Amazing comeback today by No. 1 ranked Arizona, coming from 20 points down in the first half to stun Kansas, 91-74, in Lawrence. The Wildcats outscored their opponents, 67 to 30 over the last twenty-five minutes. Salim Stoudamire emerged from the doghouse to score 32 points. The Jayhawks, losers to Colorado during the week, will almost certainly nosedive from their No. 6 ranking when next week's polls come out.
Condredge's Acolytes
An outsider look at college sports
Saturday, January 25, 2003
Tuesday, January 21, 2003
Remember, this is a collaborative effort. If you have anything you'd like to post about a region or conference, this is the place to go. Anyone who wishes to contribute this site should e-mail me, and I will hook you in.
Perhaps the most unexpected story of the season to date has been the turnaround by Michigan. Starting three freshman, and seeming on the verge of a total meltdown after starting the season 0-6, the Wolverines have now won eleven straight, including Saturday's 77-70 victory at Northwestern, and stand atop the Big-10 with a 4-0 record. Of course, none of this will matter in the end, since Michigan is on a self-imposed probation from the Ed Martin scandal, but it does serve notice that the Maize and Blue is back.
Thursday, January 16, 2003
CAL is 4-0 in conference for the first time in over 40 years after a victory tonight in Seattle. The surprising Bears are one of the few bright spots in what has been a disappointing year for the Pac-10, with UCLA plumetting out of contention and Oregon suddenly proving unable to win away from MacArthur Court. With Jamal Sampson turning pro after an unspectacular freshman season, and Shantay "Microdot" Legans transferring to Fresno State on the eve of the season, this was not expected to be an eventful year for CAL, but an impressive power forward from Jerusalem, Amit Tamir, has proven to be one of the dominating players in the conference, as well as a possessor of one of the sweetest touches in college basketball.
Sunday, January 12, 2003
Lord, what an awful performance. In spite of the excuses coming out of Westwood, UCLA is not devoid of talent. Ray Young, Jason Kopono, TJ Cummings: each one was among the most hotly pursued recruits in the country when they came out of high school. The Bruins would be ranked if Henry Bibby or Ben Braun (or even Jim Harrick) was the coach; they would be near the top of the polls if Rick Pitino was coaching. Right now, the program is not merely struggling; it's moribund. With Pauley Pavillion half-full, and with the certainty that even a late-season rally will not be enough to get the Bruins into the NCAA tournament, Steve Lavin has suddenly joined the walking dead.
Monday, January 06, 2003
As of today, this site is going to be devoted to college basketball. Anyone who wishes to contribute should e-mail me, and I will set you up.
Saturday, January 04, 2003
Ohio State 31, Miami 24 [2OT]: One for the ages. In a game that resembled the 1986 World Series more than anything, the Buckeyes blew a 10 point fourth quarter lead, than converted two fourth-and-the-season plays in the first OT to win the Fiesta Bowl and the undisputed national title. Teams like the Hurricanes, USC, Oklahoma and Georgia could all claim that they were better on paper, and perhaps the Trojans were playing like the best team at the end of the year, but no one can deny that Ohio State deserved its championship.
Update: Great stream-of-consciousness posting by Scoobie Davis, on why the Buckeyes' win was a win for America. I would point out to him, however, that Ohio was an undisputed Red state, whilst Florida would have been in the Gore column had the votes been counted fairly.
Friday, January 03, 2003
USC 38, Iowa 17: Well, the Pac-10 won the real Rose Bowl this year, even if it was played in Miami. The Trojans moved the ball at will in the second half, the Hawkeyes, not at all, as USC blew out the Big-10 co-champions in the Orange Bowl, thereby winning its first game ever in the state of Florida.
Wednesday, January 01, 2003
Oklahoma 34, Wazzou 14: Damn, if the Pac-10 don't suck this year. Pending tomorrow's game in Miami, the conference is 1-5 so far after the Cougars' humiliating loss at the Rose Bowl. The Big 10 is 4-1, with its two conference champions still to play.