It takes a full-time job, or a full-time class schedule, for one to truly appreciate a four-day weekend. And when those two extra days off come courtesy the Thanksgiving holiday, the full-time college basketball fan (or writer) goes into overtime mode.

Just about every D-I team in the country seemed to be playing in a holiday tournament this past weekend – from the balmy paradise of the Bahamas to the cold-ass bustle of New York City on Black Friday. When it was over, some top dogs were going home with their national-championship promise in doubt, while some underdogs returned to campus with brand-new hero status.

Here are the highlights and lowlights from the long weekend: 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 »

*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 Big East giants Syracuse and UConn yesterday, we’ll keep this going with No. 3-ranked Ohio State (ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll).* Read More »

Contrary to popular belief, Ohio State was not a one-man team last season. Evan Turner cleaned up on National Player of the Year awards like Lauryn Hill at the Grammys, but Mr. Do-It-All didn’t really have to do it all for the Buckeyes during their run to the Sweet Sixteen.

One member of that overlooked supporting cast was Jon Diebler, now a senior two-guard on an OSU squad that is 14-0 and ranked No. 2 in the country. Diebler (12.4 ppg) is hitting 51 percent of his treys this season as part of the crew surrounding freshman superstar big man Jared Sullinger. 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 »

That’s right, the start of the college hoops season is just one week away and you know what that means: it’s time to unleash the mother effing fury! For the past seven months, I’ve been bottling up a vicious mixture of excitement and rage, just waiting for the moment to release my emotions onto the rest of the world. Well that time has come. Your boy Matty D is back to give you a look at the top teams in the country and to separate the champs from the chumps. Read More »