Big East/SEC Challenge Wish List

The SEC and Big East announced today a two-year agreement to play one another in an annual challenge.  This follows on the heels of back-to-back seasons in which a mini-version of this challenge existed, in which four teams from each conference competed for the challenge bragging rights.  There was enough momentum from this subsample for the conferences to agree on including all members in the SEC (12 teams) against twelve (out of 16) teams from the Big East.  The twelve teams from the Big East will be chosen at a later date.

The fact that we still don’t know which Big East teams will compete makes for a great opportunity to blog.  As with any challenge it’s all about the matchups.  You have to select matchups that will ultimately be competitive but also have as much marketability as possible in order to draw the highest ratings.  I put pen to pad tonight and did my best to break down the matchups I would want to see and some logic behind the choice.  Below is my personal wish list.  The conferences are free to use this in their decision making.

Kentucky vs Syracuse

Hype factors:  Both are perennial power basketball schools; the teams met in the 1996 Championship game; they almost never meet adding to the sexy matchup factor; perhaps most importantly they are #1 or #2 in annual home attendance every year, something the announcers can hype up until you vomit; the famed Syracuse 2-3 zone defense against the Dribble Drive Motion Offense of Kentucky.

Tennessee vs Connecticut

Hype factors: I went with this matchup mainly because Tennessee has already played Pittsburgh and Villanova this year, so I feel like there’s some process of elimination here.  Next year’s matchup should have new blood.  Now that UConn has rebounded from last year’s disappointing campaign this matchup oozes excitement.  Tennessee continues to be a giant-killer with wins over several Top 10 teams in recent years.  Lets throw the Vols another chance to add a feather to the hat.

Florida vs Louisville

Hype factors:  Lock this up.  Done deal.  Ricky P vs Billy D.  Mentor vs Pupil.  Championship winning coaches.  This is long overdue.  Marketing dream.

Vanderbilt vs West Virginia

Hype factors: This is a coaching decision for me.  I appreciate what Stallings and Huggins get out of their players.  The Mountaineers stifling defense pitted against Vanderbilt’s persistent offense.  I really think this could be the best matchup of the entire challenge.  Both coaches are gracious competitors and I think they would provide a great scene for college basketball fans.

What I learned from Kentucky/Mississippi State

–I learned that Kentucky, as has been the norm for years, draws the biggest crowds.  Humphrey Coliseum was packed with a record crowd last night and it’s a safe bet that if Erin Andrews had her decibel calculator handy an all-time high in crowd noise would have been registered.

–I learned that Mississippi State, although fiercly competitive for 37 minutes, was not up to the task in the final three minutes to close the deal.  You can attribute that partially to Ravern Johnson and Jarvis Varnado being on the bench, but a timeout by Rick Stansbury to specifically steer his team home may have prevented the late collapse.  I saw them give DeAndre Liggins a lot of breathing room on a three, and then I saw at least two possessions in the final two minutes that were very tentative and poorly executed on offense.  With a 67-60 lead with 2:44 to play, Mississippi State has more looking in the mirror to do than stalking the referees phone numbers for what happened in overtime.

–Speaking of overtime, there is absolutely no question that Kentucky was the beneficiary of “close” calls.  Patrick Patterson, in my mind, got away with a charge (too much bullying  into the player with his shoulder lowered on a guy that was 90% in defensive position).  In addition, we all know now that Wall truly goaltended–another Kentucky break.  It’s unusual for the home team to “get hosed” in overtime, but there really is no other way to put it.  I’ve heard some Kentucky fans claim “you can’t get all the calls right in real time” but if I can see the block attempt and immediately think goal tend, then surely one fo three referees can too, right?  Again, what happened in overtime largely went against MSU, but these guys had built a 7 point lead in regulation and couldn’t get it done.  That’s the real story here.

–I learned that Kentucky’s freshmen have a lot of growing up to do.  The “Call Me” mock that Cousins gave the crowd; the smiling the like the game is over by Wall when there was still 1:30 remaining; the unnecessary bouncing of the basketball casually by Liggins with 12 seconds left.  Yes, the UK kids had a chip on their shoulder because of the ridiculous phone calls and texts DeMarcus received leading up to the game.  But if you want to be the better men and the better team, shut people up with your play and not your retaliations.  Schools will refer to those immature moments as to why they hate you and your team (never admitting a large part of it is because you are a threat, by the way).  There is just no need for it.  Frankly, John Calipari should crack down on his guys on this, and as a fan of Kentucky I will be looking for less and less of it as we move forward.  Treat the game like you expect to win–not like you want to show off the fact that you’re winning.

–I learned that foul behavior by crowds has somehow manifested its way into the game atmosphere this year.  I have no idea how anyone can throw coins or full drinks onto a court for any reason.  It’s pathetic.  I don’t care what your excuse is but putting people in harms way doesn’t solve the problem.  If you have a beef with the way the game was officiated use your school’s athletic director to file a complaint with the commissioner of the league.  A proper analysis of game film can be done so that the game can be cleaned up–if warranted.  We have an obligation to kids in this world to teach them to be men with our actions people.  Every time you pull a stupid act based off of emotion you teach kids the wrong way to do things.  This is not a hallmark commercial.  It’s a plea for sanity.

–Finally, I learned that I am more excited than ever about *the prospect* for a Kansas vs Kentucky final.  I don’t mean to belittle other teams in saying that, and I will fully support any other final that is played, but the matchups that each team would generate is made for television.  Wall vs Collins.  Aldrich vs Cousins.  A host of other talent squaring off.  Freshman vs experience.  It is quickly becoming this year’s “dream game” and I think both fanbases can agree this is the one matchup that would settle a lot of trash talk for one college basketball season.  The odds of it happening are small because if you’ve watched the last 15 NCAA tournaments you know how hard it is to win 5 games.  And Syracuse, Villanova and a handful of other schools will have a big say in the outcome.  But there is no denying that the Jayhawks and Wildcats are a sexy matchup for many of the right reasons.

Thoughts watching Saturday’s action

Something I like to do when I’m battling a cold and it’s 20-something degrees outside is sit on my arse and watch a smorgasbord of college basketball action.  It started with the noon tipoff between Kentucky and Indiana and continues with a late afternoon tilt between the SEC’s Mississippi State and the Pac-10’s UCLA.  Here are some observations from a few of the games.

–John Wall for Kentucky was held in check……sort of. Wall was held to 11 points on 4 of 11 shooting, but he chipped in 7 rebounds and 8 assists, with only one turnover.
–Five players scored in double figures for the Wildcats in their 90-73 win. The play from the naked eye supports the statistics in this case–Kentucky put together their best team effort of the young season.
–Indiana is unquestionably improved from last season, if that was even in doubt. They shot lights out in the first half, but were smothered by Kentucky’s pressure defense in the second half. Maurice Creeks of IU came up large with 31 pts, but he was their lone true threat. Indiana will have to find some other scorers to make a move up the ladder in Big Ten play.
–Once I got home from watching UK/IU I flipped to Kansas/La Salle. This was my first chance to see the Jayhawks and I must say they are stacked. Their lineup has more muscle than the cast of Predator. At times early in the second half the Jayhawks would score, and then get back on defense like it was a scrimmage. Who can blame them for not having insatiable intensity when they are making games look so easy? For all the opposing fans saying “yeah, but Kansas hasn’t played anybody” I would reply with “it really doesn’t matter.” They’re going deep in March. Real simple.
–With Kansas on cruise control I switched to Louisville/Western Carolina. Score was Western Carolina 17-8. Yep. In Louisville. And Louisville is coming off a 20 point loss to Charlotte. Dysfunctional is the word. I’m not seeing a genuine floor leader for the cardinals, and when they aren’t hitting their 3’s this is not a very scary team. Pitino is notorious for some early season swoons, only to get his men together down the stretch. We will see. (I’m watching the finish here and Western Carolina still leads by six with just over six minutes left).
–New Louisville coach and former Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong is introduced to the crowd during a first half timeout. Freedom Hall erupts. In fact, Strong is directly linked to a brief blitz by the Cardinals who play their best basketball of the game following his moment. Sign Strong up for the basketball staff too.
–Last but not least I accidentally found Mississippi State/UCLA playing in the Wooden Classic. Someone call PETA because the Bruins are getting abused. You really don’t know where to start with UCLA. They lack effort and energy. They lack everything. The score at halftime is Mississippi State 40, UCLA 19. Before we write this off as a stinkfest from UCLA, let’s remember that Mississippi State is a very good team. Remember this name: Ravern Johnson. I watched him light up several teams from three point range last year, and he’s owning the perimeter in this one. With Vernado, Johnson and Bost, the Bulldogs have three weapons that most SEC teams would gladly take. If Renardo Sidney joins this team (if his eligibility is sorted out)….WATCH OUT.

–Lastly, I’m back on Louisville/Western Carolina. UL storms back to within a bucket, then gives up 3 straight three’s in embarassing execution fashion to now find themselves down by 12 points with under 3 minutes to play. This is one ????? team right now.