*College basketball is here (unlike the NBA), and this year might be one of the best in recent memory. The powerhouse is back, while the Cinderellas believe. That’s a deadly combination. We know some of y’all have been asking for some previews. We have you covered – the top 16 teams in the nation will be previewed individually in the next few weeks. After we broke down Baylor earlier this morning, we’ll keep this going with No. 11-ranked Pittsburgh (ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll).*Read More »
Charlie Ward. Antonio Gates. Tony Gonzalez. Terrelle Pryor? Yes, Pryor could have been the latest in a long line of crossover stars that played basketball and football in college. The 6-6 Pryor was a standout on both the gridiron and the hardwood, and could have pursued a career in basketball if he wanted to. In May of 2008, before the quarterback entered his freshman season at The Ohio State University, he was ranked the No. 7 power forward prospect on ESPN U’s Top 150, and put up 23 points, eight rebounds, five blocks, four assists and four steals in Jeanette High School’s Class AA championship victory, their first in over 20 years. This was after he led the football team to the state title in the fall. Read More »
If you haven’t noticed, Canada is starting to blow up on the basketball scene. While the NBA’s Toronto Raptors are still a few years away from making noise on the pro level, in the high school and college scene there are a handful of young Canadians out to make a name for themselves at big-time programs.
Granted, watching basketball all the time is part of my job, but it still amazes me how many people don’t (or rarely) watch college hoops until the NCAA Tournament. Because of such inexcusable ignoring of America’s best spectator sport (if you ask me), during the Big Dance I usually get peppered with “Who is that guy?” or “Who does [Team X] got?” questions.
Some of them make sense — even I can’t say I’ve seen Wofford or UC Santa Barbara play this year — but a lot of the players who slip under the mainstream radar don’t deserve the anonymity. After giving your four Players to Watch from the Midwest and South regions yesterday, here’s the West: Read More »
This past summer, we had Pitt’s Ashton Gibbs as one of Team USA’s 5 Breakout Stars after their U19 Gold Medal victory in the FIBA World Championships. While he only played 10.8 minutes a game during his freshman year, the strong guard with a nice jumper has been given plenty of playing time (35.3 mpg) this season, and he’s produced. Leading the team with 16.3 points per game, it was just another day in the office last night. Read More »
-->