Final Four Blog’s Year in Review
Even though you’re probably sick of them by now, get ready for another Year in Review, Final Four Blog-style! 2007 was another great year to be a college hoops fan, and since this is the last day of the year, it’s time to sit back and reflect on a whole 365 day’s-worth of great news stories. What were the best college basketball moments of 2007? Many people have their opinions, but here are a few that stuck out from the rest, according to this blog.
—Duke-North Carolina: The rivalry isn’t what it used to be, but there was plenty of bad blood this past year—Psycho T’s blood to be exact. After a hard foul, Tyler Hansbrough was left bloodied and face-masked, one of the most enduring images of college hoops in 2007.
—Xavier-Ohio State; VCU-Duke: If you were a Buckeye fan or a casual observer in 2007, these two games were probably your favorite of the year. You can’t beat last-second game-winners like these dandies.
— Florida wins… Again: The Gators won their second consecutive national championship game behind the efforts of a slew of NBA draft picks and an almost-future NBA coach, Billy Donovan. Billy’s overnight stint with the Magic almost deserves its own bullet point here.
2008 should be another stellar year here at the Final Four Blog. We would like to wish you all a Happy New Years. Be safe out there tonight, and make sure to check out StubHub.com for the latest and greatest NCAA basketball tickets.
Coach Knight Back in the Final Four Blog
It’s Funny Friday at the Final Four Blog, so you know what that means: Bob Knight news. You might remember that Texas Tech coach Bobby Knight was earlier involved in a bloggers’ dream- a quail shooting incident that left one rancher with a barn full of buckshot, and the college basketball world with a nice story to discuss at the water cooler. This week there’s a pretty boring story about Knight, but the guy just simply demands some attention in the blogosphere whenever he’s making the news. Knight was apparently reprimanded by the Big 12 for comments he made about the officiating in a game that the Texas Tech Red Raiders played against the New Mexico Lobos a few weeks back. Knight thought that a buzzer-beating basket shouldn’t have counted, and said so in no uncertain terms. That’s the story. You can read all about it at CBSsportsline.com.
As far as Bobby Knight news goes, this one is pretty tame. Knight will probably be making more regular appearances in this blog as the games get more intense, but for now, you loyal readers will have to settle for this. Hope you all have some tickets for a few games this weekend. There are a lot of good ones to attend, so get ‘em while they’re hot!
To get NCAA basketball tickets, go to StubHub.com.
Final Four Blog Checks in with the NBA Rookies
Even though it might seem a little but unconventional, the Final Four Blog will turn its gaze from the world of college hoops to the world on NBA basketball. It seems like only yesterday the FFB (Final Four Blog) was sending off one of the most promising group of future NBA stars since sliced bread. Oden, Durant, Yi, Hortford… there were a lot of guys coming into the NBA (though not all of them from the NCAA) that looked like they would be hits. However, as Tony Mejia of CBSsportsline.com explains, there have been way more busts than hits, considering the considerable hype that went along with the class of ’07.
You have to give the Class of 2007 an incomplete, if anything. Remember that probably the most polished player besides Al Hortford coming into the NBA was supposed to be Greg Oden, who hasn’t played in one official NBA game yet. If he enters the league next season and immediately puts up 18 points, 9 rebounds per night, the general consensus on the Class of ’07 will be a bit more positive. Durant is already a lock for Rookie of the Year, mostly because the players from Florida haven’t been absolutely outstanding in their NBA debuts. You have to remember that sometimes an undersized, overactive, flamboyant forward/center who plays on the nation’s best college team might not need to be taken in the top 10. Maybe the expectations for this class should have been lower. Or maybe we just need to give Oden a chance and the rest of the players a little more time.
To get NCAA basketball tickets, go to StubHub.com.
Andy Katz Dominates the Final Four Blog Today
If you like the coverage that ESPN does with college hoops, then you’re more than adequately introduced to the sports writer known as Andy Katz. You can disagree with this guy sometimes, but you can’t fault him for being one of the best in the business of covering college hoops. That’s why he is going to be the Friday Final Four Blog All-Star Selection, First Team. The first article of Katz’s you should check out is his analysis of Pittsburgh’s win over Duke. It was a great game to watch on TV, but if you know the story behind it, it was even better.
The next story you ought to read today is about the new coaching regulations. Well, I should clarify. Most of the regulations that are now being enforced more strictly have been in place for years, but no ref has ever bothered to follow them closely. Refs allowing college coaches to sneak up the court and onto the playing surface has been like the NBA with the double dribble rule. The league noticed that the situation was getting to be too …unruly… so they are making an effort to crack down. College basketball bloggers like the rule because it makes things just a little bit more interesting, and it’s sure to cause more controversy as the games get more intense and the coaches get more furious.
To get NCAA basketball tickets, go to StubHub.com.
UNC, Memphis Still In Control of 1,2
The Tar Heels won last night thanks to the return of their powerful big man, and the Memphis Tigers moved to 9-0 after keeping Cincinnati around for much too long. The Number 1 and Number 2 teams in the nation are rolling along undefeated while the nation watches for any signs of weakens. It comes with the territory when you are the best in the nation. That’s why UNC will get the top headlines for merely beating Nicholls State by ten points. It’s also why Memphis can lead Cincy all through the second half and get criticized for not burying their opponent.
In the case of the Tar Heels, the college basketball world was watching to see if the team’s most popular star, Tyler “Psycho-T” Hansbrough, would have any ill effects after getting a concussion in his last game. Instead he had a game-high 27 points and 11 rebounds. Cincinnati actually has a pretty strong team, so it was surprising to see the tone of the articles about Memphis, considering they were in control of the game almost the whole time. The Tigers are now undefeated through nine games, the first time that has happened in over a decade.
To get NCAA basketball tickets, go to StubHub.com.
Not So Lucky in Kentucky
Are you a fan of the Kentucky Wildcats basketball team? If so, then the Final Four Blog would like to send you its deepest apologies. The Wildcats are struggling right now, and it’s no secret. The whole nation is being kept abreast of the current slide that the Wildcats are suffering through right now, a losing streak that has just become four games deep. As you are well aware, Kentucky is the winningest college basketball program in the history of the NCAA, so when they aren’t on their game, people notice.
Kentucky’s latest loss was to Houston, a 69-83 frustrating debacle last night. Of course, the article about the game at SportsIllustrated.com points out that the famous Rick Pitino also lost four straight games in his first season at Kentucky… and things kind of worked out for the program after that. So Wildcats fans and Coach Gillispie, if you are reading this: Don’t give up hope yet. There are a lot more games this season- plenty of time to redeem some early missteps. A few big wins in the SEC down the stretch and these losses will disappear from the collective college basketball memory.
To get NCAA basketball tickets, go to StubHub.com.
Gonzaga Getting Back to Full Strength
Gonzaga is getting back to full strength. A few weeks ago the Final Four Blog brought you a story about how two of their best players were going to go under the knife due to injuries. Well, the Zags got one of them back last night in their win over Northern Colorado. Steven Gray is now in the Bulldogs’ lineup after missing the first ten games of the season. Gray added 12 points off the bench. Although he might be a little rusty after fracturing his wrist, everyone in attendance was glad to see the guy back on the floor. He should be golden come March.
Northern Colorado wasn’t much of a contender in the game, but it was remarkable because Gonzaga looks good right now, they are gaining momentum, and with finals and Winter Break there aren’t as many games going on at the moment. Gonzaga is now 9-2 overall, but they have a competitor who has shown up in the West Coast Conference. Saint Mary’s recently made it into the AP Top 25 Poll, so they are on the national radar. You should be concerned if you are a Gonzaga fan. However, history is on your side. It will probably turn out that Gonzaga puts together a nice enough resume to get to the Tournament despite not winning the conference.
To get NCAA basketball tickets, go to StubHub.com.
North Carolina Wins, but Psycho-T Out with Concussion
The North Carolina Tar Heels remained in their spot in the latest AP top 25 Poll, as did every other top 10 team in the country. The No. 1 Heels soundly defeated the Rutgers Scarlet Knights over the weekend. If you got tickets to see the game, you know that it was a dominating performance by UNC. The Heels got the lead early and then never relinquished it, even despite a late run by the Knights. The most noteworthy part of the game was the absence of Tyler Hansbrough late in the game. Psycho-T was forced to leave early after a collision with a camera man on the sidelines. Apparently he received a small concussion but he is expected to return to action for the Tar Heels very soon.
The Heels breezed by Rutgers behind a game-high 26 points by guard Ty Lawson. Next up for UNC is Nicholls State on Wednesday night. The game will be played at UNC, so the stadium should be packed. If you thought that North Carolina had an easy time with a team like Rutgers on the road, you have another thing coming when you see this one. You ought to expect a big win here for North Carolina, but it will do little to solidify their position in the No. 1 spot.
To get NCAA basketball tickets, go to StubHub.com.
College Basketball Games this Weekend
The weekend is almost here, so you might as well be planning out your college basketball viewing itinerary. Tonight there aren’t many great games to watch or get tickets to, but Saturday and Sunday are a different stories altogether. If you check out the scoreboard at CBSSportsline.com, you’ll see what I’m talking about. The best game tonight looks like #23 Villanova versus Hartford. Nova will have to get a win here or risk being kicked out of the AP Top 25 Poll.
On Saturday the list of games taking place around the country is impressive. You’ll need a few full rolls with your mouse scroller to get to the bottom. If you don’t have tickets to a game near you, I suggest you get some fast. Some of the games that the Final Four Blog would love to get tickets to include Pittsburgh-Oklahoma State, Oregon-Nebraska, Arkansas-Oklahoma, South Carolina State-North Carolina State and Louisville-Perdue. My sleeper pick for a good game would have to be Wisconsin versus Wisconsin-Green Bay. You can bet that the arena will be packed with fans of both teams for that one. Well, enjoy your weekend of college hoops, loyal readers. We’ll be back on Monday to rehash and sift through the carnage.
To get NCAA Basketball tickets, go to StubHub.com.
The Aussies Are Coming! The Aussies Are Coming!
The new craze in the NCAA hoops world is Australians. You might already be aware of the fact, but if you aren’t you should read up on all of the Aussies that are changing the way college basketball teams are recruiting. Certain teams are already all over the basketball players from Down Under. If you are a fan of Utah, St. Mary’s, Vanderbilt, Washington State or Gardner-Webb then you’re already reaping the benefits of the so-called Aussie Invasion. ESPN, among other major sports media websites, has been running articles about the phenomena. Andy Katz covers the story pretty well in his article at ESPN.com. But sadly, if you are a college coach and you are reading this thing, you’re well behind the game.
For those of us non-coaches, this trend is interesting right now, but could explode if the teams gaining power from the Aussies do well in the NCAA Tournament. Saint Mary’s and Vanderbilt are doing fine right now. But the season is very young and the harder part of the schedules for most teams comes at the end. The Tourney will decide everything, including the fate of the demand for Australian basketball players.
To get NCAA basketball tickets, go to StubHub.com.