Daily Tourney Talk (Elite 8, Saturday)

Wild unsubstantiated prediction #1: Rick Pitino will be the next Kentucky basketball coach.

Wild unsubstantiated prediction #2: Two "BCS" players will transfer to Minnessota by Xmas 2007.


Is FireBillSelf.com up and running???

Kansas clearly had superior talent... Bring Ole Roy back? :-)

Is the Elite 8 the ceiling for Bill Self? He is currently 0-4, including a loss with Roy's players, and a loss with a loaded McDonalds All-American team (this year).

Is the Tubby Smith story replayed at Kansas?

I know, I know, I know, it's too early, but you can't ignore some of the signs. Of course people have said the same things about a number of other coaches that turned out to win big later on, so take all that with a grain of salt (or a handful, not just one grain).



New Coaching Carousel Stories

ESPN reports that Mark Few's #2 (Bill Grier) is to take over San Diego. Few may replace him with former Utah and Eastern Washington head coach Ray Giacoletti. Is Mark Few planning his move to a "BCS" job while planning his succession at the same time? (Unlikely, but you never know)

Tubby Smith spins the contact between Minnesota and his agent six weeks ago.

Jeff Goodman of FoxSports.com looks at various candidates for Kentucky, Michigan, Indiana State, Colorado, Marhsall, Harvard, South Florida and some mid-majors as well. Interestingly he mentions the possibility that if Kruger bolts for another job (his daughter just graduated as a five year senior taking advantage of the 2005-54), it would open the door for a former player/TV-star whose style is definately Vegas-style to take over (Reggie Theus).

Dick "Hoops" Weiss has a story at FoxSports looking at eight coaches who could be moving into more higher profile jobs.

Speaking of Dick "Hoops" Weiss you can read his blog and find out about Al Skinner and the NBA Bobcats, three former coaches turned TV analysts as possibilities at Iowa, South Florida and Harvard... I definately agree with Dick Weiss on wondering why isn't Corey Fisher in the McDonalds All American game while a couple of Top 50 players were selected instead... Two more UConn players may be "transfering out". For all the details, check Dick Weiss's blog!


Elite 8, Sunday March 24, 2007 CBS TV Listings

11amPT/2pm ET: Road to the Final Four

11:40amPT/2:40pm ET: Oregon vs Florida

2:05pmPT/5:05pm ET: Georgetown vs North Carolina

9pmPT/midnight ET: College Gameday on ESPN

Elite 8 nano-recap Ohio State and UCLA go to the Final Four! On the Xs and Os front, I don't know if this was by design or by necessity, but at one point Calipari was playing an intriguing line-up: Four AASAA wings (Anderson, CDR, Hunt, D. Mack) and Dozier as the center.

Transferology Skip Prosser must have found better recruits (2007, Gary Clark) because Casey Crawford (Fr), and Shermaine Dukes (So) are transferring out at the end of the semester.

Excellent Xs and Os flash-based feature at Yahoo Sports with diagramed plays by Greg Hester. It includes significant plays from Kansas vs Southern Illinois, Texas A&M vs Memphis, Georgetown vs Vandy and USC vs UNC. Great job Yahoo Sports!

Division 2 game, Division 1 drama as Barton managed to take the game from Winona (not Rider) in dramatic fashion with just under 1 second left in the game. If only the division 1 games were so exciting (oh wait, they were!)

Jim Calhoun made a guest appearance during the CBS broadcast of the NCAA Division 2 college basketball final. Perhaps that's the championship his team could have won this year :-)


Tubby Coaching Carousel Dominos

Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports thinks that ideal candidate for Kentucky is John Calipari. My favorite part of the story is this: "If you think it’s just street ball the Tigers are playing, ask any other coach or scout which team, Duke or Memphis, runs a more complicated, sophisticated offense and then watch them laugh at the comparison".


Elite 8, Saturday March 23, 2007 CBS TV Schedule

10amPT/1pm ET: Division 2 final, Barton vs Winona

12pmPT/3pm ET: Road to the Final Four

1:40pmPT/4:40pmET Memphis vs Ohio State

4:05pmPT/7:05pmET UCLA vs Kansas

9pmPT/midnight ET: College Gameday on ESPN


Elite 8, Sunday March 24, 2007 CBS TV Listings

11amPT/2pm ET: Road to the Final Four

11:40amPT/2:40pm ET: Oregon vs Florida

2:05pmPT/5:05pm ET: Georgetown vs North Carolina

9pmPT/midnight ET: College Gameday on ESPN