Conference play has arrived and already we’ve seen two wake-up calls. A ranked Pitt team lost at Notre Dame 72-59 and Wisconsin welcomed Nebraska to the Big Ten with a 68-40 rout in Lincoln.
Speaking of Pitt, they won at home on December 23rd and then traveled over Christmas for their loss in South Bend. Isn’t it a SHAME that college athletics has become such big business that the student-athletes can no longer have a few days with their families during Christmas break? This is another example that TV, not the university presidents, control athletics. The presidents talk a big game about academics, but let’s face it, money talks.
Something’s Brewing in the Desert
Hats off to the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels. They had Pac-12 favorites Cal down 72-45 before beating them 85-68 last week. Not quite the Christmas present Cal fans would’ve hoped for. Remember, the Rebs have already beaten North Carolina and Illinois, giving both teams their first loss. Give my good friend Jim Livengood, the athletic director at UNLV, credit for hiring Dave Rice, and don’t forget, Jim also brought Sean Miller to Arizona before leaving for UNLV. Talk about two good hires.
New Beast of the (Big) East?
When you think Big East basketball, you think of Syracuse, UConn, Pitt, Louisville and Georgetown, but what about Seton Hall? They’ve been to the NCAAs just once in the past seven seasons, but are sitting at 11-1 right now. This includes victories over VCU, St. Joe’s and a huge win at Dayton. Get this, they have an RPI in the top ten! But, with games looming at Syracuse tonight and then at home against Connecticut and West Virginia, things could change quickly. Bottom line is that it’s fun when you’re cruising along, but then all of a sudden your next three games are against Boeheim, Calhoun and Huggins. How many games have those guys won? The answer, without using a calculator: a lot.
Six with a 0 Right of the Dash
The six unbeatens entering Wednesday’s games are Louisville, Baylor, Murray State, Missouri, Indiana and Syracuse. I’m predicting Murray State to be the last one standing since they are playing in the below-par Ohio Valley Conference and their remaining games will be against oppenents ranked 180 or lower in the RPI.
Bold Predictions
Write these teams down and let’s see what happens: Southern Miss, Northern Iowa, Seton Hall, Long Beach State, Ohio U., Murray State and Iona. Why those seven? They’re all in the top 20 of the RPI. Can you believe we’re only 10 weeks away from Selection Sunday? Follow some of these mid-majors and start thinking about your upset picks.
– Bill Frieder
Former Michigan and Arizona State head coach Bill Frieder is an analyst for Westwood One’s coverage of NCAA Basketball. In his weekly blog Boxed Out, Bill scours the box scores to bring you interesting stories from the world of college basketball.
