*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 two teams looking to improve on last season’s finish yesterday, we’ll keep this going with No. 12-ranked Baylor (ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll).* Read More »

Besides the big names, there were two players I was actively cheering for last night: Isaiah Thomas and Xavier Silas. And the reason being is that most people assumed they were going to go undrafted. Thankfully, Zeke was picked by the Kings with the 60th pick, but Silas wasn’t so lucky. “Well, I went undrafted,” Silas tweeted after all the picks were in. “All that means is that this journey will be a bit more interesting for you and me. Quote me on this… A journey isn’t a journey without a journey.” You gotta love the positive outlook. So for every Kyrie Irving, there’s a J.J. Barea – a guy who gets overlooked on Draft Night but makes a huge impact in the League. With that, here’s are the top 10 players that didn’t hear their named called last night. Read More »

After the NBA Draft and before Midnight Madness, it seems nobody really talks about college basketball. While free agency and trades in the pros dominate the headlines, now is the time where your favorite NCAA team is gearing up and building the chemistry that could carry them to a national championship. The recruits are on campus, the returners are learning their new roles, and coaches are devising game plans. Here is my pre-preseason national Top-10: Read More »

College basketball’s Decepticons are back. Duke is in the Final Four for the 11th time during Coach K‘s reign (and the first time since ’04), so if you’d been missing Krzyzewski’s scowl, the army of three-point bombers, the goofy big guys, the smug grins, the confident swagger, and Dick Vitale re-enacting an Extenze commercial with every TV cameo (“I’m bigger!”) you’re glad to see the program the rest of us love to hate back on the biggest stage … The Blue Devils trailed Baylor at halftime, as their turnovers led to transition buckets, and it looked like LaceDarius Dunn outside (22 pts) and Ekpe Udoh inside (18 pts, 10 rebs, 5 blks) might be able to carry the Bears to the win. Read More »

If Tom Izzo really does have an underground Lord of the Rings-style factory where he builds his Michigan State army from scratch, he wasn’t even being creative when he made Korie Lucious as the eventual successor to Kalin Lucas. Similar name, similar game, and if you saw the spin move and floater that Lucious (10 pts, 6 asts, 4 stls) hit last night to stick the dagger in Northern Iowa and send the Spartans to yet another Elite Eight, you couldn’t help but remember Lucas’ similar shot that iced Kansas in the tourney last year … Read More »

It’s Championship Week in college basketball, otherwise known as the week of tournaments before THE Tournament. And honestly, it seems this year people only really care about two conference tourneys: the Big East and the Big 12 … maybe the ACC based on history and hype.

So far I’ve previewed the Big East and the Pac-10 (hometown allegiance); next up is the Big 12. Read More »

With three teams in the AP Top 10, the Big 12 conference is — behind the Big East — the strongest in college basketball. Baylor is not one of those Top-10 squads, but the 20th-ranked Bears (17-4) are creeping up on their top-heavy conference: beating Texas on the road last weekend, as well as losing close games to Kansas and Kansas State recently.

On the court, LaceDarius Dunn is the Bears’ leader. Read More »

In case you’re unaware, Baylor’s LaceDarius Dunn is one of the best three-point shooters in the country, having made at least one trifecta in 65 of 70 career games. But to go with the 109 triples he made last year at a clip of almost 39 percent, Lace only had two assists in the 16 games he played in the Big 12 last season. Now that’s just crazy. Read More »

If the Baylor Bears want to make it out of the Big 12 Tournament and into the Big Dance, their hopes rest on the shoulders of LaceDarius Dunn. As the second leading scorer on a team that boasts all five starters averaging double figures, Dunn is one of the best sophomores in the country. To read his whole story, head over to BallersNetwork.com. Read More »