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 »
Coach K is a pretty cool dude. Always smooth. Always chill. But at about the 12.9 second mark of the second half last night – after he had seen Michigan State chip into Duke’s lead and Mason Plumlee get called for a five-second violation – he had to be feeling that sweat on his brow just a little bit. But after a Spartan miss, the biggest drama of the night was over, the Dukies had won 74-69 and Mike Krzyzewski had the record. He’s now the winningest coach in Division I men’s basketball history with 903 wins, passing one of the men calling the game, Bob Knight. Seriously though, this joint couldn’t have been scripted any better: in MSG, against another great coach in Tom Izzo, playing against a gritty and tough team, and with his mentor looking on, Coach K got what he came for. Read More »
*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 Louisville earlier today, we’ll keep this going with the team everyone loves to hate, No. 6-ranked Duke (ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll).*Read More »
We already showed you the dunk contest from Duke’s “Countdown to Craziness,” but just like last year and the year before, the guys at Duke got a little help from the school’s improv department to take college hoops to a whole new level. Three words: Bobblehead is back. Also, check out their other spot, “Come Watch Us, We’re Watching You,” after the jump.
Prayer For A Perfect Season, HBO’s excellent documentary about last year’s St. Patrick team, was a reminder that a highly successful basketball program doesn’t necessarily insure parochial schools against financial hardship – especially with the economy currently the way it is.
In North Jersey alone, Paterson Catholic shut its doors last year, while 2011 national champion St. Anthony is constantly on the bubble – even with the legendary Bob Hurley working on its behalf. St. Patrick, founded in 1863, is dealing with some of the same difficulties, while attempting to launch a whole new era after longtime coach Kevin Boyle took a new opportunity at Montverde Academy in Florida. Read More »
Coach K‘s four national championship teams at Duke University have been defined by threes. Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley and Grant Hill ran the show in the ’90s; Shane Battier, Jay Williams and Mike Dunleavy Jr. won it in ’01; and in 2010 it was Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith.
With Scheyer gone to graduation and a few younger players taking aim at that vacant spot in the Big Three, this season’s leadership responsibilities for the Blue Devils (11-0) have fallen on seniors Smith (17.1 ppg, 5.4 apg) and Singler (17.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg) to lead a talented group aiming for a repeat. Going into tonight’s game against UNC-Greensboro (7 p.m., ESPNU), Smith talks about how experience wins championships: Read More »
With the Midnight Madness exciting fans, players and recruits across the nation, it’s time to preview some of the best college teams for the 2010-11 season. The key to having a successful team is having the perfect blend of athleticism, fundamentals and chemistry. We will be breaking down many of the top teams in the coming weeks. The first profile is on Mike Krzyzewski’s Duke Blue Devils. Read More »
While some people are haters, without a doubt, Duke is the team to beat next year. And it has nothing to do with Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler returning for their senior year. It’s all about 7-foot sophomore Mason Plumlee. Watch Plumlee with the head-above-the-rim dunk at the NC Pro-Am. His hops are ridiculous!
Winter Park (Fla.) High School point guard Austin Rivers is one of the best prep players, pound-for-pound, in the country. HighSchoolHoop.com ranks the 6-4 junior second overall in its national Top 50. Having recently de-committed from Florida, he has Duke, North Carolina, Texas and Kansas now vying for his signature.
The younger son of Celtics coach Doc Rivers and younger brother of Indiana Hoosiers PG Jeremiah Rivers, Austin has agreed to give HSH and Dime exclusive access by chronicling his thoughts in a regular diary on everything from his personal life to his AAU season to his thoughts on Duke and Florida. Here’s an excerpt from his latest entry: Read More »
With multiple Cindarellas and plenty of drama at this year’s Big Dance, many fans are wondering who will be crowned the king. While it’s too late to adjust your bracket, the answer is most likely found on each team’s roster. Since 1979, every National Champion (except Maryland in 2002) has had at least one McDonald’s All American on its roster. That’s a 97 percent proof-point. So even though Syracuse and West Virginia are playing well, and Northern Iowa, St. Mary’s and Cornell are hoping to win again before the clock strikes midnight, history is not on their side. Read More »
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