For years, I’ve said that the Big East Tournament makes up my five favorite days of the basketball year. It’s not that I don’t enjoy the NCAA tournament or the NBA Playoffs, but to me, it doesn’t get better than many of the best teams in the college playing in the biggest city in the country in the World’s Most Famous Arena. Thursday’s games were just more testimony to my already strong beliefs. Here are my awards from Day 3… Read More »

It was an ending almost too corny for Hollywood. The hometown kid playing in his hometown arena against the No. 1 team in the conference with the ball in his hands in a tie game with six seconds left.

But this afternoon, with Pitt and UConn knotted at 74 in the Big East quarterfinals, there stood the Huskies’ Kemba Walker, a Bronx native, at the top of the key defended by the Panthers’ 6-11 center Gary McGhee with a trip to the Big East semis on the line. Read More »

When it comes to conference tournament play, some programs always seem to rise to the occasion. But without the right leader on the sideline and on the court, your team aura can only take you so far in a tourney that is stacked with contenders like the Big East. Yesterday, UConn took its second step towards being that team. You know, a squad that could steal the Big East Tournament, as they have both the sideline leader (Jim Calhoun) and floor general (Kemba Walker) to make a serious run at what has once again become “the tournament of all tournaments” during Championship Week. Read More »

Five NCAA teams that got my attention this past weekend for various reasons:

1. Connecticut (7-0) According to preseason predictions, the Huskies would be overachieving had they reached sixth place in the Big East. Today, UConn is undefeated and ranked No. 6 in the nation following its rout of Maryland-Baltimore County on Friday. Kemba Walker is the alpha and omega of Coach Jim Calhoun‘s young squad. Read More »

College basketball analysts and experts love teams with experience. A team full of seniors represents the ultimate college basketball team for many. The Connecticut Huskies, however, are defying the odds.

Led by New York native Kemba Walker, the Huskies have shown what they are capable of at the Maui Invitational by knocking off Michigan State and Kentucky. Their supporting cast consists of Alex Oriakhi, Charles Okwandu, Jamal Coombs-McDaniel, Donnell Beverly, and five freshmen. Read More »

Ask yourself: How many people had Duke as a preseason national title favorite last year? Outside of Durham, N.C., close to zero. The Blue Devils were ranked 9th and 8th, respectively, in the preseason AP and ESPN/coaches polls. They were considered a dangerous team, but not on the level of Kansas and Kentucky.

Over the course of the schedule, however, the realization hit that Duke possessed most of the pieces you’d want for a national title run: Experienced guards, quality shooters, versatile forwards, solid defense, good coaching and NBA-caliber talent in the right spots. Throw in a healthy “Us against the world” mentality (because they’re Duke) and a favorable NCAA Tournament bracket, and the Evil Empire was back on top of the game. Read More »

Let’s say you’re one of those who hasn’t picked a side yet going into the Lakers/Celtics NBA Finals. Now, if there was a chance any city’s media contingent could swing your vote away from their team before Game 1, you gotta admit Boston would have been the odds-on favorite. But then some dick columnist wrote this in the Los Angeles Times: “By the way, (Paul) Pierce‘s idea of a fun night is going clubbing and getting stabbed. Good times!” Although the newspaper eventually removed the piece from its website, radio station KTLA kept it up. Wow. Still not sure what to say about that one, except it sounds like a job for White Chocolate. Better yet, sic Jim Calhoun on the guy. Calhoun has chunks of writers like that in his stool … Read More »

With Gonzaga’s 72-54 rout of Pepperdine in Malibu this past weekend, the Bulldogs reasserted themselves after falling to unranked Loyola Marymount the game before. In fact, until the Lions were able to successfully upset the ‘Zags, their dominance has been unmatched in the West Coast Conference – including nine conference titles in a row. In what many outside of Spokane believed would be a rebuilding year – after losing Jeremy Pargo, Micah Downs, Josh Heytvelt and Austin Daye the prior season – Mark Few and Co. are right on track to make it ten straight WCC titles. Read More »

ESPN.com is reporting that UConn head coach Jim Calhoun is taking a medical leave of absence, effective immediately. The school announced this decision this afternoon. Details of Calhoun’s medical condition has not been released. UConn’s Athletic Director Jeff Hathaway said assistant coach George Blaney will temporarily take over. Read More »

Back in Dime #48, I featured Harvard University standout Jeremy Lin. A couple of nights ago, the Crimson’s 6-3 senior point guard went into UConn’s gym and got 30 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks against the 13th-ranked Huskies. UConn ended up winning the game 79-73 over Harvard, but Lin once again proved he could hold his own against the nation’s best. Read More »