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Jury's still out on Stanford
Sports Illustrated staff writer Seth Davis spoke with CNNSI.com about the goings on in the college basketball world this week: CNNSI.com: The best game of the week, and maybe of the season so far, was Stanford's one-point win over top-ranked Duke. The Cardinal moved up to No. 2 in this week's rankings. Are they for real? Seth Davis: Well, it is hard to say right now, to be honest. I talked to Mike Montgomery this week and he conceded that their win over Duke had as much to do with problems that Duke had down the stretch as any thing that his own team did. Certainly, Montgomery loved their poise and maturity and the fact that they did not panic once they got down. We all know Stanford can shoot the basketball. They have very good size inside. But Duke is the only ranked team that Stanford has played so far. And looking ahead, I don't think the Pac-10 is going to be a very strong league this year. Stanford's only non-conference game is going to be against New Mexico, another unranked team. So I think Stanford is going to be highly ranked all year (and) have a very good record. But as far as how good they really are, I am not sure we are going to know that until the NCAA tournament. CNNSI.com: On the flip side, Michigan is off to a horrendous start. Speculation is always rampant about Brian Ellerbe's job status in Ann Arbor. Can he survive? Seth Davis: First of all, I think it is important to say that not all of Michigan's problems are Brian Ellerbe's fault. The Ed Martin investigation, which led to Steve Fisher's firing, is still unresolved. Obviously, it is not Ellerbe's fault that Jamal Crawford went to the NBA after just one year. But having said that, Brian Ellerbe has never had a lot of support out there and it is not getting any better for him. Ellerbe had to dismiss three players at the start of the school year after they were arrested. These were players he recruited. And he's got a pretty good recruiting class for next year, but it is nothing to make you think that a substantial turnaround is in the offing. So at this point I think it is safe to say that unless there is a real dramatic improvement on the court for Michigan, they will probably have a new coach next year. CNNSI.com: The season shifts into another gear next week when conference play begins. What are some of the sleeper teams we should be watching for? Seth Davis: Well, I will give you three. First of all, in the ACC I really like Virginia. They don't have a lot of size inside but they have a lot of guys who can run, dribble and shoot. That's a pretty good formula for success. Over in the Big 12, I like Missouri, a very young team but a very exciting team. I think if they can mature, they will be able to give Kansas a run for their money down in that league. And then Charlotte down in Conference USA. Not UNC-Charlotte by the way -- they are Charlotte this year. They've got really one of the good young players in America in freshman forward Rodney White. Charlotte opens up conference play January 6 at Cincinnati; if they are looking to make a statement that is the place to do it. Sports Illustrated staff writer Seth Davis covers the college basketball beat for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.
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