Thad Matta, Befuddled.

The spin proffered through the Columbus media had surface appeal: Georgetown was just too good and too big; there was nothing Ohio State could've done to stop the Hoya juggernaut; the Bucks lost, but golly, what a great season. Here's a novel theory: Ohio State was outcoached.

Against Georgetown and throughout the season, when confronted with a tough defense, Ohio State struggled to find a decent shot. The culprit of this difficulty rests with Thad Matta's poor half-court offense and its inane reliance on quick 24 foot shots. As this past season progressed, as the sloppy three pointers turned into bricks, Ohio State was exposed by well-coached teams as an outfit baffled in the half-court. Out of time outs, they opted for impatient long distance shots, which more often than not missed their mark. When confronted with solid defense, inept and empty possessions became the norm.

So let's cut the sugarcoating. Ohio State didn't lose to Georgetown because they were outclassed by a more talented team. Ohio State lost to Georgetown because they were outcoached. As to Ohio State's future, it isn't as bright as everyone imagines. As long as Matta teaches his teams impatience, Ohio State will have a difficult time becoming a consistent contender. As the NCAA Tourney routinely demonstrates, if a team can't execute an offense, if a team can't get a good look when it needs a bucket...when it really needs a bucket...they'll have a rough time winning the big games.

All Tournament Stiff Team, 2006 Edition

The B10 Tourney 2006 is history, however, the performances by the following student-athletes and coaches will live in our collective memories but a few short moments. Painful to watch, these performances were eminently forgettable. So, here they are, the All Tournament Stiffs:

Head Coach Bill Carmody
Asst. Coach Tommy Amaker

1st team
Vedran Vukusic, NU
Ron Coleman, UM
Chris Hunter, UM
Kammron Taylor, WI
Ray Nixon, WI

2nd team
Tim Doyle, NU
Courtney Sims, UM
Robert Vaden, IU
Idong Ibok, MSU
Matt Sylvester, OSU



Finally, congratulations to the Iowa Hawkeyes and seniors Jeff Horner and Greg Brunner. Playing with a bum ankle, Brunner left everything on the court. No excuses from the Heartland. Brunner will be missed.

IU Job interview to Take Place in Indianapolis - Iowa and Ohio State.

There’s no need to rehash the basic facts of the past two days of Big Ten games. If you want to read about who won, shooting percentages, who scored how many points, turnovers, and what not, a plethora of news outlets fit that bill, including a few of the links to the right of this post. Take a gander and don't overlook the Ann Arbor News.

As Iowa progresses through the B10 Tourney, past Minnesota and then the Spartans on Saturday, Steve Alford should remember to send a thank you card to Jeff Horner. The senior from Mason City, Iowa has single-handedly kept Alford in the mix for the IU job, and for that, Alford is grateful. For Alford and the Hawkeyes, Brunner and Horner have been quite the security blanket, however, it's one which will be long gone next season. Thus, could the time may be right for Alford to pack his bags and call the movers. Indiana, beware...unless Steve’s dad is part of the deal, beware.

Well, as everyone in the universe now knows, the Ohio State men's basketball program will not be penalized with a post-season ban by the NCAA for violations committed during the tenure of former coach Jim O’Brien. While not unexpected, this decision almost clears up the uncertainty surrounding the future of the nation's top 2006 recruiting class. As is well known, Ohio State had agreed to let the high school players out of their commitment letters if Ohio State was given a post-season ban. What remains unclear, however, is, now that the Buskeyes do not face a post-season ban, (1) will Thad Matta stop hedging his bets, remove his name from consideration for the IU gig and publicy commit to Ohio State, and (2) if Matta does get an offer from IU and bolts, what will happen to that terrific recruiting class? Will Ohio State release them from their commitments? Not likely.

As to Matta’s purported interest in the IU job, unless he's pined for the job since Quinn Buckner and Scott May were chasing coeds around Bloomington, it doesn't compute. Not with the recruiting class; not with the enormous amount of money he makes; not with the wide latitude he has to run the program; and especially not with the hero worship Columbus would bestow upon him if he dropped to a knee and declared Columbus was his last stop. If he's dropping to a knee, Matta might as well put on a black baseball cap with a red Block O. That wouldn't hurt.

Here’s a question. On Friday Vincent Grier put in quite a performance but he just didn’t get the help from his teammates the Gophers needed to pull off an upset of Iowa. So, where was Spencer Tollackson? He contributed energy and passion in the victory against Michigan and the Gophers could’ve used some of that toughness against Iowa. There must be an underlying rationale for Monson to keep him on the bench. Or maybe Monson just forgot about him.

Tommy Amaker has to go. Could it be any more obvious? Whatever happens this afternoon with the NCCA Tourney selection, Michigan can no longer afford to be a passenger on this imminent train wreck. If Michigan was going to turn the corner, it was this season, with a talented senior class led by Daniel Horton. It hasn't happened. Next season, the picture is bleak in Ann Arbor: with Horton gone; with Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, among others, continuing to bury the Wolverines in recruiting battles; and with Michigan out-coached by every other team in the league, the University of Michigan has turned into a Big Ten footnote. And once Matt Painter gets the pipeline back up and running in West Lafayette (and he will), Michigan will be battling Northwestern for the bottom of the conference. That’s reality. Michigan should be battling Northwestern in the law school rankings, not for the cellar of the basketball standings. If Gene Keady ever had the players Amaker had this season, he’d contend for a National Title. Michigan AD, Bill Martin: take a cue from Missouri and get rid of the Coach K pretender now.

Finally, memo to Jim Delaney, Commissioner of the Big Ten. If you have any clout, throw it around and demand CBS send two announcers to the B10 Tourney who actually know something about (1) basketball (Jim Nance) and (2) Big Ten basketball in particular (Billy Packer). Packer is an ACC relic and Nance is more interested in his new Big Bertha driver than basketball. Commissioner Delaney, protect the integrity of the league and get rid of these two imposters. Through these two characters, CBS maligns the reputation and character of the Big Ten Conference to a national audience. As Commissioner, you can do better, much better.

I'm bummed to be 708 miles from the sounds of squeaking sneakers, St. Elmo's steaks, and Big Ten mascots. But this afternoon, I did watching some Big Ten basketball with Gabe here in Gotham, my massage chair and plentiful supply of seltzer water at the ready. Maybe I didn't mention it, I love Big Ten hoop.

I know ManKitten has a few things to say about the Northwestern - Penn State game so take a look at his missive below.

Minnesota - Michigan. Northwestern Alumnus Brent Musburger reported this afternoon that he was assured by Michigan Athletic Director Bill Martin that Tommy Amaker's job is safe even if the Maize and Blue play in the NIT. Martin even said that he'd be gone before Amaker. Just wondering what Tommy Amaker has done to engender such blind courage. Has Martin witnessed the utter collapses by Amaker's teams the past two seasons? Did he watch this afternoon's game against Minnesota? The Golden Gophers couldn't have played worse in the first half. Rather than playing like a team actually playing for something (the NCAA for instance), Michigan couldn't muster the fortitude to play hard, smart, disciplined basketball for 40 minutes. Bad offensive sets, sloopy with the ball, quick shots. Sound familiar? When is enough enough for Michigan? Let's see what Nate Fenno has to say in tomorrow's Ann Arbor News.

Matt Painter had his team as ready as they could have been to play Michigan State. They played hard, they hung tough, they didn't quit, they earned respect. Neitzel played well and thus, so did Michigan State. The Spartans looked in rhythm today and that means tomorrow night's game against the Illini will be fun.

Looking forward to Day Two.

Thad Matta Will Accept Indiana Head Coaching Job.

In an interview this afternoon with ESPN sideline reporter Erin Andrews, Thad Matta offered little solace to Ohio State fans by saying through his silence he would accept an offer to become the next head basketball coach at Indiana University. When asked to comment on his much rumored interest in the IU job, Matta demurred, stating he was flattered, mumbling when saying that he'll assess all matters at the end of the season, and, finally, claiming he was contractually prohibited from saying anything further. Even though he's being paid an enormous salary by Ohio State for services as its head coach, even though five of the finest recruits in the United States have committed to Ohio State to play for him, even though he coaches a Big Ten Championship team that possesses the finest facilities in the Big Ten, Matta couldn't muster anything resembling an endorsement let alone a statement of loyalty to or pride in Ohio State. At his stops along the coaching highway, Matta has pushed the right buttons. But loyalty has, so far, not become a factor in his decision calculus.

Matta told Andrews that he was contractually prohibited from answering any questions. Well, that begs the question, "contractually prohibited" from what? Well, from saying he wanted IU job. Whether he wants the IU job or not, Matta could certainly have said "I love coaching at Ohio State." He didn't say that. If he doesn't want the IU job, he's definitely not contractually prohibited from saying "I love Ohio State and I have no intention on leaving anytime soon. We've just won a Big Ten Championship and I see a few more on the horizon." He certainly could've said that. He didn't. He didn't even say he liked Ohio State. The impression he left was one reminiscent of Lon Kruger, Bill Self and other coaching hit men.

If Matta is indeed the carpetbagger some have suggested, jitterbugging from one job to another, Butler to Xavier to Ohio State to Indiana, then let him go. Cut him loose and move on. Find someone loyal, cast from the same iron as Tom Izzo, Bo Ryan, Gene Keady, Bruce Weber. Find someone who really wants to coach Ohio State. With near unlimited resources, Ohio State is a destination job, not a drive through teller where a coach fills up his bank account on the way to the next ATM. If Matta prefers to live in Bloomington, fine with me.

Perhaps Matta's hedging his bets on the eve of the NCAA's decision on whether to penalize Ohio State for various allegations of rules violations. Maybe. If the program is sanctioned, not only would that stink, but Matta would bolt. But even if he is hedging, it'd be nice for Matta to publicly recognize and express some appreciation for the Big Ten job he currently holds, the one at Ohio State.

I hope I'm just the cynic people I am. If Matta is the coaching genius talking heads say he is, I'd love for him to bury all job offers, from the IU speculation this season to every other job for the next twenty years. Ohio State needs another Fred Taylor, a great coach in Columbus for the long haul. But I'm skeptical. From his stammering on air this afternoon to his equivocation on the IU job, it seems clear enough, he's asking for an offer from Indiana. And if he gets that offer, which is no sure thing, don't be surprised when he's leading the candy strips out of the locker room.

My name is Gabe and I'm in love. With a lovely lady named Betsy, my son Karl, his sibling in-the-works, Leroy or Rae depending on outie or inny, Roman espresso, slow-cooked cinghiale, the prose stylings of Padgett Powell, the cinema of the late, great Stanley K, Schlitz draught and syncopation at the Green Mill, watching the chemical sunset over Gary, Indiana on a chaise lounge in front of the Greyhound bus terminal, Chinese checkers and mole poblano. These are but a poo-poo platter.

But, every year from January through March, there is another love that takes hold of me and won't let go. It is my Brokeback Mountain, my Lolita, my private dancer. My sin, my soul, she is Big 10 hoops.

As a resident of Gotham, my Big 10 fixes are mostly virtual: print media, internet, TV. The best decision I've made since switching to organic peanut butter was subscribing to ESPN Full Court. No longer am I hostaged to the inferior brands of basketball being perpetrated in the Big East and the ACC. I get my Big 10 five nights a week. Glorious. I don't have to listen to Dick Vitale and Mike Patrick perform aural sex acts on the Duke Blue Devils. Praise Jobu. Instead I get a Steve Lavin, a Shon Morris, or a Mike Kelley, sports broadcasters who aren't mere show ponies and dilettantes, guys who actually know their subject matter and aren't getting all their intelligence from the AP wire and mob opinion. Testify.

Enough screed. On the eve of the Big Tens, here are a few takes on things past and to come:

1. Buckeyes: Heck of a season. Matta is a peerless motivator. A case study in getting college athletes to believe and overachieve. His kids played hard every night on both ends of the floor and won five roadies in a conference where the road was poison. The improvement in shooting with this team alone has earned Matta Coach of the Year. Dials, Foster, and Sullinger are everything I love about the Big 10. Guys who got better every year, and are reaping the benefits as seniors. I relish watching the Bucks ride a 2-seed in the Memphis bracket to an Elite 8 or better.

FYI, Oden is large and talented, but he won't lead the Bucks to the title in one year. And he's sure to bail after one in Columbus. So the key to this class are the other guys, Conley, Cook, Lighty. They are the future of the program and by the time they are sophs and juniors, watch out.

2. Illinois. Roy Williams coach of the year? Laughable. He gets nothing but McD All-Americans every year and we celebrate his team's overachievement? How about Bruce Weber? He loses Head, Williams, and Powell and the Illini have only five losses and finish runner-up in the toughest conference in the nation. Sure, he has blue chippers like Brown and Augustine, but what makes the Illini tick is what Weber gets out of his support personnel--McBride, Arnold, Randle, the frosh Smith and Frazier, Jack Ingram last year. And Weber's motion and team defense are so sound, so well coached. I see the Illini taking the B10 tournament this weekend and returning to Indy for the Final 4. They are peaking at the right time.

3. Iowa. Again, let's salute the seniors. Brunner, Horner, and Hanson had banner years. If you were to make a Big 10 prototype it would be Brunner. Under the radar recruit, tweener, not super athletic, but that kid has the heart of a lion and plays one of the craftiest, smartest, and most effective post games in the country. Watch Greg without the ball and enjoy the clinic. I will miss him. I’m not a huge Alford stalwart, but he did get his kids to play better defense than I’ve ever seen from an Iowa team and that, along with the seniors and Haluska, got it done. They will, as always, be tough in the BTT. I see them in the Sweet Sixteen, but no more.

Caveat Emptor Indiana—Do you really want Alford? Think hard about it.

4. Wisconsin. Bo Ryan is another of the conference’s coaching lions. And like Weber he will be here until he retires—so much more refreshing than carpetbaggers like Bill Self who are always pimping themselves for the next job or the NBA. The loss of Landry and Steimsma really impacted the Badger depth. Tucker is fabulous, but without another step-up scorer, you stop Alando, you stop the Badgers. Taylor and Butch have been inconsistent. Krabbenhoft is going to be very good, but he’s a frosh. Anyone miss Mike Wilkinson? I do and so does Bo Ryan. He gave the Badgers the inside/outside balance they are sorely missing this season. Nonetheless, do you want to play Wisconsin in the Dance? No. They are too well coached to ever overlook. And watch out for the Badgers next season. They should be conference favorites.

5. Indiana. After Davis’s hiatus a couple weeks ago, the Hoosiers are playing more inspired basketball. But, about that hiatus. Davis took a destination job at a state U where basketball is a religion. And he took a pooh on it. He has the audacity to badmouth the fans at IU? Blames them for having high expectations? Uh, Mike? You are the coach at Indiana University, a temple of the game, hollowed ground, and you have a state full of knowledgeable, passionate fans who love the game and love the way it has been played at IU for decades—at a very high level with great class and featuring some of the state’s finest schoolboys. In a lame effort to deflect criticism, you blame the fans? Shame on you and good riddance. Let’s get a coach to restore IU to its former glory. Remember when the Hoosiers ran onto the floor in those candystripes and it gave you goosebumps? Remember guys like Brian Evans, Matt Nover, Joe Hillman? Imagine a team with 10 Errek Suhr types picking, floor burning, making plays, hitting shots, playing like they gave a damn. Oh, right, that’s what Indiana before Davis was all about. Now it’s baggie shorts and woofing and players who underachieve. Sounds like the NBA you’ve been pining for all these years. Mike, you are an NBA assistant coach. That’s your destiny. Enjoy.

6. Michigan State. State is a wounded animal. Which is an animal you should give wide berth. Before anyone starts grave dancing on Izzo’s bunch, realize they played the toughest conference slate (all six of the top teams twice) and lost their biggest intangibles guy in Trannon during the key last weeks of the B10 race. Trannon did the dirty work that simply wins games, and he provided key depth for a team with a young bench. He was missed. While I am not bull on Neitzel, I am not going to assign too much blame to him either. Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t he the starting point for their Final 4 team last year? I am quicker to criticize the leadership of the seniors, Davis and, especially, Ager. Both have been woefully inconsistent. You look at their key losses, Ager and Davis have simply not shown up as senior studs should. And it isn’t merely about scoring. It’s about leading by example, playing with the kind of sustained intensity that Izzo teams are all about—rebounding, defense, guts. Remember Kelvin Torbert’s toughness last year? That is what I mean by an Izzo senior leading by example. Ager and Davis have a few weeks to prove what I still believe. MSU is a Final 4 caliber team. Look for them to get loose in the bracket. Like a mustang.

7. Michigan. If Horton goes off or everyone else shoots 60%, the Wolverines can win games. Otherwise, count on them to play about ten levels beneath their talent, take horrible shots five seconds into the shot clock, and play bullfighter defense. Amaker is a mockery and I’m not talking about his turtlenecks. Even with the injuries and behavioral layoffs of this year and last, he has as much talent as any of the top teams in the conference. Give his bunch to Ed DeChellis and this team would be vying for a conference title. Under Tommy Boy they limp to .500. The Wolverines will backdoor the Dance and lose to a mid-major.

8. Penn State. Ed DeChellis is great coach. What he did with this squad is admirable. They never quit and won some huge games. I hope Happy Valley stays patient with him and gives him a chance. If he can continue to draw studs like Cornley and Claxton and find solid role players like Luber stateside, the Lions are going to continue to be a very tough out. This is an NIT squad that could make a run to MSG.

9. Northwestern. Carmody’s team isn’t good for the heart. No game is easy for his undermanned bunch, but by golly, most of their games, even against the conference heavies, come down to the last five minutes. The wins over Iowa and Wisky were something to behold. They had the Buckeyes on the ropes, but let it slip away. I think Carmody’s system is perfect for NU. It’s just a matter of bringing in higher quality talent. Craig Moore and Sterling Williams are the right direction. His class for next year is promising. Imagine NU with three or four good shooters on the floor at all times and a competent biggie. This year it was two shooters if they were lucky (Vukusic and Moore) and an incompetent biggie (Vince Scott) or no biggie at all. If David Booker, a schoolboy stud from Mississippi commits, look for NU to be a nice surprise next year.

The Cats need to beat Penn State to get an NIT nod. Can they do it? Yes they can. And I would love to see the Cats confound some teams in the NIT, maybe even pull off a little run.

10. Minny. Monson is a likeable guy and I’m generally favorable, but I don’t like the way he hands the keys to his program over to narcissistic ball hogs. First it was Kris Humphries, now its Grier. The team game suffers. Maybe Aaron Robinson was the distributor they sorely miss this year. Whatever the case, they still play very hard and if they get everybody involved, are difficult to put away. Look for them to upset Amaker tomorrow.

11. Purdue. The Boiler faithful should be optimistic. With Painter at the helm this program will rise like a phoenix from this momentary blip and will be a perennial contender for league crowns and the postseason. The Keady routine in other words. They will be top five in the league next year. Landry anybody?

Closure on Jim O'Brien

As we approach tip off for the Big Ten Tourney, I'm reminded of my irritation at Ohio State for the hatchet job it performed on Jim O'Brien two years ago. The unilateral termination of O'Brien is generally old news. However, as Ohio State begins the conference tournament awaiting NCAA's announcement on the various transgressions at Ohio State under O'Brien and AD Andy Geiger (related primarily to Boban Savovic and his inability to goto class), the misinformation emmanating from Columbus intended to malign O'Brien has gone on too long.

My frustration here has little to do with Thad Matta. He's has done a pretty nice job of getting the Buckeyes ready to play all season. A regular season Big Championship is hard-earned and well-deserved. No one will say Matta hasn't extracted everything he can out of his players. The team plays hard. They play to their strengths. They never quit. Take a look at the LSU game if you need an example. With the exception of his inexplicable decision to continue giving substantial minutes to Matt Sylvester, a defensive liability and an offensive genius in his own mind, Matta has made sound calls all season. However, as a lifelong Ohio State fan, I cringe when I see Matta orient his offense around quick three pointers. The Iowa and Indiana games serve as reminders that a three pointer is easier to make in minute 17 as opposed to minute 38, when the game hangs in the balance.

But this isn't about Matta. Ohio State hung O'Brien out to dry. And it irritates me when I hear Matta taking a role in Ohio State's vilification of its ex-coach. Hearing Matta repeat the mantra that he's rebuilding the program is more than a little disingenuous. First, the key players on this team, with the exception of Ron Lewis, are O'Brien's players. O'Brien inherited a truly horrible Randy Ayers team; Matta inherited a team that won 20 games. I don't remember O'Brien bad mouthing the condition of the program when he took over for the inept Randy Ayers. Second, O'Brien is a very good coach. Not only does he set up some of the finest offensive sets out of timeouts, in a short period of time, O'Brien won two Big Ten Titles and went to one Final Four.

Most importantly, let's just be honest and view the O'Brien firing for what it was: a rush to judgment by a university administration intent on protecting itself. An administration trying to head off a full blown investigation by the NCAA at the pass. An effort to deflect further public scrutiny of the football program in the wake of Maurice Clarett. For goodness sake, Ohio State never even asked O'Brien to explain the facts related to the check given to the Croatian player. If they did, they would've known it may have been bad judgment but not a rules violation and they would have known that the kid paid him back. When O'Brien loaned the kid the money to bury his father, O'Brien already determined he wasn't eligible to play college basketball because the Croatian already played professionally.

So, Coach Matta's refrain of rebuilding a poor program (as stated throughout the season on the Big Ten Teleconferences) strikes me as self-serving and rings of piety. Lowering expectations for Ohio State, when they needn't be lowered, is lame. Matta's done a great job this year; there's just no need for him to kick dirt on O'Brien.

I'm experiencing a sense of calm. I see blue skies, not gray. My chest is phlegm free.gm. I hear Josh Rouse on my stereo. I see a refrigerator full of maple yogurt and Guinness. Best of all, it's almost time to sit on my arse all day and watch hoop. Can't wait.

Eleven Minor Points on the Eve of the Big Ten Tourney.

This past January, after some hot chocolate with a fellow, displaced Midwesterner, I silently resolved to set up a forum on one of my passions, Big Ten hoops. In the meantime, I produced a male heir who now possesses the rights to my 1975 Thurman Munson baseball card among other items stashed in my secret Puma shoebox. I spent several days trying to figure out how to set up a wireless network in my house. I started my own law firm. I watched ESPN Fullcourt. A lot. Maybe too much. Now, with too little Big Ten hoop left, I thought again. Today, no think, action!

So, here I am, 708 miles from Indianapolis, on the eve of the Big Ten Tournament, and I'm excited. For the past several years, my great friend Gabe Elsaw and I have traveled to Indianapolis or Chicago to catch as much hoop as possible in four days. These are some great memories. I suggest to anyone who hasn't made it to the Big Ten Tourney, get there. I have a preference for Chicago as the nightlife is considerably better and the dinners, sponsored by Grand Dame Elsaw, are priceless. As for watching the basketball games, Conseco kicks the tar out of the United Center. A special thanks to Dieter Elsaw for consistently coming through with great tickets through high profile connections at Northwestern. Regrettably, this year I'm grounded on the East Coast. Enough, here come eleven minor observations on the Big Ten.

1. Dan Monson will have the Golden Gophers ready to play on Thursday. Minnesota confounds me a bit. Doesn't it seem they should be much better than they are? The Golden Gophers have enough talented veterans with Grier, Hargrow and Boone to overcome the lack of a solid, true point guard. But, as most observers of the Big Ten know well, a talented point guard will win you games and, at the worst, keep you close. On Thursday, if Spencer Tollackson plays hard, the Big Blue fans who made the trip to Indy may be selling their tix real cheap on the Conseco Fieldhouse sidewalk. Anyway, Minnesota should play hard, and that may be enough.

2. I see Michigan overlooking Minnesota. During his jagged tenure at Michigan, Tommy Amaker has failed to impress me. Despite his pedigree, he's not a coaches' coach. His teams break down much to quickly on offense; they consistently chuck up ill-advised, quick shots; and most importantly, they play poor, lazy defense. Bad offensive scheme, bad defense. As if these problems aren't enough to turn your bile, the outstanding sports journalist Nathan Fenno of the Ann Arbor News has repeatedly extracted throughout the season Coach Amaker's penchent for making excuses. Making excuses for his team's failures rather than acknowledging his and his team's weaknesses. If I'm a Michigan fan, and I'm not, I'm disappointed in how Coach Amaker's teams play. It seems Michigan has, for some reason, given Coach Amaker a very long leash. Notwithstanding the abysmal record of the characters discarded at Seton Hall and the fact that Michigan has consistently underachieved, Amaker's well-constructed image (sans mock turtlenecks) remains umblemished.

Anyway, beating any team in the Big Ten twice in a season is tough. Three times is real tough. I think Minnesota will hand it to Coach Amaker and his Michigan squad on Thursday. This is a must win for Michigan and they should treat it that way. We'll see if they show up or if they go through the motions. For the league's sake, I hope they show up. If they make it the Tourney as a 8/9 seed, they could cause trouble for a number 1, particularly a number 1 from the ACC. But, if they go through the motions, get ready for the excuses from Coach Amaker.

3. Can Coach Izzo and Michigan State get their act together, find some momentum, and make a run to the final on Sunday? Clearly, Michigan State is talented and well-coached. To me, Neitzel is the key to the team. If he plays well, the Spartans play well. Although he's played in so many big games for someone who's only a sophomore, he still has trouble when faced with tough on the ball pressure. Anyway, wouldn't it be nice to see the Spartans in Duke's bracket? Like Coach Amaker, I can already hear the chanting excuses. In fact, ESPN is already muttering JJ is emotionally tired and Duke is overachieving. Huh? Seriously, how can any team filled with the pick of crop be considered overachievers? My mouth is foaming. Ah, anyway, I hope Paul Davis, Shannon Brown and especially Maurice Ager, get on the same page, play hard and play up to their potential. If they do, it'll be fun to watch.

4. How can the Big Ten Champion not be a #1 seed in the NCAA Tourney? Memphis? Gonzaga? George Washington? Is GW better than Ohio State or Illinois? Get serious. Ohio State has had a great conference run to the regular season title, however, duplicating that run in Indianapolis will be tough. I love Ohio State, but the reality is, in the Big Ten, any team can beat you, and I see Ohio State getting beat. As for the NCAA Tourney, wherever they put the Big Ten Champ, it won't matter. Sweet revenge will come in April.

5. What's the difference between Villanova and Ohio State. Terence Dials.

6. I think Indiana's jig is up. Unless Erick Suhr plays big minutes, they lose on Friday. Wisconsin isn't playing well right now, but Bo Ryan can coach. Too bad Mike Davis blew off at least two games this season. Not showing up for the Iowa game, at Bloomington, was insane. Lying about the reason was outrageous. Following that lack of professionalism with a loss to Penn State was inexcusable. When Davis quit on his team in exchange for a huge payout, the AD should have shown him the door, much the same way Bo Schembechler did to Bill Frieder in 1989. You remember what Michigan did after that.

7. I love watching Gregg Brunner play. He always plays hard. And he's good. If Horner can shot, Iowa will be tough to beat, in the Big Ten Tourney and beyond. However, with all the loses starting to add up, I'm not convinced Steve Alford is a good coach, let alone a great one. Coach Alford has enough senior leadership, let's see what he does with it.

8. Enjoy Vedran Vukusic in his Big Ten swan song. Through numerous injuries and his poor body language, he's had a great career at Northwestern. I can't help but wonder what could've been if he had a pure shooter along side him. You know, for some reason, Coach Carmody has a tough time getting players to come to Northwestern. Craig Moore looks like a good player and I think Sterling Williams will be a solid. For Northwestern fans, I hope these two develop better than Mo Hachad or TJ Parker. As for next year, it'd be great if Jeff Ryan plays well as his success could have a trickle down effect with other talented Chicagoland players. With all their shortcomings, however, Northwestern is never an easy win. Ask Iowa and Wisconsin. I want Coach Carmody to succeed and I hope Northwestern gives him more time. I hope he gives Northwestern more time. It'd be great for the conference. But, as for the Big Ten Tourney, they've got a tough matchup with Penn State.

9. If you're an Illini fan, aren't you thankful Lon Kruger and Bill Self bolted? Coach Weber is a terrific coach and he's in Champaign to stay. His teams play hard, disciplined basketball. He'll win a national championship before he's done. I'm not an Illini fan, but I can't help but cheer for that team because I respect Weber. He's got some great coaching pedigree, the great Mean Gene Keady.

10. Penn State, stick with Ed DeChellis. He's gotten more from this Lions team than anyone would have ever expected. A coaches' coach. A win on Thursday and they should be in the NIT, which is a great accomplishment. Give him another player or two and make plans to watch them in the 2007 NCAA Tourney.

11. Matt Painter was a great hire at Purdue. Like Bruce Weber, Bo Ryan and Tom Izzo, Painter is no carpetbagger. Indiana, take a hint: Purdue was his dream job and he's there for the long haul. The screw up in Bloomington with Mike Davis gives Painter a huge opportunity to bury the Hooisers in the recruiting battle for the next two seasons. That may be enough, with the addition of Carl Landry next season, to get Purdue back where it belongs, eating strawberries and drinking from fine crystal.

Coming this weekend, among other essential matters, an interview with Bo Ryan's hair stylist and selections to the all-stiff Big Ten Tournament Team.