Lynn Greer of Temple and not include Joe Crispin of PSU in your Wooden top 30 list? He scored 31 against Kentucky in the upset in Rupp, and while he did have on bad game against NC State, he came back to score a career high 36 against Pitt, and I thought he had an outstanding game against Temple. He forced Greer into 3-17 shooting, and while he only scored 12 points, he did not hurt his team by putting up needless shots. He smartly used himself as a decoy and drew defenders to himself to open up Titus Ivory and his brother Jon. Even though I might be biased, I think he has out-played other guards like Greer, Jason Kopono of UCLA, and the much hyped (but as yet to produce this season) Joseph Forte.
Apparao
State College, Pa.
Once again another legit candidate. Crispin should get serious consideration if the Nittany Lions stay in the hunt for an NCAA Tournament win.
When will the Big Sky Conference get the respect it deserves as a top mid-major conference? Each year the Big Sky Conference winner receives a 14th or 15th seed. The last three years Northern Arizona almost beat Cincinnati and St. John's and Weber State came within a few points of going to the Sweet 16. This year Cal State-Northridge beat UCLA and Wyoming, and lost by less than 10 to Marquette, UNLV, and USC. Weber State beat Utah and ended their home-court winning streak and only has a record of 4-3. Is this the year that the selection committee rewards a Big Sky team with a 10,11, or 12 seed?
Nick Haswell
Missoula, Mt.
The Big Sky got the pub when Weber State beat North Carolina two years ago. But until the Big Sky can consistently be a tournament winner (see: West Coast Conference) then it's going to be hard to get national pub. Losing this year's best team in Cal State-Northridge to the Big West won't help. The Big Sky needs teams like Weber State, Northern Arizona and either Montana school to be regulars atop the standings and win a game or two against big-time competition in the non-conference and then in the tournament.
Andy, how far along do you think Mizzou will be by the end of the regular season? The game against SLU scared me somewhat, but I've been really excited about the resilliancy of this team so far (minus the no-show second half vs Syracuse). I'm especially anxious about the upcoming eligibility of Bryant. How much of an impact will Bryant have this year? Also, I've noticed that MU seems to be just barely below the Top 25 in the latest polls. Would a victory at Iowa propel them into the Top 25, and how much would a well-fought, close loss hurt them in the polls? Thanks.
P.S. ... I'm surprised that you didn't include Kansas-Mizzou in your Top 5 college basketball rivalries. What gives?
Bryant's impact won't be felt until the Big 12 when he gets into a groove with Division I basketball. The Tigers could use his size and rebounding prowess. Missouri has the guards to stay in the top four in the Big 12, but needs more help inside for them to win games on a neutral or on the road deep in February and in March.
Andy, big fan of your column ... never miss it. There's rumors around Boston that Pitino could be
headed back to UMass next year. Any truth to it?
Scott Buffington
Boston, Mass.
No chance. UMass couldn't afford Pitino. He could have a say in the next coach if Bruiser Flint can't last until next year. But I just don't see him taking that kind of paycut and going to a school that is really a mid-major in Division I. The Mullins Center is a nice facility but UMass isn't even Memphis when it comes to overall facilities, travel and perks that go along with being a big-time program. The money isn't in place for that to occur yet in Amherst, even with a Final Four appearance in '96.
Andy, I love your column, but have to disagree with the central point of your Pat Kennedy-DePaul article. While DePaul has played Syracuse, Florida and Missouri, they have also played, and struggled against, Lewis University and Chicago State. The problem isn't youth or the tough schedule (you want tough, look at the Illini schedule -- Maine, UNLV, Arizona (twice), Duke, Maryland, Seton Hall, Missouri, Texas and then the Big 10, as opposed to Conference USA). The problem is Pat Kennedy and his assistants are great recruiters but lousy coaches. So getting to the question part of this, what will it take for someone to point out that Kennedy teams have always underachieved and rarely play like team ball? We're tired of the hype when there are 40 better teams in college hoops.
Pete Arnold
Denver, Colo.
It's not going to take much because it's true. DePaul has underachieved based on the talent. But the Blue Demons aren't meshing for some reason. They're not playing defense well and simply lack confidence to put away teams in the final few minutes. All isn't lost with this crew. They can still be a major factor in March if they dedicate themselves defensively and cut down the careless turnovers. The talent is in place for this team to still make a run.
What's up with trashing the schedules of the Big XII teams? Last time I checked, pretty much all teams schedule a few cupcakes. This may come as a shock to the writer from Massachusetts, but it's true. Just to prove my point, I took a look at the schedules of another big conference, the Big Ten. Out of their eleven (11?) teams, there are 63 games against smaller schools, or cupcakes. The leader in this new stat is Purdue who plays 8 cupcakes. One surprise of the conference is all-mighty Michigan State who plays 7 cupcakes including Oakland, who also happens to appear on Michigan's schedule. Speaking of the Wolverines, they play Morris Brown. Morris Brown? Is that a school or one guy? So, before you guys criticize the Big XII's scheduling, you might want to look around at the other conferences. Why didn't you point out that other conferences do the same thing in scheduling?
This one was my fault. I should have been more selective in my response last week. A few of the Big 12 teams, notably Baylor, play a ridiculously soft schedule. Iowa State tends to as well. But Missouri, Kansas and Texas are three teams which traditionally play anybody, anywhere. I should have pointed that out instead of making a blanket Big 12 statement.
What is your take on why the Irish are struggling this season? They started out well with a convincing win over Cincinnati, but since then have dropped home games to respectable teams in IU and Miami of Ohio. A lot of students here feel that it's a lack of heart and a lack of fundamentals, like boxing out and going to the glass. What do you think? Can Notre Dame realistically play man-to-man in Big East conference play? Can Mike Brey get the job done?
John Linn
South Bend, Ind.
Notre Dame needs to get tougher, play better perimeter defense and hope that the Irish guards can shoot consistently. Mike Brey is the right coach for this team at this time and once these three things get corrected then the Irish should be a factor in the Big East. I don't know about using fundamentals as a reason, but heart and toughness is in the equation. And, yes, they can get away with playing a lot of man-to-man in the Big East. I wouldn't rely strictly on zone, especially since Mike Brey doesn't coach it too often. I have faith that he will get this job done and get the Irish to the tournament.
What does a small school like Florida A&M get for playing at Florida, besides a 125-50 beating? Do the teams share revenue from the ticket sales? Does the smaller team think this is helping their players improve? I don't understand scheduling these games just to get beat by 50 points. I could understand if the smaller school was ready for this kind of competition.
The only reason they're doing this is for the money. Florida A&M doesn't get anything out of playing against Florida on the road. The experience of playing the game can help them if they have to play a similar team in the NCAA Tournament if they win their league's automatic berth. Otherwise, these schools do this simply for the money.
Why isn't Michael Bauer from the Gophers getting any hype? He's quickly becoming the best player on the team with the most athleticism and pure scoring ability, yet no one talks about him in terms of freshman to watch in the Big Ten. I've heard enough about Michigan State's frosh and Indiana's guy to write books on each one of them. Granted the Gophs haven't played top competition yet, but I think it's time people find out who he is.
Bauer doesn't have the flash like those other high-profile players and the Gophers' overall weak schedule doesn't help. But once the Gophers get into the Big Ten and win some games, some of which should be on TV, then he'll start to get his due. If he can keep it up and get some all-Big Ten honors then he'll certainly earn any recognition.
I was reading your responses to last week's questions and was amazed that Purdue/Indiana was left out of your top five rivalries (You mentioned Duke/UNC, Cincinnati/Xavier, New Mexico/New Mexico State, IU/Kentucky and Temple/St. Joseph's). Having attended both schools (Purdue as an undergraduate and IU as a graduate student), I can assure you that their rivalry is as intense as any in the nation. The fans really dislike each other (hate is really the appropriate word) and they have a long and storied history in the Big Ten. I just find it hard to believe that New Mexico/New Mexico State and Xavier/Cincinnati are more heated rivalries. What gives and how do you think Purdue's young team will fare in the always tough, and in my opinion the deepest, conference in the nation?
Steve Shaw
Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
I had to include some of these responses and, you're right, Indiana-Purdue is an intense rivalry. But I would disagree in your assessment that it's more intense than Xavier-Cincinnati or New Mexico-New Mexico State. They're all intense and the rivalries take on more intensity with different faces coaching the teams. I don't think we'll see it being as intense this season with Bob Knight gone from Indiana. Purdue does have a chance to be a factor if it plays with as much heart in the Big Ten as it did against Arizona. But Gene Keady did say this is a fragile team and he isn't sure what he'll get during the course of the season. He's confident, albeit cautious, about the season after losing at Virginia and to Central Michigan.
I've got some bones to pick from you and the guy from Mass. How is Mizzou-KU not one of your Top 5 rivalries? The games, basketball, football, whatever predate 1900. The football games are the oldest matchups west of the Mississippi River. Heck, you can even throw in the bad blood between the two states that predates the Civil War.
As for Big 12 and cupcake schedules, I can't speak for the rest of the conference, but Mizzou plays a difficult schedule because we are not afraid to play a little competition. Mizzou got into the Dance last year with 18 wins, largely due to the schedule. Mizzou has already played Syracuse, DePaul, St. Louis, and Valpo, with non-conference games against Iowa, Indiana, and Illinois on the way. What is so cupcakish about that? Who has UMass played? Bring 'em on and Mizzou will show them how to play some ball. Also, I'd like to invite to a couple of games, either a Mizzou/KU game, or the Border War game in St.Louis with Illinois. I think you'd be pretty impressed that teams outside of the East Coast can play some outstanding ball.
Aaron Beshears
Columbia, Mo.
Aaron, I thought it was only fair to let you vent to me on this one. As you can read above, I should have specified which schools don't play cupcakes and Missouri is one that does schedule against the top teams in the region and nationally.
I was wondering if anyone has noticed the Georgia Bulldogs yet? Jim Harrick has his team playing some of the best basketball this town has seen since the Tubby Smith era. While they stumbled with two early losses, they have since beaten Indiana State, Utah, Pepperdine, Georgia Tech, and N.C. State, and narrowly lost to No. 3 Stanford. While the SEC is supposedly too talented for the Bulldogs to compete, I would suggest that Georgia could bypass Kentucky and battle Florida and Tennessee for the Eastern Division. Georgia manhandled the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets who just beat Kentucky. Harrick has quietly assembled a stellar group of athletes and has them working their rear ends off. Maybe someone should take notice of this young team. Or maybe Harrick likes it this way. Maybe he wants to sneak up on everyone that never gave his team a chance.
Phillip Joiner
Athens, Ga.
People are noticing that Harrick is doing a great job with this team. The Bulldogs lack a true point, but are getting maximum play out of D.A. Layne at guard and Ezra Williams inside. The key will be whether or not Georgia can continue its consistent play on the road next week against California and Fresno State, and then in the rugged SEC East. Georgia looks like a lock for the NIT this season if it can stay above .500. Making the NCAA Tournament would be quite a chore with two games each against Tennessee, Florida, South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Kentucky. But Harrick has this program moving in the right direction.
What exactly do the Ole Miss Rebels have to do in order to get into the top 25 -- or even get a decent amount of votes? They are currently 7-0 with outstanding wins against a ranked Oklahoma team and Memphis. The SEC looks strong this year, do the Rebs have to win a conference game in order to get some respect?
Ann Marie
Santa Monica, Calif.
The Rebels are getting respect nationally now and it will continue as long as they win. They've got a shot to make more national noise against USC in a tournament in Hawaii later this month. The SEC West will be close with Alabama, Arkansas and dangerous teams in Mississippi State and LSU. Rod Barnes is one of the most under-appreciated coaches in the nation as are Rahim Lockhart, Aaron Harper and Justin Reed.
What are you thoughts on the University of Southern Mississippi being 7-1 at this point, and why are they not getting the least bit of attention after the win at Arkansas?
Chris Johnson
Hattiesburg, Miss.
The Golden Eagles should get more national pub for their start, but they've got to keep it up in Conference USA. Southern Mississippi hasn't been able to schedule big-time opponents, let alone get any air time. No one really knows how good this team is because few people have seen them (including me so far). But the National Division of Conference USA is wide open with South Florida inconsistent this season and Memphis off to a horrible start. Southern Mississippi enters the conference play as the favorite in that half of the league. James Green doesn't get the credit he should for keeping this program competitive at a high level in this conference. Don't be surprised if they're a factor in the league race in late February.
Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com. He answers questions on college basketball every Friday.
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