We know what you’re thinking. How? Because you’re just like us. Every season -- usually right about now -- you decide that rooting for your alma mater or hometown team is just not enough. You need another, “new” favorite team for the remainder of the season. Heck, you might even go out and buy a pair of your adopted team’s authentic game shorts. A sweatshirt at least.
And, like us, you tend to favor those smaller schools that don’t get the national attention. The “unloved” little guys. Cinderella at the ball. Call them what you will, but we know you love to find an underdog to call your own. For a year at least.
So the question stands: Who’s it gonna be this year?
Creighton is getting a ton of run lately, but if all the media hype taints the ‘Jays’ true underdog perception for you, here are a few others worthy of consideration.
Dayton Flyers (10-3): One of the Atlantic-10’s best, Dayton is undefeated in 10 home games, including a 92-85 upset of then-No. 9 Marquette in overtime. On the road, the Flyers stayed within 11 points at Cameron Indoor against Duke. Why should you like Dayton? They don’t rattle. Loaded with upperclassmen, the Flyers are 5-0 in games decided by five points or less. Senior guard Brooks Hall averages 15.1 points and 8.0 rebounds, and he makes 80.6 percent of his free throws (crucial in tournament play).
Butler Bulldogs (13-1): They’re baaaack. Butler made noise in the tournament two years ago by knocking out Wake Forest. Last year, the Bulldogs were snubbed, becoming the first team with 25 wins to miss the NCAAs. Why like Butler this year? They make their free throws, especially senior guard Darnell Archey, who is 41-for-41 on the year from the stripe (he's made an NCAA Divion I-best 82 straight overall). They also have great scoring balance. Four players average at least 9.8 points a game, and senior forward Joel Cornette is right there at 8.9.
Holy Cross (10-3): Sixteenth-seeded Holy Cross hemmed up No. 1 Kansas in the first round of the tourney last year and held a lead with 9:00 to play before the Jayhawks pulled away. Why like Holy Cross? They’re experienced, big, patient on offense and versatile on defense. Holy Cross has played in 10 NCAA tournaments, including each of the past two. On defense, the Crusaders’ aggressiveness and ability to play three different type of zones, in addition to a switching man-to-man set, keeps their opponents shooting under 40 percent. Holy Cross also holds leads. The Crusaders are 9-0 when leading at halftime.
Being the Avid College Basketball Fan that you are, you might already have your eye on one of these teams, or perhaps a program flying even closer to the ground. But if you’re drooling for more, keep an eye on St. Joseph’s (11-1), Utah State (12-3), Manhattan (10-3) and Kent State (9-2).
And if you do decide to go ahead and buy those game shorts of your new favorite team, remember, they’re not going to make you play any better in your pickup games.
Each week, we pick the top five players in the country based on the previous week's performances.
• GUARD: Anthony Roberson, Florida. Simply put, Roberson with a basketball in his hands is a cold-blooded assassin. The freshman from Saginaw, Mich., scored 23 points against Georgia on Saturday, hitting 7-of-10 3-pointers -- none bigger than the 25-footer that won the game for the Gators as time expired.
• GUARD: Luis Flores, Manhattan. Scored 38 points (5-of-8 from 3) in a win against Niagara on Friday after hitting for 26 on Tuesday in a win over Siena. A junior from New York City, Flores ranks 11th in the nation in scoring at 23.1 per game.
• GUARD: Jarvis Hayes, Georgia. Don’t put any of the blame on Hayes for Georgia’s 66-63 loss at Florida on Saturday. Hayes kept the Bulldogs in the game with six 3-pointers (missing only two all game) and he had Roberson blanketed on his unbelievably clutch, game-winning 3-pointer as time expired. Hayes, at 6-foot-6, could be the nation’s most complete player.
• FORWARD: Brian Cook, Illinois. Saddled with early foul trouble, the senior forward scored 24 of Illinois’ 33 second-half points to lead the Illini to victory against Wisconsin on Saturday. Cook finished with 31 points, prompting Illinois coach Bill Self to say, “He's become the best player that I've ever coached."
• FORWARD: Mike Sweetney, Georgetown. The big fella matched a career-high with 35 points to go with 19 boards in the Hoyas’ 84-82 victory against the Mountaineers of WVU on Sunday. Earlier in the week, Sweetney fought through foul trouble to put up 23 points and six rebounds in 25 minutes in Georgetown’s 93-86 loss at Duke.
FLORIDA GATORS: The one team in the nation you don’t want to play right now. Billy Donovan’s Gators have won nine straight games, and the two most recent victories were the most impressive. Florida went to Starkville, Miss., and beat Mario Austin and then-No. 7 Mississippi State, and came home to break then-No. 20 Georgia’s heart. Memo to Donovan: It’s time to bench senior Brett Nelson and move Roberson into starting lineup. Roberson and fellow freshman Matt Walsh have supplanted Nelson as the team’s true perimeter threats. As scary as Florida is now, they’re about to get a lot better. The long-awaited arrival of Danish star Christian Drejer could come against Tennessee on Wednesday. Drejer, a 6-9, 210-pound freshman, was medically cleared to play on Jan. 7 after severe ankle problems. Although he hasn’t played yet, Drejer has been active in practice. "Drejer right now is one of our better players," Donovan told the Gainesville Sun. "In the limited time that he's had to practice, he's shown he's definitely a special player."
DUNK: Michigan
Don’t look now: Tommy Amaker has the Wolverines on a nine-game winning streak. This after Michigan started the season at a school-worst 0-6. Granted, the Wolverines haven’t faced the toughest competition lately, but if Lavell Blanchard (17.3 ppg., 7.3 rpg.) and Daniel Horton (15.5 ppg., 4.5 apg.) can keep the streak going at Ohio State and at Northwestern this week, Amaker will be his way to Big Ten Coach of the Year honors.
AIR BALL: Oregon That whoosh sound you’re hearing is the mass exodus from the Ducks' bandwagon. We’re not jumping off -- just yet -- but one of our favorites for the Elite Eight at the beginning season has now lost three Pac-10 games, including back-to-back road setbacks at Stanford and Cal.
DUNK: Majestic Mapp, Virginia
After 667 days, 70 games and four major surgeries on his right knee, the junior guard finally made his comeback against North Carolina on Saturday. A McDonald’s All-America, Mapp was one of the best point guards in the nation coming out of St. Raymond’s High School in the Bronx in 1999. Mapp played just two minutes, missing his only shot.
AIR BALL: Alabama on the road We looked the other way when the Crimson Tide stumbled at Utah. But Vanderbilt? Granted, Vandy’s Memorial Gym isn’t the easiest place to play, but the talent level between the two teams is not close. It’s a little early to state this definitely, but ‘Bama sure looks like a team that plays down to its competition, and that can be a killer come March.
DUNK: Penn Quakers
For all those West Coasters who e-mailed us last week regarding a lack of respect for the Pac-10, check this: Penn thoroughly embarrassed USC in L.A., hitting 15-of-20 3-pointers (75 percent). The Quakers, who moved to 14-8 all-time against the Pac-10, shot 87 percent from the field in the first half (21-of-24 field goals) and 72 percent for the game and won 99-61.
Missouri at Syracuse, Monday, 7 p.m., ESPN
Quin Snyder makes a bold trip to face freshman phenom Carmelo Anthony and his Big East-best 24.2 points a game just as Big 12 play begins. Win or lose, the trip will do the Tigers some good, as they haven’t exactly played the toughest schedule in the nation. The ‘Cuse has won 10 straight, including victories over Georgia Tech and at Seton Hall, but the Tigers could be the team to bring the Orangemen back to Earth.
Virginia at Duke, Wednesday, 7 p.m., ESPN
The Blue Devils certainly looked strong in the second half against Wake Forest on Sunday night. But one question: Is Duke that good, or is Wake that overrated? We think it’s a little of both, but it’s difficult to say for sure as the Blue Devils finally are just now playing some decent competition. We don’t expect Virginia and Travis Watson to fare too much better than Wake, but as with any jump-shooting team -- and make no mistake, Duke is still in love with the 3-pointer (23.2 attempts per game) -- there is that chance that the Blue Devils could go cold from the perimeter.
Louisville at East Carolina, Thursday, 9 p.m. ESPN2
If you want to be well-versed on the college basketball scene so you can win that NCAA bracket office pool, you need to watch some games like this one. Louisville has quietly become one of the best stories of the year. At 10-1, Rick Pitino’s boys have won nine consecutive games, including that courageous comeback from a 14-point halftime deficit to beat Ohio State 72-64 in overtime on the road. East Carolina, in its second year in the C-USA, is much improved. The Pirates’ 73-70 upset of Marquette is proof enough.
Duke at Maryland, Saturday, 1 p.m., ABC
We hope Duke can find its way up to the Comcast Center. We’re kidding, of course, but this is only the third trip outside of the state of North Carolina for the Blue Devils this season. Maryland, despite losing so much to graduation, still has all the weapons to make a return Final Four appearance. Drew Nicholas has popped 20+ points in the last two big Maryland games –- against Georgia Tech (29 points) and against the much-improved Florida State (23 points). We’re definitely impressed with Duke so far, but if any team can knock them off on the road, you have to believe it’s Maryland.
"I've got six inches on him and he still got it off. It was a great play. What is he? A freshman. Oh, my God." -- Georgia’s Jarvis Hayes on the game-winning 3-pointer by Florida’s Anthony Roberson.
"It's not like we're trying to score 70 a game. We'd like to score more. But the longer you're in this profession, the more you realize that the name of the game is to win, and we're pretty good at that." -- Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson after his Sooners defeated Colorado 69-54.
"That's bush league. You don't do that. That lacks integrity of the game when you do something like that. I was really upset by it. So, I'm really glad we won this game because that was really a bush [League] move. "I'm just glad the guy came in and missed the first [free throw]. It was beautiful." -- Pitt coach Ben Howland on Rutgers coach Gary Waters after game officials let him replace center Kareem Wright, a 30-percent free-throw shooter, with 70-percent free throw shooter Calvin Wooten after Wright fell to the ground hard on a foul by Pitt's Ontario Lett late in a tight game.
"Well, he's gotta grow up. I don't do those kind of things -- it's not in my character. Are you going to say I'm a person who would lie and cheat on the floor? Those things don't add up." -- Rutgers coach Waters’ reply to Howland’s comments.
"We're not running a good league, not running a good league if we let our officials call hand-checking on the perimeter. That is crap, that is crap. It is unfair. And it's got to stop. It's got to stop right now." -- Georgetown coach Craig Esherick on the suspect officiating in the Georgetown-Rutgers game in which Esherick felt his star player, Mike Sweetney, was not being treated fairly.
Last time, we asked which conference would put the most teams in the NCAA tournament?
The Pac-10. You trash talk the Pac-10 in last week's column giving them an "airball" because "outside of Arizona and Oregon, the Pac-10 has little to offer," and you don't even mention them on a list of contenders for toughest conference. Well ... outside of Arizona and Oregon, expect to see UCLA, Cal, Stanford and Arizona State or USC in the tournament. OK, so maybe this won't match the SEC, which seems really strong right now, but I gotta vote for my Pac-10 to fix the bad mojo you caused last week! Paul Sorensen, Los Angeles
I am so tired of reading the conference reports that rank the Pac-10 so low! Basketball or football, the Pac-10 is consistently in the top three. The Pac-10 will put six teams in the NCAAs, as will the SEC. Steven Cornell, Portland, Ore.
Most or best? The Big East is the worst of the top six conferences top to bottom, but the committee dupes believe finishing in the top half of the “Big Easy” means something. So Butler stays home while BC, Georgetown and St. John's clog the tourney. Peter Schroeder, Dallas
When the sixth-best team in the league -– LSU -- goes out of conference and beats the nation's No. 1-ranked team, Arizona, then you know the conference is deep. The SEC’s RPI should be high, as well, since even Mississippi State went out of conference to beat a team like Oklahoma (no cupcake there). Darren Magley, Atlanta
The Big 12 will place five, possibly six teams in the NCAA. Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Mizzou and Texas Tech are all strong programs with the ability to win 20-plus games, easy. Overall conference strength will help with the RPI. Between Iowa State and Oklahoma State, look for a sixth. That'll be tough to beat. Maybe the SEC can match it. Mike Burton, Austin, Texas
Who cares? I wish they would set a maximum of four teams from any conference. It would really open up the tournament to the strong teams in the small conferences. As it stands, teams like Pepperdine have to really get noticed to get anything better than a 10-seed. Mike Wherley, Philadelphia
For next week: What “Cinderella” team do you see making a run in the NCAA Tournament?
