Posted: Tuesday January 15, 2002 11:53 AM
Updated: Wednesday January 16, 2002 9:22 PM
Boston College was one of the biggest surprises in college hoops last season. The Eagles came out of nowhere to go 27-5, win the Big East tournament and reach the Sweet 16. It was the kind of breakout year a program could really build on, especially considering the Eagles were returning their best player, Troy Bell, plus two other starters.
But instead of putting together a preconference schedule that would steel his team for the rigors of league play, fourth-year coach Al Skinner assembled a pudding-soft slate that included not a single squad ranked in the Top 25. It did, however, feature such traditional powerhouses as Boston University, New Hampshire and Robert Morris. So why should we be surprised that through last weekend BC was 2-2 in the Big East, including a 70-43 spanking by Georgetown on Saturday? As Eagles guard Ryan Sidney put it afterward: "I think getting smacked in the mouth actually opens your eyes. You're not playing the same teams you were playing in the preseason."
It never ceases to amaze me why a coach would want his team to rack up meaningless wins instead of learning valuable lessons against tough competition. For the second straight year Virginia also had a soft early schedule and now the Cavs are 1-2 in the ACC, including a loss to lowly Clemson. (In all fairness, Virginia was supposed to play Michigan State on Nov. 28 but the game was called off because of condensation on the court.) Ditto for Miami (15-2 overall, 2-2 Big East) and Stanford (9-4, 2-2 Pac-10). And I'm sure you didn't really think Pittsburgh was that good, did you?
On the other hand, the schools that make an annual habit of loading up tough foes -- Duke, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, Temple and UCLA jump to mind -- usually are better prepared for league play and more often than not prove to be a tough out in the NCAAs. And don't tell me those programs can only do that because they're established. Last season Georgia got into the NCAA tournament despite a 9-7 conference record because of Jim Harrick's tough early schedule. Following the same philosophy this year with non-conference games against Georgetown and Minnesota, Harrick now has his guys off to a 3-0 start in the SEC.
So if coaches want to follow the Al Skinner formula and act like weinies when they make their schedules, so be it. But they shouldn't be surprised when, come league play, their team gets cooked.
Other Hoop Thoughts ...
Why is it that television networks can't resist incessant chatter during games? First, ESPN gave us the in-game coach's interview, where a coach actually talks to commentators while play is going on. (I remember sitting behind the Alabama bench during a game when Mark Gottfried did this. As soon as the interview was over, Gottfried, looking to remove his earpiece, snapped at an assistant, "Get this $%@!! thing off me!") Fox has picked up on this tactic by conducting mind-numbing conversations with former players who are sitting in the stands. During the Oklahoma-Connecticut game, ESPN went so far as to talk to former UConn guard Richard Hamilton by phone. At least, I think it was Hamilton. The connection was so bad that for all I know, it could have been Christiane Amanpour calling from Kabul. Boys, boys, how about piping down and letting us, you know, watch the games?
This week's player-I'd-pay-to-see-even-though-I-get-in-for-free: Arkansas guard Brandon Dean.
Has Keith Bogans been spending too much time with Chuck Knoblauch lately? There are lots of theories as to why the Kentucky forward can't get out of a protracted shooting slump, but one SEC coach I talked to recently theorized that Bogans' confidence may have been irreparably harmed during his failed attempt at jumping to the NBA. This coach compared him to former Minnesota guard Voshon Lenard, one of the first players to take advantage of NCAA rules allowing players to test the waters and return to school. Lenard's productivity dropped considerably after he came back for his senior season.
I still think that come March, UConn will be the best team in the Big East.
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo's don't-blame-the-refs-blame-me statement following the loss to Wisconsin revealed to the public what most of us who cover the sport already knew -- namely, that Izzo is among the classiest, most down-to-earth guys in his profession.
In case you were wondering, Kansas is going to win the national championship.
The best news coming out of the ACC of late is that the three coaches who were supposed to be dead men walking -- Clemson's Larry Shyatt, N.C. State's Herb Sendek and Florida State's Steve Robinson -- have their clubs showing signs of life. College basketball needs more stand-up guys like these three, not fewer.
From the These Guys Will Try Anything Dept.: Because Indiana played 10 of its first 12 games away from Assembly Hall, Hoosiers coach Mike Davis had his starters practice in red jerseys instead of their usual whites because that's the color IU wears on the road.
As if his team's sputtering start isn't enough cause for worry, St. Joseph's coach Phil Martelli is getting a run for his money for having the most entertaining coach's television show in the nation, and it is coming from an unlikely source: Louisville's own Rick Pitino. The 30-minute program, co-hosted by Pitino buddy and local radio personality Terry Meiners, usually only features about 90 seconds of highlights, which this season has been followed by, among other things: a woman who eats fire, a magician and a 17-piece elementary school band. One week he showed a video of Cardinals guard Bryant Northern playing one-on-one against Sara Nord, who plays for Louisville's women's team. (Props to Lousville's scribe king, Rick Bozich, for passing along that nugget.)
Sports Illustrated staff writer Seth Davis covers college basketball for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.
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