*Which player – at any level – will have the biggest breakout season this year? Think it through because the best comments/responses below will be printed in the next issue of Dime.*

Back in high school, it was amazing what one year could do to a kid. He’d grow a little bit. His body would fill out. He’d mature. But despite all that, it amazed me how someone could be a JV starter as a sophomore and then only 12 months later be one of the two or three best players on the varsity. Back then, we were all improving by leaps and bounds. Once you hit 18, you’re supposed to be past the initial growing phase. At that point, the little things are expected of you: get that jump shot consistent, learn how to push off without being called for it, hit the weight room so you don’t get thrown around defensively. Read More »

UCF didn’t want to talk Big East. They were also apparently sick of hearing about UConn’s 16-game winning streak as well. Whether they make the jump to the Big East soon or not, the Knights let their play do the talking: we deserve to be there. Down 17 with 16 minutes to go against the defending champs, a team that hadn’t lost a game in seemingly forever, and sporting probably the best backcourt in the country… none of it fazed UCF. Behind Marcus Jordan (yes, the son of MJ) and Keith Clanton (both dropped 20, Jordan added seven rebounds and assists), they stormed back and beat the No. 4-ranked Huskies 68-63. Read More »

UConn wasn’t about to let some team from UNC-Asheville steal their shine on Thanksgiving. The Huskies have now won 16 games in a row, and they can thank everyone they have a backcourt like Jeremy Lamb and Shabazz Napier. Those two dominated once again as they both scored 23 points and Napier added seven assists. We’ve had many people – actually most of them have been UConn fans but still – tell us that UConn is just as good as UNC and Kentucky. Those two are considered the two biggest powers in the country by far, and in the public eye have all but wrapped up spots in the championship. Can UConn steal their glory? … Read More »

At this point in the year, there is no way to tell who will be the surefire first pick in the NBA Draft. Shoot, we do not even know what the 2012 NBA Draft will look like with all of the bad NBA lockout news and rumors going around. At this point, there’s superstar talent littered throughout the college game, and NBA scouts – with nothing to do other than go to college games – are working harder than ever. Right now all we can do is speculate, but there are some interesting story lines to follow. Read More »

Separated by nearly the entire country, two Huskies of different breeds are making a name for themselves in college basketball this season. In very different ways both Terrence Ross (Washington) and Jeremy Lamb (Connecticut) are seeking to prove they can be the leader of the pack for their respective teams.

Debating who is better between Ross and Lamb seems to be an inevitable conversation. The similarities are clearly there as both are athletic wings and Huskies, but of a very different breed. Read More »

OK, college football, you got this one.

Responding to a week of college basketball that started strong with ESPN’s 24-hour tip-off marathon, then got scandalous with news of a potential catastrophe at Syracuse, the gridiron guys regained the spotlight with some Top-5 upsets and plenty of down-to-the-wire thrillers.

But even though college hoops took a comfortable backseat to the BCS, NFL and NASCAR, that doesn’t mean it was uneventful. Here are the best and worst of the weekend: Read More »

Is it UNC’s fault they are just too good? We see them beat Mississippi Valley State 101-75, and all the critics want to do is point out their terrible outside shooting (5-19) and bad numbers from the free-throw line (16-31). Someone like Brent Arrington drops 33 on them (in 18 shots), and we’re complaining, saying they really aren’t that good. The fact is they did what they had to, and they also still have some pretty good talent. John Henson went for 18 and 14 while Harrison Barnes added 18 of his own … Read More »

In the words of one of our more eloquent Twitter followers: “What the f— am I supposed to watch after the Super Bowl?” The season hasn’t exactly been canceled yet, but with the players rejecting the latest proposal from the owners and threatening to take them to court, the ugliness might’ve just started. David Stern promised that the next time the two sides do negotiate – whenever that’ll be – the owners will be discussing 47 percent BRI and no more, and yet the players still hit the owners with a backhanded slap. So now Stern is calling it a “nuclear winter,” the players are saying it’s a good move and everyone is all wrapped up in self-destruction. Read More »

You can’t not enjoy March Madness. Games all day long. Upsets. Bracketology. Skipping classes to see Indiana State and Oakland. Considering yourself an expert on Belmont because you watched their conference championship for about eight minutes. It doesn’t eclipse the NBA playoffs for me as far as enjoyment, but it definitely has it’s share of Shining Moments. Take away brackets and polls, and the main reason why I watch the field is to find the future pros, the guys who’ll be All-Stars down the road, the different makers, the next Taj Gibson, the next Jared Jeffries (more fun than you might realize). March will reveal sleepers who turn out to be busts. It’ll reveal nobodies who get their first glimpse of the big time. Frauds will emerge. Stars will develop. Read More »

Hidden between the lines of the most depressing sports stories of the week – Penn State’s cover-up scandal putting a dark cloud over college football, and the NBA lockout threatening to put pro basketball on indefinite hiatus – are two words that should cheer up anybody who frequents this site: “college” and “basketball.” Read More »