All of these storylines are relevant and capture the imagination of the game, but to me they are not the top stories.

What I will remember most, undoubtedly, are the back-to-back 3 pointers by UK’s Marquis Teague and Darius Miller late in the first half.

Kentucky started fast with two 3 pointers to take a 6-0 lead.  They built the lead to 22-10 with 8:26 remaining in the first half.  From there LSU started chipping into the lead.  The chipped and chipped so well they eventually cut the UK lead to just 25-24 with 3:19 remaining.  The LSU crowd was at fever pitch.  The Tigers energy level was through the roof.  At this point, the way this UK team has played in first halves, I worried.  Not that they would lose the game.  But I worried that they would lose the lead.  I worried that they would miss a few shots in a row and would go into the half tied, something like that.  In other words I didn’t expect a killer instinct.

But I saw just that in those two shots.  I saw Teague drill that first one to silence the crowd, giving the Cats a 28-24 cushion.

After another LSU bucket–and another resurgent act of bedlam from the LSU faithful–I saw senior Darius Miller calmly rise from the wing and bury another 3 pointer for a 31-26 lead.

I texted one of my favorite texts of the year to a family member: Killer Instinct.

They’ve shown the “will to win” time and time again in the waning moments of tight games all year but until the back-t0-back 3 pointers by Teague and Miller I had yet to be overwhelmed with the feeling of a killer instinct developing in this team.

The cats would eventually tack on four more points before the half to take a 35-26 halftime lead.  The dagger 3 pointers spurred a nearly double digit lead at the half, and effectively ended and silenced the Tigers attempt to take the lead and build fervor in the stands.

It wasn’t just the fact that they hit back-to-back 3′s.  It was the way in which they hit them.  It wasn’t at the end of the shotclock after nervous offense.  Miller, in particular, rose confidently and just bullied the ball thru the hoop.  I loved his reaction.  I saw in this moment a team building a tougher mentality.

This team will have a lot to prove in the coming weeks as they continue to defend their #1 ranking and they start to finally play the better teams in the league (Florida, Vanderbilt and Mississippi State).  Until today, I was sure they would have a couple of losses.  Now, I don’t know.  They may very well still end up with two or three losses in league play but the Cats took a major step forward today.  They went on the road, took on a packed house, and punched the Tigers squarely in the face when LSU put forth their absolute best effort.

Most importantly, they didn’t wait till the end of the game to do it.

We’re talking Anthony Davis.  We’re talking Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.  We’re talking Doron Lamb.

Who are Kentucky’s best two players?

Why these kinds of tortuous questions are even dreamed up I’ll never know, but being the game-nerd I so love to be, I started thinking.  I took the bait not because I wanted to nitpick one of those three players games to the point it would seem I was “bashing” the one left out.  Not a chance.  Homie don’t play that.  Destructive criticism is not my game.  Instead, I looked at the question as an opportunity to think who this team could possibly live without if they had to try and win the NCAA Tournament this year without one of them.  Who could they best forge on without and still make a deep tourney run??  That would lead me to the one they could most live without.  Maybe.

On any given night this year Lamb, Davis or Gilchrist has played a starring role.  The accolades seem to rotate.  There’s the back-to-back 24 and 26 point outbursts by Lamb against Chattanooga and Samford, respectively.  ”Big game” Kidd-Gilchrist has vaulted into NPOY discussions for inspired play against North Carolina, Indiana and Louisville–the latter of which Kidd-Gilchrist had about 75 rebounds.  And Davis is only leading the nation in blocked shots per game.  Ho hum.

I’m writing this blog post because I’ve passed this question on to my Kentucky-loving family.  I tested the waters.  Including myself and A-Train I have input from five people.

The answers are not the same.

The aunt said the two best players are Kidd-Gilchrist and Lamb.  So did the mom.  So did A-Train.

The stepfather said Davis and Kidd-Gilchrist.

Me?  I took Davis and Lamb.

How ridiculous does it look that I just left Kidd-Gilchrist off a best player on your team list??!

I cannot fully speak for the logic behind the other choices–they never went into great detail–but I can speak for myself.  First of all I love Doron Lamb.  He’s about 680 miles behind Mashburn on my all-time favorite UK player list, but that’s still 1,400 miles ahead of most everyone else.  I love Lamb’s game.  I love his confidence.  He is so difficult to guard because he has so many moves.  He’s shooting 46% from three (even though he’s in a mini-slump right now), 48% from the field and he’s a pretty decent option as a part-time point guard.  That’s an impressive resume.  I feel as though if you had to make a deep run in the tournament without a lethal scorer and shooter it would just be impossible to go far.  If Lamb is out for 40 minutes against North Carolina, who is Kentucky’s perimeter threat?  Wiltjer?  Beckham?  Miller can hit them but he doesn’t make an opposing team tremble.  See what I mean?  How do you replace that constant offensive presence from behind the arc??

I went with Davis because I have eyeballs.  Eyeballs and ears.  The eyeballs see ridiculous things.  The ears hear the sound of a basketball ricocheting off a cheerleader’s megaphone following a Davis rejection.  Blocks per game.  National leader.  He threatens to block every shot an opposing team takes.  In a frantic finish–the kind that often takes place in the NCAA Tournament–I want the nation’s rejection leader on the court.  Just like he was against North Carolina.

So in this exercise I basically found out a little more about myself.  I found that I don’t want to see my team without a true perimeter threat in the NCAA Tournament.  I found that if I can take a guy that opponents fear around the basket, I’ll take him too.

Apparently I’ll take those two over the high-motor, relentless jack-of-all-trades leader that Kidd-Gilchrist has proven to be.  I may not always choose this route though.  The concept that Darius Miller could come in and play the same position as Kidd-Gilchrist helps me make this decision.  He may not play it at the level of Kidd-Gilchrist, but on this year’s team, I’ll take those chances over the alternatives.

Plus, Kidd-Gilchrist would still make a hell of a leader on the sidelines.

The challenge is this: create an All-time best Kentucky Starting 5 while only being able to take one player from each of Kentucky’s previous five coaches.  Those coaches include John Calapari, Billy Gillispie, Tubby Smith, Rick Pitino, and Eddie Sutton.  Any player you choose simply had to play at least one season under that coach.  If a player played for two different coaches such as Patrick Patterson (Gillispie and Calipari), you could use him for either coach.

Finally, we had to set a concept for our picks.  Are we building this team based on the premonition that this starting 5 will compete against other great teams around the world?  Or are we building our starting 5 based largely on career achievements?  You may take a guy like Rajon Rondo with the former, but Wayne Turner for the latter.  That kind of thing.  To clear any confusion A-Train and I agreed to build two different teams based on both criterions.  First, we’ll post our all-time starting five that we would put up against anyone, and take some time to discuss our logic.  Lastly, we’ll briefly note our all-time starting 5 based on a great career coupled with the idea that these guys are all-time greats partly because of their heart and soul, and their pride in wearing the blue and white uniform.

Sawdog’s All-Time Kentucky Starting 5 (from the last five UK coaches):

PG   Rajon Rondo  (Smith)
SG   Jodie Meeks  (Gillispie)
SF   Jamal Mashburn  (Pitino)
PF   Kenny Walker  (Sutton)
C     Anthony Davis  (Calipari)

When you play a game like this you have to first ask yourself “who would I take from the short two year stint of Billy Gillispie?”  Well, it’s either Jodie Meeks or Patrick Patterson.  I hate leaving Pat off my list, but with Kenny Walker available from the Sutton years it becomes a little less painful.  I considered what it would be like to take Tony Delk as my SG and go with Patterson instead of Walker, but that would mean leaving off my favorite UK player of all time Jamal Mashburn (who, like Delk, played for Pitino).  I couldn’t dream of doing that.  Mashburn was a terrifying college player.  Mashburn shot 3′s with the skill and confidence of Delk or Meeks, but was 6’8 and 240 lbs.  You weren’t going to block him.  Ever.  But it was his presence on offense–the ability to pass and shoot equally well–that made him a first team All-American and my no brainer for Small Forward on my starting 5.  So once I knew Mashburn, Meeks and Walker were my core I looked for point guard and center.  And I had to choose those two positions from the Tubby Smith and John Calipari eras.  The center position was easy.  Anthony Davis.  You may argue he’s not developed enough, or he’s not a multi-skilled threat, but it doesn’t matter.  Basketball is as much defense as it is offense, and Davis is a freakish athletic talent with uncanny shot-blocking skills and patience.  He is literally a threat on every possession to block a weakside shot attempt.  He and Walker form a kind of skinny frontline, but Walker played with the aggression of a bigger man while Davis can give pounds away due to his ridiculous length.  That left point guard from the Tubby Smith era, and luckily this was one of the bright spot positions during his tenure.  I could go with Wayne Turner or Rajon Rondo.  I went with Rondo.  I had a deadeye shooter in Meeks in my backcourt, so I went with the guy who was super fast with the basketball and incredible on defense.  He doesn’t have to shoot well for us to win.  Not with Mashburn’s all around arsenal and the firepower of Meeks.  I like the look of this starting 5 a lot.

Sawdog’s All-Time Kentucky Starting 5 (great play coupled with embodying the UK uniform):

PG  Wayne Turner   (Smith)
SG  Rex Chapman   (Sutton)
SF  Jamal Mashburn   (Pitino)
PF  Patrick Patterson   (Gillispie)
C   Josh Harrellson   (Calipari)

I found this little exercise to be much more difficult. Career achievements and “representing the UK spirit” is a little more difficult to examine. It all, again, starts with the Gillispie era. I could have taken Patterson from the Calipari era, but I would have been left with Meeks from the Gillispie years. While Meeks is certainly a nice choice, there are other shooting guards in my opinion that best capture all time team successes and servitude to the uniform, such as Tony Delk and Rex Chapman. Since Meeks wasn’t the perfect fit at SG I went with a no-brainer fit at PF with Patrick Patterson. What a warrior. Has there ever been a more loyal, mature soldier wearing Kentucky blue than Patrick Patterson? He was an astounding freshman for Billy Gillispie, followed by a sophomore trooper that played through various injuries but never complained, even as Gillispie’s antics threatened to derail everything Patterson was fighting for. He then as a junior received a new roster full of teammmates with the addition of John Calipari, but soldiered on and played the role asked of him to allow the team to develop. I cannot possibly say enough about Patrick Patterson! Although I wanted Tony Delk badly, I could not pass up Mashburn from the Pitino years. Again, tremendous all-american talent but you have to also consider–for this exercise–his decision to come to Kentucky under dire circumstances and also his generous donations to the school immediately after signing his NBA rookie contract with the Dallas Mavericks. Great man, great player. Starting Small Forward. Unable to take Tony Delk because of the Mashburn selection, and unable to take Kenny Walker because of the Patterson selection, shooting guard fell into the lap of King Rex. Perhaps no player has so perfectly fit the definition of “shooting” guard. Beautiful shot, deadly accuracy. Incredible athleticism. Kentucky born. King Rex at shooting guard from the Sutton years was the next obvious choice. So again, I was left with point guard and center. I considered Jamal Magloire and Nazr Mohammed at center, but wasn’t crazy about the “careers”, obviously, of Calipari’s point guards. I was, however, crazy about the career of Josh Harrellson at center. Last season Harrellson put on one of the greatest individual transformations in school history, going from uninterested backup to DeMarcus Cousins as a junior to featured center and glue guy for a team that made the Final Four. Harrellson embodies what Calipari has preached since day one–you get what you earn. And that self-determination and improvement will endure a lot of fans, thus making him my easy pick from the Calipari era.

A-Train’s All-Time Kentucky Starting 5 (from the last five UK coaches):

PG  Rajon Rondo  (Smith)
SG   Rex Chapman   (Sutton)
SF   Michael Kidd-Gilchrist   (Calipari)
PF   Jamal Mashburn   (Pitino)
C     Patrick Patterson   (Gillispie)

I’m going chronologically…

Sutton – Chapman, still in my mind the best 2 we’ve had at UK, super athletic and proved not only in college but also in the pro’s that he could and WOULD take the big shot and nail it. Only 2 other possibilities for this spot in my mind, one being Shawn Kemp who I’m presuming to be ineligible since he never actually suited up for UK. The other being Kenny Walker who despite being a stud I feel has more competition for his spot on this team than Rex does.

Pitino – Mashburn, hardest part about this pick is where to play him. At the 4 he’s a nightmare for the slower post players, out on the wing at 3 he’s a post up mis-match. Will opt for the 4 in order to hide his defensive liabilities. Also, just let that first sentence marinate for a minute. Pitino coached what in my mind is the most talented college team to ever play and I’m taking Mashburn over any of those guys.

Tubby – Rondo, this is where the tough calls came in. Once we clarified which type of team we were going for it made this a little more distinct if not easier. This guy is a match up problem with his length and absurd athleticism. One of the best on ball defenders ever at UK. And also the toughest addition to this team because of who I had to leave off.

Gillespie – Patterson, a true gamer and he’ll have to be cuz he’s manning the 5 for this team. Something he did and did well in his time at UK. He can do a little bit of everything and other than Mash is the only real post up guy I took.

Calipari – Kidd-Gilchrist, this was kind of a tough call for me. I ended up going with him over Wall because in reality, what CAN’T this guy do? He is one of the toughest, and possibly THE toughest, defenders we’ve seen at UK and brings the kind of competitive fire that just plain wins games.

A-Train’s All-Time Kentucky Starting 5 (great play coupled with embodying the UK uniform):

PG   John Wall   (Calipari)
SG   Tony Delk   (Pitino)
SF   Darius Miller   (Gillispie)
PF   Kenny Walker   (Sutton)
C     Chuck Hayes   (Smith)

Sutton – Kenny Walker, his nickname was Sky for crying out loud. Threw down some nasty dunks and ended up 2nd all-time in scoring at UK.

Pitino – Tony Delk, stone cold shooter/scorer who will forever have a place in my heart.

Tubby – Chuck Hayes, this guy had more heart than a lot of TEAMS. A true warrior.

Gillispie – Darius Miller, classic underrated guy, does EVERYTHING well but nothing “great”, plus he’s a hometown kid like Rex.

Calipari – John Wall, another guy that brought some pride back to the bluegrass after a very dark time. Needless to say one of the best athletes ever to don the blue and white.

A completely healthy year from the Kentucky big man will likely see him shatter the school record for blocks in a season, currently shared by Melvin Turpin and Andre Riddick “The Rejector” in the 1982-1983 and 1993-1994 seasons, respectively.  Their record stands at 83.  With 58 Davis is already well on his way to the throne.

The bigger picture is this: how far up the Kentucky career blocks list can Davis climb in just one year?  If he manages to keep his current pace through conference play he’ll crack the top 10.  He really truly is in contention to be in the Top Ten Career Blocks list at Kentucky after just one year. 

With his 58th block last night against Lamar here is who Anthony Davis passed on the UK career blocks list:

Jamal Mashburn (3 years, 53 blocks)
LeRon Ellis (2 years, 53 blocks)
Marvin Stone (3 years, 57 blocks)

Davis is now ranked 30th all-time in UK career blocks.

Keeping track of this is going to be fun.

In essence we act as general managers that draft our own “perfect teams” from current SEC basketball players. Nothing to it. Our rules are pretty simple. Snake draft format and the draft order was randomly selected. Five rounds and each team must fill out a traditional roster of one PG, SG, SF, PF and Center. Some flexibility is allowed should one of us want a 3 guard lineup, etc. In addition, after the players are chosen, we select an SEC coach to coach the team. The idea is that these teams will play each other the day of the draft and that any player chosen is assumed to be at full health.

49ways won the random draw and had the #1 pick, followed by A-Train, and finally Sawdog. Here were the round-by-round results (with class, height and weight) with some discussion to follow:

Round 1
1. Anthony Davis, Kentucky (Freshman, 6’10, 220) (49ways)
2. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky (Freshman, 6’7, 232) (A-Train)
3. Doron Lamb, Kentucky (Sophomore, 6’4, 210) (Sawdog)

Round 2
4. Arnett Moultrie, Mississippi State (Junior, 6’11, 230) (Sawdog)
5. John Jenkins, Vanderbilt (Junior, 6’4, 215) (A-Train)
6. Kenny Boynton, Florida (Junior, 6’2, 183) (49ways)

Round 3
7. Dee Bost, Mississippi State (Senior, 6’2, 176) (49ways)
8. Patric Young, Florida (Sophomore, 6’9, 245) (A-Train)
9. Jeffrey Taylor, Vanderbilt (Senior, 6’7, 225) (Sawdog)

Round 4
10. Erving Walker, Florida (Senior, 5’8, 171) (Sawdog)
11. JaMychal Green, Alabama (Senior, 6’8, 240) (A-Train)
12. Tony Mitchell, Alabama (Junior, 6’6, 220) (49ways)

Round 5
13. Justin Hamilton, LSU (Junior, 6’11, 260) (49ways)
14. Marquis Teague, Kentucky (Freshman, 6’2, 189) (A-Train)
15. Festus Ezeli, Vanderbilt (Senior, 6’11, 255) (Sawdog)

Head Coach
Sawdog: Billy Donovan, Florida
A-Train: John Calapari, Kentucky
49ways: Anthony Grant, Alabama

Summary:

49ways                               A-Train                                               Sawdog

PG Dee Bost                      PG Marquis Teague                        PG Erving Walker
SG Kenny Boynton        SG John Jenkins                              SG Doron Lamb
SF Tony Mitchell            SF Michael Kidd-Gilchrist           SF Jeffrey Taylor
PF Justin Hamilton       PF Patric Young                              PF Arnett Moultrie
C Anthony Davis             C Jamychal Green                          C Festus Ezili

Sawdog Discussion

Why Doron Lamb with your first round pick?
The only player I know I would have taken ahead of Doron is Anthony Davis. So I feel like you can easily make a case that Doron was worthy of the second pick overall in this draft. Lamb is having an incredible season thus far. He is 6th in the conference in scoring (16.1 ppg), but first in 3-point field goal percentage at 50% (by a healthy margin). But it’s so much more than 3-point shooting. He’s a lethal scorer. While John Jenkins of Vanderbilt is considered a “deadeye shooter” the reality is his 3 point field goal percentage is lower than Lamb’s, and most importantly, his offensive arsenal and ability to score from anywhere on the court is not nearly as complete as Lamb’s. That’s what makes Lamb so dangerous. He has nearly perfected dribbling to his left along the baseline with a short 8 foot floater. Ditto on the floaters in the lane. He can take you off the dribble, he can drain the mid-range shots. He can absolutely do it all on offense. To top it off he’s been excellent as a part-time point guard in pressure situations this year so I can move him to the point when necessary. While all of that is extraordinary, perhaps his best trait of all is his fearlessness. He’s an ice-cold assassin, the perfect mentality to have for any shooting guard. I am very happy having Doron on my team.

Are you surprised it was a Kentucky sweep in the first round?
Not really. I assumed Davis’ rare skill set would see him go first, and Kidd-Gilchrist has won over a lot of people with his consistency and level of effort in all areas of the game. And I just made my case for Doron, so in short, not really.

Rank the backcourt tandems from best to worst
1. 49ways. I give him the edge because he best combines height, skill and both offense and defense. I would have considered Boynton a reckless gunner last year, but now he’s a league leader in made 3′s per game while also shooting about 43% from downtown. That’s impressive. Bost leads the conference in steals per game. He has the most complete backcourt.
2. Sawdog. I give mine an edge over A-Train’s because I already gave Lamb a slight edge over Jenkins, and Walker is the league leader in assist/turnover ratio. Walker’s my dependable senior that also shares that fearlessness to take and hit the big shot.
3. A-Train. Jenkins is a beast, leading the league in scoring, and while he has absolutely improved his ability to put the ball on the floor and create shots, it’s still developing. Teague has vastly improved his woeful assist/turnover ratio in the past few weeks, but he still has a ways to go. In addition Teague’s best asset, an explosive first step and drive for the layup, will be minimized by a guy like Anthony Davis, specializing in helpside blocks.

Why didn’t you draft Kentucky’s Terrence Jones?
Jones has the skill set that would have complemented Moultrie very well–the combo forward type to counter Moultrie’s bang and board mentality. When Jones is on that would have been a deadly combo in my post. But that’s just it–when Jones is on. Jones’ play is an enigma. Here’s a guy who can face his man up in isolation, drive hard and throw down a murderous dunk (against North Carolina this year). And then he’s the same guy that continuously gets blocked badly by simply not being smart enough with head and pump fakes. He gets blocked A LOT considering the explosiveness he sometimes posessess. I just needed someone who is smarter in my frontcourt, and less apt to flex his muscles for tipping in a layup.

Tell me your favorite pick by 49ways and A-Train
With 49ways my favorite pick he made is Kenny Boynton. I was not a big fan of his a year ago this time. But you can really see his improvements so far this year. He is taking a ton of 3′s but hitting them at an excellent clip. He also brings an explosive step to the court…he plays very fast. I’m a converted fan of his. With A-Train I’d have to say Kidd-Gilchrist. The only thing he doesn’t possess yet is a long jumpshot, even though he hits them when wide open every now and then. But A-train knows what he’s getting…a relentless motor and a burning desire to be his best as the clock is winding down. He’s a winner that makes winning plays. Gotta like a guy like that on your team.

Did your competitors make any picks that surprised you?
I selected Erving Walker with the 1st pick in the 4th round, and I kind of cursed myself. I felt like I gave 49ways Festus Ezili, and I was sure he would select him. I knew he’d be looking for a big man, wide-body type to round out his frontcourt. (I still needed a frontcourt guy so I was kind of kicking myself). But to my surprise 49ways selected Justin Hamilton and that opened the door for me to take Ezili. Ezili has the bigger national profile and was predicted as an All-SEC type, so he kind of stands out more on paper than Hamilton. So yes, I was surprised to get him on my team with the last pick in the draft.

Who has the best small forward?
I’m going to stand up for my guy here–Jeffrey Taylor. Kidd-Gilchrist has the motor, and Tony Mitchell is terrifying in transition at times, but Taylor can really shoot the basketball. He’s shooting a ridiculous 54.6% from the field and a very respectable 41% from three-point range. I watched Vanderbilt play Lafayette the other night and he’s more explosive than I ever gave him credit for. The guy can really take off and hammer a basketball thru the net. With Taylor I’ve got a smart, experienced wing player that’s flat out going to put the ball thru the hoop. His perimeter game should stretch Gilchrist and Mitchell away from the hoop and open up the court nicely for Moultrie (league-leading 4.8 offensive rebounds per game….destroying everybody in this category) to clean up some missed shots. I like it.

What’s your biggest concern about your team?
I think I would have to say I don’t have the perfect team because I don’t have a power forward that can really face up from 17 feet and make you respect his shooting game. In some ways I have similar forwards with similar skill sets. There are no twirling, poetic ridiculous Hakeem Olajuwon types in my frontcourt. But, that said, the other teams don’t have that either, except Davis who does things nobody else can do. My concern is minimal…I’m nitpicking my own team. When it comes down to it I have two 6’11 guys that are going to take care of a lot of rebounding by the time a game is over.

Why will you beat both 49ways and A-Train?
I would think that with our rosters–15 great players from the SEC–we are going to find ourselves in tight games. I have three guys shooting above 81% from the foul line, and one of them is my power forward! Moultrie shoots a ridiculous 88.3% (53 for 60) from the charity stripe. That means if I’m down by one I can dump it right into Moultrie and let his league-leading 58% field goal percentage go to work. I won’t have a problem doing that if Anthony Davis is on him because Davis’ biggest weakness is banging against a guy bigger than him…Davis still does most of his damage from the weakside. If 49ways has Davis on Ezili, I’ll take note of that and perhaps run a curl instead for the best 3 point shooter in the league, Doron Lamb. This is where my fearless guards, Lamb and Walker, could shine. Walker has made a reputation as the Gators go to guy in the clutch, and Lamb was responsible for carrying UK past North Carolina earlier this year with 2 big 3-pointers to give UK a lead it would never relinquish down the stretch. I drafted fearless, hard-nose guys that should absolutely excel in the final moments of a game. You have got to like my chances.

49ways Discussion

Why Anthony Davis with your first round pick?
Davis wasn’t getting out of the first round – I had to take him. He’s a game changer. What I have with him is Dikembe Mutumbo with athleticism! Whether he’s on the ball or in helpside, he will find a way to alter a shot or send it into a cheerleader’s face. And get out of the way on the fast break. It’s gonna be Dunk City baby!

Are you surprised it was a Kentucky sweep in the first round?
No. Sawdog and A-Train bleed Kentucky True Blue. Seriously, I’ve cut both of them. But how can we not draft anything but Kentucky players! There is too much talent on that roster – talent that will be in the Final Four this year.

Rank the backcourt tandems from best to worst
1. 49ways – I think we can all agree that my backcourt is nasty. These guys score, shoot, defend, and dribble. With two good ball handlers, I think we can handle the press, but Sawdog’s team can probably put on a good one. I feel I can minimize Jenkins and Lamb with my quickness and strength. Teague still has a lot to learn, and my experience in the backcourt should frazzle him. I’m not too worried about Walker. Just never see him as a real threat.
2. After much deliberation, I’m gonna have to go with A-Train with the #2 backcourt. This all hinges on my lack of fervor with Walker. I really think both backcourts can harass Walker, offensively and defensively. A-Train has great speed with Teague and a true scorer in Jenkins.
3. It seems like I’m bashing Sawdog’s backcourt. I’m not – I just think the other two are a little better. I’ve seen Walker do some damage. He’s not afraid to pull from 25 and knock it down. And how smooth and calm is Lamb? Sweet stroke, and he’s improving every time he hits the floor. I see some game-winning shots from him later this season.

Why didn’t you draft Kentucky’s Terrence Jones?
In hind-sight, I kind of wish I did draft him. With Terrence, I can run a nice four-out offense with him being the do-it-all guy. And Jones makes my team fast and extremely athletic. But I feel I had to get some muscle inside which is why I drafted Hamilton. He’s a big body who can bang with Ezeli, Young and Green.

Tell me your favorite pick by Sawdog and A-Train
Sawdog – Taylor. I was hoping, just hoping, I could snag him, but Sawdog is too smart to pass on him. Taylor is a wonderful all-around player with deceptive athleticism.
A-Train – Jenkins. This guy can light it up. He’s capable of putting up 30 on any given night, or hitting 5 threes in a row. Scary.

Did your competitors make any picks that surprised you?
No, no one made any strange picks. What surprises me is that the two Kentucky nuts didn’t draft Jones. But let’s face it, he’s third on the team in scoring and rebounding. There are too many better options in the SEC this year.

Who has the best small forward?
Sawdog asked this question for a reason. The small forward spot is the most competitive in this draft. I would LOVE to see these match-ups in real life (which will happen soon!). Wow. Great question. I probably have to go with Taylor. He can be a go-to player, he can guard several positions, he can shoot. I love his game. If the question was “Which small forward has the most potential?” I’d go with Kidd-Gilchrist. Anthony Mason anyone?

What’s your biggest concern about your team?
Justin Hamilton. I see guys running circles around him, especially A-Train’s frontcourt. Hamilton may be strong, but he’s not necessarily fleet of foot. He’s a halfcourt guy, and all of my players are guys who like to run. I’m regretting not drafting Jones.

Why will you beat both Sawdog and A-Train?
Anthony Davis. He’ll have 8 blocked shots and 5 alley-oop dunks. Then my backcourt will put up 45 points to go along with Mitchell’s screaming fastbreak layups. I just need Hamilton to grab some boards and get some garbage buckets. But I really think my backcourt will lead this team to victory. Too much experience, great ball-handling, good size, nice shooting. My guard play is exactly what I want on a team.

A-Train Discussion

Why Michael Kidd-Gilchrist with your first round pick?
I REALLY like my pick of MKG almost to the point that I would have taken him if I had had the first overall pick. That being said I don’t think there is a better player in the SEC than Anthony Davis for the simple fact that he’s as dominant as he is and I don’t think we’ve really seen what he’s actually capable of yet. I think he’s just scratching the surface of what he can do and I blame that on Calipari. He’s holding him back. In a good way though. He preaches team over self which is the absolute right thing to do and which is why we haven’t seen, and might not until he’s in the NBA, the best out of him.

Are you surprised it was a Kentucky sweep in the first round?
Yes and no. Yes because while I love Lamb I think there are at least a couple other guys that could have gone 3rd overall and not blinked. Lamb is great and getting better so by no means am I downgrading the pick. And no because I just think that arguments could be made either against him or more likely for someone else, whereas with the first 2 picks I don’t think any reasonable arguments can be made.

Rank the backcourt tandems from best to worst
Ridiculously difficult question… so many options, no criteria…

I think in a one game scenario I go with Boynton/Bost, Lamb/Walker, then Jenkins/Teague. My reasoning is experience. I think the skill is about as equal as it gets across the board and while Boynton streakiness scares me a little, he has been around 3yrs and Bost for like 8 so that’s 11 years of experience versus the combined 6 of Lamb/Walker and 3 of Jenkins/Teague. I reserve the right to change my order at anytime especially around March. If/when Teague develops into the player we saw in the second half of the IU game then all bets are off and my backcourt immediately becomes the best as Jenkins is essentially equal to Lamb as a shooter, especially when John Wall isn’t on the court opposite him packing his weak stuff back in his face.

Why didn’t you draft Kentucky’s Terrence Jones?
This is my favorite question unfortunately… In retrospect I think I might have taken him in place of Green but in light of the last few weeks I think my vision was jaded a bit. What sticks out in my mind about Green vs. Jones is that Green always seems to be around the basket with regards to rebounding while Jones can sometimes get enamored with the perimeter and forget about dominating the glass. I think it’s really unfortunate that a couple inferior(Ezeli and Hamilton, just my opinion) guys were taken over him but with his most recent performances being so bad and those being freshest in the mind I can understand it. I really am shocked that none of us considered him in the top 15 players in the SEC. Or at least not enough to pick him.

Tell me your favorite pick by 49ways and Sawdog
My favorite pick from Sawdog’s team is Jeffery Taylor, I look at him and see a homeless man’s MKG. Very good at everything if not great at any one thing in particular. He always gives UK fits or at least seems to in my mind. He seems like one of those guys that you hate playing against but LOVE to have on your team. Lots of respect for him, plays hard and does a great job. I wish I had more to say about Anthony Davis and I think it’s kind of a cop-out to pick him as my favorite seeing as he was the first overall but as I stated previously, he’s probably the best player in the league and we still haven’t seen the best from him yet.

Did your competitors make any picks that surprised you?
Yeah, Justin Hamilton surprised me but that may have more to do with my not knowing enough about the rest of the league, the west specifically, than anything else. Also Moultrie as the 1st pick in the second round surprised me a bit 0.6 blocks per game from a 6’11” guy seems particularly weak. I think he may still have been there in the 4th/5th. Not to say either was a bad pick, 6’11” guys don’t grow on trees but I was surprised by them.

Who has the best small forward?
While Taylor and Mitchell are both great talents in their own right, hands down I do. MKG is the cream of the crop not only in the SEC but in the NCAA. I can’t think of a single player at his position in the entire country that I’d rather have on my team than him.

What’s your biggest concern about your team?
My biggest concern is that Teague doesn’t develop or reproduce the kind of game that we saw in the 2nd half vs. IU. Otherwise my only concern is that Davis DOES develop into the player he can be, I don’t know if it matters who the other team has if that happens.

Why will you beat both Sawdog and 49ways?
My team wins for two reasons. 1st – Coaching. With the talent being so close to equal it will come down to who can motivate their team and make the necessary adjustments. Calipari has shown a knack for doing both of those things even if the motivation part only seems to come after halftime. 2nd – Heart. MKG will will this team to victory. He’s got more heart than any player I can remember since Chuck Hayes. As for the rest of the matchups I like the toughness of my front court with Young and Green being the big body bangers that give Davis and Moultrie’s skinny frames trouble and I think they match up well with Hamilton/Ezeli as well. I do worry that my guards won’t be able to stop anyone but lets be real here, none of the guards chosen are exactly known for playing defense so that’s likely a wash. MKG owns the SF spot so hard that they should name a postseason award after him.

Link

The Oklahoma State Cowboys visit the Yellowhammer State (Yes, Alabama!) for a Big 12/SEC matchup tonight.  Tip is in just one hour so it’s time for me to start prepping…

1st Half

19:40–Crashes weakside for offensive rebound, nice move, not to be. Careless here…could have easily been over the back
19:30–Guarding 6’7 OSU star freshman LeBryan Nash. Man to man.
18:50–Assist. Dribble drive, kickout, teammate drains 3.
18:40–Def Rebound.
18:20–Face up, drains jumper from 18 feet
17:40–Passes out of double team, teammate misses. Nice pass and correct decision.
17:00–No effort to get around defender for offensive rebound
16:40–Def rebound. Taps to himself.
16:30–Alabama up 10-2
16:10–There for transition oop, bad pass to him
16:00–Nice D to force bad shot
15:30–Looks a bit tired
15:20–Wide open 3 off screen and he drains it. Swish. Slight hitch in shot…Bama up 16-2. 5 pts for Mitchell
15:00–Can’t connect on a second oop try, misses one handed dunk. Doable oop this time. His bad.
14:30–No effort to crash board with perfect opportunity. Second time teammate drains a 3 while Mitchell wathces and doesn’t advance towards basket.
14:10–Timeout 14:08 left. Bama up 19-4
14:00–Def Rebound
13:40–transition layup. Teammates attempted 3rd oop pass, no success. Caught it instead, turned around and layed it in.
12:30–Drained a 3 (swish) right after whistle blown and play stopped
12:00–Good block out, but ball caroms away
11:50–Releford hurt, and JyMichael Green did not start and will not play. Will Mitchell step up with Releford being treated??
11:00–Banks in leaner off glass. Sweet.
10:50–Almost has PG presence on court. Doesn’t rush. Confident.
10:30–Drains 18 foot jumper from baseline. 11 pts now.
9:50–Fouls guy coming thru lane. So far I’m seeing “average” defender. Mitchell comes out after foul. Refs switch foul now to teammate, but Mitchell already on bench thinking it was his second. Oh well, more rest before under 8:00 TO. Bama up 27-12 when he leaves.
8:02–Mitchell returns
7:40–Def Rebound
7:30–Misses 3 ball
7:00–Bad effort blocking out. LeBryan Nash outplays him and scores.
6:30–blocked on short shot attempt
6:10–Doesn’t crash boards. (Wonder if he’s asked to stay back??)
5:40–Nash abuses him on step back jumper. Nash in rhythm now.
5:00–Def rebound
4:30–tips def rebound, good effort, out of bounds, bama ball
3:50–Ran floor excellent and HARD. Couldn’t receive good pass from pg.
3:30–Good heady defensive play, deflects ball
3:00–on weakside just watching action…
2:40–Slow to help defense, dunked on in lane
2:20–sets his 90th (not really) pick on offense around top of key
2:10–Doesn’t try to fight arond guy for off board
1:30–Stands around top of key a lot early in posessions
1:20–misses 10 foot floater, hard off back rim
1:00–Plays good passing lane D, and nice effort to block help D shot even though he didn’t get it
0:50–misses 6 foot floater in lane
0:30–Def reb. Nice. Fought for it.
0:00–Bama up 40-22. Mitchell 11 pts, 5-10 FG’s, 7 rebounds.

2nd Half

19:50–blocks Nash, out of bounds, stays with OSU. Interestingly OSU goes straight to Nash to open half (Mitchell guarding him)
19:20–Drives hard to right side after fake handoff. Fouled shooting. Nice. 1-2 FT.
19:00–In 2-3 zone (Bama). Explosive jump for def rebound, ball out of bounds to Bama.
18:20–Nice straight up D. Nash is able to get past Mitchell fairly easily. Mitchell fouls him driving.
17:40–Mitchell rejected
17:10–Misses 3, open look
16:10–Crashes weakside, was there for off board
15:50–Nash gets best of him again
15:40–Continues to run offense thru Mitchell early in posessions at top of key
15:20–Nice D, disrupts passing lane
15:10–Deflects ball out of bounds trying to rebound
14:50–Good help D
13:20–Traveled driving to basket
13:10–Silly slap, could have been foul call easily
13:00–Nash blow by, Mitchell fouls
12:50–Bama getting sloppy. lead down to 15
12:10–Bama starting to play shaky
11:40–long jumper, misses
11:10–Nice kickout pass in transition. Found open shooter. No assist
10:50–Missed floater in transition, 8 footer
9:40–Nasty transition dunk. Hard right hander with nice landing.
9:30–Commentator tells us Anthony Grant calls Mitchell his “best playmaker”
9:00–Great entry pass! Bucket. Kendall Marshall-like. Great pass Mitchell
8:10–Misses open 3 from wing
8:00–Def reb position but ball goes in
7:40–looks tired. Played every minute this half
7:20–Sealed well, no chance for def reb
7:00–Got beat for positioning on def end (not good)
6:30–Bama back in zone D
4:10–Bama running clock off every posession, not much to write last two minutes
4:00–Weak lane defense. Player goes around him easily.
3:00–Grabs def rebound in lane
2:50–Mitchell relied on as ballhandler in crunch time
2:30–off rebound and kickout, cycles new shot clock. Nice.
1:40–Disgusting cherry picking transition dunk with big lead. Two handed and nasty. Fouled too. 0-1 FT
1:20–Def rebound great outlet pass for fast break
0:30–Misses transition dunk, tried to throw it down hard. Oops.
0:20–slaps ball from behind, steal, Bama possession now
0:00–Bama wins big, 69-52

In a game played without star teammate and big man JyMichael Green, Alabama guard/forward Tony Mitchell responded with an impressive performance. He finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks against Oklahoma State. He only had one turnover despite having the offense run through him on most possessions.

Tonight I gained a healthy new respect for Tony Mitchell. As an outsider I only knew Mitchell as a high-flyer that could put down some ridiculous dunks. However, he can do so much more. At one point a commentator mentioned that head coach Anthony Grant calls Mitchell his “best playmaker” and judging from the touches Mitchell had on pretty much every offensive possession it was easy to see why. Mitchell typically inbounded the ball after OSU made baskets. Then he stayed back with PG Trevor Releford to help handle the full court pressure Travis Ford and the OSU Cowboys implement on many possessions. Then once the halfcourt offense began, I would say over 90% of the possessions began with an early in the shot clock pass to Mitchell standing at the top of the arch. He typically made a swing pass to the wing (he wasn’t a threat to dribble drive past defenders) but still, they ran the offense thru him. Grant trusts him, clearly.

From the offensive standpoint Mitchell set the tone for Alabama early, scoring all eleven of his first half points in the first 10 minutes of the half. He was hitting everything from the outside. The slight hitch in his shot, coupled with tired legs from playing nearly every minute, caught up with him throughout the rest of the game. His shooting percentage fell to 7-20 by the end of the game–just 35%. But he continued to play pretty solid defense, especially considering he checked a physical specimen like LeBryan Nash for most of the game.

There were only two areas of concern tonight from what I saw. Offensive rebounding and his defense specifically when guarding LeBryan Nash. Maybe I don’t understand X’s and O’s basketball enough but I would like to think that if you’re leading rebounder (Green) is not playing I would think, as a 6’6 wide-bodied athletic guy, your coach would ask you to put forth a monstrous effort on the offensive boards. It’s hard to complain too much b/c I already noted he was asked to play such a huge role on offense. I just felt like there were numerous times absolutely no effort was made to crash the glass. Secondly, LeBryan Nash at times made Mitchell look like a very average college defender. You could see that Nash’s ability to drive or step back and shoot was too much for Mitchell. Nash will end up making a lot of people look silly by the end of the year, but Mitchell clearly lacked a level of quickness to check a very athletic wing player.

All things considered, tremendous effort from Tony Mitchell tonight. They ran everything thru him at the top of the key, and it was good enough to clobber OSU from start to finish. When he takes flight in transition it is something. I wouldn’t want to be below!

Here are eight questions that I pose to Sawdog:

1. In your eyes, which team has surprised you the most?

I’m most impressed with Missouri.  Any time there’s a coaching change you would expect a little bit of struggle implementing a new system, but under first year coach Frank Haith (yes, the old Miami FL coach) Missouri has cranked it up!  It’s hard not to get excited thinking about how special this Mizzou club can be.  They have what looks like elite guard play and their early season chemistry seems to be special.  Look out!

2. In your eyes, which team has disappointed you the most?

I’m not crazy about being too hard on teams early in the year…too many more weeks for improvement…but in the spirit of the question I’ll pick Memphis.  At 5-3 Memphis has gone from preseason #9 to unranked in the ESPN/USA Today poll.  They have an elite scorer in Will Barton, and with other highly touted recruiting classes filling the roster they are underachieving a bit.  Yes, their losses are to good teams like Michigan, @ Georgetown and Murray State…but if you want to be elite just go out and beat those teams.  A close win over what has turned out to be a putrid Tennessee team is also uninspiring.

3. Who is your mid-season choice for Player of the Year?

I can’t go against Jared Sullinger.  He’s missed two games but so what, it’s early.  He’s a great leader on a great team, and they probably don’t lost @ Kansas with him in the lineup.  He’ll dominate here again shortly.

4. Who is your mid-season choice for Coach of the Year?

Well I know who it isn’t–Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin!  I’ll go with first year Murray State head coach Steve Prohm. He was a very popular pick by the local community–serving as an assistant for many years–and he’s off to a great 11-0 start, a #24 national ranking, and wins @ Memphis and @ Western Kentucky.  It’s nice to see highly regarded guys with a track record of excellent character succeed at a high level.

5. What is your assessment of the CBSSports contributors Dream Teams, and who would be your starting five, top reserves, and coaches?

CBSSports hit on something that we here at College Courtside fully endorse–nerdtastic pretend games where you can assemble dream teams.  Instead of spending a ton of time discussing my thoughts on their entire teams, I’ll just note a quick pro and con to each of their teams.

Parrish:  I’m a big fan of the Mike Rosario bench pick.  That kid comes in and drains shots.  Jeremy Lamb has to be in my starting lineup.  None of this come in and provide offense off the bench stuff.  For a non-Kentucky player, J Lamb is my guy.

Goodman:  If you want a great team on the floor no way I have both Kidd-Gilchrist and Barnes on the same roster, with Barnes starting.  Kidd-Gilchrist already beat him head to head (I know Barnes fills a certain catch and shoot role for Goodman, but in the bigger picture one player, Gilchrist, has an “it” factor and the other doesn’t).  Also, Yancy Gates??  I’m not a fan of cancer.  The Scott Machado pick is great.

Norlander:  Anthony Davis is an alien, and I happen to agree with him being on the court.  Denmon is a monster…glad to see Norlander fit him on the roster over the more popular teammate Phil Pressey.  I’m not crazy about him having Thomas Robinson as his “wing” player.  He’s going with a big lineup but I prefer a crazy do it all freak out there on the wing creating insane matchup problems.

Borzello:  I’m a fan of the John Henson pick, representing North Carolina.  Matchup problems off the bench.  I’m not crazy about Perry Jones….seems like a lack of focus and intensity at times…so I think he could have done a little better there.

As I’m sure these CBS gentlemen will tell you there are certain players you know you want right off the bat.  Then it’s a matter of figuring out exactly which position they will play, what style offense you want to run and then figure out how to stay within the rules (only one player from any team can be on your roster).  Jared Sullinger is on my team.  I know that. So starting with that strategy here is my starting 5 dream team:

PG  Tu Holloway, Xavier  Point guard was my toughest position to settle on.  Even though Kendall Marshall has improved his shooting this year, it’s still not dangerous, and I like a scoring point guard, one that has the ability to pass or shoot with equal danger in the final minutes of a game.  Jordan Taylor has had a small dropoff so far this year compared to last year, and since we’re in the moment here, I was looking for something a little more.  The fact that Taylor is just 6’1 (I thought he was taller!) opened the door to consider others.  Enter Holloway.  Aside from his idiotic behavior against Cincy last week, he has proven to be a solid scorer and a big time competitor.  I’ll take his handle and clutch play in the final minutes of a tight game.

SG  Marcus Denmon, Missouri  Have you watched this guy play?  Not only is he a great outside shooter but he can really get up at the rim in a hurry.  Very athletic, very dangerous beyond the arc.  His shooting percentages from the field, 3 point line and free throw line are outstanding and that’s all I want him to do–shoot the hell out of the basketball to keep the defense from collapsing on Sullinger in the paint.  He’ll do that.  I’m salivating at the thought of him in my fast break offense.

SF  Jeremy Lamb, Connecticut  This was the other guy I had to have in my lineup.  Forget bench.  I want this dude flying all over the place on offense.  I used some discretion here–some would argue he has to be a shooting guard–but I moved the 6’5 Lamb to my SF spot with the understanding that he’ll have to play a little longer than that against bigger opponents (Kidd-Gilchrist, for example).  Thankfully his freakish long arms allow him to play taller than 6’5 so I’m not worried.  Lamb is so smooth on offense and in transition.  I have no doubt I just made my team a lot better.  Love this guy.  I considered Kidd-Gilchrist here b/c he’s such a warrior but I could only have one Kentucky player on my roster…

PF  Jared Sullinger, Ohio State  No-brainer.  Great leader, great rebounder, great low post scorer.  He’ll draw double teams and wreak havoc

C  Anthony Davis, Kentucky  Tremendous instincts on defense, already a formidable shot blocker.  Shows great poise on his shot block timing.  He plays 19 feet above the rim.  Just throw it up and dunk it.  He will absolutely devour the weakside when Sullinger is demanding quadruple teams (drama alert) in the post.  With Davis I have the shot block presence to frustrate the hell out of your already frustrated team.

Top Reserves:

Kendall Marshall, North Carolina  Steady the ship if Holloway goes “Cincinnati” on us.  Perfect sub for that, and he’s not a prima donna so he’ll handle this role like a man.

Kris Joseph, Syracuse  49ways taught me long ago the importance of having do-it-all freakish athletes on the wing.  You can’t have too many of them, so I’ll take the 6’7 Joseph for just that role.

Thomas Robinson, Kansas  He’s a warrior and a beast.  I’ll take him.

I’ll take John Calapari as my coach.  I considered Coach K as anybody would, but I agree with Borzello here: take the guy who has proven recently to take unreal talent and get them to be unselfish.  Calapari is motivated right now too, he has a lot to prove while also being in his coaching prime.  With my selections I have ensured Calapari a team that can really be dangerous in half-court and full-court basketball.  Holloway taking an outlet pass from Sullinger, with Lamb, Davis and Denmon flying up the court?  Oh my God!  A deadly Denmon 3?  Lamb taking the chest pass from Holloway on the fly and flying towards the rim?  Davis trailing and thunderdunking one home?  This is my dream team.

6. Do you think the punishment for the Cincinnati-Xavier melee was appropriate?

Good Lord no.  Cincinnati’s coach vowed to consider removing players from his roster in his post-game speech, and the outcome is 6 missed games, only one of which against a league opponent??  Why were Xavier starters in in the waning seconds, when Xavier had about a 20 point lead???  If you’re the coach you know this is your rival, emotions are high…take your starters out and prevent them from doing exactly what they ended up doing–showboating their victory on the court.  I thought this was a disaster from the player and coach perspective.  Six games is a joke.

7. Do you think expanding the Field of 68 to 96 or 128 teams would be good for the game?

I just love the way it is now.  But money will dictate what happens.  If it will be a profitable success the powers that be will make it happen regardless of what any of us think.  Truth.  And Seth Greenberg will rejoice.

8. Give me your round-up with Kentucky basketball up to this point.

They’re sitting pretty.  They have typical Calapari-coached camaraderie, and two outstanding leaders in Darius Miller and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.  They’ll be fine.  They lost to Indiana in what had to be Assembly Hall’s most insane crowd since Bob Knight hit an innocent victim with a chair.  Point guard Marquis Teague is already trending upward after a very rough start.  We already know Davis is going to have ridiculous blocked shots, and Kidd-Gilchrist is going to play every posession like it’s the last one of his life.  It’s up to Teague to reach his potential and for Terrence Jones to decide he likes playing basketball on a nightly basis.

“With all due respect to the other 342 Division I fan bases out there, who wouldn’t want to see this one again” (in reference to a potential NCAA tournament matchup).  If it never happens, though, at least college basketball fans will always have Saturday’s game etched into their memories.”   –Jason King, ESPN

“It (the game) lived up to the talent, and all the hype that accompanied it–no game this season has been played at such a high level and with such entertainment value to boot.”  –Eamonn Brennan, ESPN

“It’s not every day they play in such a frenetic, close, classic game more worthy of April’s opening weekend than a nonconference tune-up in early December.”  –Robbi Pickeral, ESPN

“The calendar said December 3, but it felt like March. Actually, it felt like April. And if the basketball gods are kind, that’s when North Carolina and Kentucky will meet again.”  –Seth Davis, SI.com

“Both teams played well, showing why they’re ranked in the top five and why the arena was jammed with NBA scouts and general managers. Neither team buckled when the other hit it with runs.”  –Pat Forde, Yahoo Sports

There are many more excerpts to be taken from various writers caught up in the awesome scene played out in Rupp Arena on Saturday, but you get the point.  This was as good as it gets when it comes to two elite teams squaring off in December.  One would think that a matchup with arguably the two greatest college basketball programs of all-time, Kentucky and North Carolina, clearly producing a memorable outcome of the ages would warrant some national attention on Monday, particularly the radio airwaves full of sports jock talk.  At least I would expect some coverage.  Wouldn’t you??  So I went to bed on Sunday night excited about some sports talk the next day covering the big game.

If you don’t listen to ESPN Radio much, here is what you typically deal with on a daily (weekday) basis.  You have three popular national shows throughout the day.  Between 6 and 10 am you get “Mike and Mike in the Morning,” hosted by Mike Greenburg and former NFLer Mike Golic.  As a longtime listener of this show I can tell you two things in general: 1.) they are like an old married couple and 2.) they really like NFL football.  I have no qualms with NFL football, but being a college sports fan first I typically look forward to the late morning/afternoon coverage on ESPN Radio.  At 10 am the polarizing Colin Cowherd takes the airwaves until 1 pm.  His show is considered to be a bit more controversial, coming closer to whatever “shock talk” is than what you get from Mike and Mike.  I happen to love Cowherd’s show, and he tends to mix more college discussion in than Mike and Mike.  Finally from 1 to 4 pm you get The Scott Van Pelt show, where you can hear the popular Sportscenter anchorman’s opinions along with his permanent sidekick Ryan Russillo.  Van Pelt is a Maryland graduate with a shameless passion for college football, and an almost kid-like fun interest in college basketball, so it is this show that I tend to enjoy most for its college sports coverage.  I realize the coverage of sports changes appropriately depending on the seasons (for instance, all three shows will discuss college basketball at length during the NCAA Tournament in March) but pound for pound that is how I would describe each show’s general priorities of sports action.

I turned my dial to ESPN 760 at about 7:30 this morning taking that general mentality of each show into mind.  That meant that I thought maybe Mike and Mike might get to college basketball in their last hour, knowing that they would talk about Tim Tebow, the Cowboys and other NFL action for most of their show.  I understood that NFL playoff races are in full swing, and that appropriate coverage would be set aside for this.  But I also felt that a thrilling contest ending in fantastic fashion that had the college basketball world celebrating (especially a game highly anticipated and between traditional powers like Kentucky and North Carolina) would generate at least a quick 5 minute discussion.  Nope.  Fear not though, I told myself, because Cowherd and Van Pelt are still to come.

Nope and Nope.

Ten straight hours of me listening to ESPN Radio, waiting patiently throughout the day knowing that college sports coverage generally increases as the day progessess and……yeah, no.  Nothing.  Not even Scott Van Pelt, a huge college supporter, made time for it.

This of course brings me to my point and my humbling conclusion.  Two college basketball powers can play in December, long before the NCAA Tournament begins, and produce a game that EXCEEDS its incredible hype, only to see the national radio media completely look the other way in favor of football.  As I said, I understand the situation….NFL deserves the majority of discussion, as well as college football, considering the BCS rankings and bowl pairings, including the national championship game, were announced.  That’s a big morning that requires a ton of commentary with various guests.  I get it.  But in ten hours of coverage not one time was the game between UNC and Kentucky mentioned.  Not even in passing.  Not even a “Wow, great game on Saturday in college basketball, wish we had time to discuss it more but…”  Not even that.  It didn’t even show up as a dust particle on the radar.

The perspective I’m trying to share is this: If December in basketball is to September in football (meaning these are the months when each sport’s season are just underway) we would still be inundated with NFL football talk in September by these same radio shows.  But the same early season coverage is virtually unimportant in basketball.  It was a bold reminder that NFL (and college to a lesser extent) is king in this land.  And no matter how compelling a college basketball game is in December it’s going to get buried under the latest developments in football.

Maybe I should stick to television.  Both “Around the Horn” and “PTI,” two afternoon ESPN sports shows, discussed the basketball game.

It only took me 12 hours to find it.

10. Randolph Childress vs North Carolina: It took me a couple of minutes of brainstorming to remember this 3 ball from Wake Forest guard Randolph Childress during the 1995 ACC Tournament Championship against North Carolina. But once you remember it–even if you forget it for 120 seconds–it’s truly one of the great 3′s in the game’s history. He not only completely breaks the ankles of North Carolina guard Jeff McInnis on a tremendous crossover, but then breaks his own concentration while setting his feet to shoot just so he can taunt McInnis with a ridiculing gesture. As the announcer said this is a moment of playground basketball in a heated college basketball game. You can’t miss that after the taunt and he didn’t–he drained it. Beautiful trash talk in a huge contest on a grand stage.

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9. Tayshaun Prince vs North Carolina: “Tayshaun, hittin it DEEEP!!” Of a billion basketball games I’ve witnessed I’ve never seen a player before or since start a game with 5 straight 3 pointers on five consecutive posessions. It’s the 5th and final 3 that makes this list. As a close friend once said “nobody ever hits their heat check.” Tayshaun did.

8. Jeff Capel vs North Carolina: I must have something against North Carolina. Not really, maybe they just play some really entertaining games. This is a clutch shot in what is THE rivalry of our favorite sport. But honestly, I had to bump it down the list one spot when I realized this is the best version of this shot on youtube. Come on Duke fans, really?

7. Drew Nicholas vs UNC Wilmington: This is just a tremendous individual effort with the game on the line. It seems unfair to keep this one all the way down here at #7, but I’ve got some doozies up ahead. This is probably the one shot from here to my top choice where I could make a claim that the players and announcer celebration almost top the shot itself. Maybe that’s why it settles in a little lower than you might think. Just another reason here why we all love March Madness!

6. Chandler Parsons vs North Carolina State: I saw this live and nearly crapped my pants. These are the shots that NEVER fall, even if it comes oh so close. Just the stunning reaction of the NC State crowd says it all. The perfect long range prayer answered here.

5. Byron Eaton vs Texas: As far as I know only Isaiah Rider has hit a shot this ridiculous. But this shot was just a microcosm of what 49ways will tell you was one of the absolute best basketball games ever played. It’s the crowd bedlam when the shot falls that gives you goosebumps. A truly remarkable, lucky shot in a 3 overtime classic.

4. Mario Chalmers vs Memphis: I like this shot a lot. And a shot at the level of game-tying in the National Championship game with just seconds remaining deserves great respect. But that’s where I will part ways with Eamonn Brennan. Whereas Brennan found the sequence of events that led to Chalmer’s shot poetic and cosmic, I see a point guard almost lose the basketball before the pitch to Chalmers. And while I understand the shot defender Derrick Rose is freakishly athletic–as Brennan points out–he’s also understandably not willing to foul a 3 point shot, so he therefore limits his athleticism on purpose. This is a great shot that I was glued to on that championship night, but I’ve got three other 3 pointers that left a greater lasting impression for their unlikeliness, courage and execution. First, however, soak in the glory that some consider the greatest three pointer in the 3 point era.

3. James Forrest vs Southern California: I was a 13 year old living in Atlanta when Georgia Tech forward James Forrest swished this miracle buzzer beater. These were the days when the Tech Yellow Jackets were THE show in town. I love this shot not only because it was a hometown school coming through in the clutch, but because of everything else that happened in this moment. You have a freshman forward that took a whopping 3 three pointers on the year ending up with the ball in a desperation situation. You have a charming, genuine celebration that sears itself into your memory (how can you forget Forrest raising his fist up in the air with that perfect smile while carrying his teammates on his back?). Finally, you have a memorable play-by-play reaction, one that usually recognizes Al McGuire’s “HOLY MACKERAL” call, but I actually prefer the immediate and lasting scream by the other guy. It’s like he just saw a man dunk from the halfcourt line. Great shot at a great time in life, and a great ambassador for why the NCAA Tournament is so great!

2. Ali Farokhmanesh vs Kansas: The ultimate ballsy shot. We’re talking about some serious gonadal development here. It takes some serious guts to throw conventional wisdom out the window. Instead of running time off the clock, Farokhmanesh took Kansas and the nation by surprise and jacked up an uncontested, but unusual, three ball considering the time and place of the game. I will always look back on this shot with total admiration. When you’re in the tournament you’re in it to win it. And that’s the iron confidence Farokhmanesh played with at the end of this game.

1. Bryce Drew vs Mississippi: I bet you know exactly where you were when Drew hit this shot. I was in my dorm room in college, with the door open, and when this shot fell you could hear about 5 different rooms on the hallway erupt in elation. I high-fived a dude I NEVER talked to in the hallway in celebration. This shot is still the poster child not only for cinderellas advancing in the Dance but for execution of last second plays when the game is on the line. It took a perfect baseball pass, then a perfect overhead pass, just to find an off balance Drew for a look. It’s a stunning finish when you consider the way the announcers had given up on them just before the miracle.