A look at the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament
The first two rounds of the NCAA tournament are supposed to give us enough upsets and feel-good stories to tide us over until next season.
The second weekend, the round of 16 and the regional finals, are supposed to be the time the teams from the power conferences remind us why the schools from those leagues dominate the Top 25 all season and fill the upper seed lines in the tournament bracket.
Not this weekend.
There is one of those pesky "mid-major" teams in each of the regionals.
Davidson had a shot in the air to beat Kansas and reach the Final Four in 2008. George Mason beat three former national champions on the way to the Final Four in 2006 as a No. 11 seed.
It can happen, and three No. 1 seeds and three No. 2s can only hope everything returns to form.
Thursday's Games
EAST REGIONAL
At Syracuse, N.Y.
No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 12 Cornell
It would be tough to find a matchup of more different approaches to college basketball. Kentucky comes into the Carrier Dome with a roster full of future NBA players - including freshmen John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Bledsoe. Coach John Calipari is seeking his third Final Four with as many schools and this group hasn't shown any signs of being too young to win a national championship.
Cornell starts three seniors and is a true team with a 7-foot defensive specialist (Jeff Foote), a dead-on 3-point shooter (Ryan Wittman) and a steady point guard (Louis Dale). Don't be misled thinking this team is an Ivy League throwback that uses most of the shot clock and waits until there is a backdoor open. The Big Red do that but they also averaged 82.5 points in winning their first two tournament games by an average of 15.5 points.
Look for talent to take over. Kentucky pulls away for an 87-71 victory.
No. 2 West Virginia vs. No. 11 Washington
All the talk around this game concerns West Virginia's ability to handle the loss of starting point guard Darryl "Truck" Bryant, who broke his foot in practice Tuesday. Still, the Mountaineers have Da'Sean Butler, who hit two game-winning shots in the Big East tournament title run. Joe Mazzula, a redshirt junior who averaged 2.2 points in 14.9 minutes this season, should get the ball but don't be surprised if coach Bob Huggins goes with a four-forward lineup.
Washington is one of the hottest teams in the country, having won nine straight, a streak that has allowed the Huskies to change what many considered to be an unsuccessful season. Their NCAA wins were different as they rallied from 15 points down in the second half to beat Marquette and they led by as many as 23 in cruising past New Mexico. Quincy Pondexter and Isaiah Thomas need 20 points combined to become the highest-scoring duo in school history.
West Virginia might take a while to get used to not having Bryant, but the Mountaineers truck on to a 71-64 victory.
WEST REGIONAL
At Salt Lake City
No. 1 Syracuse vs. No. 5 Butler
Syracuse wasn't affected at all in the first two rounds by the absence of center Arinze Onuaku, who hurt his knee in the Big East tournament, and he won't be there for the regional semifinal, either. Without Onuaku, the back of the 2-3 zone isn't as tough to navigate and the Orange will be down to a six-man rotation. Although the zone is what most people talk about, Syracuse is among the nation's best in scoring (81.6) and shooting percentage (51.7).
Butler was a mid-major that spent a good part of the season ranked just outside the top 10. The Bulldogs steamrolled through the Horizon League and then squeaked by Murray State to reach this round. Six-foot-9 sophomore guard Gordon Hayward will be the key man against the zone. He will have to make sure the ball goes inside to come back out and he will also have to find a way to get into the zone and hit the 12- to 15-foot jumper. An explosive scorer such as Shelvin Mack could be the zone breaker.
Even without Onuaku, the Orange will be able to keep up its offensive pace and get away with an 83-69 victory.
No. 2 Kansas St. vs. No. 6 Xavier
Kansas State has been a quiet No. 2 seed, just cruising along with easy wins to reach this round for the first time since 1988. The backcourt of Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente has attracted attention, but the frontcourt of Dominique Sutton, Curtis Kelly and Jamar Samuels has allowed the Wildcats to outrebound their opponents by almost six a game while holding them to an average of 67 points. Pullen's defense on BYU's Jimmer Fredette in the second round was one of the best individual efforts of the tournament.
Xavier is in the round of 16 for the third straight year, a feat only Michigan State can match. The Musketeers are definitely a major team, having lost the mid-major label many years ago. First-year coach Chris Mack has kept the system in place that has made the school so successful for so long. Jordan Crawford has become much more than the kid who dunked on LeBron James over the summer. The sophomore transfer from Indiana is averaging 20.2 points this season and has upped that to 27.5 in the tournament.
There doesn't have to be an upset in this round, but Xavier gets one here, 79-75 behind Crawford.
Friday's Games
MIDWEST REGIONAL
At St. Louis
No. 5 Michigan St. vs. No. 9 Northern Iowa
Michigan State heads into the round of 16 with several injuries. Kalin Lucas, the Big Ten player of the year in 2008-09, ruptured an Achilles' tendon during the second-round win over Maryland. Chris Allen, the team's best 3-point shooter, has been limited because of an injured right foot and forward Delvon Roe has been bothered by a bad right knee. The first of the replacements did just fine as Korie Lucious stepped in for Lucas and hit the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer against Maryland to send the Spartans on to this round for the third straight year. Coach Tom Izzo's .750 winning percentage in the tournament ranks third among active coaches.
Ali Farokhmanesh and Jordan Eglseder weren't known outside Northern Iowa until last week's wins over UNLV and overall top seed Kansas. Farokhmanesh hit the traditional game-winning 3-pointer in the first game and buried a 3 few would have taken to give the Panthers a four-point lead over the Jayhawks in the final minute. He was 9 of 19 from 3-point range in the first two rounds and averaged 16.5 points. The 7-foot Eglseder averaged 11.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in the two games that have made Northern Iowa a team everybody knows.
Since Izzo had five days to find a way to convince his team the injuries won't affect their play on defense or how they rebound, look for the Spartans to shut down the Panthers' run, 67-58.
No. 2 Ohio St. vs. No. 6 Tennessee
Ohio State won its first game despite Evan Turner having an off game. The Buckeyes looked like a No. 2 seed when Turner returned to form with 24 points, nine rebounds and nine assists against Georgia Tech. They are more than just Turner, with sharpshooter Jon Diebler and veteran forward David Lighty both making big contributions in their nine-game winning streak.
Tennessee held off San Diego State in the opening round, then looked more like itself in taking care of Ohio University, the team that upset Georgetown. The Volunteers shot 56.7 percent from the field and outrebounded the Bobcats 41-33 with Wayne Chism and Brian Williams grabbing 12 each. The one thing Tennessee has to do is cut down on turnovers - it had 16 against Ohio.
The Buckeyes, and more specifically Turner, have found a way to handle what's thrown at them. That's what happens here in Ohio State's 78-76 victory.
SOUTH REGIONAL
At Houston
No. 1 Duke vs. No. 4 Purdue
While everyone has been concentrating on Duke's 3 Ss - Kyle Singler, Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith - the Blue Devils have been playing their best defense of the season. They have held 10 of their last 13 opponents - including the two in the NCAA tournament - to 61 points or less. They outrebound teams by six per game and are no longer just a perimeter team with no inside presence.
Purdue was supposed to be out of this tournament a couple of rounds ago. The Boilermakers weren't given much of a chance to advance without second-leading scorer and rebounder Robbie Hummel, who injured his knee and is out for the season. Everyone else has stepped up to fill the void, especially 6-3 Chris Kramer, the Big Ten's two-time defensive player of the year who has lived up to his mantle of emotional leader in Hummel's absence.
Duke is just too good on the defensive end. Blue Devils win 73-58.
No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 10 Saint Mary's
Baylor boasts one of the country's best backcourts in LaceDarius Dunn (19.4 points per game) and Tweety Carter (15.1), and the two are complemented by forward Ekpe Udoh, who almost averages a double-double (13.9 points, 9.7 rebounds). The Bears liked to score during the Big 12 season, but they have taken things down a notch in the NCAA tournament, mostly because of a combined 13-of-40 effort from 3-point range.
Omar Samhan has moved up the big man charts with a bullet since the start of the NCAA tournament. A solid player all season for Saint Mary's, the 6-11 Samhan has turned it on in the post against Richmond and Villanova, averaging 30.5 points and 9.5 rebounds while shooting 75 percent (24 of 32) from the field. Samhan's presence inside has allowed the Gaels to shoot 41.1 percent from 3-point range, led by Mickey McConnell's 51.7 percent.
Samhan will muddle the middle and the Gaels are good enough around him to advance with a 75-68 victory.
Copyright 2010 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press.
Why College Basketball's "Play-In" Game Should Be
The so-called "Opening Round" game tonight saw Arkansas-Pine Bluff get by Winthrop 61-44.
But it is not part of the NCAA tournament.
Oh, the NCAA and the powers that be will attempt to convince you otherwise, calling tonight’s game the “opening round.” But most fans—and even most analysts—call it what it really is: a play-in game.
And if you really want to get down to it, the game between the Eagles and the Golden Lions is the “You Don’t Belong” Game.
Last year, prior to the play-in game between Alabama State and Morehead State, ESPN radio host Dan Patrick ran a poll on his show. While not scientific, 70 percent of his listeners responded that the play-in game was not the beginning of the tournament.
That holds true this year.
It is nothing against Winthrop or UAPB, but the tournament does not start this evening. Sure, in reality it begins tonight.
But it is like the beginning of college football—sure, there are games between Tennessee-Martin and Austin Peay on the last Thursday in August, but for most fans, the season kicks off on the Saturday before Labor Day.
Look at how the tournament is structured in terms of brackets. This year, there is not an extra spot for Winthrop and UAPB on most brackets. Typically, it will show one of the No. 1 seeds—in this case, Duke—and both teams separated by a slash (Winthrop/Ark-Pine Bluff). And beyond compulsive gamblers, I doubt any office pool has people filling out brackets that contain the “opening round.”
Look at some of the brackets on various sports Web sites. Here at Bleacher Report, it has the two teams grouped together; it is the same way at Yahoo! Sports. Meanwhile, ESPN.com has a shameful blank for either the Eagles or Golden Lions—last year, it was “TBA." CBSSports simply has “Op. Rd. Winner.”
And if it is the opening round, then why are both teams a 16th seed? Why isn’t one 16th and one 17th? Well, that is because it is a damn play-in game!
I understand the reasoning for the play-in game. The NCAA wanted to maintain the 34 at-large bids after the WAC downsized (the once mega-conference in terms of number of schools split in half, with a new conference—the Mountain West Conference—being formed out of most of the “better” teams). Because the MWC would need an automatic bid, it would take away from the at-large pool.
So, the NCAA expanded by one spot? What? The at-large bid that the MWC took would obviously go to the “last team in"—this year, it would have been Utah State or UTEP.
I am trying to run various tournaments through my head, but is it not common for the last team in to be a mediocre team from a “power conference?" The last two years the likely last team in—Arizona in 2009 and Villanova in 2008 —made a decent run.
Before that, it was Illinois; then Bradley; then UCLA; then UTEP. With the exception of Bradley, who made the Elite Eight as a 13th seed, each of those teams lost in the first round. So maybe ridding the tourney of that at-large bid would not be a bad idea—as it seems to go to a team from a power or good conference that only performs marginally well.
But here is what needs to be abolished—the play-in game. Winthrop and Arkansas-Pine Bluff should be playing on either Thursday or Friday—not on Tuesday!
So one less at-large bid! Yes, it might take out a Utah State or a UTEP, but it could also take out an undeserving “power” school like Wake Forest or Minnesota.
Let’s be clear—I am not stating that Winthrop or UAPB would do anything in the tournament. Both would be a 15th or 16th seed and would go home really quickly. But both did what they were supposed to do to make it to the “Big Dance.”
Winthrop bounced back from a disappointing 2008-09 season to take home the Big South tournament title. Arkansas-Pine Bluff also bounced back—but in that case, it was a very difficult 0-11 start to finish second in the SWAC before winning the conference title. Thus, the Eagles and Golden Lions had to work harder and essentially do more to make it in.
On the other hand, Wake Forest and Minnesota just had to play average basketball overall to get into the tournament. Wake Forest lost four of its last five regular season games—including to ACC bottom feeders NC State and an abnormal North Carolina team. It was then embarrassed in the ACC tournament by 12th seed Miami.
Minnesota has losses to Portland, Northwestern, Indiana, and Michigan (twice). The run in the Big Ten tournament was nice, but the Golden Gophers beat a Purdue team that is merely a shell of its former self with the absence of Robbie Hummel.
Get these teams out of there!
Another problem I have is that the teams in the play-in game do not seem like the worst teams. Sometimes it is the teams with the worst records, but it does not always have the two “worst” teams.
For example, this year, Arkansas-Pine Bluff might deserve to be in the play-in, but Winthrop is probably better than East Tennessee State or Lehigh—although, to be fair, these two teams have the lowest RPI among teams in the tournament.
Here is the biggest problem I have—as noted above, the play-in game is a slap in the face for both of those teams. Yes, technically, one of those teams will get a tournament win on its resume—the only way a 16 seed will win, I guess—and it gets some national exposure.
But it basically states that neither of these two teams belong in the tournament—they are only there because of that silly “automatic bid” thing.
If the NCAA must have the play-in game, then I think it needs to be tweaked. And here is what can happen: If it has to be 65 teams, the play-in game should be between the last two teams in—i.e., at-large bids—and not automatic team bids unless there is an automatic bid team with a losing record.
So Utah State and UTEP, enjoy your play-in game.
And, if it were last season, we would have seen Arizona and Wisconsin in the play-in game. And thank God one of them would have been gone before people care about the actual tournament.
Or, because there has been talk of expansion, carry the play-in game one step further and expand the field to 68 teams. And again, the play-in games are bubble teams.
So, UAB, Wichita State, Illinois, and Virginia Tech could take on Utah State, UTEP, Minnesota, and Florida. Let those teams earn their way in; Winthrop and UAPB earned their spot already through the automatic bid.
At least with this method, the play-in game could have more meaning—and perhaps be really considered the opening round!
Copyright © 2010 Bleacher Report, Inc.
Expanding March Madness is madness
I am absolutely frustrated over additional reports that the NCAA is exploring the possibility of expanding its basketball tournament to 96 teams.
Why would you want to mess with greatness? This is the crème de la crème, the best of them all. Nothing captivates America like the NCAA's March Madness! Everyone gets into those three magical weeks. Grandma, grandpa, people who are not even college basketball fans are suddenly engrossed in the tourney action. You see David versus Goliath. Fans align with their favorite schools. People talk about their respective alma maters with such pride!
Why in the world would you want to water it down and bring in total mediocrity? Right now, the way it is set up is perfect. To me, the NCAA should spend much more time working on the integrity of the game. Spend time looking into recruiting violations and issues with the recruiting process. Those are the areas that need fixing. The NCAA tournament and March Madness is simply not one of them. It is in fantastic shape, a thing of beauty!
My friends, time should be spent looking into how the one-and-done mentality is ruining college basketball. The term student-athlete is now a joke for these kids. They showcase their skills on the court for one year so they can move on to the NBA. The NCAA and NBA should find a way to do it the way baseball does, with kids staying three years. That is what they should be looking at instead of the tournament.
I know there are some coaches who disagree with me, feeling that expansion of the tournament would save several jobs. They think that if they can earn a trip to the postseason, they could get the school's president off their back. Come on now ... 96 teams would only add mediocrity.
Nobody loves the game more than I do. It has been fantastic for all of us involved in college basketball, and the growth of the game has been incredible. Since 1979, it has been such a special ride, baby! But I hope and pray that the NCAA doesn't water it down and go to 96 teams.
Address the issues that need fixing in college athletics. To mess with the NCAA tournament at this point would be sad.
(c) 2009 ESPN Internet Ventures.
College basketball Insider: Unlike past seasons, no clear favorite in NCAA tourney
Syracuse figures to get the next shot at No. 1, but even Orange coach Jim Boeheim doesn't buy that.
Syracuse is playing as well as any team in the country right now.
Winners of seven in a row, a streak that includes victories over No. 7 Georgetown and No. 9 West Virginia, the No. 4 Orange might claim the No. 1 spot when the new polls are released Monday.
But coach Jim Boeheim won't call his one-loss squad -- or anyone else's team -- America's best at this point in the year.
"No, I don't think there's anybody No. 1," Boeheim said Thursday. "I think there's a bunch of teams that are real good. And right behind them are a bunch of teams that can beat 'em. That's just the way college basketball is."
Last season, the NCAA could have carved North Carolina's name into the championship trophy before the Tar Heels played their first game. Kansas and Memphis had enough NBA talent to beat this season's New Jersey Nets when they battled for the title in 2008.
The only squad that could compete with Florida when it won its second consecutive national title in 2007 was a group of Ohio State freshmen, who went on to become first-round draft picks that year.
But this year, it's a crap shoot.
Six weeks before March Madness, several teams have presented flawed cases as the frontrunners for the national crown. But unlike recent years, no squad's asserted itself as the undeniable favorite.
Kentucky holds the No. 1 spot but will likely end its short-lived reign after losing at unranked South Carolina on Tuesday. Former top dogs Kansas and Texas have also fallen in recent weeks.
No doubt, the upper echelon of college basketball has talent.
Few can match Texas tandem Dexter Pittman and Damion James when they are both hot. Kansas has experience to go along with its depth. Kentucky has athleticism, speed and the country's best player, John Wall. Syracuse is the nation's top shooting team.
Villanova is undefeated in the best conference in America (Big East). And Michigan State's not going away without a 40-minute fight, proven in back-to-back clutch performances against Minnesota and Michigan.
Those same contenders have worrisome weaknesses, too.
I don't trust Texas' young backcourt in the late rounds of the NCAA tournament. Plus, Connecticut is not the best team in the Big East, but the Huskies didn't have much trouble with the Longhorns a week ago.
Kansas needs freshman Xavier Henry to find a rhythm, but he has scored only 13 points over the past two games. And the Jayhawks defend the three-point line worse than any team in the Big 12.
Kentucky's Wall is a little wild sometimes -- he committed four turnovers in the loss to the Gamecocks. And youth -- Wall is one of five Kentucky freshmen -- can be burdensome in the postseason.
Villanova is giving up 74.0 points per game. And Michigan State has struggled recently against average Big Ten teams.
There's plenty of time for one or two squads to really separate themselves before Selection Sunday.
But I enjoy the parity, upsets and tight games. Here's hoping it carries into March.
"It's very difficult to tell what's going on in college basketball right now," Boeheim said.
(c) 2010 Star Tribune. All rights reserved.
There's no defense for these Cardinals
NEWARK, N.J. --- On Wednesday, before the University of Louisville men's basketball team departed for its game against Seton Hall, coach Rick Pitino said the Cardinals need to win 10 Big East Conference games to make the NCAA Tournament.
On Thursday, after his team was beaten 80-77 by Seton Hall in the Prudential Center, Pitino said the Cards need to win eight of their final dozen games. That would put them at 11 league victories.
I don't understand the upgraded math, but I do understand this:
If the Cardinals don't begin to defend with the efficiency and effectiveness of a team afraid that it cannot afford to lose another game, they are going to remain stuck on three Big East wins.
They've been stuck on three for three games. The 22-day, six-game killer stretch that opened with Villanova in Freedom Hall on Jan.11 is threatening to deep-six their season -- a season that has them sitting at 12-7 overall and 3-3 in the league, locked in a four-way tie for seventh place.
Looking for one common denominator in the Villanova, Pittsburgh and Seton Hall defeats? In all three games, the opponents made shots at a better percentage than UofL made shots.
Thursday night it was Seton Hall dancing and prancing through the center of the Cardinals' zone for layups or soft passes for shots even more delicious than layups. The Pirates shot nearly 53percent for the game after making nearly 59percent in the first half.
''The effort is there,'' Pitino said. ''The guys are willing to pay the price. We're a very weak defensive team. We've got slow feet. Our press is good. When we've got to get down there and I've got to guard you, we're always rotating, because you're always beating me.
''That's our weakness, guarding off the dribble. There's not really one guy on our basketball team that can defend off the dribble, not one. We've got to do it as a team.''
Here are the numbers for the three-game stretch -- and they're not encouraging: Villanova, Pittsburgh and Seton Hall combined to make 80 of 158 shots. That's 50.6percent. That's going to get you beaten in the Big East.
Last season it seemed as if teams feared the Louisville defense. This season it appears teams are shrugging at the Louisville defense. In 18 Big East regular-season games last season, two teams made 50percent of their shots against the Cardinals. That number already has been equaled in six games this season.
Concern has officially entered the locker room.
''Definitely,'' UofL center Samardo Samuels said. ''We all need to play better defense. It's not just one guy. It's everybody.
''It ain't no joke. The Big East is a tough, tough league. You've got to come out and bring it every night. There's no freebies.''
If U of L defends better on a half-dozen possessions, there is no reason for Pitino to howl about the free-throw shooting. For the second consecutive game, the Cards deflated at less than 60percent from the line.
If U of L makes the Pirates squirm on another half-dozen shots, there is no reason to howl about that Seton Hall guard Keon Lawrence stepped across the baseline with the basketball for what should have been a violation before an inbounds play with 0.7 seconds left and the Pirates up by just two.
''We play tremendous full-court pressure,'' Pitino said. ''Then when they cross half-court, Goliath leaves us and we don't play great defense. I don't think you can make runs unless you become a great defensive team.''
(c) Louisville Courier-Journal.
Virginia Tech's Four-Part Plan to Make the NCAA Tournament
After a loss to North Carolina Sunday, the Hokie basketball team currently sits at 12-2 overall and 0-1 in the ACC.
Sixteen games remain on the schedule, 15 of which are against ACC teams.
If the Hokies want to make the NCAA tournament for the first time in three years, there's a fairly simple plan to follow.
1. Win at home
The Hokies have nine home games left in the 2009-2010 season. The opponents, in order, are Miami, NC Central, Boston College, North Carolina, Clemson, Virginia, Wake Forest, Maryland, and NC State.
If Tech wins all nine of those games, which I doubt, the Hokies could do no worse than 21-9 and 8-8 in the ACC. Tech can't afford too many losses, but going 8-1 or 7-2 against this bunch wouldn't be bad.
As coach Seth Greenberg says, you have to stay on the plus side of your record, meaning hold serve in your home games. Lose more than three games at home, and the Hokies will have to steal some tough road victories.
Expected Wins: NC Central, Boston College, Virginia, NC State
Either Way: Miami, North Carolina, Clemson, Wake Forest, Maryland
2. Beat the teams you are supposed to beat on the road
Conversely, the Hokies have seven road games remaining, all against ACC opponents. The schedule, in order, is Florida State, Virginia, Miami, NC State, Duke, Boston College, and Georgia Tech. If the Hokies are a successful ACC team, and I think they are, they should aim for a .500 record on the road.
Since they already lost one road game to North Carolina, the Hokies need four wins out of this group. The only problem is that one or two of those four wins probably would have to be an upset.
Expected Wins: Virginia, NC State
Either Way: Florida State, Miami, Boston College
Tough to Beat: Duke, Georgia Tech
3. Steal one or two road games
Right now, if the Hokies win the games they are expected to win, they would have five wins in the ACC. That's not good enough to even get into the NIT at this point. Therefore, the Hokies will more than likely need to steal one or two road games from a higher-ranked team.
The three road games that are most likely to go in Tech's favor are Florida State, Miami, and Boston College. Florida State sits at the end of this brutal opening week for Tech, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Hokies come out flat and FSU runs away with the game.
That means the Hokies would need to beat Miami and/or Boston College, both of which are winnable games against similar competition.
4. Win one or two ACC tournament games
If the Hokies finish their final 16 games with a .500 record, they would be 20-10 overall and 7-9 in the ACC. That record would place them squarely on the bubble and right in the middle of the pack in the ACC.
To jump into the tournament, the Hokies would need to win their first round ACC game, most likely as the sixth or seventh seed. Once they get past the first round, Tech would be in a similar position of probably having to knock off the second or third seed to assure themselves of a spot in the Big Dance.
Otherwise, the Hokies could find themselves back in the NIT for the third consecutive year, wondering what could have been.
So, there you go. Pretty simple, right? Well, it's much easier said than done. The first step to March Madness starts tomorrow night in Cassell against a 15-1 Miami team that is coming off a close win against Wake Forest and is ranked 23rd in the AP poll.
The Hokies need this game to avoid an 0-2 start in conference, especially with 25th-ranked Florida State awaiting the Hokies in Tallahassee on Saturday.
(c) 2009 Bleacher Report, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
USC takes action on basketball, waits to see reaction
The entire USC basketball season just disappeared under a slathering of Mayo, and I know what you're wondering.
The hottest basketball team in the Pac-10 just got sent to the cooler, and I know exactly why you are worried.
It will be 10 months before they play another meaningful men's basketball game at the Galen Center, and I know it may seem impolite right now, but, really, you have only one question, so I'll just blurt it out.
What does all this mean for football?
Does the temporary removal of this relatively unnoticed athletic department organ -- think appendix -- mean that they can save the Trojans heart?
Does sacrificing Mayo's memories mean that Bush's and McKnight's will stay intact?
Are USC football and the NCAA cool?
The Trojans certainly hope so. The sanctions USC imposed on its basketball team -- no March Madness this season is the biggie -- remove one stain from Heritage Hall. But this was clearly about addressing the larger picture.
Of the nine quoted sentences attributed to USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett and senior vice president Todd Dickey in Sunday's university release, only two actually contained the word "basketball."
It was as if they were spanking the basketball team with one hand while wildly pointing at the football team with the other.
Whack! See how we can deal with Joe McKnight? Whack! See how mad we are at Reggie Bush? Whack! Could you just leave us alone now?
Listen to Garrett:
"USC takes allegations of NCAA rules violations very seriously. . . . When we've done something wrong, we have an obligation to do something about it and that is exactly what we're doing here."
Listen to Dickey:
"We have very high standards for our faculty, athletic department, staff and students. We expect and demand that everyone associated with the university live up to these standards."
Lofty stuff, all of which is as much about the Pete Carroll era as the O.J. Mayo error. The Trojans are clearly trying to fan away the lingering stench from the allegations that former running back Bush's parents lived in a house funded by a would-be sports marketer, and McKnight was driving an NCAA-dirty car.
Oh, sure, the university or the NCAA was going to ding the basketball team; there was no choice, this has been clear since last summer.
Tim Floyd was reportedly seen handing money to one of O.J. Mayo's lackeys. Floyd suddenly resigned. You do the math.
Some sort of punishment for USC basketball was so certain, the Trojans were turned down by three other potential head coaches before hiring Kevin O'Neill from his assistant spot with the Memphis Grizzlies.
This season was considered such a potential washout, the Trojans actually held a public tryout for walk-ons.
Everyone knew they would have to pay for what was essentially Mayo's one-year college contract, and even when the USC team started surprising everyone, this didn't change.
O'Neill has shown again he can coach mean defense, Alex Stepheson has shown why he was once such a great prospect, Mike Gerrity is a delightful comeback story, the Trojans have won eight straight games, the culture over there has become amazingly fun.
But they knew. Everybody knew. Even if this team went unbeaten, it had little chance of playing in a postseason game; it was just a matter of time.
A cynic might even say that their fate was sealed by McKnight. Once the football running back was caught driving the car, the athletic department lowered the boom on the basketball team, and, well, hmmm.
Whatever, the basketball probation is a yawner, but its influence on football could be a screamer.
It is believed here that the NCAA doesn't want to mess with the money-making monster that is USC football, and maybe this gives them the excuse to back off.
This certainly qualifies as institutional control. This certainly shows that somebody at Heritage Hall is paying attention. Maybe the NCAA can now convince itself that if USC is willing to declaw its hot basketball team, it can be trusted to show the same tough love with the mighty football team.
Well, now, OK, that would take some convincing.
Make no mistake, this was a big move. Whether it was big enough to shroud a San Diego tract home or a Land Rover remains to be seen.
(c) 2010, The Los Angeles Times.
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