Random Thoughts

Quick Hitters
* Kansas football and basketball placed on a three-year probation, but won't have any effect on post-season play
* NC State: Win Some Lose Some: Andrew Brackman decides to concentrate on baseball this season but they beat Tenneessee for touted recruit JJ Hickson



Quasi-Features
Who will be this year's Villanova? I have two candidates so far:

Oregon Just like Jay Wright a few years ago with Foye, Ray, Frasier and Sumpter, Ernie Kent has assembled an all-burger cast with Aaron Brooks, Malik "Nike Flew Me Here" Hairston, Jackson-wannabe Marty Leunen, and scoring wings Bryce Taylor and Champ Oguchi. Along with half a dozen serviceable forwards. This team is clearly underachieving and just like Jay Wright was at some point (before getting a moral victory against North Carolina in the 2005 NCAAs), Ernie Kent is on the hot seat. Can they pool their talent together and channel it into a successful TEAM effort? Can they escape the recent tradition of not winning consistently?

Marquette The comparison here is only on the talent level, since Marquette did very well last year. The trio of James, McNeal and Matthews could be the next Lowry, Ray and Foye trio! Watch out Big East!


CSTV has officially announced and published their 2006-2007 national basketball TV schedule. Both men and women TV games: http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/stories/101106abc.html. Men only list of games, easier to read: http://www.cstv.com/cgi-bin/tvsched.cgi?gameSel=BASKETBALL+-+MEN%27S. Highlights of their TV package:

Their first game is Friday November 17, New Mexico State at Loyola Marymount (California). Reggie Theus and his all-transfer team goes west!

Three South Padre Island games, featuring Wisconsin -vs- Missouri State and Oklahoma State -vs Auburn.

Pete Newell challenge: Bob Knight vs Stanford, and Nevada vs Cal (Fazekas vs Hardin)

Conference games from Conference USA, Atlantic 10 (fourteen really), and Mountain West among others

Big Five games from Philly, including LaSalle-Villanova

Conference tourney coverage including both semifinals of Conference USA, Mountain West and Atlantic 10

Three high school and prep games during the MLK weekend in mid-January featuring six touted prep/HS such as DeMatha and Patterson